Music Monday: Peanut Butter Comes Home

Sunday was the big day... we went up to Mulberry Farm to bring home our cockapoo puppy, Peanut Butter. Maddie and London are over the moon... Maddie keeps pinching herself to see if she's dreaming, and London has mastered the soothing puppy massage that puts Peanut Butter right to sleep. Now I just have to pick out a Puppy Training Package from The Family Dog, and convince the girls that they still need to go to school for the rest of the school year instead of staying home all day with their new puppy.




There's a food goin' around
That's a sticky, sticky, goo
(Peanut, peanut butter)
A-well, it tastes real good
But it's so hard to chew
(Peanut, peanut butter)

All my friends tell me
That they dig it the mo-ho-ost
(Peanut, peanut butter)
Early in the morning
When they spread it on to-oh-oast
(Peanut, peanut butter)

I like peanut butter
Creamy, peanut butter,
Chunky, peanut butter, too

'Come on now, take a lesson, now!'
(Peanut, peanut butter)

'Open up your jaw, now!'
(Peanut, peanut butter)

'Spread it on your cracker, now!'
(Peanut, peanut butter)

'Stop, now'
(Peanut, peanut butter)

I like peanut butter
Creamy, peanut butter,
Chunky, peanut butter, too

We-eee-ell
I went to a dinner
And-a what did they e-e-eat?
(Peanut, peanut butter)
A-well, I took a big bite
And it stuck to my te-e-eeth
(Peanut, peanut butter)

Now, ev'rybody looks
A-like they've got the mumps
(He loves peanut butter)
Eat his peanut butter
In-a great big hunk
(He loves peanut butter)

I like peanut butter
Creamy, peanut butter
Chunky, peanut butter, too

I like peanut butter
Creamy, peanut butter
Chunky, peanut butter, too.

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. Rules are simple. Leave ONLY the actual post link here and grab the code below and place it at your blog entry. You can grab this code at LadyJava's Lounge Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.




PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!
Cheerio…

London and Maddie Had Great Fun at the Lemon Ball Tonight!

It seemed like every girl and boy in the second, third or fourth grade at Mendham Township Elementary School had big plans tonight... singing, dancing, and eating Rita's Italian Ice at the second annual Lemon Ball fundraiser for Alex's Lemonade Stand (a children's cancer charity), organized by the MTES Tiger Leaders. Both London and Maddie had pre-event parties to get dressed up and ready with their friends, and Rex and I hung out with a bunch of moms and captured the moments on camera.

After driving our girls home and hearing about their favorite songs, dances, and games, we had a surprise for them. I asked London and Maddie what they might do differently if we were not just visiting our cockapoo puppy at Mulberry Farm on Sunday, but bringing Peanut Butter home to live with us. Our house erupted with screams and squeals of delight, and then the girls had to call all of their friends and squeal some more. This is going to be one amazing weekend.

Butt Paste!

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Boudreaux's Butt Paste. All opinions are 100% mine.

London and Maddie are far too old to need Boudreaux's Butt Paste but, like their mom, they love the name and get a little silly repeating it over and over. This evening, as Maddie and her second grade friends were getting ready for the Mendham Township Elementary School, a few of us moms (and Rex) got together to capture the moments on camera. One of the moms, who has a second grader and a kindergartner, is due with her third daughter in July. We talked about the differences (pros and cons) between siblings who are close in age (like London and Maddie, only thirteen months apart), the standard three years apart, or those who are five or more years apart.

Then the conversation turned to how the expectant mom's life would change in a couple of months. She's feeling terrific and confident, and believes that once she gets past the summer and her older girls are back to school, it will feel like raising an only child. Those of us who have decided that "two is the perfect number" had to laugh, thinking back to the days of breast feeding, teething, and changing diapers. Someone made the mistake of mentioning Boudreaux's Butt Paste® a little too loud, and we had a bunch of giggling, chanting second grade girls on our hands. Our kids don't remember how diaper rash ointment and skin protectant helped to prevent diaper rash, protected their chafed baby bottoms, and sealed out wetness until they learned to use the big girl potty. Boudreaux's Butt Paste® (chuckle, hoot, hoot) spreads on easily, cleans off quickly, and has a nice scent (more giggles).

