Cupcakes

Dozens of cupcakes will be floating in and out of our house over the next week.

Yesterday 12 cupcakes went to school for preschool birthday celebration. 12 stayed home, since the mix made 24 and we only needed 12.

My mom is visiting 2 days before my son's actual birthday, so more cupcakes will be needed.

On the actual birthday? Maybe some cupcakes?

Day after birthday, 30-ish cupcakes are needed for daycare class.

Two days after birthday? Huge Batman cake will be picked up at Sam's club for party with son's friends.

I haven't done the math, but it seems that perhaps 60-84 cupcakes will be made when all is said and done. Is it okay we're getting a store bought cake? I think I will be baked out.

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Please go enter my Made in the U.S.A. giveaway! 5 winners!

It's not like I called her "that woman"

As you may recall from this post, my son intends to marry his friend Lucy (not her real name) when he grows up. Yesterday he told me that when he is a daddy, he is going to have a basement full of only superhero toys. I told him that when he is a daddy, his wife might want to have some other things in the basement, too.

His response? "I'm marrying Lucy. Say her name when you say that. Not 'your wife'."

Oy vey. Flash forward 20-something years, and you'd have thought I said "That woman won't want you keeping your basement full of nothing but superheroes." (Like a mom who doesn't approve of her grown son's choice in women. For the record - I like Lucy, and we're friends with her parents, so if in a couple of decades he really does marry Lucy, I'm all for it. Heh.)

Maybe she will want a basement full of superheroes anyway...As long as Wonder Woman is in the mix, too.

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Don't forget to enter my book giveaway - Five winners!

Made in the U.S.A. review and giveaway

Made in the U.S.A. by Billie Letts is a novel about a teenage girl, Lutie and her younger brother, Fate, who have found themselves on their own. Their mom died when they were very young, and their dad abandoned them, leaving them to live with his ex-girlfriend, who dies very early in the story.



Lutie is an angry, bitter girl, and who can blame her, with the life she has lived? Fate is a sensitive, smart boy who has never been able to make friends.



The two kids take off in a stolen car in search of their dad. They do not get the happy reunion they had hoped for with their dad, and begin living a very hard life alone on the streets of Las Vegas. Someone is watching them, and gives them bits of anonymous help along the way.



The first 2/3 of the book were very difficult for me to read. The kids went through a lot of hardships, and it was just difficult. Not to say the book was not good, because it was well written...It was just hard. As a mom, and just as a person, to envision the difficulties these poor kids endured.



Finally, when things seem as though they couldn't possibly get any worse, their secret helper steps in and reveals himself, and helps when he is needed most. He helps them recover, physically and emotionally, from the hard life they've lived.



It was a happy ending indeed to see the transformation of Lutie into someone less angry, and Fate into someone who finally finds a friend.

This was a very emotional read, and it took a while to see the light at the end of the tunnel, but I think if you read it, you'll be glad you did.

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Hachette Book Group is offering five readers the chance to win this book!



To enter, visit Hachette Book Group and tell me what other book you'd like to read. You must complete this entry before getting the extra entry.



For a second entry, follow me on Twitter and tweet about this contest.



The contest will run until Sunday May 31st at 11:00PM EST. Five winners will be notified via email and will have 48 hours to respond.



Good luck!

Clumsy - The Memorial Day version

I have great news - I did not hurt my back this weekend. Does that mean I didn't sustain any type of injury? Well, no. I did manage to fall while playing soccer with my son, hubby and some friends. I went to kick the ball (again, while running - I should stop that) and my toe landed at the top of the ball, thus causing me to roll the ball and myself. Fortunately(?), I landed on my right shin, which seemingly has no direct connection with my back issues. I scraped my shin up pretty well, but it looks a lot better this morning, and did I mention that it did not affect my back in any way? So, I'm happy. And I kept playing soccer, anyway. It's just that slowly but surely, I am making sure (unintentionally), that everyone I know knows that I am clumsy, and even gets proof, in the form of watching me fall during an athletic activity.

That said, Memorial Day weekend was great, and I was sorry to see it end. This will be a short week, though, as my son's end of year preschool picnic is Friday, so I am taking that day off as my "special day off" this week.

