Show Us Where You Live Friday~The Kids' Rooms

It's Friday again! Time for another edition of Show Us Where You Live Friday over at kellyskornerblog.com. Go over there to check out kid's bedrooms and nurseries.

So, while the boys were at school, I grabbed the camera and hoped for the best.

Do I dare enter?

Check this out! I didn't touch a thing! This is how they leave it every morning. With a little prodding from me, of course. But, my boys can produce!


Dimples and Bruiser share a room. Bruiser loves sharing a room. Dimples has his moments.

They are so proud of their Colts poster.

Do you like how I chose the color of hand prints and footprints to paint on the walls? I got tired of washing the walls, so I decided to paint them the color of dirt. I am clever like that! I bet you never heard THAT on HGTV!

We try to keep this room clean and clutter free. What ever you do, DON"T OPEN THE CLOSETS! I'm just saying...

Now, on to Sweet Pea's room. Please keep in mind that she is our only girl and the youngest. When I found out I was having a girl, I started dreaming of decorating a little girl's room. However, we already had a bear themed nursery that was good enough for either gender.

So, I waited THREE MORE YEARS to go all out.

Here is the result:

Can you say PINK?!



Sweet Pea and I love it!

Isn't this piece every little girl's dream? I made that feathered boa wreath on the right. I know it is over the top, but I waited THREE MORE YEARS!

Not a great picture, but you get the idea.

This is a bank. I am in love with it.





Her desk. Sweet Pea keeps asking when she will get a computer to put on it. Sweet Pea, can you say NEVER?!


I really like the shelves. Sweet Pea always calls girly things, "Beautiful!" I tried to put a little bit of her personality in the room.

OK, OK, and some of mine. Remember: I waited THREE MORE YEARS!

Yes, Sweet Pea, I'll take a picture of you too. What, you're not wearing any pink?!

Thanks for stopping by! Now, head on over to kellyskornerblog.com and check out some more rooms....

Rules of the Road

Mrs. Nurse Boy here.

My bloggy friend, Lisa, over at Boondock Ramblings is having some squirrel trouble. You can read about it HERE and HERE. Funny stuff! So, in honor of her, I am replaying one of my favorite posts from last fall. Enjoy!


Tonight we were out driving. Nurse Boy had the wheel when we almost ran over a squirrel. Unfortunately, he swerved and missed the squirrel. Nurse Boy does NOT understand the rules of the road while driving my van. (That's right. I said it. "MY van." Everyone else around here gets to say MINE all day long, why shouldn't I?)

I should start off by saying that it is a very well known fact that I, Mrs. Nurse Boy, HATE squirrels. Hate may not be a strong enough word for my true feelings about squirrels. My children think that they must protect the squirrels in our neighborhood from their vicious squirrel hating mom. They feel sorry for them. Meanwhile we must have 500, 000 of them living within a two block radius. About 100,000 of them call my three trees home. They wave at me, make faces at me, and even climb on my screen door and make noises at me. NO JOKE! The worst is when they climb on my roof and eat out of my gutters while smiling back at me, as if to say, "Ha, ha! You are providing food for me to stay alive." The best is when I find a dead one in my yard and I scream out to the others, "LET THIS BE A LESSON TO THE REST OF YOU!" No, I don't kill them. Really. I just dance on their graves.

So, my children know the rules of the road while mom is driving. I do not brake for squirrels. I do not slow down for squirrels. I do not swerve to miss squirrels. Those are the cold, hard facts. These are non-negotiable.

In all fairness, the children have negotiated a few things for the squirrels. I have agreed not to speed up for the squirrels or swerve to hit the squirrels (which I may or may not follow all the time).

I haven't hit one yet, but I am working on it. Every time the kids see a squirrel in the road, they hold their breath. As if that will save the squirrel's life. Maybe it has. Or they are all back there lifting that little squirrel up in prayer. Those little stinkers!!!

