I don't know why it surprises me so much that something that was cool when I was a kid has come back with such a vengeance, but really...I would have never thought that the Ninja Turtles would be one of those things. Even crazy...I actually LIKE watching it (gasp!). Seriously. Mainly because it's so witty - that darn Michelangelo has the best one-liners.
As a result, the boys are obsessed. Most of Wesley's birthday presents were Ninja Turtle-related, and we just went shopping yesterday to buy Dawson more clothes (kid is growing like a weed and didn't have any shorts and only a few t-shirts), and he ended up getting 2 Ninja Turtle shirts for himself, plus he picked out one for Wes.
I was all set to post some pictures of my boys in their Turtle gear, but blogger hates me and won't let me upload anything booo!
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Monday, April 22, 2013
All Good Stuff
So, the good news is that my mom is doing much better. It was a heart attack, and she had some pretty decent blockage in a couple spots. Two stents later, and she's on her way to recovery. It was a scary time, and it definitely made us appreciate the Easter holiday a little more.
The boys had an absolute blast. We went up to the Lake House, and the Easter bunny kindly found us there. There were pretty excited. Dawson wasn't impressed with the Easter bunny's egg hiding skills, though. "Mommy, next year the Easter bunny needs to hide the eggs better." Noted.
We also celebrated David's birthday a couple weeks ago. He's 30-something these days. The boys were a little bummed that David elected for birthday brownies, rather than birthday cake, but oh well.
And because this blog didn't exist back in the day (fine, it existed, I just completely ignored it!), here's a throw-back photo of the boys from the beginning of February 2012. It is probably one of my favorite photos of them. Ever.
It feels good to have all good things to say. Oddly enough, I've revived this once book-centric blog without a single book post. I don't think I've actually read a single new book in the last month - not since the Cleopatra one I briefly mentioned but never actually reviewed (hint: it wasn't that good). I'm in such a book rut, I just started re-reading It by Stephen King. And I totally got spooked reading it last night, too...
The boys had an absolute blast. We went up to the Lake House, and the Easter bunny kindly found us there. There were pretty excited. Dawson wasn't impressed with the Easter bunny's egg hiding skills, though. "Mommy, next year the Easter bunny needs to hide the eggs better." Noted.
 |
| My mom helping Wesley color some eggs |
 |
| Dawson and I working the eggs |
 |
| 4 boys, 19 months apart. YIKES. AND - the 5th one wasn't there that day. Seriously, YIKES. |
 | |
| Apparently they love those goofy faces! |
 |
| Slays me every time I see it. The grins! Wesley's baby face and long hair! D's arm around him! /Dead/ |
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Beauty Subscriptions - Birchbox Edition
I'm kinda failing miserably at this regular posting bit. Oy.
My newest obsession these days are beauty subscriptions. I discovered Birchbox last year, and got my first box last May, and I am in love. LUV. For only $10 per month, you get 4-6 beauty and lifestyle samples delivered straight to your door. I love it for many reasons, but the main reasons include finding products I would have NEVER found on my own, plus the fact that it takes no effort on my end to go to a mall or Sephora to ask for samples.
Birchbox has you fill out a profile, and works to tailor your box to your profile. It's a pretty imperfect process, because they have some 200,000 or so subscribers and on 30-some box variations, but in the entire time I've been a subscriber, there has only been 1 box that I've really been truly disappointed in.
Birchbox is also wicked cool because of a points system - each item that you get in your box is worth 10 points if you review it, and for every 100 points, you get $10 to spend in Birchbox's store. PLUS, every dollar you spend on the website is worth 1 point, so you collect points as you spend. The points system alone makes Birchbox worth it for me. I essentially get $10 in store credit every 2 months. So awesome.
Last month I decided I love Birchbox so much that I'd get a second box each month. I think next month (May) will be my last month doing that, but we'll see. Now, on to my April Birchboxes!
On my main account, where I am truthful about everything - age, make-up preferences, salary, etc, I got Box 23 with Caudalie Divine Oil, Nexxus Youth Renewal Rejuvenating Elixir, StriVectin-SD Eye Concentrate for Wrinkles, Mirenesse Glossy Kiss (in an orangish-red shade), and Mighty Leaf Tea. Turns out I hate tea, so that immediately went to a co-worker. The Glossy Kiss lip pencil looked cool, but I didn't want to even try it. I have so many redish lip colors from the last few months of my subs, that I decided to trade it...it went out in the mail today already - ha! The other 3 products I haven't tried yet, but I'm super excited.
