100...100...100...people come on!

Well, here I am, all ready to bless some readers with some incredible little goodies and treats, and I cannot. Not because I do not have the lovely little items, but because I do not have one hundred comments on my hundredth post! There are not even fifty comments yet! This is indeed a sad state of affairs! I certainly hope you all pull through and give me those one hundred comments, or nobody will get these wonderful things just waiting for a good home.
I even wrote this post using only one hundred words to inspire you all today!

Wordless Wednesday - sushi art and stuff

Just had to get in a shot of one of my latest custom orders - this is for a sushi-themed nursery. (what a great idea for a nursery theme!)

And here's one I just shipped out to a girl that's getting married next week - these are for her parents, her in-laws-to-be, and one to keep for herself. (find more custom art at The Framed Frog.)

oh, and don't forget to enter the 100th post giveaway featured in my last post!

***it is sure to be something you would love to win*** ;)

This is Post One Hundred!

I started this blog just a few short months ago, and now I've reached post #100!  Amazing - I was convinced that I wouldn't stick with it and would drop off the bloggy radar after a few posts - but apparently it's become quite the habit for me.  Primarily it's been my journal to record the funny, sweet, and often ridiculous happenings of the Frogster household; however, it's also been a way to "meet" many new friends, connect with old friends, and be a successful part in opening my Etsy shop.

Thank you faithful readers for visiting often and encouraging me in this venture.  For my hundredth post, I thought I would share a few photos from the past.  Perhaps for those of you that don't know me that well, they will reveal a little more reason why I am so (crazy) um...interesting...

Here you see me with my neighborhood friends in the ghetto.  I am the tall one with the gargantuan glasses and smile.  I was probably about 8 or 9 in this photo: my little sister and brother are standing to my left.  Does anyone else see the resemblance between Matt ( my little brother) and my youngest, Michael?  (check my sidebar for a current pic of the Mikester)

My sister and I love to be normal, in the background, and certainly not the center of attention.  That is definitely evident in this photo.  No, I am not a teenager in this picture, but obviously at the ripe age of 23 I still acted like one.  Not much has changed. . . 

Ah, my single days!  My teacher friends and I found lots of excuses to have parties, and at this particular birthday bash, I insisted that everyone wear tiaras.  We didn't take pictures of the party poopers who refused to do so.  This was my "white-teeth, perfectly-tweezed-eyebrows, never-wore-glasses, bleach-blonde" phase.  (Need I add that this was all "before children"?!)

And the honeymoon - here's my man and I at Sea World, one of our many stops on our cross-country road trip honeymoon.  This seems like forever ago!  Chris told me one of the reasons he married me was because I made his life a lot more exciting.  Within weeks of this photo, the movers were a month late delivering all my things (and had lost a couple of bookcases) and I had gotten a severe case of mono.  He said he wanted exciting!

Anyway, there's just a smidge of my random life.  Because it is my hundredth post, I want to do something a little special for my readers.  Here's how it's going to go down:

1)  Please leave a comment for me under this post.  Be creative and entertaining - the more I like reading it, the better chances you have at winning!

2)  You can leave up to three comments on this post.  

3)  The contest will close after I have received one hundred comments on this post - so you'd better spread the word 'cuz I'm not that popular folks!

4)  I will choose THREE commenters that make me laugh, smile, grin, and otherwise be immensely entertained the most to receive a small customized goodie package in the mail.  Lets' just say there will be some things that taste good, some that look good, and some that smell good!

Okay, so don't fail me here and get commenting!  

Not Me Monday #5 -

Hooray - it's that time of the week again, and boy am I in need of some therapy! You will be thrilled and perhaps a little appalled at all the things I didn't do this past week, but get over your shock and head over to MckMama's for more not me! fun.
(edit: actually MckMama ended up having to take her little one to the hospital so you can go to her blog to read about that instead and pray for her sweet little one.)

