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Friday, April 30, 2010

The Other "Parent"


Well if you have followed my blog from the start you know that my family is a blended family. My son's father is in and out of his life.

Blended families are absolutely difficult in every way. We have one parent that chooses to be involved and parent at his own convenience... and my significant other who is stuck picking up the pieces and cant catch a break because even though my son loves him very much he will always think his dad hung the moon. Which unfortunately couldn't be farther from the truth.

Now a little background for you... his biological father would more than likely not be involved at all if it weren't for his mother (Bryce's Grandmother) she basically bribes him to be involved. He is in his late 20s cant hold a job, has no where to live, cannot keep a car for some reason, parties, has a different girlfriend every week, has a new plan for his life every month (most of which involve him moving and not seeing Bryce) and has never paid a dime in child support in five years (yet has illegally claimed him on his tax returns repeatedly) His mother who loves Bryce very much has it in her head that because of her sons lack of responsibility, that when i take away time from him ... i am taking away time from her... she believes for some reason that i will not allow her to see Bryce. This is frustrating because i work with her on a regular basis to see Bryce whenever she would like. Well she bribes her son to be involved.. by saying she will pay off debts, pay for an apartment sometimes (which he still manages to lose) and basically feeds him lines to tell the courts so they hear what they want from him she does all of this as long as he agrees to fight for his time with Bryce, which makes it difficult for me edit the custody plan to fit Bryce. I have tried talking to her over and over and even though she can sometimes admit what a loser he is; she also argues back how she deserves to see Bryce etc. Its frustrating that if she cares about Bryce so much she would promote this kind of exposure of erratic behavior to her grandson. Well needless to say i have took the back seat for a while and not edited the parenting visitation (Which is used by the grandma and not his father) and i tried to edit that this week and it blew up in my face. It brought out more bribes by her, more court dates, more attorney fees, more headaches, more means text messages and treats, and at some point I'm just not sure how much of their drama i can take. I am praying that this will be the last court date. The last fight.(wishful thinking) I am not sure if she is confused who the parents are... Or should i say PARENT is (single parent) i am so frustrated and hope this will end well; Once and for all. Its difficult to not think in my head..."why didn't you continue to take the backseat and just let her have his visits." But then its brought to my attention that there are other people who would love to see him as well and her having him every other weekend takes away from him participating in sports, and seeing other family members... needless to say I'm stuck between a rock and hard place and pretty much ready to throw my hands up....

I hope the followers out there are having a better week!!!!

Please also don't forget to check out my giveaway ... you can find the button and link on the side of my blog!!!

Have a great day!

xoxox



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Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Viva Vacation!!!!


Well in 8 Days i will be landing in Las Vegas for vacation with the honey. We are going with a bunch of friends... the boys are going to be checking out supercross while i hope to get in some serious shopping. This will be my first time ever in Vegas...(yes i know i know i can hear the gasping now lol) so you can imagine my excitement level. We will be there for four days... the kiddos will be staying with Mimi and i intend on having myself a much needed and anticipated good time!!! Transferring from being a working mom to a now stay at home mom has been quite the transition. (Not that I'm complaining) however it is very difficult. I worked in the largest credit union in New Mexico at the largest branch and had people coming and going from my office every 5 seconds... my days were fast my work week was long but my accomplishments were rewarding. I agree so much that my job now is more then rewarding... however it is a little difficult to see it right now. I am very excited to let loose and enjoy a drink pool side and not have to worry about baby food, preschool, laundry, or messes. I am excited that i will get to spend some much needed alone time with the love of my life! Cant wait!!!! I also cant wait to post pictures of the trip for everyone to see! I hope everyone has a wonderful Tuesday!!!

Also please don't forget about my BLOG MAKEOVER Give away!!!

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Thursday, April 22, 2010

A Team Effort for a Healthy Start!!!

Well i assembled my Baby food making team:

And we attempted to use the new baby food maker for the first time. and let me tell you ... this thing is AMMMMAAAAZZZINNNNGG!!! it makes the food in like 30 minutes and you really don't have to do anything. You pick the fruit or veggie you want to make (in our case we chose butternut squash)place it in the little basket. use the built in measuring cup and add the water into the steamer. Place the basket into the machine and turn it on... and wal-ah it steams it in about 15 min or less. Once the steamer stops... you can let the food sit for about 5 or ten more minutes you will notice all of the juices from the veggies at the bottom of the container... you pull out the basket and dump the food into the container with the juices and it blends it nice and smooth...no chunks or clumps. Then pour it into the portion tray and place it into the freezer and you are done!!! I think this whole baby food making is going to be easier then i imagined!!! If you are considering making your little one fresh homemade baby food... i highly recommend this contraption. It did all the work while i made our dinner... sooo easy!!!