Our oh-so-grown-up daughters were off to dance to Lady Gaga at the Lemon Ball, and at least one mom was going online to get her very own free sample of Boudreaux’s Butt Paste at http://www.blairex.com/BLButtPaste.php. Available in convenient foil pack, 1oz, 2oz, 3oz, 4 oz tubes and the big old 16 ounce jar. Pick it up in drug, discount or grocery store chains nationwide.

Big Surprise In Store for Maddie and London This Weekend: We Need Puppy Nanny 911!!

My loyal Roxiticus Desperate Housewives and Roxy's Best Of... readers know that we've been planning to add a cockapoo puppy to our family this summer. We originally thought that our puppy would come from a cocker spaniel mom due in the first week of May, and we've been planning to bring our eight-week-old puppy home from the breeder in early July. Right now, it feels like I'm about seven months pregnant, getting ready for the new baby and working hard to finish things up at the office ahead of maternity leave in a couple of months. Maddie has been planning for months, doing research and learning how to take some of the responsibility for training and grooming our new arrival. I'm a long-term planner, so I've been reading and studying: "Puppies For Dummies" as well as the Dog Whisperer's "How to Raise the Perfect Dog" by Cesar Millan. I also ordered his six DVD Boxed Set as "a present for Maddie." But who am I trying to kid? I can't stay focused on work and I become easily distracted by making plans for puppy. I've been ordering a few key items online and visiting Petco with Rex and the girls from time to time.

We've been planning to make the trip to Pleasant Valley, New York to visit the new cockapoo puppies at Mulberry Farm this weekend. Now here's the big surprise...

Continue reading...

Open Registration for Fall Session at Randolph Gymnastics

Even though our family has been highly focused on London and Maddie's softball games with the Yankees and Mets this season, our daughters' thoughts are never far away from the good times they've had over the years at Randolph Gymnastics. I just received an email reminding me that it is almost time to sign up for the Fall Session, which runs from August 30th through November 13th. Randolph Gymnastics will be holding open registration for Fall classes on Saturday, June 5th. Parents and children are welcome to come in, meet your child's instructor, and play for an hour. Here's the schedule for Saturday, June 5th:

• 18 months to 5 years old (not in Kindergarten): 1:00 - 2:00pm
• 5-year-olds to 8-year-olds (Beginners, Intermediate, Advanced): 2:00pm - 3:00pm
• 9-year-olds and up (Beginners, Intermediate, Advanced): 3:00pm - 4:00pm

Boys, girls, tumblers and gymnasts are welcome.

While you're there, pay in full and save 10% on Fall classes.

Call Randolph Gymnastics at (973) 584-4111 to learn more about summer camp, group classes, private lessons or birthday parties. If you let Shannon know that Roxy sent you, she’ll arrange for an age and skill appropriate free trial class for your child.

Escape

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Dove Ice Cream. All opinions are 100% mine.

Do you need to escape? Do you need ice cream? Do you need to escape with ice cream? Well, in that case, Roxy's found the contest for you... Dove Ice Cream Miniatures has launched the “My Mini Moment” contest. DOVE® Ice Cream is asking women to share our favorite mini moments of escape. Hmm... just tonight, I told a client who had double-booked and realized he had other plans for the weekend after inviting us over for Sunday brunch that it won't be the first time we've been skinny dipping in someone's pool when the owner wasn't home... but I'm sure some of my naughty readers can top my mini-moment with an escape of their own. Contestants need to submit a photo and short essay at Dove Ice Cream's "My Mini Moment" contest by June 7, 2010. One lucky winner could win one of three (3) sensational mini-grand prizes: a mini-home makeover, a mini-getaway to Napa Valley, or spa services for one year. When I win the Mini Moment contest, I think Rex and I will head off to Napa Valley for a little wine tasting, relaxation, and the kind of activities that haven't been quite the same over the past nine years since we've had children.

In the meantime, I think I'll escape right here at home in the Roxiticus Valley with a little "me time" involving decadent dark chocolate and ice cream. At only 70 calories each, DOVE® Ice Cream Miniatures feature luxuriously indulgent ice cream wrapped in real Dove chocolate making each one of them the perfect treat....like the new Café Collection which features Java Chip and Cappuccino Flavors.