I most certainly did not hand my two toddlers some wet rags and tell them to "scrub the dirty floor like crazy! Isn't this a fun game?" And I did not act shocked when they proclaimed the task boring and "unfun." I did not internally cry, knowing I would now have to do the job myself. And of course I did not feel even a smidge of guilt about using my kiddies as slave labor around the house.

I did not take my kids to their library story time on St. Patrick's Day dressed in matching RED outfits. I did not arrive at the library all pleased at how cute my little munchkins looked while secretly thinking that they were by far the most adorable at the class. I did not then feel even slightly mortified when I realized that every other child was wearing green that day. I did not rejoice inwardly when I realized my kiddies had no clue what day it was and were just as happy wearing red. And I had no problem with my daughter yelling at the librarian because she had "our book." Oh no, not me!

On Wednesday I did not have a panic attack when my daughter shoved a bead up her nose. When the bead finally came out, I did not marvel that it was a green bead and laugh to myself every time she had "whistled" through the bead in her nose. Nope, not me!

I absolutely did not realize after taking my husband to the emergency room for throwing out his back that we had no form of entertainment while we waited. I certainly could have waited there patiently without electronic devices or books. I did not leave my hubby by himself in a wheelchair in the emergency room while I rushed home to gather my netbook, books, cell phone chargers, and snacks. I did not rush back to the hospital to then promptly forget all the things I had just gotten and fall asleep on the hospital chair. I did not feel ever so glad to see a nurse in all my life - five hours later - and then wonder if I would be really able to drive him home safely.

And I am not sitting here under a haze of Nyquil-induced sleepiness trying to make sense of the written word. Nope, not me!

Anyone else not had a week like me?

Frogster Family Drama

There is always some drama going on in the Frogster household. I mean, with three little unpredictable little ones, a hubby trying to balance his two jobs and family, and me starting my own business while trying to be a good mom, it's bound to happen. And let me tell you, we have gotten slammed with a whole lotta drama lately.

I knew that someday I would experience the "my kid shoved something up their nose" syndrome, but I didn't expect it to be Gabi. She is usually so careful with her things and loves to labor over her arts and crafts; therefore I was quite startled and a little alarmed when she announced in a panicky way that she had a bead up her nose. After trying in vain to extract the bead, I called Chris, who had the van that day. He decided to come home from work. As he drove home, I managed to get Gabi to blow her nose several times until the offending bead fell out. At this point, Chris had already arrived home and decided to work the remainder of the day from home. Relieved, I returned to my work, which had suddenly become very busy with three orders in one day! (woohoo!)
The next day I was a little nervous as I prepared for my dentist appointment that day. Let's just say it had been a while since I had been to the dentist, and my last experience had not been a good one. I already knew that I had a few cavities and was not looking forward to the pain. (I'd rather give birth than have drilling done in my mouth). The dentist determined that I had several cavities and a bacterial disease that causes my teeth to decay five times faster than a normal person. (so how many of you thought I was normal anyway!?) He prescribed me special toothpaste and mouth rinse that I will have to use for the rest of my life to control the bacterial growth in my mouth. (sorry, gross, I know). As I got ready to leave the office to get home and work on one of my orders ( a rush order that has to be shipped out this weekend), they called me back to schedule a root canal at four'o'clock later that day. Arggh! But I very responsibly went, even though I kept thinking of thousands of "excuses" to get out of it. God blessed and it ended up being a filling (to three cavities in one tooth) that was surprisingly not too painful.
When I got home, I found my husband doubled over in pain. Apparently, in working from home the day before, he had bent over his laptop too long and done some serious damage to his lower back. He couldn't walk or even stand up straight; so I had to call my mother-in-law to take the kiddies and my father-in-law to help me get Chris to the emergency room. He literally crawled out to the car because we couldn't lift him, and once at the emergency room, we waited almost five hours before seeing a doctor. Mercifully they didn't waste too much time getting him a morphine shot, and some happy happy drugs to take home. We drowsily pulled into our driveway at 5:00 this morning.
He is sleeping very peacefully right now as I try to get my rush order done and manage the kiddies. Life is never boring around here. . .

Wordless Wednesday - sweet siblings!

