Category: Family Life

Herring family adventures, Jeep life, organic living. Karie Herring, Jeep aficionado, organic advocate and chef, details life as a reformed corporate woman, wife and motherhood to her twins and tween.

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Mommy Free Time

I have some Mommy Free Time all day today and probably some of tomorrow or could be all day tomorrow…..Film at Eleven. (Happy Dance!)

My boys (DH and G) are in Albuquerque for the next few days. Chad has some business there so he is visiting customers and staying with his folks. Yesterday he decided that maybe he should take Grant so that he could see his cousins and have a mini-vacation from me. Though I think the mini-vacation (mini-stay-cation) is for me. Don’t get me wrong….I love my G dearly, he is my oldest, but man…..sometimes you need a break from your kids. So they headed off onto the open road and made it to Albuquerque late last night.

I, on the other hand enjoyed a night with just the twins. Not total free time….but guess what? THE TWINS CAN’T TALK!!! Or change channels, or bitch, or moan, or tell me to shut-up, or tell me no, just cry and whine because they are babies. So refreshing! The squids and I got dinner last night, watched the debates which were pathetic…..like watching a couple of teenage girls fight about gossip, did a few little projects, got all the laundry done, all the dishes are DONE, did some mending of clothes and odds and ends. Needless to say I had a quiet, productive evening! Not to mention I have NO laundry to do except the clothes on my back and the squids and the only dirty dish in the house is my coffee mug. PLUS!!!! I have a hair appointment today and my wonderful Mommy is coming to spend time with the Squids and I get girly pamper time. Loving my day! But tomorrow I am sure I will miss the boys terribly and hope they come home…..but for now…..I can take a nice deep relaxing breath!!

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Technological Lust!!

Okay…..so here is my NEW object that I am totally in lust with and for the ladies…..it vibrates!!

I have to say I just think that this thing is the coolest and I have been playing with it since the Fed Ex man left me with it. Now I can tell Chad…yes, the Fed Ex man has given me love….my phone! By the way…this cool new phone has unlimited text for my text happy family, and it was part of my 2yr upgrade so I paid a whopping……..are you ready for it????
$29.99
I know you are jealous right? LOL Anyway, just had to share my love of my new phone that I can text to my heart’s desire now too!
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Why I love AZ

Yesterday was so awesome. I woke up to my husband and three beautiful kids and to top the whole day off…….I got to open all my windows in the house and my back door. I think the high for yesterday was in the 70s and the day was absolutely fabulous! We went on our evening walk and I had to bundle up all the kids in sweaters and hoodies and Chad and I put light sweaters on because the wind was blowing and the night air was a bit chilly. However, you know you live in AZ when you are wearing a sweater, shorts and flip flops.

Then this morning I woke up to a bit of a chill in my house. I figured because the AC had just run not too long ago. WRONG! The thermostat said 68* and the thermometer outside my kitchen window said 50*. FABULOUS!!! I actually had to put a robe on this morning. More beautiful days to come as we head into the AZ winter. I love it here because 1) NO SNOW (Love the snow, very pretty…..but hate living where there is snow and bitter cold) and 2) 70* November and December’s rock.

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All about a bargain and some comedy

Shopping is always an adventure for me. Not only because I have three kids….that is a task I tell you. But because I have twins and for some awful reason I have tattooed on my head:

INVADE HER PRIVACY! ASK ANY AND ALL QUESTIONS AND BE RUDE ABOUT IT!

Yes I get all the dumb twins questions along with the questions that make me ask….”Do I also have I am a dumb and or retarded Mom?” tattooed on my head. I mean I know I had kids…but come on now. So after many stops of “Oh! Are they twins?” I finally have resorted to answering, “No….I liked the little girl so much I stole her since I was sick of this many boys” Thank goodness no one hears what I say since the majority that ask this question need the assistance of a hearing device. So I kindly nod my head like that bobble toy on your dash.
Okay so back to shopping. The kids and I visited Goodwill as I love Goodwill. I think thrift and secondhand stores are awesome for all the treasures, the baby clothes that are awesome and the jeans! I mean come on….jeans should never be donated they are timeless. So there we are shopping and finding all sorts of FABULOUS bargains when this woman approaches me. I am not one to judge, but she screamed DUMB ASS! Here is what fell out of her mouth to me:

(bad accent of some sorts, southern in nature) Oh look……a baby. Oh look, two babies….hmmmm….they ain’t twins are they? They sure as much do not look like each other….they can’t be twins….well….. I guess since one is a boy and one is a girl. Are they yours? Hmmm…..so these are your only children huh? Amazing what technology can do?

I smiled. If you know me you know I had to refrain from slapping the old hag. So I said ever so politely, “Yes they are twins, they do look like each other even for being opposite sex. And, if your curiosity is killing you that much twins run in my family.”
All I could do was smile and laugh…YIKES!

So then while Grant and I were together looking at some items he makes this utterly random comment to me:

“Mama, I don’t want a shiny pee pee.”

Yup just like that. I about wet my pants and then looked at him like WTF are you talking about? Who is shining your wanker that we need to be worrying about it. So I asked my boy so lovingly:

“Grant-baby what do you mean you don’t want a shiny pee pee?”

“You know Mama….shiny boots, shiny chest, helmet with a feather….I don’t want the shiny pee pee and everything else is shiny.”

