EVERY PENNY COUNTS

100 Days of School!

2012-01-20T00:24:00.003-05:00

Landon celebrated 100 days of school today, and every party needs a party hat!

A Goofy Fear of Mine

2012-01-16T00:42:00.003-05:00

My husband thinks that I am crazy but I am insanely scared of following these trucks down the road, and unfortunately we see a lot of them living in Georgia! :(

Perfectly Plaid!

2012-01-06T14:05:00.001-05:00

Sporting their new shirts from nana! Ethan loves flannel shirts and Landon loves what he calls "button up shirts".

Pajama day!

2011-12-20T06:51:00.001-05:00

The boys get to wear pajamas to school today since both of their grades are having activities planned around watching "The Polar Express".

Artists Hard at Work........

2011-12-01T22:42:00.004-05:00

Kindergarten Sentances......

2011-11-16T01:30:00.002-05:00

......are very cute!

Cool in Camo

2011-11-13T22:44:00.002-05:00

My boys think it's pretty funny when they can "coordiante" their clothes. This is what happens when I let them dress themselves.

His Shirt Speaks the Truth!

2011-11-11T10:16:00.001-05:00

Yet Another Monkey Hat Picture....

2011-11-07T22:14:00.001-05:00

What can I say, when he sees them he begs to try them on!

A Certain Little Boy....

2011-11-03T22:42:00.002-04:00

...wanted me to hang my new fall wreath on my front door, but why would I do something like that and ruin a masterpiece like this?

We mutually agreed on a location in the house so I could preserve this cuteness!

Just for Fun

2011-11-02T22:57:00.001-04:00

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T23:13:00.001-04:00

Roasting Marshmallows at Our House Happens....

2011-10-30T22:50:00.002-04:00

...over the fire pit, because hubby and I are not campers!

(On a side note, this was hubby's first time ever roasting marshmallows and he didn't like them. Boo hoo!

Don't Tell Daddy ........

2011-10-28T23:00:00.002-04:00

...(the die hard Bears fan)that his boys were supporting Peyton Manning for jersey day at school.

This Week's Kindergarten Art is.........

2011-10-26T23:04:00.002-04:00

.....a beautiful fall tree.

Color the sun hot?

2011-10-25T23:15:00.001-04:00

This was on Ethan's worksheet he brought home. Can anyone tell me what color is hot?

Shhhhh!

2011-10-24T01:18:00.001-04:00

Don't tell Ethan, somebody made him a birthday card!

A Beautiful Fall Day in Georgia........

2011-10-22T23:05:00.001-04:00

......ends with dinner with my 3 favorite guys!

Katydid..

2011-10-21T22:59:00.002-04:00

or as the boys call it....Leafy. I guess you can say I am a true city girl becasue I honestly had to google "bug that looks like a leaf" to find out what it was. Our little $1 bug catcher has truely provided us with hours of entertainment this summer.

You know you are a boy mom when......

2011-10-20T22:36:00.002-04:00

.......this is what your coffee table looks like!

Fall......

2011-10-19T22:21:00.002-04:00

.....is starting to make its way into Georgia. This was the view from my backyard this afternoon. The trees are just starting to change, it should be beautiful when it's in full color.

A Quick Visit at the Airport

2011-10-18T22:41:00.004-04:00

After the boys got home from school today, we went up to the airport to visit with our friend Kayleigh during her layover on her way to Spain.

We'll miss you Kayleigh! Especially since you're not going to be back until January.

EEEEKKKKKK! A Giant Spider!

2011-10-17T22:04:00.002-04:00

Crawled out of Landon's backpack this afternoon!

Sunday Meme

2011-10-16T21:58:00.002-04:00

Today I borrowed a list of questions from Sunday Stealing. They are just for fun, and as the name suggests, they also "stole" them from another website just for the purpose of reusing them.

