You Can Call Me Nush

Smile Today

2012-01-19T10:16:00.001-06:00

Today I am surrounded by things that just bring a smile to my face. It is as simple as the duck in my apartment complex that visits me every morning for breakfast. The same duck who has laid ten eggs under my front door and is now sitting there waiting for her babies to hatch.

Meet Marguerite.

Then there is SuperBabe who loves to draw, create stories and just express himself through paper. I found him engulfed in his notebook. Quiet household with my son on the couch, absolute bliss.

Hope you find things today that bring a smile to your face as well. :)

Much Love and Laughter,

Nush

Awesome

2012-01-16T09:38:00.000-06:00

I saw this today on a fellow T1 parents facebook page. I immediately feel in love with it and will recreate one for my home as well. Great message for everyone!

Much love and laughter,
Nush

First Appointment Can Now Be Checked OFF

2012-01-14T14:10:00.000-06:00

Rockstar had his first doctor's appointment yesterday to follow up and continue being seen every three months. It went great and all but holy cow the appointment was at 10:30 and we did not go to the back until 11:50 and we did not see the DR himself until 12:50. All in all we were there from 10:15 until 1:30. Most of it was just sitting and waiting.

All his levels were great and we reviewed his log that hold his blood sugar readings. They decided to have him take 1 to 15 grams ratio of insulin for lunch and the two other meals he will be on the 1 to 10 gram ratio. I asked particular questions about his diet, counting carbs and specific tweaks we have done at home and looking to get approval from the nurse and Dr, which we did.

Yay for a good appointment.

Much love and laughter,
Nush

Knocking Down the Pins

2012-01-13T17:30:00.000-06:00

With all we do during the week we decided to change things up for the long holiday weekend. No better way to enjoy your childhood that to be surprised with ice cream at Braums. Though once we arrived they both acted FAMISHED so they got food as well.

Check out all the missing teeth!!

... and this ham!

That night we headed to the local bowling alley and bowl our hearts content. Everyday our new normal gets easier and easier. You can even see Rockstar's green camo insulin bag on the table.

The boys had a blast along with two special friends of theirs. They were cheering each other on and gave everyone words of encouragement after each turn. It was extremely cute. With all the boys there I had to take a picture with the only other girl in the group. We often are surrounded by boys and decided it was time to take a picture of us both.

Always great to get away from the normal hustle and bustle and enjoy life.

Much love and laughter,
Nush

Where to Administer Insulin?

2012-01-12T11:42:00.000-06:00

Friends and family have asked, " Where and how do you decided where to administer Rockstar's insulin?" Well it is simple thanks to Cook's Children in providing us with A First Book for Understanding Diabetes by H. Peter Chase. Both boys have even colored in there because the star of the book is their beloved Pink Panther.

Anywhere highlighted in pink is where to inject the insulin. Alternating locations is extremely important. If you administer is in the same location you will eventually develop scar tissue and the medication will actually not be adsorbed correctly, you run the risk of getting off the correct Blood Sugar mark.

Rockstar is 100% the decision maker when it comes to his insulin. He decides who he wants to hold his hand and what location in the home to administer. Sometimes I like to play a joke on him and not inject the insulin when he is done counting, why? Because he psyches himself out and starts yelling with pain before his tiny 3/10th syringe has not be given. When I tell him I hadn't even started, he starts giggling.

Before you put the syringe in location you have - you have to grab a portion of the skin and lightly pinch. Eh, we pinch harder so he focuses on the pinch and not the needle. It actually really works well for him and so we will keep doing that for now.You know what else? It is extremely adorable to see Rockstar ask Superbabe to hold his hand. Then they start at each other and yell in an extremely silly fashion while getting meds. It is sweeter than anything I have ever seen. Two brothers, best friends who support each other at such an early age.

Rockstar is doing great at school and meets with the school nurse at a minimum of two times during the day. Yay!

Much love and laughter,
Nush

When will I get it?

2012-01-11T13:25:00.003-06:00

I am frustrated with myself after reading my son's blood sugar levels. WHY DO THEY GET SO LOW AND SO QUICK? I get him where he needs to be, he eats great and then later on he will go well below 100. His target blood sugar level being a T1 kid is 100-180. At school he has been getting 76 before lunch. UGH! That is way too low. He goes to the nurse a minimum of twice a day to regulate this. She gives him correction in Milk or another snack we provided that has 15grams of carbs and then he is back where he needs to be. Ready and focused to learn and make new friends, and for that I am extremely thankful for.

Having a hard time not beating myself up about this... but I am. Last night after taking his blood sugar I started sobbing. Why was he at a 86? I have tried very hard to show him how strong we can be with this new life change, but again he needs to see that his mommy is human and everyone has the right to express how they feel.

He ate dinner an hour before AND even had a snack in between and had an amazing reading. Then right at 8:00pm, when he was scheduled to take his night time insulin Lantus, he was way too low for me to administer. I then called his nurse and she told me to just keep rotating in every 15 minutes with correction of 15g of carbs to help him get back up. After 30 minutes he got back to 145 and was ready to go to bed. But, I still was upset with it. Upset that I did not notice he was getting low. I am thinking more snacks will help with this??? For his blood sugar readings we use Accu-Chek Blood Sugar meter. I am very happy with it and we chose a cute and fun basketball decal on the face.There is a program where it stores the time and the reading. Love that feature since being a mom it maybe hard to write down the reading every time. But with this feature I can dedicate my time to go through the screen and write down in his log book.

He is officially in the Honeymoon phase of his diabetes. This is where the insulin actually communicates with his pancreas and it starts producing it's own insulin on it's own. But.. unfortunately it is only temporary and can last up to two years. So regulation is difficult during this time since levels fluctuate so often. Wished there was this magic pill he could take that would send a message in code to the pancreas and tell it to work for life. Or just transfer it's laziness over to my pancreas and allow his to have the power and energy mine has in insulin creation. I am 30 years old and experienced that whole LET'S EAT WHATEVER I WANT AND NOT THINK TWICE ABOUT IT. He doesn't get that anymore... and I am beyond pissed about it.

{Deep breath in.}

I am very anxious to go to his first doctor's appointment on Friday. It is at Cook's Children's and will always be until he is 18 years of age. I am looking forward to talk more in depth about his nutrition. Look forward to any suggestions from the doctor. Then next month I have a training/nutrition class that is 5 hours long. I am beyond estatic to attend this one. It is all about the disease, correction, and learning how to live with T1. Plus, I will be honest. I am going to make friends with everyone in the class. I'll ask around and see if anyone lives close to us. If so, this will be the start of a group of family and kids that all can grow and learn from one another. I need a sense of community in all of this. So far the closest T1 community is a bit too far for us.

One top of my priority list and always will be... how to feed my whole family a healthy and balanced meal without lacking in taste or insulin calculations.

May the force be with me!

Much love and laughter,
Nush

P.S. Tomorrow I'll be posting a very cool giveaway! Come back tomorrow to check it out.

Day Two and the Bus

2012-01-10T10:00:00.000-06:00

Rockstar is officially a big kid and decided he was ready to take the school bus. The bus stop is literally a hop and skip away from my front door and his stop is the only stop to and from school, double score. I met his bus driver yesterday as well, seems to be a pretty nice guy who was informed by the school about my boy. He has him upfront and has an assigned buddy. Riding the bus is a big step in independence and is important for Rockstar to express what he wants to do and experience, but the mom in me wanted to say NO! Of course I didn't since that would defeat his who sense of being a big kid, right? He really r.e.a.l.l.y. wanted to and when the school asked him, his face lit up. It seemed to help with the transition and it will allow Superbabe to sleep in and get his rest.

This Monday I Can Breathe

2012-01-09T12:49:00.002-06:00

Rockstar started at his new school this morning. Of course I had to treat this morning like the first day of school again and take the traditional- photo at the front door. Look how pumped he was! He was even more excited to know that he will feel better at school because of a cool nurse that will be his buddy. I made him his "free" breakfast of fried egg and bacon and we set off to school. A free meal is one that has little to no carbs and in return no need for insulin unless your blood sugar is high and then you need correction insulin. Rockstar was RIGHT where he needed to be and so he didn't need correction.

We were instructed to come after 8:15am to allow the morning drop offs the ability to calm down in the front office. Superbabe had zero desire to get dressed this morning so he arrived at his bro's school in footie pajamas, oh my favorite. My boys and I met with the Vice Principal, School Nurse and his new teacher. I kept a smile on my face during all of this and kept asking him how he was feeling, and he would reply," Great mom!" --PHEW

I am extremely pleased with his school nurse. She is fun, upbeat and extremely educated on T1. She has already called me today to give me an update on Rockstar. Then we met with his teacher, who then informs me that both her father and her sister have T1 and she can detect HIGHS and LOWS in children. I was beaming when she told me this. Like every parent we worry and want what is best for our children.Though I was upset and heartbroken to leave behind his other school, this one will help him grown and be strong adovocates in his health. So we do get to have it ALL!

Stats: Current insulin ratio is 1 to 10.
Lantus Insulin at night is 10 units.

Fresh New Start for Rockstar

2012-01-06T10:21:00.003-06:00

With all the new things going on in Rockstar's life, I have to remain focused on how resilient kids are. Rockstar was enrolled in a Charter school in our area. We both love the school and even more so... LOVE his teacher. She is the sweetest teacher you will ever met. My son absolutely adores her and she has made our move from 45 minutes away that much easier.

Well after he was diagnosed with T1 I needed to go to the office and talk to the principal of the school as well as the nurse. So we are all on the same page with how to treat Rockstar and fill out appropriate paperwork etc. Then they hit me with the WHAMMY! No school nurse!

I was speechless.

How in the world could a school NOT have a school nurse? Before 12.26.11 I never had to talk to the school nurse.

Then I felt like an idiot to enroll my son in a school where I didn't check something out like a school nurse. But, then I refocused and remembered that I need to stop beating myself up as a mom. I am doing my best at the moment and what I have to focus on.

I was instructed to talk to his teacher on any special instructions. We walked to his class and spoke to her about everything. How to administer insulin etc. She was on board and supported Rockstar and his new lifestyle. She asked questions, I answered and we got on the same page about T1. A few days later she calls me with disappointment in her voice. The school told her NOT to give Rockstar any treatment for his T1 and that I would have to come and do it all. I was shocked again!?!?!?!

So needless to say, I have found him another school where he will continue his education. He starts Monday and I spoke to him about this change and how we will enroll him in Boys Scouts to make the change a bit easier. Boys Scouts will allow him to make new friends and help him fit right in. When I asked him how he felt about the change he said,

"I am excited to be the new kid in school. Because Mommy I never have been the new kid." and " I'm going to miss my teacher and my friends." The second part killed me to hear. But, Rockstar is such a vibrant, sweet and funny kid that makes friends instantly.

Here's to a new fresh start for 2012!

Much love and laughter,
Nush

My Warrior

2012-01-02T10:40:00.003-06:00

This Christmas break was one that was far different than any other we have ever had. Yes, the boys were split between his father and my side of the family. Yes, it was different than what my two boys had ever experienced but we talked about it and they were excited to have double the presents and all the attention on both of them from everyone who loves my two little nuggets. But, it was beyond what anyone prepared themselves for.

A day or two before Christmas Rockstar appeared to have taken hold of the stomach bug his brother had a few days before. He was exhibiting all the same symptoms and complaints minus one big factor- he did not have a fever. He threw up, slept and acted ill. I felt horrible for him but then he would get bits of energy and play, laugh and eat. So I thought to myself that maybe he was battling a little bit of holiday depression or even he was getting better from the virus.

