ABC & 123's Summer Prize Picnic

ABC & 123 is hosting a summer time picnic! This picnic is for anyone looking for new ideas to help boost their lesson plans and make learning fun! The picnic includes lesson plans, craft activities, games, resources and most importantly it gives the opportunity for you to share your own ideas! It's going to be a great place to meet others with the same interest! As if that's not enough of a reason to join there are weekly prizes to be won!

I'm a few days late to the picnic but better late than never, right? (Teacher - I swear it's an excused tardy!) The picnic starts off with an introduction of the participants so here I go!

Me & My Family:
Let's see. I'm happily married (next month makes 10 years!) and blessed to be able to stay at home with my two girls - Kailani who is six and in the 1st grade and Momo (Moani) who is two.
Before becoming a SAHM I taught in both the public and private schools - one of my best experiences was working at ASSETS - a private school for both gifted and/or dyslexic children. I have my Master's in Special Education (K-12) but I'm undecided as to whether I will return to teaching once my youngest starts attending school. I know how much work it takes to teach and it takes that much more work to be a mom. I'm not too sure if can do both! We will see. No decisions have to be made yet!

How long have you been reading ABC & 123?
I found ABC & 123 sometime in February. I'm not even sure how! I think it was a matter of one click of the mouse, then another, then another. Katie had posted a response to a thread on JesseKate Designs blog and I clicked on her name and found Katie's Nesting Spot. Another click lead me to ABC & 123 and I have been a fan ever since. I even blogged about them here!

How did you come up with your blog title?
I have to thank my BFF Stephanie for the title. She is always calling me a mess. It started when my husband was deployed and I had to hold down the fort, take care of my kids and stay sane all at the same time. Something was ALWAYS going on within my household! It's not because my house is a mess. Well, uh. Maybe. ;)

Case in point. While writing this intro I noticed that Momo was awfully quiet. If you are parent you know that quiet can equal no good. Here's what she was doing:


She managed to open up my dad's can of mixed nuts and then dumped them. Notice there aren't a whole lot of cashews? She loves cashews!

Ten minutes later (while I am still working on this intro) I kid you not:

That's why my blog is called "Mama's a Mess!"

What types of activities do you most enjoy doing with your children?
Swimming! Prior to becoming a teacher I spent many years lifeguarding, teaching swim lessons (infants through adults) and coaching competitive swimming. We gave Kailani her name because it means "heavenly ocean" in Hawaiian. Luckily she LOVES the water. Momo loves the water as well but has yet to go swimming in the ocean. The first time I took her to Water Country USA she screamed when I placed her in the pool. Uh - no. NOT ACCEPTABLE! Turned out the reason why she cried was the water was much cooler in that particular pool! She is a beast in the
water!

An oldie but goodie - Kailani (3)

What are your summer plans?
We are doing quite a bit of traveling this summer. Back in December we moved from Virginia to North Carolina. In about six weeks or so we will fly out to Washington to visit with my sister and her family. Then we will fly back to my home state of Hawaii where we will be living once again!

What is your favorite picnic activity and food?
For me the best picnics are those at the beach! Chill out, relax, swim and have fun! Bring a cooler full of cold drinks, fruits (watermelons or honeydew melons!) sandwiches for the kids and sushi for me! (I know that sounds odd but I used to stop by Kozo Sushi all the time before heading to the beach!)

Obviously there is a lot more to me, my family and my blog but let's leave it at that! Thanks so much for reading! I'm looking forward to meeting other participants of the picnic. If you're not signed up for the picnic but want to click here!

One Lovely Blog Award

*Told you...I've got a lot of catching up to do!*


Thanks so much to Yvonne of "Kiss My Rash" for this lovely award! I've been falling behind on my blogging (as well as packing, sorting, laundry, cleaning, sleeping and everything else for that matter) so this award was such a welcome surprise! Thanks Yvonne!

Here are the rules for this award:

- Accept the award and place it on your blog together with the name of the person who has given it to you and their web-link to their site.

- Pass the award onto 15 other blogs you have newly discovered. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for the award.

