Everyone watch out!

As I have mentioned and more so last summer when I was blogging more, my family has a houseboat and they are kind enough to let us be apart of it.

It used to be a rental so it is long and over the years we have done cosmetics to it and made it into a nice boat. However, on days like today when we are going to take it out (happens once a summer) the key word is LONG.

The boat dock that where we have the boat is kind of narrow with houseboats on both sides of the cove. So, the wrong wind or the engine dying can send this boat crashing into others. And yes it has happened. Luckily no one has felt the need to call a Rochester personal injury lawyer yet and hopefully today will not be that day.

The issue is usually something with the motor. It always seems that at some inopportune time the engine dies and then you have this big large boat adrift with no way to steer it.

My mom has to get down in one of the cuddies to keep her sanity during the process. I will try to update you on how it went...

Happy 4th!

Slippery Slide

 

Yes, that is my 2 1/2 year old child going off the slide, into the lake by himself.  Part of me was like "that's my boy" - the other part was screaming "you're too little, you're too little!" On that day, he did it over and over and over and over.  He only stopped when we made him.  The next day he went down and landed a little funny in the water and did not want to go alone anymore - this Mom's reaction - Good!

So, we are heading to the lake this weekend and are actually taking the houseboat out.  This is great but it does take a lot of planning.  If you forget something or want something, the closest dock to where we will has outrageous prices. So, it is best to have everything you need on the boat!

Hope to have lots of pictures to show off from the weekend.  As I look at the calendar, this may be my last weekend on the boat before have a newborn so I hope to make the most of it for me and the fam!  I might need to look into some sd cards for all the pictures I plan on taking! Hmmm now I need to go make sure my camera is charged!

Hope everyone has a wonderful 4th of July!!!

A little pee pee update

We are on week two of the potty training adventure.

Let me say a big thanks to all who commented their support and suggestions!

Well of course we are not potty trained. And my child is the exception to the "if they are naked they won't pee" thingy. I swear it will not be long until my house smells like a meth lab (or is that just cat pee that puts off that aroma?) Either way, folks there has been pee pee everywhere. And a 7 1/2 month pregnant woman getting down to clean pee off the floor - it ain't pretty!

Now, I must give Hunter some credit, a lot of the clean up happens around the toilet, the boy can't seem to hold his privates down to keep in the pot. But he is getting better.

We have finally eased up on the prizes. Hunter no longer asked for a prize every time he looks at the potty. We are now offering a prize if poopy goes in the potty and let me tell we have given no prizes for that!!!!

So, the saga continues and I feel that it will for a while. Meanwhile, I am going to be looking for free insurance quotes and see if any cover mental anguish caused by potty training. On that note, I am off to drag someone to the potty! Happy flushing!

Bella True - Jewelry Buying Tips for Guys

Some guys have that special gift gift. No, that was not a mistype. Some men can go out and buy the perfect gift every time. However, some can't and that is okay. Bella True, an on-line jewelry store has Tips For Guys section that could come in very handy for the troubled gift giver.

I was especially impressed with the What to Give When article. It gives advice ranging from the first month of dating to married. My own husband did a wonderful job on choosing my engagement ring. However, we did have an earrings debacle once while we were dating. Somehow the sales clerk talked Brad into buying some earrings even though he told her that I only ever wore one pair. It all worked out but Brad refused to go bad to that store.

I am certain that choosing jewelry for a woman can be very hard - so leave this little guide up on the computer and give your man a little "hint hint"

Let's go potty

Oh my goodness!!! We are potty training day 4! For all you Mom's out there who have been through this, need I say more?

Hunter is 2 and a half and very very verbal. He has also actually tried to help in the diaper changing process. I know that he is ready whether I am or not. Also, I have a baby coming in August and I don't want to have to be doing the potty training thing while tending to an infant, so this is the time for us.

I think that it is going well but what do I know. I swear all the running I have done to the potty and lifting and of course cleaning poo up, if I were on a diet pill such as Liporexall, I could suspend use for a few days!

We are using the prize method. Every time the pee goes in the potty a prize is given. Well this is creating a whole different problem, from all the prizes and all the flushes, I am sure it would have been cheaper to stay on diapers. Plus I have created a prize monster. I think he would sit on the pot for hours waiting to pee just so he could get a prize.

Today was the first day he has left the house this week and we were successful so I will just keep my fingers crossed that this continues! Will try and keep you updated.

Be a Bible Booster

VBS! Our church had Vacation Bible School last week and I must say it was an experience. Now, personally I have not been a part of VBS since I attended myself as a child. That was a long time ago in a small town and VBS has definitely changed.

Last week there were over 400 children and 200 volunteers at VBS. Brad and I volunteered to keep the older 2's. The first night we had 13 kids! 13 toddlers are a lot to keep up with. I am thinking a few of that and weight loss pills might be a thing of the past!