Christmas afternoon his father picked him up from my home and took him and his brother to celebrate Christmas at his parents house. Both were excited but Rockstar still appeared to be feeling under the weather. I asked his father to keep me in the loop with how he feels throughout the day through text. Then sent them on their merry old way. After that the rest of the evening he was on my mind. I received text about him sleeping for an extended period of time and then others that he seemed to be feeling better and eating. So it kinda felt like a little rollercoaster of hope that he would get rid of that nasty stomach bug.

Late that night I got a call from his father and from then on it felt like I was trapped in a horrible nightmare that I just couldn't get out of.

Rockstar was admitted to the PICU at Cook's Children's hospital where they were trying to figure out what exactly was wrong with our baby. They checked his lungs and various other places, which all checked out healthy. Then they checked his blood sugar.... which was over 500. Friends, normal blood sugar readings should be between 70 to 90. My heart sank when I heard the news. My first born was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.

I was in sire disbelief. How could this be? It does not run in our family and he is an awesome eater!! I felt so many emotions all at once and still feel it at times. Why him? Why not me? I have always been so careful with the research on vaccinations, supporting a healthy eating eating environment and then felt like I was slapped in the face by mother nature and ridiculed. I felt extremely cheated!! But, I will be strong and provide Rockstar with a team of support with everyone in his life. We all must be on board with supporting him and each other.

The information and guidance we received at Cook's was one that none of us will ever forget. Our relationship with all of them will grow as we will be meeting with them for routine checkups every three months until Rockstars 18th birthday. His doctor, diabetic team and everyone was amazing and assured us all we will fight this. This is a family lifestyle change and we will support Rockstar in anyway, shape and form. Even his little brother holds his bro's hand when Rockstar is given his insulin. We all will continue to be his cheerleaders and will not crumble to this sneaky and chronic disease.

I will be adding more blogs about Type 1 and our road to finding a cure. As this blog is about my life and what goes on... this is a big big part of our lives now. Support from you friends is always welcomed and appreciated.

Much love and laughter,
Nush

I'm a Slacker...

2011-12-23T09:36:00.000-06:00

On this day, known as Christmas Eve Eve I have ZERO Christmas gifts purchased. Procrastination at it's best here in North Texas. Things have been a bit crazy over here and was awaiting to get my paycheck with the most hours on it to go shopping. Plus, I wanted to know what everyone else was getting my two lil nuggets before I went out and went hella crazy on toy shopping.

TOYS! Where will I fit them all? Guess I shouldn't complain and be thankful that they will have an exciting day of presents to look forward too.

I have been thinking about what I will be giving them for Christmas. I am making Monster Pillows for them as a gift from me, along with a few other things they said they wanted i.e craft supplies, sleeping bag, cool Rock Star shirts and things in that nature. There are a few other things I want to sew/create for them that will be from the heart and NOT hurt the bank account. Because Christmas is all about sharing that special time with loved ones and not the price of the gift.

Wish me luck! I am only planning on hitting two stores and totally avoiding the shopping mall.

Much love and laughter,
Nush

Fitness Time

2011-12-12T12:43:00.003-06:00

Earlier this year I decided to make a point to have 'ME TIME'. I picked up my love for running and was up to three miles a run. Every time I scheduled time to run I would be excited to get home, put my running shoes on and let my mind and worries free. I starting seeing my waist line become slimmer, the need to buy smaller sizes and my confidence soar.

Then... I met a boy(fell in love), moved from my home I lived in for almost 7 years and into a town home and seemed to lose sight of my running schedule. Every week I would set up a schedule for me to follow, but it seemed to never work. Plus, I was not comfortable to go running by myself in my new area. Not a bad area but at my old home there was a drag were anyone who walked, ran, or rode their bikes would go down. I loved it because I was never alone.

As weeks past and then GASP months I started noticing my small jeans were become snug and I saw my personal confidence level lower. I do not like that ONE bit. What is even worse is I am a social eater... it is extremely hard for me to pass up something yummy. But if I work out... then I can maintain my weight and eventually lose the rest I really want to lose. I have a goal in mind and I got so close and then let it go.

I am back and ready for action. I have a new treadmill in my home where I will be running til my hearts content. I have a journal where I will log my workouts, calories burned and duration. That way I will see my progress on paper. I ultimately would like to see myself keep my treadmill workouts at home and find a class to do a dance workout or two during the week to add to the healthy living lifestyle.

Much love and laughter,
Nush

Mind Reader

2011-12-06T08:14:00.001-06:00

Why do us woman find the need to believe the male species can be able to read our minds? Could it be the result of watching all those love stories growing up? The one's that portray the sweetest and romantic relationships where the man is so in tune with his woman that he seems to be able to read her mind on what she needs/wants/desires? (GUYS CAN'T COMPETE WITH THE MOVIE INDUSTRY!) Or is it the lack of our own energy to communicate such things? I know from my personal experience I tend to feel vulnerable or silly stating what I need and want. I am a strong individual who believe she can do anything she puts her heart into. Telling the one you are with that you need them totally makes me feel vulnerable. Maybe that is the same amongst other woman. Who knows?

Woman have no reservations calling their girlfriends and telling them e.x.a.c.t.l.y what they want but do not communicate this with their partner. We seem to be more comfortable talking to our own sex because there is so much in common with our emotions and thinking. Maybe worse to talk to a girlfriend while you hash something out over coffee. We are emotional-( I know I am)-and woman will back each other up while discrediting the man's feelings or what he was trying to accomplish before all the bickering started.

Here is my suggestion to all you ladies... tell your man what you want and even when you want it. If you want him to hug you randomly to remind you how he feels for you... tell him. If you have your eyes set on something you want to do with him... tell him.

Unfortunately men aren't mind readers. Communication is the key!

Much love and laughter,
Nush

Mommy's Fruit Punch

2011-12-02T08:53:00.001-06:00

At the end of the day its always rewarding to sit down on your comfy couch and enjoy a glass of wine. Mmm, my favorite is Cabernet Sauvignon. I went to my parent's who live not to far from me for dinner this past Tuesday. My mom then proceeds to give me one of my stocking stuffers... on November 29. I laughed and told her I could wait til Christmas to open. She said no that I really should open. I gave in and boy am I happy I did.

This is what I got!

YUP your eyes are not playing tricks on you. It's a super cute wine glass with the phrase," Mommy's Sippy Cup!" Perfect for the mommy who writes this blog.

Much love and laughter,
Nush

Single Mama on a Budget

2011-11-30T18:54:00.004-06:00

Let's face it, everyone is always looking for ways of saving a few extra pennies at the end of the month. Being a single mom has been financially stressful. Guess it may be that I am responsible for the day to day life I present to my children. Support obtained never seems to be stretched far enough, often feeling like I am constantly playing catch up which gets very old. I often try to focus on what we do have and what we aren't lacking. Many things that I am very thankful for and cherish. Trying to remain
focus on what I can cut back, eventually save, and treat the boys with fill my thoughts when no one is around.

I have started baking a lot more home goods for my kids. Yes, it's cheaper and I can make a huge batch several times with just buying the ingredients once. My boys love homemade bread and that is just what I made today. I found an awesome recipe for bread without a bread machine, 'cause you don't HAVE to have a machine to make bread. People in the past made it all the time without any electricity... so we can knead the sucker and throw in the oven.

Clothing seems to get so very pricy. I try to go when I can and I do not have my boys to just browse a store. Usually a discount store like Ross, I find awesome deals that makes my head want to explode with sticker excitement. For instance $2.00 for pajamas? For something new and that price it's hard to match. Another favorite store I like to go... especially for me is Target. I solely go to the clearance racks for clothing, and just about anything else other than food. I tend to grab awesome deals on shirts there for myself. :)

I am writing this post to help me refocus. Yes, my bank account maybe looking pretty empty and YES... my car needs it's oil change, bills must be paid SOMEHOW.. but at the end of the day I am so very thankful that I am doing this. Yes, it can be very, very, very hard at times but this is my life and I am strong and will strive on.

Lets Talk About Elves

2011-11-29T18:12:00.002-06:00

There is a lot of talk amongst my Facebook friends about the whole Elf on a Shelf tradition in their house. If you haven't ever heard of it I would just go ahead and Google just that- Elf on a Shelf. Many families participate in this tradition... but my family does not. The first time I ever heard of this concept I was actually freaked out. Guess I get spooked a bit too easy. In my mind this is how this conversation went:

" Oh dear... an elf who is suppose to report back to Santa by sitting on the shelf? If I was a kid I wouldn't be able to sleep. Every time I would walk by him, I would believe his eyes would be following my.every.move."

Call me a baby if you will. I can handle it. Though the Elf on a Shelf is cute. An evil cutie. JK

I am a sucker for traditions and always wanted my children to grow around many. We do have an Elf but you can't see him, just like Santa. Or you're not suppose to see him.

We have a family Elf by the name of Twinkle Toes. He visits randomly and no one ever sees him. He leaves the boys little notes around the house on how proud Santa is with their good work, he may comment on something that could have been handled better, and he leaves little presents around the house. Usually his presents or notes have a bit of glitter, guess North Pole Elf dust? I love Twinkle Toes because when he visits I am able to live my childhood for a second through my children's eyes. The world where anything is possible!

What traditions do you start at the beginning of December? I would love to hear. I have more to share on another entry.

All I want for Christmas is my Two front Teeth...

2011-11-22T14:36:00.000-06:00

is exactly what Rockstar will be singing this holiday season. He is missing a grand total of three teeth, two on the top and one on the bottom. It sure makes for a heck of a cute smile and certain words he says sounds extra cute.

The coolest thing about it all is the way it happened. The two littles were running around my room laughing and pretending to be running away from a monster. Since it was ADORABLE I took out my phone and recorded them. Rockstar jumped on the bed and the next thing you hear is, " omg... omg... my TOOTH!"

Priceless! He woke up this morning happy that the tooth fairy brought him $2.

Much love and laughter,
Nush

Holy Cow... Its Almost December

2011-11-21T15:10:00.001-06:00

I can not believe how fast this year has gone by. I know we all say that but really... I think it's the fastest year yet.

The beginning of this year was very dark and bleak. I often felt a dark cloud hovering over my head everywhere I went. As much as I tried to surround myself with all those I love and love me back... I still felt sad. Took me awhile to establish my own sense of self and happiness. I was fused me being a mother and friend solely and never made time for Nush and what I wanted. Often as mothers and woman we put many in front of our own wishes.

Sounds silly but I wrote love letters to myself. It actually empowered me to strive for more. I wrote things in those letters that I had lost sight of and regained. Simple things like my ability to remember little details that others may forget, or how I can eat a meal at a restaurant and recreate the dish in my very own kitchen. One I am very proud of is how I have taught myself how to create cakes for any occasion and own my very own private cake studio.

I sit here and think how far I have gone this year. I have my own town-home we call home now. It is a rental but it's OUR home. I purchased my very own car in March and was able to enroll my school aged son in a great Charter school that we are simply ga-ga over. I took up my love for running and challenged my comfort zones in many aspects of my life. This year has ended up on a very high note and for that I can own and take credit for.

