Who is responsible for our kids?

So. I was sitting here earlier tonight doing a little laundry killing time until I had to go pick up my teenage daughter from the movies. On the TV, the local nightly news. A news story caught my attention and frankly made me shake my head in shame:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2011/05/facebook-zuckerberg-privacy-teens-underage-users-consumers-union.html

Let me get this straight...Consumers Union is pissed off at Facebook because Mark Zuckerberg isn't doing more to police underage Facebook use. Hmmm. Let's ponder this. Last time I checked, shouldn't it be the responsibility of PARENTS to police this? I mean, I'm a young mother. I just turned 34 in April. My oldest daughter turned 15 in April. She has a Facebook. She wasn't allowed to have her own Facebook until she started high school in the fall. So, that meant she was 14. A year older than what is "required" to have a Facebook account...and that is WITH parental permission. At least that is what Facebook's account registration page asks.

I know of kids younger than 13 who have a Facebook page. Do I agree with it. Absolutely not. Is it my problem? Nope. Is it Mark Zuckerberg's problem...I don't think it is. This is a PARENT problem. This is a parent's not taking control problem. This is parents trying to be the good guy and thinking it's not a big deal that their 10 year old has a Facebook account. This is a HUGE indication of how parents are quick to point the finger to anyone but themselves and/or their child.

This topic literally flys all over my a$$. I mean, I consider myself a pretty strict parent. By NO means am I "perfect" or anywhere close. But I REFUSE to take my thumb too far off my kids when it comes to Internet use. I have all log in and password information. More than a few times a week I will log in to my daughter's Facebook account and "creep" on her page and the pages of her friends. She knows this. It's not a secret. I'm not sneaky about it. I tell her. I WANT her to know. I'm always watching...vigilant. The same goes for her cell phone. Spot checks...I'll just grab her phone at random and read some texts. Me doing this stuff was part of the conditions to her getting access to it. Not because I'm mean or not cool. And not because I'm not respectful of her privacy. Privacy? Heh...I digress.

I can't help but hear stories like this one and get angry with the way kids are being parented today...or lack there of. And people wonder why today's youth are so disrespectful and seem so entitled. It's because they weren't raised like we were...not even CLOSE. Granted, times are different now. There are so many more influences we as parents have to worry about. All the more reason to be more involved! We won't even get started on the "everyone plays & everyone wins" mentality that's being shoved down our throats in every aspect of our kids lives where there should be competition. I'll save that rant for another day!

I'd love to hear what you guys think about this...all 3 of my followers LOL Or ask your friends about this article...on your Facebook page *grin*

OK...I'm ready now

So. Spring has sprung. The birds are out in full force, chirping their spring songs. The weather is bi-polar and my children are counting the hours until the last day of school. The women of the world are doing the spring cleaning routine...time to wash the walls, windows and clean the nooks and crannies that are forgotten the rest of the year.

I mentioned in my previous post that we built a deck last spring. I use the term "we" as in we PAID for the deck to be built by a wonderful man and his crew of 1. He did a spectacular job with it and we thoroughly enjoyed the summer out there last year. Obviously we are eager to begin enjoying it again this year....but we can't yet.

A month or so ago when I was getting all antsy to start my "spring cleaning" because everyone else I knew was talking about doing THEIR spring cleaning, I asked my sister in law to bring her power washer up to help me clean my deck. After going over both our schedules and working around volleyball clinics, t-ball games and her work schedule - we nailed down a date. I really wanted it done before we had the boys' birthday party May 15th. We were going to do the cleaning the end of April. Perfect.

So, maybe two weeks prior to this perfect date we had set I gave Bob a haircut. Went outside and shook the excess hair off the side of the deck. I opened the door and there was a bird that flew quickly off my patio furniture. I said aloud to NO ONE, "What the hell is with the birds? Is there a freakin' nest or what?"...I walked over to where my patio furniture was neatly stacked for the winter and sure as shit there on the underside of a chair was a Robin's nest. Not only was it a nest, but it contained 4 perfect sweet blue eggs. AWWWWWW! I was SO excited! A bird's nest! On my deck! Low enough for us to see! The kids are going to flip!

Sure enough, when the kids got home from school they were in awe. Everyone took turns looking and of course I got pictures. See:

April 27, 2011

I of course did some research on the internet. Read that it takes about 2 weeks for eggs to hatch once they are all laid. Then after they hatch it's about another 2 weeks til they leave the nest. Oh. Um. Ok. But this is such an amazing opportunity for my children to see a wonder of nature! What's a month of not using my beautiful new deck? I mean, the loads of bird shit all over the siding, floor, railing and furniture I'm going to have to scrub are nothing compared to the circle of life happening right in front of us, right? Right?! *sigh*

About a week later, we have these:

May 6, 2011

Adorable? Right?! I wanted to snatch them out of the nest and hold 'em in my hand! Awwe!