On my second account, where I am less truthful about my age (I WISH I was in my early twenties! No, wait...I really don't), make-up preferences, and salary, I received Box 10. This box had in it (MALIN+GOETZ) cilantro hair conditioner, Herban Essentials Towelettes, Caudalie SOS Morning Eye Rescue, another Mirenesse Glossy Kiss (this time in red), and some Hail Merry Macaroons. Once again, the Mireensse went right up for trade (and again, went out in the mail today!) - I just can't handle another red. There is apparently a pinkish color that went out in some boxes that I would have loved to have gotten, but oh well. I was oddly still VERY please to be getting a full-sized item in both boxes, lol. As for the other products in this box, I've tried the Morning Eye Rescue for the past 3 days (no results so far), and eventually I'll eat those macaroons. The conditioner and towelettes I'm not so enthused about. They'll maybe get used eventually. Or go up for trade eventually. This box didn't really seem fit for someone in their early twenties, but oddly enough is probably ok for someone my age, so...it works.
Overall, Birchbox is fabulous, and I love, love, love getting it each month. I meant to take photos of my boxes to share, but I ended up combining them right away (ie, throwing everything in one box, and then dumping that one box into my large stash of samples), so I never got around to it. Sorry!! Next month?
My newest obsession these days are beauty subscriptions. I discovered Birchbox last year, and got my first box last May, and I am in love. LUV. For only $10 per month, you get 4-6 beauty and lifestyle samples delivered straight to your door. I love it for many reasons, but the main reasons include finding products I would have NEVER found on my own, plus the fact that it takes no effort on my end to go to a mall or Sephora to ask for samples.
Birchbox has you fill out a profile, and works to tailor your box to your profile. It's a pretty imperfect process, because they have some 200,000 or so subscribers and on 30-some box variations, but in the entire time I've been a subscriber, there has only been 1 box that I've really been truly disappointed in.
Birchbox is also wicked cool because of a points system - each item that you get in your box is worth 10 points if you review it, and for every 100 points, you get $10 to spend in Birchbox's store. PLUS, every dollar you spend on the website is worth 1 point, so you collect points as you spend. The points system alone makes Birchbox worth it for me. I essentially get $10 in store credit every 2 months. So awesome.
Last month I decided I love Birchbox so much that I'd get a second box each month. I think next month (May) will be my last month doing that, but we'll see. Now, on to my April Birchboxes!
On my main account, where I am truthful about everything - age, make-up preferences, salary, etc, I got Box 23 with Caudalie Divine Oil, Nexxus Youth Renewal Rejuvenating Elixir, StriVectin-SD Eye Concentrate for Wrinkles, Mirenesse Glossy Kiss (in an orangish-red shade), and Mighty Leaf Tea. Turns out I hate tea, so that immediately went to a co-worker. The Glossy Kiss lip pencil looked cool, but I didn't want to even try it. I have so many redish lip colors from the last few months of my subs, that I decided to trade it...it went out in the mail today already - ha! The other 3 products I haven't tried yet, but I'm super excited.
On my second account, where I am less truthful about my age (I WISH I was in my early twenties! No, wait...I really don't), make-up preferences, and salary, I received Box 10. This box had in it (MALIN+GOETZ) cilantro hair conditioner, Herban Essentials Towelettes, Caudalie SOS Morning Eye Rescue, another Mirenesse Glossy Kiss (this time in red), and some Hail Merry Macaroons. Once again, the Mireensse went right up for trade (and again, went out in the mail today!) - I just can't handle another red. There is apparently a pinkish color that went out in some boxes that I would have loved to have gotten, but oh well. I was oddly still VERY please to be getting a full-sized item in both boxes, lol. As for the other products in this box, I've tried the Morning Eye Rescue for the past 3 days (no results so far), and eventually I'll eat those macaroons. The conditioner and towelettes I'm not so enthused about. They'll maybe get used eventually. Or go up for trade eventually. This box didn't really seem fit for someone in their early twenties, but oddly enough is probably ok for someone my age, so...it works.
Overall, Birchbox is fabulous, and I love, love, love getting it each month. I meant to take photos of my boxes to share, but I ended up combining them right away (ie, throwing everything in one box, and then dumping that one box into my large stash of samples), so I never got around to it. Sorry!! Next month?