I am ecstatic to see how my story unfolds. :)

Much love and laughter,
Nush

My lucky day

2011-11-09T08:50:00.000-06:00

With being solely responsible for my household income... I often dream of winning the lottery. Most people say that but don't play. So I can up with a conclusion. Why not play and wake up those dreams that are stored way back in that brain of ours. You know, the one that's not responsible and wants to buy a camper first.thing. when the lottery money hits your bank account. Or the one that you take your whole family and extended family on a cruise where you envision yourself poolside working on your tan and just not having a care in the world.

I understand money doesn't make things ALL. better- but it sure does help. I often am running my checking account balance through my head and making sure all my bills are met. Which can often fill my dreams at night, which isn't quite fair. Dreaming is where you are suppose to get away from the daily stresses of life.

SO WHY NOT PLAY THE LOTTERY TO ESCAPE REALITY AND POSSIBLY( very small chance) WIN??

I bought a dollar scratch off today and won $40 bucks! Score grocery money! So this post is all about me convincing you that though the odds are ridic-- go ahead and dream.

- Nush

2011-11-08T14:36:00.000-06:00

My Family :)

New Blog Direction

2011-11-08T14:33:00.000-06:00

Hello again! Finally back in action and ready to shift my blog into something new and fun. As most of you know I am a single mama now and really want to voice out this lifestyle change out to my bloggers. Sure, I am still Nush... but I feel like I have grown so much this past year.

Hope you guys all continue supporting me through this journey called life.

Hello Again

2011-05-31T16:48:00.000-05:00

Boy, did I miss the online world of blogging! I am sure I have talked my family and friends ears off a bit more without writing here. Things are moving forwards. Finding a new state of normal has been extremely important to me.

I have worked hard at giving myself much needed 'Nush" time. I have picked up my love for running and am 5 pounds away from losing a grand total of 30 pounds since February. (Tooting my horn.)

I am going through the big D. I hope to convert this blog to one that is of a strong single mom who strives to work in a co-parent environment for our boys. A blog where I can rant on how hard something is or how much I laughed at myself . Basically I just want my blogging community back. I have missed you all.

My baby sister just got married and her cake is one I made with a lot of love. I heard from everyone about how great it was... but I never had a chance to grab a slice. Once I remembered, it was all gone. It was a white almond cake with cheesecake filling. DIVINE!

I hand painted the wooden peg people to represent the bride and groom. Why yes, the hot dog you see in the distance is indeed the grooms cake.

Lastly, I need help!!! I need to look into getting a new header for my blog. One that's fresh and new and represents my new life with my two boys. If any of you know of who or where to go-- shoot me an email!

Thanks!

~Nush

MIA

2011-04-08T09:47:00.001-05:00

Been gone for a long time.

There was snow and now its SPRING.

Major life changes

Working single mom of two rockin kids.

Working to be co-parents to our children.

Blog will change to reflect our new life and new experiences.

I am strong

I can do this

I am worth it

Nush

Ice, Sleet, and Snow?

2011-02-08T09:30:00.001-06:00

Last week in Texas was absolutely crazy. All the local schools were closed last week but Monday. That is so unheard of here and I enjoyed it to the fullest. I looked at it as a way of pretending we were on a vacation from the world. We went sledding on our wakeboards, played with the snow, I fell down our driveway, baked, cooked, and did tons of crafts.

Our dog, Clover, never seemed to enjoy the snow as much as this winter. She flipped every time the boys made a snowball for her to demolish.

All the snow and ice have melted... totally bums me out. But, they say we just may get more tomorrow!

From this crazy mama to all my devoted readers,

Nush

Morning

2011-01-29T13:57:00.001-06:00

This morning I was greeted by my two smiling boys. Both extremely happy to wish me an early birthday. They both drew me pictures as their birthday presents, and they thought about it all by themselves.

I love thoughtful gifts. I truly believe they are the best gifts around.

by Superbabe

by Rockstar 'Cake with Milk'( photo is flipped incorrectly. The black circles are plates. Black cup is milk and the stacked shapes are the layers of cake.)

Great way to wake up in the morning!

~nush~

Wordless Wednesday: Love and Nuture

2011-01-26T08:40:00.000-06:00

Much love,

Nush

The Sick Vortex

2011-01-20T08:51:00.002-06:00

Wowza! I have dry hands from all the hand washing, lack of sleep, and a very clean/ disinfected playroom. Why you ask? We were hit and hard. Rockstar had strep over the weekend and then Superbabe not only had strep like his bro, but the flu as well. My heart sunk to see how sick my babies were. Today is the first day that everyone seems to be doing great( and contagious free). Is it too early to say that it skipped me. I cheated the system?!?!

-Knock on wood-

Here is to all the vitamins, water, hand washing, and being paranoid to even eat without a utensil. I've thrown away toothbrushes ( twice) with hopes that this will leave my home and be over and done with.

Here is me being hopeful. positive. and strong!

May your home stay healthy this rough season,

Nush

{If you sent me an email over this past week, I will respond by today. I did get them but have been held up with little people.}

How to Love?

2011-01-17T09:06:00.000-06:00

A friend of ours posted something that really made me sit back and reflect. She posted about the love she has for her dogs( who are her children) and her unknown reason to correct them. This sparked the discussion that love does not correct.

Love does not correct.

Love guides and supports.

This is how I strive to parent my children. Heck, this is how I want to love my husband, friends, and family. I am human and at times feel that I can just correct the problem/ task at hand to create a sort of shortcut. But, really it isn't a shortcut of any kind. It just creates uncertainty and belittles my boys in thinking that they aren't capable of all things.

-Which They Are-

I am grateful that I read this topic today. It fed my soul and puts things back in prospective I desire.

Love,

Nush

Wordless Wednesday: Thug-Life

2011-01-12T09:12:00.002-06:00

Express your inner 'gangsta' today,

Nush

Craigslist

2011-01-10T21:10:00.005-06:00

I love Craigslist.org.

A lot of people I talk to have a love/hate relationship they have with the site. There have been many things I have sold online through this site. Things that have enable me to win back a weekend that was in danger of the dreaded garage sale. Plus, I get generally what I ask for, NOT the lowball offers I receive when I have a garage sale at my house.

YUCK-NO THANK YOU- BUH BYE

Also, I have scored some awesome deals on this site. You just have to check it a few times a day to be able to grab an opportunity to 'win' the chance to buy what you want, at a fraction of the cost. Now today... was different.

I can see where people start developing the hate portion of the sellers of Craigslist{ disclaimer: not craigslist the site, just the few *special* sellers on there}. Today I spoke with a seller, throughout multiple emails, for this particular table I am in the market for. I posted in the wanted section for exactly what I wanted. She tells me she has just what I am looking for! She assured me it was in excellent condition and she only owned it for a few months. Flipping awesome, right?

She wasted my time and energy folks. I asked for a photo of the table. A photo to make sure it was just what I was looking for. A photo to verify it was in this prestine condition she spoke about. I finally received my photo towards the end of my day. She was gracious enough to provide me with four more photos for my viewing. Every photo to help me come to the conclusion that her eyes just might not be fully functioning. You can see a HUGE dent on the top corner of the table. The exact location where you would place the child's food or art project to quickly watch it slide fast to the floor. Not only was it in this excellent condition, the caked on mud and earth all over the bottom was at no extra fee. Lastly the the top of the table was in a U shape when viewed at eye level, appearing that a very large object was laid on top the table.

I was in shock. In shock that the SELLING price she thought was fair for her 'gem". Guess I finally understand the hate portion of online classifieds. At least its been a good amount of years of pure success.

Do you have any crazy online selling stories? Please do share?

Happy shopping,

Nush

Snow in Texas, SCORE!

2011-01-10T13:00:00.000-06:00

I really thought that we would not have any snow this winter season. Just last week I was out back laying on the grass watching the kiddos play in temperatures around the 70's. Just when you think you figured out what Texas weather is going to do... it throws you a fast one.

My boys were psyched to see the snow fall from the sky like big fluffy cotton balls. Every kid I know loves snow. I say it that way as I do not know every single kid in the whole world. :)

When we see snow we immediately throw our body down on the cold snow and burrow in it. Why?

SNOW ANGELS

Mini Snow Angel * melt.my.heart*

Check out the close up.

These kids love the snow so much that they could eat it all up.

Well...

Rad snowball fights with Daddy.

Hope you are enjoying your winter as much as we are!

Stay warm,

Nush

Repurposed Material for Kid Art

2011-01-07T10:15:00.001-06:00

Over the holiday break we did our fair share of fun crafting projects. Each morning Rockstar would ask what was our art project for the day, which kept my mind brainstorming. I often look at what I have at home as opposed to what I can buy at the store. Then I remembered that I have a small cabinet full of glass jars( as I have a hard time just recycling them). Always thinking I can find a new use for glass, it hit me. Let's do something to re-purpose the jar that were originally used for peanut butter or Parmesan cheese.

(disclaimer: I am sharing what we did, as followed by the instructions behind the enamel paint purchased at the local craft/hobby store. Please follow the instructions on your paint.)

{Little hands eager to start their craft for the day.}

We used Folkart Enamel paints to create functional works of art to enjoy for the holiday season. Make sure to only keep the paint outside of the jar. Allow the paint to fully dry( around an hour) and then place in the oven before setting the temperature.

After being baked at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, you must allow the glass to cool in the oven. This prevents the glass to shatter from the drastic change of temperature.

You can see what we made... holiday drinking cups for each kiddos to take home. After baking in the oven the paint is set. Although they are not dishwasher safe. Please clean gently in the sink to preserve the life of the cup.

What will you create today?

-Nush-

Happy New Year Blogging Friends

2011-01-06T08:34:00.001-06:00

I am beyond fashionably late on wishing you all a Happy 2011. Each year the holiday season grabs a hold of me and consumes my every free moment with family events, dinners, and traditions. With this new year I have big dreams for my blog, my cake business, and my family. Almost all of my last years resolutions were implicated and I feel accomplished. Not trying to gloat. really. I am not. As I make everything within reach and having goals for after the first goal is achieved. Makes one feel awesome when you get to the destination you have been dreaming of. Go for it friends. You control your future, heck you control your day.

Here is what were have been up to since last I visited. Its a few as I took a ton of photos.

Tree decoration traditon with my In-laws

Crafting

Loving

Boys

Celebrating the Winter Solstice

Christmas

Hope your holidays were rockin! From our family to yours,

Nush

Right Now

2010-12-14T18:29:00.000-06:00

I am on my cell. I am enjoying an evening of watching an episode of the 1965 Munsters on Netflixs. Enjoying time with my oldest while scratching his back and only having the house lit with our christmas tree.

Bliss

Much love,
Nush

Christmas break anticipation

2010-12-14T08:48:00.000-06:00

Rockstar will be out of school for early release this Friday, right after his winter class party. I am excited for him to be home with us and be part of the morning and early afternoon gang again. With him being home I am slowly thinking of activities to keep him stimulated and engaged.

He has sight words that he learns each week to help him read books assigned in his class. They must know all the sight words by the end of the year to graduate Kindergarten. Rockstar already knows almost all of them. My goal for him is to know them all by the time he goes back to school in January. How will I do this? By having him make his own Christmas book. I will deliberately have his sight words within the book and in his handwriting. The rest of the kiddos who are still learning to write will let me know what they want their story. After that they will add their own illustrations and I will bind them as a momento of Christmas 2010.

Now after that... I would like to do with my boys the following:

Hit of a neighborhood for Christmas light viewing complete with hot chocolate and marshmallows
Visit Santa
Go to the new movie theater that is opening up
Sleep in
Spend a day in pajamas
Bake Christmas cookies
Go Caroling

Eek! Should be an exciting break. Anyone have any fun ideas to share? I would love to add to my list.

