bittersweet symphony

Rite Aid spent $20.77, saved $22.10, got back $16.00 in UP rewards

 
I normally don't shop too much at Rite Aid, but thanks to www.thekrazycouponlady.com I did this week. They have Johnson & Johnson baby products on sale this week for $2.99 & you get back $2.00 in UP rewards for each one purchased (with the Rite Aid Wellness card - UP rewards are cash that prints at the bottom of your receipt to use on your next purchase at Rite Aid) We don't have babies in the house-but we do use the natural baby lotion - but the rest of them will fill a basket of baby products for my hairdresser that is expecting her first baby in June. Purchased 6 j & j products. had 6 $1.00 off J & J products. Found the spic & span gloves in the clearance bin for .50 cents each - a quick flip in my coupon binder I find a $1.00 of 2 spic and span products (made the gloves free!) Ramen soup on sale this week .88 cents for 6 pack. My kids love noodle soup! Some of these will go to grammie & papa's for quick lunches. Oreos on sale for 2 for $6.00. I had a mfg coupon for $1.00 off of 2. Also went on Rite Aid's website and watched a video and earned a store coupon for $1.00 of 2 oreos. which made the oreos 2 for $4.00. Also got back $2.00 in UP rewards for a cookie purchase. The beef jerky? On sale for $2.50 - used a rite aid coupon for .50 cents and got $1.00 UP reward for a food purchase. So thank you Rite Aid for the $16.00 in basically free money to use at your store.   

A bonus picture of my silly boys -this is what I get when I want a cute picture of them together in their sweet sweater vests. Silliness. I just love them so much. Brady adores his older brother. And Riley loves Brady, even when Brady doesn't make sense or destroys Riley's latest Lego creation.  I love to see them play together, brothers becoming the best of friends.

wordless wednesday

 

 

 

10 on tues...well now wednesday

1.this is late because all the computers in the house were being used...fantasy football draft night.  It must be getting close to fall! Eddie is only in 3 leagues this year. He is quite serious with his excel spreadsheets and graphs. You think I kid, but it's all true.

2. Riley is now 6! hopefully I will be back with a birthday recap this week. We basically started celebrating his birthday Thursday night and wrapped it up Sunday afternoon with ice cream cake and presents.

3. We went camping this weekend - our church retreat. And Saturday was a crazy weather day - cold, cloudy, rainy, some sun and lots of wind. But that didn't stop the boys from having fun. We got there set up camp, next to grammy & papa. Everyone else stayed in cabins with indoor plumbing. We took a walk with the our charges - trying to keep them busy until lunch time. Lunch and then free time. Dinner, campfire then a hayride. Now the hay trailer was pulled by Farmer Bob and he wasn't driving a tractor - but a ford f150. More on that later. I don't think the boys have run so much. They had a blast. They even went on a snipe hunt thanks to mr. m, but the snipe got away.

4.Now I am more of a camp in a cabin with dish tv and a hot tub kind of girl, but growing up we did camp. Well if you call a tarp thrown over a clothesline, between 2 trees, by a river in a cow pasture in Shenandoah  -camping - then we camped. For as long as I can remember - all the men in my family would go to the river around the 4th of july for a week or so. My grandpa (before his stroke) my dad, uncles, cousins. Later on my dad would take my nephews and brother in law.  But when I was little-  I remember going on this camping trip. I know my mom was probably a nervous wreck all the time, and didn't enjoy it. But I remember it being fun. I remember my uncle denny catching an eel and trying to whack it before it squirmed back into the river. And that would become a yearly tradition - who would catch the eel this year.  I remember my dad's green coleman grill that he would cook eggs and spam  on the iron skillet in for breakfast. I remember catfish for dinner. I have so many memories, but I am sure I only went a couple times, maybe only once, and maybe those memories are the stories I have heard so many times. But I want my children to experience stuff like this, even if it is out of my comfort zone. I don't want them to see that. I want them to have happy memories, I want to be that mama that "does" instead of the "does not".