Well! Since joining Sew Mama Sew's May Giveaway event as well as Mom's Blogger Club I have come across so many new (at least new to me) and fabulous blogs! I have bookmarks all over the place! I'm sure I could think of more than 15 blogs to pass this award on to but for now the awards go to:

1) Better than Boogers
2) Betula' Loo
3) Bitchin Wives Club
4) Crazy Cucumbers
5) Hazelnuts
6) Icewerks
7) Koala Brains
8) Life with Birk
9) MooBear Designs
10) The Confessions of a Stay at Home Mom
11) The Obnoxious Stay at Home Mom
12) Women's Ink
13) Shabby Chicks
14) I'm Living Proof that God has a Sense of Humor
15) Attack of the Redneck Mommy

Holy smokes that took a long time! But it was worth it. Check out their blogs! You're sure to find something funny or inspirational....or both!

(BTW - if I have given you an award but I have not commented on your blog yet I will! I'm going about 100 mph today.....)

Drop Dead Deadline for Bibs & Blankets!

This Sunday is May 31st - the deadline I had posted for the bibs, blankets, etc. for donation to the Barium Springs Home for Children. I don't have the words to express my appreciation to all of you that have already donated items!

I realize that the deadline may have crept up on some of you but don't panic!

The ABSOLUTE-NO-LATER-THAN-DEADLINE is June 22nd!

I will be packing up and moving a few days after that! That gives everyone that still wants to participate about three weeks and a couple of days to make your bibs, blankets, etc. and get them in to me! Thank you so much!

Since I have a some new followers let me just give you a brief explanation of what is going on in case you might want to help!

My girls and I have been temporarily living in N.C. with my father since Christmas. We moved here from Virginia and are actually on our way back to my home state of Hawaii in just a couple of weeks. While living here I wanted to give something back to this community. Since I love to sew I decided to do a collection drive of homemade bibs, blankets, etc. for The Barium Springs Home for Children which is located a short drive from where I live. My goal was to donate 1000 (yes, I said a thousand!) bibs and blankets.

Without friends nearby I knew I was either going to have to do this on my own or enlist some help. I did a "shout-out" on my blog, Craftster, and Facebook asking fellow lover-of-crafts to help out. To my surprise people volunteered! A few friends and even more strangers! I have truly been blessed and touched by the contributions and support that I have received from people that I don't even know!

Now, do I think that I will reach my goal of 1000 bibs and blankets? No. I admit, I was beating myself up about it recently - that I didn't work hard enough to get the word out; that I made an unrealistic goal, etc. But you know what? I may not have 1000 bibs and blankets to give but I have so much more thanks to everyone's help! And the help continues to come. I received an email today saying some bibs are on the way!

So if you'd like to help you still have time! You can leave a comment on my blog or send me an email at SHARKritzler(at)AOL(dot)com. I can then send you my mailing address.

If you'd like to see some of the beautiful things people have already sent in check out the pictures on the right side of my blog. I also have links to tutorials for bibs and blankets but please don't feel these are the only things I am accepting! While it started off as a handmade drive I have had many people donate other items that the home has on their needs list. As long as the items are in clean and working condition the home will take it.

Thank you again for your help! It warms my heart and will do even more for the kids and families that will receive it!

Wordless Wednesday - Am I a Bad Mommy?

I couldn't help it.
I had to take a picture before actually helping her.
Can you blame me?

For more Wordless Wednesday click here.

I Love You More Than......

Every time I tell Kailani I love her she will respond with, "I love you more." I will then respond with, "No, I love YOU more!" This always starts a game of trying to one-up each other. Here are some of Kailani's respones:

"I love you to infinity....."

"I love you more than all the sand in the world...."

"I love you more than all the trees in the world....."

"I love you more than all the stars in the sky....."

"I love you more than all the peanut butter cups in the world....." (Reese's)

And now a new one:

"I love you more than all the fabrics in the world....."

A girl after my own heart! <3

Memorial Day

Daddy is Home - 2006

I hope everyone is having a wonderful three day weekend! Unlike most kids my daughter actually has school tomorrow (Memorial Day). Why? It's a "snow make-up day". A few months back school was canceled due to snow and apparently some nitwit decided Memorial Day would be the perfect day to make it up. I'm curious to see just how many absences there will be at school!

On a more serious note - I wanted to take a moment to remind everyone to please stop, if even for just a moment to remember the service men and service women that paid the ultimate price fighting for our freedom. This day is in remembrance of you. Thank you for sacrifice.

