BLOGMANIA 2011 Dream Team

Have you heard? I've been accepted as a BLOGMANIA 2011 Dream Team Member! I am so excited!! I have been looking for awhile now for a way to up my blogging game, and I think this is going to be the perfect thing to help elevate my blog to the next level! (Sorry for all the !EXCLAMATION POINTS! but I am REALLY excited!)

Blogmania is a group of 200 talented bloggers guided by Parker PR Online to host a giveaway with over $100 in prizes on each of their blogs on the same day twice a year.

Interested in joining us?

BLOGMANIA is now accepting applications from and recruiting some of the most talented people in their respected blogging fields to sign on as BLOGMANIA blogs for APRIL and /or OCTOBER 2011 EVENTS. If accepted you will be one of just 200 elite bloggers - THE BLOGMANIA’s APRIL 2011 DREAM TEAM!

Entry Fees (paid within 7 days of acceptance to secure membership):

April – $59

October – $99

Apply now for both – and, if accepted, pay only $129!

In 2010 – Bloggers worked hard to promote BLOGMANIA as an event. In 2011, BLOGMANIA is going to work hard to promote 200 bloggers - the official BLOGMANIA 2011 DREAM TEAM.

SAME GREAT WORLDWIDE, WEB WIDE EVENT – NEW APPROACH.

TEAM MEMBER PERKS:

• EACH BLOG will host a page with the list of the April 2011 Dream Team – that’s 200 do follow links for your blog!
• EACH BLOGGER will follow all 200 bloggers on twitter and will host a twitter list of the dream team twitter accounts.
• EACH BLOGGER will send out a Facebook announcement announcing their membership on the dream team and link back to their page on which the the Dream Team list is hosted.
• EACH BLOGGER will have the ability to sell ad space for BLOGMANIA for commission.
• EACH BLOGGER will receive help from PPRO and the BLOGMANIA Team Leaders with getting sponsors, building their giveaway theme, promoting, as well as any tech questions.
• EACH BLOGGER – excluding BLOGMANIA Team Leaders – will have the chance to participate in DREAM TEAM ONLY promotions, contests and giveaways throughout the year. You will also be given first dibs to work opportunities that come in through PPRO, as well as commission opps and advance notice of all PPRO monthly promo events with first dibs at slots at a discounted rate.

TO APPLY: COPY PASTE and FILL OUT the following application and then email it to Gina Parker at blogmaniapr@gmail.com with 2011 DREAM TEAM APP in the subject line. Please send this application from the email you will use as your main contact email if chosen for the DREAM TEAM. Remember, we are limited in numbers and looking for talented and serious bloggers – please follow these instructions correctly if interested in being given a good look.

YOUR NAME:
BLOG NAME:
BLOG URL:
TWITTER USERNAME:
FACEBOOK PAGE URL:
ARE YOU ON blogfrog?:
DESCRIPTION of your READERSHIP:
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: Referred by #40 Cultivating Rosebuds

I hope you join us!

Erin

miscellany monday: trying something new

i am feeling random. i am in a funk - personally and on this blog. so i am trying something new this week.

1. fighting. i am "in a fight" with my best friend in this town. doesn't that sound so sixth grade? it is. it started over a miscommunication and when i finally started communicating, i actually communicated too much. now she is hurt and i am hurt and i don't know where to go from here. why do we as women do this to ourselves? *sigh*

2. best alone weekend ever. save for #1 above, the rosebuds and i had a great weekend even with mr. rose being out of town. saturday i had mom's morning out where i ate breakfast out all by myself! (it was glorious.) i got my car washed and vacuumed, filled it up with gas, and made trips to the craft store and grocery store. that afternoon we visited the pool. (hey - if it is going to be 90 degrees out and our pool is still open i am going to embrace it.) sunday brought us to church, cracker barrel, and the gym.

3. consignment sale. i am getting ready to participate in our local consignment sale as a first time consignor. i really don't have that much to sell, because we are still planning on more kid(s.) but, i really wanted to consign if even just for the experience and to get a pre-sale shopping pass. check back on thursday for my review on how it goes!

4. parents. my parents are coming to visit this weekend and i am so excited to see them! after living with them for four months earlier this year, i really miss our daily interactions. and i might just have to schedule that massage i have been meaning to get.

so what do you think? totally random, right? head on over to lowercase letters for more miscellany monday!

Erin

My fall book challenge

As I have written on this blog before, I love to read. I just don't do it as often as I would like to. About a month ago, I joined a book club and was prompted to read two books that were a little out of my normal realm of reading. It was great because I didn't have to figure out what to read. They told me what to read, I read it, and had a lovely adult discussion about the books.