5. wow, sorry about that tangent up there. Thanks to my 2 readers if you are still with me. Hi Marie! Hi Missy!

6. Missy, I hope everything goes smoothly this week as classes start back. And I hope your new employee works out!

7. Now that the boys have bunk beds, Brady doesn't roll out of bed every night and come to my side of the bed. To tell you the truth, I miss it.  I miss his little face at my bedside, I miss the little snuggles and whispers. I miss the weight of his little body as I carry him back to bed.

8. Fall is in the air - which means fall TV. What are you watching? Me: glee, Grey's,' parenthood, heroes, private practice, modern family.  I need a break from reality tv.

9. The Hornets lost their game on Friday night. Hopefully they can keep this streak up. We are going to the game Friday night to see Daddy & the band. I don't want to see the home team stomp North Royalton. I would really like to see my husband in October.

10. Swim lessons and piano lessons will be put on the schedule this week. We didn't make the soccer registration due to a mix up with the spring team - but it's okay. Riley got a set of golf clubs for his birthday (and not the fisher price kind either) so I don't think he will be missing soccer this fall.

10 on tuesday

1.  do you love heluva good cheese & chip dip? go to www.heluvagood.com and print out 2 coupons for .50 cents off any heluva good product. giant eagle has cheese blocks on sale 2 for $4.00 until tomorrow. I grabbed some for $1.00 each.

2. Speaking of Giant Eagle - I spent $59.88 and save $70.91. ask me how: coupons

3. This week is beginning to have too many bittersweet memories attached.

4. Today would have been my parents 49th wedding anniversary.

5. Today we lost a member of our church. He was eddie's sunday school teacher and youth advisor in high school.  Wade will be missed.

6. Tomorrow is my dear mother in law's birthday! She is so precious to me. I really don't know where I would be without her. I love that she sends me daily texts, emails and pictures of what is happening during the day with Riley & brady. I love that she collects stuff ( stamps, dishes, cookbooks, to name a few) I love when she hands me a book to read, because I know it will be good. And I know she will have the others waiting for me if it happens to be a series. She is talented & crafty. She is passionate about life and her family. And I am thankful I am in her family. I am so thankful she was born!

7. Friday is Riley's 6th birthday!  What? I know. He keeps telling me he is 5 and 1/2.  He can't wait to be six - I think he's just excited for more legos! He is loving school so much! I am taking Friday off to spend the day with him and Brady. I think we will go have pancakes for breakfast, then maybe pick up some donuts with sprinkles for an after school snack.

8. Friday is also my mentor/guru Sue Morgan's birthday. I love that Riley shares his day of birth with this force of nature. Sue has such natural gift of getting to the good stuff. To digging in and finding out what's really going on. Sue asks the tough questions. She always makes me cry (in a good way) I love that our friendship has an ebb and flow - sometimes - life experiences bridging the gap and vunerabities leave space for breath and safe spaces.  Her whole family is going through such transition right now, jobs taking them far away from each other, waiting for word on job leads. And all the while she gives up her sunday morning and teaches us about faith, Jesus, and what was he thinking. I hope she has a wonderful birthday and gets to soak up her family this weekend.

9. Friday also marks the one year passing of our Meemaw. Oh, there are no words. She has left behind her legacy of love in her husband, her daughter, her grandsons, her granddaughter, her great granddaughters and great grandsons. ( I didn't put grandson in law & granddaughter in laws - because she never called us that). I miss her laugh. I miss her stories. I miss the way she would grab your hand when talking to you. And she never missed a chance to say I love you. I love you meemaw. I saw 2 dragonflies today, I wonder how many I will see on Friday.

10. okay, I didn't realize how emotionally loaded this week was! Sorry about that! I am editing some pictures from the 4th of July. The D'Amicos, The Lees, and 1/2 of the Gerbers came over for a very laid back picnic. I love that this year we have 6 and 1 on the way kids between us. How did this happen? I remember many a picnics before kids when our only goal was to make sure we floated the keg.  These are some of my favorite people and I love these kids like my own. I will be posting a lot more on facebook to Denny can see them - he is still serving over seas. 

this could be: anytown, usa.  

