Your Heart Just Breaks...

For months the rumors have been flying and its been sad to see unfold. Regardless if you follow the television show Jon and Kate Plus Eight, hearing that the parents of this show are going through marital problems is just sad. But if you follow the program and are a parent of even one child, you know that a marriage can go through rough patches. Watching the season premiere last night just broke my heart. I don't know whats true and what's not and although they have openly put the situation out for discussion, I feel that it doesn't matter what the truth is. The fact that they are openly struggling and that the "D" word is being discussed here and there just saddens me. Not only for the marriage but for the children. It's hard being in the public eye and even if this family walked away from show biz today, show biz wouldn't walk away from them so quickly.

Perfect Purchase

Check out this shirt I found for Finnegan at Target today! It's perfect! I think I'll go back and get him one for next summer too!!

Summer has arrived!!

The summer has arrived, at least within the last week, here in Washington. Last weekend, we got out Finnegan's water table that I purchased last year on clearance. He really enjoyed using it and was completely soaked before I could even think of putting his swim suit on. I'm sure we'll pull it out again during this Memorial Day Weekend!


Daddy even let him climb inside... Bad idea, as he just wanted to sit in it all day. Perhaps we'll pull out the kiddie pool this weekend instead :)
Other days Finnegan will just run in the back yard. He likes to just run and walk around. We don't have our swing set up yet so we don't have ANYTHING to do out there, except for throw balls and chase after them. But for now, that makes him happy!

He wanted to put on my boots the other day... Cute if you ask me!
He watched Cars the other day wit all his buddies... Tigger, BearBear and Green BearBear
Today we went to the zoo with some friends. While the other children want to be out of their strollers, Finnegan is content to sit in his stroller and just watch the animals. He's very laid back and very observant. We'll see how long that lasts.

This is a new exhibit at the Zoo. It's called Budgie Buddies. They're like cockateils. They fly free withing the enclosure and you can purchase a stick of food for $1.00 and the birds will come and sit on the stick and eat the food. Kind of neat.



Here's a video...




Here is a video that I took last week. We pulled out the slide again and Finnegan loved to ride it and send his friends down the slide too!!


Have a great weekend. Perhaps we'll post again during the holiday weekend!

I just realized today that it's been almost a full week since I posted last time. I have a few videos to post but just haven't yet. Perhaps later tonight I'll get around to it. We haven't been particularly busy this week. The normal Monday and Tuesday activities, including Gymboree and a trip to both Costco and Target. I was pretty excited to get a newspaper on Sunday during my trip to WalMart and found tons of coupons and sales that I wanted to take part in.

I went to Target on Tuesday and picked up at Cozy Coupe for Finnegan that was on sale for $35 when they normally retail for $50-$60. It's still in the garage and I think we'll keep it for his birthday rather than giving it too him right away. However, I haven't fully decided that. He may get it early this summer and then just get a few other things for his birthday. I don't know. (They are still on sale until Saturday here in WA, but check your local online ads at Target.com)

I took my first shopping trip with coupons this week. Although our store doesn't provide a lot of coupons in the weekly paper they do offer a few that I was able to take advantage of.

• I got Kraft Cheese slices for cheap... There was a safeway coupon for $.99 package of cheese slices (regularly $3.99 on sale for $3.59 for safeway shoppers). I then had a coupon for $1/2 (MQ). So I got two packages for $3.59 - essentially the one with the safeway coupon was free.
  
• I had a coupon for free Wheat Thin Artisan crackers if you bought ritz crackers. And a $1.00 off coupon for the ritz crackers. So I got both of them for $1.50.
  
• I had a total of $18.50 off in coupons, and saved over $40 in Safeway deals (when they put something on sales). My receipt said that I save 45% off my bill. I think that's the highest I've ever saved. Hopefully it will only get better on those trips. :)

Ken's been working a lot at home recently. He has less than 3 weeks left on his Master's program (his second master's). He's busy working on the final project. He took 2 days off last week, and even took Monday off this last week. It's nice to have him home, but he doesn't do much, as he's working all day long. But we only have 2.5 weeks to go and HE'S DONE!!!

Finnegan's been completely obsessed with going outside now that the weather has turned nice. He's forever asking to go outside, even if its raining. And completely throws a fit when it's time to come in. So we're working to get over those tantrums. Overall he's still a good kid but does have a bit of a temper. But we're learning how to tame them... and we're successful at least part of the time.

I'll post a few photos and videos a little later. :)

Like Father, Like Son

I had always hoped that my son wouldn't be like my husband... at least with his sleep habits. But is not so. Last night, I entered Finnegan's room to cover him with a blanket before I retreated to my room for the night. As I was putting the blanket over his little sleeping body, he all of the sudden sat up on his elbow (like his daddy does in his sleep) and said "Cracker."

I don't know if he was asking for a cracker, or calling me a cracker or just saying cracker. Either way, it was his first "sleep talking" incident. And I'm sure he'll have many more to come!

Why I love days like today...

• It was a cool but sunny 65 degrees today so that means... CLEANING DAY!!!
  
• Ken stayed home from work... although he was working all day... :)
• Our morning didn't start off all that great. Finn was pretty cranky, but after his nap he was a much happier boy. I think he was growing today... very whinny and falling alot.
• I got the whole down stairs cleaned...
  
• toys put away,
  
• kitchen cleaned - counters are spotless with no clutter,
  
• floors swept and vacuumed
  
• moved books to make room in toy box for toys
• Took unused books back upstairs for Baby and Finn's room
  
• Put all recently washed/folded clothes away
• Dusted... a little.
  
• Made the bed
• picked up all dirty clothes from bathroom and bedroom
• Cut a watermelon,
• Enjoyed eating that watermelon with my little boy
• Played outside with Daddy and the Doggies and Finn, of course :)
• Had Hambergers for dinner with LOADS of fresh cut lettuce!!

Here are a few photos of our afternoon playtime outside, before dinner. Finnegan got this new hat, and I love it!!





P.S. I haven't doctored this last photo at all. He is just so photogenic. Can't figure out where he got it from!

Just in case you were curious...

This article was published in the June 2009 issue of Real Simple Magazine... And just as the title suggests (of the article) I was surprised...

Calorie expenditures that may surprise you... (listed below: Activity = Calories Burned)

• Thinking Thin = 132
  
• Running your finger around the bottom of a frosted cake = 215
• Fretting about whether or not you turned off the iron = 240
• Thumbing through a fitness magazine = 273
• Cleaning out your email inbox = 339
• Opening a bottle of wine = 406
• Waiting on hold with customer service for 20 minutes = 482
• Opening your child's plastic-wrapped Happy Meal toy = 516
• Restraining your hand from reaching into a chip bowl = 602
• Scooping very cold ice cream = 655
• Scooping cold ice cream while fending off three children = 727
• Pacing in front of the pantry door = 826
• Organizing a dinner party in less than 24 hours = 1071
• Juggling seven grocery bags, the mail, and your keys = 1149
• Taking off a wet swimsuit = 1500

After reading and typing this, I have to disagree with everything that's printed here. Either the calories burned are by someone who's GIGANTIC, or has HUGE muscle mass. Seeing that if I walk on a treadmill for an hour, I only burn about 150 calories, but standing in front of the pantry door and pacing burns 826??? WHAT??? That's not right!! I should weigh just over 100lbs if that was the case!!

Hope you had a good laugh!