(somehow David never made it to his own bed. . . )

and check out more wordless fun here!

A Still Small Voice

Yesterday I was attempting a large home project - that of thoroughly cleaning the kitchen and reorganizing every drawer and cabinet. Those of you with small children already know why I used the word attempt. The possibility of getting something that requires so much attention done while little children are milling about and needing you to kiss boo-boos, solve arguments, change diapers, potty train, distribute snacks, clean up after snacks have been eaten, clean up unforeseen mess that the toddler created, enforce naps, etc., is quite remote.
However, I was making the effort and was deep into a drawer of spatulas, spoons, and I-don't-know-what-they-are-called utensils, when the screaming started. Apparently David had taken a book that belonged to Gabi, causing the lovely young girl to screech loudly. The incessant noise caused baby Michael to awake (too early) from his morning nap, and he began to wail. David, not wanting to miss out on the fun, joined in on the yelling. It was quite chaotic. I started to get really frustrated with the noise level and was unsuccessfully trying to calm everyone down. Then, suddenly, I heard one voice above the others.
"Everyone, be quiet! We have to be listening to God!" I quickly recognized the sincere sweet voice of my daughter. Amazingly, everyone stopped their noise and the chaos instantly receded. My reprimands of frustration died on my lips as I stared at her.
"What do you mean, honey?" I asked her. She looked up at me with her big blue eyes.
"We need to be quiet so we can listen to God talking," she once again insisted.
"Well, do you hear Him right now?" I questioned her.
"Not yet, but if I listen hard enough, I know I'll hear God!" was her firm response.

Out of the mouth of babes. . . the kitchen could wait a few minutes. I sat and held my children close while we talked about how wonderful it was to listen for God and to talk to Him whenever we wanted.

I am listening for that still small voice today...

Not Me! Monday #4 - of Tv and Haircuts

Ahh, it's time once again to breathe a therapeutic sigh of relief as I carefully do not admit to any of the goings-on of the past week. As always, you can see what other folks are not doing at MckMamma's blog here!

I did not allow my kiddies to spend more than the usual hour watching TV last week. I did not plop them in front of the entertaining box for several episodes of colorful preschool goodness. And obviously, I would never have subjected my six-month-old to such mind-numbing activity. Nope, not me. Why would I need that extra time to get stuff done? And don't you know that when you're busy working around the house, the children will just play quietly at your feet? No need for edutainment here!

(excuse me for just a moment while I laugh and laugh and laugh about the "playing quietly at your feet" comment! Whew! Ok, ready to move on...)

This past weekend I did not cut off my daughter's beautiful golden hair. I did not yield to her pleas to have short hair please Mommy even though I thought it looked better longer. I did not have dreams of no longer having hair battles in the morning. And of course I did not think she looked as cute as a button when the whole process was . . .er, not finished. And absolutely I did not sit her in front of that entertainment box again while I was doing it. Oh no, not me!

This mommy did not dress her boys in matching clothes for church yesterday. She did not do so, hoping that they would not develop a complex from their mommy who seems to have a need for matching their clothes. She also did not make them sit and smile endlessly in various poses, only to choose a photo in which Michael was staring wide-eyed at the camera. Oh no, not her! She certainly didn't use any bribes containing sugar for the photo shoot or lecture number one son about the pitfalls of dripping his yogurt down his new shirt. (don't look, people, the photos were taken before the yogurt dripping episode).

And finally, I did not spend an entire day creating fabulous kitty paintings in which each cat wore sunglasses. Oh my, that would have been a frivolous use of my time and not beneficial to the poor neglected children either! I did not then post them in my etsy shop and then shamelessly use this post to promote The Framed Frog's newest items. Nor did I dance a jig and scream excitedly just because I made my first sale this past weekend...

So what have you been not doing this past week? Don't be afraid to (not) admit it - it's good for the soul! :)

Encounters With Veggies, Daisies, and Dinosaurs

The photo below shows just what sort of aliens have invaded our house.  No, there was no subtle approach.  They are here, and they have come in the masses! (much to the chagrin of the kiddies!)