I have given out 5 Avon catalogs already and the website is up and running. Personally, I am excited to order some Skin So Soft Bug Guard Plus Bug Spray/Sunscreen combination for camping and visits to the zoo. I also have been using their shower gel ever since I reviewed it a couple months back, and will definitely be ordering a bottle (or two) of the new Papaya & Kiwi scent shower gel - It's on special for only $1.99 a bottle!

If anyone wants the link to my website, email me or leave a comment. I also will be glad to give you a code that will give you free shipping on any order!

Four and five year olds on marriage

My son has a circle of close friends, most of whom he has known since he was 2 months old. In recent months, there has been talk among the kids about who will marry whom. When you're four, it's hard to imagine that by the time you are old enough to marry, your world will have grown beyond the circle that it is now. Of course, that's not to say that no one could marry someone they've known since they were an infant, and wouldn't that be a neat story to tell.

Anyway, a few months ago my son told me he was going to marry a girl that one of his buddies is also planning to marry. I said "I thought Andy (all names have been changed) was going to marry Lucy?" My son replied "I'll marry Lucy after Andy does." I explained how usually people get married and stay married forever. I said "In 30 years, Daddy and I will still be married." Hubby continued in a faux pained voice "In 100 years, I'll still be married to Mommy." Heh.

A couple of weeks ago, when I dropped my son off to school, he and "Andy" were whispering. Then Andy approached me and said "When I grow up, I'm going to marry Ashley, and {my son} is going to marry Lucy." I don't know how my son did it, but he managed to snag Lucy from Andy.

My son recently had "Ashley" over to play. She spotted a framed wedding picture of hubby and me, and said "I'm not getting married." My son said "You're marrying Andy." Ashley said "I'm not marrying anyone." My son asked me "Do you have to get married?" I told him no one has to get married. My son said "Then I'm not getting married, either." Ashley said to him "You can marry me." He replied "I thought you weren't getting married." She said "I'm getting married. I'm just not marrying Andy. And I can't marry my brother because he's 8 and I'm only 5."

Poor Andy. That's the second engagement broken off for him and he's not even 5 yet. Heh.

Incidentally, later that day my son confided that he is still planning to marry Lucy. It's like preschool Melrose Place around here, I tell you.

Carolina Pad Giveaway Winner

According to Random.org, the winner of the Carolina Pad giveaway is Paula H. Paula will be notified by email, and will have 48 hours to repond.

Congrats to Paula, and thanks to everyone who participated!

The toy that haunted my childhood Christmas lists

When I was a child, each year I would make a list of things I wanted for Christmas. Santa was always very good to me, but there were two items that made the list every year when I was young. One of them was the Snoopy Snow Cone machine. My mom actually gave that to me when I was about 23 as a joke gift, but I still have it.

The other was the Easy Bake Oven. Oh, how I longed to make tiny little cakes to share with my friends and family...Or eat all for myself. For some reason that gift never made it under the tree, not even as a joke gift as an adult.

Last year there was an exhibit of nostalgic toys at our local museum. I looked at original Easy Bake Oven on exhibit with my son, and told him how I always wanted one when I was a little girl. Sweet boy that he is, he said "Maybe Daddy and I can get you one for your birthday." I thanked him, but told him I was able to use the big oven now, and didn't need one anymore (but seriously - if they gave me one? I'd totally enjoy using it with my son).

So, when I was contacted to write about the Easy-Bake 2009 Baker of the Year, how could I say no? That could have been me (25 years ago). I could have achieved fame and fortune with the Easy Bake Oven I never had....Well, okay, maybe not, but still... I couldn't resist the opportunity to share this with you all.

As you can see from the picture above (courtesy of Ray Stubblebine/Hasbro), Catherine Ralston was absolutely thrilled when she won the EASY-BAKE 2009 “Baker of the Year” award earlier this month for her “Queen of Hearts Strawberry Tart”. Her exact reaction: "Wow, I can't believe I'm the 2009 EASY-BAKE 'Baker of Year!' I love to cook and had so much fun baking with and spending time with the other kids. I especially love that I got to share this experience with my mom, the person who taught me to cook!"

In addition to earning the EASY-BAKE 2009 “Baker of the Year” title, Catherine won a trip for four to San Francisco, CA, where she will visit local food-related sites and attractions. Catherine was chosen from seven finalists from all over the country.

