Late Night Chronicles

Picture it...

11:00 p.m. - The littlest child crying "Mummy! Mummy!" As I open one eye, I am hoping that he is only dreaming and I that I can snuggle under the covers and get back to my dream. Nope.  That would have been too easy.  Instead, my one eye is looking at my bright doe-eyed little boy staring back at me with the saddest little face known to man...and just then I suddenly catch a waft of ammonia in the air and quickly realize I am laying in a sea of tinkle. Ok. So he tinkled the bed, it happens every once in a while. We get up, clean up, and put him back in his bed (which is in our room by the way) because did I mention he tinkled in mommy and daddy's bed? 

11:30 p.m.- The doe-eyed boy falls back to sleep

11:35 p.m. - Daddy says bump this, I'm going in the living room.  Walks off stage right with this blankey in tow. 

1:30 a.m. - I finally fall back to sleep (after surfing the internet, a little candy crush I passed level 180! Yes! and some Facebook)

4:45 a.m. - The little one is now standing in the darkness, and I can hardly believe it.  I look at the clock then back at him.  I ask "What are you doing up, sweetie?" Silence. I asked the question again.  Silence.  I look closely and his pants and underpants are on the ground.  Seriously? Yes, the same scent I caught earlier, I caught once again. Is it time for me to cry yet?
**My son will surely be quite upset when he gets older for spilling his tinkle stories**

4:50 a.m. - Clean up # 2.  Mumbling under my breath, "What in the heck did Daddy give you to drink tonight?! 

4:55 a.m. - Speaking of Daddy, he is all cozily wrapped up in his blankey on the couch fast asleep.

5:00 a.m. - Oh my gracious the girl is up

5:01 a.m. - The realization that I won't be going back to sleep

6:00 a.m. - Daddy leaves for work and we know what that means...I'm stuck by myself.

7:00 a.m. - Breakfast and 1st cup of tea, they've requested tuna and grits (something that requires a little bit of work)

8:30 a.m. - Might as well begin the Christmas decorating!

A couple of cards done for the advent calendar!

The little one as the scissors, oh my!

The Teenager is up before noon and she's decorating!

10:00 a.m. - 2nd cup of tea (wish it were spiked)

Yummm...my comfort!

And so that's how my Saturday morning is going!


How are you doing on this beautiful Saturday?! 


Signed, 
A drowsy, decoratin' Candilaria

Getting Ready For Christmas!!

December 1st is 4 days away! I can hardly believe it. Can you?!

Before I had my kids I sort of lost my excitement for Christmas, as most of us do. Now that I have children and they are at the age where they understand, their excitement awakens and ignites the feelings I once had as a child.


I will admit that I've been feeling a lot like Christmas for more than 2 weeks now. I've tried my darnedest to refrain from popping in the Christmas CD or breaking out the Christmas decorations. BUT NO MORE!

It is time! And I am READY!

I took the decorations out of storage and I plan on making it into an event to decorate the house (inside and outside) this coming weekend with the children. Even though if it were up to them they would have decorated 2 weeks ago! LOL

In our house, creating an advent calendar has become a festive tradition for counting down the days to Christmas. We love to make them and we enjoy the fun and anticipation it brings to the holidays. They are really a great way to bring the family together and to cherish every minute of the season. Some choose to fill their calendars with treats and/or tree decorations, but we like to fill ours with activities (and treats and decorations!).  What kinds of activities you ask?  Well here are some that we used last year and will more than likely recycle this year but modify them a bit:

1.   Tonight feels like a hot chocolate night!
2.   Bake cookies and give them to your neighbours
3.   Donate one or two toys to a child not as fortunate as you
4.   Go driving to see Christmas decorations/lights. (one of my favs!)
5.   Say 3 things you are thankful for
6.   Christmas Movie night and popcorn
7.   Go and pick out a Christmas tree
8.   Stay up 15 or 30 minutes passed your bedtime (this is a winner for the               kiddies!)
9.   Bake cupcakes or brownies
10. Decorate Christmas tree while listening to Christmas songs sipping on tea! 

You get the picture!  You don't have to do an activity every single day and if you're like me I avoid planning an activity on an evening I know we have something else going on.  Yes, it takes some planning!  The whole point is to engage the entire family and have fun with it!

So this year I've decided to make one that looks like this:

photo courtesy of A Beautiful Mess

This particular calendar is filled with treats, but I will definitely be mixing it up. As the countdown begins on December 1st, I have 3 days to gather the materials and execute the project!

So Stay tuned for when I reveal my version of this calendar! So super excited!



What traditions do you and your family have during the holidays? 


