After the birth of my 4 and final child I longed for the perfect family photo. The other day as I was looking at the dust covered photographs on the mantel.  I noticed that the last family photo was taken before the firecracker had graced us with her presence. I stumbled upon a photographer who did amazing work with families and children right in town. But could she tame the wild circus that is my everyday?? I made an appointment and gave her fair warning. So I started to plan clothes for 6 people. What to do? We had already done the white shirts and khaki pants deal. I went the opposite direction. I went for crazy bright colored clothes, what the kids would normally wear. Two and a half hours later after temps around 40, wind gusts, meltdowns, potty breaks where there were no pottys and the firecracker jumping into puddles, we did it. Our photographer Melissa Gregersen http://www.gregersenphotography.com/WAS incredible and the photos are amazing. http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1285831889#!/notes/melissa-outman-gregersen/an-adorable-kalamazoo-family/457474427405 Many thank you’s for capturing the crazy life that is my circus!

MamaKazoo is now offering the entire line of EarthMama AngelBaby teas.

“Remember the tea kettle – it is always up to its neck in hot water, yet it still sings!”- Unknown

Let a special mama know how much you appreciate her.
Whether she’s a expecting a miracle, holding her brand new baby in her arms, experiencing the love only a grandma can know, or even if she’s not really a mother, but just loves like one, the I Love My Mama gift set is pure pampering any time. With uplifting Happy Mama Body Wash, luxurious Earth Mama Body Butter, skin soothing Natural Stretch Oil, cheering Happy Mama Spray, and Mint Herbal Lip Balm for kissable lips. All tied up in a sweet organza bag, you add the extra special hug!

A perfect way to try our best selling products:)

Calling all Mama’s. MamaKazoo needs you! We are looking for photos of Mama’s and their babies, kids (any age) or pregnant tummies. MamaKazoo likes to use “real” mama’s for web and print advertising if you are interested please email mama leigh@mamakazoo.com attach your photos and please write Mama in the subject line. Every mama or daddy who submits a photo before (June 1st 2010) will be entered in a drawing for a MamaKazoo Gift Set. Valued at over $100.00. Perfect for any mother!

 MamaKazoo is proud to introduce the “HAVA” baby sling. The HAVA is the result of 9 years of babywearing and two years of brainstorming on how to design a sling that is not only stylish and comfortable, but also conforms to the desires of many mothers to have a sleek and lightweight sling. We believe HAVA accomplishes all of this. MamaKazoo is happy to have Hava available to our mamas and at a great 69.00 price point.

• Lightweight and compact (half the size of SlingEZee a fully padded sling)
• Zippered pocket in the tail
• Lightweight rail padding, a third of SlingEZee’s rail padding
• Padded rails can be pulled through the rings for greater adjustability
• Decorative ribbon on the tail
• Small, contoured shoulder pad
• Beautifully pleated and gathered around the rings
• Comes with a instructional DVD

~These are so new to MamaKazoo they are not on the shop page yet. Please email mama to place your order leigh@mamakazoo.com

For a limited time MamaKazoo would like to offer  10.00 off any Hava sling. Until September 1st, 2009

Sustainable Avacado and Chestnut AVAILABLE NOW!!

They aren’t up on the site yet so contact me directly for ordering. leigh@mamakazoo.com

10.00 OFF SPECIAL FOR THE MONTH OF AUGUST!!

I left the firecracker alone in the kitchen for 2 minutes to go to the bathroom alone. I NEVER go to the bathroom alone….ever….in 14 years I have had a partner or at least little fingers poking out under the door. With questions like “Whatrudoinmomma”???

Well I’ve learned my lesson. In those 2 minutes the firecracker convinced the strongman to give her the queso and chips he was eating. She then proceeded to rub it in her hair, on her arms, on the walls and wipe it on MY BRAND NEW COUCH !!!!

Fun!  Yes I know you are laughing. But you didn’t have to clean it up:)

Spring at the circus. It was a beautiful day and we had been outside all weekend. I was changing the firecracker and “EWWWWW” weird poop. It was greyish-white. Now mind you I’ve seen my share of poop but this I have never seen. I called the peds office to get a call back (really they did return my call in 10 minutes) they urged me to go to the ER because they didn’t have any openings for the day. So off I go. I arrive at the hospital and the questioning begins. No she doesn’t have a temperature, no she hasn’t been acting different ect……. Then comes the “What has she been eating” I came up with cereal, banana, pasta and tomato sauce the night before. That’s about all I could really remember under pressure.