21. What was the last song you listened to that wasn’t sung in English?
Las Torres by No Se Quien No Se Cuanto (Hubbys favorite Peruvian rock band)
22. One of our SS players generally leaves a critical comment on our memes. Which is fine. All's fair. Do you let meme authors know when you hate their memes?
usually not, just don't answer them
23. What TV show would you like to be on?
Master Chef (I have a secret crush on Gordon Ramsay)
24. What was the last video game you played?
I don't play video games, computer games would be Cityville
25. Have you ever been in a musical? If yes, do tell.
Most definitely not!
26. Do you follow your own style or everyone else’s?
my own
27. What’s the last store you bought from?
Wally World
28. In retrospect, have you ever let a person use you a lot?
former neighbor
29. What are you doing two days from now?
mom duties, it's like groundhog day around here minus Bill Murray
30. Did you ever believe there were monsters in your closet?
I still think so, it's dark in there!
31. When you graduated high school, did you let random people sign your yearbook or just close friends?
My high school didn't give out yearbooks when other people were around
32. Would you consider adopting a child that had a mental illness?
matters what type
33. Does thinking about death scare you?
not really, it happens to everyone
34. If you died, do you believe that you go to Heaven or Hell and where would your spirit go?
hopefully heaven, and my spirit will too
35. Who did you last write a snail mail letter to and why?
snail mail, ummmmmmm, so long ago, can't remember
36. Do you care what people say or think about you?
nope, gave that up a long time ago
37. Have you ever been threatened?
take a number!
38. Which side of your family do you get most of your qualities from?
more like my mom
39. What was the last thing with alcohol that you drank?
a gluten free beer about 2 wks ago
40. Have you ever kept a relationship a secret?
yep, from my parents, and he's now my husband!

Suprise package from Nana! Yay!

2011-10-15T22:15:00.001-04:00

Mr Monkey!

2011-10-14T23:32:00.004-04:00

He tried to get me to buy this for him, but due to the fact I couldn't look at him without laughing out loud, I decided......maybe not.

Rainbows

2011-10-13T23:33:00.004-04:00

If you look closely you can see that it's actually a double rainbow. The boys thought it was pretty cool!

Lego Time

2011-10-12T22:15:00.002-04:00

Landon brought me this tonight and said it was a race car. I think he did a pretty good job for creating it from scratch!

BOGO Bargain

2011-10-11T22:29:00.003-04:00

I stumbled across this deal at CVS the other day and happily left with 4 bottles of CVS-branded zyrtec for the price of 1 and a half bottles, as they were buy one get one half off. Plus the boxes were 100% free as they had an additional bottle attached. Ethan takes allergy medicine every day so this will is something we use!

I love sales!

2011-10-10T23:33:00.003-04:00

I found a great open front cardigan at Kohl's, and as you can see, the price was right! You definately can't argue with 90% off. I can't actually remember the last time I paid full price for any piece of clothing, it's just the way that I am and it drives my hubby crazy!

2011-10-09T23:06:00.002-04:00

I've been bitten by the Pinterest bug! It is definitely addicting. I think I could get lost on there for a few hours. I have boards for Gluten free recipes, arts and crafts projects, and places I want to go, just to name a few. You can follow me @mrsvargas.

Finding Gluten Free in Alternative Places

2011-10-08T22:56:00.006-04:00

Eating gluten free can be VERY expensive, and when there is 3 people in the household doing so it can be a real budget buster. So I was very excited to find these the other day on the shelf at my local B1G l0Ts.

At $2 for a pound of gluten free pasta, it's definately a deal. After dinner tonight, I can tell you that they passed the taste test, I will be going back for more!

Green Stripes

2011-10-07T22:41:00.003-04:00

The boys noticed this morning that their shirts were very similar and they thought that it was pretty funny. The funny part is that they got dressed at different times and they both picked out their own shirts. Landon said it was a green where's waldo book :)

Annie Ant

2011-10-06T21:31:00.003-04:00

Landon's latest picture of the week, this one he named "Annie Ant". I like that he colored it red for that fire ant look :)

Would you wear this?

2011-10-05T22:45:00.003-04:00

Would any person actually wear this costume? Much less pay $40 for it? I guess call me frugal, because I wouldn't pay that much for a Halloween costume to look that ridiculous!

Finally!

2011-10-04T23:11:00.003-04:00

Us Sprint users finally have a reason to celebrate.......
The IPhone coming to Sprint was awesome to hear today. I will be one of the crazy people ordering mine this coming week, I have an upgrade available so mine will be quite affordable, thank you :)!!!

Christmas displays already????

2011-10-03T22:10:00.003-04:00

So I'm doing my usual high-speed hurry up and shop and get home in time for the kids to get off the bus at Tar-jay and as I fly around the corner, this is what I see nestled next to the Halloween costumes and 48 gazillion bags of Halloween candy.

Can we please just have one holiday at a time? Do we have to hurry up and smoosh them all together? I'm not even thinking about buying Christmas decorations when it's not even Halloween!

Coupons!

2011-10-02T21:37:00.003-04:00

No, I'm not one of those crazy women you see on TV buying 60 bags of cat food and they don't even own a cat. But yes, I do use coupons, and today I was a very happy woman to find 5 inserts in my Sunday paper! I only use coupons for the things we use, and with 3 of us in the house eating gluten free, it's more of Eric's food, and non-food items. One of the few exceptions that there seems to always be coupons for is yogurt, which is wonderful since I think Landon could eat it day and night. So I'm off to clip and read this week's sales papers!

