April Fools Jokes

I ran across this and just had to share a few fun ideas. This week is a crazy hectic busy week, so please pardon my absence. I will try my best to post and to keep up and comment, but between a sick child and hectic schedule...well, I'll do my best.
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Big Foot

Submitted by Deanna C.

We crumpled up newspaper and stuffed it into the toes of Dad's shoes. He couldn't figure out why they were suddenly too small!
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Rising Pancakes

Submitted by Gina L.
My two daughters, who love pancakes, took quick-acting dry yeast and added it to the box of pancake mix. Then, on April Fools' day, they begged for pancakes for breakfast. When I made them, we had the biggest pancakes I had ever seen! I couldn't figure out what was going on until they busted up laughing!


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Autocorrect Madness

Submitted by Deanna M.
In Microsoft Word, use the Autocorrect feature to "correct" a commonly used word such as "the" by automatically inserting "April Fools'!" It will drive them mad!
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Chip in the Teapot

Submitted by Lorelei A.
I took the largest potato chip I could find and carefully placed it inside my mom's favorite china teapot. If your mom is like mine, she will be very upset with you -- until you show her the potato chip. Be sure to say "April Fools'!" with a very big smile and a hug, as she has just been traumatized.
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Instant Carrots

Submitted by Karen M.
The kids and I planted a vegetable garden. They were most excited about growing carrots.
That night, I ran to the grocery store, bought carrots with the tops on them, and planted them when I got home. When the kids got up the next morning and went outside to look at their garden, they were thrilled that their carrots had grown so fast!
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Falling Balls

Submitted by Kathy O.
My son and I gathered all the balls in the house and filled the kitchen cupboards with them. When my husband opened one of the doors, he received a shower, while my son and I got a good laugh (and a lot of balls to pick up)!
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Endless Lint

Submitted by Sterling B.

I placed a spool of white thread in an inside suit coat pocket and threaded it through my coat lapel to make it look like lint. Friends who saw it pulled on it. It kept coming out until they realized it was an April Fools' joke.
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Puppy Switcheroo
Submitted by Sue I.

We had an adult yellow lab. After the kids went to bed, we borrowed the neighbors' yellow lab puppy and gave them our dog for the day. When the kids woke up, they couldn't figure out why their dog had shrunk. Our neighbors' kids were also surprised at how much their puppy had grown overnight.
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Arctic Cereal

Submitted by Melissa O.
The night before April Fools' day, pour milk over half a bowl of cereal and put it in the freezer.
In the morning, add a covering of more cereal and milk. Call your child to breakfast and watch him try to eat it.
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Rapping Mom

Submitted by Donna H.
I hate rap music, but my two teenage sons love it, so I decided to pull a little prank on them. When riding in mom's car, we listen to mom's music, which means no rap.Riding home from having dinner out, I popped in a tape of a famous rap artist and started rapping along. Their mouths dropped open, and at the same time they said, "Mom, are you okay?"

Found these fun ideas Here.

Teddy Bear Night

We had a teddy bear night at preschool last night. Everyone brought a teddy bear. Everyone played teddy bear games, puzzles, made art projects and read teddy bear books. Lolo enjoyed showing off her school and being the leader of our little teddy bear parade.

Overall it was a fun time!

Have a wonderful weekend!

I'm Not Ready!

I have a large "sponge" that is about 3 inches thick, it is contoured to fit a baby. I put this into the kitchen sink and add some nice warm water. I get out the J&J baby soap, the wash cloth, a clean diaper, clean clothes and a towel. I am ready. Dels is ready. I change the dirty diaper and carry VERY quickly a bare baby to the kitchen sink. I set her in the sink, just like I have done hundreds of times since bringing her home from the hospital.

Wait a minute...I'm not ready!

I can't lay her down in the sink anymore. I have to sit her down in the sink. When did she learn how to SIT? Yeah Yeah, she does it all the time on the floor with toys, but she's not old enough to be doing this in the bath~ right?! I sigh, my baby, my teeny tiny baby is growing up too fast. She is sitting in the sink. She is reaching for the faucet. She is giggling at the bubbles. She is splashing in the water. She surprises herself with a splash in the face, looks up at me with these big blue bright eyes and Smiles! I lean her back to rinse her hair, WHAT?? I can't even get her to fit head to tush anymore? Not only is she sitting in the sink, but now she is too tall for the sink too!

My heart can't take this!

We have a HUGE sink, how is it that she doesn't fit?