Over the years the true meaning of Memorial Day has been forgotten. It has been replaced with a weekend of pool parties, beach days and backyard barbecues. Currently Memorial Day is celebrated every last Monday in May. However, there is an attempt to change Memorial Day to it's original day of observance, May 30th.

On 17 of March 1989 Senator Inouye [HI] introduced a bill to the Senate which called for the restoration of the traditional day of observance of Memorial Day back to May 30th. Every new Congress since then (every two years), Mr. Inouye has faithfully re-introduced the bill. Several times a companion bill was introduced to the House.

As eloquently stated by Mr. Inouye in his introductory remarks to the bill he introduced in 1999:

"Mr. President, in our effort to accommodate many Americans by making the last Monday in May, Memorial Day, we have lost sight of the significance of this day to our nation. Instead of using Memorial Day as a time to honor and reflect on the sacrifices made by Americans in combat, many Americans use the day as a celebration of the beginning of summer. My bill would restore Memorial Day to May 30 and authorize our flag to fly at half mast on that day. In addition, this legislation would authorize the President to issue a proclamation designating Memorial Day and Veterans Day as days for prayer and ceremonies honoring American veterans. This legislation would help restore the recognition our veterans deserve for the sacrifices they have made on behalf of our nation." (1999 Congressional Record, page S621)

*Courtesy of US Memorial Day.org*

For more information or to sign the petition click here.

In remembrance of our fallen soldiers......

Fricken Friday

That's the toned down version. Did you read my post from last night? Where I whined about feeling overwhelmed? Well, my Friday started off WONDERFULLY. While I was cooking I noticed Momo was a little too quiet and this is why. She came into the kitchen and said, "LOOK!" She was SO proud. I was SO ticked.

Here's the proof. I didn't even take picture of the sheets, furniture, door and whatever else with purple markings that I haven't found yet. Need I say more?

Haven't been crafting much....

You may or may not have noticed but I haven't been doing any sewing/crafting lately. I've been crazy-busy, stressed, overwhelmed, preoccupied, etc., etc., etc.! As the title of my blog says, "Mama's a Mess!"

While I certainly don't want to use my blog as a platform to whine please allow me to whine just a little bit. Maybe if I get a lot of it out I'll feel better. Or maybe someone can give me some helpful advice. OR maybe I'll reread what I wrote and realize how ridiculous I sound and will get over it quicker. ;)

I've got lots going on. In a little over six weeks we will officially be moving. So much to do in so little time. I haven't been sleeping much because I can't get anything done during the day with Momo around! Need I explain? Things to pack, things to donate, things to trash! I'm also trying to figure out if I should buy a new car seat now, in Washington, or in Hawaii. Momo is a few pounds shy of the weight limit on her current seat so we have no choice but to buy a new one soon. The big question is, WHICH seat? I've spent hours researching the different car seats and I still can't make up my mind. If you have any recommendations on toddler seats send them my way! I've been looking at another Britax, Alpha Omega Elite or as suggested by a friend the Graco Nautilus. Then when I do get one do I take it on the plane or check it in? Any thoughts? Please share!

On top of moving I am still working on the donation project for the Barium Springs Home for Children. I will be taking all donations over to the home in the last week of June. I don't have an exact date yet as I'm not sure what day our movers will be coming. Luckily Barium Springs is expecting me and will allow me to come whenever I can. I still have tons of bibs that are only half done so I gotta get on it! *Sigh* One minute I am feeling overwhelmed but then I will receive a package in the mail containing bibs or blankets to donate and I once again become inspired. I really want to blog about my thoughts on all of this as the generosity of others has really touched me deeply. A post for another day....

So even though I feel like it's crunch time I've scheduled a week long trip back to Virginia after school gets out so my kids can spend some time with their other grandpa before we leave the continent. While I'm not looking forward to the drive (6.5 hours) I am looking forward to hanging out with my best friend. Lucky for me my kids are good travelers!

What else...what else....

I'm annoyed with my daughter's teacher. There. I said it. Out loud for everyone to read! I think she is GREAT when it comes to actually teaching the kids but terrible at other parts such as communication and organization! No return phone calls, emails, etc. I used to teach so I know the routine. It's not IMPOSSIBLE to keep in contact with your student's parents! Not only is it NOT impossible but it is a MUST to keep the lines of communication open between teacher and parent!

