If you were a fly on the wall at my house this weekend, you surely may or may not have heard these quotes…

From Michael:

Mom, can I play PSP?

Jack’s bugging me.

I’m full. Do I have to finish my breakfast/lunch/dinner?

Can I play PSP?

I’m hungry. Can I have a cookie?

Jack’s bothering me!

Mom, can I play PSP?

From Jack:

Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom?

Dad, Dad, Dad, Dad, Dad?

Michael, what are you doing?

Graciiiiiieeeeee…. (dog #1)

Rileeeeeyyyyyy… (dog #2)

Can I have a lollipop?

Michael, can I play?

Can I play with Molly?

Michael…  I want to come in!

Dogs… want a treat?

From Mom:

Jack. Stop. bothering. the. dogs.

Jack, if you don’t leave the dogs alone, we’re going to give them away.

Michael, no. You have played enough video games this weekend.

Jack, if you touch her collar one more time, you’re going to your room.

Jack, go to your room. And stop smiling.

No, it’s not ok to say that word.

I don’t know why God lets your mouth say it, but it’s not appropriate to say.

Michael, if you don’t eat real food, I’m never going to let you have sweets.

Of course you’re hungry at 4:30. You didn’t eat lunch. You’ll have to wait.

Jack, get the handcuffs off the dog.

Yes, I know she can still walk. I don’t care. Get them off her.

Don’t say that during dinner. It’s not appropriate to say at the table.

Michael, how can you not be hungry? You were starving an hour ago.

NO! You can’t have dessert! You didn’t eat dinner!

No, Jack. No lollipops. Because you’re not behaving today and you don’t need more sugar.

Yes, you have to go to bed right after your bath.

Because Mommy is tired.

No you can’t stay up with Daddy. He’s tired, too.

No, you can’t stay up by yourself.

Because I said so.

Because I said so.

Because I said so.

Goodnight.

I love you too.

I love you too. I already told you that.

Yes, I already tucked you in.

Michael, did you just call me from across the house to ask if I would turn your fan on?

Good. Night. Boys.

{waits 10 minutes}

Love you too.

This week, Mom is being sneaky. Here’s a beautiful black and white picture for you:

Because after a long day at work, Mom deserves to have a black and white picture posted on the blog. Color just wasn’t cutting it… even with the help of my friend Picnik.

Michael and I were working on Jack’s valentines. They are adorable!!

Wanna see?

I saw these yesterday morning on Christie’s blog (who got the idea from Alyssa), and we had the picture taken and printed by last night.

Stinkin’ adorable, if you ask me.

Oh, and a computer update – I got my laptop back, upgraded my iPhoto software, and guess what happened?

I got back 352 pictures!!

I have no idea how, or why those photos were the “chosen ones,” and neither does my Mac guy. But I don’t care.  I got ‘em!

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some valentines to finish…

For more Where’s Mom pictures, go visit Carin!

I’m going to tell you first so that you don’t scroll down to the bottom and forget to come back up and read…

Becca from One Run Away!

Seriously, what are that odds that someone named Becca would win my first contest??  Fate, I tell ya…

Congratulations Becca! I’ve e-mailed you already, you just need to tell me what type of gift card you want! If I don’t hear from you within 48 hours, I’ll pick another winner.

I have to share some of the funniest answers that I received:

1. Who in the world is Marilyn?

Chelsea said: Oh, Marilyn! She’s that skank state that’s been stealing your husband (Also known as Maryland). Although I know you’re pretty stoked about the whole “affair” now, with your free plane tickets to HI.

2. Tell me one hamster rule.

Stephanie said: Don’t throw the hamster into a cactus. Hmmm…it seems that would be obvious, but apparently not. Teachers don’t get paid enough.

3. Michael is quite the swimmer. Tell me what stroke broke my heart last year during his swim meet.

Ok, not so many funny answers for this one.

4. Tell me the one creature that you could handle finding in your house (yes, this is an opinion question. A freebie, if you will).

