Neighbors

I have the best neighbors.  I have never before lived in a place where I feel comfortable leaving Brandi home, running the neighborhood, with my neighbor agreeing to keep an eye on her.  I do the same thing for her daughter, too.  A couple of weeks ago, I was sitting outside after a particularly bad day, and she came upstairs with wine coolers, and we sat, drank, and talked for a while.  She's pretty awesome.

Last night, I was outside smoking, and she came upstairs with a bunch of free movie codes for me to use at one of those boxes outside of the grocery store.  She said her and her husband rent a different movie every night because like us, they don't have cable.  I love movies, so this was great.  My problem with movies, though, is that I like to buy them so I can watch them over and over again.  Because quite honestly, most times you can buy the movie cheaper than if you went to see it in the theater.  The last time I went to the movies, I took Ryan, Kasi, and one of Kasi's friends and spent almost $90 by the time we bought popcorn, drinks and tickets.  You can find all kinds of cheap bluray movies and DVD's online if you know where to look.  You can also buy microwave popcorn for way cheaper than at the theater, and honestly, it tastes a lot fresher, too.  Movie popcorn always tastes kind of stale to me.

So give me a movie, my couch, a diet pepsi, and a bag of microwave popcorn over a trip to the theater any day.  Plus, when watching a movie at home, you can pause it for potty breaks.  And if you know me at all, you know I need lots of potty breaks.

The Last Weekend Of Summer

Even though we technically have another month of summer left, this weekend is generally known as the end of summer.  Kids around the country are heading back to school next week.  That is, the ones who haven't already started back.  My kids went back three weeks ago.  My nephews go back this coming week.

Just because summer is coming to an end doesn't mean that summer fun has to end.  I am a big swimmer, and so are my kids.  One of the things I have always wanted to, but have yet to do, is visit a water park.  I mean, what can be more fun than sliding down huge slides into huge pools of water?

We live pretty close to a huge indoor water park, and I have been wanting to visit it for a while now.  I think the kids would love it.  Okay, who am I kidding?  I would love it too!  The best thing about indoor water parks is that the weather doesn't factor into the fun.  It could be freezing outside, but inside, we could be in our bathing suits having a ball. 

Hopefully by this time next year, I can say we visited the park, and I'll let you all know how much fun we had.  Oh, and I'm sure I will have tons of pictures to share, too.

We Need Some Inflatable Rafts

I spent the day yesterday in a pool.  Now, if you read my blog last year, you will remember that I got a pretty bad sunburn. 

You would think that I would have learned from that. 

You would think that I would have lathered myself up with sunscreen so it didn't happen again this year.

Um, yeah, I didn't, and now, I look like a lobster.

Again.

And it hurts like crazy.  The good news is that I had fun yesterday.  So did Brandi.  She got to play with a friend of hers, and they had boogie boards in the pool that they were playing on.  That got me to thinking that she would really enjoy playing on the lake with tubes and inflatable rafts.  I know they have some that have motors on them, but I would get her one that she would have to row.  Heck, she could even row it in the pool, especially my mom's pool.  Her pool is definitely big enough for something like that.

I am looking forward to spending another summer in the water.  I really enjoyed our cookouts last year, and spending time with my mom.  I hope we have just as much fun this year.

Buying Boat Ladders

The kids and I went to my dad's house today to help celebrate his birthday.  There were tons of kids there, and lots of fishing and other games. Dad even gave out a couple of boat rides.  I went out with my kids and Carson (my nephew) on the first run, and for some reason, when we got back to the dock, I felt nauseous.  I am sure it had nothing to do with the drinks I had last night and everything to do with the choppy water.  The kids love going on the boat.  Brandi and Carson were having a blast, as you can see:

Look at those smiles!  My dad has a pontoon, which allows a bunch of us to ride at one time.  I am not sure what type of boat ladders it has, if it even has any.  I know some boat ladders look like ladders, while others look like actual steps.  I guess it all depends on the boat and the owner.

We also ate pizza and cake, which I allowed myself to enjoy.  I have really been watching what I eat, but gave myself a pass for today.  Maybe that has something to do with the way I feel right now, too.

Suddenly, The Term "Single Mom" Applies To Me...How The Hell Did That Happen?

For the first time the other day, I referred to myself as just that, a single mom.

It felt weird on my lips.