The runners up made out pretty well, too. They each received a $500 VISA gift card and a one-year supply of EASY-BAKE brand mixes. All finalists will have their recipe and a photo of their creation appear on the EASY-BAKE website.

At the finalist competition, each aspiring chef worked at a personal bake station equipped with EASY-BAKE Ovens, cooking utensils, and all the ingredients needed to whip-up their recipe. Helped along the way by their "sous chefs" - mom or dad - the finalists spent the morning baking their creations, and chose their favorite to submit to a panel of judges.

In case any of you are unfamiliar with the Easy Bake Oven, here's some information about it:

Since 1963, Hasbro's EASY-BAKE Oven has been cooking up culinary inspiration in hearts and homes across America. The beloved EASY-BAKE Oven & Snack Center is back in its original aqua color! The classic side-loading oven that bakes with a light bulb returns to let bakers-in-the-making whip up tasty snacks for friends and family, including cakes, brownies, cookies, and much more. The oven comes with three different mixes, two baking pans, two utensils, a pan pusher, two warming cups and recipes/instructions. One 100-watt standard light bulb is required but not included.

I've got to say, as much as I wanted one as a child, after reading about this, I actually view it a little differently. It was once a toy I coveted, but reading about these kids working with their parents to come up with a special creation, I realize that it's more than just a toy that could make a young child feel like a grown up who bakes. It is a way for families to experience yet another special moment together. Can kids and their parents bake together in a regular oven? Sure - My son and I make baked goods all the time. But there is something about a child having his or her own little oven that puts the child in command of the baking.

Congratulations to all the participants, and every little boy and girl out there with dreams of becoming the Easy-Bake 2010 Baker of the Year.

The seventh is compost

You've heard of the silver anniversary, the golden anniversary, etc? Well, at our house, the seventh anniversary has been deemed the compost anniversary.

Last summer we started composting. To a small degree. We brought all our compostible waste outside, hubby made a heap, buried it...I'm not sure how successful it has been.

I spotted a very reasonably priced compost bin at Sam's Club, and bought it for hubby for our anniversary. If it works as it says, and does what the picture on the box shows, we are going to be turning our produce scraps and leaves into some pretty sweet mulch and fertilizer for our garden.

The best part? Hubby was thrilled. Because really, nothing says "I love you" like compost.

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Don't forget to check out the Carolina Pad giveaway!

Flaming cheese

Today's is hubby's and my 7th anniversary. We celebrated on Saturday. We went to a movie while our son was at a birthday party - Angels and Demons. It was great - Better than the DaVinci Code. I haven't read either book, and after seeing the DaVinci Code, I didn't particularly want to read that book, but I may read Angels and Demons.

In the evening, while our son played at a friend's house, we went out to dinner at the place where we held our wedding reception. That was hubby's idea. We actually had not been there since our wedding receiption, so year 7 may be the year of nostalgia. Hubby and I ordered our meals, and as the server walked away, hubby asked for an order of Saganaki. Imported flaming cheese. I could have had just that. It was basically like when you "accidentally" (I've been known to do it on purpose) drop some shredded cheese in the pan while making grilled cheese. Then it was lit on fire as it was brought to the table. Yum.

After dinner, we went out for some ice cream, and stopped at the miniature golf place to play a couple games on Dance Dance Revolution. Because apparently we are 15 years old. We had played it a couple times before with our son, but really wanted to give it a try on our own. We loved it. Ha!

When we went back to get our son at our friend's house, we got to try Wii Fit for the first time. I love it every bit as much as I thought I would. I played a couple balance games, I hula hooped (I rocked that - I even unlocked a new level for them) and boxed. My chances of acquiring a Wii and Wii Fit are even less than before, now that I am bringing in 20% less income, but I can imagine how much I would love exercising with it, right? Ha.

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Don't forget to check out the Carolina Pad giveaway!

GIVEAWAY: Carolina Pad office supplies

Pictured: Simply Chic (left) and Eye Candy (right) line of fashion office supplies from Carolina Pad






At our office, which consists of several guys and me, office supplies are of the bland variety. Once I ordered a package of multicolored post-its, and then realized that only one guy in the office was comfortable using the pink ones, and I was forced to use them myself before switching back to yellow.



