The Gateway to the West

Since we got in late last night, we let the kids sleep in today. OK, ok, the girls and I slept in today while the boys got up early (probably because they were sleeping in a White Castle induced gas chamber and couldn't stand the noxious fumes any longer) and waited for us. When everyone was up and ready, we headed to the famous arch.

On the way there, we saw this...


I'm pretty sure that was supposed to say Sox suck, so I'll forgive you Cards fans. This time.

Outside the arch...



Almost looks like the Washington Monument here...


Be prepared - I have several pictures of the arch here. In fact, I took over 260 pictures today. I know. It's a sickness.


The gang...


We make our own fun.


This museum is under the arch, it's free, and it's full of interesting stuff.


Brooklyn was scared to death of this buffalo.


After checking out the museum, we saw a movie about Lewis and Clark. I was really pleasantly surprised because this 45 minute film held everyone's attention (except maybe Brooklyn, but she's 3). It was really interesting and the photography was absolutely breathtaking. It's in one of those giant theaters and at times, made you feel like you were flying over prairies and mountains. I highly recommend you see this if you're in St. Louis.

in our Mork from Ork pods on the way to the top of the arch...




Up on the very top


I don't wanna wear this stupid hat. You can't make me wear a bonnet. Ok, but you can't make me smile!



View out the windows at the top of the arch



The old courthouse from out the windows on top of the arch




We walked across the street from the arch where we had lunch on the Mississippi.


Then we rented quad bikes and rode around a little. Ugh, after this, I didn't feel so guilty for stealing a couple of Savannah's fries at lunch.






We took an informative riverboat cruise after the bike ride. The weather was beautiful and the tour was interesting. Brooklyn kicked her leg and her flip flop went flying under the rail and almost into the river, but no kids dove overboard so all was well.




The never-ending stairs. I trudged up while the kids ran up and down repeatedly. Show-offs. Maybe if the theme from Rocky had been playing while I dragged my butt up the stairs, I could've made it in less than an hour and a half.


We really wanted to check out the old courthouse because I hear it's beautiful inside, but we decided to call it a day. The kids had been awesome all day and we didn't want to jinx it, so we took them back to the hotel for a quick swim before dinner. We headed to Fitz's American Grill and Bottling Works. This place might be nice for lunch, but it's not as family friendly late on a Friday night. It's located on a strip that's very "college townish". Neat atmosphere and cool looking shops, and tons of kids just hanging out. Since we have a full schedule tomorrow and Clay had to pee AGAIN (I swear he has the bladder the size of a lentil), we came back to the hotel to sleep. Well, most of us are sleeping. Some of us are blogging. Still others are goofing off. And one in particular (I won't name names, but it starts with an "A") is apparently still feeling the effects of the White Castle.

Oh yeah! My sister didn't listen to me! She went and had her baby 2 weeks early today! Now I have to wait to see little-baby-no-name. So, I'm an aunt again! :)

St. Louis or Bust

We drove to Hannibal, MO 3 years ago, when Austin was learning about Mark Twain in school. It took us over 13 hours to get there. Nearly three times the amount of time it should've taken. The wheel (not the tire. The WHEEL) fell off the truck and we had to stop 40 zillion times for bathroom breaks and of course, we got lost. Not such a fun trip. Anyway, while we were there, we took a little side trip to St. Louis. We visited the arch and took the Budweiser tour. We'd heard that St. Louis had a great free zoo and really wanted to check it out, but just didn't have enough time, so we put St. Louis on the list of cities we'd like to visit. Besides, Clayton, MO is just outside St. Louis and since my Clayton is named after Clayton, MO, I thought it would be cool to get his picture next to a sign reading Clayton. Then we can go to Austin, TX, and Savannah, GA, and Jackson, MS, and Lexington, KY, and Brooklyn, NY. (I've got it all planned out.)

