Kaitlynn came down with the stomach virus last week. She had diarrhea and was vomiting. The vomiting lasted about 7 hours.
Sunday evening, Kaitlynn woke up from a late nap with a barking cough. Sound familiar? Yeah, I think she has croup again. She had it right before Thanksgiving. I don't understand how my very healthy little girl went from hardly ever getting sick to being sick a lot. This year she has had an ear infection, several viruses, croup, stomach virus and now croup again. The only thing that has changed is that I am doing in-home childcare. But it's not like I have a house full of kids. I typically only have 1 child at a time, sometimes 2.
We are giving her children's Motrin and sitting in the bathroom frequently for the steam from the shower. I just hate seeing her not feeling well. I am really concerned with how often she has been sick lately. We need to purchase a new humidifier. We've never liked the one we purchased when she was first born. It's The First Years American Red Cross Cool Mist Humidifier. I just don't think it works and have never noticed a difference when we have used it.
Kaitlynn worked on some Christmas crafts Wednesday afternoon when she was feeling a little better. She had so much fun making these crafts. We had some photo Christmas cards left over, so I cut her pictures out and she pasted them to a couple of wreaths. She made a photo wreath for MawMaw, too. She enjoyed cutting the pictures of mommy and daddy and pasting them on a separate wreath. Here's just a few of the crafts she made.
Saturday Kaitlynn, Dave, MawMaw, Johanna and I met MawMaw Tommie in St. Charles for Christmas Traditions. We went last year and want to make this a tradition. We walked around Main Street braving the cold weather and went into the stores to shop. Kaitlynn collected the Character cards. We stopped for some coffee / hot chocolate and cookies. We took Kaitlynn to get her picture taken with the Victorian Santa and she freaked out. While in line she said she wanted to go home and that "this is ridiculous." I spent the next several minutes trying to get her to repeat herself for the camera, but of course she wouldn't. It was hilarious! I was kind of surprised that she was freaked out by that Santa because she didn't mind the other characters and santas. We watched the Santa Parade and then gathered at Berthold Square for storytelling. We ate lunch at Lewis and Clark's. After lunch we walked around and went into more stores.
To view videos from the day, check out my other blog. Need the link, email me at everydaymamadrama@yahoo.com.
Friday night Kaitlynn, MawMaw and I went to the Zoo for Wild Lights. It was MomsLikeMe.com night. Thankfully, I got to work inside at The Living World giving out gloves to the first 100 moms and mittens to the first 100 babies / toddlers. MawMaw and Kaitlynn participated in the Lowe's Build & Grow activities in The Living World. Kay Quinn was there to read stories to the kids.
A few weeks ago, Kaitlynn and I met our playgroup at Yummy & Co for our Christmas Party. Yummy & Co has a great area for the kids to play. Their cupcakes are super yummy and they have great coffee, too.
We brought cupcakes home for daddy and MawMaw. They really enjoyed them, too!
Sunday, December 13th, we took Kaitlynn to get her picture taken with Santa. Santa was so nice! He took his white gloves off to show Kaitlynn that he had hands like her. He talked to her and reassured her. She decided she would stand by him, but only with me next to her. Santa gave her a candy cane and she got a coloring book, too.
Afterwards, we took her to McDonald's to treat her to an ice cream cone.
Tuesday, December 8th, Kaitlynn, MawMaw and I went to Midrivers Mall to attend Robyn's baby shower with MomsLikeMe.com. MomsLikeMe.com is following Robyn along during her pregnancy and hosted a baby shower with all gifts being donated to Crisis Nursery.
After the baby shower, we went to Children's Place. They had a great sale and Kaitlynn got some new wears (hat, purse and penguin). She also got some new sweaters and a matching scarf and pair of gloves.
Kaitlynn met her new boyfriend at the mall. She was obsessed with Kaden, until he left the mall. She hasn't talked about him since!
If you check out my other blog, you can see the link from News Channel 5. Email me at everydaymamadrama@yahoo.com for my new blog link if you don't have it.