There are other things that I'm annoyed about with her school but I'll leave it at that. Wait. One more thing. Kailani came home with a certificate signed by her reading teacher for "EXCELLANT READING." Did you catch that? EXCELLANT? Are you KIDDING ME?!? I'm actually somewhat used to it as her lead teacher makes spelling mistakes ALL THE TIME on their SPELLING LIST. Yeah. On their list of words to study to SPELL there are spelling mistakes. Kailani even came home today and told me that her teacher spelled "mother" wrong. The paper said, "mather." *Sigh* She's only six and is recognizing the mistakes! (Which is good for her!)

Did I mention that last week my father's computer crashed? I lost SOOOOO many pictures of the girls and I can't get them back. Having had a computer crash before you would think that I would learn to back up my files. Nope. Tsk tsk. Shame on me.

OMG. I am giving myself a headache! So sorry if I am doing the same to you! More to vent about but I'll stop now! Thanks if you made it this far. I know that when I wake up tomorrow I'm going to reread this and be totally embarrassed and want to delete this entire post!

P.S. Oh yeah. My dad found a snake in the yard. Not sure what kind as it slithered away. Not that it matters. A snake is a snake whether it is poisonous or not. Much like a shark is a shark. Don't like them, don't want to see them, don't want them to kill me.

(ETA: I dreamed about snakes all night. Wonderful.)

Bibs from Tonya

From Tonya - Shawnee, Kansas

MAIL CALL!

Guess what came in the mail today? BIBS!

I received a package from Tonya today that had seven handmade bibs for the Barium Springs Home for Children! The bibs are absolutely darling and I'm sorry to say but my picture does not do them justice! (I just LOVE the dark corduroy one!) If you get the chance head over to her blog at Crazy Cucumbers! Tonya is also a participant of Craft Hope and made some dolls for the orphanage in Nicaragua. She is the one I give credit to for inspiring me to finish (actually START on) my dolls! Check out her adorable, one-of-a-kind dolls here!

Tonya - if you are reading this I am so grateful and feel so blessed to have received your bibs! Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Sweet...Smart...Silly.....

* Sweet * Smart * Silly * Stubborn * Sassy * Special *

Awhile back Katie from Katie's Nesting Spot posted about a giveaway she had won. She was the lucky recipient of the cutest cards designed by Kim of 4 Crazy Kings. The cards had kids on them from of all different walks of life. Blonde hair, brown hair, red hair; African American kids; Asian kids; etc! I went absolutely ga-ga over them! Of course I was especially drawn to the kids that had a little Asian influence to them as they reminded me so much of my own kids!

I was so bummed that I missed out on the giveaway. I really wanted these cards! I sent Kim a message asking if she had an Etsy account or if there was a place online where she sold her cards. Currently she does not have a shop but she graciously offered to send me some cards FREE OF CHARGE!!! Can you believe that?!? THANK YOU KIM!!!

Well, the cards arrived in the mail today! Take a look!

"Surprise!"

"Oops!"

"I'm Telling!"

"I'm Sorry"

"You Can't Make Me"

Aren't they just adorable?!? They remind me so much of my own little Momo. As soon as I can find a picture of her in pigtails I will post it!

If you like these cards as much as I do head over to 4 Crazy Kings and let Kim know! If you are interested in purchasing any of her cards you can contact her directly through her blog. As a matter of fact go ahead and try to convince to her sell her items online! Tell her Sharon sent you!

By the way - wouldn't these look great enlarged, framed and hanging on the wall?

Thank you Kim!!!

You'll thank me for not posting a pic!

I wasn't sure what to title this post. Several ideas came to mind:

1. The Mommy Zone
2. Dr. Diet Pepper Saves The Day
   
3. The Not-So-Glamorous-Life of Parenting
4. I Am Not a Girlie-Girl But.....
5. WHY CAN'T MY HUSBAND BE HOME?
6. I Think I'm Going To Be Sick
7. My Kids Are Never Going Outside Again

Can you tell I had a not-so-wonderful-thing happen today? I won't keep you in suspense.

MOMO HAD A TICK ON HER HEAD!!!

Still makes me shudder.

I just so happen to be caressing her little head when I felt a lump. I knew...just KNEW that it had to be a tick. What else could it be? I apprehensively seeked out the lump, parted her hair and THERE IT WAS. And it wasn't a little sucker either! I thought I was going to be sick.

