MY VERY FIRST MEME!!!!!!

Oh my gosh!!!! I have been tagged for my very.first.meme!!!! At least I think it's my first tag...I haven't seen any others! Jessica at Itty Bitty Bits of Me tagged me for this 5 Things about me Meme. She was even so sweet to leave me a message that said she tagged me and hoped that would be okay. OKAY???? Oh my lands it made my day! So here goes! Oh, and I hope the 5 people I tag at the end won't mind either! :)

5 Snacks I enjoy
1) chocolate ice cream with reese's pieces...YUM!!!
2) Chips with melted cheese and salsa
3) Mikesells Honey BBQ chips
4) McDonald's hot fudge sundae (when their darn ice cream machine is working!)
5) DQ's ice cream cake

5 songs that I know all the lyrics to
1) Sponge Bob Squarepants Theme Song (I can't help if Jake LOVES that show, much to my chagrin)
2) Baby Got Back by Sir Mix Alot (don't ask!)
3) "Father Abraham" (it doesn't have many words!) and all the kid songs on Jake's Toddler Action Bible Songs cd
4) The Backyaaaaaardigaaaaannssss!!
5) Most praise songs

5 Things I would do if I were a Millionaire
1) Build my own home, in the beautiful bluegrass country area
2) Pay off ALL my bills and become debt free
3) Quit my job
4) Go back in time and be on The Price is Right
5) Drive across the country from east coast to west and back, in a convertible, on Route 66

5 Bad Habits
1) Twirling my hair around my fingers
2) Nagging (Donnie would say it's a habit!)
3) Procrastinating
4) Watching WAY too much TV
5) Doing things myself without teaching someone else how to do it (I'm awful about this at work...I could never be a teacher!)

5 Things I would Never Wear Again
1) Pegged jeans
2) Any tapered leg pants
3) Fake gold jewelry (not because I'm a snob, but because I'm allergic to it...literally, not "allergic")
4) One word...pleats
5) Skort

5 Things I Like to Do
1) Spend time with my entire family
2) Surf the bloggy world
3) Play with Jake (we just looked out the window for birds...he heard one outside and immediately ran to the couch and started to look out the window. We said "Here Birdies" but they wouldn't come to see us...maybe next time!)
4) Eat at Penn Station (It's SOOO YUMMY!)
5) Clip coupons and save money!

Five People I Tag:
1) Janelle at Everyday Stories
2) Ang at The Toy Box Blew Up!
3) Guinevere at Guinevere's Thoughts on Nothing in Particular
4) Lisa at Our Seven QT Pies
5) Last, but not least, my high school bud, Becca at The Hatfields, she needs something to jump start that blog!

Box it up!

I keep meaning to share these pictures of Jake when we were moving. He loved playing in the boxes. Too bad the camera flash makes him blink every time! :)

Happy Father's Day to everyone!

Operation Rodent GO AWAY!!! is underway

It is official...we have a mouse among us! Well, I hope it is just a mouse.

As I mentioned earlier this week, we heard the rodent scratching noise, but we refused to enter the kitchen to check out the situation because we are chickens!

Last night the noise was heard again by the bigger of the two chickens (I'll let you determine who that is!). Of course the situation was not surveyed at that time, but this morning the lesser of the two chickens found this in the kitchen:





I guess rodents like chocolate too. No wonder they like my kitchen!

With our rodent theory confirmed, the family left the house this morning and went to Wally World to purchase something similar to this.

Here is our version.


These came two in a package and you better believe I plugged both of them in around the kitchen. Let's just hope this works. If not, Operation Rodent GO AWAY!! may become Operation Let's just RUN AWAY!

Come On Down!

As I am sure most of you know, today was Bob Barker's last show on The Price is Right. Unfortunately, this era has ended without me being able to visit California and my favorite daytime gameshow.

I can't tell you how much jealousy and envy I had when Jessica at Itty Bitty Bit of Me got to go to see Bobby B himself a few weeks ago. Go here to read about her fun adventure!

Luckily CBS read my email about how I did not want to miss the final episode and decided to air it in primetime as well (okay, I didn't really email them, but I would have if I had thought of it!). Needless to say I watched the final episode of Price is Right with the one and only Bob Barker tonight.

