Crap my B.R.A.T. Says

Lil’Bit: "Mommy, I gotta tell you something! Bend down"

[I bent down, she puts her face to my year]

Lil’Bit: [whispering] "Vampires have very inappropriate behavior."

Crap my B.R.A.T. Says

[Talking about Lil'Bit's day & What she learned at school]

Me: What do farmers do?

Lil'Bit: They build plants and squeeze cows

Crap my B.R.A.T. Says

Lil’Bit: "My hands smell gross."

Me: "Why?"

Lil’Bit: "I don't wanna say."

Crap my B.R.A.T. Says

Dropping lil'bit off at school I bend down to give her a hug and she says 

"Mom, I’m glad your not fat... I like to put my arms ALLL the way around you when I hug you!"

The 30 Day Photo Challenge: Day 6

Day 06 - A Picture of a Person You'd Love to Trade places with for a day

Not because he's on TV and whatnot... I could REALLY do without that part... But I would LOVE to switch places with Anthony Bourdain because he gets the travel the world and eat strange foods and do crazy things.

The Anti-Tiger Mother

Raising children is an exhausting business. They require feeding, dressing and a seemingly endless supply of answers to pointless questions. Each day is a challenge, calling upon me as a mother to summon every last reserve of patience and energy as I nag, bribe, wipe noses/butts and guide them through the obstacles of their young life. Frankly, it’s a ­wonder I have any time left to do anything for myself. Oh, wait a minute, I don’t. Do I dislike any of this? Of course I do. But it’s all part of the territory of bringing up children, and I like to think that being a good mother is about making sacrifices.

So while I may be a more of anti “tiger mother”, I don’t consider myself a bad parent. But it seems I’m deluding myself. According to Yale Law School Professor Amy Chua, I’m falling way short of the mark. She has written Battle Hymn Of The Tiger Mother to prove that what matters when it comes to parenting is not just the job of parenting itself. Oh, no. The fact that your children are fed, watered, healthy and happy is of ­little consequence, apparently. What’s important in China, she argues, that children raised by overbearing and exceptionally strict Chinese mothers are superior (yes, she uses that word) to other children. Chua also claims that a child’s success in the vast array of extra-curricular activities you are expected, as a parent, to not only provide, but to cram down their throat. Frankly, It’s an approach to motherhood that, I personally don’t have the energy to explore.

Crap my B.R.A.T. Says

Lil'Bit: "I'm hungry, can I have a cookie?"

Me: "No, cookie's arent good for you, find something else."

Lil'Bit: "But cookies give me super powers."

Me: "No they don't, you're thinking of carrots, you want a carrot?"

Lil'Bit: "No, i'm pretty sure it's cookies. How bout you give me one and we see if it gives me super powers?"

The 30 Day Photo Challenge: Day 5

Day 05 - A Picture of Your Favorite Memory

 It's a toss up between the day my daughter was born...

And when her dad (my ex) got to see her for the first time

(He was deployed to Iraq when she was born)

The 30 Day Photo Challenge: Day 4

Day 04 - A Picture of Your Night

This was last night at least... And not me, my daughter, but I took it, so I guess that counts right. Lil'Bit got lucky, after school she went out to dinner (pizza) with a friend of mine and I... Then cruses around in my friends convertible with the top down since it was so nice and warm last night.

Crap my B.R.A.T. Says

Makayla: "Today, Duke hit me and Donavon [her boyfriend] and called Donavon a baby when he cried."

Me: "Oh yeah? Did you tell him that wasn't nice?"

Makayla: "No, I punched him in the face and told him he had a stupid name."

Restaurant Deals (Non-Military)

A&W | Sign up for the A&W Mug Club to receive a printable coupon for a Free Root Beer Float or Freeze. 


am pm | Print a coupon for a $0.49 Coffee at your local “am pm” store located inside of BP, valid through 2/1!

Arby’s | Print a coupon for a FREE 22 oz. beverage with the purchase of any size snack! Valid through 1/17.

The 30 Day Photo Challenge: Day 3

A Picture of the Cast from Your Favorite Show.

I can't pick just one... So I picked 3!

Doctor Who

Yeah I know Matt Smith is Doctor Who now, but I liked it so much more when it was David Tennant <3

  Torchwood

I'm so excited they're coming out with a new seriese on Starz or something this summer!

