The Stay at Home Mom Chronicles: Bribery and chaos.

I'm realizing that my days around here seem to run together.
Ordinary moments unfold around me daily
and I need to stop and relish in them.
One day, my boys will be out living life
and I will miss these everyday experiences.

So, I am taking the time to document
the simple moments that pass between us.
I'm calling this little collection of memories
The Stay At Home Mom Chronicles.

4:00 pm Bribing my kid so that
I can talk on the phone in peace.

Mommy likes to talk on the phone sometimes.
I have some very dear girlfriends that
live near and far that I try to chat with pretty regularly.
I need it for my sanity.

Of course, Griffin uses that time
to try to get my attention at all costs.
I have learned that if I want to
talk in peace that a good ol' fashioned bribe usually does the trick.

I'll turn on the TV and tell him
that he can watch Spongebob for an hour.
He can sit and pretend to live in a pineapple under sea
I don't care...as long as Mommy can talk on the phone.

That usually lasts about 20 minutes
and then he is on my heels again.

He'll say "Hey barnacle head, get off the phone!"
and I instantly regret
letting him watch Spongebob.

So, I do what any Mom desperate for adult interaction

would do...I bribe him with candy.
I just assume that if his mouth is busy
licking a lollipop then he's too busy to intterupt me.

I shamelessly dole out candy as the hour progresses.
Without missing a beat of the phone conversation I'll say to Griffin...
"Here's some Starbursts, Mommy loves you,
now go on in the living room and let me talk to my friend!"

He scampers off with a head full of sugar
and as I continue my phone conversation,
chaos breaks out in the living room.
He jumps all over the furniture and
a wild rumpus unfolds in the background
as I try to have a heartfelt phone conversation.

He laughs and yells and I don't even care,
as long as I get some time to chat on the phone.

By the time I finish the conversation and hang up
he usually has stripped down to his
skivvies and looks something like this

It's a small price to pay for some much needed "me time".
I know that when I look back at the lengths
that I would go to to carve out a minute for myself that
I will smile and remember fondly
the days of bribery and chaos!

The Happiness Project :: Week 5

Luxurious sleep.

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If you want to jump on the bandwagon

simply post a photo of something that
makes you wildly happy.
Then, steal my button from that code up there
and include it in your post.

Be sure to add your link to Mr. Linky.

Bye bye baby!

A good friend of mine is having a baby boy next month. I decided to give her all of the boys' clothes. It was bitter sweet to go through the boxes of tiny jammies and onesies. I got a bit sentimental as I said goodbye to each tiny piece that I have been saving for so many years. Both of my boys wore these clothes and they hold so many sweet memories of those first days together. I left the boys with my husband for a bit and closed the door to sort through the clothes in privacy. I touched them all and took a moment to remember my baby boys in them. Then, I lovingly folded them up and placed them in a box to hand over to my dear friend who is just starting her journey into Motherhood.

We are hitting some milestones soon. Koen is almost a year old and he is quickly transforming into a toddler before my eyes. My last baby won't be a baby much longer. I can't hold onto his baby-ness forever and I can't let go of his first year with sadness.

I hope to always look forward with excitement as he reaches each milestone. Really, giving these clothes away is a milestone for me. I am moving forward with my son. He needs me too.

So, bye bye baby clothes...I'll miss your sweetness.
Please tell me that I'm not the only
woman that could make out with baby clothes!

Scroll on down to find out the winner of Freakshow Friday.

Winner: Full of Hot Air Edition

We have a winner for this week's installment of Freakshow Friday. Please take note that my super hilarious and non biased best friend was the judge. Here are the top three in no particular order.

VandyJ .
"I'll cutchoo if you don't like my new hat!"

Much More Than Mommy
"HIIII-YAH!"

Teresha@Marlie and Me
"Jennifer always wondered why her
landscaping business never got off the ground."

The winner is...

Much More Than Mommy

"HIIII-YAH!"

Much More Than Mommy is on a roll
and the funniest Blogger in all the land.

Please head on over to her Blog

and marvel at this fantastic award she just earned
to proudly display forever.


Thanks to all the people who played.
Tune in this Friday for another instalment of Freakshow Friday!