Creature? Would “a dead one” count? – I got a lot of this. You guys are wimps.

Allison said: The creature I could handle finding in my house would be a snake, because we already have 4 and there is no way there would be one bigger than what we already have!  (12′ & 100+ lbs.)

Allison gets the award for bravest contestant

5. What did Steve and I drink a little too much of in Cancun last year?

Michelle said: Those chocolate cake shots sound yummy! I’ll have to go check it out and see if hubby can make me one… or two… or… oh you get the idea!

So, if everyone were to come party at my house, there would be lots of chocolate cake shots and no creatures. Got it.

Thanks for entering, all 57 of you!

Jack: Mom, can we stop and get some orange juice?

Mom: Yup. We still have some apple juice, though. But if you would rather have orange juice, we can stop and get some.

Jack: But can we take the apple juice back? Like, return it?

Mom: No, we can’t return the apple juice. It’s almost gone.

Jack: I know, but can we, like, return it? Like at Target, when we return something that we want to return.

Mom: No, Jack. The apple juice is half gone.

Jack: I know. But like, can’t we, like, give it back to the store?

Mom: No, Jack. We can’t. You can’t return food.

Jack: No, Mom. Not food. Apple juice.

Mom: Yes, Jack, I know what you’re talking about. Apple juice is food. It’s under the category of food.

Jack: No, Mom. Not like apples. Apple juice. It’s a drink. Can you return it?

Mom: I know what you’re talking about. Fruit, veggies, drinks, and cereal… stuff like that is food. Dogs, cats, zebras, and elephants are under the category of animals. Get it?

Jack: Yeah, but can we return the apple juice?

Mom: No, honey. We can’t.

Jack: Well, anyway, can I have a piece of gum?

*Yes, I know that it’s possible to return food. But I just wasn’t going there with him at that moment.*

I took this great picture of the sunset tonight. I can’t upload it because I lost my camera cord 5 months ago.

Go ahead. Ask.

“How have you been uploading pictures for the last 5 months?”

With my fancy-schmancy new laptop that has a special opening for my camera card, that’s how.

Said fancy-schmancy laptop is currently still in the fancy-schmancy laptop shop.

Waiting for a fancy-schmancy new hard drive.

Because the old one died.

It died before the laptop doc could get my files off of it.

Files like 967 pictures.

146 blog posts.

and a lot of files for work.

Yes, I know that I already said that in this post.

I’m just dwelling on reiterating it. Because I can.

But I’m looking on the bright side.

Really. I am.

They’re just things.

Jack told me today, “Mom, you can take lots more pictures. We just have to go back to those places and you can take the same ones.”

Back to Cancun…  I guess that would work. Hmmm…

Currently, I am using my hoopty laptop (thanks for the term Hillary) and it is sloooooooow. And louuuuuuuud.

So, bare with me. I’m here.

Waiting patiently for my computer to come home so I can share some pictures with you.

Because boy, do I have some stories to tell…

Happy blogday bloggiversary (what are they called?) blog birthday to me!

One year of sharing funny stories, posting pictures, and meeting lots of new friends.

One year ago when my friend Suzanne mentioned how much she loves blogging, I thought “hmmm…  I bet that would be fun to try.”

I had no idea.

I didn’t realize that I would “meet” new friends and strengthen family bonds.

I didn’t know about the amazing and supportive community that bloggers have.

Now I know.

Since it’s my day and all, I decided that we should do something fun. After talking to Darcie I decided to steal her idea and host a scavenger hunt giveaway!

The rules

1. Send me an e-mail with the answers to the following questions. The answers are in the linked posts. I’m sure you’ll become so interested in the posts that you’ll almost forget all about the contest you’re entering, so don’t forget to e-mail me!

becca AT Our Crazy Boys (dot) com

2. Leave me a comment. Any comment. Tell me about your favorite post, tell me if you’ve been here one or one hundred times, or just say hello.

