Monday Mumbling

Said with much sarcasm:

To the road crew, trimming trees on the road to the office: Thank you for making us sit & wait while the oncoming traffic came through & appeared to never have to wait, I appreciate being almost late for my meeting.

To Flynn's dance teacher: Honestly, I didn't put the tear in her $50 costume...so when you offered to sew it up & seemed ANGRY, that wasn't appropriate. The costume CAME THAT WAY, and although it might not take much for one of the grandmas to sew it, THEY SHOULDN'T HAVE TO, for crying out loud, anything for a four-year-old to wear ONCE, that costs $50, should not require my (or anyone else's) seamstress skills.

To the Easter Bunny: Thanks a lot, for all this candy. It's near impossible to diet when you're eating all your kids' candy so that THEY don't eat it because you don't give them candy.

To my metabolism: You suck.

To Flynn's allergies & asthma: You suck too. I am soooooooo worn out with worrying about Flynn when I leave the room. I am tired of wiping down counters like Jesus is coming to visit. And I am so over having to hover over her at parties & in group settings. I could puke I'm so tired of appearing to be an over-protective mother hen. And to the people who look at me, at parties & stuff, when I get out a container of a safe 'cake-alternative' (you know, so she doesn't die & stuff), like my child is spoiled & just doesn't like what everyone else is having, well, I say to you people, MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS. And if your mind is so lacking in thoughts of imporantance & your own affairs, perhaps you should go volunteer somewhere.
Or, try having allergies yourself.
That will certainly busy you.

To my neighbors: FOR THE LOVE OF CHRISTMAS, get the Christmas lights off your house, YOU BIG HOOSIERS. Did you know today is the last day of March? More than 3 mos after the said holiday.

To my small house: Grow up, would you?!

To United Healthcare: Have I pointed out to you that my son has used NO benefits this year? Have I mentioned that he's only had like 3 prescriptions in the 2.5 years he's been on this earth? That he's never been hospitalized, outside of his birth?
The mere fact that you refuse to pay for his speech therapy, is enough for me to come hunt you down & kick you in the throat.
Twice.

To the Chevy Dealership: I'm wise to your antics. When you can see that we're within 90 miles of the end of our dealership & you say that there's nothing you can do about our SERVICE ENGINE SOON light that keeps coming on, I can see you're doing your job. And I'm sure that that "squeaking" in our brakes really is NORMAL as you say it is. Because hearing squeaking when I put on the brakes really says safety to me.

To the rain: Enough already.

Said without sarcasm:

To my kids: Thank you for yelling my name before I even got in the door from my meeting. No matter how much the human race can sometimes aggravate me, I always know there are at least 2 humans who are always glad to see me.

To Flynn: Thank you for understanding when Gabe got new yogurt, ate it in front of you, and you didn't have any. You will never know how much Daddy & I appreciate just how understanding & mature you are about the fact that 90% of the world can eat what they want, and you will die if you indulge.
Thank you also, for the gymnastics-obstacle-course-show that you & Snowball put on for me.

To Gabe: Thank you for finally taking a nap. While I know you love your sister, the 'love' you guys show each other, does start to wear on me a bit. So I really appreciate you taking a little break from the action, to go recharge your little mind & body.
Also, thank you for standing at the top step with your skinny arms stretched toward me. It's the most welcoming sight when I've been gone all morning.

To my dad: You will never realize how much we've appreciated that you are the most reliable babysitter a person could ever have. The fact that you work nights, so that you can still babysit every Monday morning for us, is enough for me to build a bronze statue at Forest Park, in your honor. And the statue would be holding a mug of coffee.
When I clean up after you leave, and find paper after paper of coloring that you've done with the kids, it's enough to leave a smile on my face for the rest of the day.
It will be a sad day in two months when you babysit your last Monday to work days. Wherever we end up leaving Flynn in the fall, will never stack up to hopscotch, coloring, & lunch with Papa on Monday mornings.

To Jeff: Thank you for doing the sinkLOAD of dishes last night so I could finish my 'cleaning project'.
Also, thank you for taking on my ministry as your own & not complaining when you do as much as I do on a Sunday morning. Altho I have no doubt that many will be the gems in your crown in heaven, I hope to thank you enough here on earth.

To God: Thank You that we live in a country where things like trees hanging over roads are seen as a hazard.
Thank You that we can afford to put Flynn in dancing.
Thank You that there are many people in my kids' lives that love them enough to give them candy & spoil them on holidays.
Thank You for my body that is healthy enough for me to care for my family.
Thank You that You keep Flynn safe & with us through many scary experiences & for reminding us that You will continue to protect her.
Thank You that our neighbors are currently 'behaving' themselves & having awoken us in a while.
Thank You for our house that is comfortable, still fairly new & pretty maintenance-free.
Thank You that we have insurance, there was a time we didn't & that was pretty scary.
Thank You for our car & that You blessed us with very minimal bills in car maintenance.
Thank You for watering the earth.

Guacomole in a Bag

First of all, excuse my chef's hair.

Cleanliness really is our motto when cooking but I do not make her wear a hairnet, although, usually her hair is not falling in her face, I don't know what to tell you.