So, when the St. Louis Convention and Visitor's Center contacted me with the opportunity to visit, I jumped at the chance. So, I'll be chronicling our adventures here in Missouri. Thankfully, this trip started out beautifully with an easy 6 hour drive (including traffic, a dinner stop & a bathroom break). Actually, we stopped at White Castle and I'm pretty sure you can't call that nastiness dinner. My van smelled like onions and grease for hours and it wasn't just from the discarded packaging, if you know what I mean. I'm getting queasy just thinking about it. I don't know why Joe and the kids like that place so much.

Then, as we crossed the river into Missouri, Joe had to start in on his Clark Griswold impression. "Ahhh, that's the Mississippi. The mighty Miss, the old miss, the old man....Deeep River..."

"Yeah, hon. Don't quit your day job. Now pay attention before we miss our exit!"

So we made it here with no problems. Now we're all checked in to our hotel. The kids are wound up like tops and having a hard time settling down to sleep. Should make for a fun night. I think we'll be hitting the Gateway Arch tomorrow depending on the weather.

Here are a few pictures Savannah took on the way here...

Yes, Jackson's here too. I guess she didn't get any shots of him. Tomorrow...

Meanwhile, Deb (my sister) if you read this, wait until I get back to have that baby!!!

The St. Louis Convention and Visitor's Center is paying for our accommodations, meals, and attraction tickets in return for my honest blogging about our experiences.

Whimsy Rings

I have a love of jewelry. I especially like unique pieces that you can't find in every store in every mall in America. I have a "diamond" necklace that Jackson bought me with points he earned at school a couple years ago. It means the world to me because instead of buying toys and candy for himself, he saved up points from October until December and bought this for me. And, of course, I treasure the macaroni necklaces my kids have made me over the years. I love it when people comment on my jewelry finds. :)


That's why I adore these rings from Whimsy Worldwide. These rings are so unique and fun! They showcase the totally popular, collectible Trollbeads, Pandora and Chamilia glass beads. You can change the beads to match your outfit or mood. If you have a Pandora (or similar) bracelet, then you already have an array of beads that fit into this ring. You can have fun switching them whenever the mood strikes! If you don't, you'll soon fall in love with collecting these beads and showing them off on your Whimsy ring!





I do think these rings are on the pricey side ($125 - $399), but the fact that you can change the bead makes it versatile so it's like you're getting more than one piece of jewelry. And the comments and compliments you'll receive on your ring make it worth the price.

At first I was a little afraid to try and open the ring to switch beads because I didn't want to break it, but they're amazingly strong and durable. And they're made of 100% reclaimed sterling silver and 14 karat gold. This was a conscious decision by ring designer, R. Craig Whitten in an effort to help counter the effects of the top toxic polluter in the U.S., the mining industry.

Whimsy has another ring, the Audrey, coming out this fall with a threaded post that makes it even easier to switch beads. This ring was inspired by the elegance of film star, Audrey Hepburn, and can accommodate some of the larger, shaped beads as well.

You can shop online HERE or click HERE to find a retailer near you. These would make a great Christmas gift for any special lady in your life. (hint hint)

Want a chance to win your very own Whimsy Ring? Visit the Whimsy website HERE and browse through the beads. Then, leave me a comment with your favorite one. I'll pick a random winner on Monday, September 28.

Kraft Winner

The winner of the giant box of Kraft products is...

Our Unique Family said...
My favorite Kraft product has got to be Mac & Cheese I think of my kids could live off the stuff...Hey so could I :) LOL

Congratulations! And thank you to everyone who left comments. I especially like some of the recipes you left. I'm going to try them out! Thanks!

Oh and a Nabisco savings booklet is available (while supplies last) HERE. Save up to $55 throughout the year on lunch box goodies.

My Emmys Party by Suave

The good people from Suave sent a hairstylist to my home and provided us with refreshments and Suave products so my friends and I could get dolled up for the Emmys this weekend. Luke O’Connor, owner of Beverly Hills salon Lukaro, and Suave spokesman, created Kate Walsh's winning style with Suave Professionals and Kate paired her high end fashion with affordable finds like an Aldo clutch for her red carpet strut.