3. Once you do these two things (assuming your answers are correct), you’re entered into the contest.

The prize

One reader will randomly be chosen to win a $50 gift card to… wherever you choose!

Me? I would probably choose Borders. Or Target. But that’s the fun part. YOU get to choose!

The fine print

I can only ship to U.S. addresses

I have to be able to purchase the gift card online. As much as I love each and every one of you, it’s probably not in my best interest to fly across the country to buy you a gift card for the teeny tiny coffee house that you frequent.

Ready… Set… Go!

1. Who in the world is Marilyn?

2. Give me one hamster rule.

3. Michael is quite the swimmer. Tell me what stroke broke my heart last year during his swim meet.

4. Tell me the one creature that you could handle finding in your house (yes, this is an opinion question. A freebie, if you will).

5. What did Steve and I drink a little too much of in Cancun last year?

I’ll pick a winner on Wednesday, February 3rd at 8 p.m. Arizona time.

Good luck!!

What I learned this week…

Hmmm…. let me see…

Oh, I know!

I learned that when buying a fancy schmancy new MacBook Pro for yourself, do not – I repeat – DO NOT put off backing it up.

Because if you were to put that off, you might possibly have lost (approximately) 976 pictures, 146 blog posts, progress notes/IEPs/lesson plans for 26 students, and one almost ready to publish blog giveaway.

We’ll find out tomorrow if they can be retrieved.

By the way… Do you know what the computer was doing while it crashed?

Yup.

Backing up for the first time.

I was so proud of myself for finally doing it that I took a picture.

Damn. Damn. Damn.

Whooooot-Wheeewwwww….. (the catcall one)

Whoot-whoot-whoot—whoot-whoot-whoot— (the Jingle Bells one)

Whoot-whoot-whoot-whoot….whoot-whoot-whoot-whoot… (the Handy Manny one)

Whooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooot… (the endurance one)

Whooooot. Wheeeet. Whooooooot. Whewwwwww. Wheeeet. (the random one)

Whoot-wheeeeet-whoot-whoot-whoot-wheeeet whoot…(the Star Wars one)

Wheet-Whooooo… (the dog one… it actually works)

Whooooooooooooo…Whooooooooooo….(the stalling before bed one)

Guess who learned how to whistle last week?

(Please pardon the blurry blackberry photo)

How do you choose a new book?

Do you look for one with a pretty picture on the cover?

A catchy title?

Maybe you look for books that are written by authors that you have read before.

This weekend, I had the opportunity to read a book. A very special book. A best selling book, actually.

(Ok, that was a tiny fib. But it will be a best seller, I just know it.)

It didn’t have a pretty picture on the cover. Because it didn’t have a cover.

And the title? I didn’t know what the title was until I picked up the book to begin reading it.

And the author? I’ve never read a book by her before.

But I knew from the first page that I was going to love it.

It took me about 25 hours to read said book (because the little people in my house wouldn’t stop bickering. And needing things. Like, you know, food. And water. And band-aids.)

While I read the book (no, I’m not giving away the title), I smiled, and I teared up justalittle.

And at certain points, I couldn’t put it down because I was dying to know what would happen in the next chapter.

And at the end, I was satisfied, but sad. The story wrapped up perfectly, but it was over. And the worst thing in the world (to me) is when a book is over but you want to keep on reading.

You’ll get to read the book soon, I’m sure.

As soon as comes out, I’ll let you know. And maybe we can talk the author into signing a few for us?

For now, I’ll have to go pick up that that Jen Lancaster book that I have been waiting to read. *sigh*

Jen doesn’t even compare.

I’m unplugging for the weekend.

I have my nice comfy blanket waiting for me next to my spot on the couch.

I have my Coke.

I have my fuzzy warm socks on.

Oh, and I have this:

A certain someone’s manuscript.

I am so excited for this weekend.

See you in a few days!

(And Heather, I’m hurrying so she can send it to you!)