You know that feeling when you want Sangria, but you didn’t make it the night before? Yea, it’s like that.
When you get home from the store put some fruit in the freezer so you always have some on hand. I started easy by freezing grapes. Now I am a junkie. I’m freezing blackberries, sliced strawberries, watermelon, peaches. You name it.
So next time you’re “thirsty” or want to impress your dinner guests; drop some frozen fruit in a glass of wine. The fruit chills the wine while it soaks up the yummy wine flavors. win win is what I call that.
Momfia Tees’ blog is now hosted on our own website. (Hurray)!
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by Valerie
Happy 4th! Hope everyone is enjoying the day with family, friends, food and fireworks.
Speaking of independence, I can remember the day I lost mine, November of 2002 when my daughter was born. That was officially the end of my independence. No longer could I just pick up and run to the store at will. First it was worrying about when was the last feeding and when would she eat again. Do I have enough diapers? What if she won’t stop crying in the store? Now that I have two kids and they are older I still battle with getting out of the house. My son never wants to leave his Legos and as soon as we get in the car the two of them start fighting. It usually continues into the store. Yes, that was me you heard screaming at her kids in aisle 6.
I also miss going to the movies whenever I wanted. Now I have to see kids’ movies mostly or get the evil eye for taking my son to see PG-13 rated superhero flicks. We used to go out with friends for happy hour. Now happy hour is when the kids go to bed. I can still have a drink or two at home but my kids like to ask what I’m drinking and why. “I’m drinking Corona on the porch because it is illegal to put you to bed and go out to the bar.” That usually shuts them up.
Despite all my complaining I really do love my kids and I suppose if I have to give up a little independence to watch them sleep peacefully, looking like angels then that is the price I’m willing to pay. But you ain’t taking away my Corona.
by Aubrey.
The only people who know this happened are my Mom, Dad and Hubs. My kids don’t know, I didn’t tell my sisters or brother, not even my BFF’s. I was so embarrassed, its funny now so I will share it with you.
Back in September, 2011 I was pulled over by an overcautious cop for going through a light when it was orange (it was yellow when I started but turned red). I was not going to argue semantics with the police officer at the time and just ponied up and accepted the ticket.
I forgot about it and didn’t pay the ticket – six months later I was driving to a physical therapy appointment, I parked and was writing a text to my friend (NO TEXTING WHILE DRIVING, KIDS!) when there was a tap, tap, tap on my window and there was a cop standing there. I know I was driving cautiously, I drive like a grandma since having kids (they were not in the car with me at the time, but I have gotten in the habit of following the speed limit, full stops at stop signs, etc.). The cop told me that when I passed him an alarm went off in his cruiser that there was a warrant out for my arrest!! He cuffed me, stuck me in the backseat of his cruiser and transported me to the next city my ticket was in.
I was a wreck!! I was SOBBING. I felt like a horrible mother, such a bad example for my kids. Because I was going to physical therapy and wearing sweats I did not have my wallet with my I.D., I was lucky to have my cell phone to call my Mom. What are the chances, the time I need someone STAT I cannot reach anyone. While I was waiting for someone to come me get me out, I was processed, fingerprinted and had a mug shot taken. They even took my shoes away and put me in a cell.
The funny part is I wore a shirt designed by Hubs with a boxing glove that says, “don’t give up!” I thought it would be charming to wear to P.T. However, not so charming when you are being locked in the poky.
The kicker here is the police in my city are notorious for not even showing up when you call them with an actual problem. Here, in a nice city, I was arrested for driving past a police officer, after going through an orange light in another city equally as nice.
by Valerie
I’m sorry to break the news to my children but as they grow up and become teenagers they will get away with nothing. Can’t pull a fast one on me, I have done it all.
Growing up my best friend and I were the biggest tomboys. So much so that we were kicked out of girls’ bathrooms cause they thought we were boys. We lived in a neighborhood full of boys. We played football, basketball, climbed trees, had gun fights, threw cherries at cars from the cherry trees in my front yard. All of that stuff. We were border line hoodlums. We weren’t really bad kids we just liked to play rough and push the limits.