Okay, let's get cooking...

Cut a peeled & pitted avocado into slices.

Place those slices into a Ziploc freezer bag with 2 teaspoons of lemon/lime juice (we prefer lime) & a BIG pinch of salt.

We always throw a dollop of salsa in for good measure. Then, of course, you can add other ingredients to make it a little zestier if you want, but my kiddos like it as is.

Push the air out of the bag & seal it, then let your little chef squish & squash to her or his heart's content. It's easy to see if you've squished/squashed enough.

Then, snip off a corner of the bag & squeeze the guacamole into a dish!

Serve with homemade tortilla chips (yah, right) or even crackers.

It's yummo!

How Much is that Doggie in the Window?

Why, $300 to be exact.

This doggie thought 'Gabe's pants was tasty'.
Look at them, does that not make you lactate?

Look at them, stumbling over each other.

We wrapped the puppy in the towel so allergic Flynn could hold him...
and having the pups outside kept her from breathing their dander.

If you're in the area & are interested, these pups are going to owners (officially starting today). They're registered goldens & are yours for the taking, well, yours for $300. Just comment & I'll put you in touch with the breeder, none other than niece Mattie, who has done this whole process from beginning to end.

Which is sooo cute that my 13- yr old niece is a breeder & will even give you a folder with your official papers inside, once you purchase & pick up your pup.

She's so much like me, it's nothing less than flattering.

Come get a puppy.

Thank you.

McDs Follows Up

Ck it out on my allergy blog (side bar)!

Happy Weekend!

TAG, You're It!

My first tag! I was tagged by Kindra at 3 Guys A Girl & A Prim PLace to do a 6 word memoir about myself...

LOUD
OUTGOING

UNIQUE (nice way of saying odd)
CREATIVE
STRONG-WILLED
HUMOROUS

(doesn't necessarily mean I think I'm funny, but hopefully indicates that I like to laugh)

Here are the rules:
1. Write your own six word memoir
2. Post it on your blog and include a visual illustration if you’d like
3. Link to the person that tagged you in your post
4. Tag five more blogs with links (I tagged more, so sue me!)
5. Remember to leave a comment on the tagged blogs with an invitation to play.

I tag:

• MCKMama
• Angela
• Faith Hope Love Mama
• Tiff
• Kelly
• Beloved Mama
• Grace
• Elizabeth
• Jenn
• Mo
• Kim
• Rachel

Can't wait to see what you all come up with!
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Trace doesn't win THE APPRENTICE, boo

I was sad when The Trumpster announced to Pierc (sp?) that he'd won.
And right before that, when you could tell he was telling Trace how great he was (so he could let him down easy), Jeff turned to me & said, "Oh no." & I said, "Crap!" because I REALLY REALLY wanted him to win.
But right before that (before I said crap & was mad that he was losing), I said to Jeff, "Even if he doesn't win, he has done SO much for the allergy community to raise awareness."
There are so many people who have NO CLUE what it's like to have a real food allergy & the seriousness of it.
And for those people to see a celebrity talk about their real life & a small portion of what it's like to deal.
I'm thankful.
And one of these days, when I have a huge amount of time on my hands, I will write to show you a glimpse of what it is like living with an allergic child.
You've read some of it, but I still think you'd be surprised.

The First (& possibly last) Time You'll Ever Hear Me Plug THE APPRENTICE

Country Star and FAAN Spokesperson Trace Adkins One of Final Two Contestants on “The Celebrity Apprentice”

Out of the fourteen original contestants, Trace Adkins is one of the last two players competing for the championship crown on the two-hour live finale of “The Celebrity Apprentice” Thursday, March 27 (9-11pm ET/PT; NBC). It will be the final boardroom showdown between the country music star and British tabloid editor/“America's Got Talent” Judge, Piers Morgan, as Trump makes his final decision and awards a $250K bonus check to the winner's charity.
The final face-off has the two celebrities preparing for a charity auction and performance by multi-platinum group, The Backstreet Boys. They use every bit of star power to battle it out in the final task. Adkins faces the demands of the band, while Morgan is let down by celebrity helper, Stephen Baldwin. With the auction completed, Trump faces his final decision - who will be hired as “The Celebrity Apprentice.”
Throughout the series Adkins developed several marketing concepts that helped keep him in the game and were deemed effective enough to be used by several companies. He wrote and narrated “The Pedigree Dog Adoption” commercial that was broadcast on USA Network during February’s Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. When asked to develop an awareness campaign for the Crocs’ shoe donation program, Adkins suggested, “Wear ’em, share ’em,” which evolved into “Wear a pair, share a pair,” a slogan that Crocs has adopted and is using on their website. For the Quiznos competition, Adkins created a new sandwich called the “Prime Rib Cowboy Club” that is now for sale for a limited time in over 5,000 Quiznos locations across the country.
Although he has continuously impressed his teammates and viewers with his ideas and determination to play the game with integrity, Adkins admits he didn’t expect to make it this far in the competition.