Challenger League Baseball

2011-10-01T21:50:00.005-04:00

This morning we went to the Field of Hope in a neighboring city so Ethan could play baseball on a Challenger League that they have there. This was his first time EVER playing baseball and he loved it! The Challenger League is a great experience as the player doesn't "strike out". The first time he hit the ball on the 4th pitch, and on his second time at bat, the first time!

Ethan's first time at bat getting "pointers" from the coach

POTD#30 - Bedtime by Candlelight

2011-09-30T20:13:00.001-04:00

We are now on hour 5 of a random power outage and it's almost bedtime for my boys! Wish me luck that they'll go to sleep!

POTD#29 - A Box From Nana

2011-09-29T20:44:00.001-04:00

A suprise box from Nana is a fun find after school! Hope you like this one Nana!

POTD#28 - Even Alligators Have to Do Homework

2011-09-28T21:42:00.002-04:00

POTD#27 - Soccer with Daddy

2011-09-27T21:01:00.000-04:00

POTD#26 - L is for Lion

2011-09-26T20:12:00.001-04:00

Another sample of Landon's kindergarten art :)

POTD#25 - Ferris Wheel!

2011-09-25T20:32:00.001-04:00

We visited our county fair today and the boys and I went on the ferris wheel. Ethan LOVES ferris wheels!

POTD#24 - Meet Dorothy, Nemo, and Jelly !

2011-09-24T19:51:00.001-04:00

Last night at the festival Landon won a goldfish, so today, we decided to expand the family. Goldfish are great pets when you have a little boy (Landon) with severe asthma.

POTD#23 - Fall Festival Fun

2011-09-23T21:54:00.000-04:00

The boys had a Fall Festival at school tonight. They both enjoyed the giant slide!

POTD#22 - Hello Thomas!

2011-09-22T20:28:00.003-04:00

Landon found a perfect sized Thomas at the toy store!

POTD#21 - Landon's Gru Imitation!

2011-09-21T21:46:00.005-04:00

Landon found this mask tonight in the Halloween section and said that he was just like Gru from De$picaBle Me. How do you think he did?

source

POTD#20 - No pictures please!

2011-09-20T21:01:00.004-04:00

When I tried to take Ethan's picture tonight when we were out to eat, he told me "No pictures, please!", and this was how he posed for me. (Note the big smile under his hand because he was being a goof!)

POTD#19 - School Picture Day

2011-09-19T20:55:00.003-04:00

Today was picture day at school. Both boys were excited because I let them pick out which shirts they wanted to wear. I'm just hoping that they smiled this nice at school as they did for me. Sometimes the school pictures don't turn out very nice!

POTD#18 - Camo truck!

2011-09-18T21:31:00.004-04:00

We parked by this truck today when we were shopping. The boys thought it was pretty cool.

POTD#17 - Hey Mr Tamborine.....

2011-09-17T21:16:00.002-04:00

I love kindergarten projects and a child who's always willing to pose for pictures! But on a side note, I am hearing the sound of the beans inside of his "tamborine" all day!

POTD#16 - Meet Creepy

2011-09-16T20:50:00.001-04:00

My husband caught this repulsive spider for the boys the other night and he is now residing in the bug catcher. They think it's a riot to feed him other spiders, which he quickly eats. All I can say is EWWWWW!

POTD#15 - Mr Hippo :)

2011-09-15T20:58:00.003-04:00

Landon brought this home from school and told me that this isn't just a hippo (or as he spells it hppo), this is "Mr Hippo" and I can only call him that, not just hippo.

POTD#14 - Camo Day!

2011-09-14T21:15:00.005-04:00

My boys picked out their clothes at separate times and both decided to wear camoflauge. So we decided to was unoffical "Camo Day". Now they are trying to convince me that I need camo shorts too :)

POTD#13 - Homework time!

2011-09-13T20:13:00.001-04:00

POTD#12 - Kindergarten owl

2011-09-12T20:38:00.000-04:00

Landon's art of the day which he kindly labeled. Last year he brought home lots of scribbles so this is a step up!

POTD#11 - Never forget

2011-09-11T20:49:00.001-04:00

I watched the coverage this morning dedicating the 9/11 memorial, amazed that it's been 10 years already. I remember the day almost exactly, like it was yesterday. As an airline employee, I knew my life would never be the same.

POTD#10 - Milkshake!

2011-09-10T02:36:00.002-04:00

A suprise treat from hubby makes for a happy wife!