Pushing the limits continued into our teenage years. I can’t even begin to tell you the things we did but I can tell you it involved the usual sneaking out of the house or telling our moms that we were sleeping at the other person’s house so we could stay out all night. I don’t recommend that one. Usually by about midnight everyone else had to go home and there was nothing going on. So we would park my car at the beach or in a hotel parking lot and go to sleep. That was so not worth it.
We also knew all the tricks for buying alcohol that we shouldn’t have. My favorite was planting our bravest friend at the entrance to the drive-thru and waiting till a carload of guys came through old enough and stupid enough to buy us beer. That was a very safe and smart thing to do.
Despite all of this we all ended up okay. All of my friends went on to college and are productive members of society. We have families and careers. No one has gotten anything worse than a speeding ticket. But what we did get was a ton of great memories and unfortunately for our children an immense knowledge of all the sneaky tricks that teenagers use to do things they probably shouldn’t be doing. Sorry kids!
by Aubrey.
This week I think that I may have crossed into the mid-thirties (gulp!) by turning 34. Five years ago I thought the mid-thirties encompassed 34-36, ten years ago I did not think there was a difference, thirties was old regardless. It meant staying home, knitting scarves and going to bed at 10. Well, I don’t stay at home, I know how to knit – I just don’t have the time, and I am in bed after midnight then up by 6:00 compliments ala Rockstar.
I have the best birthday on the calendar because it falls exactly six months from Christmas… I never have to go through that awkward gift withdraw stage or receive combination gifts. Every Christmas my family knows I will say, “Happy Six Months until my birthday – shop now, beat the rush!” (not to steal Baby Jesus‘ thunder, I celebrate his birthday too). To balance the scales, on my birthday I am sure to remind everyone that it is six months until Christmas – start behaving for Santa. One year my friends went so far as to throw me a “Christmas Birthday surprise party” complete with Christmas carolers wearing winter coats and home made eggnog. I love my friends. I love my family for joining me on a birthday 5K and my Mom baked me a strawberry rhubarb pie (from scratch I may add). While watching late night T.V. I found a show I have never seen before and they were celebrating halfway to Christmas! They decorated their workspaces for the holidays and wore ugly sweaters. This is my kind of show, I am now DVR’ing the rest of the season.
My day is happily shared with some bad ass celebrities. Comedians Ricky Gervais and Mike Myers annnd.… drum roll please…George Michael! Maybe I have thought about my birthday too much but as we say in our house, toughy lucky. Its my day, find something cool about yours!
by Valerie
Last week I wrote a post about 10 things I love about being a mother. We all know there is a dark side to motherhood, all those things that no one tells you before you accept the sperm deposit. So here is a little Yin and Yang. These are some of the things that suck about being a mother. Disclaimer Alert: I love my children and being a mother. We all know it’s a really crappy job sometimes.
- Saggy boobs from breastfeeding.
- My house will never be clean again.
- Childbirth – they are coming out one way or another once they’re in there.
- Spending half my life as a hot mess. Ok, actually three quarters.
- Mean old ladies at the grocery store who lecture me about my child not being dressed appropriately for the weather.
- 5 tons of cheap Chinese plastic.
- Remembering to play the tooth fairy. Yes, we actually forgot for our son’s 1st tooth.
- Too many bodily fluids to mention.
- Just falling asleep when you hear a crying baby or a kid yelling “Mommy!”
- There will never again be enough hours in the day.
Smile. You have 18 years to enjoy it.
by Aubrey.
I love and adore my little brother and his wife. Okay, when I say little brother he is over 30, but he will always be my little brother. They live in a beautiful part Florida which is 900 miles from us and we don’t get to see each other nearly enough. Still, they are two of my favorite people on Earth. When I have had a bad day, Little Bro can always make me laugh. When I think I am funny, he laughs at my jokes. He and Hubs are the only people I can rely on to tell me when I am talking out of my butt. If something happened to Hubs and me tomorrow and we could no longer care for our kids I would hand pick them to raise Lovey and Rockstar (and not just because of their proximity Disney World).