Just a couple of weeks ago, we were a happy family.  Or at least that is what we led everyone to believe.  Now, I am here, alone with the kids, trying to find a new normal for us.  The older two are doing good, but Brandi still has her moments.  Lots of them, actually.  Bob and I are both trying to be a supportive as possible, I just think it is going to take her some time to get used to the way things are going to be from now on.

I keep having people ask me if there is a chance of us getting back together.  When I tell them no, I usually get the same reaction...disbelief.  I wish they would believe me.  I know what is in my heart, and while I do still love my husband, it's not enough.  I am no longer in love with him, and I know he would say the same about me.  And that's okay. 

In the past two weeks, I have changed.  I am so much more confidant.  It's like I found all this self esteem I have had buried deep inside.  I am not sitting here, worried about my future.  I am doing things to make my future better for me and my kids.  I went yesterday and got my permit, and I can not wait to get my license and a car.  I am finding that I enjoy driving, and I am good at it.  My friend let me drive her around all day yesterday.  I have been applying for jobs...I just hate this having to wait for phone calls.  I really want to have my own money coming in so that I don't have to depend on Bob so much. 

I know I have tons of support from all of you, but please understand that I do not want to talk about what actually led up to Bob leaving.  If you really want all the juicy details (though you will probably be disappointed) email or message me.  I am going to try really hard to not let this turn into a "the road to divorce" blog....it is still going to be about my babies, who are no longer babies. 

For tonight, though, I am shipping the kids to their dad's so I can go out and have some fun....and I am really looking forward to it.  I deserve a little happiness.

They're Growing Up

The weather has been beautiful here the past couple of days.  This morning it was raining as we waited at the bus stop, but that quickly passed.  I think we ended up being close to 70 degrees today.  With the weather so beautiful, Brandi wants to be playing outside, which is fine, except that she doesn't really have anything to play with besides her bike, and she refuses to ride it around the neighborhood because of the dogs.

I remember when the kids were little, and we had lots of things, like backyard swing sets, for the kids to play on.  They would spend hours sliding and swinging, working off their energy.  Come bed time, they were ready for some shut eye. Now they are too big for swing sets.  We have graduated to board games and cards.  My youngest can hold her own in rummy and chess.  In fact, she can beat me in chess.  I just don't understand that game.

I am getting ready to do another review for CSNStores, and I'm thinking about trying to find a new game for us.  They have so many choices!  I know Brandi would love this puppet theater:

 And they would all love this croquet set:

I know we would have a lot of fun with this, and it's something we could use in our own yard.  I remember playing this at my grandparents house when I was a kid.  I wonder if I'll remember all the rules?

The BOA Shoot

Here I am, all prettied up.  I have to admit...I think my favorite part of the entire day was having the makeup artist do my hair and makeup.  She was so sweet!  Every time they posed me, she would pop in and fix my hair, making sure everything was perfect.  I was really nervous beforehand.  Like, seriously nervous.  I was worried they wouldn't like my house, or my clothes.  Turns out, I worried for nothing.  There were six people here, and each one was nicer than the next.  I loved Jackie, the woman from Bank Of America.  She was so outgoing.  The photographer and designer put me at ease, and they said I was a natural.  Go figure.  The girl who hates having her picture taken is a natural at it.  

They arrived around 9:30, and while I was getting all prettied up, the photographer and shoot designer (I think that was her title) staged my kitchen.  They removed a lot of things, and rearranged things, setting the scene for me to sit at the kitchen table on my laptop. I never realized how much stuff I have until they were trying to get it all out of the way! lol. Then they took tons of pictures. 

My girls were supposed to be in some of the shots, but Kasi ended up being sick (pink eye and the beginnings of the flu) so they only used Brandi.  Turns out, she ended up being just as sick as Kasi, but that was after they left.  Here's a shot of her getting all prettied up by the makeup artist:

The photographer ended up getting some awesome shots of her.  There was one, where I was sitting at my desk and she was looking out the window...she was in focus and I was just background.  I hope they end up using that one.  When they were done, the photographer took a shot of my entire family, just for me.  I thought that was really sweet. 

The whole experience was awesome.  I hope I like the pictures they decide to use.  They tried so hard to get me to smile with my teeth showing, but I hate my teeth, so the best they got was the smile in that picture up there.  I was told the report comes out some time in March, and that they will send me a copy. 

I honestly can't wait to see it.

We Went To The Circus

I seriously love the circus.  I know, you think it's because of the elephants, don't you?  Okay, maybe that's part of it.  I mean, I did take about one hundred pictures of just the elephants.

