I Like Girls!

Why do we call them Girlfriends? Even though I am a fully grown (possibly overgrown) woman I don't have lady friends or women friends I have Girlfriends. And do you know why? Because so much of the time I am forced to act like an adult. I have to pay bills and worry about money, I have to feed not only myself but when Pat isn't around I am forced to feed my children, clean their rooms, drive them places, and be responsible and grown up. Once and a while I just want to run away from home and be a kid again. That is why you have "GIRLFRIENDS". We act silly, whisper, talk about boys, trade clothes, have sleepovers and pillow fights and it is so fantastic! I have a great group of girls in my life that I am proud to call my girlfriends.

This was one of our early splurge get togethers and three of us are pregnant! Look how happy we all are.

Last night, I met with my monthly splurge group. We have been going out once a month for a GNO (girl's night out) for the past 27 months. I know how long it has been because the first meeting I had just found out I was pregnant with Ellie and had to lie why I wasn't having a drink so I will never forget our first get together. To be honest I won't forget any of them. If you are not in a Splurge group start one today. Get together 12 girls you know of just put a message on a bulletin board where other moms are around like the pool, or playschool. You never know what great friends you might make.

I am guaranteed a free pass from supper, clean up, tubs, homework and bedtime at least once a month for Splurge night. You don't mess with the Splurge. I always look forward to spending time with my girls and my husband always wins in the end because I come home a happier and more content person and sometimes a little tipsy which always works in his favor. It is win-win girls I am telling you.

Last nights outing was to a local theater production Swift Current Little Theater. I was involved in a production with Little Theater five years ago and was in a play called "All this and Moonlight" with three of the actors from last night's play. I made some great friends during the production and one of my "girlfriends", Wendy Lockman Kane actually wrote the play they performed last night, "The Day Rhubarb Fell From the Sky!" I am so proud of Wendy. She is a busy mom with a job, a business, a husband and a baby and she found the time to write and star in a full length play! What an inspiration. I just love creative girls and I was so glad to be there to support my girlfriend!

Another great group of girlfriends I have are my photography gals. I have been attending the SPPA and PPOC functions for the past 13 years and when I first started going I was one of the few girls attending and as the years past the ladies started to take over winning awards, being on the executive and keeping the guys on their toes and laughing a lot too! Here we are in Winnipeg at the National convention dressed up like 1940s housewives. Alison from Imagin Photography is one of my best girlfriends, we talk on the phone almost every day. Since I own my own business and don't have staff I need the support of these girls to bounce ideas off of, celebrate and vent with. My friend Carina dropped everything to come and shoot a wedding in Moose Jaw with me when I was pregnant with Ellie and they told me I had a tumor and Ellie wasn't going to make it. I don't know how I would have made it through that day without her as Pat had to drive me to Moose Jaw and drive me home and the whole ride there and back I was crying my eyes out. Then I had to jump out of the car and be the cheerful photographer so thank goodness for girlfriends!

During that same wedding, my friend Kari was watching the other four kids as I needed Pat to come with me. When the Doctor phoned me earlier that week with the news Pat was in Rosetown in a meeting and with both of our families 2-4 hours away I felt very alone, sad and scared and Kari was on my doorstep in two minutes. It meant the world to me. I wasn't fortunate enough in my life to have sisters (nothing against my brothers they are great guys) but I think I know what it must be like when I have such great girlfriends as many of the ladies in my life have come to rescue me. Like Janice who showed up when I was trying to breastfeed a one week old baby while my husband was playing senior hockey and the 2 and four year old were wrestling on top on the kitchen table naked. Or Sam who is going to do Olivia's hair and makeup for the dance competition this weekend because I am away working and Pat feels less than confident about applying liquid eyeliner and fake eyelashes to our 8 year old. Every one of my girlfriends have been there for me and the saying is that it takes a village to raise a child well they are definitely my village because I think most days I am the village idiot!

Here Kari and I are enjoying the sunshine in the park over a cup of coffee and some girl talk.

The kids are entertaining themselves!

We don't even feel guilty for sitting around when a nice lady who is probably the age of both of us put together came powerwaling by and did tricep dips on the park bench behind us. Maybe Kari and I will be powerwalking in Arizona one day when we are 70. Probably more like reading Cosmo.

I even dressed up s Kari for Halloween this year at our Halloween Splurge!

Before this gets any more "Single White Female" I like Men too and this video was posted on the Dragon's Den facebook page today. Brett Wilson from Dragon's Den is featured. I thought it was a cute video. I love the guy in the yellow muscle shirt!

Cyber Money

I just created an online store using a business called cafe press. It is an interesting business idea where you can design and then sell products. They take care of the printing, shipping and collecting money and send you a check for your portion of the sales. I am wondering if anyone out there has tried this service and what you think? There are so many new things on the internet like etsy that it is hard to keep up but it wouldn't hurt to have a little extra cash in my wallet. My google ads that I put on this site so far have earned me $192.00. When the amount got to $100 Google sent me a check which I believe was last summer. So I am $8 away from getting another check! Wow I am making almost $1 per post. At this rate I will be a millionaire by the time....well I'm not good at math but I know it will be a long time so a special thanks to Kimbi who I know checks out the ads on my blog.