Carolina Pad makes office supplies that my coworkers would cringe to see in the supply closet, but that doesn't mean I can't keep a few of their brightly colored items on my desk.



Carolina Pad supplies can be found at major retailers such as Target, Wal-Mart and Walgreens. They also offer their products online! They have so many things to choose from - Magnets, folders, address books, calendars, pens, envelopes, notebooks and more!



I was thrilled when Carolina Pad sent me an assortment of their items to try out. My favorite, by far, was a folder that had several pages with vinyl pockets in them - Maybe I can take that huge stack of papers on the counter and organize them! They sent me some spiral bound notebooks in various sizes and designs, some file folders...All sorts of beautiful and functional goodies. They sent a two pocket folder from their Sasquatch line that really impressed me - It is much stronger than the folders I have usually purchased. That one may have to come to work with me, but some of the things are definitely staying at home.



Carolina Pad has offered one of my readers the chance to win a great collection of their fashion office supplies. You get to choose from two of their cutest collections, Simply Chic and Eye Candy, both pictured above.




To enter, please leave a comment here telling me which collection you would choose if you won.

After that first comment, you can get additional entries into the contest by doing the following:

1. Follow Carolina Pad on Facebook and then come back and leave me a commetn telling me you've done so

2. Join their consumer insight panel and leave a comment about that

3. Follow me on Twitter, and tweet about this contest (and leave a comment letting me know you've done so).

That's a total of 4 entries! This is a huge contest - Look at all the things you get in whichever collection you choose! Enough to share...If you wanted to!

As an added bonus, Carolina Pad is offering a special deal to my readers: Get 10% off all web orders at the Carolina Pad through May 10th (and FREE shipping on orders over $30)

This contest will go until Friday, May 22nd at 8:00AM EST. Winner will be notified by email and will have 48 hours to respond.

Good luck!

My $10 adventure

Another fun "special day off" yesterday, well needed after a particularly stressful afternoon at work on Wednesday. It seemed I was saying all the wrong things, and had people chewing me out left and right. That rarely happens to me at work, so I was not dealing with it well (read: secret work tears at my desk).


Yesterday was a gorgeous day, and my son and I met a friend at the park for a couple of hours and had a great time.

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I am in the process of signing up to become an Avon ERepresentative. I will have my own website from which people can order, as well as the option of passing out catalogs. It only costs $10 to sign up, with no product or startup packet to buy so I figured it was worth a try. Worst case scenario? I'm out $10. Best case scenario, I make a little money and have some fun with it.



My favorite Avon product I ever used is a lipstick that pushes out on it's own and retracts when you close it. I'm not sure what that says about me - I am apparently so lazy that I need a product the eliminates the need for me to remove the cap from a tube of lipstick and rotate it in order to make the lipstick rise? Maybe.

Anyway, once it's up and running, I'll put a link to the website on here in case any of you have been eagerly looking for an Avon Representative (and I hope some of you are!). Oh, yeah...I realize that will mean that my so carefully guarded anonymity just went out the window. Believe it or not, I actually signed on with Avon via another blogger. Go figure.

The phone was right there

I'm not proud of this, but I voted on American Idol last night. Oh, the shame...

I wasn't going to, but...and I know lots of people disagree...But I'm not a fan of Adam. Yeah, he's a fine singer...But I don't understand what the big deal is. Before Simon said it last night, I said to hubby (who was on the computer, barely paying attention to me or the show) "I don't understand why the judges suck up to him so much." Then Simon said he wasn't going to suck up as much as the other judges. Heh. I also resented that he sang Cryin', which was what Kara had suggested that Danny should have chosen last week instead of Dream On.

So, I figured, what if Danny lost by one vote. Could I handle the guilt? So I called. Then hubby suggested I do it again. I said that wasn't fair, but if he wanted to call and vote for him once...And would you believe my husband did that? What a trooper.

Goodness...I've invested myself entirely too much into this show.

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My son already got 2 positive RSVPs to his party, so as far as he and we are concerned, it's a party. Even if no one else can make it. So, we're all set there.