I immediately had to get into the zone. You know which one. The "Mommy Zone". The place you you go in your mind when you really don't want to do something but because you hold the title of "mommy" it's up to you to do it? I think it's more of a daddy's job but since daddy is thousands of miles away he was of no help. How about a grandpa's job? Well, my father wasn't home at the time either. It was up to me to remove the tick. !@#$%^&!

The "Mommy Zone" directed me to the tweezers, alcohol wipes, tissues, Diet Dr. Pepper and a straw. No, Diet Dr. Pepper doesn't kill ticks but I knew it would keep Momo occupied for a few minutes! I told Momo that she had a bug on her head and that mommy was going to get it. She didn't seem phased by it a bit. Thank goodness. I sat down in the recliner, turned on the reading lamp, placed Momo on my lap and handed her the Diet Dr. Pepper with a straw. "FOR ME?!?" her little eyes said. I told her to go ahead and drink it but stay very, very still for mommy. Oh yeah. That did it.

Now. I won't go into details about removing the tick. Let's just say it was quick and relatively painless. Momo didn't flinch and I (or should I say the tick) even took some skin off of her little head. But at least I got the critter off of her and left nothing behind. I also managed to stay conscious during the entire ordeal and did not vomit all over myself.

*Sigh* I am still totally and completely grossed out by it.

I called my husband and told him, "You were right." I'm sure he was shocked to hear those words as I don't say them that often. But last year the subject of ticks came up and he told me it would eventually happen - that one of the girls would get a tick. I didn't want to believe it. I held on to the hope that it just wouldn't happen. Never did I think that if it DID happen that I would be the one to remove it!

My husband asked me what did it look like, how did I remove it, how was Momo, etc. When I told him it was a fairly large tick he responded with, "Oh...it must've been on her for awhile."

Ummm, CORRECTION. That is NOT the right response! I told him he was supposed to say, "Sharon, don't worry. I'm sure it wasn't on her for very long."

Yeah, honey. Thanks for making me feel better.

After venting (crying?) about it to friends and family I was told of many different ways to remove a tick. Using tweezers; a burning match; Vaseline; etc. I just wanted to mention that a lot of these ways are not recommended anymore. Here's a link to proper tick removal in case you are ever in my predicament. By the way, it doesn't mention Diet Dr. Pepper.

Now, aren't you glad I didn't post a pic?

Another Doll for Craft Hope

Last week I was so busy preparing for a yard sale that I thought I missed the deadline to turn in my doll to Craft Hope. I went into a total panic! After a frantic email promising to send my doll Priority Shipping the next day I received a friendly email reminding me that the deadline wasn't until June 13th. For some reason I had May stuck in my head. What was I thinking? I even have it posted here on my blog that the deadline is in June. I guess I either need more sleep or more coffee!

Relieved that I didn't miss the deadline I decided to make one more doll. This one is made with Hello Kitty fabric. After all, who doesn't like Hello Kitty?

If you get the chance check out some of the other dolls that have been handmade for Craft Hope. Each and every one of them is unique! It is really inspirational to see all the different dolls made by so many different craftsters! Click here to view them!

Bibs from Cecilia

I was so annoyed this morning when the mail lady came hours earlier than normal. I was actually prepping a few things to mail off when I saw her pull up. *Sigh* Just my luck. I was so irritated that I didn't even see her put a package in the mailbox for me. I would soon find out that the package contained BIBS!

Cecilia, a childhood friend of mine from Japan sent me six sock monkey oilcloth bibs that she had made! They are too cute for words! And to think that she heard my call for help much later in the game and has already made them and sent them! THANK YOU CECILIA!!!

From Cecilia - L.A., California

Adorable Blog Award

Last week (yikes) Steph at A Pocket Full of Buttons crowned me with "The Adorable Blog" award. She swears it's not because we're friends. ;) Thanks Steph!

The Rules are as follows:

Include the award logo in your blog or post.
Nominate as many blogs which you like.
Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.
Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog. Share the love and link to this post and to the person from whom you received your award.

I now pass this award on to:

Homemade by Jill
I first found her site when looking for bib tutorials to post on my blog for my donation drive. Check out her "Quiet Time" book. It is unfreakingbelievable!

4 Crazy Kings:
I recently found her site and just LOVE the crafts that she does with her kids! I just went ga-ga over her stationary set!

