Yep, I'm still here in Paradise and No, I'm NOT coming home and you CAN'T make me!

How was that for a long title??

But you know what? I don't care. So there. Try to make me. Nyah nyah.......!

Can you tell I'm totally in vacation mode. I. Just. Don't. Care. About anything. So there.

Seriously, we're having such a good time.

Although Myrtle Beach has a million and one things to do, we've pretty much confined our activities to the beach and the pool. Inside, we're playing games, doing art, working on our summer homework (just 15 minutes a day) and enjoying each other's company. Really, the kids don't even know there's amusement parks, aquariums, Ripley's Believe It Or Not and all the other places just dying to take our money. We're having so much fun doing what we're doing that I don't care about all the OTHER things we could be doing! So unlike me!

Because we have a full kitchen and because I was trying to save money, we've been eating all our meals (after the first night) in our timeshare. Here's what our menus have been so far:

Friday night: Delivery Pizza
Saturday breakfast: Cereal, toast, juice, fruit, coffee, tea
Saturday lunch: Homemade deli sandwiches, fruit, Doritos, jello w/whipped cream
Saturday dinner: Pasta, garlic bread, green beans, ice cream
Sunday breakfast: Bacon, eggs, toast, fruit, juice, coffee, tea, blueberry muffins
Sunday lunch: Deli sandwiches, fruit, goldfish
Sunday dinner: Roasted chicken, noodles, gravy, coleslaw, Oreo pie
Monday breakfast: Cereal, toast, juice, fruit, coffee, tea
Monday lunch: Deli sandwiches, fruit, doritos
Monday dinner: Hamburgers, french fries, coleslaw, Oreo pie

Not bad, huh? We've got snacks, too -- snack bars, fruit, popcorn, etc....


We're really having a great time. And, after I broke down in tears yesterday (for real), my husband started helping out a bit more. Until then, the kids had done more to help get ready for the vacation and also helping while we were here. Long story there. Suffice to say, it's all better now.

Anyway, CutiePie has already been in the indoor pool this morning. Now, we're finishing up breakfast and getting ready to hit the beach!

I seriously recommend this vacation for everyone who wants to relax, have fun and be with their families. We're very comfortable here!

Vacation --- Day uhmmmm..... day...... whatever...!

Yes, I am still on vacation and loving it! Right now, I'm typing by the side of the indoor pool. I'm watching the boys while RockStar makes the sandwiches. Life is good -- really good!

We had a pretty nasty storm roll through last evening, but other than that, the weather is great.

I can't believe how well the boys are doing in the water -- I guess all those swimming lessons are finally paying off. CutiePie especially - he's doing bellyflops and cannonballs into water over his head and then swimming back to the wall. He NEVER would have done that a week ago!

Oh - the sandwiches are here. Gotta go!

Ahhhhhhh........ that's better.......

After months of craziness, illness, running around, organizing, calling, filing, planning, driving, cleaning, disciplining, and all-around manic behavior (on my part and that of others), I am writing to you right now from the brink of paradise.

All thoughts of appointments, therapies, customers, bills, responsibilities, and my house are distant from my mind.

Yes, my friends -- at this very exact moment, life is GOOD!!!!

Earlier this year, friends of ours offered us a week timeshare anywhere we wanted, so we chose Myrtle Beach, SC. It's 7:30am and I'm drinking a cup of coffee on our balcony, watching the ocean roll in and out, in and out, and typing on my laptop (that arrived through work 3 days before we left!!!!). The weather is great. The place we're staying is perfect for us. The kids are happy. RockStar and I are relaxed. AND...... we still have 5 more days here and then a weekend at my cousin's house before we go home!

CutiePie likes it too -- yesterday, while we were building a sand volcano, he looked at me and said, "Congratulations, Mom -- you made a good choice. Myrtle Beach was a very good choice." And then went back to the construction of Krakatoa. Too cute!

Those of you who know me IRL know that I'm really not one for relaxing. I like to be on the go. In fact, I've never actually taken a relaxing vacation before. My idea of vacation is to hike the Grand Canyon or zip through the canopy of the rain forest or cross-country ski the White Mountains or..... well, you get the picture. Here, I'm still in motion, but I'm doing things like going to the grocery store and CVS (we have a full kitchen and we're taking advantage of it to save money), walking on the beach, building aforementioned sand volcanoes, cooking yummy meals for my family, doing "homework" with the boys, etc...... No real running around, no big accomplishments, just "taking care of business". RockStar would, of course, sleep all week if I let him, but fat chance that will happen. Because it's Father's Day today, I'll give him a little leeway, but not too much!

So, in case you never hear from me again, you can be assured it's because I've become a beach bum in Myrtle Beach! I really don't know how I'm going to make myself leave at the end of the week!!!!

What a week!

I'm exhausted!

Last weekend, in addition to all the usual activities, we squeezed in a trip to the circus. My parents were supposed to go with us, but they cancelled at the very last moment, leaving us with two tickets. I got the call as I was picking up the boys at Sunday School, so I turned to a friend there and offered to take her daughters with us and give her a break (in addition to the 6 and 7 year old daughters, she has a 10-month old daughter and a 12 year old boy). The kids were thrilled and we became a family of 6 for a few hours! Luckily, all four of the kids were on perfect behavior the entire time! I wish I could say as much for the adults at the show! I was shocked and appalled at the number of people who were pushing, shoving, cutting in line, taking "shortcuts" through areas that were closed to the public, people were cursing and leaving trash all around them. Moments like that really make me hate people. I don't want to a misanthrope, but it's pretty hard not to. Especially when you remember that every one of those adults had at least one child with them. Nice messages to send the kids, huh????? Ugh!!