December 5th on the way to MawMaw's, Kaitlynn and I were looking at Christmas lights and talking about how Christmas and the lights were all in celebration of Jesus' birth. We talked about how Christmas is Jesus' birthday. At one point, Kaitlynn started telling me she couldn't see. She said her eyes wouldn't open. When I looked back at her, she had her eyes closed. She is so silly. She opened them when I pointed out the next display of Christmas lights. In the car, we continued working on left and right and colors. She is pretty good at left and right and knows her colors. Dave met us at MawMaw's. After dinner, we drove around in St. Louis Hills looking at Christmas lights. They do such a great display on several of the streets / neighborhoods around there. We saw the lights on Candy Cane Lane and met Santa. Kaitlynn was freaked out and wanted to go home after seeing him. She is just so scared of him. One of the houses in the area, had a radio station set up to the lights display.
When we got home, Kaitlynn got her piece of candy out of the Christmas Countdown Calendar and then put her stocking out for St. Nick.
I wasn't sure if we were going to celebrate St. Nicholas' Day because I thought it was a Catholic tradition. I grew up Catholic and celebrated the day, but I do not consider myself Catholic anymore. We consider ourselves Christian, more specifically Presbyterian. In doing some research, I found out that it is in fact a Christian and German tradition. I am so excited to continue this tradition with Kaitlynn. When I was younger, I put my shoe outside my bedroom door. With Kaitlynn, we are using her stocking and put it in the hallway between the bedrooms.
When Kaitlynn woke up on the 6th, we reminded her about her stocking. She was excited to see what was in it.
We went to MawMaw's for Thanksgiving. I was in charge of making the dressing, so we had to get there early. We had turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, gravy, dressing, sweet potatoes, green beans, cranberry sauce, rye bread, dinner rolls, pumpkin bread and pumpkin muffins. For dessert we had pumpkin pie, apple pie, cherry pie and eclairs. Everything was so delicious!
We had such a great time we all ended up staying the night. We played Truth or Dare on the i-phone. That was a lot of fun. We mostly did the dares, but learned some things about each other, that we probably didn't need / want to know.
We were out pretty late for MawMaw's birthday. After we left MawMaw's to come home, Kaitlynn started swallowing hard, choking and gagging in the car. It lasted about a minute, then was fine. She fell asleep in the car shortly after that. We got home, put her to bed and she slept for about an hour. She woke up screaming and crying, swallowing hard, gagging, choking and seemed to be having a hard time breathing. We called the pediatrician's exchange and a nurse called us back immediately. She heard Kaitlynn over the phone and said she sounded like she was very uncomfortable and we needed to bring her in for a chest x-ray. Her concern was she might have swallowed something that she wasn't supposed to or that got stuck in her throat. We got to the ER and were put in a room pretty quickly. A nurse checked her out and she seemed to be doing better. She said they were very busy and it would take awhile for a doctor to come in. Thankfully they had movies to keep her busy. We watched "Cinderella". We waited a little over an hour before the doctor was able to see us. At that point, Kaitlynn was ready to go home. The doctor checked her out and ordered a chest x-ray. The doctor said the x-ray wasn't the most clear cut case of croup she'd ever seen, but all of Kaitlynn's symptoms really seemed to point to croup. They gave her a dose of steroids and Motrin and gave us information on croup and what to look for, etc. The doctor said she was concerned that it might be turning into pneumonia because every time we asked Kaitlynn where she hurt, she would point to her lower back and tell us her back hurt. We are thankful that it wasn't more serious.
Kaitlynn's pediatrician called that afternoon to check on her. It was reassuring to talk to the pediatrician. She said croup could last up to 5 days.
We set up a surprise birthday dinner for MawMaw Friday the 20th. We went to dinner at Pietros. It worked out really well. Everyone showed up on time. Then we came in with MawMaw a little later. As we were walking in, MawMaw was worried about us not having reservations. Little did she know that we already had reservations and everyone was already there! She was so surprised.
We had a great dinner and went back to MawMaw's afterwards. We stayed out a little too late, but enjoyed the family time.
The 17th, we picked up MawMaw and went to the ECC for Hooked on Books and the Book, Puppet and Toy Fair. Kaitlynn made some pretty neat books at Hooked on Books.
The 18th, Hanna came over and gave Kaitlynn her second haircut. She just trimmed it up. Kaitlynn did a good job letting Hanna cut it.
I went to Ladies' Night at The Melting Pot with MomsLikeMe.com producer Heather and the Discussion Leaders. We had such a fun night out.
Thursday the 19th, Kaitlynn, MawMaw and I attended Little Tykes 2. The theme was fall fun. They made a lot of crafts for Thanksgiving. We were so happy to display Kaitlynn's art around the house!