We went last year, and I was happy that the show was completely different this year.  There were things they didn't do this year that I would have loved to see, and there were new things this year that were pretty cool.  My favorite (after the elephants, of course) was when these two guys got into these metal rings that spun around.  They were doing flips and jumping rope, not only on the inside, but on the outside, too.  Check it out:

You can't really tell in the picture how high this guy was off the ground, but he was pretty high.

I can't wait to go again next year.

Flashlight Keychain With Laser Pointer Review & Giveaway

It is getting light later in the mornings now, which means when the kids and I head to the bus stop at 6:20am, it is still pretty dark outside.  We don't have any street lights in our neighborhood, so unless my neighbors leave their outside lights on, it's a pretty dark walk up the street.  I used to carry a huge flashlight when we lived in the duplex and it was just the kids and I at the bus stop, but I don't like using it here.  There are tons of other people at this bus stop, and I don't want to look like a weirdo carrying a huge flashlight.

When I was asked to review this Flashlight Keychain with Laser Pointer, I knew it would be perfect for our walk in the mornings.  It's a tiny little flashlight that gives off just enough light for us to see where we are walking in the mornings.  The first day I carried it with us, my son insisted on playing with the laser.

It was pretty cool because the laser lit up the stop sign at the end of our road from pretty far away.  I took this picture from our driveway, and you can see how far away the stop sign is, so you can guess how powerful this little laser is. We also had some of the younger kids chasing the laser around the bus stop.  It's amazing how much fun you can have with a little keychain!

Do you want to win one of these for yourself?  All you have to do is one or all of the following:

• follow me on Twitter (there is a link on the top right sidebar)
• "like" my blog on Facebook
• follow me publicly on Google Friend Connect
• blog about this contest with a link back to this post
• Tweet this contest

 This giveaway will be open to US and Canadian bloggers until 11:59pm on Thursday, October 7, 2010.  The winner will receive one Flashlight Keychain with Laser Pointer.

Good luck!
*I received one flashlight keychain with laser pointer to review and keep for myself as compensation for this review. The opinions above are my own.
This Product Was a Free Giveaway
Sponsored by Tomoson.com

Fun With Dry Ice

Yesterday, I had a package delivered that contained a frozen product that I will be doing a review about sometime next week.  To keep the product frozen, it was packed in dry ice.  When I opened the box, it had a warning: wear protective gloves while handling dry ice.

Well, I do not keep dry ice protective gloves (what are those, anyway?) in the house, so I just used a pair or tongs and threw it in the sink.  I am talking about a pretty good sized piece of dry ice...at least 10 inches square, about two inches think.  Junior called the kids into the kitchen, and then turned the water on.  In no time flat, my kitchen looked like a scene from a scary movie.  It was pretty cool! 

My 4th Was Awesome!

I know, I look awesome, right?  I was having such an awesome time yesterday, that I only took three pictures the entire day...two of the food, and this one, although technically, I didn't take this one, but it was on my camera, so that counts, right?  Anyway, this is me and one of my bestest friends, Missy.  (I met Missy blogging a couple of years ago, and we lived close enough to each other to meet up in person, and we have become great friends!  I love her entire family!!!)  Her and her family came to mom's to swim and eat yesterday, along with my sister and her family, and one of her friends family.  Did that just make sense?  There was lots and lots of swimming, and food.  In my family, Holidays mean food, and boy oh boy did we have some yummy stuff yesterday!  My mom was a super hostess as usual, and everyone had a relaxing, fun day.  Unfortunately, the night ended with a trip to the ER after my eight month old niece fell out of her stroller onto the cement around the pool (she is fine! Thank God!). 

I promise to take more pictures next time...that is, as long as I am not having too much fun!

My Day. It Was A Long, But Good One

Brandi is still sick.  Well, I say sick because she is running a fever, but she has no other symptoms.  When I ask how she feels, she says nothing hurts (ears, throat, chest, stomach), she just doesn't feel good.  For a while this afternoon, her fever broke, and I thought she was doing better.  She even got in the pool for awhile.  When we got back home, her temp was back to 101.7.  I'm thinking we might just hang out at home tomorrow and let her, and Junior, start feeling better.

Junior's hand is looking better.  It is in no way looking good, but it look better than it did yesterday.  This is a good thing, because it means he won't go in for surgery on Monday.  Huge sigh of relief.  I think the high dose of antibiotics is doing the trick.  He is still hurting, but the pain medicine is making it bearable.

