Slow down, girl.

The last week has been difficult. So much going on, and when it's time to relax and wind down after long days of working these children want to be taken care of. Talked to, fed, loved and such. It's exhausting.

Yesterday, a particularly average trying day. This happened.

Him/"I am done with you, kids."
L/ "I just want a baby brother. Then you can be done, okay."

No pressure. No, not at all.

Cleveland Rocks - links, pages, promises OH my

We move around, a lot. With each move, I research the areas. Major. I find groups to Meetup groups to join, sign up for newsletters, join Facebook groups, like pages, follow businesses & events on the Twitter. It's never enough, but it's part of the process. I thought, perhaps I could start adding to the resources out there. Can't hurt?

Surely that has to be some other poor fool out there looking for this information? Plus. And let's be honest here: it will (hopefully) motivate me to get down more memories. Because, HELLO? I am posting once a month and my kids are practically driving at this point. I'm missing everything.

{whining voice, you get the point}

I digress.

Here are some links, if you are in the mood for (some Cleveland) love.

• Design Sponge - Cleveland's city guide
• Side note: ever going to visit a random city? Check out Design Sponge for city guides. They are fantastic. Local. Real. Perfection.
• Ohio Authority
• i heart cleveland
• Positively Cleveland
• Cleveland Heights Patch
• Shaker Heights Patch 
• Cleveland.com
• Fodors: Cleveland
• Why CLE?

Things to do:

• Things to do in & around Cleveland
• Secret: whenever we move somewhere I keep a calendar of local events. Mostly to keep myself organized, but why not share the love?
• The Christmas Story House
• Seriously. THE CHRISTMAS STORY house. It's here. Reason to move to Cleveland, obviously.
• Cleveland Zoo
• West Side Market
• North Union Farmers Market

But for real? Not a great selection, but there has to be more. So I'm going to find it and I'm going to document it. It's not like I've made a promise like this before, ever.

{sarcastic font with link to prove empty promises}

Gifts for You, Gifts for Me

We usually don't break out the Christmas big guns so early, but after a weekend full of fun with the family, in their absence I wanted to make sure the kids (specifically L) could continue to let the good times roll.

We are huge holiday fans. And each year between me pillaging the clearance aisles and gifts from family we are really putting together a wondrous hodgepodge of Christmas crap spirit. This includes a bunch of music playing tchotchke. Including, but not limited to a piano that plays "Deck the Halls."

L comes out dancing to the jingling and the jangling and with all her Christmas spirit she bursts out:

"I know this song! I LOVE IT. One for you and one for me - you you you me me me - BLACK FRIDAY!"

No, YOU let your kid watch so much television she recognizes a song that dates back to the 16th century as a Target commercial. 

Consider this my application for Mother of the Year.

Sound bites

I keep meaning to get these all down, but before I forget, I'll give you a few to chew on (see what I did there?).

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The kid has started to attend a sign language class at the local libary. I love her enthusiasm, but let's be honest. It seems a bit aggressive? Don't you think?



The other day, I picked the kid up early from school. I took a half day, and we were off to Daddy's work for a little Fall Festival. We were parked, while she changed into her Halloween costume. I got a work call and despite having taken the day off - I still didn't want the kid yapping in the back so I waved at her to be quiet, doing the "SHH" angry face with the finger in front of my mouth, continuing to wave her back - to be quiet.

I got off the phone. Before we went on our way, this happened:

Me: "L, what do you think I mean when I wave around like a looney toon and silently tell you to SHH?"
L: "To stop talking, but Mama - that's great. I didn't know you knew sign language. When'd ya learn that?"

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I worked late the other night, so when I joined the kid & the ball&chain on the couch, she had taken - my spot. You know the one. The one, which is yours.

I asked her, nicely, to move over.

Me, "L, move over - kid. This is my spot. Scoot."
Her, "No, come on! I was here first."
Me, "Here first? I was working! When you get a job & pay your way you can use that argument."
Her, "I DO have a job. I was line leader today."

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We went Trick-or-Treating a few days late, and it turns out our time frame was only 6-7:30pm.  They have a cut off in our town. We went out for a strong hour.  After that hour she said, and I quote:

"I think I have enough candy now, let's go home so I can give candy to people!"

What 5 year old thinks a small bag of candy is enough? This kid. This kid is hilarious AND she wants to give candy more than she wants to get candy. Damn, I love this kid. Now, if only of the candy she got this year there were more of my favorites in there.

Where she gets her generosity? I honestly don't have a clue.

The Bug & the Beast

Halloween is delayed here this year. We'll trick-or-treat on Sunday. Maybe I'll have more pictures, but who knows. It's anyone's guess.  We have a long standing history of our love for Halloween. I mean, normally we're all - we are going to match, it's going to be epic.

This year, we were going to all be bugs. I envisioned some kind of "We're buggin out" holiday card. L wanted a butterfly, and we were going to have JJ get into that adorable ladybug costume, since the ball&chain staunchly refused to be a lady bug. Seriously. HOW funny would that have been?  I was going to be a bee and he was going with beetle or lightening bug. Instead? I couldn't find the lady bug costume, and needed to figure out a plan B.

We did the only thing we could do. If she couldn't talk what would she want to be?

A lion.

She growls & roars. All the time. And she's a beast. Boom. Adorable lion, order UP.

2012, Halloween, I give you. The bug & the beast. Plan B? Rocks.