Much love,

Nush

Guest Post: Early Childhood Education by Emily Patterson and Kathleen Thomas

2010-12-12T20:12:00.003-06:00

Early Childhood Education – Certified Early Childhood Education Fills the Gaps

If you are lucky enough to be a stay-at-home parent in America today, you are among the truly fortunate. With thirty years of economic policies that have decimated the middle class, the majority of American households today require two incomes, meaning that young children must usually be relegated to child care facilities.

While some parents may want to stay at home to develop that parent-child bond, young children can greatly benefit tremendously from attendance a certified preschool, operated by trained, certified early childhood educators. The experience of learning in a school setting during the early years can be a valuable supplement to a child's experience at a time when the brain is being shaped and developed.

SPICE

So now we come to SPICE- Social, Physical, Intellectual, Creative and Emotional. While there is arguably no substitute for a loving parent-child relationship and daily interactions the scientific methodology has an important place. This is where trained, certified early childhood educators can "fill the gaps" when it comes to a young child's development.

Social development involves the way a child relates to others and functions in a group setting. If you are among the increasing number of parents choosing to limit their family size to one child, the importance of socialization in a structured environment becomes apparent.

Physical development refers to building motor skills, from the gross (basic movements such as walking and running) to the fine (such as holding a writing implement). Not only is important as to whether they can perform these tasks but it's how they do the, do they put one foot in front of the other when walking? When holding a pen, they put sufficient pressure on it? Many crucial areas of critique that are often overlooked.

Intellectual development is achieved through structured play, and of course means development of language and math skills as well as the child's innate sense of curiosity and wonder; A vital area of development that is central to success in school later on.

Creative development helps to really development the intellectual area as well. More specifically it addresses artistic talents in visual arts, music, storytelling and even theatrics. Creativity is the foundation self-expression and problem solving and it is arguable that without creativity, there would be no innovation nor entrepreneurship.

Emotional development, while often overlooked, is just as equally important as the other developmental areas. Without a sense of self, including self confidence and the discipline to deal with one's own emotional responses, a child will have difficulty functioning in society later in life.

The Professional Advantage

While most parents are aware of these developmental areas on an instinctive level, they may not really be aware of how to help their children through these learning stages. However, certified preschool educators are trained in the scientific theory and methodology that can make the difference between a child succeeding – and succeeding brilliantly.

Co-written by Emily Patterson and Kathleen Thomas

Emily and Kathleen are Communications Coordinators for the Indiana child care facility, a member of the AdvancED® accredited family of Primrose Schools (located in 16 states throughout the U.S.) and part of the network of child care preschools delivering progressive, early childhood, Balanced Learning® curriculum.

Creative Outlet: Crocheting

2010-12-10T08:31:00.003-06:00

I have tried to teach myself to knit and quite frankly I stink at it. Maybe it makes a difference with someone sitting by me and teaching it to me step by step. I *heart* crocheting. I find a sense of excitement to finish the project and a sense of serenity to be able to sit and drift away from the daily hussle.

On to the next.

*Stay tuned for a guest post discussing Early Childhood Education from Emily Patterson and Kathleen Thomas.*

Much love,

Nush

Holiday Crafts

2010-12-09T13:50:00.001-06:00

Today we dove into making Christmas ornaments for the tree.

Add 4 cups of flour

1 cup of salt

1 1/2 to 2 cups of water

Don't forget to use some fun cookie cutters to make the ornament snazzy.

Bake them at 300 degrees for 30 minutes.

Let cool and then paint. We used finger-paints with the littles. But acrylic works fabulous ;) .

Spray a sealant of sorts to help your ornament keep for years to come.

... and presto!

Now go and make some fun memories with your kiddos, friends or someone special.

Much love,
Nush

Wordless Wednesday: Winning the Cake Walk

2010-12-08T09:52:00.000-06:00

Music is for My Soul

2010-12-08T09:48:00.001-06:00

I adore music. I would take a day playing music in my house over the television EVERYTIME. My two boys have been introduced to a house full of music and dance. Life is too short to take oneself so seriously and encourage all who come visit to let loose and dance. No one is the worst than our own critic.

When Rockstar was in my belly I made a music play-list and put headphones on for him to listen to. It was one of my favorite ways I could bond with him while still in the womb. When Superbabe was in my belly I actually danced with Rockstar while singing out our favorite tunes. I greatly enjoyed this time I had with both my boys before meeting my Superbabe.

Music is a staple in this house. Today is a day where a great music maker was taken from this world. I thank him for many memories he has brought into my life growing up and into motherhood. My little boys love you in the Beatles and your solo music as well.

Rockstar solely wanted to be you for Halloween two years ago, and successfully was. {swoon}

Keep the music pumping,

Nush

Re-Introducing Meals

2010-12-06T18:12:00.003-06:00

When Rockstar was introduced to solid food, he never complained about what was for dinner. He was the kid who would try anything I told him was yummy. If he did not like it, no big deal. One of his favorite meals was fresh avocados. He would repeatedly say,"YUM!"

I was that mother other moms scratched their heads in disbelief. Disbelief and a tad bit of jealousy that my kid could be such a fantastic eater while they were dealing with their little bundles bring ultra picky. I considered myself lucky.

Then someone flipped a switch.

Around when Superbabe was born was when he decided he did not like ANYTHING. Everything he enjoyed was flushed down the toilet, along with my ego. All he ever wanted was," chichen nuggets, chechup and fries." I loathed hearing him always wanted just that. I enjoying cooking and baking for my kids and consider myself a pretty good cook. After quite sometime I just bit my lip and let him have it. I was soooo tired of the constant power struggle over food. If it was not something he wanted, he would NOT eat it. No matter how hungry he was. Apparently both my kids are like this.... stubborn. He great throughout the day for snacks/fruits/veggies but meal times were a real B.

-I am a happy camper today-

Today...why you ask? I am happy today because my Rockstar is converting back to his old adventurous eating self. He will try things more often and enjoy each bit without the argument of why he HAD to eat it.

Now.... Superbabe is the next hurdle. He was the same when a baby( eating great and welcoming anything I cooked) and now is worse than Rockstar ever was. All he ever wants to eat is carbs and once.in.awhile eggs. Unlike Rockstar, Superbabe will not touch fruit nor veggies. Not.one.bit. Coming from a home where we eat plenty of both it bums me out. If you have any experience with a carb loving young kid, I NEED YOU. I need all the help I can get.

Mother who is tired of giving our dog Superbabe's untouched dinner,

Nush

My Turkey Day

2010-12-06T13:29:00.003-06:00

My Two Turkeys

We had an amazing Thanksgiving Day filled with much laughter. My turkeys wore their Pilgrim/Indian gear to pump up everyone's excitement for dinner.

My Aunt came in from New York to spend most of the week with our family. She stayed with my 'rents but we all celebrated the festivities together on that day.

Taste testing the Coquito.

Enjoying some Turkey.

My man and his Dad or Pawpaw if you ask my boys.

My Mom breaking it down on Singstar Dance on the Playstation Move

Singing: I will survive

Thanksgiving we were surrounded by all we love.

Hope yours was a gobble of a good time,

Nush

my laptop

2010-12-01T10:00:00.000-06:00

Is making me stay away from posting on my blog. :( It will not stay on and is having a hard time cooperating with me.

insert sad mommy face.

hopefully we will chat again soon!

-nush
from cell

My sister and her fiance

2010-11-22T20:26:00.001-06:00

When their wedding arrives in a few months...

I will be so emotional...

not because I am worried or unhappy...

but for the complete opposite!

She found someone who enjoys to laugh just as much as her.

Can laugh and joke at themselves and make everyone around them

feel loved.

Love you both!

We all do.

Today I am Thankful for...

2010-11-15T14:15:00.000-06:00

My two boy's sense of humor.

From one proud mom to other proud parents of their awesome kiddos,

Nush

My Little Brother

2010-11-12T16:00:00.001-06:00

Will ...Never... Grow...Up!

He always knows how to make me laugh.

The kind of laughter where tears stream down my face.

He always knows how to make his sisters laugh.

*Do you have a goofball in your family? Please share. That way he isn't in the club alone.

Much love,

Nush

Chalk is Art Too!

2010-11-11T08:52:00.000-06:00

Much love,

Nush

DIY Face Cut-Out

2010-11-09T11:58:00.002-06:00

We all know that everyone enjoys imposing their face into a wooden cutout. Kids and adults both get a laugh out of them. I know at the pumpkin patch near our home, there are TONS of these around the pumpkins.

( goofball smile)

Now I'll be the first to admit that I like to take on a bit more than I can chew. So when I thought it would be fun to incorporate a face cut-out at our boy's Halloween party, I kind of forgot to factor in the time and tools to make one( all when I do not have the company of little children). Then it came to me!

Heavy duty poster board

Acrylic paints

Family member( shout out to Lani)

Paint Stick- to hold while smiling

Much love,

Nush

Watching Memories

2010-11-07T09:29:00.000-06:00

I love capturing moments on video as well as in photos. This morning I looked through a few video clips of my boys and it made me miss them as babies. ( Yes I know they are still little but ya know.) Lately, I have been happy and made peace to have that time of our lives past us, and looking forward to the future. Boy-oh-boy did my heart yearn to jump in the screen and snuggle them both ever.so.tightly.

(Rockstar)

I must enjoy these times when they believe I am the most beautiful,smartest, funniest girl in the whole world.

Enjoy that when they have trouble sleeping that they look for me.

Enjoy that my boys love spending time with me and their Daddy.

That when they are hurt or wants to feel safe they call my name.

A name that I cherish and always dreamt of when I was a little girl.

The name Mom.

(Superbabe)

Though watching those video makes my womb throb for another baby, with my mind being swarmed with thoughts of another rockin kiddo to love, nurture and prepare to be a loving and passionate adult. I then am reminded that I must not take anything for granted and enjoy ever moment I have with my two boys before they pack up their bags and head out to college. Even tantrums... as they feel comfortable with expressing their emotions with me.

I love you boys. You both hung the moon in your Mommy's eyes.

Much love,

Nush

Thankful Status

2010-11-05T10:34:00.001-05:00

If you are like just about everyone in the planet, you have a Facebook. This month many people are posting what they are thankful for each day. Really makes you sit back and appreciate everything as the month goes by. Last year we did a thankful jar and this year I am making ...

(Turkey Challenge on Happy Delusions )
Today on my personal status update I added:

Thankful for comfy "work" pants.

What is my profession? I am a stay at home mama who babysits kiddos during the normal work week. My kids have constant playmates and I am able to leave the heels and hose in the closet while I sport my yoga pants or my leopard fleece pants.

What are you thankful for today?

Much love,

Nush

Wordless Wednesday

2010-11-03T06:30:00.005-05:00

Much love,

Nush

Bye Bye Halloween! You were fun.

2010-11-02T08:52:00.001-05:00

We enjoyed our Halloween to the fullest. Attended two Halloween festivals, parties, trick or treating and even scared a few neighborhood kids before they rang the doorbell. Rockstar laughed so hard that it was hysterical.

Now I guess you can say we are a bit indecisive when it comes to costumes in our family. We changed for just about each ghoulish event. As you can see in the photos below.

Rockstar was: Superman, Venom, Lego Rocker, and not pictured a Jungle Boy( he dressed himself in random clothes and went trick or treating).