Here are Luke's tips on how to get Kate's look:
Modern Bob - Get the Look!- Begin with Vibrant Shine shampoo and conditioner from Suave Professionals to restore shine and luster to dull hair.
Next, blow dry hair in sections with a large round brush.
For the side-swept bangs, take the front section and blow-dry back with a large round brush, swooping to the side.
Finally, apply a dollop of Suave Professionals Sleek Anti-Frizz Cream. Apple first to ends and work your way up to control fly-aways.- Finish the look with Suave Professionals Extra Hold Hairspray.


OK, we may not look quite like Kate, but we had martinis lots of fun!

Sunday Sound Out

From Chicago, the city that has four seasons in one day, it's Sunday Sound Out starring prima ballerina, Dawn Meehan.

OK, so maybe he prima ballerina thing is a slight exaggeration considering the fact that I tripped at Lexi's football game Saturday, falling hard on my knee. I was holding my camera and didn't want to break it so I didn't brace my fall. On the bright side, I saved the camera. On the downside, I broke my kneecap instead. People saw me fall so, of course, I jumped up and acted all cool like it was no big deal. Then I hobbled off and cried. Yep, I'm the classiest person I know.

OK, here are the random winners of the $25 My Sonic giftcards and the $25 DonorsChoose.org giftcards.

Queen of pink in a house of blue said...
oh, i love the lemon berry slush! YUMMY!i agree the ice is GREAT! after surgery once, i couldn't eat anything, but could have water...but had to sip it or chew ice. i had hubby go get 2 route 44 cups of ICE from sonic! they probably thought he was silly, but i didn't care! heehee

AND

sandyn said...
We just got sonic in Minnesota! yea!! i am really digging the cherry lime aid. heck, i didnt know it came in diet!! good to know! nice to know we can help out the teachers.

Congratulations! Email me with your shipping address! And remember to stop by Sonic now through Oct. 1, get any drink and then go to LimeadesForLearning.com to help fund a teacher's project!

So, here are the answers to this week's questions.

White flooring for a boys room? Really?? Are that optimistic that it can stay that way? Of course it is way better than the wood-like flooring. Reminds me of the Wagon Queen Family Truckster
Yeah, but it's industrial strength tile. Marks wipe right up! And gotta love anyone who can quote Vacation!

I love Clayton's stick figure picture. Is that a penis I see hanging down between the legs?!
Uhh, yeah. He has no hands, feet, or hair, but he made sure to include that part. I'm so proud. :::sniff sniff:::


Your house looks too clean and organized compared to normal. Did you get snobby on us and hire a housekeeper? Because a house with kids is supposed to have crap all over the floor and clutter all over the furniture.
LOL!!! A housekeeper! LOL, that's a good one! Did you not see the pictures of all the crap (including a sock stuck to the wall!) behind the bunk beds?

SSO for you. Brooklyn no longer looks like a toddler! I couldn't believe how much the little girl she has looked in the past few pictures. But in the Mickey Mouse pants it looks like Brooklyn has finally decided to train and is out of diapers. Has your life become diaper free for the first time in 15 years? Yes! Did I forget to write about that? The beginning of this summer, she just woke up one day and said she wanted to wear underwear and that was that. I do still put a pull-up on her at night just in case, but more often than not, she wakes up dry. It's the end of an era!

PS. I also HATE throwing up. I'm like Jerry Seinfeld, always striving for the longest "non-vomit streak".
Until the black and white cookie, that is.

You were lucky! When my husband goes for his echo, because of his family history, they use sandpaper to get rid of the hair in certain spots on his chest for the "stickers". LOL! So he has hairless spots on his chest still.
I guess I forgot to mention that part. The doctor had to first rub me down with alcohol, then he used some sort of sandpaper on me as well (I swear I don't have a hairy chest!) before he had to lift my boobs out of the way to apply the stickers. Yeah, that was fun. What do you do in a situation like that? Where do you look? You can't make eye contact because that would just be weird. So you stare at some spot above the doctor's head and pretend he's not putting stickers on your boobs and say something nonchalant like, "So, it's pretty nice weather we're having, huh?" Or maybe you just start babbling like an idiot and say things like, "So, I had a goldfish when I was two. I named him Goldygold. You know, because he was gold. Yep, that was 37 years ago. I have no idea why that just popped into my head. Do you like popcorn? I got to swim with dolphins a couple years ago..." Not that this happened to me or anything. Just sayin'...