Also... Dont forget about My Give Away!!! Give your blog a new look!!!!
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Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Need a New Look? Check out my 1st Give Away!!!!

Well as you can see... my blog has a MUCH NEEDED Make over thanks to Mrs. Muffins (yes she is also the creator of our "Growing Up Mommies" Blog look as well...which is in my opinion
A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E) Well her blog design is a growing business and is becoming quite popular if you ask me. Her waiting list is becoming longer and longer... SO without further Aaa-due and made possible by Mrs.Muffins herself my first give away will be a Blog Make over!!! That's right she has so graciously donated a make over to the lucky winner of my first give away!!! So if your blog needs a face lift... here's how to win. (Yep you always have to do something to win these things.... Sorry)


  1. Become a follower of Both of my blogs (this one and Oh Scraap!)
  2. Become a follower of G.U.M
  3. Become a Follower of Mrs.Muffins
  4. Leave me a comment letting me know you are following and tell me why you would like a blog makeover!!!!
  5. And last but not least mention this give away on your blog for others to see and place the give away button on your page!!!!



GOOD LUCK!!!

In the mean time check out Mrs. Muffins Blog Design and start thinking about how you would like your blog to look!!!!





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Taking our babyfood making to the next level!!!!


Well as i have said before i have been dabbling in baby food production! I haven't been as diligent or constant with it and yes, ill admit my precious daughter has had some of the pre packaged, no expiration date baby food from the grocery store shelves. However i have recently invested in all of the equipment to take my baby food making to the next level.

I will be enlisting in some help from her big brother today and we will be trying a number of recipes. My goal: TO create and freeze a good amount of baby food so this sweet girl will have plenty of healthy food and no excuses for her mommy to cheat and feed her the shelf food. (There truly is something alarming about Carrots, Squash and other veggies that have a 3 yr expiration date.) If all goes well today i will be posting some recipes and techniques etc. (i may even create a little page for this ... if i get the motivation) Well i hope everyone has a fantastic day!!!

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Sunday, April 18, 2010

Super Hero Party Mommy Style!!!

Today was my little mans 5th Birthday! He shared his party with his friend (my best friends son) Their birthdays are a week apart! It was a blast... the guest list included Spiderman, Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, The Hulk, Super Girl and many more!! We had a cape making table the kids loved them!! We planned a bunch of games that didnt take place because they just ran around with their capes all afternoon! It was a blast and we had a HUGE turnout about 20 18 kiddos running around and about 6 more crawling around! Here are some pics!!!! Enjoy!!!




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Saturday, April 17, 2010

Mommy blog gets a make-over... and this mommy is ready for a drink...

Well I hope everyone is enjoying their weekends!
I wanted to point out that i write for a blog with some of my mommy friends and our blog has undergone construction and is up and running and quite beautiful i might add! Thanks too Mrs. MUffins Who does incredible work.. (this blog will soon be re done by her as well!!! yay)

I encourage any and everyone to check it out!!!



We are going to be having a guest blogger this week! Aly from
AlyGatr's Everywhere (One of the first blogs i fell in love with) and we are going to be doing our first give away!! Details soon to come... Speaking of give aways ... my best friend at Yellow Ribbon Diary Is doing a give away right now and its the cutest 1st birthday outfits for little girls... totally worth every bit of work ...

And last... my baby is having his fifth birthday party tomorrow ... super hero themed ... sharing it with his best friend... we are making super hero capes... having super hero relays... having face painting and tons of other craziness and my girl friend and i have been working on this for days!! I am excited but mama could use a drink after tonight... (and this is pre-party)


I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!!! Ill be posting birthday party pics ASAP!!!

Love and Prayers,

Lo

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Blog Award!!! Yay!!!



