Tadpoles

A few weekends ago, we pulled on boots, waded into some stinky water (and yes I mean, stinky water), and caught a hand full of tadpoles. Little Man was so excited to swoop a plastic cup through the water and see what he could capture.

The tadpoles have been slowly growing and changing in an aquarium at grandma's house. Unfortunately, quite a few died for one reason or another. And my nephew was so concerned about them as he asked if they were "gonna wake up soon?"The few survivors have grown legs, and the boys are amazed to see them change.
They can't wait to see what happens over the next few weeks. But I think they will both be brokenhearted when we eventually release them as little frogs. (If they last that long!)

Wordless Wednesday: DC Trip

(So excited because Mississippi is his soccer team name)

(This guy caused our bus full of kids to erupt in giggles. I swear it was the highlight of the trip for some of them.)

Finding Flowers & Randomness

With only 8 days left of kindergarten, things have been nothing less than hectic around here lately. There's been field trips, field day, soccer games, soccer practices, school parties. It feels like life has been going nonstop.

Little Man came home last week to announce that I would be homeschooling him over the summer. And honestly, I have no problem with that idea. I love his love for learning. I only worry how much we'll struggle to get him excited for first grade next year. Only time will tell.

Until then, I can't wait for summer. I'm ready to take a deep breath, relax, and spend some time with my rugrat. He has so many plans for the two of us. So many things he wants to learn, so many things he wants to do. I just hope sleeping in is at the top of that list. (At least for a few days this summer.)

Wordless Wednesday: Nature Walk

They may be cute...

But they are not coming home with us.

Twitter Party...Tonight!

I don't usually get too excited about Twitter parties, but my love for T.J Maxx and Marshalls won out this time. Even though I'll miss out on the fun, I'm sure it will be a great party, with lots of fashion ideas and tips for shopping off price.

Party Details
Date: Thursday May 13th
Time: 8pm EST – 10pm EST

Prizes:

• $50 store gift cards that are good at both Marshalls & T.J.Maxx!
• Spring’s hottest trends hand selected by us will be given away throughout the party
• More details can be found at FashionMeFabulous

How to Join In

• Use a Twitter tracking service like Tweet Grid, with the #MarshallsTJMaxx tag, which will help you follow the party in real time
• Join the party with the hashtag #MarshallsTJMaxx
• Follow @fashionfabulous and answer the questions to have a chance to win spring’s hottest fashions and store gift cards!

Have a great time!

I, on the other hand, will be running around the soccer field with the 5 year olds instead and getting ready for another F-word coming up tomorrow. (I think I just may be a glutton for punishment.)

Clean Your House Like Target House: Giveaway

***Closed: Congrats to Anara***

We shop at Target constantly. To be honest, I stop in way more than I should just to "pick up one thing." And I always leave with way more than I planned.

However, from May 10 through June 13, I can feel a lot better about some of my purchases at Target. Procter & Gamble has teamed up with Target stores to invite you to clean your house like Target House, while helping St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. St. Jude is one of the world’s leading centers for the research and treatment of pediatric cancer and other childhood diseases.

When you purchase specially-marked "red" Procter & Gamble products at Target, Target will make a donation to St. Jude. Fifty cents will be donated for every specially-marked "red" Swiffer Wet Jet and Swiffer Sweeper Starter Kits purchased, and twenty-five cents for every specially-marked "red" Bounce, Downy, and Tide product purchased between May 10 and June 13 up to $250,000.

In addition to the monetary donation, Procter & Gamble will be providing families with these same products to use throughout their stay at Target House, a long-term care facility that offers many of comforts of home, as well as at other St. Jude residential facilities in Memphis.

We use a ton of Procter & Gamble products in our house. Bounce dryer sheets are the only kind we regularly buy. They leave our clothes soft, without irritating the little one's skin. We've also been regularly buying the Tide Stain Release, and I'm so happy to finally be able to tackle the stains the boys bring home.
I am a huge fan of the Swiffer Sweeper too. The 2-in-1 Starter kit is perfect for cleaning the messes I inevitably find throughout the house. Because it comes with both dry and wet cloths, there's no small mess it can't handle. Ours seems to have found a permanent home in the kitchen, where it's easy to grab as needed.Win It
A lucky reader will win their own "spring into summer" cleaning supplies, including samples of Bounce, Tide Plus Febreze Freshness Sport and Tide Stain Release, and a full-size "red" Swiffer Sweeper Starter Kit

To enter: Tell me one cleaning task you plan to tackle this summer.

Want extra entries? (Leave separate comments for each)

• Follow me on Blogger
• Grab my button
• Add me to your blog roll
• Follow me on Twitter (Leave your username)
• Tweet this giveaway (Leave link)
• Blog about this giveaway with a link to this post. (Leave your link)

Be sure to leave a way to contact you.
Giveaway ends 5/20 at 11:59 pm EST. Winner will be notified via email. Open to US only.