Friday, November 6th was our 5th wedding anniversary. We spent the day with Kaitlynn, MawMaw, and MawMaw Tommie. That evening MawMaw watched Kaitlynn so we could go out. We had a great time.
This is a bond that will never be broken.
At Last Lyrics by Etta James
At last, my love has come along My lonely days are over And life is like a song Oh, yeah, at last The skies above are blue My heart was wrapped up in clovers The night I looked at you I found a dream that I could speak to A dream that I can call my own I found a thrill to rest my cheek to A thrill that I have never known Oh, yeah when you smile, you smile Oh, and then the spell was cast And here we are in heaven For you are mine At last
November already! Wow, time does fly. Wednesday, November 4th Kaitlynn attended her last Kids in the Kitchen class. The theme was Eggs-travaganza. They made french toast, dinosaur eggs, egg boats, orange julius and banana popsicles.
That evening, Kaitlynn and I went to dinner with MawMaw and Kaitlynn kept calling me her sister. We attended a class at the ECC called Songs, Stories and Sillies. Kaitlynn had so much fun in this class. She danced around the room, sang and really participated. This one was geared towards older kids and was able to keep her interested as opposed to the one we attended last month (that she didn't really participate in).
Thursday the 5th Kaitlynn's P.A.T. educator came over for a visit. During her visit, she completed a 33 month evaluation on Kaitlynn. She did excellent. She scored very high in all areas. Yeah, Kaitlynn!
Sunday, October 25th we went to Stuckmeyer's with MawMaw. Hanna, Adam and Brandon met us there. Kaitlynn couldn't wait for them to get there. Kaitlynn played in the sandbox, rode a pony, played at Fort Spooky, and ran around.
Tuesday, October 27th we attended a MomsLikeMe playdate costume party at the Zoo with MawMaw. Kay Quinn read a Halloween story to the kids and then we all went into Zoomagination Station. Kaitlynn had a good time, but was disappointed that she didn't get to see any animals due to the rain.
Wednesday, October 28th Kaitlynn attended her Kids in the Kitchen class. The theme was Halloween Treats. They made mummies in a blanket, magic wands, witches hats, moonlight milkshake, monster mash and shaky pudding. She also made a cute pumpkin picture, in which she cut the eyebrows out all by herself.
Kaitlynn and I went to MawMaw's and baked a cake, cupcakes and an apple pie. MawMaw made Kaitlynn a special hot chocolate that she really enjoyed.
Thursday, October 29th we went to our playgroup's Costume Party at Kangaroo Kids. Emily and Ella met us there. We brought Halloween cupcakes and Emily brought goodies bags.
While at Kangaroo Kids, Kaitlynn started complaining about her vagina hurting (and she was telling everyone). We called her pediatrician and she was able to see her almost immediately. It was quite an experience getting Kaitlynn to pee in a cup, but she did it. I actually just told her that the doctor needed it so that she could figure out what was wrong. Once she knew that, she peed in the cup. The pediatrician said it's probably a bladder infection, but would send it to the lab.
That evening, we carved 2 of our 5 pumpkins and made caramel apples. Kaitlynn had fun putting sprinkles on her caramel apple. She was also a big help with scooping the "guts" out of the pumpkins.
Friday October 30th, we went to the ECC for a Halloween Fun Fair. Kaitlynn made a treat bag, trick or treated at different "houses", had a pony painted on her hand, listened to a Halloween story, ate dinner, played games, decorated a cookie (graham cracker), and had a great time.
On Halloween, we went to Michael's so Kaitlynn could make a craft with the kid's club. She made a super cute little spider. We headed home and got ready for our Halloween party. Dave and Kaitlynn made Halloween rice krispie treats, then Kaitlynn decorated her pumpkins. We went out trick or treating and had fun with our guests. Kaitlynn passed out and the adults continued to party until the wee hours of the morning. We had a fun Halloween!
What a great way to end October!
Again, you can see pictures from these events on my other blog. Email me at everydaymamadrama@yahoo.com if you need the link.
Saturday, October 24th we went to Spooky Saturday at the Zoo with MawMaw. Kaitlynn wore her Happy Feet costume and trick or treated around the Zoo. We went into the Children's Zoo and then met up with Trisha and Kylie. We went through River's Edge, ate lunch, did some crafts and then met the costumed characters (hippo, tiger, penguin, frog and bear). Kaitlynn cracked us up. She said that the tiger's tail touched her vagina. It was so funny the way she told us and her reaction to it. I guess as the tiger was walking past her, his tail must have hit her. We walked in the costume parade and listened to music at the end of Spooky Saturday.