Okay….so the knight costumer he has hounded me about has gained more detail. No shiny pee pee. Alrighty. But everything else in the knight costume must be shiny. Got it.

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Graduation

So I checked out how many weeks I have left after I finish all my retarded elective classes…..as taking them online is so much easier than visiting the campus with 3 kids and no time for anything….not even sleep!

I will officially BE DONE with school and my Bachelor of Science in Business Finance in roughly September of 2009!! ONE YEAR LEFT!!! Hooray!!! Then I can do commencement ceremonies the following spring at the new stadium! HOORAY!!!

Then I sit around and do nothing. Yup, I will be an over educated stay at home Mom until the twins go to school. From there….I go back to work…use my expensive ass degree to pay off my student loans and then…..maybe…… conquer the LSAT’s and apply to the Sandra Day O’Connor School of Law…..but…..we’ll see. I will just be happy to have my degree’s all finished up…and a JD would be nice….since that has always been my goal….to argue and get paid for it.

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Gadget Girl

Here is Gadget Girl again on the move here at home……we found she loves these things:

1. Fleece blankets
2. Her BFF Seth
3. Organic Apple Sweet Potatoes
4. The Cable remote
5. Mommy’s cell phone

Beware of Gadget Girl coming soon to a home near you! Be sure to lock up your fleece and electronics!

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Dental Darlings

My boys are enjoying the wonderful times of teeth. Ah, yes….riveting….not so much. Seth boy has been teething for oh say…..the last 5 months and just the other day…..a breakthrough.

I mean it….a real breakthrough….right through those tough gums I can feel his bottom, front left tooth! HOORAY!!! So he and I have been enjoying long nights and early mornings together rocking, gelling up his mouth with Orajel, and medicating…..he gets Motrin….I get Motrin for the headaches and coffee for lack of total and utter sleep.

My oldest boy Grant….well last night the tooth fairy came to see him! He finally, after a MONTH!!! lost his two front, bottom teeth! At the same time, same day! He was so excited that he finally lost them. I was just glad to get the damn things out of there since his adult teeth are half-way in and every time he talked he slobbered like my Bulldog and spoke with the worst lisp. So now we have the joy of visiting the dentist more often…..which reminds me….have to add that to my list of things to do today! Ugh….the never ending list!

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Happy Anniversary…to ME!

On October 1st, 2000 Chad Westley and Karie Noel, together with our friends and family, who shared their love and friendship joined the two of us while we exchanged our vows.

Fast forward 8 years, 3 kids, can’t even tell you the pounds, hurdles, and mountains we climbed…..we are still going strong and still absolutely in love with each other. I can say that I was lucky enough to meet my match, my best friend, and at times my complete opposite who compliments me and I compliment him in every way. I love you Chad just as much as the day I met you.

So last night we got to enjoy a babysitter (BIG LOVE to Grandma Sandy….sorry no Optimus Prime this time Grandma Sandy) and Chad and I went an totally had a blast. Normally we do the uptight married couple thing of getting dressed up for a stuffy dinner at a stuffy restaurant in North Scottsdale only to feel bad about how much we ate, drank and spent. So we did the opposite! We went to Dave&Busters and had a nice dinner (nothing fancy but good eats nonetheless), had some cocktails, and played VIDEO GAMES!!! I so whooped Chad at Ghost Recon, while he earned more points, I had a better shot every time and stayed alive more. Silly boys! We even broke a sweat playing the game. Played some Golden Tee…which I proudly bogied every hole and played some Skee ball. We called it a night and came home and were two happy clams…this morning….still happy clams with our three happy munchkins and looking forward to the next 8 years and the next 8 after that!

Thank you for the last 8 years Honey Bunny! I love you!

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Good Will Grant

Lots of goings on lately! Sorry for not being able to post here is some of what has gone on:
Chad went out of town last weekend for business so we spent the day with Grandma Sandy. The kids and I had a great time just playing and I got to sneak in a cat nap! OMG!! I have not had a nap in ages so that was nice….even if it was for only 30 minutes. While we were there Grant asked my Mom about her birthday since her birthday falls two days after Grant’s. Here is how that conversation went:

G: Grandma Sandy did you get any presents for your birthday?
My Mom: No Grant, I didn’t get ANY presents for my birthday.
G: YOU DIDN’T? No balloons?
My Mom: No buddy, no balloons.
G: NO party hats?
My Mom: No sweetie, no party hats either.
G: NO Optimus Prime?
My Mom: No Grant, not even an Optimus Prime.

Such a sweet boy….thinking about how much his Grammy would love to have an Optimus Prime. Good Will Grant gets better though. We had the A/C guys here on Tuesday installing the fantabulous new unit (which by the way is a dream and when it runs my house smells like fresh rain…Film at Eleven). So Grant goes over to one of the installers who is working on our ducting. Here is how that conversation goes:
G: What is your name? My name is (spells) G-R-A-N-T, Grant, Grant Thomas Herring.
HVAC Guys: Well Hi, my name is G-E-O-R-G-E, George.
G: Hi George, nice to meet you. Whatcha doing George.
HVAC Guys: (George explains how he is adjusting the ducting, etc.)
G: Well….you are doing a great job George. Thank you George, good job.

I am sure George and Jon appreciated the sentiment from a five year old…especially because they were working at our house for over 10 hours in the heat and in our attic.