I love this snapshot of our picnic. The guys close to the grill, go browns, beer in hand, water in hand. american flag, lawn chairs, roller coaster.

my boys. I love that riley is squishing brady so close. I love that they look so completely different. I am so glad they have each other.
 
 

10 on tuesday - kindergarten edition

1. Today was Riley's 1st day of Kindergarten. I took the day off. We started the morning off with pancakes, after we slept in until almost 8am!

2. All morning - Riley kept saying how excited he was for school! I can't wait to go to school! I wonder if mrs. miller (his teacher) will be wearing a new shirt too?  I remember she was wearing that green dress last time (okay the one and only time he saw her at open house!)

3. Today was also the day bunk beds and the new love seat were being delivered.

4. So the boys and I spent the morning cleaning out their room, Riley helped me take down the crib. Brady helped carried the parts out the door, until he got hurt.  Tried to sort more clothes, put away the baby stuff still in their room. Their room is turning into a big boy room! We have a few projects to complete, maybe a canvas or 2.

5. Speaking of projects- eddie is probably glad garage sale season is over. 2 dressers stripped, sanded, primed, one painted & new hardware, the other waiting for color.

6. Time for lunch, getting riley dressed for school. New shirt! new shoes! new supplies! Take some pictures inside and out. Brady was just as excited as Riley. He had to have the Cars backpack and happily posed with pictures.

7. Early arrival! wait outside, line up. The bell rings. Time to walk to the classroom. This week - parents can walk them to their locker, next week parents need to say goodbye at the outside doors. Mass chaos, as students, parents & siblings walk to the 2 kindergarten classrooms. We find riley's locker (#157) hang up his backpack, time for a quick hug, and off he goes to his teacher. Just.like.that.

8. Brady and I walk down the long hallway, tears are already stinging my eyes. Getting brady buckled in the van, call my mother in law. She knows I would call. I choke back the tears as I tell her what happened. She laughs and remembers the day the twins were in kindergarten and kenny was out the door to the middle school. I don't think it will get easier when it's brady's turn.  I dial my sister in law, leaving a shaky voice mail. she calls right back. She followed the bus to school to watch her 1st grader go to her class.  I call Eddie, he answers I barely can speak with the lump in my throat.  But he reminds me I get to spend some solo time with Brady.

9. Brady and I head home to make some chocolate chip cookies. At 1:00- Brady says: let's go get ridey, mama. Yeah buddy I miss him too, but he is at school for a couple more hours. They have been playing so well together this summer. Riley is patient with Brady and even builds him star war's lego ships and guys.

10. Eddie gets home in time so we can all go to pick up Riley. We get there early. Wait on the sidewalk. The Kindergarten's come out and stand by their teachers. I tell eddie - go get him! Did he get bigger in the 2.5 hours he was away from us? Riley smiles big when he sees Daddy. We all get a quick hug, then hand in hand riley & daddy walk back to the van, already chatting about the days events. Gingerbread story and a cookie. No playground today. Had to learn first then they could play. I pull out riley's folder and see a pictured that has been colored by a professional!  We get home, I start dinner (turkey meatloaf, cheesy potatoes, green beans) while the boys start building their new bunk beds. They couldn't wait to go to bed!

Will come back and post pictures hopefully tomorrow. I just wanted to get this day down before I forgot the little details. I am so proud of Riley. He was so excited to go to school, no hesitation, no fear.  I hope he always enjoys school and is excited to go.  Next week he turns 6!

10 on tuesday

Are your taxes done yet? Ours are not. I should be working on them instead...but I figured I better post before I lose my 5-9 readers!