We stayed for Boo at the Zoo. Hanna, Adam and Brandon met us at the Lakeside Cafe. Kaitlynn took a nap between the end of Spooky Saturday and beginning of Boo at the Zoo. She did some crafts, ate ice cream, rode the carousel and went to the Children's Zoo.
We had a late night and a late dinner at Steak n Shake.
Again, you can view pictures from this event by checking out my other blog or email me at everydaymamadrama@yahoo.com for the link.
Friday, October 23rd we went with MawMaw to The Magic House for their Not So Haunted House. Kaitlynn had fun going around and getting autographs. She enjoyed climbing on the bean stalk, having a drink and snack at the snack shop and playing in the Curious George exhibit (oh and getting candy). That is until she got bit. Yeah, you read that correctly. We were in the Curious George exhibit and Kaitlynn was on the rocket ship that is also a slide. This little girl (around Kaitlynn's age) climbed up the steps, grabbed Kaitlynn's face and bit her on the forehead. I started yelling at the girl's mom that her daughter was biting my daughter and to get her as I was trying to get Kaitlynn away from the little girl. Kaitlynn was freaked out. She has never had anyone do that before. I think she was in shock. I was furious! Thankfully the little girl didn't break the skin, but it came close. You could see blood under the skin on Kaitlynn's forehead.
After that, we went to Taco Bell to get some quick food and calm down (and make sure Kaitlynn was OK). Kaitlynn had to use the bathroom and slipped on water on the bathroom floor. She got a big goose egg on the back of her head. The Taco Bell workers didn't even ask if she was OK. They just gave us a bag of ice for her head (because we asked for one). Kaitlynn was pretty much done after that. My poor baby girl had one hell of a night. I was pretty much done, too. If one more thing happened to my child, someone was going to be sorry!
To view pictures of Kaitlynn in her costume and at the Not So Haunted House, check out my other blog. Email me at everydaymamadrama@yahoo.com if you need the link.
Wednesday, October 21st Kaitlynn attended her Kids in the Kitchen class. The theme was Eating Like Bears / Bear Wants More. She made a tuna melt, salad, chocolate milk, cinnamon rolls and strawberry shortcake. She is always so excited when she comes home from class. She can't wait to tell me about it.
I hadn't been feeling well since Monday evening and by Wednesday I was really feeling bad. MawMaw came out to help with Kaitlynn and spent the night.
Sunday October 18th, we went with my mom to the Grafton Eckert's. The drive was beautiful. As we were picking apples, Kaitlynn told me to "Stop taking my picture. I love you too much." She also kept saying "I don't know" and "I have a question." She just cracks us up. She is always coming up with something new.
We met my niece and her boyfriend at Purina Farms for the Haunted Hayloft. We didn't get to see much as they were already starting to close things down. I wish they would have told us that before we paid for parking. We got to see the tail end of the dog show, walk through the barn and that was it. It wasn't worth the drive out there or the $5 it cost to park.
We ended up going out to dinner afterwards. Kaitlynn has really started to like Adam. On the way home, she was pretending to talk to him on the phone. She asked him to come over to her house to see her turtle. Then she asked him if he has a brother or a sister.
To see slideshows and a video from Eckert's, check out my other blog. If you don't have the link, email me at everydaymamadrama@yahoo.com.
After Pumpkinland, we ate lunch, then went to the Boo Bash. Kaitlynn put on her Happy Feet costume for a few minutes and then decided she didn't want to wear it. She ended up just wearing her Halloween shirt that said "Daddy's under my spell" and a witch's hat. She got her face painted like a princess. Kaitlynn won Most Original Halloween Costume because every little girl has their daddy under their spell. There was a professional photographer that took pictures of the kids in the graveyard outside the Boo Bash.
That evening, we went to my cousins' housewarming party. They have a nice ranch-style house. It was great seeing them and their little boy, who's not so little anymore!
We ended the evening at my sister's house. Let's just say the night ended with snakes around our necks.
You know Black Friday, the biggest retail shopping day of the entire year, the Friday after Thanksgiving! Now meet CYBER MONDAY ....the Monday following Black Friday, which is the biggest online shopping day of the entire year.