Signed, 
A Christmas lovin' Candilaria

Help Me To Understand?

Courtesy of www.keysmashblog.com

This past weekend I went to a birthday party. It was not a child's party. The hours on the invitation clearly stated that the party was for a grown man. The hours for the party were 8 p.m.-1 a.m.

Can someone please help me to understand why there were children there? One child was young enough that the mother was cutting up the child's food to feed them.

This made me think of the movie Sweet Alabama where Reese Witherspoon's character says to her long time friend, "You have a baby...in a bar?" Like why do you have your child here of all places.

Bars are for adults!

I am forty years old. On a Friday night between the hours of 8 p.m. until 1 a.m. I believe I should be able to behave like a forty year old. I should not have to alter my behaviour at an adult venue because there are children present; one who happened to be my second grade student. 

I truly don't understand. 
Parenting 101 Lesson One states this.... Sometimes you gotta stay home! If you don't have a babysitter, sorry, you gotta miss this one. There will be more events for you to attend.

True story, back in 2011, Candi had a birthday party. Chase had just been born. He was not even two months yet. Man I wanted to go and so did Eric. I am not sure why we didn't hit up the grandparents to babysit maybe because I was still breastfeeding(hated that!), but whatever the case, because we both graduated from Parenting 101 after having Channing, I knew, 'Sometimes you gotta stay home!

This is what we did. We attended the party in shifts. I went for the first shift then Eric closed out the party. I did not want to leave but oh well, I am a parent. So I left. Candi and I live so close to one another that after Eric arrived I could hear him having a good time. Literally, I could hear the music and Eric hooting when a good song came on. I sat at home and listened. I had to miss out.

But, according to some women of today, that would have been ridiculous. "Chile pack up Chase and take him to the party in his car seat!" 

WTH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Not Tiffany Yvette Hall. Why? Because 'sometimes you gotta stay home'!

I have seen children at parties, at the movie theatre at a late night movie, hanging outside a bar, in a bar. I am sure you have seen them too.

No one told these mothers that 'sometimes you gotta stay home'!

I just need someone to help me to understand why this is the new trend? Why are women not willing to miss out on a good time for the sake of their children?

Jeez!

Never forget, when you bring your child to an adult event, they see adult things.

Don't mind the noise in da market, our kids can't handle adulthood. They are children. Keep them in child-friendly settings so they can be children and adults feel free to be adults!

Until I mash people's corns again!
Tiffany

P.S. And then ya'll complain that this generation of children act too grown or even worse, brag that they are so wise. Wise beyond their years! Not so much people...not so much!

Can You Keep A Secret?

courtesy of www.samsclub.com

What does a 48 oz. container of delicious Planters Cashews have to do with a housekeeper?

Let me tell you...

A very dear friend of mine introduced and got me addicted to cashews. Every day she packed me a small baggie of nuts. To reciprocate this act of love I figured I'd go to my neighbourhood market and purchase a container of cashews so that I may share with her one day. This is what good, pardon me, great friends do!

And so I did. I entered Super Value, yes I am calling the company's name, walked straight to the snack food aisle and grew extremely excited when I glanced upon the stacks of cashews. Perfect! The store has cashews, I did not know if they would be hard to find. I don't do grocery stores, my husband is the food shopper.

Anywho, wap I grabbed the largest 48 oz. container of cashews. I have to get the biggest one because I know my friend and I are going to devour these in a hot minute.

Why is one let me repeat, one bleepity-bleep container, so what it is 48 oz., why is one container of cashews $30.99.... dollars that is!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Seriously?

I put the cashews back on the shelf. Oh well, I'm not that great of a friend!

And so, plan B, I made a purchase of cashews in the mighty land of America where one 48 oz. container is $15.98. I bought two. Thank you Tammie!

This leads me to my housekeeper. I have a live-in housekeeper who I absolutely adore. This is my third nanny and by far the best. My family is truly blessed to employ her. Since she is a live-in, you know where I am going with this, she has access to our kitchen and all the food that is in it.

And so, I recall the day I gleefully bought the cashews home. I was thrilled. Eric was thrilled. Channing and Chase are not included! Cashews are for grown -ups. My housekeeper said,"Cashews, oh I love me some cashews! Cashews nice!"

In less than a week, I'm talking five days, 48 oz. of cashews were slaughtered, kidnapped with no ransom letter, never to be found again.

Wth!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

One week?

Did I forget to post on the Hall Family Facebook and Twitter Page that these cashews need to last us until let's say hmm, at least December? Someone did not get the memo.

I took the can of evidence to Eric and interrogated him. Satisfied with his testimony I came to a verdict. My housekeeper has eaten the majority of my cashews!