I spent today with my mom, sister, Grandmother, and my favorite aunt.  I was so close to her growing up, and it was wonderful to spend time with her today.  She has to fly back to Florida in the morning, so I dragged Brandi over to my mom's house and set her up in bed with her movies while I visited.  Do I get the bad mom award for that?  I am not usually emotional, but I cried when I saw my Aunt today.  It's been about 6 years since I have seen her.  When I was little, I used to spend weeks at a time at her house.  If we had a vacation from school, I was at her house.  During the summer, I spent weeks on end over there.  She is the only person in the world still allowed to call me Jenny.

I guess that's about it.  I am beat, and ready for bed.  I know I have said this before, but swimming, and being in the sun, wears me out!

I Was Shocked. Seriously. I Was Floored.

Let me begin by saying that Brandi is the ultimate mama's girl.  In the eight years that she has been on this earth, the only time she is ever away from me is when she goes to school.  There have been a few times when she has gone with my mom for a few hours, but that's about it.  She has been invited to do many things, with many different people, but she refuses to go unless I go with her.

Last night, one of Kasi's friends invited her to go skating with her.  When they showed up to pick her up, the girl's Grandmother came in and was talking to Junior and I.  Brandi walked in the room, and the Grandmother asked her if she wanted to go too. 

I was shocked when Brandi said "sure".  Five minutes later she was gone.  If I'm being honest, it was a little weird for me that she left.  I am so used to her not wanting to go anywhere without me, I felt a little un-needed.  I know that's crazy.  But hey, she's my baby.  I am not ready for her to not need me anymore.

When they got back, Brandi was all smiles.  Apparently she made friends with Kasi's friend's Grandfather, and he helped her learn how to skate.  I was glad she had a good time, and I hope this is the beginning of her being a little independent.

Even if I am not ready for it.

The Eight Tens Meme

The Eight Tens Meme

TEN TO START.

1. Are you single? Nope...been married for almost 15 years

2. Are you happy? Yup.

3. Are you bored? No way! I am enjoying a quiet house with no kids or husband...oh, and the sound of New Moon playing in the background.

4. Are you naked? that's a kind of personal question...but no, I am not naked.

5. Are you a blonde? yes, yes I am

6. Are you moody? I don't think so, but others might disagree.

7. Are you a lover/hater? A little of both...that's what makes me so interesting.

8. Are you hot/cold? I'm hot and I know it! Oh wait, did you mean temperature? Yeah, still hot :)

9. Are you Irish? Yes...my maiden name was Carney.

10. Are you Asian? Hot at all.

TEN FACTS.

1. Name: Jennifer

2. Nicknames: Jenn, Mom, Bitch....the usual!

3. Birth mark: nope.

4. Hair color: blond...I thought we already covered this?

5. Natural hair color: mostly :)

6. Eye color: green

7. Height: I'm about 5 feet tall

8. Facebook Mood: um...I have no idea!

9. Favorite color: purple....and black...especially when these two colors are together

10. One Place to Visit: I would love to go to Hawaii, but I am afraid to fly...so I guess any other tropical paradise we would drive to...is there such a thing?

TEN THINGS ABOUT YOUR LOVE LIFE.

1. Do you believe in love at first sight? Sure enough

2. Do you believe in soul mates? why yes I do

4. Have you ever been hurt emotionally? haven't we all????

5. Have you ever broken someone’s heart? I'm not sure...but I know I have had my heart broken.

6. Have you ever been cheated on? yup...but not by Junior...an old boyfriend cheated

7. Have you ever liked someone and not told them? sure, I was a teenager once.

8. Are you afraid of commitment? nope.

9. Who was the last person you hugged? Brandi,as she got on the bus this morning

10. Who was the last person you kissed? Brandi, as she got on the bus this morning...is there an echo in here?

TEN THIS OR THAT.

1. Love or lust? hmmm...I am stealing Satcey's answer and going with a little of both!

3. Cats or dogs? I will be a cat lady someday...I just know it!

4. A few best friends or many regular friends? I have a few close friends, and that's all I need.

5. Television or internet? why would you make me choose?????

6. Chinese Or Indian? Oh, most definitely Chinese...but, I have never tried Indian food, so this is not an informed decision...feel free to send me some Indian take out...I will email you my address lol!