Nurse Boy isn't going to be driving my van if he can't follow the rules of the road. You might think it is harsh, but you would be on my side if you lived in my neighborhood.

Really, you would!

Mrs. Nurse Boy here.

School is out. It is finally summer here. The three day weekend was glorious. We played hard and slept hard. I really enjoyed the whole sleep part.

Sleep, please don't forget me. I promise to return to you one day soon. Hopefully, very soon.

So, today I will share some of our weekend with you. In pictures. On Saturday, we tried to cram about as much as possible into one day. The boys spent the night with friends on Friday night. Sweet Pea had a birthday party Saturday morning. By Saturday afternoon, we were all together again with one special guest:



Meet Bailey. She is my parents' dog. She stayed with us for the weekend and my boys spent the entire time trying to wear her out. We started our afternoon off with a family walk.



Bruiser loves animals and asks me why we can't have a dog almost daily. I try to explain that three kids, one cat, and a husband are just about all I can handle. And, save the, "I'll take care of the dog. You won't have to do a thing." Yeah, I said that, too, when I was your age. Yet, I never cleaned the cat box or feed that poor cat. So, save it. Not buying it. We will just "borrow" Bailey when Bubby and Papa are out of town.


The destination of our walk? Why, the local ice cream shoppe, of course! That is my kind of walk. Actually, it is homemade gelato. This stuff is fabulous! Sweet Pea wanted "pink" gelato.

Bruiser prefers to wear his favorite flavor, "Celebration Cake." Maybe Bailey could clean him up for me?!

Ah, yes, my nine year old can finally eat his ice cream without needing to be hosed down!

They even gave Bailey some doggy gelato with a doggy biscuit! I love local businesses!

To top the evening off, we took the kids to their first professional soccer game. Here is where I must confess that I had kind of romanticized this evening. I thought we would cozy up as a family on a blanket and watch our favorite sport together in wonderful summer weather, while sipping my diet coke and snacking on some peanuts. I thought it would be a fun memory.


If you call overpriced tickets, searching for a parking space with 10,000 other people when only 500 spaces appear to be available (and are already taken), paying $20 for the most simple of snacks/beverages, squeezing into a crowded area, and sitting on a grassy slide while trying not to slide down FUN...well then, that it was!

However, this made the entire night worth it. Dimples got an autograph from one of the players and it made his day. You couldn't wipe the grin off of his face!

Tickets to a professional soccer game: $50

Parking: $10

Bag of peanuts: $5

Grin that cannot be wiped off of son's face: PRICELESS

I hope all of you had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend as well!

Show Us Where You Live Friday~My Dining Room

Mrs. Nurse Boy here.

Welcome to another tour hosted by Kelly at kellyskornerblog.com. Today you can hop over there and check out dining rooms! I am joining the tour yet again this week, but please remember that we are not a formal family. We are very casual and I prefer it that way.

Welcome to our dining room.
This is a place where we entertain and play games. We were going for practical and comfortable.

This table has a butterfly leaf that comes out and transforms this table into a square. The bench, seen against the wall, can then be pulled up to the table. It seats 8 adults very comfortably.

The french doors lead out to the backyard.


Here is my photo wall. I love pictures and I have chosen to display many of my favorites in this room.

Cute kids, huh?! All three of them were in my brother's wedding last May. I love this display.
(Underneath that table is storage for our TV trays. They don't get used often, but can be handy to have around.)

But, wait! There's more...

Our family room is connected to the dining room.

This room is just perfect for entertaining any time of the year.

We keep this room TV free, so we can do our family devotionals in here or read in peace. Nurse Boy has even been found studying in here.

Thanks for stopping by! Come back next Friday for a tour of my kids' rooms. Sweet Pea's room will finally be unveiled!

Tag, I'm It!

Mrs. Nurse Boy here.

My bloggy friend, Lisa, over at Boondock Ramblings tagged me in a fun meme. If you haven't checked out her blog, you need to go over THERE right now. She lives in the boonies and tells THE BEST stories!