I think what bothered me the most about the about the mom's calls and emails is that I almost got sucked into her drama. I got worked up after the first call, and her email agitated me even more when she implied that we should change our plans, as though the children would somehow suffer if we didn't. It took me a little time to step back and realize that none of it really mattered - The date, the time...The kids were going to have fun either way, and that if we all tried to schedule around one another, nothing would ever happen. I'm glad I ended up speaking to her husband rather than her, because I think what I had to say would have been lost in her angst about the whole situation. If it ever happens again, I've got my response. "Ours is that day, too. We'll make it if we can, but if not, I hope your son has a great party." That's all that needed to be said.

Birthday drama (not ours)

Every year we have my son's birthday party on the same weekend. It used to revolve around when my mom was coming to visit, but now it revolves around when she is not coming to visit, because she visits for only two days, so she now comes before or after the hectic party time so we can just enjoy time together.

My son has a friend who he has known since he was an infant. We used to be close with the family. He used to have two single parents, and then the mom remarried. We have not gotten together socially since she remarried. I had kind of thought that in addition to the kids being friends, we had also forged a friendship. Once she got married, and we no longer got together, it became clear I had been mistaken about the friendship thing.

The boy's birthday is about two weeks after our son's. His party has always been one or two weeks after our son. In the 5 years we've known each other, we've always planned our parties without fuss or consultation.

Imagine my surprise when I got a phone message from her last week stating that her son's party would be the day that our son's is, and she hoped there wouldn't be any conflict. Well, as I said, we had our date in place for a while, and we had our reasons for that, so we wouldn't be changing it. I sent her an email and simply let her know that ours would be that day, also.

Honestly? It doesn't bother me a bit. Ours is late in the afternoon, allowing for plenty of other time options for theirs. The kids run with some of the same kids, but my son is in a different preschool class, and has different friends there, as well as friends from Sunday school. My take is that some kids will attend both, some with attend neither, some will go to one and not the other. My son is aware that he may miss his friend's party, and that his friend might miss his. He is fine with that. "We'll both be at a party" is his cheerful outlook on it.

The mom sent a rather terse return email that "for the sake of the kids we should work this out" (work what out?) and "if you won't change the date...". If we won't change the date? We don't really have a problem with the date or the fact that we're both using it.

I feel that everyone has to do what works best for their schedule, and both parties will be a success. The boys are in a daycare class with 24 kids, they are in separate preschool classes with 12 kids in each, and they both attend Sunday school at different churches. I think they each know enough kids where there will be plenty of friends who could be invited to each. My son's list of invitees was 8 people long. Since the party is being held at our house, we limited it to that. If half of those kids decline, he has at least as many other friends that he would have liked to invite if we could accomodate them. The invitations were sent out over 3 weeks in advance, so if we start getting lots of declines, we can send out another round of invitations.

I ended up calling the mom, but she wasn't available, so I spoke with her husband. I said what time our party would be, and that depending on their time, we would try for our son to make it to some or all of theirs, but it might not be possible. I said that I thought both kids would have a great time regardless, and that we all need to do what we need to do schedule-wise.

The boy should receive his invitation to my son's party today. I just hope it doesn't start more calls and emails. The important thing is that the kids each have an enjoyable party. If the parents keep their cool and don't stress about something like another party being held on the same day, the kids won't stress about it, either.

Parties are supposed to be fun, and I don't understand the big deal here. Interestingly, the boy wasn't even able to attend my son's party last year. And again? It was no big deal. Everyone there had a great time, and I'm sure the boy had fun, whatever he was doing.

Giveaway winner and a setBACK

Congrats to Native American Momma, the winner of the Good for the Kids giveaway. Have fun choosing what to buy with your gift certificate!

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Saturday night I tripped (wow, she's really struggling for blog material now, isn't she?). I tripped going up the steps of the deck. As I tripped, I felt something in my back shove forward. And then I was on the step, in pain. The reason I had been going in was to check on our son, who had called us (he was in bed, but we always bring a monitor with us when we go in the yard when he's in bed, in case he needs something). I told hubby to go in and check on him, and that I would be fine (sitting on the step, stuck). I managed to pull myself up while he was inside. A day and a half later, I am still in pain. Thankfully, the pain is not even close to the pain last time, but it has kept me from sleeping well, and I am back to mostly standing again at work. I am so frustrated. It took three weeks to get myself almost back to normal, and my clumsiness has set me back about two weeks. Apparently clumsiness and a bad back are a really bad combination, and I am going to have to learn to really take my time.