Now don't get me wrong, I am not stingy with my housekeeper. She can eat whatever is in the house. She can drink anything except our liquor. I do not and never will be mean and not share nor provide for her. I believe when you hire a housekeeper, you have to treat her as an employee and give her boundaries but at the same token you have to treat her as you would want someone to treat you.But my cashews. My $15.98 cashews. My foreign-travel-on-da-plane-in-a-suitcase-gone-through-customs cashews! 

Oh Houston, we have a problem!

courtesy of www.8womendream.com

I have the solution!

Shhhhhhhh! Don't tell my housekeeper but...

I have strategically hidden the second container of cashews!!!!!!!!!!!!! Not even Eric knows, well maybe, but they are secured. 

How did I get here? I feel bad about hiding food from my housekeeper but I am desperate. Desperate people take desperate measures. Am I a bad employer? I so don't want to be but it is my job to keep 48 oz. of cashews safe. Who else will protect them from the housekeeper bandit?

Lord help me if she finds them!

Until I eat my cashews again,

Tiffany-still-praying-for-an-I-Phone Hall

Out Of The Mouths Of Babes...

As mothers we all know we have absolutely no privacy!  You try to sneak off to do some chore or activity and within minutes the little crumbsnatchers have found you and take over your life once again.

True Short Story...

Some time ago, as I was getting ready for work in MY bathroom located in MY bedroom both my children busted through the bathroom door with not so much as a knock.  Why you ask? Who knows!  Children just love being around their mothers I guess and it really doesn't matter where they are (I have to lock the door behind me because they just don't get it! LOL).

So putting on the kind of underwear that doesn't cover the buttocks, aka a thong, my daughter says to me, "Mummy why do your panties look like that?" In making that statement my 3 year old son is prompted to come over and investigate for himself.  He walks up to me, then walks around me, looks in the back and then looks up at me with a very concerned expression on his face and says...



"MUMMY, YOUR PANTIES ARE BROKEN!!!"

Courtesy of salon.com

...blank stare....


All I could do was laugh! LOL


What have your children said to you that made you laugh? Or even shocked you? 


Happy Monday Ladies... :)



Signed, 
a broken underwear wearin', Candilaria

Cocktails and Conversations

Married Working Mothers enjoyed a great evening out with four fabulous women! Happy Birthday once again to LaRosa and thank you for celebrating it with us. To top the night off, as we were leaving we watched a spectacular show of fireworks. We could only assume it was for us of course!  We hope to see more of you join us on Tuesdays at Luciano's of Chicago.

Until next time....

                          

Signed, 

MWMs Management

FIND THE MONEY

Last week was Halloween, Channing dressed up as Doc McStuffins. This was the perfect costume as she already owned a Doc McStuffins dress up set. The set included everything except the purple and pink polka dot leggings. As far as my husband was concerned, who cares about the missing leggings, just "Wear something else!" Wap!

Yeah right!

In the words of Doc McStuffins, "I have a diagnosis! Tiffany, you suffer from Things-have-to-be-a-certain-way-itis!"

I do! It was imperative for Channing to have a complete costume. I did not listen to Eric. Instead I ordered a brand new costume from Amazon just so Channing could have her leggings.

Let's do some math.

The cost of the new costume was $23.00. The cost to ship to The Bahamas and pay duty was $24.00. In total the second costume was almost $50.00. 

FIFTY FREAKING DOLLARS!

Doc McStuffins, Stuffy, her sidekick dragon and Doc's mom!

Did I mention Channing already had a costume just minus the purple and pink leggings? Okay fine, she looked just like Doc but this leads me to the purpose of this post. 

Why can I find the money to spend on my children but not for myself?

courtesy of www.theverge.com

At this present moment I want an
I-Phone, a gold I-Phone. I am forty years old. I work hard every day. I am a good person. I am a good mother and even better wife. I pay the bills on time and save when I can. I deserve a treat. I don't even own an I-Pad! My husband will tell you I rarely ask for material things. Materialistic is not a word to describe me. I am a woman who shops at Ross, wears the same exercise clothes from the last ten almost fifteen years and  washes, treats and perms my own hair. For all that I do and wisely do not do, I should have no worries about buying myself a new phone.

But...

I can list ten reasons right now why I won't buy me a phone. Amazingly, I did not have a ten reason list why I should not buy a new Doc McStuffins costume. That thought never went through my mind. She had to have the purple and pink leggings. No ifs ands or buts! I should be able to say, I have to have a new I-Phone!  No ifs ands or buts!

Now don't get me wrong. I can tell Channing "No" very easily. She does not get everything she asks for. There are times I have money when she wants ice-cream and I will tell her no she has to wait for another day.