True Blood

I used to be real into the books, and now I like watchin the show since it's a totally different storyline. 

The 30 Day Photo Challenge: Day 2

A Picture of You and the Person You have been Closest with the Longest.

 This is my BFLIAS Amanda (Best Friend Living In Another State, Hah!) we have been best friends since 8th grade... Yeah I still talk to quite a few people I knew before 8th grade (thanks to Facebook) but I haven't been consecutive friends with them as long as I have with Amanda. We didn't go to the same junior high, but played on the same basketball team (NJB), became friends, and then when wee ran into each other at "freshman orientation" for our high school, we knew we weere destined to be BFFs. Unfortunately with me getting married and moving out of state, we don't get to see each other as much as we would like. The smaller picture is the last time we got to see each other almost 2 years ago! But i'm so happy, because actually, she's in town (from Tuscon, AZ) and we're doing lunch tomorrow!

Crap my B.R.A.T. Says

Lil'Bit: "Mommy, I need to go to the grocery store."

Me: "Why?"

Lil'Bit: "I invited Donavon [her boyfriend] over for dinner."

Me: "Well we’ve got food at home."

Lil'Bit: "No! I’m going to cook him dinner... I’ll need Turkey... Bananas… And umm... Hominy!"

The 30 Day Photo Challenge: Day 1

Day 01 - A Picture of Yourself and Fifteen Facts.

 

1. I turn 27 in 2 weeks and have still yet come to terms with the fact I am that much closer to being 30.

2. When my mom was pregnant with me, she was told I was a boy (early days of ultrasound) so she bought all boy clothes, painted my room blue, named me Christopher and low and behold I came out a 10.9lb girl.

3. My mom came up with my middle name while watching Happy Days in the hospital. The girl who played Joanie's name is Erin Moran... So the decided to change it a bit and gave me the middle name of "Moranne".

4.  On the subject of Happy Days... I used to play basketball with The Fonz's son, Max (graduated the year before me) and met Henry Winkler multiple times, he is seriously awesome. And speaking of celebrates, I had Spanish class with Claire from My Wife and Kids, my babysitter dated Turk from Scrubs back when he was on Clueless (he was always over when she was babysitting me) and Mark Wahlberg used to be one of my "young life" councilors in his post-Marky Mark years, before he really got into acting... And my sister dated Dennis Rodman a few years ago (More ashamed then anything of that last one, HaHa)

5. When I was in high school, my career placement test said I was destined to be either a lumber jack or a park ranger... Now mind you this was in California, where there were hardly any trees.

6. I worked on my great-grandma's farm for a few summers in middle school and got a huge soft spot for farm animals. I quit eating meat the summer before freshman year in high school.

7. I've lived in 5 states: California, Nevada, South Carolina, Arizona, and Virginia. I think I liked Arizona the best.

8. When I was a kid I used to want to be an architect... I kept that plan until I was a sophomore in high school and found out a sucked at geometry.

9. I hate cats with a passion. (Probably since I'm allergic to them and have such horrible reactions).

10. When I was 18 I worked at Disneyland. (trust me, so not the happiest place on earth)

11. I love love love love reading.

12. I wish someone would invent teleportation sooner rather than later. I hate flying.

13. I rely heavily on spell check. My mom learned to spell in Europe so she taught me with the whole 'O' before 'U' thing. And my Dad's from Ozark mountains of Missouri (or as he says 'Mizzura') he spells like he talks, no joke I failed a spelling test in elementary school cuz he insisted Washington was spelled 'Worshington'.

14. While in college I worked as an "undercover investigator" for the Department of Fish and Game and got offered an internship with the secrete service, but quit my job and turned down the internship to join the Marine's... Probably the dumbest thing I've ever done career wise.

15. I was (the height I am today) 5'11" by the time I was in 8th grade. I was the 2nd tallest in the school, with only one boy bring an inch taller then me.

The 30 Day Photo Challenge

I got tagged in "The 30 Day Photo Challenge" on Facebook, really had no desire to do it on there since obviously everyone on my FB page already knows me and could probably answer half the questions for me... But I figured it might be kinda cool to do it on here, since I really don't post much information on myself and ya'll really have no clue who I really am.

So here's the deal, every day you post the corresponding photo and write a short story (see below) I encourage all my readers to participate as well. It would be fun to get to know everyone. If you do choose to participate, please comment with a link to your blog below.