Music Monday: 8th Wonder by the Sugarhill Gang

I don't know what got me thinking back to my high school days, but this week I was kickin' it old school with the Sugarhill Gang and decided to make Eighth Wonder my Music Monday pick:





[Big Bank Hank]
Clap your hands everybody
And everybody just clap your hands
Ahh fly girls, clap your hands
Ahh fly guys, clap your hands

[Master G] Well if you're feeling alright and you think you're on
[Wonder Mike] Ah-somebody let me know
[Big Bank Hank] Well everybody in the place, put a whistle in your face
[all three] Scream it out and say *whistle* yooooo, hit it!

[Wonder Mike]
You don't stop
A-rock the rhythm that makes your finger pop
I said ah, hip-hop, ah thanks a lot
Ah c'mon everybody gimme whatcha got

[Master G]
I'm gonna tell you a little story about the Sugarhill Gang
[all three] With the pow pow boogie and a big bang bang
And if you wanna rap to the Sugarhill to the beat

[all three]
Gotta rap in the key of R-A-P
Now that is over I'm ready to jam
Want all you people, to clap your hands
Tonight we're gon-na, scream and shout
We're gonna turn this motha -- sucka out
To all of you people that are ready to jam
Scream it out and say, I am! (I AM!)
Some-body! (SOME-BODY!) Now you know you're hot

[Master G]
Ah see I met this girl and I said to her, "Honey
if you wanna be my baby you got ta gimme money!"
Turned around, didn't mean no harm
I knocked her out, with my vicious charm
I said, "No no baby it's not like that
Ya see I'm all about makin that cold cold cash"
Started jivin around, started messin wit her head
And next thing I know, she wanted to go to *whistle*
But to turn me on, you got to be the best
Cause I'm the Master G, I don't take no mess
Like T-N-T, I'm dynamite
Ya see I rock your body to the early light
And when you wake up in the morning you'll see I'm gone
And check it out girl, you're all alone
Cause you just been hit by the Capricorn King
I rocked you gentle, I rocked you/me
I rocked you in and I rocked you out
You made me scream but I made you shout *whistle*

[Wonder Mike]
Go dang diddy dang di-dang di-dang diggy diggy
Dang diddy dang di-dang di-dang diggy diggy

[Big Bank Hank]
See it's up my back, it's around my neck
Woo-HAH! Got them all in check
See it's up my back, it's around my neck
Woo-HAH! Got them all in check

[all three]
Ah let's scream, and let's shout
And let's turn this function out
and keep keep it on, but you don't rush
Ah let's make this party the real Cold Crush
Let's scream, and let's shout
Ah let's turn this function out
and keep keep it on, but you don't quit
Let's make the party the sure *whistle*

[Wonder Mike]
Once upon a time not long ago
everybody had on their radio
And then the fella came on with a groovy noise
to put the wiggle in the women and girls and boys
The word got around about three cool cats
who put the ?foot?, BACK, in the pack
And let me tell you party people just who we be
With the help of Big Bank and the Master G

*Interlude*

[Master G] So get up
[Big Bank Hank] Throwdown
[Wonder Mike] We're funkward bound
[all three] Hey the Sugarhill Gang is in your town
[Big Bank Hank] Now baby doll
[Wonder Mike] And all you daddy-o's
[all three] You better get ready to move your toes
[Master G] So get up
[Big Bank Hank] Throwdown
[Wonder Mike] We're funkward bound
[all three] Hey the Sugarhill Gang is in your town
[Big Bank Hank] Now baby doll
[Wonder Mike] And all you daddy-o's
[all three] Scream it out and say yoooo, hit it!

Shake it, but don't break it
Cause I know we can make make it
And if you're ready to party and you're dressed to kill
Somebody say, Sugarhill! (SUGARHILL!)
Sugarhill! (SUGARHILL!)

[Wonder Mike]
Ahh ahh, and let your worries take a chill pill
You go ahh, ahh, ah ahh oh ooh

[Big Bank Hank]
Chicka-pow!
Ha-ha-ha-ha-haa -- hoo hoo!
(Hey could somebody turn their ?butt?)
Shake your body down, chicka-pow!
A get, a get, a get ready
What you see is what you get
And you ain't seen nothin yet
I don't think I'm bad don't box in no karate
Just an MC to put the boogie in your body
go, back and forth then forth and back
We're the Sugarhill Gang we take no slack
Don't wear diamond rings or drive big cars
But the people just treat us like movie stars

[Master G]
We go dang diddy dang di-dang di-dang diggy diggy
Dang diddy dang di-dang di-dang diggy diggy
Dang diddy dang di-dang di-dang diggy diggy
Dang diddy dang di-dang di-dang diggy diggy