The next week:

May 12, 2011

And as of yesterday they look like this:May 16, 2011

Can you believe how FAST they have grown?! I plan on taking pictures every other day now until the leave. Which is hopefully SOON! As much as I have loved the experience, I am SO ready to power wash all the bird shit off my beautiful deck and furniture! Now is the time little birdies...fly away....be FREE!

And the moral of this ladies and gents? Next year, the deck furniture is going in the basement.

Like a Phoenix rising from the ashes....

Wow...last blog post February 2009? Really? I can NOT believe it's been 2 years since I've blogged. I mean, I can kind of believe it. My life has had literally thousands of blog-worthy moments the past 2 years...but somehow I haven't had the time to sit down and document them.

Noteworthy moments:

April 2009 - I turned 32...now I'm 34 LOL

May 2009 - Rocco turned 1...Saturday he turned 3!

July 2009 - We went to Florida...again...saw the mouse...again...swore I wouldn't go back to Florida in the summer again.

September 2009 - My mom was diagnosed with Stage 4 Liver Cancer.

October 2009 - My mom passed away on the 17th. My world crumbled.

November 2009 - Went to Florida again. It was cold. But I needed the mouse after the October I had.

May 2010 - Put a deck on the house. It is awesome and we LOVE it.

July 2010 - Florida again...why do I do this to myself. Many years shall pass before we do this again. Although we had a blast and I got to meet up with a super cool friend and her family while we were there - love ya Mary Ann!

August 2010 - Roman started Kindergarten *tear*....Kailey started high school *sob*

September 2010 - My grandma passed away (my mom's mom). I'm now the only living female in my family. Wow.

I guess that kind of catches you up. I should also mention I started coaching volleyball at Kailey's school with a dear friend of mine. I am her assistant...love being the assistant LOL It keeps me super busy from August to October and March to May. We coach 7th - 12th grade. It's really awesome and I love doing it.

Kailey's Jr. High volleyball team finished 4th in the conference (11 teams) this year. This is a vast improvement on the last place finish the team has had for many years now. We are working really hard at turning the program around, and it's starting to show. Very exciting stuff!

Roman played flag football in late summer fall last year and plans on doing it again this year. He really loved it & asks when he gets to wear pads...umm...not for a few more years! He is currently playing t-ball. I have one word for t-ball excruciating...yeah...that'd be the word. I guess if you don't have a competative bone in your boday it would be right up your alley. Unfortunately my family has about 1000 competative bones collectively. So it's painful to sit through. After EVERY game Roman asks if he won. Yeah buddy...sure...you won *eyeroll* LOL But he is having fun...and that's all that matters!

Rocco is just Rocco. He is a super lovey sweet little boy who wants to do/say EVERYTHING his big brother does/says. It's almost like having a Roman clone in the house & almost to the point of making me want to pull my hair out LOL He has strange habits of smelling me all the time and wanting to invade my personal space anytime I decide to sit still. His favorite perch is on the recliner arm while I use my laptop...as that is pretty much the only time I sit anymore. I love him to bits though and can't get enough of his strong hugs and sweet kisses. It kills me that he is 3 now...*sigh*

I guess on that note, I will leave you with a few snaps of the growning weeds I affectionatly call my children...enjoy & I SWEAR I will post again soon!

Mmmmmacaroni & a new lens.....

So I treated myself last week and ordered a new lens for my camera. I am by NO means a photographer......I would love to someday have the mental capacity needed to take up the hobby. If there is a label for what I am, it has to be a proud member of the Mamarazzi!

I am lucky enough, however, to have a few photographer friends who have been MORE than gracious in helping me get the best photos I can with my equipment. I can only aspire to have an ounce of their talent one day (Tamra & Lorrin).....

Well of course I have to test out my fun new toy and that my friends means photos of my kids for your viewing pleasure!!

Here is Roman getting rather annoyed with all my picture taking while he was trying to play:

And last but certainly not least, is Rocco enjoying some good 'ol macaroni & cheese today:

The last picture is my absolute FAVORITE!! I can't believe my sweet Rocco is 9 months old already (as of yesterday).....time really does fly!!

I'm a victim.....

OK.....so maybe I'm being a little bit dramatic with the title. But I have to say I really felt bullied at the grocery store yesterday.

