Writing

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I have a little exciting news to share with my faithful blog readers.

I have been asked to author a blog for The News Herald (my local newspaper) about parenting and all the things I do with my kids. They have started a new section on their website and have blogs on lots of different topics.

I'm super-excited about it because I get to flex my brain by writing several times a week, be in touch with other like-minded people, do even more fun stuff with my kids, and I get to hang out in a newsroom...if I want to. It is an open-ended thing, I can write from home or go in and hang out and write from there. It's all what I make it.

I'll still be keeping this up as I use it as part of Reagan and Nolan's "baby book." I'll be starting another blog for the News-Herald. I'm thinking of calling it "Raising My Twinadoes".

What do you think? What topics would you like to see on there? All ideas are welcome!

Diners, Drive-Ins, & Dives

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If you know me, you know Momocho is my favorite place to eat. We started going there shortly after it opened 4 years ago and it was love at first bite. Back in the days of being just a "2 top" we often sat at the chef's counter for hours eating, drinking, and sampling anything Chef Eric threw our way. We got to know chef/owner, Eric Williams well. A fantastic Chef and all around nice guy. When I was helping gather donations for a benefit for a friend, his first words were, "tell me what you need."

When I was pregnant, I craved Eric's guacamole. He even gave me the base recipe, but it just tastes so much better when he makes it!

He welcomed the twinadoes with open arms and as soon as they could, they started eating the guac and haven't stopped.

When Eric dropped me an email and asked us to come down and be in the crowd because he was going to be featured on the Food Network show, "Diners, Drive-In's & Dives", I said, "just tell us when to be there" secretly thinking, "how in the hell am I going to lose 50lbs in a month!" So we went. We ate. We drank. They filmed. They filmed me alot. They kept asking me to take bites for them. Give commentary on what I was eating. I guess I did OK since I made the final show 3 times. I was very happy that a few of the things I said didn't make the cut. Eric came off wonderfully on TV and the food, well, the food just speaks for itself. I'm sure we are going to have a very hard time getting in the door for a while.

My facebook page was abuzz the night the show aired. It was fun. I guess that was my 15 minutes (more like 15 seconds) of fame!

Maybe they'll let me on the next season of "Dancing With The Stars."

In case you missed it, it airs again: April 2 - 9pm EDT April 3 - 12a EDT April 11- 3p EDT

Fixed

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After many frustrating days and plans put on hold, which I will fill you in on later in the week because I'm pretty stoked about it, I am happy to say that my blog is fixed. I'm even more happy to say that I figured it out, on my own. It was an HTML error, which I don't have 2 seconds of experience with, but I managed to find it, on the blog I wrote at the end of January ranting about being just a homemaker! I decided to give it one last stab tonight. No plan of attack just started pulling old posts down and looking them over.

I might just be a homemaker, but now I'm one that knows what "< div>" and < /div>" do.

Oh, the irony!

Cat-Bunny

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Even the cat can not escape me!

Photo Link

Since this blog is still messed up and I can't post pictures, I didn't want those not on facebook, (I think there is one or two of you still holding out) to miss out on the trip to the mall to see the Easter Bunny.

Enjoy and hopefully things will be back to normal SOON!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=56224&id=1418118548&l=a7703a3af1

A Mess

Something has happened with formatting of this blog. I've done everything that blogger help has told me to to do and still it is messed up. I'm sorry if you are happening upon here for the first time and it is a wreck! I'm working to get it fixed or move to a new blogging tool. It has something to do with uploading photos. I've never had trouble before, but all of sudden I do. I'm going to try a few different things, but if that doesn't work I'll be seeking an alternative publishing site. let me know if you have any ideas!

Maple Madness

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On a semi-chilly SPRING (finally) day, we headed to the Farmpark to see some animals and get some fresh maple syrup.

8 Seconds

Silly piggie

Nothin' cuter than a piggie butt

Mmm...maple candy!

Trying to nurse on Reagan's glazed donut soaked finger

She didn't like it!

Top O' The Green Pancake Morn' To Ya!

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Happy St. Patrick's Day!

#1 Way to Win My Kids Over

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Read them a story!

Growing Up...In Small Steps

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Nolan has sucked a paci since day 1. You can hear him sigh when he takes his first suck, he loves it that much. It's his crack.

I have been reluctant to push him to ditch it. Kids are forced to grow up too fast thse days and I don't have a problem with him being comforted by a paci. About a year ago, it was limited to crib and car rides only. He knows that the two he has in his crib and the one that stays in the car are the very last ones we have.

Today in the car, I heard an "uh-oh" come from over my right shoulder. And then, "my paci has a hole in it." "It's broken. I have to throw it away." WHAT?! I couldn't believe what I was hearing, but I told him I thought it was a good idea and that it is so much nicer to not have it in the car so we could talk and sing more clearly. I told him I was sure he was going to be just fine without it.

When we got home, I asked to see it and he wouldn't even let me look at it. He had it in his fist. He asked me to take off the lid to the garbage can in the garage and he unceremoniously tossed it in with the dirty diapers. I told him to say good-bye and give it a wave, just to make it more final.