The doctor (a male about 28 years old and not a parent) asks me “Will she poop for me”? “Really”? I respond. Then it occurs to me that he doesn’t believe me. Both the nurse and Dr. are frantically looking in books and online looking for a reason for this mystery poop. The answer for now is a “BAD” liver disease. WHAT!!! The Dr. goes on to tell me that she doesn’t have any symptoms other than the poop color so he’s not really worried …yet.

So we go back to “What has she been eating”???? I’m am literly in pain trying to remember eveything my 15 month daughter has been eating. I mean I even came up with dirt, mulch, grass……..I don’t know and really nothing that would cause her poop to be gray! After the Dr. and nurse took alot of notes and advised me of several reasons we should return they sent us home.

As we pull into the driveway I notice it is a beautiful rainbow of fun  written in SIDEWALK CHALK!!!!

OMG my daughter ate sidewalk chalk and pooped it out the next morning. Thats my poop mystery solved. Never thought of that one.

I may be opening boxes forever……First let me say there are no words to really describe how unbelievably difficult it is to move. Friends and family have sympathized with me but always add in the ” We still have boxes we have never unpacked from our first move”. REALLY ,so it will never end? Move your things, your memories, your kids….. Yes the lion tamer and I have moved with all 4 kids, 1 dog, 1 cat and lots and lots and lots of stuff! Before starting this adventure I looked for the common “self help book” well there is NOTHING on moving with your brood while keeping sane. The circus has gone to living out of boxes and it has been quite interesting. No matter how hard I tried to be super organized by numbering and labeling the first 140 boxes. The last 300 are now labeled by my children “STUFF” sometimes I might get lucky and come upon one labeled “MOM’S STUFF”. My circus has come up with some “fun” to do while you are moving. Brace yourself, this list may become a need for you to follow in the event of a power outage or other non-PlayStation location.

Timed Escape- Take the smallest sibling and tape them into a box and see how long it takes them to escape.

Art Class-Cut open boxes and lay them flat. Give the kids markers and let them go wild. Could also roll siblings in paint and roll them around the cardboard.

Break-dancing Contest-Part 2 of art class. Enjoy wrestling and dancing on the art projects.

Toboggan Run-Get into a box and hang on while another sibling pushes you down the stairs.

Dolly Races-Run around pushing a sibling on a dolly and stop suddenly and see who can hang on.

Disclaimer: Please don’t really encourage your children to do these dirty deeds, just don’t be surprised when they come up with them on there own. (I told you so:)

I hate moving...

I wonder if it may be easier to never unpack and keep moving. Hmmmm, like the traveling circus!

As I am woken up on this Thanksgiving Day I am truly thankful for several things. I think of my day to day. The little things that I have become so used to. I forget that there are women who will never experience what I have. It really takes a special day and time to be able to look through the chaos and see the beauty of what moms do every second of there lives.(like college beer goggles)As I am currently sick with something and have lost my voice. I am actually thankful that I simply cannot yell at the kids. I have given them the day off. We don’t need to be anywhere until 1:00pm so what’s the rush. The day will move slow and I don’t need to shower or even get dressed until noon. So onto my reflection of what I am most happy to have……..I am thankful that my son wants to snuggle in my bed with cereal and warmed up milk. I am thankful for the cries at 6:00am from the firecracker on my technical “day off”. I am thankful that we have coffee. I am thankful that we have a roof over our heads and carpet under our feet. I am thankful that I am the chosen one who will get up with firecracker. I am happy to FIND 5 pair of underwear, 3 undershirts, 1 bra, 1 cami, 8 socks(notice I said socks, we don’t have any pairs anymore), 3 belts,1 hair bow, 3 ties, 1 suit coat,1 pair of panty hose, 1 headband, 1 pair of tights, and iron 3 dress shirts, 3 pair of dress pants, two dresses, one skirt and one blouse.  I am thankful to have the lion tamer to keep me warm and to hit snooze when the alarm goes off for the 3rd time. I am thankful for kindergarten morning breath. I am thankful that lion tamer keeps the sheets warm after I get up with the firecracker. I am thankful for the good morning hugs from my babies. I am thankful for the wonderful friends I have to keep me sane. I am thankful to all the mama’s out there who are raising ladies and gentlemen. If you have just one moment today. Close your eyes, take a deep breath, hug your babies and be thankful for the chaos!!