“I’m really surprised to be here and extremely proud to be representing FAAN,” says Adkins. “I intend to conclude my time on this show with my dignity in tact, and I will try to be as respectful as Piers will allow me to be.”
On “The Celebrity Apprentice” website there is a poll asking, “Who should be the Celebrity Apprentice?” Trace is up against Piers Morgan. Vote for Trace today! Let’s show everyone Trace has what it takes to win the show and become the first “Celebrity Apprentice.”
Watch “The Celebrity Apprentice” on NBC Thursday at 9:00 p.m. EST.

“I decided to do this show because I wanted to help raise awareness for the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN),” says Adkins, who has a daughter with severe food allergies. “I don’t think many people are aware that so many children are developing food allergies these days. Something we’re doing has to be causing this, and we’ve got to figure out what it is.”
Adkins is competing in business-driven tasks around New York City to raise money and awareness for FAAN, his designated charity. Throughout the series, over a million dollars will be raised for various charities, and the winner who gets crowned as the first “Celebrity Apprentice” will also have the honor of delivering a $250,000 bonus check to their charity of choice.
Watch exclusive interviews with Trace at NBC.com. The website also offers deleted scenes, photos, “Celebrity Apprentice” games, and a sneak peek at upcoming episodes. To listen to Trace comment on weekly episodes, visit http://www.traceadkins.com/main.

GO HERE to hear Trace talk about his allergy kiddo.

Hearing other parents talk about their struggles w/ their own kids is pretty emotional to me. Going through what we've gone through with Flynn has been the toughest thing we've ever went through.

Also, click on over to my milk allergy blog (link on side bar) to hear my latest delight with McDonalds. And parents who have no sense.

Easter Sunday, Church & Egg Hunt

Just waking up....rag rollers & Snowball.

Easter Bunny was here.

Looking out the window...at the...snow?

Coming down the hall to see what EB has left us.

Handsome & Beautiful & ready to worship!

Post Worship, Egg hunt, Cousin Nessa helps out Gabe.

Flynn needs no help, she's a PRO.

What's in here?

Waiting for their turn in the BOUNCE HOUSE.

It's a monster, it's a mummy, it's -- Flynn bouncing in her Easter outfit!

Nothing makes a girl smile, quite like a basket full of goods.

Nothing makes a Mommy smile quite like an arm full of cute girl.

What?, You're taking my picture?

And a day full of fun = 2 pooped out kids.

Things You Want To Hear Upon Your 4-Yr Old's Completion of the Preschool Screening

"Do you realize how intelligent she is?"
"We don't normally see scores this high."
"She's extremely smart."
"I know she won't start in the fall but she's ready for kindergarten."
"This section here, she scored as a 6-year old; and that's because that's as high as it goes."
"Flynn's an excellent drawer."
"She counted up to thirty...then I had her stop."
"This shows she scored in the percentile rank of more than 99."

Tall Tail (Tale)

"Mom, you know what I dreamed before I waked up?

I dreamed that me & Dad were scared & running from a pair of slippers."

"Slippers for your feet? Like the ones that keep your feet warm in the winter?"

"Yes. These were fuzzy. And purple. They were a purple bunny. With big ears like a bunny rabbit. They were chasing us & we were so scared.

And they ran into my room & hid under my chest.

They saw a sock & a shoe under there.

We were worried they were going to get us. We yelled."

"Well that does sound scary, but it's also kind of silly. You know that the only thing a pair of slippers can do is keep your feet warm. You know that it wasn't real, it was just a dream. Right?"

"Right. But it still scared me & Dad."

'Twas the Night Before Easter

And all through the lawn...

All the creatures were hunting...

for the eggs 'til they were gone.

And inside them to open them,

And check out their bounty...

Then pjs, and hair rolled, to get ready

for the bunny.

Camera 1, Camera 2

Show a little linky-love & vote at the sidebar, for which Perry Family Photo that you like best.

Photo #1

Photo #2

Memories of Easters Gone By

Today I'm thinking of how this is Gabe's 3rd Easter.
Which makes me think of his first & how little he was. And how cute they were.
Which makes me think of last year & the fun we had with a 3 yr old & a 1 yr old.

And it just makes me so grateful, that God has blessed us so.

They Don't Call it Good Friday For Nothin'!

The kids were more excited than ever to dye the eggs for Easter.

Everyone has to have their turn at adding vinegar,

adding food coloring,

struggling with the lid...We decorated the eggs in many different ways,
by coloring on them, writing our names,

drawing crosses, drawing Jesus complete with crown of thorns,

wrapping them in rubber bands, to make stripes,

adding glitter, stickers, etc.

These were voted most artistic by moi:

(note: my soccer ball made the cut)

And Good Fridays are for resting with Dad.

Seeing the new life this season will bring.

(can you see the birdhouse, attached to the tree?

Dad & Flynn made this last year & this year it's

becoming a home for some birds who found it today)

Good Friday is for singing praises, HOSANNA in the highest!

Making our own palm branches & waving them to the words I cry when I hear Flynn sing,

"Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna to the Son of Da-a-vid.

Hosanna. Hosanna. Hosanna in the highest!"

What Christ sacrficed for us has always been so valuable,

but oh, how much more meaningful to see the story learned by my children.