Will you be getting your gall bladder checked??
Yes. After I have sufficiently procrastinated long enough.

So Dawn,If you type in "ketchup, Italian dressing and half an onion" into Kraft's web site, will you get a recipe? Just asking.
No, you won't which is why, when you're down to ketchup, Italian dressing and half an onion, it's time to go to the grocery store!

So if you put in Brooklyn's favorites, ketchup, chocolate syrup, and...maybe air?...what should you make for dinner?
That's the beauty of Brooklyn's diet - I don't have to cook!

Hey Dawn! Wondering if you asked them about the artificial dyes they use in their foods or if any other ladies brought it up? I think I read that one of your sons helps control his ADHD via diet, just wondering if anyone asked them about some natural alternatives and dye free products? I would LOVE to be able to give my son Kraft mac n chz but I can't due to the use of food dye in it (we are food dye free here)! I would love it if they would offer some dye free alternatives to some of our favorite products they make! Thanks!
We go back and forth with the all natural diet. Although I like to stick to it, the truth is that it's expensive to buy natural products without all the additives and sometimes our budget just doesn't allow for that.
Kraft does make a product line called Back to Nature. They have cookies, crackers, juice, macaroni & cheese dinners, etc. all without artificial ingredients. And you can search the nutrition information on other Kraft products HERE.



Speaking of Kraft, I have a box FULL of Kraft yumminess to give away to one lucky reader. Take a look at the above picture or visit Kraft's website HERE, then leave me a comment with your favorite Kraft product(s) and/or your favorite Kraft recipe. I'll choose a random winner on Wednesday, September 23. Contest open to US residents.

Oh yeah! And check out my friend, Patti Hill's website HERE! She's got a contest for pet lovers and you can win $100 Petco gift card!

K-R-A-F-T

I was invited to take a peek inside the Kraft kitchens a couple weeks ago. Despite the fact that I was sick (and possibly served some sneezwiches to my fellow bloggers - sorry about that), I had a great time.

We started with dinner where we were able to get to know our fellow bloggers and the folks from Kraft.


Kim from Mommy Knows, Silvia from Mama Latina Tips, me, Sandy from Reluctant Entertainer, Rachel from A Southern Fairytale, Janice from 5 Minutes for Mom, Liz from This Full House, and Elizabeth from Busy Mom.

The next day, we took a tour of their facilities. We saw their photo studio. Kraft does their own photography for magazine layouts, packaging, etc. Every few months, they go through their pantry, which is FULL of serving pieces, and clean house, donating dishes to a local shelter.



Then they had the nerve to put us to work! I know, right! :) Actually, we all had a great time whipping up lunch together. Kraft comes up with recipes that use 5 or 6 ingredients for us busy moms who don't want to/can't spend all day in the kitchen. They don't just use any ole ingredients either. They make sure that the items they use can be found in most of our kitchens at home, because, let's face it, no one (unless you're like Alton Brown) wants to run out for saffron or quail eggs at the last minute when you're trying to get a hot meal on the table before football practice.




Here's John Li, chef extraordinaire, in the Kraft kitchens. He's coming home to cook for live with me. Shhh, he doesn't know it yet.


I don't even remember what all this was, but it was soooo good!


The smorgasbord of yumness that we prepared in no time at all!


You Canadians are SO LUCKY! These are the most delicious coconut lime cookies ev-ah and they're only available in Canada!


Here we are with CEO, Irene Rosenfeld.

After lunch, we spent time telling the folks from Kraft what we want. You know, foods that are inexpensive, quick and easy to prepare, and healthy. Is that too much to ask for?

Kraft does have a lot of healthier options these days, but they still make the classics like Kraft mac-n-cheese and Oreos. I'm one of those people who likes to make healthier choices when possible, but still thinks that junk food has its place in moderation.


