1. I am never having kids... I maintained this one for 5 years after we got married, but when the baby bug bit, there was nothing I could do. Still to this day I run into people who say, "Remember how you said you were never going to have kids." 


2. My Kids will only play with wooden toys... you know because the plastic ones are so ugly... today you would be hard pressed to find a toy or anything "kid" in my house that isn't plastic florescent or colored on with sharpie marker.


3. My kids won't watch TV until they're 3 and then only educational programming... ahahahahahahahahahaha... had I known that TV is the only way to calm my crack monkeys down I  think I would have just skipped that one.


4. I will never make more than one meal, my kids won't be picky... If there are pickier kids on the planet I haven't met them. My oldest pukes at the site of green peas and I make 6+ meals a day mon-fri to suit everyone's tastes.


5. My kids won't wear anything with cartoons on them.... I still don't like this but my monkeys are freaks for thomas and cars 2 and want to wear anything and everything that dawns those characters... but what's a mom to do?


6. Marriage and kids won't make me frumpy... bwahahahahha... anyone who read my post a couple of weeks ago should be spitting their coffee through their nose right now... ya... moving on....


7. When I'm a stay at home mom my house will never be messy... I seriously used to say this... I know... I'm an idiot, it's actually probably messier since we're all home all day everyday... who knew???

This is Lindsay's aunt Lee, her cousin Jill and her mom Cindy (If I am found dead..they should be considered suspects)

     I am fairly sure that my whopping 5'2" stature would not be intimidating to anyone or anything other than our family guinea pig.  My arms resemble spaghetti noodles (ya know, the angel hair kind, cooked)  and my mean face, well even  my kids laugh at that one.  But even with all of my physical limits, I'm pretty sure the fire that was spewing from every poor of my being was enough to make the two 6' tall men that I launched into quiver...(or at least make them think, "thank God I'm not married to that!")

This is Kara, designer extroadinaire!  And she is as sweet as she is creative! and shoot...Jason maybe (sorry!!!) he plays video games on his lap-top all day! OK, so really he designs some of these crazy cool houses!  Brilliant!

So I wish I could tell you all of their names.. lets just say if you are wearing a black shirt AND black hat...you are super important! ;)

Rush from Arc Built is top dog out here!!!!! (but I bet he wouldn't admit it!)

Mark is a rockin security guard!  Several of these guys stand out in the heat for hours on end, and still smile!!!  and Scott...well, I think he just rides around in the golf cart all day looking cool! a lot of "these guys" travel with Extreme Makeover Home Edition... thats a lot of time away from home!

It's not often that you see this many workers all gathered around, but today, they took a few minutes to honor the fallen, and the families of  9/11.

It was a touching moment!!!

    This could be the most challenging post I have written yet...not because the subject matter is deep, or revealing, but it is that I don't know if it's possible for me to do it justice...



     As most of you know by now, our own Earth Monkey mama, Lindsay and her family we're chosen to receive an Extreme Home Makeover!!! I struggle to even find the words to describe the intense excitement, joy, and amazement that I am feeling about this entire process...it really only pales to the birth and adoption of my children (sorry babe, this is better than our wedding!;) )



     I am hoping today that I can give you a glimpse into the work that is going into the creating, building and fruition of this amazing home! I am going to keep my words few (I know shock hu??) because honestly, I am so tired, and overwhelmed that I feel like my brain is more of a mush ball!

1. You often experience more that 5 emotions in a 2 minute period... (this is a fun one for the whole family to enjoy:))


2. When they have questions, your kids and husband approach you like they are getting ready to feed a wild animal because they're not sure which of mommies several personalities will answer them.


3. You get a crazed psycho smile on your face while saying things like... "Oh you'll eat it... You'll eat it and you'll like it." (this could just be a symptom of a mommy funk as well)


4. You forget what you're talking about mid sentence. (see also ...ummmm ..... "mommy brain")


5. You tell yourself your just PMSy... for 12 weeks straight. 


6. You have left the house with 2 different flip flops and mascara on only one eye more than once. (Again reference "mommy brain"... as symptoms may over lapse.)

  I've always prided myself as being a person who is basically worry free, or at the very least worry limited.  Seriously, it takes a lot to freak me out, or make me over analyze or over think things, and  I rarely sit around and burry myself in garbage from the past.  I'm kinda one to save those kind of crazy, un-useful emotions for the really big events...like divorce, death, illness, or not having the right color shoes for a blue taffeta and black lace dress (sorry, just had a Sr. prom flashback moment)...

     Now that you know that much needed information about me (ya right) onto my point...There are many elements about being a parent that are impossible to be prepared for, and no matter how much your older sister tries to warn you help you understand, there is no way to fully get the amount of fatigue, frustration, crazy deep love, guilt and of course worry that will engulf you as a parent.  From the moment my daughter slipped into this world (although I'm sure the word "slip" would not be the one used by her birthmother) my world has never been the same.  From the moment I saw her beautiful head of thick brown hair and the sweet way her smooshy body formed to mine, I started to worry.  All of a sudden this successful, confident woman turned into a nervous wreck, potentially incapable of ever doing anything right again, and consumed with the greater fear of totally ruining the entire life of another human being.                It all started with the first time I changed my baby girl, was I wiping the right way?  And when I fed her, was I tipping the bottle at just the right angle?  Did I burp her enough, should I have her on a schedule, should I let the grocery clerk look under the blanket and am I holding her too much???  And lets not mention that I actually did bathe her when her umbilical cord was still attached!  (hey don't judge, I only had 5 weeks to prepare for being a first time parent! BTW, Nothing happened! ;) ) Then there was the guilt of I'm letting her cry too long (because I was peeing for goodness sakes!), she is spitting up too much, is it my fault she has a diaper rash....and so on a so forth.