I refuse to give her everything she wants. However, she must have everything I want her to have!

Once I deem she needs a purple headband to match her purple shoes....I will find the money! Once I deem she needs a certain type of fork and spoon to match her thermos, backpack and pencil case....I will find the money. Once I deem she needs every color of a shoe I've found on The Gap Website...I will find the money!

So why can't I deem I need an I-Phone and find the money?

It's because I am a mother. Mothers want the best for their children and will sacrifice until we get the best! We also have the annoying capability to deny ourselves of our needs and most definitely our wants.... unless you have disposable income!

I don't! 

My mother gave the best of herself to me. I realize now that you probably wanted to take a weekend trip and go to a Teddy Pendergrass concert but my ballet and school tuition were due so like the great mother you were, you stayed at home and listened to his records! 

Thank you for the sacrifice Mummy.

I live to raise my daughter as my mother raised me, to sacrifice for her betterment but jeez...I really want an I-Phone!

courtesy of student photographer Kyla King

Until I blog again,
Tiffany

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

SCANDAL REVIEW: "MORE CATTLE, LESS BULL"

Hoping that all you mothers made it home in time for Scandal!


Here is my quick review of last night's episode...


OLIVIA took on Josie Marcus, a possible opponent for Fitz in his     re-election, as a client.  Her sole purpose was to "manage" the secret about Josie having a baby at 15. When that didn't work, she was fired. 

Later on in the episode she turned into a sixteen (16) year old girl last night when the special Fitz phone finally rang. You could tell she felt relief that he called her and she was able to vet his jokes for the upcoming White House Correspondents dinner. He still needs her and she needs him.  

courtesy of screencrave.com

GLADIATOR TEAM, was sent to Montana on Olivia's orders to speak with those who knew about Josie's baby and to pay them to keep it a secret.  Quinn accompanied them but really had no role this time around as she has been "grounded". Quinn is really scaring me, buying a gun and all...

Quinn: Hey, I found her.Harrison: Grounded!

FITZ...meetings with Olivia's father, secret phone calls in the bathroom with Liv, playing basketball with assassins who also have feelings for your sweetie....Fitz had a heck of a night.  He painfully learned that not even the POTUS can control or get rid of section B613.  So is Rowan really the most powerful man in The United States?  Hmmmm....dang.

Fitz:  You should've fouled me.
Jake: I don't play dirty.
Fitz: Oh, you changed your game?

MELLIE, Mellie, Mellie....Mellie, practically begged Olivia to come back to the White House and run the      re-election campaign as she did the first time. I'm kind of getting tired of Mellie's wishy washy-ness. Mellie has done this before, approaching Olivia where it concerns her husbands happiness, however she was never been this desperate and she never seemed this defeated. She always seems up to something!

"He needs you, Olivia. He is tired and broken and it isn't the job. It's doing the job without you. He's not alive when you're not here. He can't breathe when you're not here. He doesn't have the will to run much less win when you're not here because you, you're everything to him, Liv. He needs you, so I need you to come back. Come back to us."-Mellie 

Courtesy of tvguide.com

JAKE & HUCK, worked together to unfold secrets about Operation Remington. These two kind of make me nervous, especially when Jake broke into Rowan's house to download files. And really...Rowan aka Eli Pope doesn't have cameras or something more than a basic alarm system in his home??? Dude, you are the COMMAND of the most ruthless, undercover section of the Government!  AND you're not exactly liked by a lot of people!  Poorly written Scandal writers! I like Jake, I really like Jake (sorry to keep saying it) but do you think maybe he is stringing Huck along? Just maybe? We will see how this relationship unfolds.  But I do feel it's giving Huck a feeling of being needed in a different way and that's what the doctor ordered for now.

"Two things make a coincidence.  Three things make a conspiracy."
-Huck

Jake finally stood up to Olivia and told her he refuses to play second-fiddle, even to The President.  He knows he doesn't deserve it.  And I agree.  Olivia used him last night and I felt bad for him.  Is that the end of their little relationship?  No, not at all.  Olivia cares about him.


At the end of the episode we found out what really happened during Operation Remington.  

Fitz killed Olivia's mother. **Blank Stare**  

Fitz was ordered by Rowan to shoot down a passenger airliner.  An airliner carrying Olivia's mom. Did Fitz know Olivia's mother was on the plane?  I doubt it. Does Fitz know that Olivia is Commands daughter? Who knows.  


Next week's episode is going to be an explosion!!


What did you think of "More Cattle, Less Bull?"


Signed, 
"We got Poped, Sir!", Candilaria