Honorable Mentions

These are all Facebook statuses that I almost posted. 
Tweets I thought of in my head, but didn’t really have time to write I rarely tweet anymore.  Or maybe I thought twice about posting them.   Honorable Mentions…Did you ever win an Honorable Mention?  It is a nice way of saying “thanks for trying”. 


-“The Side ponytail.  It’s back and I am rockin’ it.”
I am.  Now that my hair is longer, I find that I prefer a low side pony tail…especially on day 2 of a hairwash.  Side Pony tail.   Call me trendy.  Or stuck in the 80’s. 

-“I need diet coke in my sippy cup now please… says the 2 year old.  Uh…yeah, I don’t think so”
SO…maybe I am a little lax with #3 who has definitely had her fair share of “sips” of Diet coke WAY before any other child did.  But in her sippy cup?  No. 

-“Pregnancy dreams.  If they could bottle this in a drug, someone would make millions. Because these dreams are C-R-A-Z-Y”
Yeah, I thought weird pregnancy dreams came in late 2nd trimester?  But no… they are here in full force.

-“But I WANT to be a cat when I grow up. – The hysterical screams of a 2 year old after she was told she can’t be a cat when she grows up”    She may not be able to be a cat, but she can grow up to drink lots of Diet Coke…just not in her sippy cup. 

-“Someone please tell me I am not the only Mom who still let’s her kids lick the spoon when making brownies or cake.”  I guess I am just living on the edge, or maybe just think moderation is key (aka, not the whole bowl brownie batter) But I am not a bad mom.  I licked the bowl, and lived.  And gosh darn it, I let my kids lick the bowl (a few licks…we have a 2 lick rule)

-“The pumpkin shortage (or so that is what I hear)  is making me want pumpkin even more. And I don’t even usually buy canned pumpkin.”   It’s true--  I am not known for my “made from scratch” creations.  I stick to Pillsbury Pumpkin Bread (and toss in chocolate chips, or nuts,  cream cheese icing, etc.  I also like Betty Crocker’s Pumpkin spice Cookie mix (hard to find, but oh so yummy).  I make Pumpkin Pie with Pumpkin Pie Mix in a can.  But when something is in high demand or hard to find (like canned pumpkin) it just makes it more attractive.  I am such a follower. 