Wow! First a BIG Thanks to Kate @ Mommy Monologues!!!! Three reasons to read her blog... 1. She has yummy recipes from time to time. 2. Logan is well ADORABLE 3. She inspires me to spend more time in the garden and less time avoiding it ha ha
The Rules:
1. copy and paste the award on your blog.
2. list who gave the award to you and use a link to her/his blog (or hyperlink).
3. list 10 things that make you happy.
4. pass the award on to other bloggers and visit their blog to let them know about the award.

10 Things that make me happy right now...
1. Blogging! I'm new to it and participate in three different blogs. I have found its an excellent stress relief... great Me time... and a chance to communicate with the outside world!
2. TAX RETURNS (Turbo Tax lol) after finally doing my taxes i ended up getting back way more then i thought!
3. Gardening... trying to be better at it and more consistent...(hoping this will rub off on other areas of my life ... for example... the laundry area lol)
4. Tori and Dean's New season... I am a reality show junkie in general... but i am loving the new season... i have loved previous seasons... but this one shows me that not just me and my honey fight lol... and Tori and Dean are Human!!!
5. The warm weather...loving the flip flops and my lil girls cute summer gymboree outfits!!!
6. My Temp-Tations cookware... I adore this!!! and wish i was wealthy so i could own all of the pieces... but for now i will have to keep buying one piece at a time.
7. Watching my son and daughter develop into their little personalities... They are both turning into their own person (good and bad thing ha ha) and its adorable and interesting to watch
8. My daughter's recent (knock on wood) success with sleeping through the night- no explanation needed!
9. Sun Tea... i love sun tea during the warm days! love it!
10. My life in general

5 blogs I'm loving these days!!
(Not in any special Order)
1. FabMom She always has interesting posts that make me tap into my intellectual side and think!
2. Mrs. MuffinsRight now i am totally obsessed with her blog design!!!
3. Arizona Mama Her blog is absolutely adorable .... i love it!
4. A daily dose of DavisHer children's pictures are so cute they always make me smile
5. Liz I fell in love with her blog a long time ago... i wish i had half of the creative talent she does... and half of the dedication to actually paper craft!!!

Enjoy and pass along the Happiness fellow bloggers!!!

~LO

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Wordless Wednesday...

Because there truely are no words for these pictures...








She is absolutely beautiful & everything God Knew i needed









Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Stick em Up Tuesday!!!

Found the idea from Coffee Lovin Mom
Here are some thing i would too/ NEED to get done this week!





Wish me luck ha ha

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Five years ago...


Five years ago today I had an idea of what love was. A fairy tale... A boy to rescue me... Love at first sight etc. But it wasn't until five years ago tomorrow that i knew the true meaning of love and got to experience my love at first sight, my fairy tale, my rescuer.

Five years ago today i was unsure of my purpose in life, i was unsure of what my future would hold and was frightened when thinking about the possible answers to these questions; but five years ago tomorrow all of my fears were conquered, all of my questions answered, and my purpose in life was defined.

Five years ago today i was 17 and pregnant and nearing graduation. I was in labor and my friends were at prom. Five years ago today everything i knew about love was wrong, five years ago today my life was completely incomplete.

Five years ago tomorrow my son was born. One look at this beautiful, perfect 7lb 1oz baby and an overwhelming accomplishment came over me. My heart had finally found what it was looking for.



In these five years my hero and I have been through more then most people will go through in a lifetime. He has helped me in so many ways be the person i am today and is still molding me into the person i still hope to be. At just a few weeks when teachers, principals, and counselors said i couldn't graduate, there was too much to be done and not enough time, he motivated me to not only accomplish the work that needed to be done but in the end i walked with the rest of my class with a 3.25 GPA. He motivated me to grow up when everyone said i wouldn't. He motivated me to be a good mom when people said i would never be. And when he needed me ... he motivated me to fight for him and never give up.

Its amazing how he is has always been the constant in my life. Though bad jobs and good, he was always waiting patiently for me to pick him up. Through bad decisions and good he was always waiting for me with a hug and urging me with his sweet personality to find my way. Through bad men and friends he was the one who always stood by my side grabbed my hand and looked up with those big beautiful eyes and said "mommy i love you to chucky cheese and back." When i was a single mom and feeling discouraged ... he would hear me crying myself to sleep and come in with his bunny (that he created at Build a Bear... it roars like a dinosaur and is dressed like spider-man) he would kiss me on the cheek and press the button which always makes us giggle.

He is an incredible child and is truly my gift from God... and on April 12 2005 it was the answer to all of my prayers and cries for hope.

