Mama's Gotta Vlog!

It's time for Mama Kat's Pretty Much World Famous Writer's Workshop but instead of a blog post I'm trying the vlog challenge this week and answering the question.. "What was the inspiration for your blog name?

A Tisket.. A Tasket... Candy in the Basket!!

What kind of Mother would steal candy from such a sweet little girl?  We are only one day out from Easter and I'm already pillaging the kids' baskets.  I can't stand these holidays that feature candy and lots of it.  Halloween and Easter are bad, bad, bad for me.  You'd think I'd get a clue and buy candy that I can't stand.. but ohhhhh no...Lindt chocolate bunnies and lambs, Cadbury eggs, M&Ms, Jolly Rancher jelly beans.  I can't even admit how many bags of Cadbury eggs I powered through weeks before Easter even arrived. Let's just say that I was so happy when the store sold out (well, I was sad and happy at the same time.  It was a bittersweet moment!).  It's pretty bad when the kids are yelling "MOM.. did you eat the ears off my chocolate bunny?".  I can only blame the dog so many times (once she really did eat the entire basket of candy that my daughter left on the floor. No really, she did! It was NOT me!).  Oh well, what can I do.  I'm a candy junkie.  I need my fix.  I need help.  Is there a 12 step program for this?  I've been through denial, blame, anger (when the candy is gone!) and acceptance (I accept that chocolate tastes good... too darn good!).  So to my darlings, I am so sorry for plundering your candy that you leave all over the house (in every room!) but think of all the cavities I'm saving you from.  And you can thank me for the sweet teeth I gave you!

If My Mama Were A Blogger....

Time for Mama Kat's Pretty Much World Famous Writer's Workshop!  I'm not sure how the week went by so fast but it did and here we are again.  And so for this weeks prompt.. I'm going with "If your Mom were a blogger......?"

If my Mama were a blogger..
It would be a shocker.
She wouldn't follow me,
Cuz she's eighty three!
A t.v. remote's a mystery.
A microwave is "NOT for me!"
A mouse is a critter in the house.
Postings, comments, settings, design?
Too confusing!  Just get her some wine!
And what the hell...
 HTML?
And a gadget, she'd be bitchin'
is something that belongs in a kitchen!
This "new fangled" computer world sets her
a twitter (not the kind your thinking of!)
You DIGG in your garden..
and talk about BING (CROSBY!)
If my Mama were a bloggger?
T'aint no such THING!

TAXES!!! What TAXES??!!!!

It's time for Monday Mingle brought to you by the fabulous Eighty MPH Mom.  Come on over and mingle with us.  It's fun!

 I only vlogged an answer to one question .. Did you finish your taxes?  I just had to find some humor in the whole ordeal so this is my take on it.  And for the record..  my real answer is no.  We had to file for an extension because we have some paper work that needs to be sent so we couldn't electronically file this year.

I have yet to see Extreme Couponing but there seems to be a lot of buzz regarding it so I will have to check it out soon!

Sales tax for us is 6 percent and none in Delaware if we are willing to make the drive several hours.  We love to shop when we go to the beaches there:)

When My Kids Grow Up They Will Be?

Hello all!  Time for another of Mama Kat's pretty much world famous Writer's Workshop.  I'm a wee bit late today because it's nice out gosh darn and I've been outside working in the yard for a change.  Lots of great prompts this week so it was hard to pick one.  I decided to go with question number 2.)Based on their personalities, what do you think your children will be when they grow up?

