What I've learned about boys

I remember for so many years watching moms and dads with their sons and seeing the struggle they would have. I thought to myself "Can't they keep that boy under control?". I thought maybe the parents weren't being assertive enough and they always said that boys have a lot of energy. I guess I can understand that to a certain extent. Now that I have a boy of my own I FULLY understand. I grew up with sisters and most of my cousins and friends had girls. William is an energy packed toddler that's for sure! He climbs everything and seems to have no fear. I don't think there is anything he won't try to do given the chance. Standing on a table is not unusual for him. He learned how to go up and down the stairs in our house on his own. Sometimes he will just stand on a step halfway and I panic! He just laughs.

It's so hard sometimes to discipline him since he smiles and laughs ALL the time. You swat him on the bottom and he "wipes" it off and smiles. *sighs* I have to hold back from laughing and some days I just can't help myself. In 19 days William will be two. Wow. I guess for all the terrible two's shenanigans we bypassed with the girls, William will more than make up for it!

Interview with Melissa Joan Hart & Soliel Moon Frye/ Better Together

Today I had the pleasure of getting to speak with and interview Melissa Joan Hart (Sabrina the Teenage Witch) and Soliel Moon Frye (Punky Brewster) over the phone and web. They have been working on an awesome campaign sponsored by Gain called “Better Together”. They actually had a Better Together Friendship Party at Melissa’s candy store called SweetHarts in Los Angeles yesterday. The message behind "Better Together" comes from Gain talking about when you use their awesome detergent along with the fabric softener they are better together. Just like how friends can get together in any way whether it is just coffee or an organized party. Making time for your friends will help to strengthen as well lengthen those relationships. I have to say, these ladies were just as sweet and warm as can be and they have really fired me up to get together more with my own friends! Here is a video from the interview. Thank you to all my Facebook buddies for their support, it was very much appreciated!

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I love these amazing girls

It is really refreshing when you have teenage daughters that don't act like average teenagers. Both of our girls are such good students, athletes and all-around wonderful young people. There is never a day that we have to get on them about completing homework or studying. They take responsibility for themselves at all times. They know when it's time to do laundry, clean their rooms and bathroom and also help around the house without being told.

I wouldn't trade my sweet daughters for anything! We are proud of them and know that little brother has some really awesome big sisters. They are so good to him and I know when he is older he will appreciate them greatly.

We love you Chardonnay and Briahnna!

Wordless Wednesday

I just came across these photos and just had to share them once again :)

Why does a baby or toddler need candy?

I have been noticing that a lot of people like to offer my son candy. He is not quite 2 and even if he was, I just don't allow him to have it. I get called mean and get accused of not letting him be a kid. Um, I am his parent thank you. If I say he can't have candy then that is final. I did not let the girls have candy until they were maybe 4 or so and even then, it was very limited. If a child is started off very young eating sugary nothing then they will grow to eat a lot of it. I feel it is so important to teach your children from babies healthy eating habits. I am not saying never give them a Krispy Kreme doughnut or an Oreo but just be careful!

How to prounounce Ismail

For those of you who wonder how you pronounce our last name it is Ismail (Iz-mail). I tell people it's like email except it has the word Is in front instead of E. Seems simple enough yet everyone finds a way to add and H in there. If we wanted the our name to have the H sound it would be spelled Ishmail. Make sense? Also the 'mail' part is pronounced just the way it's spelled, not mall. Just wanted to clear that up in the event you ever wanted to know ;-)

This is what happens when you open the fridge

No matter how many times in a day we open the refrigerator, this is what William does. He goes straight for the yogurt. I think if you gave him his way he would eat it all day long. It has gotten to the point where I look around to be sure he is not close by when I have to go in there! He can be down the hallway and the minute he hears the fridge door crack open he runs to see if he can bulldoze you down to get to his beloved yogurt!

I suppose there are worse things he could love this much!

Is there that one food or drink that your kid can't get enough of?

My taste has changed

I don't know what has been going on with me lately but I have found that my taste has changed a whole lot. For instance, I have always loved basil. I grow it every year in my mini herb garden. All of a sudden the taste of basil makes me feel like throwing up. Basil has been replaced with cilantro now. I used to despise cilantro. There was something that used to disturb me about the smell and taste of it and now I can't seem to get enough of it. What's up with that?? Also I have never been a big fan of condiments, especially ketchup. Now I want to dip all kinds of things in ketchup. I even buy the biggest bottle I can find. As a kid and well into my adult years I have loved plain M&M's. Now Peanut M&M's are my favorite. The plain ones just don't appeal to me anymore. Isn't that odd? I think my taste changed tremendously when I had William. Has that happened to you before?

