A Day At The Welfair

I grew up on a road with a Goodwill at the end of it. Every year a carnival would come and set up in the Goodwill parking lot. It was the coolest thing to live down the road from the carnival! I remember all the kids called it the "welfair" . . . cruel I know, but hey we were just kids.

Fast forward years, and years . . . the Goodwill is long gone, but the welfair is still going strong!

Here's our trip to the welfair in pictures . . . . . . . .

First we have to get to Grandma's house!

Finally at the fair; Bella has to ride the "oooh oooh ain"

Next, it's on to pick a duck!

Kadin takes his shot at some balloons . . . run for cover!

Nothing completes the fair like a ride on the motorcycles.

$50 later and the kids get to play with their goodies.

Carnivals are great!

The Job Of My Dreams

My time is running short at JP and as I try to get all my ducks in a row . . . to pass the torch to my predecessor, I have to admit that it is getting harder and harder to contain my excitement!!! I feel guilty feeling this stress-free because I know I will be leaving a great bunch of people to continue to deal with all the crap I've dealt with over the last several months.

I truly am leaving with mixed emotions. Although I can honestly say I will not miss JP - the workplace (as hostile as it is!), I will truly miss my work family. Each person holds a special place in my heart and I will miss them all for different reasons.

So . . . don't ask my why, but I started thinking about weird jobs that I think it would be cool to have. Perhaps if I didn't have a family and didn't care about where I lived or how much I made, I think the following jobs would be cool to have:

• The person who paints the lines and team logos on football fields
• The person who rakes the dirt in the infield of a baseball diamond in between innings
• The flagperson at a NASCAR race - or the person that controlled the caution lights and when pit road was open or closed
• The person in charge of the scoreboard at a basketball game - what would be especially cool are those scoreboards that you have to actually physically place the numbers on them
• To own a bakery and specialize in cakes - I want to be the next Ace of Cakes!
• I would like to run in the sausage race at Miller Park - I would pick the Italian Sausage (that is if I had a choice)
• To play in a professional big band with woodwinds and an orchestra - a marching band would be cool too
• The people that throw the free stuff into audiences - free shirts, free cups, free frisbees - I just want a chance to work the giant sling shot thingie!
• To sing professionally - either solo or in a band
• A professional landscaper

I know, I know . . . but you already knew I was weird right?

Ahoy Matey!

Kadin was invited to a birthday party over the weekend. It was a themed party and each party-goer had to dress up as their favorite fairy-tale character. To be honest, I'm not really sure what Kadin's favorite fairy-tale character would be. I was afraid to just let Kadin pick one, so I felt like we had to narrow down his options befre I could let him choose. So, Brian and I were trying to think of possible characters he could be from stuff we already had at home.

I decided on Captain Hook. (Brian wanted one of the Seven Dwarfs - he thought that would be easier) Needless to say he was out-voted and Captain Hook it was.

Not to toot my husband's horn, but this costume ROCKED!!!!! Brian came up with ingenious ways of taking a bunch of clothes and stuff we already had to make it into the best pirate costume I've seen. The only thing I spent money on was a $1.99 sword from Target. Just to prove to you how close to Captain Hook he really looked . . . check this out!

Here's "Kadin Hook" . . .

The "Real" Captain Hook . . .

It's too bad that in this picture you can't see the long black hair that Brian attached to the pirate's hat . . . it really made the costume complete.

ARRGGHHH!!!

Cook Wins!

I have a thing for reality shows. It all started with The Real World on MTV and now I can honestly say that most reality shows I watch I could get hooked on. Now, I'm not a TV junkie by any means, but I've already confessed to having a secret crush on Gordon Ramsey, (because of the reality show Hell's Kitchen) and I also had a mini-crush on JD Fortune who won the lead singer spot for INXS. (from another reality show - -Rock Star: INXS).