1. Riley lost his 1st tooth yesterday! His bottom one that has been loose for a while. It came out right after he finished his morning bowl of cocoa puffs @ Grammie and Papa's.  Grammie called me and put Riley on the phone to tell me this news! The tooth fairy came and left a gold coin.

2.  Taking pictures of lost teeth is kinda of challenging! I will spare you the gummy gaping hole pictures. But will share this one...of course Brady has to show me his teeth ( I am sparing you the picture of his tonsils -when riley saw that picture - he said - I can see where his food goes! )

for the record brady has no loose or missing teeth - but he likes to do anything that big brother does.

3. Someone stole my the number to debit/check cash card from first merit. Visa called to verify some $1,000 worth of attempted charges made in Oregon. Thank goodness they declined them, marked them as fraud and shut my card down.  two things about this bother me: a) I just ordered pictures from scrapbook pictures. com (not $1,000 worth) but they are also in Oregon. Hmmm...the charges were only days apart. b) I live by my debit card. Now I have to wait 5 days to get a new card. Since I don't have a credit card to use - I will have to go to the bank and actually get CASH out!

4. (SOB) my baby is growing up. He is registered for kindergarten also.

5. I still can't comment on 3 blogs: Nancy, Becky & Shelly! Nancy: I finally saw the Old Spice commercial you were telling me about "look at me, now look at your husband, now look back at me! then I saw the 2nd commercial - same guy on the beach, i am riding a horse - backwards! ha-larious! I would totally buy old spice (if I had a coupon!) Shelly: Congrats on passing court! I am so happy for you! Thank you for sharing this journey with us! I can't wait to see your travels and hear about your "gotcha day". and of course his nursery is rocking! love the lanterns and colors! Becky: Thank you for the sweet package in the mail! Such a thoughtful surprise. Thank you for kind words also! I love you guys!

6. vienna? really? vienna? oh jake. I think we all know what "heat" means. Are you 18? And in other Bachelor news: Jason & Molly are married. And they got rained on. I bet that made melissa smile.

7. I made it all the way to 10 when typepad decided to erase half of my post. thanks. 

8. dinner tonight was awesome, if I do say so myself. French dip sandwiches in the crock pot, roasted asparagus, fresh cut pineapple and strawberries.

9. 2 things I am trying to make an effort on: Scrap booking & folding laundry. Scrap booking just fast simple pages to get the stories told, using up my stash. I am going to a crop on Friday night. anybody want to do an all day 12 hour crop for national scrapbooking day, May 15th? Laundry -it's easy to wash - but why so hard to fold and put away?! Why?

10. Girl scout cookies are starting to arrive. oh my!

  

menu monday

I hope you all dug out from this weekend's blizzard! We did venture out saturday for some sled riding. I will post some pictures this week. But the funny thing - we actually grilled out saturday night.

Who Dat? awesome for the Saints. I felt bad for Queen Latifah - her America the Beautiful was a little shaky. Carrie Underwood nailed the national anthem. But first I thought she was wearing an elviss jumpsuit circa his vegas years, but it was 2 pieces, not sure about her giant white pumps. Props to jerry rice & emmit smith for being in the Hall of Fame finally!The Who? Really? Overall I  wasn't too impressed with actual game part of the Super Bowl, but at the end when they showed Drew Brees with his little boy hugging and kissing him with tears in his eyes? I got tears in my eyes. That's what it is all about -family and the man upstairs that made it possible. And Drew Brees is just a nice, regular family guy, that happened to win the Super Bowl !  And to quote Riley from the children's sermon early at church - when Pastor Ross asked the kids what God made? riley answered in a matter of fact tone  - EVERYTHING! (complete with a sweeping arm gesture) which is a better answer than last week's children's sermon - when Keith brought in a small cooler (later to find out he had filled it with snow) asked the kids - what goes in coolers? Riley's answer: BEER! Speaking of beer, so glad I do not drink Bud Light, their commercials were annoying. The Clydesdales are better than that.  And the Doritos commercials - awkward.

