Sunday, October 31, 2010

Happy Halloween!


Hi, thanks for stopping by, but I'm not here right now. In between Trick or Treating with the Dynamic Duo, I'm moonlighting over at The Chicago Moms today. Please stop by and see what Glitter Gurl has gone and done now.
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Saturday, October 30, 2010

Only Me!

So to catch you all up to speed. On October 4th, Whynot brought home a stray puppy. An adorable mini Doxie mix, which after much deliberation, we named Gracy. Being responsible pet owners, we immediately took her to our vet, where she got all the necessary shots and blood work and heart worm meds. The vet determined that she had not been spayed so I contacted Friends of Animals for a low cost spay certificate and scheduled the surgery for this past Tuesday.



Tuesday evening we brought home one very groggy pup a container of pain meds and an instruction sheet stating she would be back to her old self minus one uterus and two ovaries in two days. Two days later we had on our hands one 9 lb whack job pup. She was showing aggression towards our other dog, Bella and to TOF and barking like a crazy banshee at every little noise.

Friday I called the vet, he was busy and then I missed his return call. This morning he calls me back and I explained his behavior to her.

Are you sitting down? The vet says sometimes, depending on where they are at in their cycle, the spaying could release hormones and she may be experiencing a false pregnancy. And then just like a quote from Meet the Parents, he suggested I milk my dog. If there's milk, BINGO, there's the problem and she'll be fine in 2-3 weeks.

So now add milked a dog to my resume.

And say a prayer for my husband, who has the pleasure of living with another crazy, psycho, pms-ing female.

Only here on The Avenue! Only me!
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Thursday, October 28, 2010

The Circus Is Coming!


The Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey show will be at The Allstate Arena from November 4th-14th and The United Center from November 17th-28th.

This year's show FUNundrum, honoring the 200th anniversary of the birth of P.T. Barnum, features 130 performers, elephants, cowboys, pirates and mermaids. It's a spectacle befitting the Greatest Showman on Earth and the father of the modern circus.

Purchase a 4 pack of tickets for $44 (valid Monday-Thursday and Friday Matinees, excluding holidays) and save $4 on all weekend shows by logging onto www.ticketmaster.com and entering the coupon code: MOM* (enter code in the MC Productions box on Ticketmaster).

Click on the image above for a printable coloring page for the kids to enjoy!
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Tuesday, October 26, 2010

The Windy City

Wowza! The Chicago area sure is living up to it's nickname*.

Chiclone.

Windageddon.

Windpocalypse.

I don't mean to mock Mother Nature, but living in Tornado Alley, I've seen worse storms in my day.

In May of 2003, half way through Big Mouse's high school graduation, the gym was evacuated and we were escorted to the center of the school until it was safe to commence with the commencement. We later learned that a tornado touched down just a few blocks away and tore the roofs off several houses.

Today? This is nothing. Here on The Avenue I never heard the sirens, they didn't cancel school, it's business as usual, with the exception of a downed fence panel in my backyard.

And yet, in the back of my head, I can hear my mother and late Aunt Lucy's voices lament, "Koniec Swiata**!" I'll say a prayer just in case, so that my little dogs don't blow away.


*Being a native Chicagoan, I understand that the name Windy City has nothing to do with weather and all to do with the politicians.
**The end of the World.
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Monday, October 25, 2010

Halloween Crafts, Take One


Mema, we're going to make skeletons with ear picks?


Yes Calla, we are.


That's so silly!

Calla, silly is what Mema does best!

Disclaimer: 21 ear picks were harmed in this project, but they were from the dollar store, so it was a small sacrifice for the sake of silly art.
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Friday, October 22, 2010

Exploring Trees Inside and Out


Hey Chicago area readers, if you don’t have any plans for the weekend, this Saturday, October 23rd is launch of of the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum’s latest environmental and educational exhibit, “Exploring Trees Inside and Out”. The traveling tree exhibit will be on view at the museum through January 2011.

Presented by Doubletree Hotels and the Arbor Day Foundation, this 2,500-square-foot traveling exhibit is designed to help young children (ages 2-7) experience the sights, sounds and scents of a tree. Your children can climb through a larger-than-life tree from the roots to the canopy, lie in the rope netting for a bird's eye view, and jump into a giant bird's nest.

At the numerous nature sensation stations throughout the exhibit, your children will use their senses to smell cinnamon, chocolate, cedar, fruits and flowers. Together you can touch different bark textures, hear the water flowing through a leaf and learn about photosynthesis.

While visiting the exhibit, children can experience a glimpse of the wonders that await them outside in their own neighborhoods and learn the simple steps they can take to help conserve the Earth’s natural resources.

The Nature Museum is located at 2430 N. Cannon Drive in Lincoln Park, just north of the Lincoln Park Zoo and is open every day except New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. Museum hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission to the exhibit is free with paid museum admission; Adults – $9 Students and Seniors age 60+ – $7
Children ages 3-12 – $6 Children under 3 – Free

Disclaimer: My family and I were invited to tour the exhibit at a media event 10-23-10, no other compensation was received.
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Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Feeling Pink Today!

I'm guest posting over at Peanut Butter in My Hair today. Stop by and comment to be entered into a drawing to win an apron from It's All in the Bag.