I loved that it felt like any other episode of TPIR I have watched...and oh I have watched many an episode.

Like many people in the U.S., TPIR is a household tradition. Mine started as an elementary school child...possibly before. I remember spending my summers at my grandparents' home and watching the Big Wheel spinning as we ate lunch each day.

As I grew up the Showcase Showdown was not as much of an intrigate part of my lunch plans, but my desire to "Come On Down!" never ceased.

Unfortunately, I never got to the west coast and I have never been honored to play Plinko, Hole in One or Two, or Mountain Climber. I'm not sure of the future of TPIR, but one thing I do know...it just won't be the same without Bobby B!

Don't forget...

Help control the pet population, have your pets spayed or neutered!

There may be a mouse in the house

Monday night as Donnie and I were sitting in the living room we heard odd scratching noises coming from the kitchen.

We both froze.

Since we have moved to our new home we are not used to hearing noises. At our apartment we would have just passed off an odd noise as a neighbor. We don't have that option now so all strange noises mean something is going on in our home.

We heard the scratching noise again.

And again.

And again.

Panic set in.

We discussed the possibility of a mouse being in our house. The possibility was terrifying. I hate rodents, especially wild ones which I do not want in my home. Donnie on the other hand does not just hate rodents, but would rather spend a week living with Martha Stewart than even think of the possibility of a rodent anywhere near him.

So, what did the two of us rodent fearing chickens do?

We made a mad dash up the stairs to the bedroom.

At least then we couldn't hear the scratching noise and could attempt to sleep in peace on a different floor than the potential rodent.

The next morning I examined the kitchen opening cabinet doors very slowly and carefully, hoping a rodent would not run out and cause me to jump and scream like a little girl.

I saw no sign of rodent activity, which caused only a small amount of relief.

There has been no further rodent sounds and never any evidence. This is a good sign, but don't doubt that I have this on my shopping list because if I can dissuade the rodents from visiting without actually having to see them I am all for it!

Works for Me Wednesday -- Crib Aquarium, Target sale

I am going to admit, my child is spoiled when it comes to bed time. As an infant I loved to hold Jake and I would hold him for hours and let him sleep in my arms as I cuddled him. Prior to returning to work from maternity leave he was sleeping in his crib alone; however, it took nearly an hour of rocking and singing to get him to the crib without crying (from him, not me...most of the time). However, things changed and he began to sleep in bed with us. After nearly a year of this I decided I was tired of the foot in the face every morning and wanted my bed back without a child. We began the ferberizing technique and miraculously after only 2 days he was going to his bed alone and the crying stopped.

It was such a miracle that sometimes all I have to say is "It's time for night, night" and he will RUN (and I mean RUN!) to his bedroom and stand beside the crib. He does not always go immediately to sleep; however, lately his routine has been rather set. I will put him in the crib and he will grab his blanket, pull it up over himself and push the button on this crib aquarium (see, I really do have a WFMW tip!)

My mom purchased the aquarium for Jake when he was about a month old and I have to say that the crib aquarim is the BEST gift we received. We would always push the button to allow music to play when we were trying to get Jake to sleep in his crib and obviously he liked it. Now it is the most important part of bedtime. When we moved recently we had not properly attached the aquarium to the crib and it would not work...that is when I noticed just how big of a part of bedtime it is for Jake.

Not only is the aquarium great for going to sleep, now it is the way I can tell when Jake wakes up each morning. He will immediately sit up and turn on the aquarium...hopefully, it is not at 6 a.m. on a Saturday (and if it is the aquarium can typically give about 30 minutes of entertainment)!

Speaking of Saturday, I plan to go visit my local Target this Saturday. Why you ask? Well, once again Target is having a sale on Pampers diapers. 2 Jumbo packages for $16. Go here to read more about how you can get these diapers plus 2 packages of wipes for only $1.50. Yes, you read that right, $1.50!!! Hopefully you have been clipping your coupons, they will be necessary for this deal.

The crib aquarium and Target deals work for me...for more Works for Me Wednesday tips go visit Rocks in My Dryer.

Ouch!

This (notice the forehead) is why we have not had professional pictures done for Jake since November.



Boys will be boys...and mine will be clumsy.