Is my 2 year old super clean for the right reasons? :)

Andy is 2. That should say it all, right? In just weeks, he has turned into a 2 year old toddler testing his limits. Do not get me wrong, he is sweet, compassionate, hilarious, super smart and a complete lover! We can all count on numerous hugs and kisses throughout the day, we can count on him to do a ton of funny stuff throughout the day, count on him saying the funniest things already in funny voices. We can count on him being a good boy, and doing exactly what you ask him to do, he is the first to say Please & Thank you, the first to ask you if you are okay when you get a boo-boo, the first to say bless you when he hears you sneeze.

And then there is the age appropriate part of him ~ I say age appropriate because all the books say all the things he is doing...all the things Chris did when he was 2 are totally normal. The 2 year old who says no, the 2 year old who does exactly what you told him not to do or say. The 2 year old who has learned to unlock and open the front door and run right for the street. The 2 year old who messes every room behind you as you just cleaned them. The 2 year old who now chooses what foods he likes or dislikes on any given day. The 2 year old who wants to be held & carried only at the times when you are busy cooking near a hot stove and does not want to be held when you need to hold him like at a crowded place.

So at the end of a long day of caring for a 2 year old (& 3 other children) and bedtime is still 30 or 45 minutes away and I am just ohhh sooo tired...and my 2 year old is really getting into everything..... you will hear me say "Andy, want to take a bath?". Sure he may have had a bath that morning, or if we had a super busy morning, that afternoon. But that bath was for cleaning...this bath will be to occupy a 2 year old. This bath will last the 30 or 45 minutes until bedtime!  Am I a bad mother to use the bath as entertainment for my 2 year old? Nah...I am a tired and totally overworked mom of 4 kids...and that is my creative way of coping!

Trixie, Dixie & Winn-Dixie...

 Meet Trixie, Dixie & Winn-Dixie, the 3 baby ducks that have been keeping our family of 6 very busy for the last few weeks. Let me go into the story of how we came to get these little cute ducks.

As many of you know, I am a family photographer. This year, I decided to use a "prop" for the annual "4 Little Ones Photography 2011 Spring Mini Photo Sessions". I had made arrangements to "borrow" an Angora Bunny Rabbit for the days of my shoots. The night before I was expected to pick the bunny up at 6AM, I received a call from the owner advising that she & her husband had changed their mind & I could no longer pick this bunny up. PANIC....I had already hinted to clients that I had a special treat for the kiddies!

So, the next morning, I take 3 of the kids with me to the local Pet & Feed store. We come home with 3 absolutely adorable yellow baby ducks, about 4 inches big, along with an enormous bag of hay and duck food. I promise the kids, that we can keep them until Easter so they can learn to take care of them, but then we will give them to a farmer we know. 

So, the kids each pick out a duck, they discuss names while holding them the entire way home. For the next 2 hours, they study & play with these ducks & could tell them apart. I bring them to my 7 shoots and they are a hit with most of the children...everyone ooh'g and ahh'g over them like little babies!   Cute...right?

These ducks are lucky enough to come with us to our 2 Girl Scout meetings & also to the kids school classrooms for a little visit, the kids sit in a big circle so the ducks can walk around in the middle, allowing each student the chance to pet & feel them. We let them see how they migrate to each other when placed apart from one another & how they eat /drink. The kids all giggle and smile. Cute, right?


Here they are a few days later...already inches bigger...we start introducing them to bathtime so they can start learning to swim. The kids get sooo much enjoyment watching this as they dunk their heads in and try to run fast so it looks as if they are trying to just take off into a swim....cute right?

Few days later...OH MY...they are really getting big now!!! No longer can they take their bath in the big kitchen sink, they are graduating to the tub (with me bleaching it afterwards). They run in circles along the perimeter of the tub. the kids squeal in delight to see their little duckies trying to swim. They dunk their heads, then shake off. They poop...then eat it...the kids yell "Eww Gross...they just ate their own poop" They laugh!


They outgrow their box (this was just their transport box...but the earlier photo showed them all side-by-side, now only 2 could fit side by side), then used a large, rectangular laundry basket and put them in the upstairs bathroom which we were in the middle of renovating. They get constant attention and cuddles.

Dave & I go away for 2 days, the kids go to Grandma & Papa's. My sister & nephew agree it will be fun to take the ducks and care for them for the days we will be gone. We come home...in 2.5 days...they double in size! Swear! The have learned how to jump out of the basket and everything! Ahhh...what should I do? (The farmer has not called me back about when I can bring them to his farm.)