Maybe if I lay her back at an angle...nope too tall for that too.

*Sigh*

After her bath, I cuddle her up in her towel, dry her off, tickle a few pudges and get her dressed. I ask fashion trendy Lolo to grab me a hat, since it is still chilly here. Well, you can see the pictures and the hat that she chose~ the hat fits, it used to cover her eyes...now it fits!

*Sigh*

What have I learned from this bath?

That my oldest baby can't even fit her feet in the sink.

That my second baby wants to bathe by herself now.

That my third baby desperately needs a bath...

runny nose and wiping sideways with the sleeve...it's not pretty.

My fourth and teeny tiny baby, well~ she's still my baby, but I better not blink because today she might be sitting in the sink and wearing the too big hat, but tomorrow she will be throwing that graduation hat up in the air and running out my Red Door!

Wait a minute... I'm not ready!

~Not Left Out~

In this house, Not Left Out means more than one thing. On Easter Day, the girls all dressed in their cute dresses. I am shooting pictures of the oldest three, Baby Dels was eating some baby food with Daddy. I stole her midmeal for a few pictures, but by the time I added her in the picture, the oldest three didn't want to sit still OR smile anymore~ they just wanted candy. SO because I didn't want to leave Baby Dels out of the Easter pictures, because I wanted pictures of her in her cute dress too and because she was happy, smiling and making her new funny face~ here are some pictures of her in her Easter dress...Not Left Out~


AND because I decided I needed some time away from being Mommy, I signed up for a beading class. I invited some Sister in Laws and we went out for a Girls' Night of beading. It was great. We sat with no children, a glass of wine and some great giggles and conversation. I highly recommend it AND look at the bracelet I made...
Very beachy, just in time for my Spring Break trip. I have been playing with beads and jewelry for awhile now on my own. I could handle the basics, I can throw a pair of earrings together, but it sure was nice to go to a class, get out of the house and interact with others and learn how to make this correctly, ask questions to a person~ not Google. I am planning some more classes, so I will keep you updated on my progress. My longterm goal is to learn how to make jewelry well enough that I can do this on the side, something that is mine, something that doesn't sing the alphabet, Old McDonald had a Farm, or require diapers. Don't get me wrong, I love caring for the children, I love that I can stay home with them, I would not Dream of raising them any other way, BUT it has been almost 7 years now of me being home, washing laundry, doing dishes, vacuuming floors, changing diapers and when it comes to those Holiday Parties and people ask me that question, the one I dread..."What do you do?" I have a hard time keeping my smile and saying Oh so Kindly..."I have 4 children under the age of 7, what the HECK do you think I do ALL day...eat bon bons, watch Oprah, blog, sleep in, drink wine with my feet up on the table." Ok, so sometimes I wish I could say that but I don't, I bite my tongue and simply reply that I stay home with the children. The conversation usually ends there, I have no work to discuss, no career, no college alumni status to boast about, and they don't want to hear about the boogers I found on the wall, the number of blocks the 3 year old stacked or how many times the baby nursed. On any given day this doesn't bother me, Holiday Work Parties, I cringe. I dread the question. I wish I ran into other mothers like me at these functions, but I don't.

AND then when I get home I am reminded that I have it way better than anyone...I'll bet they aren't sitting at their computers right now trying to type while having Strawberry Shortcake flavored pink sparkly lip gloss applied ALL over their lips. When I started writing this, I was thinking I would say I took the beading class to not feel left out from the adult world. To not feel left out from a "normal" conversation. Boo hoo to me. But you know what, I just realized something, maybe it's the scent of the strawberry lip gloss taking over my brain, but isn't that what it is about? The fact that my daughter didn't want me to feel left out. Everyone else in the house has this Beautiful lip gloss on, she didn't want me to be left out. Forget the Holiday party question, forget the insecurities that come with not finishing college, I have it great. I have an amazing family and I wouldn't trade that for any "I Love Me" wall full of accomplishments. My "I Love Me" wall is scattered across the fridge. Maybe I am not the one Left Out after All.

The Concept of Frozen

Lolo wants to try something new.

She does not understand the concept of frozen.

She wants frozen Cheerios.

So she puts them in a small cup...

And puts them in the fridge.

Hmmm... I wonder how they'll taste~

maybe like cold Cheerios?

On another note:

They sit next to another cup she has placed in the fridge.

Her orange juice...that's gone.