The first 2 nights we had potty incidents in the room, one of which was of the number 2 variety! Yes, the "number 2" was discovered while children were playing with it! As my husband said, "That ain't play dough"

I am really glad we volunteered but I was also glad when it was over it was very exhausting and preggers here even ended up with swollen ankles one night. Can't wait to see what fun arises next year!

The rest of the story

If you read my yard sale post, you know that my phone went missing some time during the yard sale. I had held out hope that I had misplaced it and that someone had not come to my yard sale and stolen my phone.

Unfortunately my attempt at thinking positive about people did not pan out. I found out that my phone was used several hours after it went missing to call a number I do not know. So now my phone is in a trash can somewhere because it is useless. Once I had it deactivated it can never be used again (except by me if I were to find it and reactivate it.) So essentially someone stole my phone for one phone call!!!

We reactivated an old one we had but I have none of my saved numbers and none of my pictures from that phone. I am not big on violence but I would like to punch the people that took my phone for causing me the trouble and they don't even get anything out of it!!! Maybe I need to look into a wireless alarm - then I might feel a little bit better!

Saving saving savings

I have become a regular coupon user when I am doing my grocery shopping. And one of my local stores has started have triple coupon days pretty regularly so you can imagine the savings, usually every shopping trip I get at least one thing free.

I know that everyone like to save money when they are shopping, but sometimes having to dig around for coupons and then clipping them is some what of a hassle. I think that is a reason I like to shop on-line. It seems if you look a little bit you can always find a coupon code. Even Free Shipping from a store like Best Buy is great. You save time and money by not having to drive to the store!

The Last Yard Sale

Well I think that it is safe to say that I have finished my last yard sale. Unfortunately, up until about 30 minutes after closing it I was quite pleased with my small profit. However, I soon came to realize that my cell is missing. At first I thought and hoped that I had just set it down somewhere and forgot. However, after calling it and finding that it is off (my cell may have been off twice over the last year) and seriously scouring the house and yard I have a bad feeling that someone took it.

So, not only did I put in all the work to do the yard sale not get much sleep last night but now my small profit has been turned into a decent loss. I think am just so frustrated, shocked and angry.

I know that in the grand scheme of things a lost/stolen cell phone is nothing. There are people with huge problems that would pay for that to be their problem today. And maybe it is the lack of the sleep or the pregnancy hormones or just the down right disappointment of it but I am struggling to let being upset go...

So instead of going towards something fun like an Orlando vacations package (no I did not make that much) my small profit will be going towards a new cell phone. I was 3 months away from qualifying for a new one. Oh well just putting this out there has already made me feel better. Thanks for listening!

Baseball Tonight

Tonight Brad has to "man a booth" at the baseball game. Our team here is a step down from the majors I think. I don't really know a lot about baseball. Anyway, since Brad is working the booth we decided that we would take Hunter to the game tonight. Hunter does love baseball.

Also, there is going to be (I think - haven't told Hunter) a race car there to see. Hunter's favorite thing is race cars. He has tons of die casts cars, he will watch racing on TV (he is 2) and he races his cars ALL THE TIME - sometimes he even sleeps with some of them. So I will be excited to see how he reacts to seeing a real race car!

I will say that the way he drives his toy cars around and crashes them I dread when it comes time to see about car insurance for him!

A few more Florida pictures

Here are a few more pictures from our Florida trip. We had a great time but I will say Hunter was a little more opinionated this year.

Also, I got the car stuck in the sand one afternoon. Let me say that I have still not lived that down!!!

Shopping - uggh

While we were in Florida, I had decided that I wanted my "souvenir" to be a new summer purse. Now, I am not someone who buys a lot of purses. It takes me forever to pick one out and then I am likely to carry it for years. Of course I do have several purses so they get swapped out from time to time but you know what I mean.

Well one day while Hunter was napping I decided to venture out to look for a purse. I made it in 3 stores before I had to call it quits. I am just not crazy about shopping!

I am sure right now would be a good time to find a decent sale but forcing myself to the mall is painful. I do have a few other items I need so maybe I can make it happen today or tomorrow.

Green family of 14 your table is ready

The Brandt Family 2009 Beach Photo. And yes, we did go to eat dressed liked this. I will post more vacation photos later...

My New Obsession

I have always liked games - video, board games, whatever. So, recently I discovered Mafia Wars on Facebook. Have you tried this? I must say that I am definitely addicted. As a friend of my husband's said, I just want to see what is behind the next door.

I love working the jobs to get the loot to add to my collections. I just recently acquired a Harley, I hope I won't need the help of an Oakland motorcycle accident lawyer!

Seriously, if you play this come join by mafia!!!