So, it's not a surprise that I watch American Idol. How many of you watched the season finale? I don't usually watch the result shows, but I do religously watch the singing parts and Brian and I even force the kids to watch. Well, I shouldn't say "force" - let's just say that Kadin knows on Tuesday nights that mommy & daddy watch "the singers" as we call it. In the beginning we tried to make it cool and exciting like . . . ."Kadin, the singers are on!!!" He soon realized that it wasn't a cartoon, and he really wasn't that interested in a bunch of people singing.

I digress . . . so I watched the finale. I was totally disgusted with the way Simon basically gave the contest to David Archuletta. It's one thing for judges to critique performances, it's a whole other thing to completely take sides. Plus, I'm a huge David Cook fan . . . as the season went on I started disliking David Archuletta more and more.

Because I was so angry with the first show, I refused to watch the results show because I was convinced that David Archuletta won. On my way to work this morning I turned on the radio and I caught the tale end of the DJ's discussing last night's results show. I'm telling you I almost went off the road when I heard them say that David Cook won!!!!!

This is why I love reality TV! I know I'm a complete dork, but I already know I'm buying his CD and I'm pretty sure he's my new reality TV crush.

I think I need to get out more . . .

Big Boy Bed

Almost a month ago now we ordered a new bed for Kadin. He was still sleeping in his crib which converted to a toddler bed. We started to notice that his feet almost touched the other end of the bed so we thought it was probably time for that conversion to a twin.


Well we ordered his bed and of course the style we picked was on back order. It finally arrived today and Kadin was so excited!!! I had the day off and when we returned from running some errands, there was his bed on the front porch.

He begged me to drag the boxes in the house and set it up . . . not being one to disappoint, I did.

I had everything unpacked and had gotten all the pieces in his room to begin the assembly. Of course Kadin wanted to help so I told him to start filling garbage bags with all the packaging stuff. He quickly grabbed a bag and started stuffing . . . showing me all the pieces he had successfully shoved into the bags.

So I'm in Kadin's room trying to put this bed together and I can hear Bella & Kadin just laughing it up in the kitchen. Of course I was pretty sure this meant that the picking up had stopped and they had moved on to something much more fun. Well, when I finally got back in the kitchen they didn't disappoint me . . . . they had taken the styrofoam and broken it down into tiny little pieces that were scattered from the living room throughout the kitchen . . . in their hair and all over their clothes.

It was quite the sight. I had to laugh and I could've easily gotten mad, but I just put them to work instead. I got out both our vacuums and let them suck away!

Needless to say I finally got the bed together (with some help from my loving husband - not that I couldn't have done it myself!) and I think it's awesome! The bed is perfect, fully decked out with Transformer sheets - which Kadin picked much to my dismay. I think Kadin said it best:

"I love my bed up to the moon and back."

Why, You Ask . . .

would I allow my children to do this . . . .

Because Mommy just found out she got a NEW JOB!!!!!!!!!!!!!

All the small stuff that seemed to matter before was washed away into this sea of bliss. For the first time in several months I felt like I could breathe. It was awesome!! So yes, I let the kids run wild with the paper shredder and we had a boat load of fun throwing that paper ALL over the room.

Want to know the best part . . . Daddy picked it all up the next day!

What's In A Name?

There are 3,041 people in the United States with the first name of Nerissa.

My first name is statistically the 3,176th most popular first name in the United States - meaning it isn't popular at all!

Every person with my first name is female.

This is the cool part - There are only 3 people in the United States with the my first and last name.

HowManyOfMe.com

There are 3 people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

How many of you are there?

Kids Say The Darndest Things

I've learned that most of the time kids say things and they are just darn funny. Well, this weekend I learned that sometimes kids can say things that are just darn embarrassing.

Kadin had asked to watch a cartoon on Saturday morning, so I turned on the TV and told him what his options were - he picked Little Bill. For those of you that are not familiar with little kid TV, Little Bill is a cartoon about an African-American family created by Bill Cosby. It follows Bill around as he learns valuable life lessons etc.