1. What are your current obsessions? My eyebrows. What is wrong with them? Why do they look like they need to be waxed every 2 weeks? Seriously, you asked...

Oh, and chicken recipes. But, you knew that already, didn't you?!

2. Which item from your wardrobe do you wear most often? Anything black. I like to pretend that it is slimming to the point that someone just might mistake me for Donald Trump's daughter. I know, I know...FAT chance. (On a serious note, I love jewelry and can't leave home without at least 5 pieces. I have 2 sets if silver hoops that I wear ALL the time. The bigger the earrings, the smaller the waist. It all goes back to the illusion I am creating. Hey, stop laughing! A girl can pretend.)

3. What's for dinner? Why, chicken, of course! Check out my Friday Fare's for recipes! My boys ask me what is for dinner every night and I just look at them. They walk away with their heads hung low knowing full well that it will NOT be chicken nuggets (because, let's face it people, that is not really chicken) or macaroni and cheese. Sigh... I am such a mean mom!

4. Last thing you bought? Picture frames for pictures of my brother's wedding. Yeah, it was a year ago this week. I am always on top of things. Oh, don't tell Nurse Boy. He was out of town. Don't worry, he'll never notice. Seriously.

5. What are you listening to? My kids "fighting" with their light sabers. They love all things Stars Wars. I love just about everything else. Oh, wait, do I hear tears? No. Maybe. Yes, yes I do.

6. If you were a god/goddess who would you be? The goddess of peace. Ya know, between siblings.

7. Favorite vacation spots? ANYWHERE on a lake. In a boat. With a good book or magazine. My husband by my side. My children quiet and well behaved. Nothing but time...

8. Reading right now? A sad article on Jon and Kate Plus Eight. And, I am not sure what that says about me....

9. Four words to describe yourself Trustworthy, Authentic, Moody, Talkative

10. Guilty pleasure? Dancing with the Stars and Celebrity Apprentice. I love those shows more than I should. I DVR them and watch them when the kids are in bed.

11. Who or what makes you laugh until you’re weak? Nurse Boy, of course. That is what made me fall in love with him. He is the funniest person I know. I have the laugh lines to prove it!

Oh, and his offspring, aka my children.

12. Favorite thing to do in the summer? Spending time with my family and going on little "surprise" day trips together. We like to wake the kids up with surprise outings. Not to mention the ice cream runs in our pj's. (We put the kids to bed, wait a couple of minutes, throw the door open, and yell, "Time for ice cream!" Go ahead and take my idea...your kids will never stop talking about it, I promise!)

13. Planning to travel to next? Uh...all I can come up with is the grocery store...But, I bet you mean a TRIP. Like, anywhere but here? Um, probably not happening for a while. Nurse Boy is in school and, well, I am not sure if you have heard or not, but the economy is in the toilet. So, the grocery store it is!

14. Best thing you ate or drank lately? Sonic Diet Cherry Limeades. LOVE THEM! If you don't have a Sonic, you should move. Plain and simple.

15. When did you last get tipsy? You must mean the time I was spinning with Sweet Pea in the living room? Or the time I took too much Advil? I am afraid that's all I got.

16. Favorite ever film? Does The Incredibles count? I really do love that movie. I am not one to watch a movie more than once...Oh, I do like that dumb movie, Rat Race. Nurse Boy and I have been known to watch that late at night and laugh until we cry.

Notice how deep I am?

17. Care to share some wisdom? Stretch your body, stretch your mind. Deep, huh? I found it right in front of me on my Dove dark chocolate wrapper. Classy, I know. Not to mention ironic, on a lot of levels...

18. Least favorite thing about driving in the boondocks? I am a city girl. But, I do like to vacation in the boondocks. So, if I am there on a vacation, I think I would love everything about driving in the boondocks. Except maybe the glowing eyes of the possums at night. Gross!

