I am

Yes, I am.......... already listening to Christmas music. I downloaded a new Christmas album two weeks ago. I love Christmas music. Always have and probably always will. I know it is 2 months before we even gear up for the Christmas season.

But, as I was starting to tackle laundry, dishes, floors and whatever else was needing to be cleaned, fed, or picked up, I decided that maybe a little Christmas music would get me going, provide a little listening motivation for my chores that lie ahead. It was only me in the house, and I had no one else present to subject my Christmas music to, so on it went.

I decided, as I turned on my ipod, sometimes we need to do what it takes to get us through the day. I have taken this approach to people's religious beliefs, extra curricular activities (within reason) and hobbies. Life is busy, and stressful. There is work, family and a million other things people are trying to juggle. So, if someones religious beliefs, or a good cup of coffee get them through the day, who am I to judge. If Christmas music gets my house clean so be it.

Picture Day #2

It was picture day #2 in our house, this time it was the special day for my son (my daughters was a few weeks ago). I of course, had to take my own pictures outside and not waste the opportunity of him being in a dress shirt, not his all to worn Star Wars shirt or his favorite Ben 10 shirt.

My son showed me how he smiled for the school photographer and I guessing my pictures probably turned out better then school pictures with a price tag of $28. I should know better then to pay for such pictures, since I am so picky about photos of my children, but school photos are a tradition, and I am all about upholding tradition. I will see in a few weeks how his pictures turned out.

Yes!!

Yes, my daughter wears combat boots!!

My little one is following in the "boot prints" of her aunt.

Her aunt, my sister, was the most marvellous violin player. She started playing when she was six years old and matured throughout the years to play just beautifully.

As any typical teenager though, she went through her individuation process in which she displayed her own unique style.

Much to the dismay of our mother, and is still the running joke with her violin teacher (this many years later, I might add), my sister would wear gorgeous dresses and gowns to play in, and if you would listen with your ears, and look from the feet up it was spectacular...... until one fell witness to the black combat boots!!

Rough Week

It has been a rough week for the Mama Mia Maria family. We have all been plagued by illness. It first started off with Mama Mia Maria husband, then moved on to little Miss Attitude. Runny nose, cough and 2 nights in a row vomiting in bed. Of course my son started with the asthma cough that got worse and worse. It finally hit Mama Mia Maria with a sore throat and headache. Both kids have had drippy nose medicine and been on the nebulizer for their asthma.

Topping it off, little Miss Attitude had the injury seen above. Yes, she cried and cried, but I think her Auntie actually felt worse since it was on "her watch."

Pumpkin Patch

So, pumpkin patches in our lovely city include a gated off area in a busy shopping plaza where pumpkins sit perched on bales of hay. To entertain everyone, there are huge bouncy houses, bungee trampoline jumping and carnival games. These pumpkin patches rake in the dough, they are big time money makers. $40 for pumpkins and of course tickets for each ride, carnival game and bounce on the trampoline.

So, when I went in search of a true pumpkin patch, I found a family farm with a pumpkin patch about 170 miles away. I decided to gather up the kids, Nana and Papa and take a day trip. Can I tell you what a great day we all had!!! Barn swings (even I got in on that action), farm animals, horse swings, corn slides, hay rides, story time with a witch, and lots and lots of dirt and cows. How could kids not have fun in that. This will certainly become a fall family tradition in our house. Thank you Staheli Family Farms for the great day.

The many expressions of my Little Miss Attitude.

My daughter is certainly a character. She reminds me of the saying...... when she is good, she is oh so good, and when she is bad, she is horrid.

I love that at 31/2, my daughter is her own little person. She is assertive, lets her needs be known and is full of pee and vinegar. Little Miss Attitude will never be bullied, walked over or taken advantage of, nor will she let that happen to her older, more reserved and tenderhearted brother.

She has charmed herself into free violin cases, clothes, candy, toys and who knows what else. She is perceptive enough to know when to turn on the charm.

Little Miss though, can throw the tantrums of all tantrums. Crying on the floor because she does not want to get dressed, or wants to go outside or have pancakes for dinner(not that pancakes are wrong to eat for dinner, just not when I have spent time making pasta for dinner). On more then a few occasions, it has taken my husband and I both to get her dressed.

Her assertiveness, confidence and no one is going to mess with me attitude, is what I wish I could be like. I hover on the nice side, do not like conflict, and am a peacemaker. Have always been that way since I was a child. I love my little spitfire of a daughter.

Ant hill at the Orchard

I was so excited to surprise my little ones with an adventure. We have had a long hot summer, and the hottest September on record. I wanted to let my kids run free in the dirt, and not break out in a sweat just getting out of the car. So, I thought it would be great to head out to our local orchard to pick a pumpkin and really get into the fall spirit.

We live in the desert and our local orchard is sparse, more brown dirt then green, but none the less, it is an activity great for the family. My munchkins ran around the field of pumpkins and picked the pumpkin of their choice. They lifted, or attempted to lift the big pumpkins and named all the baby pumpkins they found. We moved into the apple trees and went up and down rows of beautiful green apple trees and picked a bag full of apples. My kids and I had great conversation in the mists of the trees, and really enjoyed each others company. No arguing, teasing or videos.

Our adventure lead us out into nature, to see and find bright orange pumpkins, and perfect purple egg plant. Tomatoes were deep red, plucked from the vine, and apples small and green, fresh off the tree. But what captured my kids attention the most?????

The ant hill.

Pharmacy

This was my son and daughters asthma medicine this month. I walked out of the pharmacy with two plastic bags full of medicine and an emptied bank by $65. This price was including two coupons and one less medicine then I usually get because my third coupon was not working at the pharmacy. I cannot believe how expensive asthma medicine is. Luckily this is not a monthly expense. We just happened to run out of inhalers and albuterol all at the same time, but too, my sons very expensive preventative inhaler did not need to be refilled. That would have added another $50 to the bill. For those of you with little asthmatics you can find coupons for Ventalin and Singulair on line. My Singulair coupon cut my price in half for a thirty day supply. Go to both companies web sites and you can print them out. Every little savings helps.

I have a 2002 Chevy Silverado 2500 HD Crew Cab Truck. It is my dream truck. I have loved trucks for as long as I can remember, any kind of truck, construction trucks, monster trucks, especially little Toyota trucks that were jacked up with roll bars. After landing my first "adult" job, I went out and purchased one of the biggest trucks on the market. At the time I was looking, Chevy had come out with the Crew Cab, which is a full size back seat. Perfect for a growing family I thought.

Well, what started as my dream truck has slowly lost its status in my mind. It is going from dream truck to the money pit very rapidly. It is having one repair after another, and not just minor monetary repairs. We are talking never a repair bill under $800 (parts are extremely expensive).

So, as I started the car the other morning I saw the dreaded glow of the service engine light on. To the repair shop we went. I tried a new repair shop on the recommendation of a friend and can not praise One Stop Auto enough for their hard and honest work. The picture above is what they found when they were looking at my fuel line. Another repair shop had installed a new fuel pump, managed to break a part in the truck along the way, and instead of repairing the part they broke, decided to do that wonderful kindergarten glue job seen above. I cannot believe someone could be so blatantly dishonest and have such a lack of pride in their work, not counting all the safety issues this posed to my family who rides in that truck on a daily basis.

What is so ironic, the name of the repair shop that did all the damage was called Honest-1 Auto Care!!!!