So...a few days ago, I built them an outside pen, with a feeder and a bath, and a plastic igloo that they can go inside to "nest and cuddle with each other". They love it! They spent the day outside all day, bathing, walking, stretching, eating, sleeping.  In 2 days...they grew out of their igloo and the paint trays that were recommended for "bathing". 

PS...this was a few days ago, they are inches bigger already! This paint tray is the X-Large size...they now ue it for drinking as they all can not swim in it together!!!


Umm...Farmer...where are you? Anyone wants a few ducks who like people?

Calories on Menus...a good thing right?

Ok...so we should all be watching our caloric intake, right? But what about those times when we want to go out and not think about calories...but can't avoid seeing them?  The story behind today's post (which was supposed to be written a week ago!!!!)

So, I am lucky enough to enjoy  a little "mommies night out" about once a month. Not a lets go out clubbing, dancing and drinking sort of thing. Just a few really great friends, where we grab some light food, and drink or 2, and either some shopping or a movie. A few hours to gab about all things mom-related, wife-related, chore-related, etc. All the things we need to share, laugh and even cry about! These nights...as seldom as they are...make us better moms...and better wives (right ladies?)

Anyway, last Thursday, 2 awesome ladies and I headed to the mall for a little retail therapy all while sharing some great stories and ideas. We then wanted to grab dinner, since this was planned and none of us had eaten (now almost 10PM). California Pizza kitchen was now closing so we walked next door to The Cheesecake Factory.

The cheescake Factory has a HUGE menu with just tooooo many choices, so you know when you enter, that (especially if you are a Virgo and totally indecisive) you are going to have a hard time choosing what you want. I already knew I wanted a salad, but there are like 15 salad choices alone!!! So, we open the menus and what do we see....CALORIES!!!! They pop out at you...before you even see the food item name or the price. You see just CALORIES!!! AHHH...there is hardly anything on that menu under 1000 calories, and most items are over 1500 calories!  We tried not looking, but it is like they call you..."Melissa, look how many calories I am...how many hours at the gym will you need to stay to burn me off?"

We were lucky, that we were able to decide on 500 calorie salads, have the "skinny" version made for our drink choices, and take 1/2 of our salads home ensuring that we consumed under 500 calories...but that was work! Then the waitress comes over, "I know you all are watching your calories...BUT, we do have a low carb cheesecake" (really...ok....this low carb cheesecake still had 900 calories!). She continues: ", it will make you feel good knowing that with every slice you order, The Cheesecake Factory donates a proceed to Feeding America". I look into this on the cheesecake menu pages...yeah, they donate like .95 cents for each slice ordered...well here is our $1 donation...no 900 cheesecake eating required!

All in all it was another fantastic night spent with great friends!

A few days later...Dave & I stop at a fast food place for a quick snack, it was impossible to order anything as all I saw were the calories...not the item itself or the price. I think this is sooo funny and wander if it changing the way people order food while dining out? (It certainly changed my order...Dave...not at all! LOL)

Wonder if I can do this in my house, put really big calorie tags on everything in the fridge and cabinets!

My Hubby's B-Day...

It was Dave's Birthday on Sunday. Dave & I do not make a big deal of our birthdays (all about the kids now anyway, right?). I think the 2 of us only celebrate our birthdays becuase the kids like birthdays (& birthday cake) so very much!
Anyway, Dave's birthday weekend was pretty great! On Saturday, he took Chris to his 1st little league baseball practice which Chris & Dave really enjoyed.
While they were there, I took the girls & Andrew over to our local pet feed store to purchase some baby ducks (post about these guys to follow). Then I was off for a full day of 2011 Spring Mini Photo Shoots (Sneak peeks here...) The weather was warm and sunny & the kids enjoyed riding their bikes and chalking up the driveway with their cousin, Jacob.  Dave spent the day with his brother , sister'n'law, sister and all the kiddies. He enjoyed much beer and all sorts of meets on the BBQ (I couldn't complain that I came home to a cooked BBQ dinner and our 3 month old neice...who I stole immediately to cuddle with!)