Check out my Avon website at www.youravon.com/aherendeen for some awesome steals and deals for your holiday shopping needs! Be sure to check out the CLEARANCE tab on my website for incredible deals at $5 and under especially for CYBER MONDAY only!!
Place your order on that Monday, November 30th (Cyber Monday) and receive FREE SHIPPING !
Enter this coupon code when checking out: FSWER
Feel free to forward this AVON Cyber Monday special and free shipping coupon code for my Avon website to your family and friends!
Thursday evening we went to the circus. This was Kaitlynn's first circus. My mom said that I saw the circus when I was younger, but I don't remember it. We had awesome seats - 7 rows from the floor / stage and right in the middle of all the action! I am so thankful for the opportunities and experiences blogging has given me and my family.
We arrived early enough to go down on the floor for the Clown College and pre-show festivities. Kaitlynn got autographs and pictures taken with some of the performers. We saw the elephants up close. It was a really great experience!
We missed a little bit of the beginning of the show because there was a problem with my giveaway winner's tickets being at will call. It got worked out though (and we didn't miss much).
The circus was an excellent experience! It was so neat to see these talented performers and these amazing animals. Zing, Zang, Zoom!
You still have time to see the circus. Show Dates for St. Louis are: Saturday October 17: 1:00pm, 5:00pm Sunday October 18: 1:00pm, 5:00pm
HERE IS A SPECIAL OFFER FOR YOU! Receive $4 off weekend tickets by logging onto www.ticketmaster.com and entering the coupon code: MOM.
****Get $4 off weekend tickets by entering the code “MOM” in the MC promotion code box on Ticketmaster. Minimum purchase of 4 tickets required; additional tickets above 4 can be purchased at $11 each. Not valid on VIP Gold, VIP, and Circus Celebrity seats or combinable with other offers. Service charges and handling fees will apply.
Washington state-bred Brandi Carlile was inspired to pick up the guitar and learned to play after seeing the Indigo Girls in concert at Lilith Fair. Her last album, The Story, debuted on Billboard's Top 200, peaking at #2 on iTunes and was named one of VH1's "You Oughta Know" artists in addition to having many of her songs featured on various episodes of "Grey's Anatomy".
She's toured with Ray Lamontagne, Dave Mathews Band and Sheryl Crow, who raved about her live performances, "She has the most amazing voice I may have ever heard. Soulful. Country. Perfect in every way and propelled by taste."
Paste Magazine calls her the "best voice in indie rock" and her childhood idol, Elton John, duets with her on her new album, Give Up The Ghost, which was released by Columbia Records on October 6th.The recording of this album gave her the opportunity to work with her idol, Elton John. They sang duet on Caroline. “Brandi has an amazing voice,” he says. “She’s a great songwriter and has a tremendous career ahead of her.”
Give Up The Ghost, Brandi's third album, was recorded at Sunset Sound in Hollywood, birthplace of legendary recordings by The Doors and Led Zeppelin. The first single, Dreams, was written with her longtime bandmates, twin brothers Tim and Phil Hanseroth. Click here for a sneak peek of her first single Dreams.
Album's tracklisting:
1. Looking Out
2. Dying Day
3. Pride And Joy
4. Dreams
5. That Year
6. Caroline
7. Before It Breaks
8. I Will
9. If There Was No You
10. Touching The Ground
11. Oh Dear
She reminds me a little of Melissa Etheridge. If you like Indie Rock, such as KT Tunstall and the Indigo Girls, you will enjoy listening to Brandi Carlile. My favorite songs from the album are That Year, If There Was No You and Touching The Ground.
ON TOUR NOW
“Give Up The Ghost Traveling Show” kicked off September 10th in Salt Lake City, UT. Brandi donates $1 from every ticket sale to The Looking Out Foundation, a helping hand foundation she created to help the many causes she's passionate about. Go to BrandiCarlile.com to buy your tickets now!
