I can't stop staring at the glowing...

One of my favorite things about where we live is during the summer months there are tons of Firefly's. We didn't have these where I lived growing up, so I am just like Liam and get really excited when they come out at night.

We thought we'd try to catch some the other night, but had a hard time doing it since it got too dark and you could only see them for the second that they shined, then POOF they were gone, and then right in front of you the next minute.

We decided the best time is when the sun has gone down, but you can still see them without them having to be shinning.

But while we were looking we found a little frog hopping through the grass instead. Liam named him Hopper and we had fun watching him jump in the container. But we decided to let him go cause his Mama would miss him and we didn't have any flies on hand to feed him.

I'm Super Cool!

Which is what he said when he came out wearing this...



I love how he utilized his shorts as a tool belt! Ingenious I tell ya!

You get what you ask for...

Tonight for dinner I cooked some fresh out of our friends garden Broccoli. It was perfect! Our rule at the Poulson house is you have to have ONE bite of dinner...

Liam knows this rule and has reluctantly over the last year choked down a countless number of different things. He is so obedient. He almost always gags, and then with tears running down his face says, "I did it!"

Tonight was a little different. I put the Broccoli on the table and he said, I don't want any trees for dinner.

To which I countered, "But how do you know you don't like trees if you've never tried them?"

He didn't say anything and finished ALL but the broccoli and I said come on each this tree in a silly voice and making it walk like a little tree person..."Mmmm Liam don't I look good?..."

He took the bite swallowed (Gagging all the while) then a few minutes later up it all came. And it wasn't only the broccoli.

I needed up getting to do a load of wash and telling my self, you have to give him credit. He said he didn't like it, ate then showed me how much he really didn't like it...

I think next time I will let him pass on that bite!

Mama can you find me a Rainbow?

It's been raining here A LOT, the last couple of weeks and we've seen a few rainbows as the result.

While we were driving home yesterday, Liam said "Mama lets go find a rainbow, oh and a unicorn too."

Ehhhh???? "Buddy, rainbows only come out after it rains and it's not been raining today so i can't find us a rainbow. I'm sorry. But we'll try next time it rains..."

Liam: "Oh, then can we get a Unicorn instead?"

Me: "Probably not."

Liam : "Why?, I'd really like one."

Me: "Well because, Unicorns don't really exist they are mythical creatures and they don't live on the earth."

Liam: "Darn, then how did Samantha get one?"

Me: Stumped....

Kristen can you answer this for me? LOL!

"Mama you're a good tissue"

Which is what Liam said as I was holding his hand crossing the street and felt him sliding his nose up and down my arm.

"Thanks I said, I get that a lot." then I shuddered and thought I wonder if that is a real job somewhere? I have really soft skin that I'm sure wouldn't chafe, but then again if anyone else tried to wipe their nose on my arm, I think my response would have been much different!

Do you hate to clean the shower???

Owen's theme...

No need for an explanation, (and yes he is sitting on top of a table and this is how I found him...)

The perfect summer treat!

My Friend Mandy, who is also the ever so talented Gourmet Mom on the Go, brought the most creative Jello treats that I have seen in awhile to our Memorial day get together. I had to take them for WACAMOA a few weeks ago, they didn't turn out as cute as hers did, but they were still a BIG hit with the Kiddos and the Mom.

Want to do it too, well here you go...ENJOY!


(Directions taken from Gourmet Mom on the go website.)
Ingredients:

Watermelon rind
4 large boxes red jell-o (6 oz., we used cherry)
5 cups water (DO NOT follow the water instructions on the jell-o box, your "watermelon" will not hold its shape)
1/4 c. mini chocolate chips

note: this recipe is for ONE half of a large watermelon. If you want to use both halves, double the jell-o and water.

Directions:
Cut melon in half and scoop out fruit with a melon baller or spoon. Make sure to get all the way down to the green rind. Stand the melon on its end. You may have to shave a little bit off the bottom to get it to stand upright, just don't cut all the way through and make a hole in the rind.:)

Boil water, add jello, and mix well. Pour into prepared melon rind.

(I ended up putting mine right inside a mixing bowl to set since I don't trust my shaving technique, it worked out perfect!)

Place in the refrigerator.

When mixture is firm but not completely set, push mini-chocolate chips into the jell-o with a chopstick. Let set completely in the fridge. (here is what it was supposed to look like:)

(I ended up modifying this step too, I didn't make this until 10pm so I figured by midnight it would be to the firm not set stage," but I was WRONG as you can see by the pool of mini chips at the bottom.