We really got into our new routine of therapies, vitamins and allergy meds, extra homework, and other enrichment activities this week. I hope we can keep up the pace for another six weeks until the end of school! I was exhausted every night! But, CutiePie is sleeping better, reading better, writing better and acting better. Can't argue with results, can you??

I also started attending a class at the boys' school called Love and Logic Parenting. I enjoyed the first class. We already do a lot of what they recommend, but it was a good reminder that there are many ways to handle each situation and it's nice to have some help knowing what is the best response to each situation. I left there feeling like I DO know how to be a good mom; I just need to make sure that I'm always making the correct choice with my response. I have to admit, sometimes out of sheer exhaustion or frustration or what I perceive to be a lack of time, I will take the shortcut and yell. Since the class, I've had a few opportunities to use the Love and Logic program and I think I handled each situation very well.

For example, we fought traffic to drive to swimming lessons on Thursday. We got there just in time and I sent the boys into the locker room to change. TEN MINUTES later, they came out. Handsome Boy was wearing his shorts from school, but no shirt or shoes. CutiePie hadn't changed at all -- he was still in jeans, t-shirt and sneakers! HandsomeBoy said he wanted to swim in the shorts because they were "like a bathing suit". CutiePie said he was suddenly afraid of swimming lessons and thought that the instructor was going to make him jump into the deep end and then would let him drown. Why do they have to do these things at the same time??????? Okay, I'll tackle HB first -- WHEN you put your bathing suit on, THEN you'll be ready to swim. Done. Move on. I tried to tell CutiePie that no one was going to let him drown and that his instructor only teaches him things he's ready to do. He was not convinced and then pointed out to me that I sit up in the bleachers reading a book while he swims so I wouldn't even noticed that the teacher "drownded" him. . Eventually, we ended up doing 30 minutes of homework and writing practice. Don't you know, he was great! He did the best work he's ever done! I guess I need to tell his teacher to install a big pit of water in the classroom and threaten to throw him into it whenever he stops paying attention! He'll be the top of his class in no time!

Okay, on to the weekend now. I've got to get dressed and get on with the day. An old high school friend is having a housewarming party tonight and one of our other old friends is spending the night here since she lives in DC. That means a major room rescue on the guest room! Not to mention a whole house tidyup!!! Better get started!

Wow! I'm a finalist!!!!

My photo of CutiePie made the finals of 5 Minutes for Mom's Picture of Motherhood contest! Please go check out the amazing photos and vote for your favorite. I have to say -- they're all fantastic and looking at all 20 really does summarize the many sides of being a mother. Some of the photos are sweet, some lovely, some are pretty, some are funny and some tug at the heartstrings. All accurately capture "motherhood"!

Go vote this week!

The Picture of Motherhood......

The lovely ladies at Five Minutes for Mom are running another great contest -- how do they keep coming up with them???? This time, in honor of Mothers Day, they're looking for the photo that best captures "Motherhood".

There are so many many photos I've taken of the boys that shout out the theme to me, but there is one in particular that I can't get out of my mind. I took this photo about two years ago when CutiePie was four years old. I'd taken him to a local Greek Festival and he begged me to go on one of the rides. I have to admit, I was suspicious of the safety of the ride and really didn't think it was going to be a good way to spend my limited money that day. In the end, CutiePie's pleas wore me down and I bought the overpriced slips of colored paper that let him on the ride. When the carney measured him at the gate and he justbarelymadetheheightcutoff, he looked back at me and smiled one of the biggest smiles I've ever seen from him. Then, I watched as a stranger strapped my precious baby into a plastic swing and the ride lifted him into the air. As he spun around, faster and faster, the wind lifted his hair and his expression changed from one of joy to ecstasy!

When we first met CutiePie in his Siberian orphanage, he didn't smile. Not at all. He was sad and scared and timid. He couldn't even imagine a world where kids can fly through the air while loving parents shower them with waves and shouts and laughs and the flash of cameras. Just a year and a half later, he was able to experience this moment of true happiness - and through him, so did I.

I was watching over him, but he was flying in his own blissful world, off on his own adventure in the sky, while Mom stayed safely on the ground. And isn't that really what being a Mother is about????

Frugal Friday

Since I've been making such a concerted effort to save money this year, I've really gotten into reading blogs dedicated to finances and frugality. When I discovered the Frugal Friday meme, it just seemed natural for me to join in, so here goes......


I had to fill a prescription today. In the past, I'd just drive down to my local CVS and fill it there. We've got a pretty good health plan, so even "expensive" prescriptions cost us no more than $15. In this case, CutiePie's doctor was pretty sure that our insurance wouldn't cover this particular drug unless "medically necessary", which it's not -- the doctor just prefers it over the other options. So, he gave us a coupon for a free month's prescription, so we can debate with the insurance company during that time. Anyway, instead of just doing what I've always done, thoughtlessly, without a plan, this time, I called all the local pharmacies to see who was having a special this week. I found that Target had a coupon in their flyer that offered a $10 gift card with every new prescription!!!! So, I went to Target this morning and walked out with a FREE months' prescription AND a $10 gift card!!!! I didn't pay a thing!

I'm going to go back before this deal ends on May 5th and fill the prescription for the other med the doctor prescribed!!!!

I think that's pretty frugal, don't you??????