Sep 28 Ann Arbor, MI Michigan Theater
Sep 29 Toronto, Canada The Mod Club
Oct 01 Northampton, MA Calvin Theatre
Oct 02 Boston, MA House of Blues
Oct 03 New York, NY Beacon Theater
Oct 06 Philadelphia, PA Keswick Theatre
Oct 07 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
Oct 08 Baltimore, MD Rams Head Live
Oct 10 Atlanta, GA Tabernacle
Oct 11 Birmingham, AL Workplay Soundstage
Oct 12 Fayetteville, AR George’s Majestic Lounge
Oct 14 Tulsa, OK Cain’s Ballroom
Oct 15 Santa Fe, NM The Lensic Performing Arts Center
Oct 16 Tucson, AZ Rialto Theatre
Oct 17 Los Angeles, CA The Wiltern
Oct 20 San Francisco, CA Fillmore
Oct 22 Portland, OR Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
Oct 24 Seattle, WA The Paramount
To learn more about Brandi, check out these sites:
Five for Fighting's newest release, Slice, was available in stores on October 12. This album is a snapshot or blog of John Ondrasik's life experiences. It is Five for Fighting's fifth album. You may remember him by the Grammy-nominated song Superman — from the Five for Fighting album America Town (2000).
If you're a fan of them, you will like this album, with a tracklist of the following:
1. Slice: "more than a slice of american pie." This song sounds like it should be in a Chevy commercial. 2. Note to the Unknown Soldier: John sings "I never knew you, but I'm told you were the best that we had," "I never knew you but I know your the best man I know," "It's a better world because you came", and "my kids'll know your name." What a great tribute to our military / service men and women. 3. Tuesday: The events of 9/11 are at the core of this, on which John sings: “The thing about memories/They’re sure and bound to fade/Except for the stolen souls/Left upon her blade”. He explains: “That song isn’t ‘Superman Part 2,’ there’s none of that in there. It’s much more of a plea for us to not forget the lessons we learned that day.” 4. Chances: is the first song released from the album. Check below for a video of John performing this song.
5. This Dance
6. Above the Timberline
7. Transfer
8. Hope
9. Story of Your Life: was written for his wife of 12 years
10. Love Can't Change the Weather
11. Augie Nieto
Check out John Ondrasik's TV Appearances:
CBS Saturday Morning 10/10
The View 10/14
The Today Show 10/16
John will be hitting the road in October with An Acoustic Evening with Five for Fighting. To find out about how to get tickets in a location near you, go to his site.
Crazy Love is a collection of passionate songs that embodies the deep mysteries of love sung by one of the most exciting, young (witty, handsome...we could go on) performers today.
Monday, October 5th was my dad's 66th birthday. This year I really had intentions of starting a tradition in memory of his birthday, but as the date grew closer I just couldn't bring myself to plan anything. It was difficult to be around anyone that day, even my family. As some of you may know, my dad passed away on May 5th, 2008.
I miss my dad everyday. It still feels like a nightmare that he is gone. It is still shocking and hard to believe. Most days I don't know how I will go on without him in my life. Some days I just push forward trying not to think about it. Other days I am extremely angry and upset about his loss and very irritable. Kaitlynn always seems to make things better, though. She will do or say something that reminds me of my dad and in that moment I know he is with us.
I think losing a parent is something that you never get over. It is always with you. There will always be something missing from who you are.
I know that my dad is in Heaven and is no longer in pain, but it is sure hard to deal with the pain / loss in my heart / the emptiness. I will cling to the years of memories I have of him until we meet again.
Happy Birthday Dad / PawPaw Dado! We love you and miss you. We will never forget you.
Sunday the 4th, we met MawMaw, MawMaw Tommie and Uncle Jeff at the Zoo for Ottertoberfest. We also ran into our friends Casey and Addison. They did a craft together. We went into the Insectarium to see the butterflies and then to Caribbean Cove. It was the last day to see the stingrays this year. We got to see the 3 stingray babies. The stingrays were ornery. They were splashing and almost diving at our hands. We ate lunch, went to Historic Hill, Jungle of the Apes and listened to the band. Kaitlynn rode the Carousel, we saw the penguins, bears and went through River's Edge.
Thursday October 1st Kaitlynn, Olivia and I went to MawMaw's to run a few errands. Then after dinner, Kaitlynn, MawMaw and I attended Family Night at the ECC. Jim Gill is a children's musician and author who played at the Family Night. The evening was so fun. He got everyone up and dancing.
I am holding a giveaway for a 4-pack of tickets to opening night to the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey presents ZING ZANG ZOOM playing at Scottrade Center this month! Opening night is Thursday October 15th at 7:00pm. The winner will be able to pick up their tickets (with a Picture ID) at the will call window the night of the show.
To enter this giveaway, check out my other blog. If you don't have the link to my other blog, email me at everydaymamadrama@yahoo.com for the link.
Come experience the all-new Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey presents ZING ZANG ZOOM playing Scottrade Center with your family!