Instead, once I cut them into the triangle, I just sprinkled the mini chocolate chips on top and I still think it turned out great!)

When ready to serve, slice with a sharp knife and enjoy!

Fun huh!

Mama that makes my ears hurt...

This morning Liam asked if he could watch Beauty and the Beast while I took a shower. I said sure, that's my favorite. He said, "I know! But don't sing it this time K. That hurts my ears, and I can't hear..."

Thanks bud!

Nate vs. the Honda

Many of you may have already heard this story, but if not, here it is. And for those of you who have, here are some pictures to go with it.

Last week, Nate had to do a 24 hour call shift (Which really is more like 26-30hrs before he gets some sleep.)

He didn't get more than maybe an hour that night and came home ready for his bed. He parked the car on the street in front of our house and came inside to get a drink before jumping into bed for a few winks. (This was at about 7 am and the whole house was still asleep, surprisingly!)

He said he looked out the kitchen window and thought to himself, "Wow, that car going down the street looks just like mine." He then looked to the spot where he parked the car, and realized with horror that it WAS his car rolling down the street. (You see Nate had run in with a parked car that lived up the street a year and a half ago, they had to do some serious repairs and somehow the mechanism that keeps you from being able to take your keys out of the ignition unless it's in park, no longer works. So this is how this tale of another parked car ready to meet it's doom was made possible.)

All of a sudden I hear someone RUNNING through my house, grab some keys off the banister and run down the stairs at FULL speed. My immediate thoughts were, "Either someone just stole my car, or stole my kids." So I jump out of bed at Lightening speed and look down the stairs in hopes to see the said offender, but all I see is the light of day coming in through the open front door and Nate's work shoes. I then decide that the offender has to be Nate, and WHAT is he doing???

I run to our window just in time to see Nate running alongside his car in socks while his I pod ear phones flap in the wind behind him.

I understood immediately what has happened and look a little further down the street to where the unsuspecting parked Green (I don't know the model.) car sits just awaiting it's doom. I start to think: "Great I already know what the insurance agent is going to say when I tell him Nate has hit ANOTHER parked car, but this time while running alongside it...and I already know his reply. "This is why insurance companies have discussed not insuring Doctors that have to work shifts longer than 12 hrs, cause stuff like this happens all the time after a post call night...Oh and this will raise your premiums another $15 a month for the next two years..."

I can tell Nate is using all he has to stop the car from rolling, but comes to my same conclusion and in a last ditch effort, jumps in between the two cars in a side football stance bracing for the blow. BAM!!! I flinch ready to hear the crash, and open my eyes a little wider to take in the full damage, but to my surprise neither car seems to have touched each other and this might have worked. He slowly pushes the Honda away from his pinned legs and lets it kiss the other car ever so slightly. Then he is able to unlock the car, turn it on and slowly back away from the scene.

I run down the stairs to go and see if what I saw happen really happened and find Nate, head on steering wheel clinching his teeth in pain. I ask him if he is OK and he says "yeah, but I'm hurt." I immediately ask if he needs to go to the hospital and he replies, "No if it were broken I couldn't have walked on it." (Talking about his femur that is already growing in size as he sits there.)

So I help him inside the house. We asses the damage to his legs and decide we will wait and see if he needs it looked at any further.

At this point his adrenaline was running so high and his legs were causing him so much pain that it took hours for him to actually get some sleep. Then I worried the whole time he was going to throw a clot and die...

When he woke up we had a good laugh and I asked him; if he'd known the outcome would he have still jumped in between the cars and his reply was, "If it meant saving us from getting two cars fixed and a $500 deductible then YES!" MEN??? You see I never would have even thought to jump in between the cars no matter how much it would have saved me...

But Thanks Babe, you are my Super Hero, Edward Cullen wanna be (If only I could have been the one he was saving...)

I can run from inside my house and halfway down the street in all of 30 seconds and, will do almost anything to save myself $500 kind of man!

But Don't kid yourselves. He isn't immortal and unbreakable like Edward Cullen. He is very much Human and has the bruises that would make a Vampires mouth drool to prove it!


Sexy isn't it!

Liam's Pre-school graduation day

Well this year flew by. I have an almost 1 and a half year old and Liam finished his first year of per school. (Sniff sniff)

He LOVED his teachers this year and they worked so hard with him. He tells me all the time how we need to call Miss Colleen and tell her something...

As always our super supportive pseudo aunt and cousin Molly and Hazel came to watch Liam's big day, and dad was able to slip out of the hospital for a few minutes too!