POTD#9 - Visit from Echo

2011-09-09T23:22:00.002-04:00

A friend of ours came to visit with her 10 month old beagle puppy. Landon got to work on some obedience training with him, which ended up with Echo getting more treats then anything :)

POTD#8 - Praying Mantis

2011-09-08T21:32:00.003-04:00

Ethan has a bug catcher that we picked up this summer at the dollar store. Every time we see a new "creepy crawly" the next comment is "get the bug catcher". This has been the best yet!

POTD#7 - Lemon Cucumbers

2011-09-07T21:27:00.003-04:00

I got these at the farmstand and was completely suprised that they tasted just like the good old green cucumbers that we all know and love!

POTD #6 - Playground Trip!

2011-09-06T21:04:00.004-04:00

After moving to Georgia, we have noticed a lack of playgrounds around here. So finally after a bit of searching, we went to the park after school. We had a little break between the weather and the boys got to burn off some energy. So, here's a rare picture of my camera-shy big guy!

POTD#5 - Rainy Labor Day

2011-09-05T20:52:00.003-04:00

I'd love to be sharing a picture of a great picnic today, but instead it rained all day and later turned to tornado warnings and thunderstorms. Not a good day for a picnic! Maybe next year!

POTD#4 - Rollerblades!

2011-09-04T20:58:00.001-04:00

A few years ago a neighbor gave me kids rollerblades that go over your shoes. Landon tried them and loved them! I've never been able to convince Ethan to try them, he's always been too scared. The good part is they are the kind that extend so he can use them for awhile.

POTD#3 - Chickens

2011-09-03T21:15:00.001-04:00

We went to local festival at an old plantation today where the boys saw some chickens up close at the 4H booth. They were amazed at all the different colors . I guess I really do have two city boys on my hands!

POTD#2 - Worn Out

2011-09-02T21:56:00.001-04:00

Landon has had a hard time with going to school all day. By the time he comes home he is tired! Last year his pre-k was only for 3 hours each day so a full day of school has been a tough adjustment. So, he catches little "catnaps" in the afternoon because according to him he's too old for naps!

POTD#1 - Our Courthouse

2011-09-01T23:28:00.003-04:00

In effort to be a better blogger I am going to try and blog every day by a "Picture of the Day" (Thanks for the inspiration, Renee, of Life With My Special K's). Today is a picture of our courthouse. Some of you might think its boring, but I think it's a pretty cool looking old building. Our downtown area is set up like the old fashioned town square with the courthouse in the middle. Great for farmer's markets!

Diptacular '11 - Hot Chili Dip

2011-08-31T22:25:00.001-04:00

Boomama has done it again. She is hosting another diptacuar today. Jump over here and check it outThis is my emergency go-to dip for unexpected company. It uses things that most of us have in our pantry/fridge and it's very easy!

1 (15 oz) can chili without beans
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilis
1 (8 ounce) package shredded cheddar cheese
Tortilla chips

Combine all ingredients an mix well, Microwave on high until bubbly.

I had a partner tonight while I exercised......

2011-08-06T22:48:00.001-04:00

Hot days = Yogli Mogli Nights

2011-07-31T22:58:00.000-04:00

My boys have found a new love in Georgia. Yogli Mogli is our reward now for a good week. We had to find a replacement for Culver's! Better yet, they have a frequent buyer card!

Move Over Master Chef!

2011-07-22T22:06:00.005-04:00

I have a great little helper in the kitchen these days. I don't mind that he has to stand on a kitchen chair to reach the counter. Tonight he helped cook the ground turkey for spaghetti. So this week, he wants to be a chef. He said he'll go to chef school after pilot school. Can you imagine? A pilot who can cook and he likes to do laundry ! He is going to be an awesome husband!

First try at the Cracker Barrel peg game and he gets one!

2011-07-11T22:42:00.001-04:00

Look what we found strolling thru our backyard!

2011-07-09T23:21:00.003-04:00

No, we didn't keep him! This guy was huge too, about the size of a dinner plate. We took a picture and left him to go on his way. I didn't want my boys to get any ideas for a new pet!

Hot Afternoons in Georgia

2011-07-08T22:18:00.006-04:00

Afternoons are hot in Georgia. Really HOT! Especially when you are used to the nice cool breezes that come off of Lake Michigan in Chicago. So my boys have found a way to beat the heat. Enter squirt gun fights........

Bloggy Break Over!