It is with some shame that I admit that these visitors have not been to our house on a regular basis.  It's not that I don't love them or appreciate their nutritious value.  However, the man of the house, due to ridiculous pickyness, has up to this point been able to stave off these invaders.  No more!  I welcomed them so warmly that we have been enjoying their company at EVERY meal.  Okay, so maybe only the Mikester and I are the ones enjoying them!

The other kiddies are resisting these delectable goodies, most notably the carrots and the broccoli.  I have been quite firm in enforcement of the "at least try one of each veggie on your plate" rule; so while this is indeed happening, mealtimes have not been as pleasant as usual.  (I suppose it doesn't help that my man is choking them down as well)  Does any pitying soul out there have some tips for helping your kiddies to like veggies more?  I know a certain recent trend is to "hide" them in various recipes such as pancakes and spaghetti sauce, and while I am not opposed to that, I want my children to appreciate veggies as they really are.  My Mother-in-law always hid the veggies for my husband while he was growing up, and he is the pickiest man I know.  (well, except for this one guy I know that doesn't like pizza!)

Today starts the second round of giveaways at A Blog of Goodies.  My daisy wall hook is being featured - so if you want a chance to win it, go here and check it out!  Karen at  A Blog of Goodies is constantly reviewing products and having great giveaways - I check it often to see what delicious things I can win! :)

And finally, I thought you would all like to see the shirt my man got me for my work-out times.  Love it!  He got himself a matching one:  perhaps this will stave off the next McFlurry craving.  (Nothing like watching The Biggest Loser while you are eating a McFlurry!)

Wordless Wednesday: Mikester Discovers Pancakes

The Mikester chooses his frozen pancake. . . 

He likes it!  More wordless fun at 5 Minutes for Mom. . .

How Much of Himself Does He See in You?

I'm back from an exhausting yet exhilarating weekend in Washington at a Ladies' Conference there. I always look forward to this time of rejuvenating and hearing some incredible women of God share their hearts with us. Although there are always things in the sessions that convict my heart and put me on the road to being a better wife and mom, I also really enjoy the "girl time" I get with my friends. And I have to admit, a couple days away from the kiddies and the responsibilities are definitely a great bonus!
The past few months or so I have been really struggling, not with any particular failing as a Christian, but in being a very apathetic Christian. I was aware of it but chose to ignore it because "fixing it" was just too much work, and I honestly didn't really feel like addressing the issue. I still did my stint in children's church, church nursery, and various other ministries each month, but my Christian life was on auto pilot. I couldn't remember the last time I had had a real soul-searching prayer time with my God. I'm sure it would have been too convicting, so I didn't bother.
This weekend I was suddenly hit by it, like I had been punched in the stomach. It wasn't anything that the speakers said, although they had some great and wonderful truths to share. I could feel the Holy Spirit like I hadn't in a long time, and I was just itching to get out of those sessions and take care of the problem. Finally!
I don't know why I let myself slide backwards for so long. The peace and joy that comes from living for God in a close personal relationship with Him is so worth any "work" it may take to maintain that. I cried a lot this weekend and was blessed to have a good friend who cried and prayed with me.
How can I be a wonderful wife to my man if I am not seeking God daily? How can I expect my children to do right and have good hearts when my actions just barely disguise my distant heart? How can I expect God's blessings on my fledgling business when I refuse to encourage myself in His Word? Oh, how foolish I felt kneeling before Him and begging His divine forgiveness for my apathy in my walk with Him!
No one wants to admit that they are not on the right page when it comes to their Christian walk, but not only did I confess these faults to my ever-merciful Savior, but I confess them to you too, dear reader. It's a glimpse into my human and very imperfect nature. I ask that you pray for me as I continue on this journey of finding the fullness of joy in the Lord again, and encourage you to do the same.
I leave you with a quote from one of the conference speakers: "When God looks down on you each day, how much of Himself does He see in you?"

Normal is. . .

I needed a little help with my post today - so many thoughts swirling around and not sure exactly which of them to put into coherent writing on my blog!