His wife is this spunky, fun Southern Belle who can make me laugh the hardest with a quick, well thought one liner. Lovey absolutely adores her, to Lovey Southern Belle holds celebrity status. More importantly than being funny and charismatic, they both are crazy smart. I am so glad that two very well balanced people found each other and that they belong to my family!
by Valerie
I’ve always loved being a mother. My kids are the best kids on Earth. Or at least the best kids I’ve ever given birth to. There are so many reasons to love being a mother. Here are some of my favorites. Maybe not ones you’ve thought of before, but hey we all have our reasons.
- I can blame my saggy boobs on breastfeeding.
- When my house is a mess, I can say “those damn kids never clean anything up!”
- After 15 people saw my bare ass in stirrups during childbirth I am no longer embarrassed by anything.
- I get to be a MILF.
- I get to walk out of the room and laugh when my kid says something wildly funny but incredibly inappropriate.
- Leftover Halloween Candy!!
- Playing Santa Claus
- I can live in yoga pants and no one cares.
- Throw up no longer bothers me.
- Mommy Friends!!
Everyday mothers need to remind themselves of the reasons they love being a mother. They don’t have to perfect reasons. They just need to be your reasons.
by Aubrey.
It has become our Father’s Day tradition to go to the Lake Erie islands (Put-In-Bay & Kelly’s Island). Back in April we were looking forward to going and I thought we would get extravagant and booked a hotel. I used Kayak.com and got a 3 star for under $120 (not too shabby). It had a pool and hot continental breakfast – I have mad love for breakfast (don’t get confused, my love for cheese is bigger than my love for breakfast).
We checked in at the hotel and while Hubs was unloading the car the kids and I went to the room and I peeled back the covers to check for mold on the mattress and bugs. Phew – all clear. We can stay. After jumping on the beds for 20 minutes I shuffle my family out to go and find some fun. If we wanted to sit around in a room we could stay at home.
Hmm.. this is slippery..
We went up to Marblehead and checked out the light house, found a cute place that had the best ice-cream I ever put in my mouth and walked around the shops in the quant little town that reminds us of the ScyFy show Haven. By that time the kids were anxious to get back to the room to swim in the pool.
Hubs is a Dr. Who fan.
Lovey and Rockstar were jumping in the pool while Hubs and I caught them, then Lovey gets brave to jump into the 3’ without anyone catching her (big girl)! We are the only ones in the pool area there so no one to worry about annoying, the kids can splash and yell and have fun being Kids in a Pool. Then it happened… they both sucked in a truck load of water and threw up in the pool! A lot. This was after dinner. And they were near the stairs to exit the pool. So I heft my awesomeness over the wall of the pool and my suit bottoms got all wonky (if you know what I mean). So embarrassed -we were a crazy mess. Lovey still has “it” on her and Rockstar feels better so he is ready to jump in. AH! I went down the front desk to advise the staff of the incident. The poor teenager working had eyes the size of saucers. Clearly not a mother, we handle these things so calmly and without judgment J
After showering my Babies I collapse on the bed when it started to rattle. Like a 1980’s vibrating motel bed. I cautiously approached the window and peeked out because surely there must be UFO’s and I see we are on train tracks! My ears, the window and the bed are all vibrating.
We live through the night and I woke up at 6am so thrilled about hotel breakfast. I let the kids sleep until 7 and I couldn’t take it anymore…BREAKFAST. Lovey is as excited as I am. Annnd… Rockstar ate the frosting off a donut. No cheese to go with the powdered eggs (like the ones you get at summer camp), no breakfast meat to help the situation, no real maple syrup. Waa-waa-waa.
Before we get ourselves out of the joint without further incident the uhhh… errr… how do I say this…housekeeping was called to bring up a plunger. Thank God we all have a good sense of humor. Once that is all cleared up, we spill hot chocolate on the carpet.
Awesome.
On the way home, Lovey tells us, “That wasn’t a very good hotel. We should never stay there again.” Hubs chimes in, “No, we wont be staying at that chain unless we have to.” I advised Lovey, “Honey, a 3-star hotel is the closest your family will ever get to camping.”
momfiatees 