7. Wild night out or romantic night in? night in...who needs to deal with the public?

8. Money or Happiness? money would be nice, but I prefer to be broke and happy than rich and miserable.

9. Night or day? a little of both

10. MSN or phone? neither...I hate talking to people...I'm not kidding. My phone never rings, and I like it that way!

TEN HAVE YOU EVER.

1. Been caught sneaking out? I have never, ever snuck out...ever! ;)

2. Been skinny dipping? when I was younger and thinner, absolutely!

3. Stolen? I really want to say no to this...but I am not sure I can...

4. Bungee jumped? I do not have a death wish.

5. Lied to someone you liked? I think we have all lied a time or two...not that that makes it right...

6. Finished an entire jaw breaker? sure, when I was a kid...not these days...too much sugar for me.

8. Wanted an ex bf/gf back? wanted, as in the past, yes...now...no way!

9. Cried because you lost a pet? I cried for days when I had to put Penelope. my 18 year old cat, to sleep, and then again when Ollie died.

10. Wanted to disappear? after doing something extremely embarrassing...absolutely!

TEN PREFERENCES IN A PARTNER.

1. Smile or eyes? Eyes...every guy I have ever dated has had blue eyes
2. Light or dark hair? it doesn't matter to me
3. Hugs or kisses? probably hugs
4. Shorter or taller? okay, it would be impossible to date a guy shorter than myself!
5. Intelligence or attraction? how can I pick?
6. Romantic or spontaneous? romantic, I guess
7. Funny or serious? oh man, there is no question in my mind...funny! I have to laugh! All the time!
8. Older or Younger? The hubs is 6 years older than me, so I'll go with older
9. Outgoing or quiet? um...this is a tough one!
10. Sweet or Bad Ass? sweet

11. RICH? not a requirement, but a little financial security would be nice.

TEN HAVE YOU’S.

1. Ever performed in front of a large crowd? yup...I was in the school orchestra for years!

2. Ever done drugs? I experimented one time...and it was awful...so never again...it was pot...no hard drugs for this girl...I was offered coke one time, but I was smart enough to turn it down.

3. Ever been pregnant? I think so ;p

5. Ever been on a cheer leading team? yes, when I was in elementary school

6. Ever Been on a dance team? nope...this girl can not dance!

7. Ever been on a sports team? never.

8. Ever been in a drama play/production? yup...twice...Cinderella (I was the evil stepmother in 4th grade) and A Christmas carol (I was the narator in 6th grade).

9. Ever owned a BMW, Mercedes Benz, Escalade, Hummer or Bentley? Ha! That's funny!

10. Ever been in a rap video? HaHa! This is even funnier!

TEN LASTS.

1. Last phone call you made: um...I talked to my sister yesterday

2. Last person you hung out with: other than Junior and the kids...um...I don't remember...how sad is that!

4. Last time you worked: I work every day...it's called being a mom

5. Last person you tackled: tackled...not a chance...tickled...Brandi, trying to get her out of bed this morning

6. Last person you IM’d: that's too technical for me...seriously.

8. Last person(s) you went to the movies with: I saw New Moon with my mom and the girls a few days after seeing it with Missy

9. Last thing you missed: sleeping...had to get up early for the cable guy this morning.

10. Last thing you ate: um....let's see...pretzels before bed last night while watching Nurse Jackie and United States Of Tara...I am so glad they are back!

I totally stole this meme from Stacey! It's been a while since I have done one of these, and I know you miss reading all this random crap about me. Hope you enjoyed it!

The Greatest Show On Earth

What can make a kid smile that big?

Wednesday night we headed to the Greatest Show On Earth. It was awesome! I think my smile was bigger than Brandi's. I used to go see this circus every year at Madison Square Garden when I lived in NY, and the last time I went had to be about 17 years ago. They have changed so much, and yet it still had the same feel. I loved the trampoline performers, which was new, and of course I adored the elephants. It was all I could do not to go down there and hug every single one of them.

Yeah, I know. But if you can't let your inner child out every now and then, what's the point of having one?

Today's Fun Brought To You By Snow

This afternoon, Brandi's BFF Faith ventured over with her dad. They live right across the highway from us, and were tired of being stuck inside, so they walked over. Faith's mom is my friend Nicole, the one who just had a baby last Monday. (I did get the spelling wrong. It's Anzleigh, not Ansley) My kids had been out earlier in the day, and they were sledding down our little hill. When Faith got here, most of the snow on our little hill had turned to mud, so they had to figure out something else to do. This is where Ryan came in handy.
Our yard is still a sheet of ice, so the sled was sliding nicely on it. The only problem was that the kids were having to run and jump on the sled to get it to go across the yard. At first Chad (Faith's daddy) was pushing them to get them started, but he tired out pretty quick. Ryan decided to tie a rope to the sled and pull the kids around. He's young, so he had a lot of energy. His biggest problem was that it was slippery, and he kept falling as he tried to run.