Superbabe was: Hulk, Wolverine, Batman, and Spiderman.

I was a devil, lumberjack girl, and a banana.

We like to spice it up!

Much love,

Nush

H is for Halloween

2010-10-22T10:22:00.001-05:00

With Halloween quickly approaching, my mind is racing on what fun things I will be baking/cooking. Requirements are that it must look cute and taste great. I have a few things up my sleeves. Then you have the costumes, trick or treating, and spending time with those that you enjoy laughing with. Or evening boo'ing with.

This will be the 4th year we have thrown our kiddie Halloween party. This year is a bit different as to the ones before... my kids expressed their interest towards the invitation list. As the years before I would invite my friends and their children. With the boys bigger, it is cute to see them develop friendships and enjoy the company of their friends.

Rockstar has decided he would like to be an alien this year. We have a black cap and will go out to the party store this weekend for the lime green face paint. That way we can totally ditch the mask. Superbabe asked to be Robin (Batman's sidekick) but I am having difficulties finding it pre made AND local. Last night he mentioned being Darth Vader ( SCORE) since we already have that costume. Now for Dad and me, no clue.

Last years costumes:

This is ONE of the many costumes they had last year. We had purchases some at the local store and last minute they decided to be Rockers.

What are the members of your household going to be this year? I would love to hear.

Trick or Treat,

Nush

Guest Post: Anxiety by Stacy Bauman, M.S., LPC-Intern

2010-10-17T12:43:00.000-05:00

It's 7:05am on Tuesday morning and I think to myself, “What is that horrendous beeping noise?”

Oh no.. It can't be! Is that REALLY my alarm clock already? I really shouldn't have had that third glass of Merlot last night, but I had such a stressful day yesterday. (As I try to rationalize) I drag myself out of bed with a pounding headache and realize I am out of Advil. Fabulous! After rubbing my groggy bloodshot eyes, I log onto my computer and find an email from my supervisor advising me we need to have a meeting about my production. This day is getting off to a GREAT start!

This is definitely not an “oatmeal kind of day” so I race to the nearest Whataburger telling myself I NEED a Dr. Pepper and taquito, and promptly stuff the taquito in my mouth. Ahh...I feel a little better now. I have just enough strength to tackle highway 635. A highway that never has any traffic on it. (insert sarcastic font here) I drive 45 miles to work one way everyday and use this car time to mentally note all the bad drivers around me and efficiently manage my time like catching up with friends since my life is so hectic. As I am talking with a girlfriend, I see a cop with his lights on heading towards me and tell her, “Crap I gotta go I think I am getting pulled over”

Ironic thing is I wasn't speeding, but I AM a procrastinator. My inspection sticker was 2 weeks over-due, life got in the way and I didn't have time. If I hadn't been so hungover I might have tried to flirt my way out of it, but I just didn't have the energy today so I accepted my consequence. Now I just hope I'm not late to meet with my supervisor. Sigh this just isn't my day!

Let me introduce myself. I am human, I am woman and most of the time I am a professional, put together counselor. We all have days like this though, don't we? I am an every-woman just like you. I have hopes, dreams and goals but sometimes anxiety just gets in the way. Even as a counselor I don't dealing with my anxiety in healthful or productive ways is sometimes difficult.

The best place to try to improve your anxiety tolerance is in your family and committed relationships with whom you trust. When you are under a great deal of stress its very difficult to think rationally and your problem solving skills go out the window. Like me, maybe you occasionally stuff your face and or have that third glass of wine to make you feel better. If you can start training yourself to talk to your family and warn you when they might see signs of anxiety coming, you can calm yourself and remain in control.

You don't want your feelings to control you, but you want to be able control your feelings. There is certain source of empowerment every time you can see your part in your own problems. Others can't make you feel angry, sad, or happy. You have the power to control how you react to the anxiety in your life. Now you are in charge of your life. You can't choose what happens to you, but can choose how you react to the circumstances good or bad.

Here are some anxiety management tips:

*Exercise walking, swimming, aerobics, jogging, dancing etc

*Playing musical instruments

*Do something creative that relaxes you

*Keep a journal

*Read humor (humor and anxiety cannot coexist)

*Play with a pet

*Deep breathing exercises

*Take a nap completely relax for 5-20 minutes

*Go to a park

*Sit by the ocean, lake, pond, stream or fountain

*Begin a new hobby

*Hiking, fishing, hunting, field trips, rock climbing

*Reading, nature, art

*Find the good in everything you can

*Be aware of the negative people in your life

*Make time for massages

*Count to 10 and collect yourself

Stacy Bauman, M.S., LPC-Intern
For family. individual, and couples counseling feel free to contact me at 817-939-6308

Kids Are Hysterical

2010-10-14T10:41:00.001-05:00

It was inevitable that Rockstar would pick up on some words we never really say in our home. His favorite word to use now is:

" Boring!" ( please read as though its pronounced, borrr-ring!)

I know we aren't being the mature parents that we are ( uhm okay) with our reactions after he says it. We often laugh or echo him. Now, it has become a running joke with my family. Even my kids future Uncle is randomly adding the phrase when people make a statement.

For instance:
My sister read the boys a bedtime story last night after her and her fiance came over for dinner. After she read the book, Rockstar quickly said, " borrr-ring!" All in a very serious face.

Last night he brought home the phrase:

" Duh!"

Now Superbabe is all into the words booger, farts, and ew. If he can incorporate any of those in a story- he is happy. He does the classic kid move of repeating a word he knows isn't nice to say.

In Superbabe speak-" 'tupid is a mean word. We don't call anyone 'tupid, right mama? Betause, 'tupid hurts people and people don't like hearing the word 'tupid."

We continue to laugh and embrace our boys growing up. Words are just words, right?

Much love,

Nush... Borr-ring!

Wordless Wednesday: Childhood

2010-10-13T10:51:00.000-05:00

Nostalgia

2010-10-12T10:52:00.002-05:00

Last Wednesday I posted a photo of my boys back in October of 08. We were at the pumpkin patch we visit every year and we always enjoy ourselves. Yesterday we went ahead and took advantage of Rockstar being off school for the day and packed our bags were off. Entrance is free and they have plenty of bounce houses, obstacle courses, and hay mazes for everyone to enjoy.

This photo was in 2008

This one was taken yesterday: October 2010

Sniff

Do any of you have anything fun you do for October? Do you hit your favorite pumpkin patch?

Much love,

Nush

Making Light Out of a Tiring Situation

2010-10-11T11:25:00.000-05:00

Superbabe has discovered his voice, his choices, and they are all on his own time. Now, he usually never is one to throw a monster tantrum... but this past week was a doozy. He threw about three to four of them a DAY folks! Needless to say, this mama was tired. Each day made me focus on what exactly was triggering the tantrum and then I tried to lessen the blow by asking him what exactly he would want or need. Some days it would work and other days it was like a joke to him. But, each day I would remind him of how much I love him.

Hearing your own kid scream and hollar is always difficult. Now for me to find humor in a tantrum is for my own comic relief.

Click

This is a forced frown as right before I took this photo he was smiling at one of the Kid center attendants. I thought for sure he would quit and he did for a bit as we hugged. When the other kids we were with decided to play at a different area, Superbabe wasn't too keen on the idea of them moving.

Yes, I tried picking him up to comfort him. He screamed even louder when I grabbed him.

Yes, I asked him what was the matter. In response he ignored me.
No, I did not allow him to control my emotions, as I am the adult. I just told him I would love for him to join us when he was ready.

Click

One minute past and he was running around laughing. Then we hugged and he apologized for crying and not letting me know why he was sad.

Here's to a new week,

Nush

Halloween Yard Crafts for the Whole Family

2010-10-10T20:03:00.000-05:00

I love Family Fun magazine. They always have cute crafts that are great for everyone to enjoy. We drink a bunch of milk in this house. Family Fun has a cute idea to both use your creative juices and reuse your waste.

Photo from Familyfun.com

Distorted Reality

2010-10-10T19:56:00.000-05:00

I was talking about this very thing this morning with a friend. I do not like when I give others the ability to distort my reality. If I am not making sense, I'll go ahead and explain. This is when the power of something new, meeting a new friend, or the ability to experience something new is tainted by a negative image from an outside source. This source can surface in many forms.

Let's focus on the positive peeps.

Soaking Up This Weather

2010-10-08T16:42:00.002-05:00

I *heart* you Fall.

All you need to enjoy your day is a few cute kids, playdoh and cookie cutters.

You instantly have a cool playdoh station accompanied along with the awesome weather.

Sometimes a forced frown is just as cute as a big cheesy smile.

Enjoy your Friday,

Nush

Wordless Wednesday

2010-10-06T09:16:00.000-05:00

Much love,

Nush

Silly hair, donuts and cakes

2010-10-04T08:55:00.001-05:00

That's what our house has been filled with this past week. Rockstar had spirit day this past Friday and they asked to show your school spirit with crazy hair and socks. Just so happens that if you know Rockstar, you know that he loves his school. It just seemed fitting to make his hair and socks match the school colors.

You may know that Rockstar has food intolerance towards artificial dyes, especially RED40. At first this seemed to be rough to find things while out of the house that he could eat. After 30 days of making a habit of reading labels and distinguishing the look of what has red dye, it has become second nature.

Along with this intolerance came the elimination of fake chocolate. If its fake, the likelihood of it having red dye is extremely high. This conclusion resulted in us finding a different way of Rockstar ( and Superbabe) for him to have his beloved chocolate donut from the local donut bakery. Now it is a blast to grab some yummy glazed donuts and set up shop in our very own kitchen at home.

( Pictured above are Wilton RED sprinkles for the girls I care while Rockstar is at school.)

We melt our own semi sweet chocolate chips on the stove. Then I sit back and watch those adorable little hands dip and decorate their own creation to eat. They can put as many sprinkles they desire or no sprinkle at all. The decision is all theirs.

I recently delivered a birthday cake order for a 10 year old girl. Her party was in a girly 'rock star' theme as she adores Taylor Swift. Her sweet mom contacted me to create a cake to be centered around those two things. I was ecstatic to be given the privilege to be hired to create her 10th birthday cake.

Without further adieu...

Hope your Monday Rocks!

-Nush

Mohawks

2010-09-30T09:13:00.000-05:00

Rockstar is now sporting a mohawk!

This is his 'rocker smile.

and... this is his official Rocker face.

-Nush

Soccer Mom, Baseball Mom, Kindergarten Mom... etc

2010-09-24T10:15:00.000-05:00

Phew this transition has taken awhile to get the hang of. I consider myself a fairly good multi-tasker, but I did not' know it would take awhile to get a hang of it. ~~You can tell that my blog has been neglected.~~

Both boys have greatly enjoyed their sports of choice. There just is one little difference between the boys, Superbabe loathes playing during his games. Yup! He isn't the classic case of young child playing with the grass/bugs on the field, he just goes completely limp and crashes on the field. It has been taking him sometime to get used to the whole attention portion of the games. Hey, he only is three. :)

Pretty comical when you think of it and a complete pain in the butt when stuck in the heat. But, he loves his practices and last game he actually made a play. There are a few things we didn't think of explaining to our three year old before. I hope this will help other parents "prep" their kid before their first game.

1.) Inform your kid that you will be running after ONE soccer ball and trying to make a goal. Let them know that their own precious soccer ball will not be on the field with them.
- Superbabe was not digging the whole concept of trying to run after a ball in the heat. He then proceeded to tell us that he didn't have to run after the ball because he already owned one.