I have made the New Year's resolution to REALLY limit, if not cut out, my plastic bag use. I purchased some really groovy canvas bags at my local grocery store. Much to my surprise I really LOVE these bags. I think I have like 5 of them. They hold alot and have long handles so I can hoist them onto my shoulders like you would a purse. Really cool & super handy.
It's also really nice to not having to tote in 3,000 plastic bags with only like 3 things in each one. I know the stores here are not the only ones guilty of doing this. It really gets on my nerves!

So anywho, yesterday I went to the grocery story to get what I needed to make supper. Only a handful of things and also a few staple items like milk and eggs. I took with me 3 canvas bags thinking that should be plenty.

I get everything I needed.....and a few things I didn't (hehe) like a small cake and some cookies from the bakery, etc.

I'm in the check out lane and I take my bags out first and place them on the belt. Then I start placing my items on the belt in my usual anal way (heavy things first and light and/or smooshable things last). I try to make it as easy as I can for the cashier since 9 times out of 10 she is the one bagging the groceries as well. But today she had help. So the other lady starts bagging my purchases. I'm watching her and in my usual anal way I am thinking I could SO pack those bags better, so they would hold more things. This is probably why I use the self check out regularly at Walmart......annnnywho......she has my cake and cookies to the side along with a nice fresh french baguette I got for our meal. The woman uses 2 of the bags and is opening the 3rd one. She fumbles with it in attempting to put the cake on the bottom......she takes it out and puts in some other things......attempts to put it back in and then turns to me to say, "Do you want me to just put this cake in a plastic bag so it doesn't get smooshed?"....I tell her no that's OK. So she goes back to fumbling and putting things in and out of the bags. Geez lady, it's not rocket science! She turns to me again, "I can just put the cake in this bag," gesturing to the plastic bags AGAIN. "No ma'am that's OK, I don't want to use a plastic bag." She is back to fumbling. At this point I want to shove my basket out of my way and just pack up my own damn groceries.......she once again looks at me and says, "Well I can't put this cake in without smooshing it, let me put it in a bag for you." I then hold out my hands and tell her that I'll just carry the damn thing. I'm NOT using a blasted plastic bag! I then proceed to set the cake nicely on top of my eggs in one of the bags....there was PLENTY of room and I'm not sure why she thought a small cinnamon coffee cake was going to damage anything underneath it.....good grief!

I never in a million years thought I would have to have this much gumption to stick with a New Year's resolution as simple as this. I mean c'mon?! Who has to argue with a grocery bagger over use of plastic bags. I really felt like I was fighting for my right to refuse using those bags LOL

Now I'm not totally anti-plastic bags ladies and gentlemen. I do use them on occasion and when I have more than I can store I take them to my local grocery store to be recycled. At this point in time I have my quota of plastic bags tucked in my lovely plastic bag holder hanging in my laundry room. But it was getting to the point where I felt like I was being over run with plastic bags. I could have SWORN they were breeding at night in there........And I started feeling guilty that I had so many! Then to top it off I saw that show about the giant garbage island floating in the ocean......good grief. If you missed that post here is the link. Talk about crazy.......

The Environmental Protection Agency calculated more than 4.45 million tons of plastic bags were generated in the U.S. in 2005.

Wow. That's alot of plastic bags! LOL

So I may not be a die hard environmentalist.......I feel like I'm doing a little bit by bringing my own bags to the store. Not only is it better for the environment, maybe I'm saving the store a few bucks by not using their plastic bags? See, now I can say I'm doing my small part to help during this recession too....heh.

First Blog Post of 2009.....

Pretty sad, huh? It's almost January 30th and this is the first blog post for me in 2009. Oy, the humanity!

So needless to say I have totally neglected my blog duties. I have tried to keep up with the several blogs I follow and while reading them I tell myself I should put up a new post. And then something or someone distracts my....oh something shiny!

Things have been pretty steady in this household. Not really busy per say, just a steady stream of things going on.

We got off to a rocky start after Christmas with every adult in this house getting a 24-hour stomach virus. During this 24-hour virus where myself, my husband and my poor visiting mother suffered.....both my boys had fevers (thank goodness THEY didn't get the bug). I was at the pediatricians office the day after Christmas (the day before we were stricken ill) with Rocco. He was full of congestion and had a fever. Poor thing was stuck in the bed with me the next day.....let me tell you it really sucks to nurse when you have a fever and chills *shudder*, but I digress. By Monday, Rocco's fever was spiking to 103 and got up to 104.....and then Roman complained about his ear hurting. So off we went again to the pediatrician. Both boys had double ear infections and poor Rocco's congestion had turned into mild pneumonia. But after 2 weeks of antibiotics for them both, everything is back to normal! Whew! And by some miracle, Kailey came out of the plague unscathed......go figure.

