Rudy Family Rukus~Parenting tips and humor meet in one big "rukus"

This week seems like it has been the longest week of my life and yet it is already Friday??  I can't seem to get moving on anything it could have something to do with the fact that it has snowed the past few days.  I did get to spend some time with my sister who lives about 4 hours away and I shot a few of these pictures.  Note to self it is difficult to take pictures in a restaurant.  {Lots of obstacles}  They turned out okay despite those obstacles! Really we were just having lunch; it looks like it was much more crazy than that.  I guess that is what happens when you take six kids to lunch in the middle of the day! I am joining up with Lolli at Better in Bulk and also Cecily for Photo Story Friday .

I am stressing WAY too much about all my blog posting and lack there of and my lack of commenting on all my awesome friends blogs so.....  My friend Cass (you might remember her from this pos t) started a new meme called "Caption This".  I am joining up with her today because I think it is so cool.  You can read all about it here . This was the first official Flag Football game.  It was a beautiful day and I had so much fun taking pictures and cheering on a cute bunch of 6-7 year olds.  After it was all over Jeff informed me he was way more involved in the process than he wanted to be.  (He is not an official coach for the team)  Although he looks like one right? So how would you "Caption This" picture?

This is just one of the many pictures I took this weekend and when I saw that the I Heart Faces theme for this week was smiles I just wanted to enter this picture.  And later today  or tomorrow when I have more time I will post more pictures from our weekend.  Until then head on over to I heart faces to see more smiling faces.

Joining up with Keely again today from Mann Land 5 for Getting to know You. 1. If you could star in any movie genre what would it be?  Romantic Comedy for sure.  Those are my all time favorites. 2.   Do you recycle?   I do recycle.  I am not as good at it as I should be but I know that my recycle trash is always full so that's good right?? 3. Have you ever been to a strip club?  No and I don't plan on it either.  I just don't find that exciting.... 4. Do you have a nickname?   Well in college everyone called (okay not everyone) me Blood.  That was my maiden name.  Now my hubby and I call each other "Jo" sometimes.  Some people call me "Bran" (obviously a shortened version of my name)  My favorite nickname is "Mom" 5.   What is a name you can't stand to be called?   I don't think it is a name but I don't like to be called a "tomboy".  It is upsetting and I am not sure why..... 6.   What are your summer st

Joining up with Mama M. from My Little Life today for Five Question Friday.  1. What was the first car you owned?  A black chevy corsica with red pin stripes.   2. What song are you embarrassed to know the lyrics to?  Seriously there are too many to list.  I guess the one I am most embarrassed about it Baby Got Back by Sir Mix-a-lot (hehe) 3.  Have you ever had stitches?   Yes after I had my first baby.  I have never needed them for anything else though. 4. What was your first job?  I taught piano lessons for a year when I was 15 or 16.   5. Who is your favorite Sesame Street character?  I like them all really, okay if you are really going to make me choose I guess Cookie Monster.  I love that he eats everything in site and everyone just expects that from him!

Two trips to the school in 1 hour = a lot considering gas prices these days Trip to the doctors office = $20 Trip to the pharmacy to fill antibiotics for ear infection = $22 Falling asleep in the car on the way home from said activities = PRICELESS (since she had been crying the entire time) Sorry it's not a great picture but all I had was the cell phone.  Joining up with Angie at Seven Clown Circus today.

Joining up with Lolli at Better in Bulk and Beth at Manic Mother today for another Bloggography challenge.  This week they wanted us to make the most of our lens.  I felt like I do this anyway but I wanted to really see what my lens could do.  I went upstairs where the view is pretty amazing and I snapped two pictures showing the range of my lens. Then I wanted to zoom in on the mountains because they are so beautiful across the valley still covered in snow. I was disappointed I got the neighbors roof because I thought this was a pretty cool picture.  I took these pictures from exactly the same spot and they look completely different.  I was pretty excited to see what I could do with my lens.   I use a Nikon D40 and my lens is a Nikon 18-200mm 1:3.5-5.6

I never go to Girls Night Out event.  Seriously never!  I don't know why.  Okay that's a lie I do know why I have three kids and a husband who works crazy Division I football hours.  I don't complain about it too much.  Okay I complain about it a lot and usually very loudly but that is not what this post is about.  This post is about my first official Girls NIght Out and how absolutely amazing it was.  Why have I been depriving myself from this?   This particular Girls Night Out was sponsored by the lovely ladies of SassyScoops . They are all amazing!  They are partnered up with the lovely ladies from the Casual Blogger Conference and sponsored this event at a local Italian Cafe.  The food was fabulous and the company was amazing.   I was lucky enough to get to go with one of my best friends Lynette .  We even posed for a picture. There were lots of amazing prizes I even won a $25 gift card to an amazing little shop. This is Vanessa and Emily .  They were giving

Joining up with Keely over at Mann Land today for Getting to know you.  I of course did it vlog style again under pressure from my lovely friend Kate .  Again don't mind the messy house behind me and the children in the background.  That is how it always sounds and looks around here.  Actually it is usually worse.