Yep, she puts empty cups back in the fridge,

it's her way around dishes.

She is also known to put her clean laundry...

in the dirty laundry hamper.

I see a pattern.

Love ya Lolo!

What is Easter to 4 Little Girls?

After Easter Mass, I jumped out of the car at home "to make lunch" while everyone else went for a ride to go see Lake Michigan. Can you believe it? They missed the Easter Bunny!























Have I mentioned before that I absolutely love all this pink? The dresses, the curls, the tights and shoes, the baskets, the smiles. I loved how many times I would see one of the older girls give an egg to a smaller child. The excitement of opening an egg to see what was inside. Comparing baskets, trading goodies, the conversations, the sharing, the love.

While we were in church I bent down and asked Molly why Easter was such a special day? While I expected to hear something about eggs, candy and rabbits, I was surprised with her response...
"Jesus, he loves us Mom. Today is a day about Him."

It truly is a great day!

An Easter Lily~

H

A

P

P

Y

E

A

S

T

E

R

May it be a day of happiness, love, memories, friends and family.

Playing Tricks

After just finishing ravioli I scoot my chair back a tad from the table. We are just sitting and talking, the youngest still eating. We are talking about our day, our week, what is yet to come. I tell Hubby that I need some money for upcoming days events, $4 for dance cd's and $1 for Molly's "dollar days" at school. A Fundraiser that they pay $1 to be involved in, this weeks theme is dress like a book character. Since I gave him my cash and never saw the change, I was digging into his wallet this time to get the $5. He forks up the ones and sets them on the table in front of me. Meanwhile Molly comes and sits on my lap facing me. She picks up a $1 leaving the other $4 on the table. She wads the $1 into a ball, closes her hand around it and puts both hands behind her back. She proceeds with the magic trick of guessing which hand the $1 is in. Of course I guess the wrong one...she then very stealthily takes the hand with the $1 and puts in up to my ear...and presto magic, somehow a $1 appears out of my ear! Ha ha ha, hee hee hee...I am SO amazed! When she finished laughing she asks me if that was a good trick.

"Yeah Molly, that was a great trick, but I ReaLLy want to know how you made the $4 disappear from the table?"

"Huh" She turns around and the $4 is gone. She looks on the table, under the table, under the plate, napkin, cup, up my sleeve, attempts to lift my shirt...uh no, not there. She is searching all over, I am fighting back the giggle inside. As she is on the floor looking under the table, she looks back up at me...quite seriously and says...

"Did I really do it?"

"Hmmm I don't know, I hope you remember what magic words you used because we need that $4 for dance."

She proceeds with some sort of albra ca dabra and amazingly the $4 reappears back on the table. By now she is thinking she is pretty cool!

I just hate to crush her, so I don't, but then...

"Lolo, come check this out, I can do magic for REAL!"

Uh oh, I'm in trouble, more eyes watching this time.

So we repeat through the process, Lolo completely sees what I am doing and as she is about to blurt it out and reveal my stealthiness, I wink at her. She gets it. She's with me now. Ha ha ha, this is so much fun! We continue this scene for a good ten minutes. Molly is catching on to the fact that I had the money, but she can't seem to figure out where. (I tucked it under my leg) So she starts searching me, as she is I move the money under my arm, stand up and start to walk away. She is frustrated now...where could it be? I shrug my shoulders and say "Don't know, you did the magic" as I shrug the money falls to the floor. She is amazed. She still thinks she is a REAL magician. I let her believe.

A few hours later she's getting ready for bed.

"Mom, I know that I didn't REALLY do magic, you had it the whole time...right?!"

Shrug, kiss, hug, good night.

I had to walk out, I had to let her believe.

I had to go downstairs to let out the giggle.

Ok, OK I take it back...

I LOVE THE BOWLING LEAGUE NIGHT!!

Alright, let me explain. So at the end of summer when I was hugely pregnant, my Hubby was approached by my brother to join the bowling league along with my dad. Seeing this as a chance to spend some time with them, he said yes.

Little side note: My dad grew up with a bowling ball attached to his hand. He's had 8 perfect 300 games...so far. My brother grew up very sick and bowling was a sport he was able to participate in, so he has been bowling since he was old enough for the Kids' League, the high school team, works at the bowling alley, basically lives there. My Hubby took up bowling 7 years ago when I was pregnant with Molly, he decided to give it a try. Was never on a league. Got away from bowling due to being deployed and just life... back to my story...

