Videos for your Tuesday Morning Viewing Pleasure

The Train Depot (a.k.a. the boys train loot on Christmas morning):


More Trains:


And some Dancing Videos:

New Music

i know you all LOVE my taste in music so I've added a new playlist for your listening pleasure.

Realized just now that while it's eclectic (as usual) it's a little heavy on the chick-appeal end of the spectrum...although I did throw in a few oldies: The Fray, Moby (that's for you Dan-o), Low Rider, Snow Patrol....

Opinions??
I'm just trying to broaden your horizons, people. :)

Our Christmas Card....

It went out late, so I didn't want to post it and "spoil" the surprise....but probably everyone has got it by now and/or they're over it anyway.
Here's our Christmas Card from this year:

here's the back....I'm not sure why it's showing up blue on here....obviously, in real life the colors are just like the front. :)

I'm sure my parents were appropriately appalled by the front, but we thought it was funny and an honest portrayal of this time in our lives. 3 boys under age 6??? Smiling nicely for the camera?? Yeah, right.
True. Life.

Just keep'n it real, peeps......keep'n it real. :)

IN Case you Missed them......

Maybe not as amusing as last year's family picture post, but in case you missed it on Facebook or the other blog, and with the assumption that you even care to see them, you can head over to the biz blog and see our family pictures from this year.
I didn't put the one we used on the front of our Christmas card on there though, so you can be surprised by it when you get it in the mail (or see it on the blog on Christmas, whichever comes first).
:)

For the 'Obles

Recently our good friend the Nobles (or, if you're one of the Nowack children, "The 'Obles") gave Owen a Webkinz for a birthday present. If you don't know what a Webkinz is....well, you're totally out of it and you can go here to learn more about it. Basically it's a stuffed animal that comes with an internet code so you can "play" online with it.
Owen loved his Webkinz and immediately named him "Best" (?I don't know and we don't ask?) and he carried it around non-stop for about 3 days. I'm also fairly certain that he snuck it into his backpack and took it to school the day after he got it.

Here he is the night that he got "Best", zonked out on the couch in front of the Christmas tree. Just thought that the 'Obles might like to see it. Consider this a virtual, visual thank you card. :)

Because He's Just That Good

I know that girl in the top row, far right was trying to out-sing AJ, but I think we can all agree that he was TOTALLY CARRYING THE WHOLE PERFORMANCE.

Just a forewarning: The last part of "Happy Birthday Jesus" was....enhanced by the teacher suggesting that they "sing loudly for the people"....and by enhanced I mean: IT MIGHT MAKE YOUR EARS BLEED.

First, Pause the music player on the right, and then enjoy a little bit of
The Candy Cane Song and Happy Birthday Jesus:



With a final performance of Jingle Bells:

Baby Curse Words

This is what Tyler does when you REALLY make him angry (like not letting him have ice cubes from your glass, for example) he breaks out in what we call baby profanity - which you can witness for yourself in the following video. I know that if he could form the words into something coherently English-sounding he would be saying .....well, you can imagine for yourself because I don't want to offend my parents just 3 days before Christmas.

8 Years Later......

And I'm still hot for him:

Happy Anniversary Babe!

*photos compliments of Casey Perkins*

I WILL give him this.....

He's got pretty quick reflexes.
For an old guy.

Feed the Pig

I heard this commercial on the radio the other day stating that last year, American's actually spent more than they made - the worst economic situation since the Great Depression. The people who ran the commercial cited this website, Feedthepig.org - which I just perused and think is a great site. It's very interactive - you can enter in the type of person you are, the things that you do that may chip away at your bank account, and it will tell you how much you can save in a year and other useful info. Check it out if you get a minute or two.
Anyway, that got me thinking about debt, savings, money in general. Depressing subject mostly (oddly, it's depressing for everyone I know - no matter their income) so I thought it would be interesting to see what everyone out there is doing in the way of savings. Did YOU spend more than you earned last year??

Here's a poll, for anonymity sake....because I know people are weird about talking about their money for some reason.