2.) Positive cheering and calling out your name takes place during the games. Parents do this to encourage their kids while on the field.
- Superbabe thought we were 'yelling' at him and he did not like it one bit. He said," You are yelling at me and I don't like being yelled at." Shortly after he told us this we let everyone on the team know NOT to say his name. We found it very funny and it took a lot of effort to NOT laugh when he was upset about us cheering him on.

3.) Parents can not play with you during the game.
- Duh! How did we forget to tell him this?!?!

The last game where he did a play was like pulling teeth. He wanted to play but would go on the field. Okay, fine. Towards the end we asked him if he liked soccer and playing. Which he does. Both his dad and I asked him if he would go just kick the ball for us. He got up, kicked the ball then sat right.back.down. We laughed.

Rockstar is having a fabulous time playing baseball. He is always eager to play, attend practices, and finally play the game on the weekend. He did so well last game he was given the games ball and was awarded MVP. Proud moment for us all. That exact same week he was student of the week. Awesome job Rockstar!!!

-Nush-

Storytelling

2010-09-14T15:55:00.001-05:00

Everyone has a different way of telling a story. They can talk with their hands or change their voices to make the story more interesting. Or if you have a son like my youngest, its all in the facial expressions.

This particular story involved a princess, a dragon, and a castle. Totally a story you were just telling your friends about, right?

Nush

How 'Bout Them Cowboys?

2010-09-13T09:22:00.001-05:00

Here is the custom cake made for the winner of the cake giveaway. She informed me that her daughter and husband are BIG Dallas Cowboys Fans.

Happy Cake Eating,

Nush

Hello Fall.. I love you.

2010-09-09T12:47:00.000-05:00

I maybe premature with this statement but, eh, I will go ahead and say it. I am excited that Fall is approaching. Though I love swimming... Texas just gets a bit too hot for this mom. Always being covered in sweat from buckling the kids in the van, only enjoying the day early in the morning or late at night is something I am ready to say goodbye to.

Now we get to look forward to pumpkin patches,, CAMPING, hot tea, soup dinners, picnic lunches at parks/backyard and really just enjoying and soaking up the weather. The best part of Fall is having the windows opened and allowing the outdoor air in the home. Ah, I love it.

Here is Superbabe last year camping. Seeing this picture makes me all warm and fuzzy with family memories we all shared.

What is your favorite thing about fall? Is it carving pumpkins, camping, festivals, outdoors... I would love to hear.

Much love,

Nush

Being A Kid

2010-09-03T09:10:00.002-05:00

Being a kid

You get to explore everything.

Getting dirty is over-rated.

Being goofy and posing is totally natural.

Finding the amusement in everything.

Enjoying your childhood!

Much love,

Nush

Saving Money: Coupons

2010-09-02T12:19:00.001-05:00

"Who likes to save money?"

Just imagine me waving my arms frantically to suggest that I not only like to save money, but LOVE to save money.

But, I am ashamed to say I totally stink at couponing. I often have felt that the products I purchase do not have circulating coupons. I am not looking to buy just anything just to cut my grocery bill cost. I am a strong believer of feeding my family well and with fresh products. That's why I purchase my meat, poultry and eggs from the market. I could cut my cost even more if I purchases in bulk. The only problem is that:

a) I do not have a deep freezer and the freezer that we use in our frig is a joke regarding its capacity.

b) $$$ Buying in bulk has a huge sticker shock. If you can get past that then eventually you save greatly purchasing in bulk. We may someday.

But, I do go to the store to grab the rest of the items we use in our home. This is where I could save MEGA dollars with coupons. I use toilet paper, household products, and more and there are coupons for j.u.s.t what I am buying. I recently went shopping with a friend who told me how she saved money with her local store coupons. It was amazing and though I did not save as much as her... I was on a natural high. Friends, she purchased workout shorts for .50 after her coupon!!!

I started looking on online coupon blogs and am anxious to hear which ones you all go to?

Desperately needing your help,

Nush

Wordless Wednesday- Kinda

2010-09-01T12:09:00.001-05:00

Here is a picture of my Dad's recent visit to Texas. We haven't seen him in over a year or two and the boys enjoyed chatting with their Abuelo and Maggie.

Much Love,

Nush

Cakes Galore

2010-08-31T08:47:00.000-05:00

I have been in the kitchen baking up some yummy treats for two orders. Both for two totally different occasions but both were a blast to make.

First was a cake for a 21st birthday. The birthday girl loves owls!

Next was an anniversary cake. She wanted to change a few things from her original wedding cake and incorporate a few things from all the places they have lived together in their marriage. We have waves with sand, Texas stars, and fall leaves. She wanted to have a bit more of a filigree look to the cake, and I was all over it.

For fun: Our neighbors youngest was starting Kindergarten along with Rockstar. So I jumped and baked a few cupcakes for our house and their two kiddos to celebrate a new school year.

I put them in a little gift bag for easy delivery.

Have a Sweet Tuesday,

Nush

Getting the hang of things...slowly

2010-08-30T10:23:00.004-05:00

I am trying. It has been a process and change in my daily routine. Last week was a big BIG week for our household, with Rockstar attending Kindergarten. My belly was in knots weeks before the big event and when that day came, I thought I would handle it a bit better. We joked over breakfast and talked to him about how his day would be. He smiled and was extremely pumped to go to school. He was ready to make friends, learn new things, and experience a brand new chapter in his childhood... which is school.

I was a mess but seeing his excitement helped a ton.

This picture is so dark... sorry.

At this very moment is where I started tearing up. Trying with all my will to not lose my cool. Thoughts of picking him up and running to the hills came to mind. All while screaming," Not yet, and not my baby boy!" But instead I just walked quietly while sporting a smile and a few tears.

You can see Superbabe pouting at the thought of not being able to stay with his 'bro'.

Here is a pathetic picture below. One that was difficult to muster up a smile. You can tell my smile is shaky and it was hard to focus on the camera through the sea of tears. But... I had to get one with my boy. My rockstar.

Our family mantra said every morning-
"Be a friend to all and a bully to none."
This morning Rockstar told it to me and I just about melted.

He loves school. Loves his teacher and his friends. Rockstar welcomes me at the carpool lane with a different positive adjective to describe his day at school. My baby, my rockstar.

I am getting back in the swing of things. You can tell from my lack of post last week and for that I thank you all for being supportive and still coming and visiting your friend Nush.

Much love,

Nush

Best State?

2010-08-22T22:08:00.000-05:00

If you could live in any state in the United States... where would it be and why? I am always curious to hear your replies.
I ask because I really only know a few states( sad) from my own experience of visiting. I live in South and it is scorching hot outside right now at NIGHT. It is insane and the months of June to the end of September should be outlawed. Right now the temperature is 92 without the heat index. Earlier this evening it was 103... at 8 in the evening. INSANE!

If I could live anywhere I would like a state that I could enjoy picnic outside for more. Do not care for brutal winters but a change in seasons is a must. Oh and season allergies are not as difficult on Rockstar and my husband as it is here.

Your turn!

Day Before First Day

2010-08-22T16:28:00.003-05:00

Yikes! I thought I would be able to handle this a L.O.T better than I am. Today has been hard. I mean hard.

I cried twice in the supermarket while deciding if Rockstar would like an array of different Horizon milks (chocolate, vanilla, and/or original) for the week, or to stick with one. That decision made me tear up. Not because it is a difficult decision. "It's just milk Nush!" But I would be flooded with thoughts of how my baby is growing up, being with his classmates, enjoying himself, and I won't be able to go. Yes, I seem lame and clingy. I totally understand that. I have never wanted to be that kind of mommy, but I'll face the music, I am. I greatly enjoy the company of my family- especially of my boys. This transition is hard.

I always thought we would homeschool.

I have always been there when Rockstar experiences something new.

Constant reminders of how much I enjoyed school help me refocus. Refocusing my energy has been helpful. Rockstar reminds me a ton of little me. He will do awesome. A dear friend told me on my personal facebook page," He will rock it." She hit the nail on the head. He will. He already can read a ton of words and exceed kindergarten requirements. He will enjoy having classmates, field trips, and being a big boy.

Tomorrow I will be a mess. A huge mess. I need to shift my thoughts to my excitement to hear all about his experience, new friends, what he learned and more.

Baby Rockstar

Like you told your teacher... you are a rockstar! That's right baby, you are and keep on having fun!

Much love,

Your Mommy

Now THAT's a Meal

2010-08-19T11:23:00.000-05:00

About five minutes away from my house there is a local farmer's market. I have blogged about it last week and decided to try out the other farmer's meat and poultry than I did the week before. I just like to mix it up and see what I like from each place.

I purchased some meat, eggs and chicken through Truthhill Farms out of Farmersville, Texas. They are an uncertified organic farm that grass feeds their livestock. The cows, pigs, and many more have acres to roam and enjoy their surroundings. Unlike the mass produced meat/chicken factories as seen on Food Inc. If you have not seen this movie it is a MUST.

"Free roaming egg layer hens make the best tasting eggs you will ever eat!"- Truthhill Farms. I agree, their eggs are so creamy and full of yummy goodness.

Along with our week supply of meat and poultry we also purchased some pork chops, four to be exact. Since we have four people in our family I thought it would be enough. Ha, was I wrong! We had a bunch left for lunch and leftovers the next day.

Check out these bad boys.

I seasoned them with my beloved Adobo and a bit of EVOO.

Puerto Rican Style
Adobo is a seasoned salt that is generously sprinkled or rubbed on meats and seafood prior to grilling, sauteing, or frying. Supermarkets sell prepared blends like Goya. There are two types of adobo on the island. One is a wet rub called adobo mojado. It consists of crushed garlic, olive oil, salt, black pepper, dry or fresh orégano brujo, citrus juice or vinegar or a mix of both citrus with vinegar. More widely used on the island is a dry mix, adobo seco. It is easier to prepare and has a long shelf life. Adobo seco consists of garlic powder, onion powder, salt, black pepper, dry orégano brujo, and sometimes dried citrus zest.

Here is the packaging. Nice an easy to store in the freezer.

Happy Eating!

Nush

Under the Weather

2010-08-18T10:16:00.001-05:00

You can tell when someone is not feeling well in our house. Often there will be...

-Water and a thermometer-

Throw in a boot cup for a little pizzazz.

-Tissues for the leaky nose-

-Immune boosters and Natural Fever reducer-

Spongebob. I guess it is a mandatory thing amongst my boys. When sick they know they need to chill out on the couch or our bed. Might as well brush up on a few episodes, right?

Rockstar informed me that even though he is sick and feels achy, he likes watching Spongebob because it makes him "funnier". I giggled.

Here's to a quick recovery!

Nush

Another Installment of

2010-08-17T08:18:00.002-05:00

proud mommy moments.

Rockstar had his second baseball practice yesterday. The team worked more on batting and "playing" the game. I purposely used the parenthesise because half the team played last season and the other portion, uhem my son, did not. No need to fret it just for fun... he is only five! Rockstar was really digging the whole thing -paying attention, running, batting, and being a nice teammate. He even told someone on his team, "Good job." Can I tell you how much my heart melted at that very moment. I felt like grabbing every one's attention while pointing at him saying, " WOW- that's my boy. THAT'S MY BOY!"

While he was practicing Superbabe sharpened up his soccer skills. He will have his first practice with his new team, The Flying Sharks. I adore the name! The email from his coach was really upbeat and I am confident Superbabe will love playing on his team. My baby is all about soccer like his Uncle Al.