On Sunday, Dave's actual birthday, we dropped the kids off at Grandma & Papa's house and enjoyed a quiet bruch at Danfords in Port Jeff Village. (Quiet, as in no kids; Dave & I enjoyed 1.5 hours of uninterrupted conversation!). We then walked around the Village followed by a nice drive to Cedar Beach.  So after our 4 hours of alone time  :), we spent a few hours at Grandma & Papa's and then enjoyed dinner out (yup...did not cook a meal all day!). Had no choice but to pick up a store made cake (what...we were out all day & I could not bake his favorite at 7:30pm on a school night). The kids sang Happy Birthday to Daddy who was such a sport to have a birthday so the kids could enjoy cake. Sadly, he made that favorite yellow recipe cake last night while I was at swim with the girls! Ha!

Anyway, great weekend to a great husband and father! Love you, Dave!

To Zumba or not to Zumba...this should never be a question!

(Above: At a 3 hour Zumbathon with Kristi Zumba...notice everyone having a blast!)

OK...so my family & close friends (& my FB followers) know I LOVE Zumba. I try and tell everyone I know to go and try it, I have definitely taken over 15 friends to a zumba class somewhere. Last year, I tried my hardest never to miss a class...3 times a week. This year seems harder than ever to stick to an evening schedule since the kids (& myself are involved with more things in the evening during the school year).

Ok...so I will go on a little about Zumba. Zumba in my own words is a "dance~party~workout". Latin, Indian, African dance & music all sort of fused into one workout. Now...I am no zumba expert, and I could probably just go google in a new window how to correctly define Zumba, but this is my blog post, and I should explain it as I see...feel(?) it. It is beyond fun...if done right (by the instructor, not you!) I will explain....

Last January, my neighbor explained that she started taking this zumba class (after I mentioned that she looked great, and she replied she had lost 15 pounds doing zumba). She asked me to come to a class with her. The following week, I tried my first Zumba class with Ida Ferraro http://www.zumba.com/profiles/5406 . I came home on this instant high...Oh my, it was a great workout and it just felt like this great party I had come home from. I didn't know any of the steps, but Ida is great at keeping her routine fluid and repetitive, so you knew what to expect throughout the songs. Her mix of song choices were fun, and her smiles while instructing were contagious. Anyway, I was hooked immediately and started going 3 times a week. Little did I know, that I struck gold finding an awesome instructor.

An old friend, Kristi www.zumba.com/profiles/68739 started teaching Zumba and told me about all that she benefited from both doing zumba, then becoming an instructor. The way it changed her body and also her mind. She is also a mother of 4 (but all 4 boys!) and having 4 kids (no matter what all those people say "once you have 3; there's no difference" (BS)) is alot of hard work...and exhausting...and draining! I am sure teaching Zumba for her must add that extra thrill just knowing that she is leaving her students feeling awesome after a workout.

Kristi invited me (& I brought some friends) to one of her new location classes. It was great...Let me tell you...a real workout. That was a year ago...And although she was good...she was still new (& maybe nervous?...Kristi...hope this is all ok) Anyway, took her class again recently, and then also was able to participate in one of her 3 hour Zumbathons. She is beyond an amazing instructor now. I felt like I was in a few dance videos when taking her classes. The choreography is amazing, fun, energetic...and sometimes really sexy! She has great energy when teaching and it is really inspiring! Now...I am not just saying this because we have known each other since 2nd grade, swear...we only reconnected a few years ago.

So far...my ranks are as follows: Kristi #1, Ida #2 (then as you read on, Bobbiann is #3)

I have taken (tried) Zumba classes with 7 different instructors, just trying new locations, or going with friends or just trying to change up the workout a bit. One instructor, did basically just African music, which was beautiful to listen to, but alot of really hard jumping and squatting and, it got boring after the 4th or 5th song. I would have loved a little "bollywood" and especially some latin music. ok...tried, dismissed. Another instructor who I swear was on something...I mean, She could not even follow her own lead. Not one of the 11 of us in the class could follow a single routine. Tried, dismissed. Another, had her own interpretation altogether. Tried, dismissed. Another does not wear Zumba clothes...I know petty, right? But Zumba wear is really awesome...and as soon as my A$$ is a little smaller, I am ordering me an outfit! LOL. OK, so she wore instead, really short running shorts that showed off her butt cheeks...at least they were not hideous looking(TMI?) and every time she bent forward which she liked to do alot, we all saw it all! She could be a really good pole dancing class instructor! The room in which she taught was hot with no air circulation and the floors would get sweaty and slippery 20 minutes into the routine. Her routines were easy to follow and you did get a workout (well at least you did sweat like you did, but that just could have been the warm room), but again, music choices were poor and I did not feel the Zumba love. Another is BobbiAnne http://zumbawithbobbiann.biz/...my 3rd fav. she is really sweet, my girls & I have even taken Zumbatomic (kids zumba)with her. Her routines are fun and everyone in her classes seem to have a really good time. Her music choices are great and she has a little of everything in each class. I have taken classes with her when my schedules allow, or where I have missed my days with Ida. (ps...I do not take Kristi's classes regularly since she teaches on the N Shore of LI, I am on the S Shore.)