This week's menu:

monday- spaghetti, salad & garlic bread. Easy - I don't feel much like cooking on mondays and eddie is going to band practice at church

tuesday- chicken crockpot enchiladas

wednesday- church

thursday - crockpot roast, smashed red potatoes & roasted carrots

friday -maybe french dip sandwiches with leftover roast?

saturday - seafood alfredo, roasted asparagus

what's on your menu this week?

not ready

On the way to Grammie & Papa's this morning, Riley told me his tooth felt funny in his mouth. Oh no. I told him okay don't touch it until we stop.  We get there, I check his mouth and sure enough he has a loose tooth, on the bottom. 

what? How can this be? You are only 5 years old. It's too soon! I am not ready! You are going to lose your first tooth this year and go to kindergarten (okay you won't go to K until september - but it's still going to happen this year.)SOB. I am not ready for you to grow up, but you are, so I better get ready.

SOB.

year 4

In 2 days, my baby will turn 5.  I can hardly stand it.  I don't want to forget what happened over the past year.  Since it's Erin's week over at www.writeclickscrapbook.com I am going to write it down so I can use this as journaling on some layouts about Riley.

Riley Joseph at age 4...

Started his 1st year of preschool on his birthday 9-03-08.  Grew by leaps and bounds and almost 2 shoe sizes.  Learned to write letters and numbers,  spell & write his name, phone number & address.

 

Always the shy guy, but from the 1st day of preschool, ran into the door without a glance over his shoulder, gained more confidence. Played his 1st organized sport, T-ball. Team Number 5, the Royal blue Lions, and daddy was his first coach.

Loves egg salad sandwiches, chicken bones (wings), lettuce, apples, cheese, ramen soup, lucky charms & cinnamon toast crunch, bananas, oatmeal with brown sugar, waffles, grammie's rice, donuts with sprinkles, potatoes, mac & cheese, fish sticks & pierogies, tacos, wraps, PB&J, chips & dip, ice cream sandwiches, green beans, noodles & sauce. You are a good eater and will try "no thank you" helpings even.

Loves to help me cook or make anything in the kitchen. The other day I asked if you wanted to help me make egg salad, to which you pulled a chair over and said: I would LOVE to help you make egg salad, mama!". Still a daddy's boy. Still loves to play ball on the stairs and go for bike rides in the parking lot.

Asks to say prayer. Sometimes consists of: Praise Jesus, Praise god, Praise the Lord, Praise Uncle Kenny, Praise Daddy. Amen. Clears plates after dinner, helps me load & unload the dishwasher. helps himself to snacks/dip in the refrig. Or can get his own fork/spoon/knife.

Slowly over the year, plays less with thomas the train and all the guys from cars.  Played more with legos (building ships from Star Wars) transformers (loves to draw Optimus Prime), Buzz (with his broken hand - he is now Buzz the Robot). But will build a track out of the blue track for Brady. Or play hot wheels with the racetrack.

Enter the world of webkinz. Gary the Gecko. You can play chess & checkers online and whatever else games are on daddy's laptop. Mama's is too slow because it has too many pictures on it. Your words not mine. You play Tonka & Lego Land @ Grammie & Papa's.  When my camera is out, you want to take the pictures.

Loves to sit and do "work". Drawing Optimus, coloring or writing your letters and lately wanting me to spell out words so you can write them down.

shoe size 11 1/2, 4t pants (they are getting a little short) 5t shirts. weighs 43 pounds

Can buckle his own seat belt, zips his coat.  Can still sleep 10 hours. Bedtime is still 7:30.  Still helps empty laundry baskets - but now Brady gets in on it and they take turns trying to push each other around in the baskets.  Wants to " read" books on your own, I will find at least 3 books in your bed in the morning along with various stuffed animals, cars or transformers.

Sweet, silly & sensitive boy.  Loves to give me "loud" kisses to make me laugh.  Will hug me randomly and say I love you mama. Will still come into our room sometimes, he comes to my side of the bed, when he has a bad dream or hears a bad noise. Knows I will let him snuggle for a few minutes then it's back to his bed.  This past year has generous with hugs and kisses when he knows mama is sad or when my belly hurts.