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Absent
I've already gone missing for 16 days...yikes. Eight of the days don't count, because I was deathly ill for six of them, and then the other two we were on a mini-vacation with the boys. By deathly ill, I mean I'm pretty sure I had influenza, because I was knocked on my ass for 5 solid days. So gross. And by mini-vacation, I mean we took the boys to the Kalahari, which was an absolute exhausting blast.
So anyway, the last few days I've been meaning to post. I have a ton of things to write about...my most recent book I've read (Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran), or my most recent addiction of subscription beauty box (Birchbox!! Ipsy!!). But then I got home today and was getting dinner into the boys when my brother called.
"Hey," he said. Pause. "Have you talked to mom?"
"Yeah, I talked to her," I said back confidently. Because the last time my brother and I talked was over the weekend about Easter, and I said I'd call Mom about it.
But then there was another pause on my brother's end. I'd said something wrong. I added "I talked to Mom about Easter..."
"But have you talked to her...today...about what's going on?" Fuck. No.
So it turns out what's going on was my momma having chest pains, and checking her blood pressure at work (she works at a surgery center). Her co-workers found out she wasn't feeling well, and did a quick EKG, and things weren't right, so my mom went to the hospital, where she was admitted and is currently having an angiogram to see what is going on. She's gotten conflicting answers as to whether or not she's actually had a heart attack, but either way, it's scary as all hell.
All of the things I wanted to blog about before don't even seem worth it. She's going to be fine, I KNOW she's going to be fine, but it's a huge wake-up call. My mom is young - 53 - and heart disease runs in our family something awful. My grandpa had a ridiculous number of heart attacks. Nobody can remember for sure (which is sad in itself), but the common guestimate is 13. See, ridiculous. I'm already mentally changing our diet, our exercise (fine, lack thereof). Thinking that my kids can't not know their grandmother, even though she's fine. Fine. Fine.
So anyway, the last few days I've been meaning to post. I have a ton of things to write about...my most recent book I've read (Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran), or my most recent addiction of subscription beauty box (Birchbox!! Ipsy!!). But then I got home today and was getting dinner into the boys when my brother called.
"Hey," he said. Pause. "Have you talked to mom?"
"Yeah, I talked to her," I said back confidently. Because the last time my brother and I talked was over the weekend about Easter, and I said I'd call Mom about it.
But then there was another pause on my brother's end. I'd said something wrong. I added "I talked to Mom about Easter..."
"But have you talked to her...today...about what's going on?" Fuck. No.
So it turns out what's going on was my momma having chest pains, and checking her blood pressure at work (she works at a surgery center). Her co-workers found out she wasn't feeling well, and did a quick EKG, and things weren't right, so my mom went to the hospital, where she was admitted and is currently having an angiogram to see what is going on. She's gotten conflicting answers as to whether or not she's actually had a heart attack, but either way, it's scary as all hell.
All of the things I wanted to blog about before don't even seem worth it. She's going to be fine, I KNOW she's going to be fine, but it's a huge wake-up call. My mom is young - 53 - and heart disease runs in our family something awful. My grandpa had a ridiculous number of heart attacks. Nobody can remember for sure (which is sad in itself), but the common guestimate is 13. See, ridiculous. I'm already mentally changing our diet, our exercise (fine, lack thereof). Thinking that my kids can't not know their grandmother, even though she's fine. Fine. Fine.
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Bad, bad ears
So it turns out my sick kid is really Kid With an Ear Infection, Volume 3. Wesley officially has the worst ears. Ever. Ok, maybe not ever, but definitely in the history of the Henrys. How bad are they?
When he was a baby, he got 5 ear infections within a 7 or 8 month period, so in June of 2011, both he and Dawson got tubes put in their ears. Dawson has been 100% ear infection free since then. Wes, not so much.
He did manage to make it until December 2011. By Christmas Eve 2011, his ears were leaking gunk. Like, running out of his ears grossness. Ear infection, with tubes? Check. A couple months later, we took him to the ENT doc, and discovered that both of his tubes had fallen out. Ugh. Two weeks later, Wes had an ear infection. Double Ugh.
He had two more after that, back to back in May & June. You know, the summer months when kids aren't supposed to get them. So, we had tubes put in his ears (again) AND had his adenoids taken out at the same time in July 2012. Well, all was right in the world until about 3 weeks ago when we took the boys in to the ENT for the 6 month check-up. Oh yes, that's right, we discovered that both tubes were once again out of his ears. Awesome.