Olabelhe
Can you say talented? I remember when she was figuring out what to name her business and now her business has boomed! How a mother of four does it I have no idea!

The How-to-Gal
Talk about turning something ordinary into something fabulous! I don't know how she does it. She should have her own tv show!

No Appropriate Behavior
Want a refreshing-no-holds-barred kind of blog? You'll find it here! This mama tells it like it is and boy can she write! Boogers, pimples and freakouts....you're gonna love it! I wish she would blog everyday!

A Maui Blog
Whenever I'm feeling a bit homesick I like to hop over here. I love how she captures the beauty of Maui in her writings and her pictures! If you've ever been to Maui or dream to go there one day check out her blog!

PS - The rules do not state you have to write a summary about the recipients of the award but I really wanted to. I think these blogs ROCK! :)

Wordless Wednesday: How do I look?

For more Wordless Wednesday click here.

Shout Out to ABC & 123

Have you heard of ABC & 123? It's a wonderful blog run by two Katies: Katie from Katie's Nesting Spot and Katie from A List Maker's Life. Together they have created a blog that features lesson plans, crafts, and educational resources for moms and teachers alike! They are full of ideas to help make learning fun!

In addition to finding lesson plans you can also submit your own. Awhile back they asked for lessons using handprints. I sent my "I Love You This Much" lesson and they posted it on their blog! How cool is that? Katie and Katie's website has been a great resource for me to find new things to do with my girls. In doing so it has also sparked an interest in me teaching again! So thank you ladies!

By the way, one of my girlfriends did the "I Love You This Much" activity with her daughter and made a handprint hug for grandma. Grandma apparently loved it! I'm glad they had fun and I certainly appreciate the feedback! Send a picture if you can!

ETA: She blogged about it! Check it out here!

Bibs, Blankets, Etc. Update!

This past Saturday I participated in a yard sale with the Central Foothill Mommies. It was a great way for me to meet some other moms, sell quite a bit of stuff and of course take advantage of a few good deals! :)

Two of the moms from the club surprised me with donations to the Barium Springs Home for Children. Helene gave me a stack of flannel receiving blankets....

From Helene - Conover, N.C.

....and Tammy passed along bibs, blankets and TONS of clothes!

From Tammy - Stony Point, N.C.

Thank you ladies!

The CFM had asked their members to donate items to sell at the yard sale to profit the club. All items that were left over after the sale were graciously given to me to take to Barium Springs. There were two large boxes of stuff! I sorted through it and here is what was given:

From the Central Foothills Mommies - N.C.

I was able to fit everything into one big box.

If you would still like to donate items you still have time! While this project started off as a "handmade bib & blanket drive" I will obviously take donations whether they be handmade or not. I actually called Barium Springs this afternoon to make sure that they would take a lot of the already donated items and they said "yes." Clothing, toys, household items, etc - as long as the items are in good, clean condition then they will take them!

The deadline is coming up: June 1st! Just a few more weeks to go! If you'd like to participate just leave me a comment here with your email address and I will send you my mailing address. THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Happy Mother's Day!

Flowers from Kailani

Happy Mother's Day to all you mommies out there! And let us not forget those that may face this day with bitter sweetness. Those that have moms who have passed; those who have lost children; and those that are trying desperately to have one. My heart goes out to you.

Awhile back there was a interview circulating around Facebook and MySpace to interview their kids with questions about mommy or daddy. I thought I would share Kailani's answer with you. The answers are pretty funny! If you get the chance to interview your kids leave a comment here and link me to your post! I would love to read it!

Here we go:

Kailani's Interview - age 6

1. What is something mom always says to you?
I love you.

2. What makes mom happy?
When I hug her.

3. What makes mom sad?
When I am mean to her.

4. How does your mom make you laugh?
She does funny things.

5. What was your mom like as a child?
Pretty cute.

6. How old is your mom?
Ummmm.....ummmmm......ummmmm......I don't remember.

7. How tall is your mom?
I don't know.

8. What is her favorite thing to do?
Hug me.

9. What does your mom do when you're not around?
Get crazy. I don't even know what you do.

10.If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
Okay, I don't know.

11. What is your mom really good at?
Hugging me.

12. What is your mom not good at?
Taking care of Momo. (Gee - thanks.)

13.What does your mom do for a job?
Take care of me.