I love you Bryce, Happy 5th Birthday you big sweet boy!

xoxoxo
Love,
Mommy

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Her ever growing little personality

My little girl is growing so fast... everyday its like a new baby is here with me. She learns something new... she figures something else out... and of course she is growing so quickly! But with all of this she is also developing quite the personality and a sassy one at that. This personality comes complete with yelling, screaming, fighting sleep when she is clearly exhausted, taking toys from her brother (which is kind of funny), has become nocturnal, and has become a complete mamas girl, crying every time i leave the room and she cant see me! This of course makes for a frustrating UN-productive day to say the least!
But through all of the frustrations of her developing "assertive"personality, i must say i have found it completely amazing to watch the process... how she develops a her likes, dislikes, interests, and has figured out that unfortunately the art of screaming works wonders on mama and daddy (as does a shy cheeky turn away from daddy; this works of course on him as well lol). I find myself (during the very little quiet i have) thinking about the little things she has been doing for example today while nursing her i was pumping as well, she did not like this ... while eating she was doing everything in her power to get the pump away... kicking, hitting, grabbing etc. all while impressively enough barely interrupting her meal ha ha. These are the things i thank God for everyday. The fact that i can absolutely enjoy the constant development of my children. I am so blessed and wouldn't want it any other way!

Love and Prayers,

That 22 yr old Housewife!


(my little mini me literally attached to my hip as we attempt to accomplish something before daddy gets home)

Monday, April 5, 2010

Completely grossed out and in shock with Parents Magazine

In my April 2010 Issue Parents Magazine has an article that completely shocked me... It was an article about 3-4yr olds discovering their bodies... and well their private parts ... by (its difficult for me to even say this)... Masturbating... I write all about it on my mommy blog... So check it out.

Growing Up Mommies

Saturday, April 3, 2010

Happy Easter!


I just spent a wonderful night with my family, my children, my mother, grandmother and siblings... it was amazing! The kids had a great time i was truly reminded of the true meaning of Easter... thankful for the sacrifices that our Savior made for us so we could enjoy all that we have ... so we could share these special holidays as a family surrounded by people we love. I was reminded by how much i have to be thankful for... two beautiful healthy kids... a wonderful family... lots of food and the opportunity to share in silly holiday traditions and experiences. I will only go to bed tonight asking for one thing... that others are enjoying something tonight or tomorrow as i am... something that they are enjoying solely because of a sacrifice that was made a long time ago! I hope all of my reader enjoy their Holiday weekend!
Happy Easter to you and your family!

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Slow learner? Short attention span? or Autism?


After posting a blog about my son and i having a hard time teaching him how to read... I received a comment from a reader who implied that not only was an impatient mother but that i should seriously have my son check for autism. In the blog post i wrote about how him and i would sit and look at letters... make the sounds together and then try and sound out a word. Now he would do it then i would ask him what the word was five minutes later and he would tell me some random word that has nothing to with the word we were reading. It is frustrating and the two of us would end up having to take a break... and both crying. Now a lot of my friends who know my son and i very well laughed at the autism comment... saying my son was no where near having autism etc. But it bothered me... I thought about it more and more and watched his every move ... I googled autism every chance i got and prayed about it... but after reading articles about the disorder ... i felt my answers were beginning to get answered ... I read that it is not a learning disorder ... it is a communication disorder... that yes can be diagnosed by slow learning but is not solely diagnosed by their "reading skills" (or lack there of) I read different signs to watch out for... and my son at the moment has none... Needless to say this has created quite the anxiety for me. SO i brought it up to my significant other... who had the same reaction as everyone else... laughter... this brought tears to my eyes... could my son have autism and everyone is just so passive? He said he was laughing because my son has the ability to be incredibly smart... (he could after all carry on a conversation about politics... name presidents and explain whether or not they were rep. or dem. and then tell you how a bill is passed into law all before his 4th birthday) He explained to me that he believe it was purely the way i am teaching him... the fact that i am teaching him to many letters, sounds, and words all at once... and he is relying on my giving him the answer so he can rely on memorization. So i am going to simply start with the "at" family and hope this helps... once we can master "at" then we will add more letters to create common three letter words... I am thankful i have so many people in my life that has supported me... if anyone has any suggestions on this matter i would love to read them!

Email me:

ohscraap@gmail.com