So bowling league starts. No big deal, it's one night a week for a few hours. I gawked at paying $15 every week, something I had not budgeted in, but we could swing it. THEN I found out that the league was 30 WEEKS long!! Ok, so I was thinking maybe 10 weeks...30 that's a LONG league, but ok it's started and what the heck at least Hubby is enjoying it and has some time away. THEN it turned into a total guys league, buy a beer for those who bought for you...you get the idea. Ugh, more cash slidding out the door. A bowling card game based on how you bowl. Oh great they started another game, just put in $1 to the pot- you just might get a chance to win lots! Ha, yeah right...that's what I thought. What a great ploy to get more cash out of my wallet. As you can tell I was beginning to get suspicious of this bowling league and just how much it was costing. To Hubby's defense, he gave up beer for Lent, so that cost was sliced. He only played the $1 game not the others, so no big deal really. This is where I eat my words...

Hubby went to bowling last night, kiss and out the door. When he walks back in he stinks like a bowling alley ash tray so I am not all that inclined to get cozy. I say hi, quick stinky peck on the cheek, I never even bothered to get up...I was blogging and his return home meant that I had to look away from the computer and listen to how his night was. So I shut the computer, look up and he hands me a piece of paper that looks like a receipt. It has random numbers written on it. It has his handwritting on it. I have no freakin clue what it means. My first inclination was oh great this is a bill of some sort. What the heck does he owe this much money for? How in the world am I going to pay that? My thoughts are flying though my head. The kids don't need to eat right, I mean if I don't buy food, then I can pay this. Hmmmm...
He starts explaining. First he tells me who was there~ dad, brother, grandpa, uncle...huh, wow grandpa and uncle drove pretty far just to watch bowling...why? They all grew up bowling, so this really is a family affair. I don't get it. Anyways. I hear about the lane conditions, I hear the scores...it sounds Greek to me. I don't know what their averages are, I don't even understand how Handicaps work. And now that I have admitted that, I can expect a lesson tonight from my dad when I go over there today...Hi dad! Finally Hubby is standing there explaining this game. He put $1 in the pot, had to get a strike in certain frames in all three games. AND HE DID. So I am still sitting there trying to sort it all out, what exactly does this all mean? Why is he so excited? Then it hits me...this isn't a bill... he WON this amount...WOOOHOOO!! I almost drop the computer, jump up and without noticing the stinky smoke stench I grab Hubby and give him a huge hug. I can't believe that he won. I can't believe that he got strikes in the frames that he needed to. He is practically jumping up and down happy, telling me all about the last game, when in the 9th frame he had to get a strike...and he did...and then the next frame, after he had already won the money, after he didn't have the pressure, the nerves...he got a gutter ball! How funny! So yes...I take it back...I love the bowling league...all $506 of it!

What would you do with an unexpected $500 dollars?

As a side note:
I know some of you are much more bible smart than I am...so please share if you know it. There is a verse that goes a bit like this...Ask and you shall receive.
We have quite a few expenses coming our way and it is something I have pondered, worried, planned, prayed over. Just goes to show that God does provide- thankfully!

Wordless Wednesday Tells a Story

These pictures tell a story.

A story of bravery, honor, trust, love, dedication, service, loyalty...family!

This is a man with 22 honorable years of Naval Service.

We are so proud to call you a friend!

Enjoy your retirement years...

Best Buds aren't just for little kids!

This is my Hubby with Old Salty Sailor.

The guy on far right is an astronaut, pretty cool huh!

Ok, back to my story...

So Hubby and Salty Sailor were deployed to the Middle East in 2003. Not sure how good your memory is, but I remember like it was yesterday. This deployment was supposed to be a 6 month "cruise" I am pregnant with baby #2...long story short, the ship didn't return when expected. They were on their way back to Hawaii, made it as far as Australia and were turned back around (New Year's Eve got the call) They turn around, return to the Middle East...the war begins. The baby is born. My mom at my side, I call my sister, who emails my Hubby, who just happens to check email before going to bed and miraculaously enough the email actually went through, something that doesn't always happen too easily. Hubby finds out he has a new daughter, runs and tells Salty Sailor. Congrats all around. Salty Sailor calls his wife, wakes her up at 3am to get the number to the hospital. Hubby calls the hospital, baby is still crying, not even weighed yet and we were able to share in one of the most precious moments together...over the phone...on separate sides of the world. So yes I have a huge soft spot in my heart for Salty Sailor and his family...they made this moment possible.