So I visited Mama's Losin' It to get a writing prompt - she posted six of them - and chose the following:

Normal is. . . 

Around our house, normal is. . . 

. . . a mad search for the van keys two minutes before Chris has to leave for work although I swear I put them on the key rack by the door last night.

. . . completely forgetting to put the laundry detergent in with the clothing and then later wondering why the clothes smell, well, musty.

. . . hearing various exclamations such as "David, get down!" , "David, get out of there!", "What's going on in there?!", "David, put it down!", and "David, stop!"  The many references to David are not by accident - I probably use his name more than anyone else's in a day.

. . . waiting until the kiddies are tucked in bed to break out the triple chocolate ice cream so that we don't have to share!

. . . allowing the kiddies to sleep in tents on the floor with flashlights if it means they will get to sleep faster.

. . . me sitting in the living room with a magazine by my side, working on an art project while watching TV and talking to my man.  I have an inability to just sit and watch TV.  probably ADD. . .

. . . praising our son for his eloquent burps and in the same breath admonishing the daughter for the same offense.

. . . eating leftover birthday cake for breakfast and then making up for it with a lunch of carrot sticks, celery sticks, and other various healthy things.

. . . singing, singing, singing!  Granted, the tunes are a little juvenile but there's nothing like "Jesus the Friend of the Children is He" and "Little Bunny Foo Foo" to brighten your day!

. . . hugs and kisses so frequently my kiddies bolt when they see me coming.  Okay, maybe not yet.  They're too little to think momma's over-affections are uncool.  

. . . fighting between brother and sister over such important things as who is occupying what space on the couch. . . excuse me, I've got to go break up another spat!

To read other's writing attempts and perhaps a few more definitions of what normal is, visit Mama's Losin' It!

Wordless Wednesday - new talent!

more wordless fun here!

Of The Bachelor, Bad Choices, and Bloggy Love

There happen to be many movies and TV shows that I simply cannot watch.  I'm not sure if it's the result of an overactive imagination, but certain movies and show become too real to me and I can't handle the stress. :)  For example, a few seasons ago, I attempted to watch the TV show 24 with my husband.  About halfway through the season, I quit watching the show.  I swear I would get short of breath and incredibly stressed watching Jack Bauer fight the terrorists, and at night, I would have terrible nightmares of terrorist attacks in our city.  I know, I know, it's pretty pathetic really.  It's also the reason I cannot even get near a haunted house attraction.  I probably would have been the first person to freak out when they originally aired War of the Worlds over the radio air waves!

So much of what I watch on TV now I would term "mindless fluff."  With the exception of a good football game or fantastic cooking show, I must confess that I have somewhat become a reality show addict.  Shockingly enough, I find myself doing the same thing with these shows that I did with the heart-stopping action thrillers.  I get too involved in the "story line" and too invested in the lives of the people playing their parts in the show.  Case in point:  Last night ABC aired the finale of The Bachelor.  Don't even ask me how I got into that show - but let's just say it was a priority on the Tivo list!  As many of you Bachelor followers know, the "hero" of the show quickly degraded himself with some not-so-gentlemanly behavior last night.  Ridiculous as it may seem, I found myself commiserating with the jilted girl and thinking not-so-nice thoughts about the bachelor himself.  After shouting a few choice (albeit Christian!) words at the TV screen, I headed up to bed.

And I couldn't stop thinking about it.  Not about the results of the show - but about my involvement in the show.  Here I had grown to care about and appreciate certain people on a reality show - people I didn't even know personally - and I started to wonder how appreciated my REAL friends felt.  Why was I wasting time and energy on some reality show when I could be putting that time and emotion into my family and my friendships?  Ouch - there was a not-so-gentle reminder from God!  

I am relieved that The Bachelor is over - and determined to keep my TV show viewing to a minimum.  That, and not getting so personally involved. . .

So my bloggy friends, here's some loving to you all!  In no particular order:

To Monica, thanks for all your kind comments and your inspirational words.  You have a true talent for writing!