Proctor & Gamble provided me with products and information to review. All opinions are my own.

Wordless Wednesday: Dirt & Bugs

Have I mentioned just how much I hate creepy crawlies?!
And yet, I flip logs to find them for Little Man.
Even when it causes me to scream and jump back after I see them scurry towards me.
Icky!

Finally...The F-Word

Today was the day of the F-Word. It's arrival resulted in someone waking up 2 hours early with pure excitement. And continued with a little boy bouncing off the walls until it was finally time to leave the house.

We saw all sorts of animals...
And I learned quite a bit about spending a day with a group of five year olds.

First of all, never try to approach the day without a cup of coffee. Big fail on my part. By the time I hit the back door this afternoon, I had a major caffeine craving and a huge headache to go with it. Momma needs her coffee.

Secondly, 5 year olds are completely incapable of keeping their hands to themselves. No matter whether you tell them 50 times to stop, to chill, to sit on their hands. None of it works. And as a result, you will be hung on or have your hair "combed" (aka pulled and twisted for 20 minutes).

But you'll also get lots hand holding and smiles.
Third, keeping track of more than 1 kid makes me buggy. I swear, I've never done more head counts than I did today. I was constantly afraid I'd lose one of them. (Even though, I had a minimum of two holding onto me at any given moment, so it really shouldn't have been too hard.)

And finally, no matter how much fun you have as a chaperone, no matter how much fun the kids have, you still run the risk of your own kid telling you "at least you're not being bossy anymore" when you get home. Apparently, someone was tired of me telling him to stay with the group. (Or maybe he was tired of me after the 5th time I told him to stop digging for gold.)

And that's another thing I learned. Kindergartners pick more noses, fart more often, and spit more than any other group I've ever seen before. Who knew that the ten minutes after lunch has been dubbed "stink time" by the girls? Though after today, I can completely understand why.

Wordless Wednesday: 1980s

(Me & my sister...in my great-grandma's wigs)

(Porch fishing...Arm floaties & toy guns required.)

(So sad that Polaroids are no longer available.)

Pringles Multigrain Blog Tour

When I think Pringles, my thoughts automatically go to the green can. Maybe I shouldn't admit it, but I've been known to devour half a can of Sour Cream and Onion Pringles in one sitting. Delicious.

However, I recently heard that Pringles released a multigrain chip. Pringles Multigrains are offered in three flavors: Truly Original, Cheesy Cheddar, and Creamy Ranch. The Original are definitely my favorite, but I'm guessing my hubby would say the Cheesy Cheddar are his. He took the can with him to work one night, and I never saw them again.Pringles has also created the "U Taste. We Donate." program. Teamed up with celebrity chef, Tyler Florence, and Share Our Strength, Pringles Multigrain is looking to make a difference. For every UPC entered on their site, Pringles Multigrain will make a $1 donation to the Share Our Strength No Kid Hungry campaign.

I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Pringles Multigrain and received a tote bag with samples to facilitate my candid review. Mom Central also sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Noonbory & the Super 7: DVD Review

Saturday morning cartoons are big in our house. We love curling up on the couch, plates of pancakes on our laps, to watch a few cartoons before Saturday soccer games.

Recently, Little Man caught an episode of Noonbory & the Super 7 on the CBS Saturday morning cartoon block. He was almost instantly hooked. I'm not sure what it is, the characters, the plot, or the animation, but something made him fall in love with the show.
Lucky for us, Noonbury & the Super 7: They're Sense-ational! was recently released on DVD. The 60 minute DVD contains 4 episodes: Luky's Bubble Trouble, A Honey of a Tale, Problem Peach, and A Rosy Day.
It seems that in Toobalooba, home of Noonbury and his team, a problem is always brewing. However, no issue is too big for the superhero borys. Each bory has a different super sense, and they have to work together to resolve the obstacles they face.

The DVD is not only entertaining, but also educational. Kids learn about cooperation, sharing, problem solving, and patience. A Rosy Day, Little Man's favorite episode, explores the importance of finishing work before play, as well as the importance of being considerate.

Noonbury & the Super 7: They're Sense-ational! is available now from NCircle Entertainment, Amazon, or Toys R Us. It retails for $6.99.

I received a copy of the DVD for review. All opinions are my own.

Lately

Lately, I have been saying yes to extra chapters at bedtime. The Bailey School Kids, Magic Tree House, and the Littles have been filling our evenings. And even though Little Man has been going to bed a little late, he's usually happy about it.

Lately, I've been teaching five year olds how to play soccer. Even though I feel like they're going to eat me alive at times, I'm so proud when one of them scores a goal or shows what a good sport they are.

Lately, I've been allowing play dates on Monday afternoons. Play dates filled with balloon games, bowls of strawberries, and lots of giggles.

(The joys of static)

Lately, I've been focused on happiness. When I think about it, there are so many more smiles and laughs then I've ever noticed before.