A SPECIAL OFFER FOR YOU! Purchase a 4‐pack of tickets for only $44 for weekday shows, or receive $4 off weekend tickets by logging onto www.ticketmaster.com and entering the coupon code: MOM.**
St. Louis Show Dates: Thursday October 15: 7:00pm Friday October 16: 10:30am, 7:00pm Saturday October 17: 1:00pm, 5:00pm Sunday October 18: 1:00pm, 5:00pm
**Get 4 tickets for $44 Monday‐Friday matinee, or $4 off weekend tickets by entering the code “MOM” in the MC promotion code box on Ticketmaster. Minimum purchase of 4 tickets required; additional tickets above 4 can be purchased at $11 each. Not valid on VIP Gold, VIP, and Circus Celebrity seats or combinable with other offers. Service charges and handling fees will apply.
Click on this link to see a video about the show. Click on this link to meet the stars.
I was sent Harry Connick, Jr.'s newest released album Your Songs to review. It is available in stores now. Harry sings the classics by some of the greatest musicians of all time.
Album Tracklisting (Originally performed by): All The Way (Frank Sinatra) Just The Way You Are (Billy Joel) Can’t Help Falling In Love With You (Elvis Presley) And I Love Her (The Beatles) (They Long To Be) Close To You (The Carpenters) Besame Mucho The Way You Look Tonight First Time Ever I Saw Your Face (Roberta Flack) Your Song (Elton John) Some Enchanted Evening And I Love You So (Don McLean) Who Can I Turn To? (Tony Bennett) Smile (Charlie Chaplin) Mona Lisa (Nat King Cole)
Enough said with this great tracklisting, right? His version of these songs are great. I think "the original" versions are almost always better, but Harry Connick, Jr. did a great job with his own flare on these songs with a full jazz big band and string orchestra. My favorite on this album has to be "Just The Way You Are."
You might have seen Harry kicking off the release of Your Songs on Oprah! His TV appearances are listed below. Tune in to hear him talk about Your Songs and perform songs from the album. 9/25 – Oprah “Live Friday” 9/28 – Today Show 9/29 – The View 9/30 – Imus in the Morning 9/30 – Letterman 10/1 – Today Show Week of 10/5 – Rachael Ray
Get a Behind the Scenes look at the 'Making of' the album by clicking here. Check out Harry’s website here. Find him on Facebook by clicking here.
I received the It Works Ultimate Body Applicator / Wrap in the mail. I was super excited to try it. Barbara, the It Works independent distributor said she lost 7 ½ inches around her waist (one dress size) after her first application in March of this year and has kept it off.
I reviewed the packet and information sent by Barbara. I drank the amount of water recommended the day I used the wrap. I measured my 3 areas before I used the wrap. The 3 areas I measured were at my waist, belly button, and lower abdominals. I marked the spots with a permanent marker (Sharpie), so that my measurements would be accurate each time I measured.
As I took the Ultimate Applicator out of the package, there was an immediate smell of menthol, similar to Ben-Gay or Head On products. I was afraid I was going to rip the applicator / wrap as I was pulling it apart, but it was pretty durable.
After I applied the wrap, I felt a tingly and warm sensation. After a few seconds, it became a hot sensation. I eventually felt sweaty, but wasn't. The applicator can be worn anywhere from 45 minutes to over night. I chose to wear it over night.
When I took the wrap off, I immediately measured myself and had lost 5 inches. Day 1 and day 2, when I measured myself I had a 3.5 inch loss (on each day) from the first measurement (which was immediately before I used the wrap). Day 3 measurement, I had a 4 inch loss from the first measurement. 4 inches, not bad for just wrapping my waist!
To see more reviews on this product, click here. To try this product for yourself, click here. I would strongly recommend this product. Each box you purchase comes with 4 wraps. Imagine what my loss in inches would have been if I had all 4 to try!
Friday September 25th Dave, Kaitlynn, MawMaw and I went to Parties in the Park. Kaitlynn had a great time riding a pony named Clarabell, sliding, climbing in the inflatables, bouncing and being wild. She also enjoyed several rainbow snowcones - one before dinner and one after dinner!
Wednesday, September 23rd Dave, Kaitlynn, Olivia and I went to the MomsLikeMe.com playdate at Botanical Garden - Childrens Garden. We had a great time. We met up with Trisha, Kylie, Emily and Ella. Kaitlynn had fun sliding, climbing and playing in the fountains. She also loved the penguin balloon SammyJ made for her.