Fake (+)(+), Perfect (o)(o), Perky (*)(*),
Cold (^)(^) and even Grandmas\o/ \o/
Big ( • )( • ) or small (.) (.)
And don't forget the crooked (,)(')
Save Them All.


”Write
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Friday, October 15, 2010

Mix Pups Party!

We don't have many strictly girlie toys here on The Avenue anymore, so when I was contacted by MomSelect to host a Mix Pups party I knew that TOF's almost 4 year old friend Calla (not her real name) would be thrilled. Little did I know how much TOF would enjoy them too.



I didn't want to hover, I try not be one of those caregivers, so after opening all the packages, I sat back and observed as the kids played.

They were so excited to play with the Mix Pups. I love that they come with so many accessories and are super cute!

Calla told me that they were fun and the one with the purple hair and pony tail is cute. She loves to change their hair and put different head bands on them. TOF thinks they are cool and likes to play with the soccer accessories the most.

They've been playing with them non-stop and the best part, when they are done for the day, all the pieces fit nicely into a small lingerie bag, making it a great take along toy.

The new Mix Pups collection features sixteen individual collector puppies, including Roxy the Chihuahua, Annie the Bulldog, Lucy the Dalmatian, Chloe the White Poodle, Sophie the Silver Yorkie, Maddie the Dachshund, Sandy the Retriever, Amy the Boston Terrier, Molly the Cavalier, Daisy the White Terrier, CoCo the Chocolate Labrador, Shelby the Husky, Bailey the Beagle, Zoey the Pink Poodle, Sallie the Pink Pooch, and Susie the Gold Yorkie.

Mix Pups can be found at Toys R Us and range in price from $5.99 for the single packs, $9.99 for the double packs, $4.99 for the accessories, and $19.99–$24.99 for the playsets.

Disclaimer: I was sent Mix Pups by Jazwares through MomSelect, I was not given any monetary compensation and all opinions are my own.
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Thursday, October 14, 2010

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Presents Barnum's FUNundrum!



The very first time I attended the circus was with my Girl Scout troop, way back when I was about 7 and it was still held at the International Amphitheater. Yeah that's a long time ago!

Last year, I had the pleasure of taking TOF to his very first performance of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey and we're going back for more next month!

That's right, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey, the longest continually running family entertainment production in the world, is coming back to Chicago, with performances at the Allstate Arena on November 4-14th and at the United Center November 17-28th.



You can purchase a 4 pack of tickets for $44 (valid Monday-Thursday and Friday Matinees, excluding holidays) and save $4 on all weekend shows by logging onto www.ticketmaster.com and entering the coupon code: MOM* (enter code in the MC Productions box on Ticketmaster).

Disclaimer: My family was given tickets to the circus in exchange for my post.
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Tuesday, October 12, 2010

A One Armed Paper Hanger

Busier than a one armed paper hanger. I've only ever known two people to use that phrase in my entire 48 year lifespan. Her and her. If you really give it some thought a one armed paper hanger can't really be that busy. Oh sure, if he had work, it may take him a while longer to get it done, what with one hand and all. Thus giving the appearance of being busy. If he only had one hand and two arms, that might make the job go more smoothly. But realistically, who is gonna hire a one armed paper hanger?

I, on the other hand...eww bad pun even for me.

On the contrary, I have been crazy busy spinning wheels. Both literally and figuratively. It's just amazing how much work little people are!

They need to eat/be fed. They need constant nagging reminding.

Get dressed.

Get dressed.

Get dressed.

Brush your teeth.

Brush your teeth.

Brush your teeth.

Please get dressed.

Go brush your teeth.

Go potty!

Are you dressed?

Did you brush your teeth?

Go potty!

Make sure you flush and wash your hands.

Why aren't you dressed yet?

Please hurry, the bus will be here soon!

PLEASE GO BRUSH YOUR TEETH!

All this before noon! Thank goodness they go home at night and I can unwind with lots of wine and pass out for the night, just to do it all over again the next day.

So tell me, what have you been doing to keep yourself busy?
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Friday, October 1, 2010

Write Pink!



Happy October and Breast Cancer Awareness Month !

Today is also Blog for your Breasts Day.

”Write

In the United States, one in eight women will develop breast cancer at some time during her life. Before 2010 comes to a close, over 207,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer and over 50,000 non-invasive cases will have been diagnosed in this year alone. The disease even affects men, about 2,000 of them. Even with those scary odds, there is hope on the horizon.

What can you do?

Early diagnosis comes from monthly breast self-examinations and annual mammograms. Self-examination will make you aware of any changes in the breast. If you notice such changes, please make an appointment with your doctor.

Talk to your doctor about mammograms and other screening procedures for detection as well. These technologies can find the tiniest nodules which the most sensitive fingers can miss.

Do all you can to prevent development of the disease. Then do all you can to detect it as early as possible.



Please sign the pledge at Army of Women to help recruit ONE MILLION HEALTHY WOMEN to participate in research studies aimed to prevent breast cancer and to find a cure. Visit Bigger Picture Blogs as they kick off Write Pink! from the Head, Heart and Feet, where bloggers will share stories of survival, support, and prevention. You can make a difference, together we can help find a cure in our lifetime.
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