I wasn't so sore that I couldn't enjoy Mother's Day, so that was a good thing. My son and hubby gave me some awesome gifts. My son made a beautiful vase and card at school, and together they gave me a very pretty throw pillow, a new cheese grater (our old one rusted), and something I've wanted for years - a cupcake carrier. Apparently hubby did not realize I had wanted it; it was just something that caught their eye at the store, but it's perfect. When I make cupcakes for my son's school, I never know how to transport them. This has three removable trays that each hold twelve cupcakes, or it can be used to hold a rectangular cake. Hubby said he envisioned me returning it. Not a chance. Hubby picked up breakfast for us all, we went to our last day of Sunday School and met hubby's mom for coffee. Hubby and my son took me to Kohls to pick out a pair of shoes for work and shorts for myself. I couldn't find shorts I liked (although I was fitting into a smaller size! Woot!), nor could I find shoes. All my favorite styles have clunky heels, and those are bothering my back to wear now. I've been wearing the slip on mocs I wear in the winter, but they're too heavy for this time of year. All the flats were either not my taste, or synthetic, which I find so uncomfortable. The good news is, the trip to Kohls didn't cost a penny! Then for dinner we had lasagna from my favorite place. Yum! Perfect day. :-)

Where everybody knows your name

The church auction finished. Our donation of homemade bread and chocolate covered pretzels earned the church $15 toward the mission trip. Yay. Less yay? The thank you email we received:

Dear {not hubby's name}, {my name} and {son's name},

Thank you for your yummy donation... (and the email went on a bit).

But she got hubby's name wrong. How awkward. I replied, and included all of our correct names.

Oh well. It was for a good cause. :-)

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I had my "special day off" for the week yesterday. We had tons of fun except for when my son's friend did not show up to play as scheduled at 3:15. Following up with his mom revealed that she had completely forgotten. Well, my son had not forgotten. As he pointed out to me "I looked forward to that all day." It's hard to see your child disappointed. Someone canceling is one thing, though still disappointing, but after seeing him check out the window on and off for his friend for 20 minutes...Well, that's tough.

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Only a few days left to enter the Good For The Kids giveaway!

The good news is our den has been disinfected

"Den" is another room that magically appeared in our house as a result of our appraisal. It's a tiny room on the garage level that stores an aging computer desk with a computer that hasn't been turned on in 5 years, a bookshelf, and our extra fridge that stores excess meat and soda. We always call it "the little office room".

Over the last two days, a smell appeared in that lower level.

Our first thought was that the cat had done something offensive in the litter box in the laundry room on that floor. But the laundry room smelled fresh as a daisy.

Then I discovered the onion bulbs that we had bought a couple weeks ago in the den. They smelled strong and onion-y, and they needed to get in the ground. Obviously that was our offending smell.

Yesterday when we got home, the smell was still there. We weren't sure "onion" was quite the smell we were smelling. Onion would have been better. Heck, litter box might have been better.

So, hubby set to clearing out the items in the entry way of the den. There was a duffel bag, a folded blanket, and a VCR that is only partially functional that we couldn't figure out if we should toss or give to someone.

Then he found it. Laying on the handle of the duffel bag. The duffel bag that was next to the door that led out to the garage. The duffel bag that now carried one of the most offensive scents ever to enter our home. A deceased mouse.

He must have snuck in through the garage door when we were going in or out of the house, found nothing to nourish himself, and curled up and took a permanent nap.

Hubby removed the offending rodent from our home, and disposed of many things surrounding it. He searched the room for "evidence" of the mouse's time in our home. There were very few things (thankfully) to indicate he had spent much time in the house, or that he had opted to raise a family in our den. It appears he never made it upstairs (thank you, thank you, thank you!), and that he acted alone.

The mouse is gone, the den is clean, the smell is gone. That is the end of this saga. And from now on, when we go out to the garage, we will probably walk really fast and slam the door behind us.

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In much more pleasant news, have you entered that Good for the Kids giveaway yet? What an awesome prize!