And, now here we are, less than a month later, and the kid has an ear infection. In both ears. And he was so, so miserable. I didn't take him in until Wednesday, so he wasn't really back to himself until Friday. Poor little man.
And when it comes to taking medicine, he's the worst. Yesterday he knew it was time for medicine, and after telling us that he wasn't going to "cry...or whine...or cover my mouth" when taking his medicine, we lost him. Wes was no where to be found. We finally found him laying on our bed, face down, covering his mouth. Punk!
On the plus side, he's feeling much, much better, thank goodness.
When he was a baby, he got 5 ear infections within a 7 or 8 month period, so in June of 2011, both he and Dawson got tubes put in their ears. Dawson has been 100% ear infection free since then. Wes, not so much.
He did manage to make it until December 2011. By Christmas Eve 2011, his ears were leaking gunk. Like, running out of his ears grossness. Ear infection, with tubes? Check. A couple months later, we took him to the ENT doc, and discovered that both of his tubes had fallen out. Ugh. Two weeks later, Wes had an ear infection. Double Ugh.
He had two more after that, back to back in May & June. You know, the summer months when kids aren't supposed to get them. So, we had tubes put in his ears (again) AND had his adenoids taken out at the same time in July 2012. Well, all was right in the world until about 3 weeks ago when we took the boys in to the ENT for the 6 month check-up. Oh yes, that's right, we discovered that both tubes were once again out of his ears. Awesome.
And, now here we are, less than a month later, and the kid has an ear infection. In both ears. And he was so, so miserable. I didn't take him in until Wednesday, so he wasn't really back to himself until Friday. Poor little man.
And when it comes to taking medicine, he's the worst. Yesterday he knew it was time for medicine, and after telling us that he wasn't going to "cry...or whine...or cover my mouth" when taking his medicine, we lost him. Wes was no where to be found. We finally found him laying on our bed, face down, covering his mouth. Punk!
Monday, March 4, 2013
Life Gets in the Way
It's funny. I revived this blog all of what - 3? days ago, and I am already finding myself lacking in time to update. Today it's sick kids. Wes has a temperature that keeps coming and going. Ibuprofen drops his temp and makes him feel better for awhile, but then it starts to wear off and he becomes Hot Mess Wesley. To top it off, we are supposed to get 6-10 inches of snow between tonight and tomorrow night, AND David just went out of town for work until Thursday.
Serenity now!
And so - just a quick update from the days of my previous blog. I had an old post titled "Toothless Wonder and Chunky Monkey" Sadly, we had to put down our little Toothless Wonder almost exactly 2 years ago - March 14, 2011. (Yep, I remember, because not only was it 2 days before Wesley's first birthday, but it was also pi day) She lived a most fabulous life. She was 16 and a half years old and one of my first babies, so it was (and still is) super sad. The boys ask about her and pretend like they remember her, which is sweet.
We do still have our Chunky Monkey, although these days he is the furthest thing from Chunky. He's 18 and a half years old, and is really starting to look it. My little old man.
Serenity now!
And so - just a quick update from the days of my previous blog. I had an old post titled "Toothless Wonder and Chunky Monkey" Sadly, we had to put down our little Toothless Wonder almost exactly 2 years ago - March 14, 2011. (Yep, I remember, because not only was it 2 days before Wesley's first birthday, but it was also pi day) She lived a most fabulous life. She was 16 and a half years old and one of my first babies, so it was (and still is) super sad. The boys ask about her and pretend like they remember her, which is sweet.
We do still have our Chunky Monkey, although these days he is the furthest thing from Chunky. He's 18 and a half years old, and is really starting to look it. My little old man.
Friday, March 1, 2013
Boom! I'm alive!
Is it too late to revive a blog that I haven't touched in 4 years, 4 months, and 1 week? Most likely. So what on earth have I been doing the last 4 (FOUR!!!) years? Eh, reading here and there (I have a few awesome recommendations that I'll start throwing out eventually), and mainly raising these two maniacs:
Dawson Phillip, born November 25, 2008:
and
Wesley Earl, born March 16, 2010:
They have been amazing, sweet, and absolutely exhausting. I wouldn't trade it for the world. I want to get back to blogging...I've just been so awful at it for...er...4 years. Hopefully I can get back in to a groove. I miss reviewing books and sharing stories. Any body still follow this in their feed? If not...I understand. Four years is an effing long time to "take a break" from blogging.
Dawson Phillip, born November 25, 2008:
Wesley Earl, born March 16, 2010:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)