The Chitlins...5 month Edition

All of our kids at 5 months old.  You can definitely tell they all belong to the same family, and which one is a big 'ol ham happy, happy baby.

 Little Man

Little Miss (and a cutie pie Little Man)

Chubby Cheekers

GNO...Aye, Aye, Aye

GNO=Girls Night Out

GNO+Amanda Torres=A Whole Lotta Work

Let me make one thing clear.  I love my friends.  Love them.  They are all so different, but so loving and fun. I enjoy the time I get to spend with them, and last night I got 4 uninterrupted hours with some of my closest friends.

Let me make one more thing clear.  I hate getting ready for GNO.  Even though I'm going to spend time kidless with women who really accept me and all my craziness, prepping the family before I leave is time consuming. 

About three hours before I was supposed to leave, I started getting myself and the house ready for my departure.  I cleaned up, fixed my hair and nails(gasp!), and ironed my clothes.  Meanwhile, I'm starting on dinner for Steven and the kids.  Running back and forth from my bathroom to the kitchen.  Chunky Monkey and Little Man thought this to be a good time to start playing Army Guy.  This would consist of them running around with their toy M16's shooting each other and screaming (I know, your kids don't play with guns...mine do).  This would have been fine and dandy except Chubby Cheekers was sleeping.  Key word...WAS.

After getting on to the boys for their excessive noise, I grabbed Chubby Cheekers from his crib, gave him some milkies from the twins, and then went back to fixing my hair...and cooking dinner.  Since I was no longer allowing the boys to run around like banshees, I decided to have them sit in my bathroom while we did storytelling.  I was halfway through with my story and my hair, when Lindsay came to pick up Chunky Monkey.  I stopped what I was doing, even though I looked ridiculous, and helped her gather all of Chunky Monkey's things from the day.

As they were walking out the door, I finally mixed all the ingredients for the casserole, threw that in the oven, and went to finish my hair. Finally.  

To make a long story short, Steven got home from work, the kids were sitting at the table ready to eat, I gave Chubby Cheekers a 'top off' of milk before leaving, and I threw on my 'going out' clothes.  Then I got in my car and took a deep breath.  FREE-DOM!

I drove slow, changed the radio station when I wanted, and then turned it off and listened to...wait for it...SILENCE!

It was a glorious night of laughing and leisure.  I can't tell you the last time I sat at a restaurant or Starbucks and just talked to adults.  

After late nightin' it, we all decided it was time to return home to our duties...it was 9:30pm...yeah, we're wild.

Once I was home, I filled Steven in on the evening and decided to hop in the shower.  I stuck my hands in my pockets before I chunked them in the dirty hamper, but guess what?  My pockets weren't there.  Huh?  Did they fall off?  I quickly reached around the back to feel if they were there.  Yep.  I had put my shorts on backwards and wore them like that the entire night.  And that is precisely why GNO+Amanda Torres=Work.  

Consigning

The ladies of Rhea Lana of South Tulsa asked a few weeks ago if I would advertise their sale.  I've had the opportunity to do it for their last two sales, but this is the first time I have consigned with them.  Today, I wanted to do my own personal review outside of advertising.


A couple of years back, I consigned with Just Between Friends in Tulsa.  I had a good experience, but it was a lot of work.  Despite the amount of time I spent chasing down the right kind of hangers, safety pins, tags and clear packaging tape, then tagging and securing each item, I would do it again...

...but then I was introduced to Rhea Lana of South Tulsa.  I was familiar with the name of the sale and equated it to 'just another JBF', until my glorious neighborhood gal pal, Erica, taught me otherwise.

As we speak I am prepping my Rhea Lana of South Tulsa items.  I find it to be so much easier, and here's why...