His uncle played soccer for a million years while we were growing up. I remember not having a Saturday morning for a long time as that was his soccer days. But, with that set aside I loved seeing him play. Loved seeing him in his element and now seeing this in my boys is surreal.

Excited to see how the Flying Shark practice goes and rest assure( ha) that you will hear all about my baby boy playing soccer. Eek!!

Much love,

Nush

Not Me Monday

2010-08-16T13:20:00.002-05:00

This past weekend I was not crying when realizing that Rockstar will be starting school, oh.so.soon. While Rsvping to play-date I did not feel like someone punched me in the gut when noticing that he will not be with us during the day.

While at our friend's lake house I did not tell start giggling when I heard Superbabe talking to himself at 5am since we weren't up yet. Nope not me. I would never laugh at my children when they know its still too early to get up.

I also did not wake my oldest son up when Casey and I got the case of the silly laughs. The boys went to bed at 8 and we joined them at 11. All to not hear Rockstar tell us," Do you mind keeping it quiet over there?" That did not make us laugh one bit for a good five minutes. We are firm on bedtime and have a strict NO laughing policy.--- ya right.

Much love,

Nush

Cake Giveaway Winner

2010-08-13T20:04:00.001-05:00

And the winner is...

Chrystyna! Please email me at myrockinkids@gmail.com to claim your prize. Can't wait to meet you.

It was fun and I feel the love from each entry. To have the out-pour of support and appreciation for something I love doing, really moves me. Thank you to each one of you. Who knows, I just might be thinking of having another cake giveaway in the near future.

Much love,
Nush

Batter Up

2010-08-13T19:23:00.006-05:00

My five year old is a baseball player. My five year old loves baseball. Did this kid come out of my womb?!?!

He had a blast during practice but everyone was melting under that 6pm heat. Barf! We grabbed a cooler filled with ice, towels, and water and hit the fields. The excitement in his eyes helped him fail to notice the heat.

He went up to bat and ran completely around for his first 'home-run". Pretty awesome if I do say so myself. Practice was pretty short at about under 30 minutes and I forgot to mention that little bit of information to Rockstar. He thought they were practicing for the game later that evening. Oops, that was my fault for not being clear on the practice schedule and he started sobbing that he wasn't ready to leave. All while being soaked in his own sweat and NOW tears we were able to have him see clearly and headed home.

Now, I have always known that Rockstar was tall for his age, and in general BIG. But, holy moly was I not prepared to view my son as the Jolly Green Giant amongst his team mates. All I can say is...

wowza!

You will see me post more about the boys practices as one is in baseball and the other in soccer. Being the proud mom that I am... I may have to bore you with some pictures throughout the season. I will do my best to provide you amusing tales of what goes on.

P.S I will post soon ( 8:00 Central Time) who is the winner of the cake giveaway. I will be using Random.org to assist me in picking the winner. Once I hit enter... we shall all know.

Much love,

Nush

Who is Nush?

2010-08-12T09:43:00.001-05:00

Who is Nush?

I am a 29 year old mother, friend, sister, and daughter. Nush is my nickname from when I started going to school. My real name is different and quite difficult for youngins to pronounce so Nush just became my new name amongst friends.

I love tie dye and made an oath to myself that I will start tie dying more often.

I loathe shoes. Which I find a bit funny as I used to love them. Maybe its a mix of laziness from seeing how unpractical it was to run after my boys. We do not wear shoes in our home and I do not wear them if I do not have to.

I love baking and cooking. To see my boys enjoy what I made in the kitchen for them excelerates me.

Dancing and music goes hand-in-hand with me. If I hear music, I start dancing.

Taking photos of my kids is a blast for me.

Laughing is the best. I have a loud laugh but at least you know I thought it was funny, right?

I am that nutcase that makes coffee in the morning and then again around 5 in the evening. Thoughts of changing to tea or a smoothie come to mind, but boy does coffee always hit the spot.

Painting my toenails helps me feel pretty and put together. If my toes are not painted, I feel off. Right now I have pastel green on one foot and blue since I could not decide on the two.

We grew a garden in our yard last season and couldn't this year do to our family dog who thinks it's cool to eat jalapenos off the plant. Will have a garden soon and excited to actually plan it out again.

Pepsi vs. Coke- That is a very easy question as it will always be Coke.

My perfume of choice right now when I get all gussied up is Escada Moon Sparkle.

Favorite colors- Depends on my mood. But it usually goes right back to my good ole faithful green.

I am a visual person when it comes to crafts. For instance, CROCHETING. I had the worst time reading the learning manual. Good thing I have friends who came right over to show me. Now I love crocheting.

I am a social bee and love spending time with friends and family. I guess that is where my offspring get it from.

In the past few years it was brought to my attention that I love to camp. Growing up we never went camping so it was extremely foreign concept. Now, I get pumped when we start planning a trip. In the future I visualize us owning our very own camper and taking that beast with us.

When I was little I wanted to be an artist. Guess that kinda came true.

Much love,

Nush

One More Day!

2010-08-12T09:01:00.002-05:00

If you wish to enter the Cake Giveaway- we have one more day... as I will announce the winner Friday night. Just click the link and enter there. Good Luck!

Giveaway

Much love,

Nush

New Phase for SuperBabe

2010-08-10T13:18:00.003-05:00

Superbabe,
Saying goodbye to your brother every morning will be difficult for awhile. I will do my best to plan play-dates, parks, and craft to numb the pain of not being with your best friend 24/7. Although typing this out makes me teary-eyed, I know you'll soar and enjoy being the man of the house. We can have lunch with Rockstar and his classmates too.

Starting sports will create your own sense of independence. The morning routine is not a worry of mine. You already wake up with Bro at 6:45 and immediately go and brush your teeth. I enjoy laying in my bed pretending to still be asleep and ease-drop in your conversations with one another. I love you boy.

~Your Mommy~

Countdown til Kindergarten Begins

2010-08-09T08:58:00.003-05:00

He is so pumped!

Enrolled him in school last week and he proclaimed, " Wow, I am going to love it here!"

Trying to fit in as much swimming, playing, and fun stuff before he will not be here during the day.

Working on changing up my daily schedule to accommodate being out of the house that early.
Have started with the whole bedtime routine( which is essential for a student) and going great.

Will have more family game nights.

Have had the bully/friend talk- as we desire our son to be a friend to all.

He will be our first Eagle in our house( school mascot).

Back to school shopping is actually something we will partake in this year.

Coming up with lunch box ideas to continue healthy eating habits.

T-ball practice starts this week and he is on the Tigers.

I joined PTA and excited to be working with the Art Committee.

Wow- what a school year this will be.

Looking forward to you!!

Tomorrow's post will be about my Superbabe. :)

Much love,

Nush

Cake Giveaway

2010-08-08T19:40:00.005-05:00

-This giveaway is closed.-UPDATE:If you are not a follower of my blog as of yet... follow me on the right side of your screen. This will allow you an extra entry to the cake contest. Please not that you are a new follower in your comments.

This giveaway is for the Dallas/Ft Worth Area. Sorry to all my readers in other areas, as if I could I would allow this for all.

Enter this drawing for your chance to win a cake from My Rockin Cakes. The cake will have to be picked up at my location. It will be two tiered and decorated with flavored fondant. The available dates to have this cake are September 11/12, September 18/19, or September 25/26.

To enter just:
1. Comment on this post stating," I am so in!"
2. Post on your facebook and/or your twitter for additional entries. Then comment here with the link to verify.
3.If you are not a follower of my blog as of yet... follow me on the right side of your screen. This will allow you an extra entry to the cake contest. Please not that you are a new follower in your comments.
So you will be able to enter this cake giveaway a grand total of 4 times.

The winner will be posted Friday, August 13th!

Happy commenting,
Nush

Farmer's Market and Cake

2010-08-07T20:34:00.001-05:00

This morning I woke up P.U.M.P.E.D to hit the local Farmer's Market. For some reason I seem to forget that it is so close to us. With our family working on increasing our no impact lifestyle, I have made it a point to go there instead of the last minute grocery store visits.

I arrived too late to grab some local and delicious eggs(BOO) but thank goodness I have some at home that will last be for the rest of the week or so I hope. I grabbed a whole chicken, bacon( minus nitrates and more) and some flank steak. Then headed over to the next booth and grabbed some green peas, little sweet potatoes, grapes, local honey( with ragweed to help with my man and Rockstar's allergies) and goats milk hand-soap.

After I came home I decided I was ready to make another cake. This one is for our really great friends that each of our families hang out with. We always have a superb time with them so this was our thank you for a great time last night while watching our kids have fun.

How was your Saturday?

Much love Nush

Ramblings and No Impact Updates

2010-08-06T10:07:00.003-05:00

Superbabe just recently decided that he liked wearing costumes. Set aside the knowledge that we have a huge bin in the playroom with everything a little boy could dream of being. He normally would grab the costume, as to have it on, then in the blink of the eye say,

"No thank you muhma".

It just started a few weeks back and he now totally gets into character. We even made a video of Superbabe/Spiderman and Rockstar/Venom but need to figure out how in the world to upload it on here. It was taken with my cellphone camcorder so that just may have to wait til my man comes home.

Recently, Rockstar lost his one of his bottom teeth. I was in shock with how fast he was growing up. I did notice that his adult tooth that is coming in is CROOKED! Looks like we will be doomed with braces here.

*****
No Impact Updates

Produce Bags
( Sigh) Still haven't made these as I previously mentioned. But, it IS on the agenda for this weekend. While visiting the grocery store, I have been placing my produce bag-less on the side of my cart. A few items may need to go in a bag( then I remember how I should get on the ball with making my bags). NOT sure if the cashier hates me at the checkout. I will just stay oblivious to it.

Local Co-Op
Yay we joined a new one! Will be getting my share soon.

Condensing Automobile Usage
Casey and I have been working on condensing the amount of gas used in our vehicles. He works pretty far from our home, so that alone is costly AND horrid for the environment. He travels in a 2001 Sentra soooo at least its not a huge car, right? Where we live we only have the car option for transportation.

With me staying in the area, having friends over, playing in the yard( early morning since it has been hot, hot, hot) has helped with the van usage to keep us Eco-friendly and easy on the money.

Easy on the money because:
When we do not plan out our day I am the first to admit I loathe coming home and making lunch that isn't already made or set aside for me to make. Then the kids ask to eat out- I am tired- and want out- so I purchase crap( and money) when we have a perfectly healthy meal at home.

This has stopped! Call me picnic mama if you will. Which leads me too...

Budget
We are also incorporating budget along with No Impact. Staying on budget is an awesome feeling and after 7 years of marriage, I think we both have found a great way to do it. We still will have local, organic, and fresh meals but will purchase things on sale and use in smaller quantities and stretch that buck to be used in a few meals.

Will update on our progress every Friday. -How is the challenge going for you?-

Much love,
Nush

More Cakes

2010-08-05T08:33:00.003-05:00

If you have been following my blog for awhile, you already know how much I love making cakes out of fondant. It is a serious passion. I get this crazy high when the creation is finished and then see the person's face the cake was made for. It is an over the top feeling for me.

Family and friends have started telling me to start taking pictures of the cakes I make. I giggled and said, "Oh okay." All while thinking for what? Well I am so pumped that I did. Yesterday on my private facebook account I posted an album of some of the cakes I have made and oh.my.goodness. the response made me have to pick up my jaw off the floor. It was either that or doing that hysterical crazy laugh from the overwhelming amount of love from everyone. So here I go I will post my newest creation here. (Note all cakes are custom to each person's wishes on the cake and in the DFW area.)
Mr Pig was for a 30th surprise birthday party. The theme of the party was a Luau and they wanted the "roasted pig" to receive the main attention as far as the theme went.