To Katina, so glad you are able to remind me again and again of the little reasons we have entered this journey called Motherhood!

To My Kids Mom, thanks for your always honest opinions and your wordy comments :)

To Sara, my cheerleader and the one who truly knows what I go through some days!

To my sister, whom I love dearly and wish she didn't live across the country!

To Mrs. D, who is a true inspiration to me domestically although I know I could never be as perfect as she is! ;)

To Heather, thanks again for the sweet package and I love reading your very sarcastic and funny blog!  

To Kim, who is my artistic and mommy inspiration!  You are one talented mompreneur!

To Adrienne, another creative muse in my bloggy wanderings!  Thank you so much for the awards you gave me - I feel so undeserving! ;)

And to Big Sis, your comments are always funny and sweet.  Thank you!

don't worry - I will get out some more bloggy love to the rest of you in a future post - a very cranky teething baby is needing his mama!

Not Me! Monday #3 - One Very Long Rainy Day

Well, it's that time again - time for a little mommy therapy as I share all the things I didn't do last week.  And once you're finished entertaining yourself here, you might want to go to MckMama's blog to find more brutal honesty from mommies everywhere.  

On a very rainy very cold Tuesday morning, I did not tell my husband he could have the van that day, knowing that the kiddies had library story hour that morning.  I did not think to myself that the weather would clear up and we would be able to walk to the library by 10:00 am.  Oh, no, not me!  Having lived in lovely and very rainy Oregon for almost five years now, I would never have expected the rain to disappear.

And on that very rainy very cold Tuesday morning, I most certainly did not stick one arm outside and determine that it was dry enough and warm enough to walk with three little ones the ten blocks or so to the library.  I did not strap the two older ones into the double stroller with blankets and chocolate milk, and certainly the woman attempting ridiculous-looking warm-ups before she strapped her baby in the snugglie was not me.  I wouldn't be caught dead outside on a day like that!  

And I did not feel like a crazy homeless lady with her poor little babies, one of which had managed to put on two different colored socks without my knowledge, as I trudged up the steep hill that leads out of our condo complex.  Nope, i would never allow my child to leave the house like that.  And no, she wasn't wearing last winter's beanie that didn't fit her correctly either.  That would be pretty shameful!

It was not me that decided to forge ahead when huge drops of very cold rain began pelting us amidst huge wind gusts.  I would never have stubbornly continued on in my quest to get out of the house while allowing my children to get soaked and cold.  I did not pull the whole entourage under the bus stop overhang just in time for the bus driver to stop, just for me and the kiddies.  Too bad I did not have a bus ticket. . . 

Upon finally reaching the library, I did not pretend that it was normal for my kiddies to smell like wet blankets.  I most certainly did not stay for BOTH story times just so we could dry off a little.  And as every good mommy should, I did not give in to my son's pleading for a donut from the library's coffee shop.  And I did not allow my kiddies to start eating their high-fat, high-sugar donuts before I paid for them - why would any sane person do that?  Especially if the debit card machine suddenly went on the fritz and I didn't have any cash?  I definitely was not the one writing my phone number on a mostly-clean napkin to give to the cashier as an "I Owe You."  Oh no, not me!  I am always prepared!

Upon exiting the library, it was not I and the children that were once again pelted with very cold rain.  It was not I that suddenly remembered that the way back to our place was mostly uphill and hence immediately needed to make a stop at the local store to, again, dry off.  You would not have seen my now thoroughly wet family cruising every aisle in the store twice to waste time.  Nope, that wasn't me!  I wasn't the one purchasing winter gloves for the kiddies because their hands were so cold (and being so cheap that I had to get the Christmas ones on 90% off clearance).  All while juggling a Starbucks cup - nope, not me!

And at 3:00 pm, this mommy was most definitely not putting her kiddies in front of the TV for a few episodes of their favorite show with mugs of hot chocolate because she felt guilty.  Or because she desperately needed a nap. . . 

Not me!  Don't you want me to watch your kids for you now?  The responsibility and mature choices are just oozing out of me! :)