GIVEAWAY - Good For The Kids gift certificate

Good for the Kids is a great site that offers a whole range of things for your child or baby. There are bottles, sippy cups, plush animals, puzzles and toys! They have a great selection of Melissa & Doug toys. If you aren't familiar with those, they are great high quality wooden toys. My son has a play tool set of theirs. They even offer a train set!

They have some great specials going on right now, including 10% off of any Melissa & Doug purchase, and the option to get 15% off of your entire order if you order my May 10th.

The very best part? Good for the Kids is offering one of my readers a $30 gift certificate. They have tons of items under $30, so you could purchase a couple of items, or put it toward a larger item. The possibilities are many!

To enter this contest, go to Good for the Kids and look around. Come back here and tell me in a comment what you would purchase with your gift certificate.

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For an additional entry, follow me on Twitter and tweet about this contest.

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The contest will end on Sunday May 10th at 11:59PM EST. I will choose a winner randomly and notify the winner via email. The winner will have 48 hours to respond.

Good luck!

Full moon at the park

Yesterday after church, we opted to go to a local walking trail/park/playground for a short run for my son and I, a longer run for hubby, some fun playground time, and a picnic. The weather was lovely and we had a wonderful time, in spite of several people around us who seemed to not be having a lovely time.

Person not having a lovely time at the park #1: A youngish looking mom walked away from the playground area as her daughter screamed. The mom said, loud enough for all of us to hear "I don't want you anymore." Hubby told me later that he heard the girl's dad say to the mom "You can't say things like that." She then revised her comment to "I am no longer dealing with your behavior."

Person not having a lovely time at the park #2: A lady was walking her medium sized dog, when suddenly a man on roller blades (who happened to be the father of the above referenced girl) let go of the leash of his very large dog. The large dog approached the medium dog in what at first appeared to be a friendly sniff. Apparently he did not like what he smelled, because he barked, jumped on the dog and started biting it hard in the neck, head and leg. The roller blader tackled his dog (literally), allowing the woman to get her dog away. The medium dog was apparently okay, but blood was drawn. How awful.

Person not having a lovely time at the park #3: Family at the picnic table near ours: A couple, their daughter and their dog. The dog barked - once - and the dad yelled "Shut up!"

Us? We had fun. No one tried to disown anyone, no one bit anyone, and no one was told to shut up. That alone means we had a better time than those people. In addition, we just plain had fun. I suggest they try it sometime.

Quadriversary

Last week I somehow neglected to wish my blog a happy 4th anniversary. Has it really been that long? I'm sure I ran out of things to say a couple years ago, but I keep going.

Yesterday was my day off for the week as a result of my recent 8 hour per week cut in employment. Or, as my son and I like to call it "Our special day off". And it was. We filled it with all sorts of activity. My son really wanted to go to Chuck E Cheese. He was ready to start the day by 8:00 (up, dressed, had breakfast, brushed teeth). I suggested that we head to the walking trail and take a walk and then head to Chuck E Cheese afterwards. It started to rain on the way to the walking trail. We got out and walked a bit in the light rain, and then headed off to do a bit of grocery shopping. We dropped the groceries off and headed to Chuck E Cheese for an hour or so. We went home and made some homemade pizza for lunch (black olive for my son, crushed garlic for me, and chicken for hubby to be dropped off). We ate and dropped off hubby's pizza (homemade pizza delivery at work was his part of the special day off). In the midst of all this, I received a call from work needing help with something. I was able to take care of it on the phone, but offered to come in if needed. Let it never be said that I'm not a company girl (but user of double negatives? totally). I hope they call me every week. It's a good reminder for them that I am useful in the office. My son had his rest time, during which time I made plans to meet a friend from preschool whose mom is a stay at home mom at the library (they have a great preschool play room). After my son's nap, we brought a snack to hubby at work (he works about 2 miles from our house, thus making all these drop offs quite easy) and went to the library for about 2 hours. There happened to be a 3rd boy from preschool there, so the kids had a great time. My son said he wishes we could have special days at home every day. It would be very fun...but at this point, I silently say be careful what you wish for. If I lost all my income and the health insurance for the entire family that goes with it...Well, that would be tough.