This is mostly for the grandparent's to see, so don't feel like you have to watch the whole movie, but a funny side note: Liam's teacher said that during the school year Liam didn't really participate when they'd do singing time, but she was shocked come graduation day when he performed like this!

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

I guess all he needed was an audience!

Memorial Day fun!

We had a great Memorial day this year. We went to the circus (again.) and the boys loved it. I was a little disappointed but mostly because it was the same show as last years, but Owen was glued until about the last 20 minutes so it gets my vote.














We also went to a fun picnic with some friends. There was good food, good friends and good fun...




The best was slingshotting (is that a word?) fruit snacks and getting to hit a few softballs, something that I haven't done in a really long time!




And a little Hershey Parkin during the long weekend.










Best part of all though was Dad was able to be there for all of it.

I know you wonder what I do all day...

Well today was much like any other day. Owen woke up at 7 am to the deafening sound of the lawn mower guys. Liam slept through the whole thing until 9, and I drug myself out of bed to get O some breakfast.

I have a meeting tonight and have to take a dessert, I scanned through some of my Moms favorite dishes and decided on Rocky Road Brownies.

I made it all from scratch. And I hope it tastes as good as it looks. They have to be with how much butter is in the recipe.


If you want to eat some too, here is the recipe:

Brownie mixture:

1/2 C Butter
1 oz. Square unsweetened chocolate
1 C sugar
1 C flour
1/2-1 C chopped nuts (optional)
1 t Baking powder
1 t vanilla
2 eggs


Topping mixture:

6 oz. pkg cream cheese softened (You'll need the other 2 oz. for the frosting part)
1/2 C sugar
2 T flour
1/4 C butter softened
1 Egg
1/2 t vanilla
1/4 C chopped nuts (Optional)
1 C semi sweet chocolate chips

Frosting Mixture:

2 C miniature Marshmallows
1/4 C butter
1/2 C semi sweet chocolate chips
Remaining 2 oz. Cream cheese
1/4 C milk
3 C powdered Sugar
1 t Vanilla

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Grease and Flour a 9x13 baking pan

In a bowl mix together:
1 C sugar
1 C flour
1/2-1 C chopped nuts
1 t Baking Powder
1 t Vanilla
2 eggs

In a microwave safe dish, melt 1/2 C butter and 1 oz. square chocolate in microwave in 30 sec intervals until melted. Then add to brownie mixture. Mix well and pour into the baking pan. (The mixture will be really thick.)

In a small bowl combine the 6 oz. cream cheese with next 5 filling ingredients blend until smooth and fluffy with a hand mixer. Stir in nuts and spread over UNBAKED brownie mixture.
Sprinkle with 1 C semi sweet chocolate chips and bake for 25-30 minutes or until brownies and topping are just set.

While brownies are baking, combine 1/4 C butter, 1/4 C milk, 1/2 C chocolate chips, and 2 oz. of the reserved cream cheese in a large sauce pan. Cook and stir over low heat until smooth and blended (The cream cheese won't melt completely and will look a little curdled looking.)

When brownies are done, pull from oven and sprinkle Marshmallows and return to oven for 2-3 minutes (You just want the Mallows to puff, don't let them to brown of they'll be dry and chewy.)
As soon as you return bars back to oven, add powdered sugar and 1 t. vanilla to cream cheese frosting mixture and beat well with a wire whisk.

When Marshmallows have puffed, remove bars from oven and immediately pour frosting mixture over the marshmallows. With the tip of a knife, gently swirl the frosting and marshmallows together. Cool completely on wire rack, then chill until firm. Store bars in refrigerator. Make 36 bars.

But what was Owen doing while I was baking these beauties?

THIS:
You'd think by now I'd be smart enough not to leave a bag of flour within reach of ole sticky fingers, but NO I'm not. Luckily I had just filled my empty flour canister back up so it wasn't the whole bag, but enough to make a good mess and a trip in the shower for Owen.



















What have I done to deserve such a mischievous, curious, destructive child? If anyone should have one it should be my brother Chris. He's the one who would do stuff like this when he was little, NOT me! Maybe they messed up and I was supposed to get Graham-Bam???
But I doubt it since Graham is the spitting image of Buddy and Owen, Nate. All I can say is Sara: keep your fingers crossed!

And that is what I do on a typical day...

WIOV contest

THIS POST IS ONLY FOR MY FRIENDS HERE IN DUTCH COUNTRY PA! (But you are welcome to read it even if you are not!)