When we went to gym & swim tonight, he got into his seat and asked for it. I reminded him that HE threw it away. He was fine for the ride to the Y. He asked for it again when we got in the car (he and I were alone, Reagan wanted to ride with Bill) and I told him I liked him not having it. He said, "Yeah, we can talk now."

So we did. We talked about him growing up, we talked about what we had done today, and we sang Duran Duran songs. He asked me to go to the store and buy him another and I told him that we couldn't do that.

It was weird looking in my mommy-mirror and not seeing that big green disc sticking out of his yop.

He's growing up, all on his own. Now, if he'd only potty train himself!

The Things They Say

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I haven't done a post like this in a while. As a matter of fact, I found one in my drafts on this blog that goes way back. I'll have to look at it and refresh my memory. For now, I've gathered my scrapes of paper and will do a new post!

Reagan and Nolan make me laugh on a daily, no make that hourly basis. They have such vocabularies and Nolan, especially, has a very dramatic delivery. He likes to make me laugh and is a joker. Reagan is into being "right" and will correct you if she thinks you are wrong. Funny thing is, she is right 9/10 times! She retains information so well.

While getting stuck by a train, Nolan noticed all the graffiti on the cars. "It's the ABCD train car!"

Nolan's canteen lid came off and I fixed it for him. " There, good as new, Mom."

While looking at the San Diego Zoo Book, Aunt Deb pointed out a "snake." Reagan corrected her, "No, Aunt Deb. That's an emerald tree boa."

After I finished vacuuming, Nolan exclaimed, "You did a great job!"

Nolan while playing: "I'm going on an adventure." Me: "Where are you going?" Nolan: To the airport. I think. I'm going to see fireworks."

Nolan is big into smelling everything I cook. He always smells it and whispers, "that smells delicious."

Nolan had some pretzels in the car and he broke on of them to save "to share with his best friends." I asked him who that was and he answered, "Daddy, Aunt Deb, and Gram."

Someone almost pulled out in front of us and Bill honked the horn. Nolan yelled, "That was good honking, Daddy!"

My Mom is trying to teach the kids a few words in Polish. She has been working on "eggs." She asked them the other day to "say eggs in Polish." They both answered in unison, "eggs in Polish!"

We were reading a Dora book and I asked Nolan a question about where something was. He responded, "I don't know. I'm not the map!"

I am so blessed that I have such communicative children. They both started speaking early and haven't looked back since!

Deals, Deals, Deals

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A few of my blog followers like to hear about my shopping exploits, so here goes.

My mom took the kids on an adventure, so I could do my errands in peace and quiet. You know couponing is serious business, right?

Here are some highlights from stops at Walgreens, CVS, Rite Aid & Giant Eagle:

Walgreen's

Spend $20 of Vicks products, get $10 RR (register rewards)

Bought 4 Vicks Products @ $5.00 each

- (4) $1.50 coupons

+ 2 coupons for buy 2 Vicks products, get a free puffs tissue

Total for 2 Nyquils, 1 VapoSyrup, 1 box of Dayquil, and 2 family size puffs: $14 - $10 RR= $4

Also had a coupon for 'free' Excederin (5.99 value). I found a box of 100 count Excederin Migraine packaged with a free 24 count bottle for $6.99 -5.99 coupon= $1 for 124 Excederin!

While this doesn't top the BOX of pampers I (well, Bill got...I sent him with the scenario all written out and he executed perfectly) got for $1.99, it does rank up there as one of my best WAGS deals ever!

Giant Eagle

I like to have the cashier scan my card at the end of the transaction. It is gratifying to me to see the dollars go rolling off. Couple that with a coupon/sale for every item (minus blueberries, which Sal Reagan can't live without) I bought equated to a 44% savings on the grocery bill.

The best deal I scored here was on No Yolks Egg Noodles. They were on sale 3/$5. I had (3) $.75 coupons. At Giant Eagle those double to $1.50. So I ended up paying $.50 for 3 packages of noodles.

The savings breakdown:

Mfg coupon savings $14.51

Bonus Card savings: $5.35

Store Coupons: $4.15

Total: $24.01 savings

Rite Aid

Rite Aid, oh how I love thee. There are always good sales and lately there have been a lot of items discountinued that are marked 50-75% off. I usually am running in while someone sits in the car with the kids, so I don't get to stroll the aisles for deals, but today I had a chance to do that and scored some good stuff.

Some of the highlights here:

Pampers Mega packs BOGO 50%

Pampers (1) @ $17.99

(1) @ 8.99

- (2) $2 coupons

- (2) $10 coupon (one from Pampers and one a quarterly savings check from Rite Aid)

$27-14-10= $3 for TWO Mega packs of Pampers

Satin Care Shave Gel

$1.49

$1 SCR (single check rebate)

-.$55 coupon

$.06 money maker --I'm not sure why this rang up at $1.49, it was supposed to 1.99 and not be a money maker. I just realized this as I was typing this out.

My total coupon savings: $31.05.

CVS

The total bill was around $21 for 2 boxes of cereal, 2 bottles of Excederin, 2 ring pops for the kids Easter basket, and a box of Huggies. Considering that the diapers were $19.99, I'd say I did pretty good here.

One Fish, Two Fish...

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Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!!