• I don't have to pin my items to the hanger to prevent theft, and ALL my items labeled in the store are guaranteed!  If it gets lost or stolen, I get paid like it was sold.
• Entering the items are a cinch.  You are given options in drop down menus.  I did this on my iPad.  Touch, touch, touch, done!  No typing!
• As I'm entering my item, I put a string tag on my item and number it.  That's all I have to do.  They'll print the labels at the store to put on my numbered string tag. I can't tell you how frustrating it was to print out my own tags on cardstock, pin the cardstock to my item, and then put packaging tape over the pin.  Tagging just got soooo much easier and faster.
• I automatically get 70% of my sale price, and there are options to earn a higher percentage. 
• The consigning fee is only $7.50.
• The sale is a store front, not a gigantic warehouse.  I know all my hard work in prepping my items will not go unnoticed.  There's no way my items will get overlooked.

I could go on and on about why I'm loving this sale, but I won't.  Next week, I'll share specific info about the sale and a few weeks from now I get to do a giveaway.  I don't want to give too many clues, so I'll just give you a two word hint.  Are you ready?  Gift. Certificate.  Hope you can figure that one out!

Now, my amigos, if you decide to consign with Rhea Lana of South Tulsa for the first time, would you tell them I sent you.  If I get 5, only FIVE, people to mention me (and they bring at least 15 items to the sale) then I get 80% of my sale price.  Hello, my name is Amanda Torres and I'm begging you to mention me.  Come on peeps!  I've got a ton of baby girl and maternity stuff I'm unleashing and I'd like to make as much as I can.

Signed,

I Have No Shame

 

Menu Monday

Yesterday I sat down with my morning coffee to check the coupons and sale ads.  I love Sundays, but yesterday I saw some very disturbing information in the paper.  Back to School ads...in early July.  JULY, people, JULY!

Now when I was a new school teacher, the back to school ads brought a tinge of excitement.  The fresh school supplies, meeting my new students, planning for a year of fun.  I loved it all.  Then I had Little Man, and a few years later Little Miss.  The back to school ads brought me to tears. It was a reminder that I would have to leave my baby, and later babies. 

The first few years of being a SAHM, the back to school ads were welcomed.  It was refreshing to see them knowing they no longer applied to me, but that has changed again.  Little Man will go back to school in the Fall and this time he will be attending all day long.  Did you catch that?  All. Day. Long.  

I'm sure some of you are wondering, "How does this apply to me and Menu Monday?" Well, technically, it doesn't.  I just needed to share that I had a mini heart attack yesterday.  Life can go on now.  Especially since I counted out 46 days that I still have with Little Man before I turn him away from me for seven hours a day.  Yikes.  Heart attack #2 just occurred.  Better get to the menu.

Monday-Turkey Veggie Spaghetti, Salad, Garlic Bread

Tuesday-Tater Beef Bake and Crescents

Wednesday-Monterey Chicken, Broccoli Casserole, Buttered Bread

Thursday-Chicken Tacos, Mexican Rice, Refried Beans

Friday-Sweet and Sour Chicken, Zucchini/Carrot Saute, Brown Rice

Saturday-Out to Dinner for Papi's Birthday

Sunday-BBQ Meatballs, Mashed Potatoes, Corn

Chubby Cheekers

It's been awhile peeps and I thought I'd check in.  Life as a baby keeps me busy.  This growing and learning stuff keeps me pretty busy.  


Speaking of learning, I've accomplish by best feat yet.  Rolling over both ways.  I'm totally good at it. Here's how it works...I see a toy.  I lean my head over, push with my toes, lift my big 'ol booty, and flop over.  Then I keep on leaning and flop over again.  I'm really proficient at it.  There's no toy safe from me now, and Mommy says my brother and sister are going to have to pick their toys up better.  By the looks on their faces, I don't think they were very happy.


I've also learned to blow raspberries.  Yesterday I spent my leisure time rolling to my tummy, then to my back, and then I'd blow a raspberry to celebrate the accomplishment.  Repeat this about 10 or 15 times and you'll find yourself really tired.  I took a pretty good snooze after that one, but not before I got my milkie snack.