First off, I have a confession to make: I listen to country music regularly. Now that that's off my chest,

Last week I heard a commercial for a "babies firsts" picture contest on WIOV.

The grand prize is 4 tickets to Dutch Wonderland in Lancaster that we haven't been to yet. And 2 tickets to the Brad Paisley concert. (Which I'll be taking a friend to, since Nate would rather pour lemon juice in a paper cut than go to a country music concert.)

I figured I'd put in an entry and had the perfect picture of a Liam first when he was 14 months. It was the first time we let him have mashed potatoes and feed himself.



Here is the picture


I got an email today that his picture is one of the top 20 finalists and now it's up to public voting for the winner. WE NEED YOUR VOTE! ( The contest is open to all WIOV-FM listeners who are legal United States citizens 18 years of age or older and who reside in Lancaster, Berks, York, Dauphin and Lebanon Counties in the State of Pennsylvania.)

Here are the ways to vote!

You can do it by going online to WIOV in the what's happening box, click on the "vote for your favorite first box" and vote for Liam online, or via text message by sending a text message with the keyword “DW5” to 62582 – By submitting a text message vote, voters will be automatically enrolled in the Station text club; listeners may opt out of the text club at any time by sending a text message with the word “Stop” to 62582. On June 4, 2009 at 4pm, the eligible entry with the most combined text messages and online votes will be crowned The Big I 105’s Favorite First and win a prize pack from Dutch Wonderland. The five (5) runners up with the most combined text message and online votes received will win the qualifying prize pack. Listeners may vote any time between 12:01pm on May 27^th, 2009 and 4:00pm on June 5^th, 2009.

You are only allowed to Vote ONCE online but as many times as you like by text. If you have an unlimited text plan you can put in as many as you like:)


If you have the time, and wouldn't mind voting I'd really appreciate it! And so would Liam!

Cry me a Mani

I truly have some of the best friends a girl could have. Knowing that today would mark the 7 year anniversary of my mom and sisters (And her friend Jera) death, Many of my friends have called or emailed me to tell me they were thinking of me. (I even got the cutest fleur de Lis bag full of goodies from Molly. See not everything is bad about the 24th!) I REALLY appreciate it! It does make such a difficult day easier to bear.

You'd think that after 7 years that time would have healed my wounds, and that life would have gone on without them, but truth be told, there is still not a single day that I don't miss them, or want to call my Mom and tell her about some funny thing that Liam said, or the mischievous thing that Owen did and see how she dealt with things like chocolate drool that won't come out of my favorite white shirt that I have now washed 15 times and nothing seems to want to get that brown hue out...

I've been having a bunch of dreams lately with one or both of them in, (But this always happens in May since there is some constant reminder that they are gone.)

I like these dreams. Even if they make no sense, or that they aren't real, it makes me feel like I've actually talked to them or seen them, but it also makes me realize how much I have forgotten about them.


I'll NEVER forget Mom had a scratchy voice and the most contagious laugh, but I forget some day's what it truly sounded like. (But lucky for me my sis-in-law is a close second and every once in awhile I hear a glimmer of it come out of myself. I've even turned around before, sure that it was Val and realized that it was me who had made that scratchy noise.) Maybe next year I will try to find a clip for you all to hear!

Ali, my beautiful little sister who looked like she was 25 at 17. Some people say we looked alike. (But she got the good genes.) I see some similarities, but I know we talked the same. We'd actually fool people all the time. Even our boyfriends fell for it a few times. And she would have been such a good aunt and mother. I've watched our cousins who were all the same age and went to high school together, grow up, serve missions, get married and I'm sure will shortly have babies, and that is the hardest part. She was so good with kids and would have been a really good Mom. She definitely got
screwed out of that part of life.
(this is a picture of her and her best friend Erin.)


Anyways, it has become a tradition that I go get a pedicure (or manicure now) on the anniversary each year,
1-because I need to do something fun
2- I know it is something that I would be doing with my Mom trying to cheer her up since her own mother passed away and there is nothing like a good pedi or mani to make those blues disappear.

My darling friend Kristen called and said this year she wanted to take me to the Hotel Hershey Spa for a real treat.

We had a fantastic lunch, and got the perfect French tipped maniucres. But best of all I was able to spend a few hours with a person I'd love to have as a sister and enjoy those few hours just talking and getting pampered.

Nate is always so sweet to me around this time of year. He knows I'm walking a fine line and could fall at any moment and supports this tradition by watching the kids so I can get out. I came home to some beautiful flowers and the boys fed and ready for bed.

I just want to put it out in cyber space, (Who knows, maybe they have internet in heaven?)