You've got to bookmark Kraft's website HERE as a favorite! They've got recipes, lunch ideas, entertaining ideas, budgetwise meals, healthy meals, and so, so much more! You can even plug 3 ingredients into the site and Kraft will suggest recipes using those ingredients! How cool is that? And now, if you're sitting on the train on the way home from work, wondering what you can make for dinner using the chicken you pulled out of the freezer and the abundance of zucchini from your garden, you can use Kraft's new iPhone app, iFood Assitant. This is a very cool app! It's like their website only mini. They even have cooking videos you can watch, a recipe of the day, and a "store locator" link to find the closest store to your exact location so you can get your ingredients. And it's only .99!

After my visit to Kraft, I'm sure they're committed to making dinner easier for us moms. They've given us all sorts of tools to help us cook healthy and/or inexpensive and/or quick meals for our families. And I'm a big proponent of eating together as a family. What better way to learn about your kids' days, their friends, schoolwork, and how they can burp their ABCs?

My Stressful Stress Test

I had my stress - echo this afternoon. Boy, was that fun! I'm sure there are several of you who have had this test before. For those who haven't, I feel the need to describe, in great detail, just how it goes. You know what I was told about the test? "You'll be walking on a treadmill so wear comfortable shoes." Yep, that's about it. But I'm here to tell you the whole story.

I walked in the office, looked around, and realized I'd mistakenly arrived at the retirement home. I turned to walk out when I saw the doctor's name on the door. Guess I'm at the right place. I was the youngest person there by probably 30 years. I checked in and sat down to fill out several redundant questionnaires. Why is it necessary to ask if you smoke on three separate pages? After filling in information about my spouse, I came to the question asking for the name of an emergency contact. I wrote my mom's name there. Under her contact information was the question, "How is this person related to you?" My choices were spouse, son, daughter, grandson, granddaughter, great grandson, great granddaughter... There were no boxes for "parents". I squelched my urge to write "imaginary friend" and wrote in "parent" instead.

So I was called into a room. It had treadmills and it had hospital-like beds. It was the geriatric Bally's. All it needed was big band music pumped in. I was lead to a closet where I got to strip from the waist up and put on a gown. The doctor, a young guy, of course, because that's my luck, comes in and rubs me down with alcohol, then he used some sort of sandpaper on me to remove hair where the electrodes were to go (I swear I don't have a hairy chest!) Next, he had to lift my boobs out of the way to apply the stickers. Yeah, that was fun. What do you do in a situation like that? Where do you look? You can't make eye contact because that would just be weird. So you stare at some spot above the doctor's head and pretend he's not putting stickers on your boobs and say something nonchalant like, "So, it's pretty nice weather we're having, huh?" Or maybe you just start babbling like an idiot and say things like, "So, I had a goldfish when I was two. I named him Goldygold. You know, because he was gold. Yep, that was 37 years ago. I have no idea why that just popped into my head. Do you like popcorn? I got to swim with dolphins a couple years ago..." Not that this happened to me or anything. Just sayin'...

To these electrode leads, about 400 wires were attached. I was like a Christmas tree with all the wires trailing out from under my gown. My gown was missing the tie on top, but this doctor said, "It doesn't matter because we'll stick it back to together with tape anyway." What kind of weirdo place is this???

A nice technician, female, thank God, did a quick ultrasound of my heart. (It's a lot more fun to get baby ultrasounds!) And, sure enough, she stuck my gown back together with tape! Then I got to walk on the treadmill. OK, back up for a minute. Remember the part where I had to strip from the waist up? Yeah. And now I get to jog on a treadmill with no bra. Yeah. Ahem. So there I am, walking along, braless with the girls flying all over the place. Lovely. After I walked for like 3 minutes, he cranked the treadmill up faster and inclined it. By the end of that 3 minutes, I was getting winded cause I'm so fat and out of shape.

Then he cranked it up faster and inclined it more. About a minute into it, he pried my fingers from the bar where I was holding on for dear life so he could take my blood pressure. I nearly flew off the back. I kept thinking, "Oh my gosh, how do 80-year-old patients handle this???" Then when my pulse rate reached 890, he had me get off and run to the table for another ultrasound before my heart exploded.