So, we are intently watching Little Bill when Kadin goes - "I don't like dark-faced people."

"What?" I ask . . . thinking I must've heard him wrong.

"I don't like dark-faced people" he says again. Ok, so now my brain is in hyper-drive and I'm thinking - where has he heard that before, why is he saying that, what should I say, do I make a big deal out of it, do I shrug it off????

So I asked him why he felt that way. He said "I don't know, I just do." I go into Mommy-mode and give him the speech of all speeches about how some people may have darker skin than others but we are all the same on the inside, etc, etc. I'm thinking, cool . . . I've nipped this whole thing in the bud - score one for Mommy.

Yesterday we are at the mall - in Sears to be exact - and I see Brian up ahead of Bella and I. He is kneeling down beside Kadin and very intently speaking directly to him. Well, you all know what that means . . . trouble. I finally steer Bella over to them and Kadin's face is pouty and sad. I ask Brian - "what happened?"

Yup . . . apparently an African-American boy walked past and Kadin loudly said "I don't like black people." It was a proud parenting moment that I'm thankful I missed.

Hopefully Daddy's version of "all people are created equal" works better than mine.

Yikes!!

For My Mom . . .

Now that I am a parent, I realize all the sacrifices and hard work that is involved with raising a child. I know that it's an old cliche . . . you finally can appreciate your parents when you get older. I wanted to share just a few memories captured on film with my mom . . .

My mom and I goofing around before my highschool graduation - 1996

My mom and future mother-in-law at my wedding shower - 2000

My mom and I on my wedding day - 2000

My mom and Kadin - 2006

Watching my mom interact with my kids is amazing. I am so proud of the grandmother she has become. It shows me what kind of mother she must have been to me when I was small - patient, kind, playful, generous and loving. My kids light up at the chance to see her and I see her light up as well at the chance to see them. Watching my mom be a grandmother is truly one of the best gifts motherhood has given me.

Not only is my mom there for my children, but she's there for her child as well! She's the first one I call when something happens in my life, she's the first one I ask when I have no idea what to do about the kids and she is the first one I want to see on holidays and special occassions. She has become so much more than just my mother, she's my friend.

Mom, I just wanted to tell you how much you mean to me and my family. You are our rock, our humor and our guide on this journey through life. Thank you for all of your hard work and sacrifices . . . you have taught me so much.

Happy Mother's Day!

The Secret is Out

So, most of you that know me pretty well know that I don't wear makeup. I've never really been the type to doll myself up before I go out - not that I really "go out" these days anyway! So, it doesn't surprise me that my almost 2-year old daughter knows more about skin care than I do.

Call me crazy, but I think she's on to something . . . .

If you're wondering what she's lathering all over her arm . . . . yup you guessed it . . . cheese sauce. Hmmm . . . you heard it here first ladies! Go out and load up on containers of Little Cesear's cheese dipping sauce and slather yourself in it. It's liquid GOLD!

Apparently that is the key to baby soft skin. And, who can resist the aroma of cheese after you're done.

Zumba!

This lady I work with is a health nut and she works out all the time. Well, she told everyone about this class at the fitness center called Zumba. She described it as this latin, funky dance class where the salsa meets belly dancing. Ok, I have to admit I was slightly freaked out, but I thought - what the heck, I'll give it a try!

I attended my first Zumba class yesterday and it was so much fun! In case you're curious, check this out:




It was one hour of intense rump shaking and I have to tell you that I hurt in places I didn't even know was possible!!

If your local gym offers a Zumba class I would definately try it . . . you may look like a complete idiot, but hey so does everyone else!

Kids = Structure

Bella has gone through some phases lately. This weekend in particular she has become very clingy, which is not like her personality. I can't tell you how many times I heard the word "Mommy!" and there she was with her arms open wide - just begging to be held.