[Big Bank Hank]
It's up my back, it's around my neck
Woo-HAH! Got them all in check
See it's up my back, it's around my neck
Woo-HAH! Got them all in check

[all three]
Ah let's scream, ah let's shout
Ah let's turn this function out
and keep keep it on, but you don't rush
Let's make this party the real Cold Crush
Let's scream, ah let's shout
Ah let's turn this function out
and keep keep it on, but you don't quit
Ah let's make this party the sure *whistle*

[Master G]
Well I'm the Master G, and I'm the best
All the ladies say my voice is rated X
I'm a touch of lightning, a taste of fire
Well I'm the Master G, and I'm your desire
Young ladies, I said I rock the nation
Cause I got my own, transportation
I can rock just about, any age
So let your fingers do the walkin through the yellow page

*Interlude*

[all three]
Shake it, ah don't break it
Cause I know we can make make make it

[Wonder Mike]
You go ah, ahh, ah ah oh ooh
And if you're ready to party and you're ready to jam
Scream it out and say, I am! (I AM!)
Some-body! (SOME-BODY!) Now you know you're hot
You go ah, ahh, ah ah oh ooh

(Say what?)

[various]
Shake your body down! Chicka-pow!
Wooooooooooooooooooooooooeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
Ooooaaah ooooaaah! Ah huh hah hah!
*wolf whistle*
I see you girl, c'mon wit it now
I want to rock your world
Get it, so get get it, get ready for this
C'mon!
Closer closer, ooooaaah ooooaaah!
All the girls
Aight baby I like to move it mama ahhahaha
A-hah-hah-hah-haa
Rrrrrrrrrrrrrah!
C'mon, yeah, closer
Wooo-hah! See that girl there?
To the beat beat beat
*whistle* Ah hah hah *wolf whistle*
Chicka-pow, ah huh huh huh huh huh, rrrrh, rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrah!
There you go, hah hah hah!
Ahh, ahh girl, yeah baby
To rock your world, ooooaaah, ooooaaah
Pick it up, bring it up get down
Hoo, hah, hoo, hah
Rrrrrrrrrrrrrah!
They definitely gotta be groovin now
Aight baby I like to move it mama ahhahaha
Say say say, ha ha
Say the bass was in your face
The hah's make you, made you rock
'ello m'love can I have this dance y'know?
Ahahahah-ha-hah
We got the groove to make you move
Oh me like it so, me like it so
Sugarhill Sugarhill
And you know that!
Everywhere
*wolf whistle*
Shake it up, shake it up

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. Rules are simple. Leave ONLY the actual post link here and grab the code below and place it at your blog entry. You can grab this code at LadyJava's Lounge Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.


PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!

Roxy to Chaperone Maddie's Fossil Hunting Field Trip

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Lunchables. All opinions are 100% mine.

Now that I'm a mom instead of a student, late spring is my favorite part of the school year, particularly all of the great outdoor field trips. I've chaperoned London and Maddie's first grade trips to the Bronx Zoo, and this year I'm going along with Maddie's second grade class to hunt fossils. I'm still hoping to be in the running for the last chaperone picked for London's third grade Quest trip to the Gazillion Bubbles show in New York City.

Hands-on experiences like field trips can help engage children in learning that can open their eyes to the world beyond the classroom. As I've mentioned before, the kids of Mendham Township Elementary and Middle Schools are very lucky that our school district budget passed this year. A 2009 report from the American Association of School Administrators estimates that over the course of the current school year, the number of school districts eliminating field trips will increase by 56 percent. That’s more than 30,000 schools around the country. Because of these cutbacks, Lunchables Lunch Combinations wants to help deserving kids to go on an inspiring, educational experience with the launch of the program, “Field Trips For All.”

Field Trips For All is the first effort from the Lunchables Team’s new initiative called Project Potential. Aimed at empowering kids with opportunities to help them reach their full potential, Project Potential will provide enriching experiences kids might otherwise not have. London, Maddie, my loyal Roxiticus Desperate Housewives readers, or anyone six (6) years of age or older can nominate a deserving classroom by clicking on one of the links in this post. From all nominations received, the Lunchables Team will select fifty (50) different classrooms to go on an inspiring, educational field trip experience. So be sure to nominate your kids' class or someone you feel deserves a special field trip. Spread the word about the contest, and if you leave a comment in this post, we'll be rooting for you to win. In the meantime, click the video below to go on your very own "Alien Field Trip":

Do You Remember When We Were Under There?