19. Least favorite part of your day? Hands down...THE MORNINGS. ANY MORNING. They always have a way of coming too soon, no matter what time I wake up.

20. Why do you blog? My husband made me do it. Really. He started this blog and let it get dusty. Plus I LOVE reading all of your blogs!

Rules of the meme: Respond and rework. Answer questions on your own blog. Replace one question. Add one question. Tag 8 people.


I tag:
Mrs. Imperfect at Confessions of an Imperfect Mom
Chrisi at and baby makes three!
Boy Mom at Boys-R-Us
Jillian at It All Began With a Man in a Black Jeep
On Stage
Mommy4Life at Mommy Daily Vent
Chaos~Jamie at Surviving the Chaos
Sue at 3 Peas in a Pod.


So, you're it! Only participate if you want to, of course. NO pressure. And, if I didn't tag you, but you want to do this, please just leave me a comment so I can read yours! I can't wait to read everyone's!

Monday's Random Musings

Mrs. Nurse Boy here.

Just sharing some random thoughts from my mommy brain today...

YOU KNOW YOU'RE A MOM WHEN...

*You know you're a mom when the only happy hour you are aware of is at Sonic from 2-4 PM. (Bring on the Diet Cherry Limeades! And, if you don't have a Sonic nearby, you should move. Seriously.)

*You know you're a mom when you buy plug ins for every bathroom in an attempt to trick your nose into thinking you are NOT smelling urine at any given moment.

*You know you're a mom when you spend most of your free time reading books that rhyme.

*You know you're a mom when you lock yourself in the (urine smelling) bathroom for some peace and quiet. (And spend that time ignoring the pounding at the door.)

*You know you're a mom when the thought of dinner sends your body into convulsions.

*You know you're a mom when YOU need a tutor to complete the math homework.

*You know you're a mom when it is no longer necessary to set an alarm. (You have living, breathing, walking alarms that happily crawl into your bed and poke you with their cold toes before the crack of dawn.)

*You know you're a mom when a nice dinner out is considered anywhere that doesn't have a cartoon character as a marketing ploy.

And...

*You know you're a mom when you wouldn't trade your life for anyone else's.

Most days, that is... :0)

Friday Fare!

Mrs. Nurse Boy here.

So, summer is in the air, school is almost out, and I am now shaving my legs on a regular basis. (Hey, I am just trying to keep it real around here.) Now, if I could only get Nurse Boy to let me shave his back on a regular basis. Sigh... Why is it that when men age, they lose the hair on top of their head, only to grow it EVERY WHERE else???

I can't wait to have my kids home with me. It has been such a transitional year for our family. I know they need time to just be a family. Hopefully, it will be a terrific summer!

Don't forget to check out Kelly's home tours over HERE. She is touring guest rooms today. Sweet Pea's room is our guest room, so I opted to wait for next week's room. I believe we will be posting photos of our dining rooms, so come back next week to tour mine.

Today's Friday Fare is so fun because my new bloggy friend Suz left this recipe in my comments a few weeks back. And, since I cannot resist a good chicken recipe, I gave it a try. It is one of my new favorites. This is a great summer recipe, too! Plus, it meets my simple, easy, and delicious requirements.

Spinach and Mushroom Chicken

4-6 chicken breasts
fresh spinach

16 oz. WHOLE mushrooms

Kraft sundried tomato dressing

Place chicken in a 13x9 pan and cover with dressing. Top with as much spinach as you like. (Remember that it will cook down, so be generous.) Top with mushrooms. Top with some more dressing. Bake (covered with foil) at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes, until chicken is cooked through.

Doesn't this look awesome, fresh from the oven?!

Nurse Boy and I loved this stuff! The mushrooms are AWESOME!!!

And, since I like to keep it real around here, I must be honest about something. My kids scraped the spinach and mushrooms off of the chicken before they ate it. But, they did eat it! Plus, more mushrooms for us!

I hope everyone has a terrific weekend!