He was made with chocolate butter-cream and devil's chocolate with a kick!

The same weekend my neighbor across the street had ordered a small personal cake for her daughter's first birthday. This family has a cute tradition that for their first birthday, instead of splurging on a big cake, they purchase cupcakes and then buy a personal cake for the birthday kid( budget friendly idea to still get that special cake, right?) Well, the theme of the party was spring butterflies and she gave me a napkin with the colors of the party. She requested it to be very colorful! No problem, as I love color.

The border of the cake has flowers and shapes that I found on the napkin. I thought it gave it a bit more of a punch and visual "cuteness" factor.

So that's what I have been doing over here:)

Much love,
Nush

Calling the Tooth Fairy

2010-07-23T13:43:00.004-05:00

Rockstar lost his first tooth.

I am amazed and quite frankly, SHOCKED, that my five year old son has already lost a tooth. I had no clue that five year olds lost their teeth, did you? The baby tooth was holding on for dear life in his mouth.

We knew it was close to saying bye bye to the little tic tac of a tooth.

As the day went on we played, swam, and messed with tattoos. Rockstar requested a flying eyeball be placed between his two eyes. Of course I did, then giggled along with him as we looked in the mirror.

On the menu that night was ribs and corn on the cob. Rockstar bit into his corn, thought it was a nut and tossed it on his plate. Casey then proceeded to chit chat with him and when Rockstar answered him- the tooth was missing! He was happy then immediately freaked with thoughts of missing a tooth. After snuggles from his daddy and a long exciting talk about growing up he was psyched.

After dinner we grabbed a movie and some ice cream to celebrate.

I decorated the house to celebrate the arrival of the tooth fairy that next morning and Casey and I gifted the boys new toothbrushes, mouth wash and toothpaste. Might I add that Rockstar F.L.I.P.P.E.D to see all the cold hard cash she left him. Then he saw that mommy decorated the house and instantly asked if I was baking a cake, haha!

(love the bed head)

Careful.. we have Mr. Money Bags in the house.

Much love and brushing,
Nush

I swear I had my coffee!

2010-07-20T16:35:00.002-05:00

Dude! How is it that I re-read the last post about five times and STILL missed my punctuation, grammar, yadda-yadda-yadda.

Oh well...

I'M human. Better yet, I am a mother who turns to coffee like the old friend it is.

No Impact?

2010-07-20T11:17:00.004-05:00

I watched the documentary called, No Impact Man. The premise of the movie is a New York family wishes to challenge themselves and eliminate unnecessary purchases/items that effect the environment. They decide that they no longer want to leave a carbon footprint on the environment for a whole year. Yep, twelve months of drastically changing their daily lives and thoughts. From eliminating anything:

new
items in packaging materials
laundry detergent other than homemade
toilet paper
automobiles
airplanes
and more!

In our house we practice recycling and loving our Mother Earth, but there always is room for improvement. The documentary made me look at other things I could be doing beside the normal," bring your bags to the store and recycle."

For instance...

There really isn't any reason to buy a box of cereal that comes in a box with another plastic bag inside( as Colin Beavan states in the film)this past Monday I did our family grocery shopping( down the street). I opted out of the box cereal and grabbed those huge bags of cereal. I know the bags are not the best choice, but baby steps people B.A.B.Y S.T.E.P.S. Plus, the amount of cereal in the bag totally trumps the boxed cereal.

We do not live close enough to the local Farmer's Market without using our mini-van, as this is our family car. But, we will start decreasing the amount of one errand trips around town. For instance, my husband drives past a supermarket we love to purchase grass fed meat and chicken from. So it isn't too bright to leave my house,drive 35 minutes,and drive back home which results in wasting money on gas and polluting the air. All when my husband can stop there on the way home from work, DUH! Such an easy concept but one that we never really thought of. Also, we will look on Craig's List for a push mower that is looking for a new home.

On the No Impact Man site you can sign up for the No Impact Project to challenge yourself for a week to try to live a little to "No Impact" life. I signed my family up and it will start in the end of August. We have started taking steps to better our living regimen and prepare ourselves for the week long challenge.

A few steps we will be taking will be canceling our Direct Tv, making produce bags, except ours will be made with re-purposing some toil that we have in my craft cabinet, lowering the amount of trash we have, and more. Stay tuned to hear more on this challenge we will be embarking on.

If you are interested in joining it with us, comment and say you are in!! Can't wait to hear for you all.

Much love,
Nush

What does a normal Thursday look like?

2010-07-15T13:54:00.002-05:00

I will show you...

Two 'Tinks", one pant-less boy, and another swimming with his BFF( why he isn't featured today).

Life if good.

Much love,
Nush

More Than One

2010-07-14T16:39:00.002-05:00

I was reading over some of my post to the boys when I realized how many photos I have captured with Superbabe wearing the.same.dang.pj.shirt. I swear he owns more. He has a drawer dedicated to solely pajamas. Sure, he never wears the pants to each set(resulting in a faded shirt and brand new pants). But, maybe there is something about him wearing one of his three favorite pajama shirts that brings our the uber cute in him? I am not sure.
Yes, he never wears pants at home... NEVER. Even in the front yard he says no to pants. Even our neighbors do not blink an eye when they see him half dressed. NOW... if they see him with pants and shorts then they are speechless. Which I find funny.
Shoot, if it was acceptable for me to go around with no pants then I would. Then again... I do have to open the door to the girls I care for during the week. I am sure no one would want to see their child's caregiver without pants. For a three year old- who cares?!? Not I!
Much love,
Nush

Tears Converted to Joy

2010-07-13T10:58:00.002-05:00

When I posted the picture of my Grandma along side my sister and I... I triggered something in my family. The out pour of tears for the post and picture was one I did not really think would happen. We miss our Grandma, as she left this Earth way to early. She was THE strongest woman and role model for everyone who knew and loved her, as we did.

But, this photo brings a lot of joy when I see it, not tears.

My sister's smirk was one you saw all the time, especially when there was a camera around. The cardigan I am wearing belonged to my Great Grandma on my father's side. It was incredibly itchy but that never stopped me upon wearing it.

That red purse I so proudly carry. You see it? One of our many summer vacations to Puerto Rico( my Grandparent's lived there til I was 12) was where I lost that bad boy. I loved that purse and all the ~~crap~~ money and treasures I could find. I did have a wallet in there with maybe a buck in change but I proudly saved it. All for myself to lose it at the Plaza de Americas Mall in Puerto Rico. I was devastated. My grandma was there trying to find it but we all had no luck. If my memory serves me right... later we went inside this fabric store that also sold housewares and I was so anger with the thought of another girl using my purse. I instantly transformed myself as an unsuccessful Nancy Drew.

I remember how my Grandma often used handbags and wore them just like I am holding mine in that picture. I adored my Grandma. I still remember her scent and how she would visit and I fought my sister for her to stay in my bed( I always won). Then I wouldn't let my mom wash my sheets until her scent was gone.

I remember how we made her laugh and that is exactly where my loud laughter came from. This photo brings nothing but happiness. I love my Grandma and know she is around us in spirit. Even my kids know about her. She was remarkable. She constantly wanted us with her, stay the night at her house, and make memories with her. That we DID!

Only Joy (Family) not Sorrow,
Nush

Worth it

2010-07-13T09:49:00.003-05:00

All the stress, back pain, trips and sweat were all worth it.

Every

Single

Bit

of

it.

Much love,
Nush

Where Childhood Collides

2010-07-11T09:22:00.002-05:00

When I think about my childhood I often reminisce about playing outside. My sister, brother and I lived in a house with a massive backyard and spent a good percentage of our time laughing and creating a new world all of our own. One day we would be out in the wilderness and had to create meals that consisted of mud, grass, and twigs( all while telling my little brother how delicious the meal was and he would pretend to gobble it all up). The next day we were part of a royal family and our swing set/fort was our castle. A lot of fun and laughter was shared during those childhood years. Those years where your imagination is strong. Where you really envision everything fresh and new.

I want my boys to have the same memories when they look back.

My husband and I scored a really great deal and took the plunge. We purchased a swing set that could support the weight of Rockstar and Superbabe. Even better it was large enough to allow all four kiddos during the week to play. With help from generous family members we were able to bring this bad boy home.

It is a monster of a swing set. Originally custom made for the previous owners that consist of 4x4's. We are so psyched to have our kids create lasting memories like I did. All that is missing is our Pirate flag we purchased on our family vacation awhile back and kids laughing while swinging:)

Much love,
Nush

My Baby Sister Is Getting HITCHED!

2010-07-08T08:37:00.002-05:00

My little sister is getting married. The one and only sister I have who is my best friend( besides my hubby). The sister who was my maid of honor and made me sob like a baby at our wedding reception. The sister who would sneak through my things and wear my belongings when I thought I was too cool to like my sister, much less hangout with her. The sister who always welcomed dares, was my roller skating partner in the garage, played barbies for hours on end, held my boys when they were born and the sister who I adore.

She was proposed to by her fun-loving boyfriend this past Saturday night. It was a perfect setting as well, since many of her close friends and family were together celebrating her 27th birthday. She stated she was completely shocked as her first thought when he grabbed the mic was, " Hurry up the speech, I am ready to sing!" The party was at this really fun karaoke place where you rent out a room and control the music you sing all while being provided with service, lights and instruments to accompany your singing friends. It was like a P.E.R.F.E.C.T place to catch her off guard. The party quickly shifted to from a birthday party to an engagement bash!

:Insert girl squeal here:

Much love and excitement,
Nush

Wacky Wednesday

2010-07-07T16:38:00.002-05:00

This boy is a wacky one. He just came up to me and informed me that he would like to start acting lessons. REALLY?!?! My five year old boy wants acting lessons??!?! When I asked him how he came to that conclusion, he stated that he would like to be in a show and make people laugh. Then continued talking about how he has many talents and can juggle school in August, T-ball and be an actor. Sure it sounds like a lot. ~~Shoot, I am almost breakout out in a sweat just thinking about loading and unloading the van full of children~~. On the other hand he would not be doing everything 24/7 and whenever he is ready to stop, we will. If he is ready to do more- I will be at his side.

Rockstar an actor? I can totally see it. Heck, I am his mother and supporter in anything he is interested in. I want my children to be able to know that they can accomplish, explore, and be whoever they want to be.

Send this momma some more energy! I would love to hear some of your kids talents and current interest.

Much love,
Nush

Time to Get Back on Track

2010-07-06T08:15:00.000-05:00

Oh boy have I let myself down. Last year I ran a 5k and lost over 25 pounds while training with a great friend. Then recently I ignored myself again,( like a lot of mother's do) and started taking the focus away from my eating habits. I have gained a few pounds back and they are so not welcomed. SHOOT it is ten times easier to finish my kids leftover mac 'n' cheese then throwing it away. The many advantages of not wasting food or TIME on preparing my meal... is what I need to stop believing.

Today is the day I will re-dedicate myself to getting healthy.
Bye bye pregnancy belly without housing an adorable baby.
Bye bye to having a muffin top.
Bye bye to being overweight, period!

I will say that women of all shapes and sizes are beautiful. This post is solely about my health and my own personal comfort level.

Much love,
Nush