    Well now that I am a totally experienced and professional mom who knows it all (do you hear me laughing at my words??) and guess what?  I still worry like a freaking nut case and my guilt often sits in the pit of my stomach like a little rock, or maybe it feels more like a wiggly snake...either way, its just all too much sometimes. I thought I would make a little list over the last few days..ok, I'm lying, all this worry was about an hours worth, but here it goes...and if you don't relate to any of this?  I so don't believe you, but I wont call you a liar ;)



*I worry that they might break a bone jumping on the couch, but if I don't let them they will be woosies (just had to use that word because it kinda makes me smile)

*I feel guilty when I sit

“Miss Katie!!!! I missed you!!!” sounded better to me than any music ever had. After nearly two weeks away I had the great joy of coming home to two of the most amazing people on earth, my boys. I’m sure after reading that most people immediately think “Miss Katie”??? Her kids call her “Miss Katie”??? Huh? If you did - don’t be alarmed, many are confused at first. I’ll try to clarify – my name is Katie and I am an “extra-mom”.



I’m sure that there are many out there like me. You may be introduced as stepmother, aunt, by your first name, or even just called mom. Regardless of the title, it means that you, like me, married not just a partner but also a family. If so, congratulations!!! Personally, I know that it’s the greatest accomplishment of my life and one that I never anticipated. Growing up I was certain of two things: 1) I was going to have a career and 2) I was not going to have children. Funny how life takes those certainties and upends them for you? Admittedly, I do have a career but I also have two great kids that happened to join my life when I married my personal Prince Charming (which I also didn’t believe in FYI, but what’s a girl to do when she finds one?) This is the story of the start of my journey towards becoming an “extra-mom”.



“Nice to meet you” I remember practicing into the mirror. Trying to smile as I rehearsed sticking out my hand and pumping it up and down in a pretend handshake. I remember scolding myself for the absurdity of that formal of a gesture. I agonized over my tone and cadence - tried variations of my name – “Kate, Katie, crazy person talking to herself in a mirror”. I smiled bigger and then smaller, tested the impact of “Hi” versus “Hello”. Looking back I can say that was probably the low-point of my sanity, but at the time it felt as if it was the most important meeting of my life. You see I’m a big believer in first impressions and I knew that this was a vital one. From all the fuss you might have thought I was meeting a Fortune 500 CEO or the President, but no I was meeting two boys that were only three and a half years old. Yes, my name is Katie and I was terrified of two toddlers! In my defense they were and still are the two most important boys in my world – they are my sons. Technically, they are my stepsons, but legalities aside they are my kids, and I’m sure that they would be very embarrassed to know that I had to rehearse (a lot) before I felt confident enough to meet them for the first time.

11 years of marriage, 3 crazy kids and my oh my how times have changed. I remember back in the day when I would hurry to get my make-up on and wear just the right outfit for my hunka hunka burnin love. Heck even 5 years into it when I was preggo with monkey numero uno I wore 6 inch wedges to make my legs look thinner... (note to self: when you gain 50+ pounds during pregnancy wedges make you look more like a bale of hay on stilts than "slim" in any sense of the word) Now I consider it a victory if I actually get dressed during the day and doing my hair (which only takes 35 seconds total) and putting on make up only happens for "Special Occasions"... my poor hubby!



Last night I looked at myself... I hadn't showered in a couple of days (due to the fact that whenever I get in the shower my kids seriously try to kill each other or I don't know color with permanent marker on my favorite shoes) and I was wearing the same jammies I had been wearing and worked out in the morning before... it was definitely a low point. I turned to my husband and said "Sorry babe, I promise I'll start putting myself together more often I know I totally look like a hot mess." (minus the hot part), I expected him to say his obligatory "No babe you look great." but instead he said, "I know you've had a lot going on today." Waaa???? It was that moment that I decided I needed to stop being quite so comfortable with my sexy self and go brush my teeth.



Here are some red flags that you are in the same "Jammie Day EVERYDAY" rut...

1. If on the rare occasion when you get dressed in cut offs and a flip flops your kids ask why you're so dressed up... (this one is for you Kiley:))


2. If you have been wearing the same workout clothes for 2+ work out sessions... (even a cute yoga outfit has it's "re-wear" limits.)


3. If your husband would rather give you a high five when he gets home from work than a kiss.


4. If you come out of your room in the morning (bed head in full force) with your purse in your hands ready to pay bills online and your kids ask where you're going. (uhhhh because they're used to leaving the house with you looking like that!)


5. If you get caught in your jammies by the fedex guy almost every time he comes... at 3 pm!


6. If at any point your kids or husband ask you f you are actually going to leave the house like that.