- “I may or may not have accosted the shelf stocker at Target today when I spotted some Pumpkin Spice creamer in his cart.  I may or may not have reached into his cart without asking, and taken 2 bottles.  And then I told him “I won’t tell anyone else you have this”  He probably thought I was a crazy loon.  And then I hid my pumpkin spice creamer under other groceries so my secret stash wouldn’t be found out.   I take seasonal creamers VERY seriously. 

~~~~

And now I am hungry for Pumpkin anything and a diet coke…maybe even a pumpkin spiced diet coke.  And I fully expect to have crazy dreams about 2 year olds growing up to be cats with side pony tails.    

And those folks, are my most recent Honorable Mentions.

Have No Fear…

The South is Near….

There once was a mom…
who dreamed of Bo-Berry biscuits, and cajun fries, and chicken,
and sweet tea so sugary you could rot a tooth on one sip….

And then that mom took her kids on a trip to Union Station….

Where she saw this sign in the Union Station food court.

 

So, she paused for a moment listening to angels rejoicing in heaven, and she thanked the Good Lord for being so gracious as to bring a Bojangles to DC just seven blocks from her house. 

And then she prayed a little prayer reminding Him that she had also requested a Chick Fil A, a Krispy Kreme and also a Target to come to Capitol Hill.  You know, just in case He forgot.  
Because the prayers of a righteous man do availeth much.

So, dream with me tonight of Bo Berry biscuits and cajun fries…
And rest easy knowing that my dream will soon become a reality.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

--- of you have no idea what a Bojangles is, then I am so sorry.
I will pray for you tonight. 

--- if you think Carson was just wearing that shirt… he was. Wearing it yesterday, and the day before, and probably tomorrow.  Thanks mom… He loves the Frog Lake Shirt. 

-if you are concerned that I might die of a blocked artery from eating too much Bojangles, do not fear.  It’s all in moderation. 
I probably won’t even eat there once a month... but just knowing it is there will be a comfort. 

Loving my Swagger Wagon

I have seen this spreading like wildfire…  If you are a mom who drives a mini-van Swagger Wagon, you will LOVE this!

 

I have shared in the past about my love for my van… I once said “I would never drive a mini van” .  But, oh the times have changed.  

I have converted my SUV loving neighbor and mom of 3 children to a Van… and she is thanking me.  And I am currently working on my newest Mini van convert…it might just be you.

 

So what’s your favorite thing about YOUR Swagger Wagon?  The multiple seats, enormous amounts of storage, the automatic doors?
Are you SUV drivers drooling yet? 

Oh, but you SUV drivers taunt your “third row seat” is SO great… Really?  Really???  Keep telling yourself that… especially when you only have room for a gallon milk in the trunk and 1 bag of groceries.   Oh…you will dream of a Swagger Wagon tonight my friends.  

I love my van. 
And I am proud to say that.

And am I avoiding the fact that I am moving in 4 weeks?
Yes. …More to come on that.  But for right now…
A little laughter is sometimes needed to heal the soul.

 

~~Make sure to enter by Tuesday to win a $25 Giftcard to Sewplicity for an AWESOME highchair cover~~

Mail Fail

I tried. I failed.  I laughed.

I wrote thank you notes for Carson’s birthday Presents.
It is not worth mentioning that it took me 3 weeks to do so.

I wrote…I addressed…I began stamping.

Wait! Let me be resourceful…

I will just use these left over Christmas Stamps. 
My friends won’t mind…it will give them a chuckle.
I am so thrifty like that…I mean why let good stamps go to waste?

Oh, you mean THESE  leftover Christmas stamps?
Hmm.. I thought I had bought the mother/child stamps this year,
not the nutcrackers….So, where did these stamps come from?

I go to Google “how much is a stamp?”
(since it changes about every other day)
I see $.44

Hmmm….My Christmas stamps say $.42
and they are already stuck to my envelopes.

Are these Stamps From 2008???
Not only do my Birthday thank you notes have a Christmas stamp on them….they have a Christmas stamp from 2008.

Good thing I had some 1cent stamps laying around
for just a dilemma as this.

So what that my friends probably thought they were getting international mail from China with all the postage plastered all over those tiny little thank you notes. 

Good thing it’s the thought that counts, right? 
Not the postage.

Note to self—buy the “Forever” stamp from now on

**Don’t forget to enter in my GREAT giveaway to win 2 GREAT parenting books!***

The English Know How to Inspire!

The English sure do know how to inspire. 
I remember learning this slogan years ago, and getting a chuckle.

Now, I think this just about sums up the motivational speech
I give myself as I climb out of bed. 

I have a friend who painted this sign and has it hanging in their house.
They just had a baby (4 months old)…
Give them another year (or maybe just a few more months)
and this sign will take on a WHOLE new meaning.


I think I will start chanting this to my little llamas as we are…

-Frantically trying to get out of the house

-Attempting to bathe and dress 3 little llamas

-Trying to carry on an adult conversation in the presence of
such madness

-Eating out at any restaurant

-Standing in line at the grocery with the “gimmies” and “wannas”

-When Brotherly love doesn’t exactly describe our herd
 
So in the midst of your crazy life…
Keep Calm and Carry on Friends!


“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds
in Christ Jesus.”
                            Philippians 4:7

Communication

My husband and I communicate quite well.

We have weekly “meetings” where we touch base on our calendar for the week, long term trip planning, etc. 

We have “finance” meetings every so often…
We try and have consistent date nights…so we can keep the love alive.

And even in the midst of our crazy herd of little llamas,
I try my best to keep the lines of communication open

 

Enter last week’s topic of conversation.

I didn’t want start a conflict or anything…
I just wanted to get my point across

     What is that hanging in our doorway you ask?
My husband asked the same thing.

Dave-- Wait… is that my favorite frat shirt??

Oh this old thing?

With the holes in the armpits??

  From 1998?? Over 12 years ago??

   
I didn’t start a conflict…
The shirt did.

And I am sad to tell you…That Dave the shirt won. 
It was promptly folded and placed in the t-shirt drawer.

But I am here to say…
I’m just doing my part friends…to keep the lines of communication open.

 

Do you think the shirt should have gone?  What is your hubby holding on to that you just wish you could TOSS?  Or have you tossed something without him knowing??

Add a little dash of …

 

Can you see it now??
I added a little more back into the picture.

I must say…. I loved your guesses.
Immersion blender, icecream maker, Espresso maker,
toilet bowl cleaner? 

Nope.

Okay… Okay…
It’s a Salt Pig.

You heard me…
A Salt Pig.