My son,  Andrew, who is almost eleven is a natural at , well at all things natural and related to nature.  He has always been obsessed with Steve Irwin, Jeff Corbin and now Dr. Brady Barr of Nat Geo Wild's Dangerous Encounters.  Andrew is always the one to spot an animal/critter/reptile/bird of prey/insect and points it out to us (sometime even going 65mph on the highway).  Once he found a tiny toad, in the pitch dark, in a pile of leaves while camping.  I asked him how he found the toad and he replied "I just heard it rustling in the leaves!".  The best was the time he came running in the kitchen yelling he saw a snake.  I yelled where and he said my bedroom.  Turns out he was in his bedroom and saw a 5ft rat snake in the azalea bushes just outside his window. OMG, I nearly freaked out.  We watched that snake for nearly 2 hrs.  Andrew touched it's tail.  I just wanted to make sure it left my yard.  Instead it climbed way up one of our huge trees.  No idea where that snake is but it better not be in my house!  Next week Andrew is attending a mock Marine Rescue  at our local community center run by Mei Len Sanchez Barr (Dr. Brady Barr's wife).  They live in our town and she is just as amazing and accomplished as her husband.  Well she is bringing her baby alligator and among other things like tagging and measuring and assessing the animal the kids are going to sex the animal (determine it's sex).  Andrew has already informed me that he wants to do this knowing that it involves sticking your finger in the alligators hole to find out. WOW and I don't doubt that he will volunteer for this task.   So... keep your eyes out in the future for our next alligator/snake wrestling/dolphin swimming/shark tagging t.v. host.. Andrew P.  Can you spot the snake?

My daughter, Claire, age 8, wants to be a photographer when she grows up.  She really has a great eye for details and has taken some beautiful photos.  However, she will have to learn not to drop the camera and break the lens(but I'm not blaming her because a few months later I dropped the new camera and broke the lens!).  Truth be told though I do believe that Claire will end up in a profession or calling that helps other people (teaching, counseling, helping the poor, giving to the community).  Claire is full of empathy for others and is extremely sensitive and intuitive.  She can sense our moods and is so affected by them.  If her brother is upset and cries she is right there with him crying.  His hurt is her hurt, a friend's sadness is her sadness.  She is this way with both people and animals.  You can complain about having family over for a holiday meal and all the cooking you have to do and cleaning, blah, blah, blah... and she will chime in with "We should just be thankful that we have food and a house!"  Or, "I really don't care if Santa brings me stuff, because Christmas is really about giving, family and love".  And my favorite is when she caresses my face and  holds me tight saying "Mom, I want to hold on to you forever!".  I many times wonder what I did to deserve such a lovely little girl.  I ask her to stay this way forever and never change... but change is inevitable.  I so worry about her teen years.  She is so vulnerable and sensitive.  I know that whatever Claire becomes she will do it with all the care and love in the world!

Monday Mingle with a Twist!

Going to try something new today... it's the Monday Mingle (ok, ok, so I know today is Wednesday but that's how I roll!  Anyway it's rainy and blah outside so it feels like a Monday!).  Join in the fun at EightyMPHMom. 


And please bear with me... I am so new to vlogging let alone blogging and sometimes I feel I'm slogging and it's mind boggling.  Curse you Dr. Seuss... look what you've done to me!

Apparently I'm Stylin'!

I am so honored that Wendie from Thoughts from this mom... thought of me for the Stylish blogger Award.  She felt that anyone who could hike the Grand Canyon in 140degree heat deserved this award.  If she only could have seen me in my big floppy hat, all sweaty and dusty.. I doubt she would consider me stylish. LOL.  I'm honored though Wendie.  Hop on over and say "HI" to her and check out her cool blog!

So in the tradition of passing this award on, I am passing this award to some blogs that I really enjoy or have just discovered and think are really awesome.  The goal is to pass this award to 10 or so blogs that you enjoy.  Link back to them as well as the person sending you the award.  Then have some fun telling your readers 7 random things about yourself.  Have fun ! I think you all have some amazing blogs. Thanks for sharing all your stories and talents:)

Some Really Rockin' Blogs !

Psychedelic Waterfall
If You Give A B!*ch A Blog
Mandy Sroka Photography
And we're off to...
Runner Mom
Flyrish Foibles
Adventures in being a Mom..
Coffee Lovin Mom
Snip And Snails And Puppy Dog Tails
True Life: I'm a Stay At Home Mom
take2mommy
Keeping It Simple
S!it In The Bathtub
A Moment In Time