That I love and miss my two best friends more than anything. That each May I feel this black cloud come rolling in and know that I will have to reflect on the fact that another year has come and gone, as well as another memory of them.
But that I know I will get to see them again someday. I've decided I will punch them really hard first for leaving me like they did, but lucky for me I have the most wonderful Dad and three brothers a sister could ask for. I am so blessed to have them, (Oh and their wives who are more than just Sister-in-laws, a wonderful family of in-laws, a new step family, Friends, Aunts, Cousins, A Husband and two little boys that help fill a big part of that void.)

Here is to all of you for being a part of my life. I love you all!

Only Owen

This kid: I took him to his well baby check up and he is OFF the charts for his height, and is doing better than average for the other skills a 16 month old can do. The Doctor told me that with "this type of child," it's the parent who has to keep up, not the child. I totally agree!

He is a climber! I find him all the time destroying the only plant I've been able to keep alive for longer than a month (Almost a year now:) But this plant sits atop my glass kitchen table top.

He also has an OBSESSION with the toilet. I wish I could say that he wanted to learn to use it, but it's not that kind of a relationship! It's a relationship of: lets see what I can put in the toilet today obsession.

Currently for some reason he loves putting Liam's Madagascar toys in the bowl. He hasn't tried to flush them (YET!) I want to toss the toys, but Liam freaks out, so it's a soak in bleach and a quick air dry, and then we start the cycle all over again.



Anyone have tips on how to control a mischievous child who thinks the words: Don't, stop, & NO mean do whatever you are doing, faster, harder or longer!

Oh and I am here to tell you from experience, Cheeto dust does NOT come out of the carpet easily!

Nothin a little Diego can't fix

The other day I had a really bad headache and was worried that it was going to turn into migraine, so I went to lay down for a bit. Liam got really concerned and was in my bed stroking my arm and telling me, "Oh Mama, you going to be OK." I told him thanks and then all of a sudden he dashes out of the room and comes back running with a Diego band aid in hand.

He says, "Mama, I know how to fix your head! We forgot to put on a band aid." He then puts it on, gives me a kiss and says, "see, all better!."

And you know, I did feel better!

Another funny Liam story:

While Bryn was here, we explained to him that she had a baby growing in her tummy and he even got to feel him kick. I showed him some pictures in one of my maternity books of how a baby grows and fits inside a moms tummy.

A few days later, we went into a maternity store. They had one of those belly pillows that make you look a few more months pregnant. (But they need butt and arm pillows too, maybe it's just me, but those seem to grow along with the belly.)

Anyways, I tied the pillow onto Liam and pulled his shirt down. He thought it was really funny and was prancing around the store.

A little while later he is in the dressing room with Bryn and starts to cry. I pull back the curtain to see what's the matter, he looks up with big tears in his eyes and says: I don't want a baby in my tummy!!" Sob, sob, sob. He grabs onto his tummy and says it hurts. I then notice that there is an unpleasant smell and ask him if he needs to go "stinkies" and he says, "Yeah, I do." I take him and it turns out his tummy was a little sick, and that it was gas pain, not baby kicks that he was feeling. I explained to him that he will NEVER have to have a baby in his tummy and that only girls can have babies. He was really relieved and couldn't get out of the store fast enough!

Poulson Parlor part deux

My dear pregnant, and oh so talented friend Bryn came for a visit to the land of Chocolate. While she was here, we did the Poulson Parlor again. She did hair for three days. With a total of 14 Cut/Colors and 5 haircuts. Seriously amazing!

I think we had over 20 kids at my house during the week, and Thanks to my sweet hubby, the house looked clean and kid less after each night.

The week went by all too quickly and I'm not sure if she will make it back for another go around after Baby boy Allred has come. But it was so good to see her, and my hair is eternally grateful to her!







I am still finding hair every time I sweep, but it's a small price to be paid for beauty.

It wasn't all work while she was here. We did a little site seeing around Harrisburg one day, and then we went down to D.C. for a quick day of touring there.


The boys loved the metro ride, Bryn and I had to see the dresses of the first ladies, and I've decided that I don't have to have the hope diamond, this other perfect 14 carat one will be just fine.

















But by far my two favorite pictures are these two:



I told Liam to give Owen a big squeeze. I guess next time I'll phrase it differently.


And to keep the beast at bay, we bought a chocolate chip cookie to make him happy and forget that he was riding in a stroller. We gave it to him and continued on our way until a few passerby's started laughing and making comments. This is what I found.



















A real Life Cookie Monster!