This week I wrote about changing my perspective .  Turned out a lot of my blogging friends agreed with me.  So I worked really hard to be a better mom this week.   We had to have two sets of xrays of this thumb. Turns out it is not broken and obviously has not hindered the playing of the Wii. I was cleaning the kitchen and heard some deep breathing and walked over and this was what I found.  She was exhausted.   He actually posed for these.  He doesn't love the camera (probably because I always have it out).  He came home on Thursday after school and said "Mom I need my science project for tomorrow to show my buddy!"  So we spent a few hours developing a science project for a first grader.  Never fear it was a HUGE hit.  Thanks to the internet and some twitter friends. Last night before flag football practice I actually requested crazy faces and this was what I got.  These are only a few reasons I am so tired and I wouldn't have it any other way!

Joining up with KMama today over at The Daily Dribbles for free therapy Thursday. To the muffin top residing around my mid section.  Thanks for coming around and making me feel oh so beautiful.  I love that you spill over the top of my most treasured jeans.  Move on already I have had enough of you. To the sweet girl that stomped my sons thumb at recess.  Thank you very much for almost breaking it and making it swell and for rendering it completely useless. Thanks also for requiring me to take him for x-rays.  To the sun for finally showing yourself....  You are LONG overdue. Thanks to you for coming here to visit and thanks to everyone that left a comment yesterday.  You all made my day!! {this one is without sarcasm} Head on over and visit The Daily Dribbles to see what others are so very thankful for as well.

{You may want to skip the reading today I just had an epiphany and I plan to write about it} A few weeks ago I Heart Faces weekly photo contest was about focusing on angles.  You know taking pictures a different way.  I was so impressed by all the entries I saw.  There were shots from above and below and far away {you get the idea right?}  Anyway I grabbed my camera and started experimenting.  This is what I came up with. Then today as I was about to post this picture and slap a Wordless Wednesday label on it I had an epiphany {yes I have now used that word twice in this post}.  If I can change the angle or perspective of my pictures why is it so hard to change my perspective on life, on motherhood, and on being a wife?  As  I looked into these big brown eyes I realized that it is not about how I hold the camera; it is about how I SEE things and how I react to them.  This week I am going to try to change my perspective and be better at all the things I do.  Do you want to change y

In a last ditch effort to help my children achieve an award from their school I was looking for ways to teach them the Star Spangled Banner.  I tried singing it myself.  {not a big hit}  So I went to YouTube assured they would have something for me to let them listen to.  I found several versions.  All of them made me tear up.  My kids loved the ones with the "fly overs"  which they recognize from many, many trips to football games.  This was by far my favorite version and I just couldn't help but share it with all of you so you might be patriotic in April right along with me.

Joining up with MckMama today for "not me" Monday.  Head on over and visit her at My Charming Kids to see what others are NOT doing today. I did not allow this many children to jump on my trampoline.  Nope not me that would not be safe and completely irresponsible of me. I did not discover the name of this game.  It is NOT called "Dead Man".  I was not a little disturbed by this information.  I of course put an immediate stop to the playing of said game and replaced it with a much more child friendly game.  (Oh wait "No I did not!") I did not take tons of pictures of these little people jumping and jumping and jumping.  They have not spent every waking minute on the trampoline and I have not enjoyed them outside playing and getting all of their energy out.  Nope not me! Want to see my other "not me" posts you can see them all here . Oh and don't forget about the Ultimate Blog Party over at 5 Minutes for Mom.  Click on the but

I am join up with 5minutesforMom for the Ultimate Blog Party 2010.  What is an Ultimate Blog Party you ask?  Well it is a way to find new bloggy friends and let them find you as well. Of course there are lots of prizes involved. The ones that I would love to win. Well there were really too many to choose from but I did try to narrow it down a little. 1. $25 Target Gift Card from The Frugal Novice 2. $20 Visa Gift Card from Grocery Shop for Free 3. Custom Blog Design by Simply Fabulous Blogger Templates In honor of The Ultimate Blog Party I got a pedicure here are my party toes. I blog about being a mother to this crazy Rukus . Read more about us here . Please leave me a comment with your blog address I would love to stop by and visit you too!!