Freakshow Friday: Full of Hot Air Edition.

It's time for another installment of Freakshow Friday. Where I ask my readers to come up with a caption or story for a funny photo. My best friend will be the judge and she's one hilarious freakaziod. So, bring it! Speaking of freakazoid...Erin just so happens to be the subject of this week's photo. I think that this is the funniest picture that I have ever seen. I posted it here a while back but just couldn't resist seeing what kind of caption y'all can come up with.

Erin's tenth unsuccessful attempt
to escape from the nutty farm.

You got a better one for me?

If so, you may just when this awesome award

and have bragging rights forever.

If you win then I'll linkup to your

Blog and make a big deal
about how funny you are.
Simply leave your funny caption or story
in my comments section.

The winner will be announced on Monday.

Who wants to win a free shopping spree? You, that's who!

Listen ladies...(and the two gents that stop by from time to time) I am a curvy lady. Shopping is something that I love but I can't count how many times I have ended up on a dressing room floor crying because clothes just don't fit me right.

Well, the other day, the clouds parted and the sun came shining down upon my curves when I discovered eShakti. It's a clothing boutique that carries all sizes. From size 0 (I hate you) to size 26 (you shake what your mama gave you!), they have clothes for every body type. You know what? It gets even better than that, they have custom fitting! You simply send in your measurements and you will get a garment customized just for you. Praise be to the shopping Goddess for finally showing up!

Anyway, I lucked out because they contacted me and I got to pick out an outifit and then tell you all about my experience. They have the most beautiful clothes with all kinds of embellishments so it was so much fun to get to pick one out. I'm currently checking out my window daily, scouting out a package that will bring me this little number...

Okay, I'm not just here to brag about my pretty new dress, there is something in it for you too! They are giving away a $250 shopping spree. All that you have to do to enter to win is head on over here and check out their lovely clothes, then tell them who you think that the eShakti woman is! You get a $10 gift certificate just for entering the contest. See...everyone is a winner here at Leigh vs Laundry. Be sure to tell them that I sent you!

The contest ends on March 31 so I wanted to go ahead and let you in on it so that you have plenty of time to enter. As soon as my pretty new dress arrives, I'll tell you all about how fabulous I look and how wonderful eShakti is.

Now...back to our regularly scheduled program.
Scroll on down for the latest edition of
The Stay at Home Mom Chronicles.

The Stay at Home Mom Chronicles: Grand Conversations

I'm realizing that my days around here seem to run together.
Ordinary moments unfold around me daily
and I need to stop and relish in them.
One day, my boys will be out living life
and I will miss these everyday experiences.

So, I am taking the time to document
the simple moments that pass between us.
I'm calling this little collection of memories
The Stay At Home Mom Chronicles.

10:00 am : Snack time and grand conversations.

Every morning, while Griffin is at school,
and after Koen's morning nap,
Koen has a snack in his high chair.
While he is snacking we have some
precious one on one time.
We have a little morning routine that I always look forward to.
It's a simple routine that I also
did with his older brother Griffin when he was a toddler.

While he feasts on a Granola Bar and Apple Juice,
I am in the kitchen unloading the dishwasher.
As I grab various plates and utensils to put them away,
I do a running commentary for Koen about what I am doing.

I'll say "This is a whisk and it's a handy tool in the kitchen."
He'll respond "Boo a gah isk?"
Then I'll say "Good...that's right, it's a whisk and you use to beat eggs."
Then he'll start singing something like
"Doo dwa ooh boo ah lah!" at the top of his lungs.
Then we both laugh.

I think that only a one year old
would find these types of conversations fascinating.
I have his undivided attention as I talk to him
about measuring cups, sauce pans, bowls, etc.
He works hard to echo my sounds and
I am quick to draw the language from him.

It's not an extraordinary moment at all
but one that I hold close to my heart.
A day will come when he will be too busy
running past me to play with Griffin
as I say "This is a fork!"
and he'll roll his eyes
and say "I know that Mom!"

Until then, I will enjoy
the simple pleasure of standing
in the kitchen and talking about utensils
as he looks on in utter amazement.