On the flip side - we have seen our fair shares of time outs. For shouting, kicking, screaming, fighting, not sharing, refusal to do something. We try to give you choices but if you still don't like your options, you will try to add another one or say: I don't like your words. 

Is turning into a pretty awesome big brother. Brady loves his big brother "ridey". Tries to reason with brady in the mornings "Brady -listen to my words - it's too early - go back to sleep" Brady, no jumping on the bed or you will have to the hospital like me" Brady -say English! Brady - if you do that one more time, you will get a 45 minute time out!  the other day - he actually put brady in time out and told him he could NEVER play trains again.  Yeah, mama put a stop to that. But the funny part? Brady actually listened and went to time out!

 

Has been to the ER 3 times over the year. Once for strep throat, once for an allergic reaction to penicillin, and once for the gash above his lip (no stitches) that he got when he "fell" out of bed which turned out he was jumping on the bed when he fessed up to Brady days later.

Went thru a phase of adding "right?" at the end of every sentence. That changed to correct!  correctomundo!  affirmative!  Got to travel to Hocking Hills, OH & Outer Banks, SC.

And there is so much more. I just want to remember some little things about you at this age. You are still my peanut, even though you remind me you are a big boy and Brady is the peanut now. You are the one that made me a mama. Daddy and I are constantly amazed by your growing personality each day. I love you Riley Joe and can't wait to see what year 5 brings!

10 on tuesday - cinco del mayo version

is it really the 5th of May already?! I think I will get some chips & salsa at lunch!

1. Figured I better update for my 3 readers out there - plus I really want to see my status updated on erin's blog list.

2. Happy Scrapbooking Day! I actually scrapped on Saturday! I also had a really fun senior photo shoot. Eddie didn't believe me when I told him it was an actually scrap booking holiday - he thought I was making it up!

3. We (and by that I mean eddie) is busy with the never ending list of house projects. We had 2 trees removed, eddie is going to install some landscaping bricks to build up our yard, we had our driveway repaired and the approach re-poured.  And don't ask about the kitchen...it's still not finished.

4. Happy First wedding anniversary to Becky & David! I will have something in the mail to you this week - there is a little story behind it.

5. My baby is going to be 2 this month.  I don't know if I can handle it. Seriously I think this is going to be harder than when he turned one. He is talking so much - this morning it was "daddy...are you?" calling in a little voice -meaning daddy where are you? The other morning I got him out of his crib - put him on the floor and he said: breakfast -  waffles -come mama.  He also loves to climb in riley's bed, pull up the covers and says : I sleeping. And pretends to sleep complete with fake snoring. I have to put together a 23 month post so I don't forget the little things.

6. Riley has his first t-ball practice tonight! I don't know who is more excited Daddy or Riley. Although Daddy is a little nervous since he is the coach.  He has been looking for t-ball drills for practice.

7. Riley's Art Show is also tonight at preschool! So after practice we will zoom over to the Art show and then zoom home hopefully getting everyone in bed by 8:00.

8. I want to go on a beach vacation this summer! Brady has never been in a pool yet. I feel like we are denying him something.

9. Recent movies reviews: The Wrestler(with Mickey Rourke) - awkward.  Slumdog Millionaire: graphic, in your face reality, good ending.  Bride Wars: good chic movie  Marley & Me: I read the book, but the movie was so much better and heartwarming. 7 pounds(with Will Smith) sad, sad and more sad. I fell asleep and never finished it - but eddie said it continued to be sad.

10. I can't wait for summer TV! SYTYCD and Army Wives. I still have the last episode of ER on my DVR - I just can't bring myself to watch it.  Does anyone watch live tv anymore?

I will be back with pictures - my pictures don't live on this computer.  Get prints today! www.scrapbookpictures.com has another great deal going on for a limited time!