Wordless Wednesday

Some days I just don't know

I am sitting at my computer desk with intentions of writing a blog post. Honestly, I really don't have anything. I have tons of stuff floating around in my head but nothing really worth actually writing down. I guess this will have to be one of those random posts that have no specific subject.

I'll start with the Kardashian women. Is it just me or are their voices annoying and whiney as hell? How does anyone listen to that crap all day long? Is it really necessary to spew the "F" word every other sentence? Like we teach our daughters, you can be as pretty as you want but it is what comes out of your mouth that people will go by. Also, what's up with these shows 16 and Pregnant and Sweet Sixteen?? Two great reasons my daughters are not allowed to watch MTV, VH1 or BET. <----they used to show actual music videos. What happened to that? Some days I wonder maybe Dwayne and I could be the lame ones and we are missing something. Other days I'm like nope, we're the smart ones! I am about to click publish post. I am sure I will have something better to say tomorrow :)

Snow Day 2010

We were so fortunate to get something so rare for South Carolina....SNOW!! 8 inches of it!! This was one for the record books and the talk of the town. We enjoyed every moment of it from beginning to end. The kids have never seen anything over a dusting to about and inch or two so this was a big thing for them. Although William is too young to understand what snow is, it did not stop him for getting in on the fun. I took so many photos and can't post them all so I chose some of my favorites.

Mr. Snowman is reppin' the University of South Carolina :)

Candy is good for your health

I was at the store this morning and decided to cruise down the Valentine's candy aisle to see what might make it into my cart. I know Brie mentioned she wanted to give some candy to a few friends so I decided to grab a big bag of Skittles and Starburst. They are favorites in my house so I figured there would not be any left over for long. I also got a bag of chocolate hearts for the house.


I was unpacking the bags from the grocery store when something on the bag caught my eye.

I had to do a double take when I saw that it said that the candy was an "excellent source of Vitamin C". Huh??? So then the girls got home from school and immediately asked if they can have some. I said no. They had the audacity to say "But it's healthy and we can never get enough Vitamin C!" All I could do was laugh. Darn kids.

Teens and phone etiquette

As a parent to teenagers we have grown quite accustomed to them making and receiving phone calls almost on a daily basis. We have very strict yet fair rules when it comes to using the phone. They both have cellphones with texting but they have rules that go along with it. I am one of those moms that checks up to be sure that rules are not being broken. The girls know they have one time to mess up and that's it, phone is GONE. If a friend wants to contact them it must be done through the home phone. They are only allowed to have very very few people calling the cellphone and they are mostly only family. Now coming back to the home phone... When friends call the home phone they must simply acknowledge me or Dwayne and state their name and then ask for either of our daughters. Simple, right? You would not believe how many times these teenagers call our home and say "Can I speak to Chardonnay" or "Is Brie there?" Um, hell no. You don't get to talk to anyone unless you show some respect. This may seem like and overreaction on my part but hell, we pay the bills in our home. I teach my children that when you call some one's home and the parent or and adult answers you should have to decency to say hello and state your name and then say MAY I please speak with so and so if he/she is available. It is the parents' responsibility to teach their kids manners and common courtesy. Wow, I think this turned into a vent! Sorry :)

Toddlers and music

Dwayne has introduced William to the keyboard since the boy loves to stop by the girls' piano and tap on the keys. William took to it right away and loves to play beautiful "music". You should see how his face lights up when you turn the power on. Of course Dwayne has to add a little hip-hop feel to it and play his pre-programmed drumbeats.

William loves it! I think we will put him in lessons once he is old enough to read and write. Look at that face. It is said that music and math go hand in hand so we shall see when the time comes.

Sade "Soldier of Love" CD giveaway

**Contest Closed**
I was so excited when I was contacted to do a giveaway of Sade's new CD "Soldier of Love" to be released on 02.09.2010. Sade (pronounced / shah-DAY) has been in the business for 25 years and still has it going on! Can you believe she is 51? I want to look like her when I grow up! Beauty and talent is an amazing combination. She's got the whole sexy, grown-folks vibe. Sade is famous for those big hits like "By Your Side" and "No Ordinary Love". The new Album "Soldier of Love" is the first new material being released since 2000. You can check out the biography here.

Follow on the official Twitter page and you can become a fan on Facebook. Check out the site to see all of the other networking spots.

You have to check out the Soldier of Love video. It's so hot!