After that ultrasound, I sat there in a pool of sweat (you know because I'm fat and out of shape) while I gulped for air like a guppy out of water.

Long story short - My regular doctor called me right away this afternoon (how awesome is he?!) and said everything looked great. They detected no heart problems. I have low blood pressure and good cholesterol levels. I don't smoke, nor do I have diabetes. In other words, "Stop your whining Dawn. You have indigestion, you big baby." I'm pretty sure an eyeroll was inserted there too. Actually, he was awesome for checking everything ok quickly and making sure I wasn't about to keel over before my speaking engagement tomorrow and my traveling Thursday. So, I may get hit by a bus tomorrow, but rest assured, I'm not going to drop of a heart attack anytime soon. I guess I'll have to find another way to get a little vacation.

Limeades for Learning

Each year, teachers spend nearly $1,200 of their own money to effectively teach their students, and Sonic wants to help. They’ve partnered with DonorsChoose.org, a national leading non-profit Web site to fulfill projects requested by teachers. Projects range from soccer balls needed for gym class to ESL materials to help children read to computers needed for a science lab. If a teacher needs specific materials or resources, they can sign up as a SONIC Teacher at LimeadesForLearning.com and register their project online.

One of the unique benefits of DonorsChoose.org is that every day people become citizen philanthropists by donating to their favorite teacher’s project. Limeades for Learning is similar in that it empowers Sonic customers to take part and direct which teacher projects receive funding. From Aug. 31 to Oct. 1, customers are encouraged to purchase any frozen or fountain drink at Sonic and participate in the program. When you order a drink, each cup will be specially marked with a sticker that contains a unique code used to vote for a teacher project on LimeadesForLearning.com. Each week for five weeks, teacher projects with the most votes will be funded by SONIC up to $500,000.00. If customers want to continue to give, they will have an additional opportunity to donate money to their favorite teacher’s projects.



I have both a $25 MySonic gift card AND a $25 DonorsChoose.org card for 2 winners! Just leave me a comment here with your favorite Sonic drink and I'll choose a winner on Friday, the 18th. Good luck!

It's a Heart Attack (or indigestion)

So, last night, as I was working on my blog, I got these awful chest pains. My chest, my jaw, and my back between my shoulder blades hurt. Oh great, my kids have finally given me a heart attack, I thought. This was the fourth time I'd experienced pain like this in the past month. Now I'm the kind of person who generally says, "I don't need a doctor. If I ignore it long enough, it'll go away." And that theory mostly works for me. However, there's just something inherently scary about chest pain. After talking to some friends who urged me to go the ER, I decided - nah, I don't need medical attention. But my EMT friend made me promise to at least call my doctor in the morning.

Whoever heard of jaw pain being a symptom of a heart attack? When I think of heart attacks, I picture an old guy, clutching his chest and dramatically staggering around the room before collapsing. Apparently women tend to do things weird when it comes to heart attacks. We get nausea, or back pain, or pain in our jaws, or other weirdo symptoms that don't scream heart attack. The problem with that is too many of us fail to seek medical attention in a timely manner because we don't even realize we're having symptoms to a potentially life-threatening situation. Now you know. Anyway...


So I called the doctor's office this morning and talked to a mean, nasty nurse.

"I had some chest pain last night. It was the fourth time I've had such pain in the past month. My back and jaw also hurt."

"What's your name?"

"Dawn Meehan. M-E-E-H..."

She cut me off with, "Spell your last name!"

"As I was saying, M-E-E-H-A-N"

"In what area was the pain located?"

"In the middle."

"There is no middle jaw! It's either your LEFT or your RIGHT!"

Someone got up on the wrong side of the bed! "Oh sorry. I thought you meant my chest which hurt in the middle. Both sides of my jaw hurt."

"Where did your chest hurt?"

Were you not listening to me at all??? "For real?" sigh "In the middle."

Did you have shortness of breath?"