I am joining up with Mama M. today from My LIttle Life for 5 Question Friday. 1. Who would you want to play you in a movie of your life? Well not really sure but I have always loved Meg Ryan you know her younger version with short hair (hehe).  I especially loved her in "French Kiss". 2.  Did you ever go to summer camp? Nope not even once.  We did camp as a family during the summer and with our church youth we had a week long camp each summer but only as a teenager. 3. What sends you running and screaming in the other direction? Bugs pretty much of any kind.  Or rodents of any kind.  That is why I pay a fortune for pest control. 4.  What is something you do that drives your spouse nuts? Not positive on this I didn't want to ask him.  I don't really want to know.  I think what drives him crazy is how I fly off the handle over stuff.  I just get mad and start ranting and raving.  Once it is out of my system I am okay but he takes it at face value and wo

I am joining up with Mama Kat at Mama's Losin It today for her writers workshop. Read about that here . I chose the prompt 1. Baby fever is in the air.  Describe what you would do differently as a first time mom. This really got me thinking.  What would I have done differently?  Would I have done anything differently?  Did I act differently as a first time mother than I did with subsequent children? All I know for sure is that my own mother was completely panicked when she came to help me for the first two weeks.  If fact she told me on one occasion she thought she might have to take my new sweet baby home with her.  I'm not going to lie as a 28 year old I completely lost it as a first time mom.  I had lost my freedom, my ability to think clearly, and I thought my life had ended.  Little did I know my life had only begun. So what would I have done differently? I would have fed my poor growing starving boy A LOT more.  I wouldn't have let a pediatrician tell me th

Yesterday my girls had such a fun time.  They gave each other hugs, they cleaned out the DVD drawer, they dusted the entire house (singing the entire time).  I realized there was something to be learned from them.  Cleaning can be fun especially when you are doing it with someone you love.  For more Wordful Wednesday posts head on over and visit Angie at Seven Clown Circus .   Oh and pretty sure I followed the rule of thirds in this picture.

I love BlogFrog we all know this.  Here are some reasons why.... 1.  They have excellent customer service (and it is FREE) 2.  They make changes based on customer recommendations 3.  They help to make your blog a Community 4.  Did I mention it's FREE?? They had a HUGE launch today of some new features and a re-design to all communities.  It is very exciting!  I am posting a video tutorial for those of you who just don't know what all this is about.  I think you will find it very exciting and easy to use.  Feel free to share it with others and learn how GREAT blogfrog is. Video Tour of BlogFrog's New Site from Holly Hamann on Vimeo . I am also posting a video about how to use the community feature.  When you are done watching head on over to my community and participate in a discussion.  Better yet go start your own community and see what BlogFrog can do for you. How to Participate in a BlogFrog Community from Holly Hamann on Vimeo .

The bloggography challenge for this past week was "the Rule of Thirds"  I have heard a lot about this "rule"  I didn't "get it" until this morning when I re-read Lolli's pos t and her new pos t.  So my pictures are not exactly correct.... they will be from now on.   This picture is pretty close.  I should have zoomed OUT a little and then it would have been perfect hehe. The next one I came a little closer to doing it right... It would have been cooler if he was looking out the window and I could have focused on what he was looking at out the window BUT he was NOT looking out the window he was looking for Easter eggs inside the house.  Again I should have him a little more to the left of the picture but like I said NOW I get it.  I am a slow learner. If you want to take better pictures and learn all the rules join up today with Lolli over at Better in Bulk or with Beth over at Manic Mother.  If you would like to see what I have learned so far h

This is my attempt to get nice spring pictures with my kids in their Easter best.  More demonstration as to why this is called the "Rukus" and why I pay a fortune for someone else to photograph these goofy kids! Crazy took over the 2 year old and the 5 year old and the 7 year old doesn't know to LOOK at the camera. Okay  now angry and crazy took over. okay slightly better but why is your tongue out seriously??  Let's try another spot..... okay now the two year old is cooperating what's wrong with the other two??? Seriously all three of you have your eyes closed?  Are you kidding me? That's it I give up go inside change your clothes and let's have dinner! Joining up today with Lolli at Better In Bulk and Cecily for Photo Story Friday.  Visit them to see what others have been photographing this week and if they are living to blog about it! Hosted by Cecily and Momma