Now...(finally)Reason for this post? The gym in Ronkonkoma where I would take Ida's classes closed down about 2 weeks ago. I now have no Ida in any convenient locations for me to take her classes :(

I joined a gym nearby with a friend and am taking all sorts of classes there. I was super excited to see that they had Zumba 3 times a week...Yahoo...right? Nope...it was another weird class. Or so I think. I believe I have just been spoiled by taking classes with Ida & Kristi that I now compare everyone to them.

This new instructor sings along with the music (way to loudly with no American Idol Voice), her choreography does not seem to flow smoothly from one move to another. I went again today to try again (Took it 2 days ago at night). The morning class today was so much better than the other night; she only sang to one song and I will admit, it is a workout, everyone is sweaty at the end of her class. The classes are free, so I will continue to go...until I find Ida & Kristi classes near me and in my schedule).

Oh...and my blog post title "To Zumba or not to Zumba? Well...YES ZUMBA!!! Try it, go with a friend so you can giggle when you mess up (you will on your first day). But if you hate it, try another instructor...seems that so many have their own interpretation of Zumba, you just have to find the right instructor for you!!!! GOOOOO!!!! NOWWWW! Zumba!!!! And don't just do the videos, they are not the same as being in a class with all sorts of women...old, young, big, little...and never judgemental. Everyone there is there for the same reason...to have fun and not even realize you are burning off TONS of extra calories!!!! (& and share your zumba experiences here!!!)

Rock Climbing...

I tried rock climbing...& loved it! I was lucky enough to enjoy my first experience with my 2 sister-n-laws, Kerry & Aliza. This was Aliza's 2nd time and Kerry's 3rd time. The rock climbing was a great workout...and even better excuse to spend some quality time and laughs with these great ladies!
So...the first 2 times I climed, I was more concerned about everyone else, was I taking too long deciding on my next move, was my balleyer (your partner holding the rope at the bottom) getting tired or bored, was I was climbing to quickly for them to keep the rope tight, and even some silly thoughts of my "weight" while up there. By my third climb, after I had been a balleyer 4 times, I realized, it is a complete give & take relationship and if I was going to enjoy this workout (almost as much as I do my zumba workouts) then I needed to just get up there and only think about the climb and the thrill you get by climbing to the very tippy top! That worked.... I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT BY MY THIRD CLIMB!

Thans again K & A for a fun 3 hours of climbing, sweating and laughing!

And they are off....

This past weekend was a first where we were not completely booked from Friday night until Sunday night in what seems like forever. We actually had a few hours on Sunday where we could just get a few things done outdoors. Dave had to finish taking down the X-Mas decorations (yes...I know, but any warm, not snowy weekend day where weather would permit him to take them down...we were either not at home...or had something else to do). Ok...back to a few free hours ~ So Rachie & Chris spotted Dave & I out in the front yard; Dave taking down lights, me raking out my front gardens. Well...their thoughts were not at all on helping us with our much needed projects...they had thoughts of learning to ride thier bikes with no training wheels. Hard to say no when bike riding season is just weeks away...so we say yes for a little while...

Well....in minutes, Rachel had it! Within 20 minutes she was practicing her figure 8's!

Chris, can now ride straight the length of a few houses...a few more hours and he is totally there. Still a little fear holding him back from practicing his turns and getting too far from us.

Andrew, felt a little left out watching, so he learned to ride the radio flyer that was once Chris's and before that, was Rachels! He still needs a little help sterring as he only goes straight, but in a few weeks, I think we will actually be able to go around the block with him!

Where was Sarah?...indoors reading a new novel she got from the library... Still hope she can fall in love with bike riding like the rest of the family! LOL

PS...Dave finished putting the decorations away when it was time for me to head in and start dinner...but as far as my gardens..they will have to wait until I can sneak out there without any bike riding kids seeing me!