7 Random Things About Me:

1.  I used to live on a boat and I loved it!  Both my kids were born while we lived aboard.  We moved to house when Andrew was 2.5 years and Claire was 2 months old.
2. I lived in Edinburgh, Scotland for my Junior Year Abroad.  Back in the day I could outdrink my guy buddy's with Guinness.  Can barely drink a pint of it now!!
3. Chocolate is always in my house!  I crave it and stock up at the store.  It's really bad at Easter time because I'm crazy about those little Cadbury eggs:)
4.  I hate the color yellow, but surprisingly my favorite flower is the sunflower.  I love to keep a vase of sunflowers on my kitchen table.  Cheers me up!
5. I love to dance.  I grew up doing ballet.  After college I joined a Scottish Country Dance group and was on their performance team.  I've tried belly dancing (very fun) and now am totally into Zumba!
6. My husband and I honeymooned in Turkey.  We went to Istanbul and then rented a sailboat in the south of Turkey (Marmaris to Fethiye Bay).
7. I am the happiest when I am on a beach or surrounded by water.

That's all folks!......
Anne

140degrees Baby!

It's time for Mama Kat's Writers Workshop:) 

1.) Your 15 minutes of fame.

Not sure you can handle my fame because it's HOT... and I mean really HOT!!!  Last summer, we hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon with my 10 year old son and 7 year old daughter.   This had been a dream of my husbands and we talked about it when we dated.  I went along with it  "Yes, dear that sounds like fun!" never really believing that we would do it.  But crazy as it sounds... we did do it.  It was challenging, exhilirating, daunting, fun, scary, rewarding and best of all we made it out to tell of our adventure.  So my 15 minutes of fame you ask?  I wrote a story about it and was featured in our local family magazine, Chesapeake Family Magazine.  The kids were even on the front cover and loved when one of their teachers asked them for an autograph.  I am so, so, so proud of them.  Now when they start in on the "I can't do... blah.. blah.. blahh....!" , I reply "Oh yes you can.  You can do anything... you hiked the Grand Canyon!"

The Girl Who Cried Wolf!

Dear Friends and Neighbors:

Please accept my sincere apologies for awaking you at 5am this morning to warn you of an impending tornado.  You know who you are because you are wandering around today tired, cranky and pissed off at the crazy weather fanatic (ME) who awoke you from a deep sleep.  Believe me.. the sound of my sweet (yet panicked) voice was much better than the BEEP, BEEP, BEEP that emanated from my trusty all weather alert radio.  I am so sorry that there wasn't an actual tornado.  Now wait a minute.. that doesn't quite sound right!  I'm really glad there wasn't a real tornado and you are all safe.   I'm really sorry that you a.)  think I'm a nutcase, b.) think I'm a freak about tornadoes (that I am!), c.) will never believe me again (yes I've done this before!), or d.) all of the above.    I know that some of you have voiced your concern at such an early call believing it to be a.) our school system calling with the automated voice cancelling school (never good!), b.) a death in the family (really not good!), c.)some strange woman calling for your husband (well yes I'm strange!) or d.) all of the above.  You may doubt that there was even a tornado warning at all (yup... I just love pulling that prank.. calling people in the wee hours of the morning.. and yelling tornado!).  I have proof and back up from Channel 2's awesome weatherman, Justin Berk and am prepared to wield it in my defense.  So in conclusion,  I apologize for being the girl who cried wolf, but I will cry it again and again to keep my sheep safe ( yup, you are the sheep here!).  Hey, look on the bright side.. at least you weren't awakened at 2 am for a frost warning  (been there, husband nearly killed me, can laugh about it now!).  So until the next round of severe weather, sleep soundly, dream deeply, rest peacefully knowing that I will alert you.  BEEP, BEEP!
Sincerely, your neurotic but loving friend... Anne

Ultimate Blog Party:)

Hello bloggers!  Never been to a blog party since I'm a newbie to bloggging.   I just started blogging in March and have a lot to learn.  I'm not even sure what category to put myself under yet.  Is there one for beginners?  Well, I'm a SAHM (but I rarely stay at home because we are always on the go!).  I used to live on a boat (with babies!).  I love to write, travel, dance, camp, hike, sail, be outdoors and meet new people.  My blog is just my musings on things in life with kids, as a Mom, as a friend, daughter, sister, wife, pet owner, adventure seeker... etc.   Blogging for me is just a great excuse to write, write and write some more.  I hope you'll like what you read:)  Happy Blogging to all!