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And now for the part you have been waiting for. Epic Records is offering a copy of the Soldier of Love CD to 3 (three) lucky Momfiles readers to win! Here's how to enter:
Mandatory- Leave a comment telling us if you are a Sade fan or what your favorite song is. Comments that say "thank you" or "count me in" are not counted and will be deleted.Want an additional entry? (You must complete the above method to qualify for extra entries)

--You can Tweet this giveaway
Example: Win Sade's "Soldier of Love CD" http://blog.momfiles.com/2010/02/sade-soldier-of-love-cd-giveaway.html @momfiles @Sadeofficial
or Facebook this giveaway, and please leave a separate comment/link for each entry to count. (one per day!)

--Follow me on Twitter (@momfiles) or friend me on Facebook (leave a comment with a link)

--You can also place our button on your blog or follow us (please leave a blog link in your comment or specify if you are a new or current follower).

Be sure to have a visible email address in your comment if you do not have a Blogger profile. Giveaway is open to US residents only. Deadline to enter is February 22, 2010 at 09:59 pm EST. Good luck!!
A big thanks goes out to Epic Records for sponsoring this giveaway~!

Nonsense

• How come so many people that are in the medical field smoke? The smoker's corner is always full. I thought they were supposed to be promoting better health.
• I always seem to be the initiator of keeping in touch with people. Last I checked email, text and phone calls go both ways. People tell you to keep in touch all the time but apparently it does not include them doing their part.
• A great way to ward off hunger is to drink a huge glass of water and then brush your teeth. It really works and you suddenly lose your appetite.
  
• What's up with all the people online telling you how you can make tons of extra income by selling organic juice, underwear that makes you lose weight and online secrets? They still have to keep a day job so where's all the money you made??
  
• Underwear that makes you lose weight in 2 days????? No comment.
• If I see someone spell the word some like "sum" I am going to lose it.
  

Okay, I'm done with my nonsense ;-)

Brie update, no headaches!

I just briefly wanted to let you all know that the medication that was prescribed to Brie mention in the last post seems to be working! We had to make some alterations to the dosage times because the poor girl was a zombie all day long and was having a lot of trouble getting up in the morning. Periactin has that Benedryl effect so we started having her take it only at night at a reasonable time so that she would go to sleep early enough to get the rest she needed to be refreshed the next day. The doc advised we introduce one pill in the morning until she can tolerate it and not feel sleepy. I am just so thrilled that the girl has been free from headaches for quite a few days now. We plan to let her try out one pill in the morning over the weekend and see how she does. Hooray for NO headaches!

Wordless Wednesday

UPrinting Business cards giveaway

**Contest closed**
Winner #10 Sharon Harmon. Congratulations and thanks to everyone who participated!

The great folks over at UPrinting are sponsoring a terrific giveaway for one (1) Momfiles reader to win 500 Business cards. You can't beat the ease of ordering Business Cards Online or being able to Print Online. I have ordered a variety of products from UPrinting and have always been quite impressed with the high quality and I love how much goes into getting your items shipped in very protective packaging. This truly ensures a perfect product every time.

Details of prize:

The business cards come in a variety of sizes including 2 x 3.5”, 2 x 3”, 2 x 2” (square card) or 1.5 x 3.5” (skinny card). Also top quality paper 14 pt gloss cardstock, 14 pt matte cardstock or 13 pt recycled uncoated cardstock. They are Full Color Both Sides; Offset Press; 3 Business Day Printing. The best part is that the Shipping is FREE via UPS Ground. This comes in at the perfect time for me to order cards for the husband to replenish his stock.
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Here's how to enter to win 500 business cards: Mandatory- Leave a comment telling us what you plan to do with these business cards if you win. If you have used UPrinting in the past let us know. Comments that say "thank you" or "count me in" are not counted and will be deleted.Want an additional entry? (You must complete the above method to qualify for extra entries)

--You can Tweet this giveaway
Example: Win 500 business cards @momfiles http://blog.momfiles.com/2010/02/uprinting-business-cards-giveaway.html and @Uprinting
or Facebook this giveaway, and please leave a separate comment/link for each entry to count. (one per day!)

--Follow me on Twitter (@momfiles) or friend me on Facebook (leave a comment with a link)

--You can also place our button on your blog or follow us (please leave a blog link in your comment or specify if you are a new or current follower).

Be sure to have a visible email address in your comment if you do not have a Blogger profile. Giveaway is open to US residents only. Deadline to enter is February 13, 2010 at 09:59 pm EST. Good luck, and thank you UPrinting for sponsoring this great giveaway by providing Momfiles with 500 Business cards as well as the same for one of our readers.