It got me thinking about all the phases my kids have gone through - or I should say all the rituals they make/made us do.

1. Bella's bedtime ritual begins with her stories (usually three) and ends with me singing to her. The songs are: Silent Night and Rock-a-bye Bella. (yes in that order) Then she folds her hands and that lets me know she is ready for her bedtime prayer. Once all snuggled in her crib I turn out the light and leave the room knowing she is going to throw her nukie over the side - begin to cry - and I will come back in to retrieve it. She does this only once and she is off to sleep.

2. Kadin's bedtime ritual also begins with his stories (usually three, but lately he's gone on marathons!) and ends with him playing a game of hide-and-seek. If I do the reading, then Daddy has to come in and do the seeking . . . watch out if you find him too fast!!! Every night we pretend we don't know where he is and every night he is tickled to death when we finally find him.

3. There was a time whenever we went in a store with automatic doors, Kadin had to be the first one to the door so he could make it open. This would occur on both entry and exit. Have you ever experienced a toddler trying to be the first one to a door in a busy store??? Umm yeah, sometimes Brian would be out to the car and Kadin and I were still stuck at that darn door.

4. Before Kadin would go to bed, he used to make us give him ideas for dreams. One night we made the mistake of telling him to have "sweet dreams." From that point on he wanted us to make up dreams for him. No big deal right . . . except they had to be just the right dream or he wouldn't accept it. Our deal was we'd give him two "accepted" dream ideas - well sometimes this required us to think up four or five dreams. I'm soooo glad he doesn't do that anymore!

5. When Kadin was really small he went through this phase were he wouldn't let Brian put him to bed. Brian would go in his room, bottle in hand, and Kadin would just scream and cry. I would go in there, take him in my arms and the crying would immediately stop. I had to rock that boy to sleep for about a month. I was worn out and Brian was jealous.

6. Kadin loved his videos when he was Bella's age. (Bella - not so much) We were big on Baby Einstein in those days and that kid would watch those videos over and over. Everytime he'd watch them he would make the same comments in the exact same spots - for instance when we'd watch Baby Galileo, I knew that when the kangaroo floated up in the sky he would wail and laugh. No kidding - every single time! Nowadays he just stares intently at his movie . . . sometimes I miss those wails and laughs.

It amazes me how much kids depend on structure in there lives and how the comfort of rituals makes them feel safe and loved . . . no matter how much those rituals may drive us nuts!

When Bad Gets Worse

Two weeks ago the principals (I guess that's a fancy word they use for managers) were called into an emergency meeting to discuss the state of the company. We were told that we had to gather our "people" and let them know that there will be 5 people laid off in the next two days. As I'm sure you can guess - that was great fun.

The next day - another emergency meeting . . . . this time to inform us who those people were and that they were going to be told now. To be completely honest, I knew it wouldn't be any of my "people" and I knew it wouldn't be myself, so I wasn't too concerned. I watched as several of those people made the long walk down the hallway already knowing what the outcome was going to be. I have to tell you . . . it was horrible - more horrible than I ever imagined it would be. I saw one person make the walk - I knew he had just bought a new house . . . I thought about how he'd have to go home to his wife and tell her that he no longer had a job. I cannot express how bad I felt for him and for all those people.

Fast forward to this week. Now it's a company-wide meeting . . . and I can see from the scratchings on the white board at the front of the room that this was not going to be good. MANDATORY LAYOFF - oh great. Each of us has to take one week off in May - unpaid. The good news - we get to pick from three weeks being offerred. Whooopeee!

During the meeting my boss tried to lighten the mood a little . . .

"Well, think of this as one extra week of vacation . . . . . without the pay." Ha, ha, ha . . . except no one was laughing. I was livid.

That was three days ago and I'm still mad. All along my thought process about this whole situation was just to try and stick it out as long as possible. I didn't want to have to get a new job - job hunting is no fun. After this - I think I'm throwing in the towel . . . want ads here I come.