"Not really."

"It's either YES or NO. Did you have shortness of breath?"

What is up your butt, lady? "Ummm, no."

I answered a few more questions for Miss I Haven't Had My Coffee And I'm Terribly Constipated Nurse. She told me someone would call me back and hung up.

A few minutes later, my doctor himself called me. (He's awesome and makes up for his nasty, mean nurse.) Long story short - sounds like I have cardiac symptoms and even though I don't meet the profile, he's gotta rule out heart attack. You know, because if I keeled over tomorrow, I'd have at least 20 disappointed readers. Although, after going over more symptoms I've experienced this summer like nausea, heartburn, and waking up in the middle of the night to throw up, he's thinking it may be reflux or something gallbladder related. The whole throwing up thing is my biggest concern because unlike most people, I don't think, "Oh if I could just throw up, I'd feel so much better." Oh noooo. I'm the kind of person who says, "Oh please God, I'll do anything, ANYTHING, just keep me from throwing up! I'd rather die than throw up! PLEASE!!"

I had an exam and a chest xray today and I even refrained from dumping a box of laxatives in nasty nurse's coffee cup while I was there. Tomorrow I go for a stress - echo. Oh yay, people will get to see me attempt to walk on a treadmill without falling over. (Not because I have heart problems, mind you, but because I'm so darn out of shape.) Maybe I should bring my video camera so I can capture myself on film as I fly off the back of the treadmill. I'm sure to acquire footage worthy of America's Funniest Home Videos.

How to Expand Your Wardrobe

Hi Brooklyn. Hey, what are you wearing? Where did you get those shorts? Are those your shorts? I thought I put you in denim shorts today. Where on earth did you get those?


v

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So, you stripped Mickey Mouse and stole his shorts? Of course. Silly me. Why didn't I think of that.

Sunday Sound Out

After slacking off being really busy for 3 weeks, I'm back to answer viewer mail. This is the part of the show when I answer YOUR questions. Now, without further ado...
live from Chicago, the city made entirely out of Play-Doh, it's Dawn Meehan with the ever-awesome Sunday Sound Out!

You may have been asked this before and I missed it, but... I have 4 children and we are trying for another. When I am out with my kids I almost always get some sort of negative remark from someone, like " they have ways of preventing that". It makes me so mad...do you ever get those comments and how do you respond?
Oh yeah! I get those every time I leave the house with my kids. I guess my response depends on my mood and how many times I've heard the question that day.
HERE's an awesome list of responses! Check it out!

Well I, too, was going to give you MAJOR crap for not knowing who Tim Gunn was but I'm still laughing from the idea of you homeschooling so it will have to wait another day. Sorry, not trying to be judgemental but from reading your blog I'm thinking that would be like me homeschooling my kids. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Hey now! I could totally homeschool! I'd be good at it. I'm sure I could teach my kids all kinds of...oh who am I kidding? I can't even pretend I'd be good at it. The mere thought is ridiculous.

You have GOT to share how you make that cookie. I have always wanted to make giant cookies but can't figure it out properly.
OK, here's how I do it. One time when Savannah was making cookies, she didn't follow a recipe correctly and her mistake turned out better than the original so this is what we use now.

THICK & CHEWY CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

5 c. flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 c. butter
1 c. vegetable shortening
3 c. brown sugar
4 tsp. vanilla
4 eggs
1 bag chocolate chips

Cream butter and shortening together. Add brown sugar. Mix in eggs and vanilla. Sift dry ingredients together and add to bowl. Finally, add chocolate chips. Bake at 375 for about 10 minutes.

When I make a giant cookie, I press approximately half the dough (or a little less) into a 15 inch round cake pan. If you don't own such a pan, you can probably get a disposable foil one about that size. I bake it at 325 until it looks done. Sorry, I'm not good with a timer.

You're *SO* close to having everyone out of the house for at least part of the day. What would you do with yourself?
I'll probably pay bills, clean, do laundry, go to the grocery store, write, cook meals... you know, the usual. Only I'll spend my time wondering how on earth I was ever able to accomplish anything with 6 kids at home.