 

Book club has since prompted me to get back into my reading time and I am really enjoying it. Earlier this year, I discovered that Katrina at Callapidder Days does a twice a year reading challenge. Basically, you create a list of books you want to read and try to complete your list in the allotted amount of time. So, I decided to join in the fun!

  

Here is my list. I realize that it is probably a lot shorter than most people playing along with this challenge, but what can I say? I have already read 10 of my "12 Books in 2010" personal reading goal for this year. Anything over that is just gravy.  If I can read all these by the deadline of December 22, I am going to "up my game" and set a goal of 36 books in 2011. (Yikes!)

1. Wolf Hall, Hilary Mantel

2. Naomi and her daughters, Walter Wangerin

3. Juliet, Ann Fortier

4. The Thorn, Beverly Lewis

8. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter & Sweet, Jamie Ford

9. The Age of Innocence, Edith Wharton

10. A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens

11. Skipping Christmas, John Grisham

I also have a couple of other goals for this challenge:

1. Spend no more than $3 per book. That means using the library or book swap.

2. Speaking of the library, I want to make a weekly trip to the library to my Rosebuds to storytime. We do this sporadically, but I am going to try to make it part of our weekly routine.

3. Speaking of the Rosebuds, my final goal is to read to them for 30 minutes before bedtime. We are already reading a lot to Miss H, but Lil' B tends to get the short end of that stick.

Interested in joining in the fun? Head on over to Callapidder Days to link up. Happy Reading!

Erin

Why do they do this to me?

A couple of weeks ago Lil' B (formerly known as Baby B) came down with a nasty cold and ear infection. Off to the doctor we went for our prescription of antibiotics.

This morning Miss H says to me, "Mommy, what we doing today?"

"We have to take B back to the doctor to get her ears checked again sweetie."

"But not me, right?"

"Right, not you. She is just going to check B's ears to make sure her ear infection is gone."

Famous last words.

When the doctor comes in, she announces how glad she is that I brought both girls because TADA! the magical flu shots are in!

Image: m_bartosch / FreeDigitalPhotos.net


Shoot. Now, I am in a precarious position. I flat out told Miss H that only Lil' B was getting checked and now it turns out they both have to get shots. My mind starts racing. Who should get it first? B is surely going to scream. Will that freak Miss H out even more? Miss H is surely going to throw a fit, especially if Lil' B doesn't get hers first? What to do, what to do???

Well, Lil' B got her shot first. She cried a little bit and then was happy to play with the band-aid. I held Miss H on my lap and restrained her hands for the nurse. I felt horrible. She screamed and kicked the nurse before she could even get near her with the shot. Finally, we were able to give it to her and she cried for awhile. It wasn't even a "it hurts" cry; it was more of a "I can't believe you let them do this to me" cry.

I felt like a horrible Mommy. I know she thinks I lied to her. Tricked her to get her to the doctor to get her flu shot. But honestly, I had no idea that this was going to happen today.

Chalk it up as one more of those things we do for our kids - even if they don't like it.

Erin

PS - I took the plunge and started a Facebook page for my blog. Would you be so kind as to "Like" it? Here's the link. Smooches!

Here we go again

Mr. Rose has taken off on another extended trip. This time is a lot different from his spring trip. We are able to talk to him everyday and video chat on Skype. We are going to visit him for a week in October and he will be home on the occasional weekend.

But it is still hard.

The kids are actually being great. In the first week that he has been gone, there have been no major meltdowns, injuries, or fights. They are just going along their normal routine, except that Dad isn't home in the evenings for dinner or on the weekends. I think that they are starting to get a little bored with just me being here though.

Yesterday afternoon I was beginning to lose my cool. It was the end of the seventh day of him being gone and my afternoon was not going to plan. I could feel myself unraveling. My responses to Miss H were getting shorter and louder.

Fortunately, help arrived in the form of my amazing babysitter. She is the kind of girl who loves kids, especially mine, and whom kids love in return. She plays fun games, uses silly voices when she reads books, builds forts and is generally a kind and loving person.

I *heart* her.

She came to spend the weekend with us. To give me some free time, some help with the kids and around the house, and some company in the evenings. It was exactly what I needed.

Yesterday afternoon, she kept the kids while I went to the grocery store and cooked dinner. {She even cleaned up my kitchen while I was gone even though I told her not to.} This morning she kept the kids while I went for some much needed retail therapy. It was glorious.

We are all going to be very sad to see her go tomorrow. Having her here has, and is still, a huge blessing and it reminds me that I need to not be afraid to ask for help. As a stubborn person, it is oftentimes difficult for me to admit weakness. Realizing that needing help does not mean that I am weak is half the battle.

One week down, nine more to go!

Erin

I'll try

Miss H is going through a stage where she wants me to do (or at least help) her with everything. Getting dressed. Going potty. Washing her hands. Don't get me wrong, she does need a lot of help with some things. These are not tasks she needs help with.