14.What is your mom's favorite food?
Sushi.

15.What makes you proud of your mom?
Okay. I give up on that one. (Gee. Thanks again.)

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
Patrick. (WOW. She could've at least picked SpongeBob. But no...she has to pick the big fat dumb starfish to be me. Go figure. I asked her why Patrick and she said - "I thought you liked Patrick...that's why I picked him!")

17. What do you and your mom do together?
Go outside and play.

18. How are you and your mom the same?
Let me think. What are you writing? Our hair is short.

19. How are you and your mom different?
We have different color hair.

20. How do you know your mom loves you?
Because I'm her girl.

21. What does your mom like most about your dad?
Let me think. Mama married him. You married him because he looks handsome. lol

22. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?
Panda Express. lol (Of course it had to be a food place?!? Well...when you've been deprived of something for two years and then you come across one....of course I want to go....again.....and again.....and again. lol Darn orange chicken.)

**************************************************

Mother's Day Continued.....

Last night I wanted to post a bit more about Mother's Day but I came home to a "crashed" computer! I was mortified. I spent HOURS trying to fix it. While the problem isn't completed resolved I am back online and that is what matters!

I had a really nice day yesterday. I was able to sleep in (till 7:00 a.m.) Unfortunately if I sleep in till 7:00 I don't get that quiet time to drink my much needed coffee before the rest of the house wakes up. The moment my feet hit the floor Momo woke up as well. *Sigh*

I had already received my Mother's Day card and present from Kailani on Friday after school. I could tell that she made an effort to color the card very carefully. The present she made was a white tile decorated with her fingerprints. The teachers took her fingerprints and turned them into animals, grass, flowers, clouds, etc. It is really cute, however, Kailani was a little irked that one of her animals was made into a cat instead of a dog. She said that she told her teacher exactly what she wanted but her teacher "must've made a mistake." I know it upset her because she knows that I prefer dogs over cats as I am allergic to cats. Poor thing. I tried to reassure her the best that I could.

Middle cat is supposed to be a dog.

Kailani wanted me to make sure everyone knew that!

On that note....

*Warning*Warning*Warning*: Vent ahead....

Personally I would've preffered that the kids do the drawings and write "Happy Mother's Day" in their own writing. So what if something might've been misspelled or a dog not look like a dog, you know? I want to see my kid's creation and not that of a teacher's! Am I the only one that feels this way? Okay. I'm done. Thanks for allowing me to vent.

Kailani also gave me some flowers and a JUMBO bag of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups that went directly into the freezer (the BEST way to eat them!) After my dad treated us to lunch the girls and I hung out at the mall. Was it what I was dying to do on Mother's Day? Can't say that it was but that's alright.

My favorite part of the day was when the three of us climbed into a photo booth and took our picture. I can't say that I have too many pictures of myself since I am usually the behind the camera! This picture was worth the wait. :)

Mother's Day 2009

Hope you had a wonderful day!

P.S. Sorry about the wonky spacing. What gives?!?

Yakisoba Recipe

It's been a busy couple of days - I had been preparing for a yard sale and if you've ever done one you know how much work it entails! Will update more on it later.

It's recipe time!

I thought I'd share one of my all time favorite meals - yakisoba! Translated yakisoba means "fried noodles." It is the Chinese equivalent to chow mein. However, I am very particular about my yakisoba. My all-time favorite is Sapporo Ichiban. I'm sure my Yokota and Hawaii friends know what I am talking about but for everyone else it looks like this:



If you're lucky you can find it in the international/Asian aisle of your grocery store. My dear non-Asian friends....do NOT be afraid of this little package with Japanese writing all over it! ;) If you can find it, BUY IT! It's usually pretty cheap - costs a little more than ramen but as you all know ramen is cheap! One package claims to make two servings but we know better. I would say it's more like a package per person.

Unfortunately, since leaving Hawaii I have not had much luck finding it. In Virginia I would occasionally find it in the Asian grocery store and when I do I buy a case of it! Since moving to N.C. I have had NO luck whatsoever! Well, my dad must've heard me whining about it because this is what was delivered to the house the other day:


Sixty packages! Holy smokes! My father found it online at Very Asia. They have it for $.69 a piece or 30 for $16.00 (plus shipping.) Sixty packages sounds like a lot but it won't last for too long in this house! ;)

I recently I found out that a former classmate of mine from Yokota High School (Japan) shares the same love of this particular yakisoba. Ammy over at Tiggerprr's Scratching Post wrote about it and posted a recipe on her blog. So instead of writing up my own I will link you to hers! Click here for Ammy's recipe. Thanks Ammy!