Day 01 - A Picture of Yourself and Fifteen Facts.
Day 02 - A Picture of You and the Person You have been Closest with the Longest.
Day 03 - A Picture of the Cast from Your Favorite Show.
Day 04 - A Picture of Your Night
Day 05 - A Picture of Your Favorite Memory
Day 06 - A Picture of a Person You'd Love to Trade places with for a day
Day 07 - A Picture of Your Childhood Crush
Day 08 - A Picture that makes you Laugh
Day 09 - A Picture of your Purse (female) or Wallet (male)

Day 10 - A Picture of your Closet

Day 11 - A Picture of something You Hate
Day 12 - A Picture of something You Love
Day 13 - A Picture of Your favorite Band or Artist
Day 14 - A Picture of Someone You could never Imagine Your Life without
Day 15 - A Picture of something You want to do before You Die
Day 16 - A Picture of someone who Inspires You
Day 17 - A Picture of something that has made a huge Impact on Your Life recently
Day 18 - A Picture of Your biggest Insecurity
Day 19 - A Picture of Your High School

Day 20 - A Picture of somewhere You'd Love to Travel
Day 21 - A Picture of something You Wish You could Forget
Day 22 - A Picture of something You Wish You were better at
Day 23 - A Picture of Your favorite Book
Day 24 - A Picture of something You Wish You could Change
Day 25 - A Picture of Your day
Day 26 - A Picture of Something that means a lot to You
Day 27 - A Picture of Yourself and a Family Member
Day 28 - A Picture of Something You're Afraid of
Day 29 - A Picture that Can Always Make You Smile.

Day 30 - A Picture of Someone You Miss

Homemade Ice Cream

This is a re-post from my friend Ashley, and yes, that's my little girl in the pink. Ashley helped the kids make this yummy and fun ice cream treat over new years and I wanted to share this super easy recipe.

1/2 cup milk
1 tbls sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla or 1/2 tbls cocoa

Combine ingredients in a ziplock bag.
Put bag inside another bag. 

Add tray of ice and 6 tbls salt.
Dance, shake, girate until it turns into icecream.
Serve with sprinkles and giggles.

The ice cream tasted pretty good. It was a little more like "ice milk" then "ice cream" (crystaly vs creamy) but the kdis didn't care. Plus, I felt pretty good giving it to my kid seeing how it only had 3 ingredients in it and I knew what they all were.

Tax Filing Services for Military

by Love My Tanker From Spousebuzz.com
 

Tax filing season for the 2010 tax year is just around the corner.  Tax statement availability dates vary throughout the month of January depending upon service affiliation.

Military OneSource will offer free tax program services for the 2010 tax year beginning on 17 January 2011.  The program will utilize H&R Block electronic filing services again this year.  In order to access this program for free you must wait until 17 January to create an account.  You also must gain access to HR Block by linking  through the Military OneSource website.

According to the IRS, itemizers should wait to file tax returns until mid to late February until the IRS is processing systems for three provisions that were extended in the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization and Job Creation Act of 2010:

• State and local sales tax deduction
• Higher education tuition and fees deduction
• Educator expenses deduction

Further information as stated by Military OneSource is listed  below and can be accessed in further detail here.

The Military OneSource Tax Program will begin on Monday, January 17, 2011. The program will provide free access to a customized version of the basic H&R Block at Home® electronic tax filing product. This customized product allows for free federal filing and free state filing (up to three states). In addition, free telephonic tax consultations are available to help with tax related issues. Please see our list of Frequently Asked Questions to learn more about the program and filing your 2010 taxes.

*An Important Note:  Please do not create a user account on the public H&R Block Web site. You will incur a fee if you file using the public H&R Block Web site/product. If you create an account on the public H&R Block Web site, regardless of how you access the account in the future, the H&R Block system will view you as a public user (the system tags the account when it is created, according to the version of the product being used at that time).

Please wait until Monday, January 17th, when the customized MOS version is made available via a link on the Military OneSource Web site to create your account.