She has become proficient at the phrase, "I can't. I need you, Mommy." Over the past two months, I have been working with her to say, "I'll try" instead of "I can't."

Sometimes I feel like a Drill Sergeant.

"Recruit, did you say can't?!?! Can't is not a word in my vocabulary! I do not know the meaning of the word can't! You can and you will TRY until you DO!"

She has started giving it back to me, too. "Honey, I can't read to you right now, I need to change the baby's diaper." "Mommy, DON'T SAY CAN'T!"

Stinker.

But it is working. She is becoming more independent and trying to do more things on her own, like putting her dirty dishes in the sink.

While we are trying to teach her how to do things for herself, we are also trying to teach her perseverance and determination. We want her to know that she can do anything she puts her mind to if she will only try.

As we have gone through this exercise, I have been thinking to myself, how many times a day do I say can't? I also need to start saying "I'll try" more.

As I was lurking on facebook this morning, I came across this video showing Army soldier amputees completing an obstacle course. Wow. From a couple of soldiers I have heard from, this course is no walk in the park. It is incredibly tough with two good arms and legs. I cannot begin to imagine how hard it is for these guys. Yet they try, and they can.

This served as a good wake-up call for me today. There are things I have been putting off because "I can't." From now on, it's going to be "I'll try."

Erin

Big girl bed and walking baby

 

My girls are growing up.

Over the summer, we moved Miss H to her "big girl" bed, otherwise known as the toddler bed conversion from her crib. Yes, my girl slept in a crib until well after her third birthday. It was working for her, working for us, and in my opinion, if it ain't broke....you know the rest.

Anywho, we finally made the leap and moved her into her big girl bed, prepared for her to explore her new found freedom. And then? Nothing. She stayed in her bed in her room without fail. She even stayed in her bed in the mornings when she woke up. Seriously? Yes ma'am! (You can hate me now.)

Every once in awhile she would get up out of her bed to grab a book or a small toy, but then hop back into bed. I would find her in bed in the morning with something that I did not put her to bed with, but I am okay with that. The moral of this story is, I am so glad that we kept her in a crib as long as we did.

Over the last several days, Baby B has been cautiously taking her first steps. She will take a few steps, fall down, and then look up at you with a huge grin. Every day that goes by she spends more time on her feet and less on her hands and knees.

When I see that little baby toddling around, it feels too soon. Yes, she is 13 months old and she should be walking. But she is my baby! She seems too small to be walking around already.

My girls are growing up. Growing up too fast. I want to freeze time because I know that in ten years when they want to be driven to the mall and dropped off at the movies, I will look back and long to relive these days. Well, maybe not freeze. Maybe just slow it down a bit.

Or maybe? Maybe it is time for Babybud #3....

Just sayin'!

Erin

World's Greatest BFF

What makes two people become best friends? Is it chemistry? Likeness of attitude? Similar beliefs? It is hard to say. I have a handful of ladies whom I consider to be great friends. Me and my best friend? We just are.

Here are a few things about what makes my best friend the greatest.

Eagerness to help

My best friend is always ready to help. When Miss H was born she drove three hours at the drop of a hat to be by my side. Before Baby B was born, she planned a trip to Florida for a week when Mr. Rose was traveling, just to be here with me. 

Memories

My best friend and I have known each other for a long time - our entire lives. We weren't always friends though. We sort of just existed in the same world passing each other in the hallway without even acknowledging the other's presence.

And then one day, we started hanging out. We got to know each other. We started to create fun memories and sad memories and hilarious memories and serious memories. Memories that bind us to each other to this day.

She was my maid of honor and I was hers. She is my daughter's Godmother and I am her son's. She knows just about every secret I have ever had, and vice-versa.

Insanely silly

My best friend is the craziest person I know. She can have me rolling on the floor laughing (to the point of *almost* peeing in my pants) in an instant. She knows that laughter is the best medicine and can cure all ills.

Love

I love my best friend and she loves me. When my heart breaks, her heart breaks. After I experienced a loss, she cried when I told her over the phone. When my heart soars, her heart soars. She was the first person I told when I found out I was pregnant with Miss H. I'm pretty sure she cried then, too!

Years of putting up with my....

Flaws. I am obsessive, compulsive, Type-A, and controlling. I am sometimes bitter and have a tad of a temper. During my wedding planning, my nickname was Zilla (okay, I wasn't THAT bad.) But honestly, she has put up with my junk for nearly 29 years, just sayin'.

Have you figured out who my best friend is yet?

My sister. She's been there for all the ups, downs, highs, and lows of my life. I love her with my whole heart. "Thank you for being a friend!"

Erin