By the way, since so many kids have an "allergy" to vegetables you can make this recipe plain without all the added ingredients. It also tastes really good with some fried up bacon! "ITADAKIMASU!!!"

A Pocket Full of Buttons Giveaway!

Okay - if you've noticed I'm not one that regularly posts about giveaways. I may enter some but rarely will I post about them. Unless I see something that I REALLY-REALLY want! And I'm really-really wanting something right now. :)

My girlfriend over at A Pocket Full of Buttons is celebrating the BIG 100 times two! She just blogged her 100th post AND she now has 100+ followers! CONGRATULATIONS STEPHANIE! To celebrate she is giving away a $30 gift certificate to her boutique, Sew Fierce. I would love to get my hands on the "Cross My Sweetheart" dress for me....I mean for Momo! ;)

Rules on how to enter are on her blog. No that I really want YOU to enter because that lessons MY chances of winning! *sigh* Okay....I'll play nice! The giveaway runs from May 6th -20th. Tell her Mama's a Mess sent you!

Wordless Wednesday: Craft Hope

Momo's, Kailani's & Craft Hope's

My "Wordless Wednesday" today is a little bit wordful. :)

Back in February I posted about "Craft Hope." In their own words this is who they are:

"Craft Hope is a faith-based, love inspired project designed to share handmade crafts with those less fortunate. It is our hope to combine our love for crafting and desire to help others into a project to make a difference around the world."

I found out about them a little too late to help out with their first project but I am happy to say that I am able to help out with their second.

For their current project they are asking for donations of handmade dolls to give to the Casa Bernabe orphanage in Mangua, Nicaragua. This orphanage houses boys and girls between the ages of 4 and 18. Many of the children have come from abusive backgrounds and almost all of them arrive at the orphanage with nothing. Donating the dolls will not only give the children something of their very own but it will also allow the children to develop the nurturing instincts that they are born with but have been deprived of themselves.

While Craft Hope provided several links to free patterns/tutorials online I decided to go with a pattern from the You Can Make This website. I was a bit undecided so I let Kailani help me choose. Together we decided on the "Doodle Girl Doll." A simple pattern that requires only a quarter yard of fabric. Plus, I liked the fact that the hair on the doll was made from fabric vs. yarn. While I think the yarn hair is really cute quite honestly I didn't want to have to deal with it.

Can anyone guess what the problem is when making a doll? If your guess was "you have two girls" you are right. I knew that I would have to make them one too. That's okay. I figured I would test out the pattern on theirs. I let them both choose which fabric they wanted as well as the eye and hair color then went to work.

I think they turned out pretty cute. There are a few changes that I made to the pattern but overall is was very easy to do. The dolls have already brought a lot of joy to our house - hopefully it will bring some joy to the orphanage in Nicaragua!

If you are interested in helping out with this project you still have time. The deadline to send in a doll(s) is June 13th. Click on the logo for more information. Help if you can!

For more Wordless Wednesday click here.

My Little Mermaids

Who doesn't love mermaids? While surfing the web for who-knows-what and after clicking on who-knows-how-many-links I came across a website, Chasing Fireflies. They've got some of the cutest things but unfortunately not within my budget! While looking at the pictures I found some mermaid towels. How cute are they? Pretty darn cute, but not $48.00 cute. With two girls it would actually be $96.00 cute. I don't think so.

So I attempted to make my own. Instead of buying terry cloth by the yard I bought some towels on sale at Target. My plan was to make them shorter than they show in the catalog for fear of it being a trip hazard. For some reason the tail wouldn't lay right and it would flop this way and that. So I went ahead and made it longer.

I stitched some lines in the tail and made my own bias tape with some batik fabric that I had. Instead of putting ties on it I used Velcro. That way I don't have to listen to, "Mommy, tie this" over and over again. The outcome? They are not perfect but they came out pretty cute...and for much cheaper than what they are selling for in the stores!


It's a bit chilly to put the kids in their bathing suits - please excuse what they are wearing. ;)

I think they'll be super cute come beach time!