The following people are eligible: Active duty US Army, US Navy, US Marine Corps, and US Airforce US National Guard and US Reserve (regardless of activation status). (NOTE: United States Coast Guard personnel, spouses and dependent children are not eligible for this service. USCG should contact their local VITA/Legal Office.) Spouses and dependent children of the Services noted above, and who are authorized in DEERS A family member who is taking care of the affairs of a service member (in one of the services noted above) when the service member is deployed A Severely Injured service member of one of the Services noted above, or a designated family member of a Severely Injured member who is incapable of handling his or her own affair.

A Salute to Our Heroes: The U.S. Marines

"A Salute to Our Heroes: The U.S. Marines" is the FIRST illustrated children's book about the United States Marine Corps and so incredibly cute, I'm ordering mine today! Written by Active-Duty Marine, this hardback beautify illustrated rhyming book takes readers on a journey with Chesty the bulldog into the world of the U.S. Marine... And best of all, sales of this book help support the Injured Marine - Semper Fi Fund (what a great cause)!

"The hardback book is written in a delightful rhyming cadence with Chesty the Bulldog, the Corps’ mascot, giving a fun-filled, exuberant account of life as a Marine.

Chesty begins his narrative on the yellow footprints of a U.S. Marine Corps Recruit Depot, where every recruit’s journey begins: “Marines first go to boot camp, where drill instructors are loud. If they pass, they become one of the few and proud.”

Beautifully simplistic in its rhetoric, the book covers the basics of marksmanship and physical training, along with touching upon the ways a Marine can attack by land, air or sea. It even acknowledges the heartbreaking truth that sometimes a Marine has to leave family and friends behind in order to protect and defend America’s interests abroad.

The illustrations by Rebecca Wochner give the book added appeal by featuring Chesty in a multitude of military scenarios that easily capture and stimulate the imagination of young and old alike.

To read more of Captain Bosquez's review, click HERE.

This book can be purchased from Amazon, Sgt.Grit's, The Marine Shop or marinekidsbook.blogspot.com

Worst fashion disasters of the decade

posted on the ocregister.com by Cindy McNat

Every decade sees its horrendous fashion mistakes – remember the mullet, puffy bangs and hot pants? The first decade of 2000 has been no different with hideous fashion that will hopefully fall by the wayside, and soon.

We rounded up 10 fashion disasters that we are dying to forget. Vote on what you think has been the worst.

Capri pants

All of this TSA hoopla

Insult to Injury?

By Amy at Spousebuzz.com

If infants were dying in my post’s housing, the last thing I would want to go to is an informational meeting on all the great new parent education programs offered on base.
But that’s exactly what Fort Bragg officials held last week, according to this story.
In case you haven’t been following this, here’s a little background:

Since 2007, 11 babies living at Fort Bragg have died of unknown causes. Post officials say the rate of infant deaths is in line with national averages, but the cases prompted an independent investigation this summer into housing conditions at the installation.

Now, if I was the post commander or any number of people in charge of child or parent programs on the base I would be desperate to do anything — anything! — to mitigate this issue. Even thinking about this makes me want to cry right this second. I cannot fathom the pain these parents are going through. And I cannot imagine the helplessness post officials must feel in trying to deal with a problem potentially created by something at least originally out of their control — drywall.

But it seems like the answer to something like this would be information — not information about other fairly unrelated programs, but information about what’s going on, including the pending investigation. Instead:

Fort Bragg offers several programs to help young military families keep their babies healthy, Army health care officials told a small crowd of parents Thursday at Womack Army Medical Center.

About 50 people attended the town hall meeting on infant health and safety. The forum was organized in response to publicity surrounding several unexplained infant deaths on post, officials said, and in an effort to inform soldiers and their families about the bevy of new parent educational programs offered through the hospital.

And:

The topic [of the infant deaths] was breached during the forum, but only briefly. Participants of the forum Thursday were instructed not to ask questions about the ongoing investigation.

This just seems like insult added to injury.

In related news, another  story over the weekend revealed that the drywall supplier for the Bragg housing in question is the subject of a class-action lawsuit filed in Florida. That suit accuses the supplier, National Gypsum, “of manufacturing ‘inherently defective drywall’ shown to emit harmful sulfur gases.” Read the rest of that report here.

Happy New Year

It's a day late, but I was in San Diego for the weekend... But happy New Year to all my loyal readers... Hope everyone had a fabulous New Years eve /New Years day / New Years weekend and that this year brings the best to everyone... Did anyone make Resolutions? I have never been a fan of them and have never made one that I actually kept, but I always love to hear everyone elses.