Since I'm a mature (almost) 5 month old, I've decided to quit the car crying.  That's SOOOO baby-ish.  Don't get me wrong, I do it every once in awhile just to remind Mommy and Daddy how good I've been by not crying.  Those people are so funny when they get frustrated...especially Daddy.  I think he develops twitches when I start crying.  

Given that I've stopped the car crying, I really needed to pick up another 'not so fun' habit.  I wouldn't want the other babies to get jealous of my awesome baby skills, so I decided that waking up consistently at 2am would do the trick.  You know, I've been sleeping through the night consistently from 8:30pm-7:30am, but I missed Mommy.  If I started crying at 2am, she'd come in and give me the milk twins. I love those guys.  So I decided 2am it is.  Except I kind of messed up a few nights ago.  I was so tired from all the fireworks I missed waking up and slept straight through the night.  I guess I can cut Mommy a break every once in a blue moon.

Besides all of my latest developments, my cousins started coming back over.  I really missed Chunky Monkey and there's a new cousin too.  He's about my size and feels really fluffy on top of his head.  I think he's going to be my best friend.

It's about time for me to bring this to a close.  I think Mommy is on to me.  She found some drool on her keypad.  I tried to tell her it was from Daddy, but she isn't buying it.

Love,

Chubby Cheekers

The Work Behind the Money

Before I even start this post I have to share I successfully completed my first day having five children under the age of five under one roof.  Little Man was gone for part of the day, but the babies did great.  I'm so thankful to have the opportunity to know my nephews closely.  They are such precious gifts.

Little Man acquired his first card a couple of weeks ago.  A library card. Since my mom likes to spoil the kids, she took him THAT day to get a wallet to hold his card.  He was so proud to slide that card into his Lightning McQueen wallet.  My mom also handed him a dollar and some change to add to it.  Then he turned to me and said, "Mom can I have some money?"

Our kids don't go without around here.  We are able to provide for all of their needs and a lot of their wants, but we don't go around handing out money for no reason.  It was time for a little lesson on earning.  As I was talking with him about doing chores to earn money.  He was quick to respond that he could get paid to pick up his toys.

Uh...

He was missing the point.  We expect him to pick up after himself.  After a bit of explanation on his responsibilities vs. working towards earning cash, we decided that if he made his bed for a week without prompting he would earn a dollar.  Now, Little Man's bed is not easy to make.  It's a chore for me to make it.  For him to do it, it would be real work.   As far as him earning a dollar, the task wasn't about the amount of money he would be earning, it was just about earning.  He has no need to have excessive cash.  The boy is only five and has a nice stash already in his Mason Jar (it never dawned on him to take cash out of that jar to add to his wallet).


Long story short, he made his bed for a straight week and earned his dollar.  I was really proud to hand him what he earned.  He did the work and stuck with the tasks, and then his little sister started whining that she wanted a dollar too.  She wanted money for doing nothing at all.  I started to talk with her about why she wasn't going to get any money and Little Man pulls the dollar out of his wallet and gives it to her.


My heart melted.  What a selfless act.  He has a heart like nothing I could have put in him.  He has something   that only God could have put in his little spirit.  It amazes me.


Unfortunately for his sister, I made her give it back.  He earned his money, and he was going to keep it.  We encourage giving around here, but this was a time for him to enjoy the fruits of his labor.  Little Miss is going to have to learn that lesson too!

Menu Monday

Dinner @  blah, blah, blah... is what we're gonna call this week.  You'll see why...


Monday-Dinner @ Mom's
Tuesday-Dinner on a Stick...MUST MAKE...DeLiCiOuS!!!
Wednesday-Cookout
Thursday-Monterey Chicken, Broccoli Casserole, Crescents
Friday-Lemon Garlic Chicken Quarters, Green Beans, Buttered Bread
Saturday-Dinner @ Church
Sunday-Dinner @ my MIL's