This is kinda school related, maybe a SSO question. What books do your boys recommend for someone that is 6, but already reading at a 2nd-3rd grade reading level (he just got Diary of a Wimpy Kid, but I am still concerned it's not age appropriate)
Ummm, let me put on my librarian hat... when Jackson was in 1st-2nd grade, he loved The Magic Tree House books. The cool thing is that it's a series of more than 30 books, so if he likes them, there are plenty to read. They're fiction books, but they're filled with non-fiction material about different places and time periods. My non-fiction loving son really liked these.

I wouldn't be impressed with the school either for that...but I think the real question here is why did it take your son A WEEK AND A HALF to tell you he was in the wrong classes, and in such a roundabout way?? :)
I know! He thought that they had made a mistake when they assigned the honors classes to him and that they had corrected it by moving him into regular classes. Oh well. It's fixed now and he's about caught up.

question for sunday shout out....where do you guys go camping..looks like one of the 'jellystone parks'..maybe? just curious...
We did actually camp at a Jellystone over Labor Day weekend. We almost never camp at Jellystones ordinarily though. We have a few favorite places we like to visit every year, but we also like to try out new ones now and then. I don't know if we'll be returning to this Jellystone in Millbrook, IL though. The bathrooms were always dirty, locks on bathroom doors were missing, sinks didn't work, the air smelled alternately like horse manure and raw sewage, and check out the light fixture in the pool...


Yeah, that looks safe. @@ Every time we told employees about the light, they totally brushed it off. It's probably been like that all summer.

Hidden Valley in Wisconsin is probably the nicest campground we've ever been to. It's super-clean, well-maintained, quiet, and wooded. They have nice firepits, a beautiful pool, hayrides, nice sites, laundry, etc. And they don't charge you extra to use their pool, or if you have more than 2.5 kids.

What's Brooklyn going to do when she outgrows those pink boots??
I think I'm going to have to find ones in a larger size! Maybe I could take a trip to Texas on a pink boot quest and visit Mimi while I'm there.

Shouldn't that be, "to the pain?" [my kids fighting "to the seriously injured"]
I love anyone who can quote The Princess Bride!

I was just looking at Disney backdrops for parites. Now if I can find an icerink Dawn, I could throw my own little Disney on Ice hehe.
Just do what my kids did. Pour water all over the kitchen floor and leave the freezer door hanging open to freeze the water. Voila! Big water mess than makes you scream Ice rink!

Question for SSO, is Brooklyn still sleeping in your bed or are you still trying to get her to stay in her own "big girl bed"? Just curious if your ever going to get your own bed back!
About that... Actually, we're redoing both the boys' room and the girls' room right now. Soon, very soon, Brooklyn will finally have a bed of her own! Savannah and Lexi had bunk beds in their room. They weren't your typical bunks. The bottom bunk sat upon some dresser drawers and the top one was bolted into the wall. It's hard to explain. I wish I had a before picture. Anyway, because of the way the bunks were configured, I haven't been able to move them away from the wall for years. About a year or so ago, I tore up the carpet in the girls' room because it was gross. I couldn't move the bunks so I just cut the carpet around where the beds sat. Joe dismantled the beds today in preparation of painting and laying a new floor. This is what we found behind them...


pens, papers, dust galore, and 50,000 Cheezit crackers


a candy bar wrapper from Brooklyn's first birthday party - yeah, she's 3 1/2 now


total disgustingness on the wall - in fact, it's so disgusting that a plastic ring actually STUCK to it!


a patch of carpet that was left


Yep, that's a baby sock stuck to the mold on the wall. Nice, huh?


another missing sock and a princess bracelet


the lovely (and by lovely, I mean completely NOT lovely) floor in the boys' room


Joe told Clay this was a bucket of mayonnaise. I'm surprised Clay didn't try to eat the glue.


half done


new tile - yeah, I know it looks like a hospital floor. That's the point. Indestructible. Or as indestructible as can be with my boys.


I found this darling artwork on the boys' dresser. I wonder who could have drawn this?