I remember the first time I saw them I scoffed, I laughed…
I swore I would never own one of those things.
I thought probably exactly what you just thought…
”why on earth would you want a big jar of salt on your counter?”
Oh…contraire.

There are many versions of the Salt Pig

For those of you with the big bucks, there’s the swanky Emile Henry.

 

And this one even has cute little pig ears.

 

Mine was $4 on sale. And it was red… and I am a sucker for buying anything red for my kitchen.

But why Mama Llama, do I need a Salt Pig?

Well, you don’t. 
But when you are cooking and it calls for a dash of salt or a tsp of salt…it just isn’t as fun reaching above your oven for the jar of this.

When you could have this

 

Sitting on the counter asking for you to dash away.
Making you feel like Bakerella, or Pioneer Woman.
Just twirl around the kitchen a grab a dash of salt…
Makes you want to put on one of those trendy flirty aprons

Or at least for me…
It just makes me feel a little more gourmet
than the chicken nuggets I just heated up in the oven. 
I honestly have giggled over the joy my little salt pig has given me.
Pure, good, domestic, culinary joy. 

And far be it from me, to keep my joy from you.
I must share my love of the Salt Pig.

May your lives and your dinner be well sprinkled with love…
And plenty of Salt.

I Know You’ve Been Wondering…

I know, I know… you are up late just like me….
Pondering the deeper things of life…
Wondering…

What ever happened to Mama Llama’s lost shoe ??

Well… I’ve been cleaning out closets and

“One of these things is not like the others…
One of these things just doesn’t belong.”

And one of these things
doesn’t fit someone’s foot anymore
because it has been missing since November.

And I know you have really been worrying about my decorative choices…
So, not to keep you in suspense too long about this…

I went with the Faith, Hope, Love…
Because that whole 3x3 picture size thing was really
stretching my brain.

I am linking up with Tackle it Tuesday over at 5 minutes for Mom.
I definitely tackled the frames... but I guess  the shoe tackled me.  Ugh...

I am not a pet person...

There...I admit it.

**If you are visiting from Kelly's Corner Show us your life, Welcome!  I had to link to this older post, becasue it is so stinking hilarious!  Enjoy my non-love of pets.  I Love YOUR pets, and I LOVE that they aren't mine!    I am, however, looking for a Zhu Zhu pet. 

I just cleaned our Fish Bowl for the first time in who knows when...
and was reminded that I do not like pets.

I don't have this deep love for animals...at least not animals that live in my home.

I love animals...that live in a zoo. Or frolick nicely in my yard. Or pop up in random photos like Nuts the squirrell. I love making animal noises with my kids. But I don't like animals living in my home.

I love you. And I love your pets. And I love that YOU love your pets so much.

But me... I just don't like pets. And I feel like you aren't supposed to admit that. I really don't want to offend you...all of you. As it appears that everyone I know loves pets. Just not me.

And ... my husband.
See.... God knew what He was doing when He matched us up!

Of course I have gone through my numerous phases of wanting a dog. Man's best friend. But those desires pass quickly... kind of like when I think of how "fun" it would be to have quadruplet babies.... End thought is....thanks, but no thanks. My neighbors have a dog, and we can visit it all the time. They also have a bunny. How, fun...a bunny!

I have a couple friends that have chickens. I think chickens are very cool. I want to be green. I want to eat healthy. I would love fresh eggs layed right outside my door. We have the perfect piece of land for chickens. But the chickens themselves... and the chicken smells, and sounds, and droppings? No thanks. So Kirsten and Tracey, you can drop off a few eggs whenever you feel like it!

But alas, we do have a pet.

Meet Freddy. Freddy the Fish....

He is Charlotte's pet....she got him on her 3rd birthday. Carson likes to torture Chrlotte by yelling EVERY night "Freddy is MY pet". That's just fine by me...as long as he's not MY pet... since I don't like pets. David likes to make fun of how if he didn't feed Freddy, Freddy would "probably" never eat. He's right...there's no "probably" about that statement! If he (David, not Freddy) is out at bedtime I totally skip feeding him! Shhh... don't tell!

No matter how many times I forget to feed Freddy, he is still thriving.
No matter how dirty I let his bowl get, he keeps swimming.

And you ask... why do you have a pet if you don't like pets? Would you believe that it was actually MY idea to get Charlotte this fishy friend? Momentary lapse in judgement... I led with emotion, not objective thinking. Lesson learned.

Well, I just think that kids need a pet. And a fish is probably the easiest pet to have.

Obviously...
Starving in a dirty bowl, and Freddy is still with us.

Well, his bowl is clean now, and even though David is out tonight, I promise I did feed the fish.We have had Freddy for almost 1 year (the picture's from then).

From the Lips of Babes

Charlotte Brought home a sheet today titled

"My Mommy"

You see, it seems someone at her preschool thought it would be funny to "interview" the children and ask the questions about their mommies. This could REALLY be dangerous. Who knows what ridiculous things they might say.

Below is Charlotte's "Interview"

My Mommy's Name is Carrie

She is 24 Years old

(so I promise I didn't have her when I was 21... I am really 29...thanks)

She lives on S----Drive

(Good job! Or is that a safety concern that she is telling strangers where we live?

Hence, why I am NOT going to tell strangers where we live)

Her Job is Working on the computer downstairs

(so Maybe, just maybe I spend a little too much time on the computer. Maybe.)

Her Favorite Food is Macaroni

(right, on girl! I LOVE me some baked macaroni! YUMMO!)

She likes to go shopping

(And her favorite store? Tar--jay!
Most moms take their kids to the park... we go to Target!)

Her favorite color is purple

(Lord, no! Purple is SO out... Orange is WAY in...
I am also into brown and avocado green lately)

She loves Carson

(poor girl...does she think I love him more than her?)

Do you see all the ways this interview could have had devastating results?? What if she divulged our deepest darkest secrets to the preschool teacher? And what if I divulged them to the blog world?? Let's just say I am pleased with her answers. If "working on the computer" is the worst answer, I'll take it.

Baby Llama Stomps and Pouts... Baby Llama Jumps and Shouts!

So what do you do in these moments??

You see, Little Llama Carson obviously was having a "spit on this" moment. You see, Mama Llama is trying desperately to chronicle the sweet darling lives of her little llamas. And this little tantrum happened all because.... he wanted my camera.
I was simply trying to take a sweet picture of him doing this....

Now is that cute or what? He was making "bubbas".
See...we DO have creative play at my house!