That's Maddie and London's latest eight and nine-year-old girl trick... I've taken to responding by shouting out, "Underwear? Underwear!!" including an occasional flash of lingerie.

I'm reading Anna Quindlen's latest novel, Every Last One, where her narrator is a mom of teenagers, and she writes about them just the way I'd write about my family if I were more talented.

We had a terrific time at the Taylor Swift show at the Rock after dinner (clams in mohle verde -- green sauce) at Adega Grill in Newark, NJ last night. I had planned to let the girls sleep late this morning, but they couldn't wait to jump out of bed for Pop Tart Friday, pulling on their yellow Fearless t-shirts and jumping on the school bus.

Rex and I are heading out at lunchtime to meet Grammy in Morristown and check out Mansions in May in Harding Township, NJ... a very cool, every other year, month-long fundraiser for the Women's Association of Morristown Memorial Hospital (WAMMH) that shows off a local mansion redecorated by the best interior designers in Morris and Somerset counties.

Music Monday: "Fifteen" by Taylor Swift

First off, I had an awesome Mother's Day weekend, starting with softball on Saturday. Maddie's game was cancelled due to too many First Communions, then Maddie filled in when we didn't have enough players on London's softball team, and the Yankees beat the (previously undefeated) Phillies...Coach introduced the concept of Cold Stone Creamery for his daughter as an incentive for a hit in the third inning, and I thought that was the perfect motivator...Maddie batted in the winning run, and London followed through with two great plays at first base... multiple scoops and good times were had by all.

Rex and I are taking London and Maddie to see Taylor Swift this week at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ, so this week's Music Monday post is my favorite Taylor Swift song, "Fifteen." I hear my girls singing out, "but in your life you'll do things greater than dating the boy on the football team" and hope they'll remember that... at fifteen.




You take a deep breath and you walk through the doors
It's the morning of your very first day
And you say hi to your friends you ain't seen in a while
Try and stay out of everybody's way

It's your freshman year and you're gonna be here
For the next four years in this town
Hoping one of those senior boys will wink at you and say
"You know, I haven't seen you around before"

'Cause when you're fifteen and somebody tells you they love you
You're gonna believe them
And when you're fifteen feeling like there's nothing to figure out
Well, count to ten, take it in
This is life before you know who you're gonna be
Fifteen

You sit in class next to a redhead named Abigail
And soon enough you're best friends
Laughing at the other girls who think they're so cool
We'll be outta here as soon as we can

And then you're on your very first date and he's got a car
And you're feeling like flying
And you're momma's waiting up and you're thinking he's the one
And you're dancing 'round your room when the night ends
When the night ends

'Cause when you're fifteen and somebody tells you they love you
You're gonna believe them
When you're fifteen and your first kiss
Makes your head spin 'round
But in your life you'll do things greater than
Dating the boy on the football team
But I didn't know it at fifteen

When all you wanted was to be wanted
Wish you could go back and tell yourself what you know now

Back then I swore I was gonna marry him someday
But I realized some bigger dreams of mine
And Abigail gave everything she had to a boy
Who changed his mind and we both cried

'Cause when you're fifteen and somebody tells you they love you
You're gonna believe them
And when you're fifteen, don't forget to look before you fall
I've found time can heal most anything
And you just might find who you're supposed to be
I didn't know who I was supposed to be at fifteen

Your very first day
Take a deep breath girl
Take a deep breath as you walk through the doors

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. Rules are simple. Leave ONLY the actual post link here and grab the code below and place it at your blog entry. You can grab this code at LadyJava's Lounge Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.


PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!

Happy Mother's Day Weekend!

This week has been so crazy busy, with four days of client meetings in Philadelphia for my real job, that I haven't had any time for the fun stuff... I missed my first Music Monday post in months, but now it's Friday afternoon and it's starting to feel like Mother's Day weekend is here.

So Happy Mother's Day weekend to all the moms out there, and a reminder to dads and kids to show the ladies a good time! We're headed to Jam Cafe (formerly known as Limestone Cafe) in Peapack-Gladstone for brunch on Sunday... will try to post a menu and details before we go.

Since it is Mother's Day weekend, there will be no points off for bringing my 4 o'clock beer to the school bus stop.