Merry Christmakkuh!

Turn up your volume, let my blog sit open while you work and play because I've posted a Christmas Music Treat for your listening pleasure. It's eclectic people (hence the name "An Eclectic Christmakkuh") and if you don't absolutely LOVE it - you're off your rocker. There's something for everyone - from Bing Crosby to Josh Groban to Smashing Pumpkins to the Vienna Boys Choir to Celtic Woman to Lennon to Veggie Tales.....Holiday music you'll want to play over and over.

Because let's face it.....When it comes to music?

We all know that I have impeccable taste.

Enjoy.

Ideas?

2 things this morning, that I'm looking for some advice on:

1. We don't use a bug spray service. I really don't like the idea of pesticides floating about the air particles in my house....where my babies can breathe them into their systems. Weird? Maybe - but I just don't like the idea. Poison. IN MY HOUSE.
ANYWAY.....bugs are a thing here in the south. I've gotten used to them (even the spiders, for the most part) - they are everywhere, and most of them are BIG. Well, big to a northerner like me, who's used to the description of "big bug" applying to a wasp, or a horsefly. We see spiders inside when the weather changes, and they totally freak me out, but at least I'm not obsessing over them being brown recluse anymore. :)
And then there's the thing with roaches. Now, unless you live in the south you're probably totally freaking out about roaches. IN OUR HOUSE.
I did too - when we first moved down here, I had never even SEEN a roach. I thought they only existed in nasty apartments in NYC (you know, like in the movies). But unfortunately, they're just part of the package when you live in the south. We haven't had a problem with roaches really - I would see an occasional one (dead usually) but that was about it. Until recently....when now I'm noticing little ones....which is scary because apparently they are BREEDING. *shiver*

So now I'm left with a dilemma.....Should I (1) live with the excess of bugs (don't think I can do that, since they seem to be multiplying), or (2)hire a bug service to come spray the house, or (3) come up with a "natural" alternative to pesticide. Anyone have any ideas? Recommendations? Is there an organic way to get rid of bugs??

*****UPDATE*******
Clint scared me so Sims Pest Control is coming to the house on Friday morning.


#2: Toilet issues.
No, I'm not talking about a certain toddler who enjoys flushing toys down the commode that we have to pay plumbers to come and fish out. I'm talking about MOLD. On the inside of the toilet. I clean our bathrooms once a week - which I think is pretty standard, pretty reasonable - but by the end of the 7 or 8 days, there's an accumulation of black mold on the inside upper part of the toilet.
Is this a southern thing due to humidity in the air? 'Cuz I've never had a problem with it before moving to Georgia. Not even in Florida - which was probably more humid than here. Is it our water? Does anyone else get this?
I clean with bleach, but I don't like to put those cleaner tabs in the water because Cooper occasionally drinks from the toilet bowl when the lid is left up and I don't want him to drink bleachy toilet water (because regular, "clean" toilet water is so much better).
Enlighten me? Got an tips for a cleaner tab thingy that's safe for dogs?? Or how to keep away the mold? Or if I'm the only person in Albany that has trouble with moldy toilets?

That's all I've got today.

What's up with everybody else? Things are slow in bloggerland and I'm feeling disconnected from everybody.

My Kids = Cute

New pics of the cutest kids in the universe over on my biz blog. check it out. :)

I'm Pouting

Because no one comments/reads/blogs anymore.

What's the deal out there???
Why is bloggerland so slow???

Pictures of Steve-o on his birthday gains THREE comments?
The Aydenism gets me TWO? Come on, people - that stuff was HILARIOUS. Because I'm the only one in the house who doesn't have a penis. Get it?
Pictures of cutest six year old in the universe only warrants ONE comment?? Seriously?!

Don't you people realize I'm a middle child?? I don't just write this blog for my own health and entertainment you know.....I do it of course, for the validation and self-worth I derive from the comments and moral support of others. Yes I do gain esteem from menial acts of contrition by people in the blogosphere, thankyouverymuch.

Shout out.....or I'm going on strike.