2011-07-07T22:47:00.003-04:00

After a long bloggy break, which was well deserved when you move 750 miles, I'm back. If you are coming here from Jenna's Journey, welcome. Let me give you a brief intro of who I am. I am Maren, happily married to Eric for almost 8 years. We have 2 boys, Ethan who is 7, and Landon, who will be 5 this month. I blog mostly about my boys and our sometimes crazy, but always entertaining life. I also talk about eating gluten free, and trying to save money. I haven't always been a devoted blogger, as facebook and a full time job got in the way. But with our recent move, I have become a stay at home mom, so I hope to jump back into the bloggy world. I would love to add you to my blog roll!

Never Say Never

2011-05-26T23:25:00.005-04:00

Next month we will be packing up one of these.....

And drive all of our stuff back to the great state of.......

Never Say Never!

Maybe I should have named him Peter Parker?

2011-04-01T21:30:00.001-04:00

Look who can FINALLY zip!

2011-02-24T01:55:00.001-05:00

As proven by his zipper zebra medal, Landon can zip his coat! He is very proud of himself if you couldn't tell by his smile ;)

A Date with Mom

2011-02-17T23:15:00.001-05:00

A little late posting, but I had the best Valentines date. He's got brown hair and beautiful brown eyes. Jealous ladies? He even ordered my ice cream for me, but he had to "borrow" my debit card to pay ;)

100 days of school!

2011-02-16T23:16:00.001-05:00

So what's the going rate for the tooth fairy?

2011-02-04T23:41:00.001-05:00

This is the first time Ethan actually saved the tooth he lost (or didn't swallow it)!

Does anybody have an idea how I'm supposed to get to the dumpster?

2011-02-03T23:37:00.001-05:00

One day......

2011-01-29T23:36:00.001-05:00

He will make a great husband. He loves to do laundry. I hope that trait stays thru the teen years!

Is it London....no wait..Chicago!

2011-01-26T00:11:00.001-05:00

This is what happens when you get a "heatwave" of 34 today after subzero weather all weekend.

Brrrrrrrrr!

2011-01-25T01:12:00.001-05:00

Just a tad bit chilly! This was what our temp was on Friday, so I feel for everybody out east since its moved that way now. Today was a heat wave, 18 degrees!

And they call it puppy love......

2011-01-22T23:09:00.001-05:00

Love has stuck Landon early. He has a girlfriend. As a matter of fact, she's even a younger woman, she's 3 and in his class at school. He's even planning their first date. He wants to take her out for ice cream. The funny part is I don't think either one of them could even see over the counter ;)

Bear Down Chicago Bears!

2011-01-22T00:55:00.001-05:00

Wishing the Chicago Bears good luck this weekend against the Green Bay Packers. Let's kick the cheeseheads to the curb!

Somebody loves....

2011-01-20T00:32:00.001-05:00

....finishing Daddy's Starbuck's! (Don't worry, it was strawberries and cream, no coffee!)

Mealtime lifesaver!

2011-01-18T22:48:00.001-05:00

Gluten free mac and cheese, my boys like it with hot dogs added.....ewwwww!

Landon wants to tell you that....

2011-01-16T21:45:00.001-05:00

...snow days are COOL!!

You know your 4 1/2 year old is too skinny when....

2011-01-15T22:26:00.001-05:00

....you have to sew darts in hand me down pants from his brother (which are a size 3T).

You know you're the mother of 2 boys when......

2011-01-14T23:58:00.001-05:00

...you roll over in bed and get stabbed by "Alfie". Sadly enough it's not the first time this week one of Thomas' friends has given me an unfriendly jab ;)

Shhhhhhhhhhh!

2011-01-14T00:16:00.001-05:00

That's not my Christmas tree still up in my living room No, not at all. I'm considering making it an all seasons tree at this point and changing out the decorations with each holiday (just kidding). And yes that's CSI on TV!

Footboards.....

2011-01-12T22:07:00.000-05:00

......make great tracks to race trains on when your watching TV in momma and daddy's room.

That dreaded call from school....

2011-01-11T22:57:00.001-05:00

I got one of those phone calls today that all moms hate. "Mrs. Vargas, Landon got hurt at school and we need you to come pick him up". It turns out one of his classmates hit him in the head with a wooden block giving him a pretty good bump on the back of his head. So he got to come home early and spend some extra time with mom today.

Landon's "horse"

2011-01-10T22:12:00.001-05:00

When we came in from shopping tonight Landon was helping me unload the groceries. When I turned around he claimed this was his new "horse". I guess he has a good imagination!

Don't worry.....

2011-01-09T20:45:00.001-05:00

Secret Agent P is here to save the day!

Monkeys attack!

2011-01-08T19:15:00.001-05:00

Landon loves monkeys. He has named all of his "friends" in this picture, and yes, he tries to sleep with all of them every night (but mom doesn't let him)