It was pretty funny.

Eventually he tied the rope around his waist, and was able to pull both girls at the same time. They were having a ball! After a while the girls decided they wanted to pull Ryan, but he was a little too heavy. He didn't think it was quite fair that after all his hard work he didn't get a ride, but I told him now that he is getting older, he will be able to do things that the girls can't, like going to Boating School or riding the tube on the lake come summer time. That seemed to lift his spirits, and he went back to pulling the girls around the yard. By the time they were all wore out, Brandi was soaking wet and freezing, which is what I was trying to avoid with her because she has been so sick. As soon as I got her back in the house, she took a shower and warmed up pretty quick, and hasn't started back to coughing, so hopefully she'll be alright.

Every school district, except ours, has closed school tomorrow. Our district is on a 2 hour delay, but I think I am going to let them stay home. If the roads are too bad for buses at 6:30am, I don't see them being much better by 8:30am. I would rather be safe than risk my kids getting hurt in an accident. My only worry is that Brandi has missed so much school already, and I am afraid that we will be called in for an intervention like we were with Ryan.

If it comes to that, I will tell them that I was only being a good mother. They can't fault me for that, can they?

Thank You, Izea!

When I stepped outside today to get my mail, I found a green box on my front porch.

I had my front door open, and I was singing some Lady Antebellum at the top of my lungs while washing dishes. Yeah, I am sure the mail lady heard me...slightly embarrassing! But hey, my kitchen is clean, and now I have a new hat. Wait til you see it! But first, let me show you what else was in the box.

Can you read the label??? It is...are you ready...tofurky and gravy soda. To be honest, I am afraid to try it, and am kind of relieved that I can not drink sugared soda. But, the kids and Junior have volunteered to be my guinea pigs on Thanksgiving...I'll let you know what they thought!

You want to see the hat that was keeping that soda company in the box?

That's right...it's a turkey! I love it!
Brandi grabbed it as soon as she walked in the house from school, and tried it on.
Then she stood in front of the mirror for an hour laughing at herself!

Thank you again, Izea, for the fun Thanksgiving treats!

I Think I Just Set A Record!

I don't think I have ever gone a whole weekend without posting something before. Weird.

Anyway, it was kind of a busy weekend in a do nothing kind of way. That doesn't even make sense, does it? On Saturday, the girls and I went to the park and lunch with my mom and sister. Carson was a s cute as ever, and of course baby Lylah was adorable. I spent a good part of our time there just holding her.

I love babies.

Here is a shot of Carson and Brandi. They are definitely "best cousins". I love how much he loves her!Here's a shot of Kasi...as soon as i took this picture, she stole my camera and took a bunch of pictures of Brandi and Carson...they are posted on my facebook if you're interested.

And no post would be complete without a shot of this mug...

Birthday's And A Pinata

Remember last month when we had Ryan's Halloween birthday party, and it started pouring rain half way through? The kids were disappointed that they couldn't hit the pinata. Ryan has been asking every day since then if he could take a whack at it.

Since this past Friday was his birthday, we decided to let the kids have fun with it. Junior tied it to a bungee cord, and whenever the kids took a swing, he raised it up. They had a blast!

It took about fifteen minutes for them to finally get enough hits in to break it open, and the it was a free for all for the candy and toys inside. I had light up eyeballs and mini bubbles containers in there, plus some candy.

I think they had more fun doing it just the three of them than they would have if we had done it at the party. They each got to hit it quite a few times, and that's really the fun part. If my back had felt better, I would have taken a couple of whacks myself, but I ended up being the picture taker, as usual.

It's now time to start planning Brandi's birthday, which is December 4th. She really wants to have a bowling party, but I don't think that's going to happen, especially right before Christmas. I am going to have a hard enough time finding the money for Santa, let alone an extra $100 for a bowling party. I think I might just take my kids one Sunday when the games are cheaper, and let them have fun. I know it's not the same thing, but i think she will have just as much fun.

Our Haul

What I got...

What Missy got...

Our haul!

We each spent $23, and got all that food! We are going again in 2 weeks, and we are already planning our strategy.