Congratulations on your amazing accomplishments and best of luck with the new job!

Dels Baptism

Simply put~ Beautiful!

Dels was beautiful. She was happy, smiling, eating her dress, calm, sweet, precious the whole day. When it came time to pour the water over her head, she was calm. She had this look on her face that is hard to explain, all I can say is peace, calm, still, happy. She was leaned back, my hand under her head, Daddy's hand under mine. The Godparent's hands on our shoulders and surrounded by family and friends on all sides. The priest beside me, tells me to lower her head down to the water, lower, lower, the child was definitely head below feet, but she didn't mind. She laid back calm in her parents hands, surrounded by family~ Calm.

Our newest cousin was also baptised, so this was an extra special day for the whole family. As I watched the water pour over her head, I couldn't help but think ahead. Think of the school events, church events, the birthday parties, the Easter Egg hunts, the trick or treating, the trips up the the lake, the days at the beach, the first dates and the graduations that these cousins are going to experience together. That alone almost sent me into tears.

In all there were 11 babies baptised~ one family had triplets!

I just love this shot and had to share it. ~Dels Godparents~
The cousins sitting together up front. The two littlest ones kept shushing each other and giggling. Annie had the urge to run, she kept going back and forth from the church pew to the front, running back and forth. Being her mom, I was trying to get her attention and get her to sit still, but then later realized this was pointless, she wasn't going to sit still, and it didn't seem to be bothering anyone else but me. And to think she did all this running...in her sister's shoes! Oops.

Dels looks a but groggy here.
Fourth time around and we are getting pretty good at this parenting thing...maybe! Notice in the picture that the mob of people behind us are all to the right...yeah that was the side we were given to sit on...just shows you how much family we had~ we are blessed!

This was a very special day!

We love you Dels.

Everyone's Irish on St. Patty's Day!

Party Prayer

My dad tried to take a picture all the way around the circle, but that is like trying to take a picture of ants...they don't hold still! Anyways, this was the prayer that started off the meal. We had a houseful~ ok, that's an understatement...it was crowded, but everyone had a great time, there was more than plenty of food, snacks, drinks, desserts and out of the 5 briskets of corned beef that Hubby made, there was only one helping left! It is so much fun to get everyone together and can you believe we had an Aunt and cousin drive all the way from Cincinnati (6hours) to join in all the weekend festivities! They are true Irish!

Weekend Plans

This weekend is jammed packed. We are attending The Blarney Blast at church, it will be a night of food, friends and Irish music and can we say...NO CHILDREN!!! Yeah, a babysitter~ I can't wait! Well, I guess I can seeing as it is tonight and I only have all day today to clean up around here. My house looks like a tool chest, a painter's easel, a mess. I have my running shoes on, had my first cup of coffee, kids eating breakfast~ I am ready to run around and clean this place up. Kinda. I mean who actually is ready to clean.

Who looks forward to that? Ugh!

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Saturday is our Annual St. Patrick's Day Party! You can be sure I will have my camera out~ last year I found Guiness up the wall! Not sure how that happened, but it was a busy crazy night. We are going to have quite a few children, so I have cleaned out the toys and I am putting extra seating in the toyroom so that the room will be more inviting to some of the parents to supervise. The nice thing is that the toyroom has nasty carpet that I could care less about, so if there are spills~ I don't care! I will get some pictures up as soon as I can. I wish all of you could join us~ Now that would be a fun party!

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I sent out email invites to the family and attached this picture. Why? Because the invites were kinda last minute and I wrote the email from Dels point of view...she hijacked the computer since her mom couldn't seem to find the time to send out invites. It turned out cute~she signed it... *Professional Party Girl*

Sunday is Dels baptism. I am really looking forward to it because it is such a special day. All of the girls have worn the same baptism outfit and it is one of those things that I look forward to each and everytime. Putting on the outfit, taking pictures and gloating over the baby A.L.L. D.A.Y!! The pouring of the water on her forehead and the look of amazement on her face...I just cherish this. The newest cousin, born in December is also being baptised. The girls both have the same middle name, are being baptised together...I am just picturing them growing up together and that this is just the beginning of all the fun things they will do together! We are having a little party afterwards, with some food, fun, cousins and cake. So I will sign off for now, try and check in between it all and wish everyone a wonderful weekend and Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I just loved this and had to pass it on to all of you...

~An Irish Blessing to you all~