Around mid-December, Kailey started up her basketball season that runs until the end of February. This totally screws up our days and weekends. Not that I don't totally enjoy watching her play and nurturing her athletic abilities......just the scheduling sucks and I feel we plan our life around that schedule. Since the practices started, we have been reduced to eating dinner around the time most 70-80 year olds eat. Dinner at 3:00pm......um OK. See, she gets off the bus here at the house at 3:00. Her practice starts at 4:00.....the gym is about 10 minutes away. Practice is over at 5:30.....putting her (us) home around 6ish. The little boys usually eat lunch around noon.....Kailey eats lunch at like 11:30am. None of these kids can wait until 6:00pm to eat supper. Roman is usually rolling on the floor grasping his belly screaming that he is starving around 2 or 3. He is a bottomless pit, I am sure.

I don't like making supper while she is gone and eating without her. See we are those freak families who actually love eating all together at the dinner table....LOL So hence we have been eating at 3 o'clock in the afternoon. Well......we are attempting to change this now. Why? Seeing as we eat dinner SO early.....we are all getting hungry again around bedtime! We are attempting a "moderate" snack around 3 and then eat supper when Kailey gets home around 6. Good grief......only 3 weeks left! Well ,unless they make the payoffs...........

Roman is still taking swim lessons once a week and really enjoys it. He is improving so much and I really hope that if we keep it up he will be able to swim sans floaties this summer! I am just happy that he will not be as "helpless" as Rocco is going to be this year. All my kids love the water, so just having ONE of them hanging on my neck in the pool is going to be great!

Roman is also doing well as a big brother. At times he wants Rocco to play like a boy of 3 instead of 8.5 months.....so I have to remind him that Rocco isn't ready for pillows and blankets to be stacked upon him at this age, he physically cannot get out. Roman also gets pretty agitated when Rocco decides to "help" him build train track or as Roman puts it "HE'S DESTROYING EVERYSING MOM!"......ahhhh the joys of a younger sibling.

And Rocco, my sweet sweet baby boy tumor. He growing leaps and bounds. I keep telling him that he isn't allowed to get any bigger, to which Roman informs me that "He has to grow big mom so he can play with me." He is totally mobile now and just into everything. Of course his most favorite thing is any kind of string, cord or plug. If I am on my laptop while he is around I find that I must wrestle my power cord from him at least a dozen times. He is now also pulling himself up on any and everything. Amazing how you can "forget" the things they can get into at this age. He's kept me on my toes that's for sure!

Pretty exciting, eh? Well I'm not done! LOL

Another pretty exciting thing that happened was my sweet 12 year old attended her first formal dance *sniff* One of the other parochial schools hosts a winter formal for 6th, 7th & 8th grade students who attend Catholic schools here in town. It's kind of a big deal for these girls seeing as it's a chance to get all pretty in a semi-formal dress, hair done up and even allowed to wear some makeup! She looked beautiful and I had a really REALLY hard time letting her go out the door. She had a blast and is looking forward to the next formal.....oy they grow up too fast!

Well I think that pretty much catches everyone up to speed on what is going on here. I'm sure you don't want to hear about my brother in law moving out of our old house on Friday and shutting off the utilities so all the pipes froze in the house so we will have to replace all the radiators......that's no fun to talk about *wink* So I won't get started on that nugget.........heh

Hope everyone is have a wonderful 2009 thus far. I promise I will try to be a better blogger!!

Those Hard to Buy For People On Your List.....

Everyone knows someone who is IMPOSSIBLE to buy for.....birthdays, Christmas or any other gift giving occasion. Well I hope I can help you out here......OK so maybe not, but I'm sure these are going to make you laugh. They had me in stitches!

Gift #1:
Pregnant Woman Key chain
http://www.stupid.com/fun/AK-PREG.html

Gift #2:
The Toad Purse
http://www.stupid.com/fun/TOAD.html

Gift #3:
Chewed Gum Magnets
http://www.stupid.com/fun/STUP.html

Gift #4:
Freudian Slippers
http://www.stupid.com/fun/FSLP.html

And last but not least, for the baker on your list:
Gift #5:
The Fetus Cookie Cutter
http://www.stupid.com/fun/FETS.html

Hope I didn't offend anyone LOL.....