Tuesday the 22nd was the first day of fall. I love fall! It is my favorite season. I love the leaves changing colors and the cooler temperatures. I look forward to drinking coffee and hot tea and eating chili and soups.
Monday the 21st Dave, Kaitlynn and I went to the ECC for the Playground Pizzazz. We ran into Tara and Bailey there. It was such a hot day. The girls were so sweaty. Kaitlynn did well with telling us when she needed to use the potty. We saw her P.A.T. Educator there and I talked with a lady I used to work with.
Afterwards, we picked up MawMaw from work and went shopping. Kangaroo Kids was one of our stops. We also visited the new Walmart in our area. It is huge! I can't wait to go back. We ran into Tara, Jonathon and Bailey there. Kaitlynn and Bailey ran around the grocery isles for awhile.
Sunday the 20th, we were supposed to meet some friends at Grant's Farm, but it was raining that morning, so we canceled. Later on it cleared up, so Dave, Kaitlynn and I decided to go. We had a great time. Kaitlynn enjoyed a snowcone while Dave and I enjoyed the samples of beer. We were so excited to get to sample a new product coming out on October 5th (which is a great day - my dad's birthday). Bud Light is launching a wheat beer and it is awesome! I love sampling new products before they are on the market. I recommend everyone trying this product out. I know we will definitely be buying it on October 5th.
After Grant's Farm, we went to MawMaw's. We hung out there for a bit and then went to Casa Gallardo's for dinner. Yum! What a great Sunday it turned out to be!
Dave, Kaitlynn, Olivia and I went to the Zoo. Dave and I were a little nervous about taking Kaitlynn out, since she was only on day 4 of potty training. Kaitlynn did awesome! She was a little unsure of using the big potty at first, but eventually was fine with it.
After Olivia went home, we picked up MawMaw and headed out to Eckert's Millstadt location for the MomsLikeMe.com Apple Fest and Haunted Hayride playdate.
Dave, Kaitlynn, MawMaw and I attended the Manchester Homecoming a few weekends ago. We visited and talked with the EMS & Fire Department where Kaitlynn got a cute little stuffed animal, a bag of popcorn and helmet. We went to the Kid's Corner, but they were getting ready to close. Kaitlynn got a coloring book, coloring page, some beads and pipe cleaners to make a bracelet and necklace with. We voted on the cutest pet. We ran into our neighbors and Kaitlynn was so excited to hang out with the girls. We had a great time, except for at the end when Kaitlynn was on a slide with Mya and decided she wasn't going to slide down. She grabbed the side and was hanging off of it. Mya's grandma jumped up on the slide to help Kaitlynn down. It was an awful and scary moment.
MawMaw spent a weekend at our house. Sunday, September 13th for Grandparent's Day we took MawMaw to dinner at St. Charles Vintage House and Wine Garden. We tasted wine and ate dinner. Dinner was so yum! After dinner we walked around Main Street. We had a great time! Thanks for being such a great grandma to Kaitlynn!
A few Saturdays ago, Kaitlynn, MawMaw and I met Denise (Aunt Neese) and Brandon at Lowe's for their Build and Grow event. The project for the week was making a drum. Kaitlynn had fun making the drum with Aunt Neese and MawMaw.
Kaitlynn, MawMaw and I attended Parkway ECC's Bubble Picnic. Kaitlynn blew bubbles, made some crafts, played on the playground, listened to music, ate and played with her new friend Elizabeth. Kaitlynn met Elizabeth at the PEC-PTO meeting.
Kaitlynn, MawMaw and I attended Barney's Sprouterrific Playdate at the Galleria Mall. Kaitlynn did great meeting Barney. She wasn't afraid of him at all. She also met Barney's new friend Chica and did a weather report with her. It was so awesome! Kaitlynn went up all by herself to do the weather report. She answered Kelly's questions and talked into the microphone very well. I was so proud of her. What a big girl! Maybe she should be on commercials, like people always tell us.
I am a SAHM to a beautiful daughter and married to my best friend. I love my family more than anything. They are the most important people in my life and I will do anything for them. I hope you enjoy reading some bits and pieces about our life. Leave a comment to let me know you stopped by. Blog stalkers don't be afraid to leave a comment, I know you are there!
Here's just a few of the crafts she made.