For anyone intersted I am willing to review products related to kids, toddlers, moms or babies. I can photograph and write a review and if they make it in the "Circus House" they can make it anywhere. I currently have a microwave that hasn't worked for nearly a year and we go through a toaster and popcorn maker every six months. I will also review the following products: red wine, chocolate, carmel machiatos, mom panties that hide camel toes, with my upcoming tv debut maybe I should check into teeth whitening, a hair cut (haven't had one of those since November), liposuction, botox, fake nails, fake boobs, new clothes..... the list goes on and on. Send all inquiries for product testing to corla_rokochy@hotmail.com.

April Showers Bring May Flowers

I was so excited to get outside and do some photography. Ellie was my willing little subject. I am now carrying these hair accesories in my shop. If anyone is interested you can email corla_rokochy@hotmail.com I will mail one out to you if you have a little princess you like to dress up. The headbands would be great for a flower girl too. On May 1st I am having a portrait special with these props. I will be in Davidson this Sunday and if anyone in Saskatchewan wants to organize a portrait party with friends I would be willing to travel to you and do a fun day of dress up portraits!

This is Ellie's first ever photo. I set the camera down to get a different prop and she pushed the button about 200 times! Great depth of field and composition. She is a natural don't you think?

Todays Life Lessons

These are the things I learned today:

It is useless to have a shower in the morning if you plan on scrubbing your kitchen floor on your hands and knees.

If you scrub the floor on your hands and knees and have an 18th month old your child will have instant entertainment. A slip and slide floor and fun spanking mom in the bum.

Most of the brown pattern in my linoleum is actually dirt. This took me three years to figure out and nearly the same amount of time to clean.

Speaking of dirt. An 18th month old with pneumonia will not take her medicine because of the taste and then turns around and eats hand fulls of dirt out of her brother's plant he potted at daycare.

Babies eating plants makes 4 year olds mad.

If you are going to disguise medicine in yogurt you have one shot at getting as much medicine in as possible. Feed the baby one spoonful with no medicine and then do a switchero because for the next couple of days they won't even eat the yogurt.

A four year old will ride their bike back from the park because they forgot their hot dog on the drive-way.

Sometimes four year olds get their pant legs caught in bike chains.

Really old guys walking their dog past little boys with their pants caught in bike chains just keep on walking.

When your six year old is going to puke at least be grateful it was one minute after he got out of the hot tub and the after school snack of hotdogs and oranges was on the deck and not in the water.

Vince now carries hot tub disinfectant at Swift Vacuum

A spatula and a pail are a mom's best friend.

When you email a picture of puke to your husband using your phone it looks really gross.

When you have a babysitter over for the first time don't mention the baby has pneumonia and the six year old just puked if you still want to go on a date to the Brent Butt concert.

Brent Butt is on a one man crusade to bring back the name Myrtle. Good luck getting that into the list for "Top Girl Names in Canada for 2010"

Plaid Dad- My Super Hero

Please be forewarned I will be bragging about my awesome husband in the upcoming post so if you have a problem with that don't read this and come back tomorrow and there will probably be a picture of something Carson has wrecked that I will share with you for your viewing pleasure. I am sorry if the guy in your life is not a Super Hero clad in a decade old plaid work coat who is completely incapable of any landscaping job or trip to the dump unless he is wearing his mystical, magical man coat but my guy is. What super powers does Plaid Dad have you may wonder? I am glad you asked.

After a long day of work Plaid Dad has been known to swoop in and rescue a frazzled damsel in distress. In the blink of an eye supper will be on the table and any sibling squabbles are quickly put to an end and chores and homework are checked on. His super powers go on to include quick and efficient tub time and lights out and everyone asleep without a peep and in their own beds! Somehow kids listen to Plaid Dad and do what they are asked. The house is an easier place when he is at home. Clean happy kids with teeth and hair brushed, meals on the table that don't come out of a blue box that require you add cheese powder.

At the end of a long Easter break which felt even longer when the weather turned nasty and five kids were stuck in the house fighting and bored and the baby was sick I felt such relief to know help was on its way! Olivia and I started the weekend early getting ready for Dance rehearsal. The scene was frantic as we ran out of time (even though we got up at 6:30) there was so much to do with fake eyelashes and costumes, shoes, fake hair and so many bobby pins! When we returned home at lunch we were greeted with homemade chicken soup and grilled meatloaf sandwiches. . That night supper was amazing as Pat had been itching to make Greek meat patties from an episode of Diners Drive Inns and Dives! On Sunday I spent the whole day down at the office working to catch up from the week at home with the kids and Plaid Dad was in full force cleaning the backyard and preparing to cook our supper over our fire pit.

Greek style meat patties. The picture doesn't do them justice. Half ground pork, half ground beef covered with sauteed garlic, onion, green pepper and tomatoes.

Goes great with red wine and asiago salad.

Plaid Dad plays baseball in the newly cleaned backyard with the kids. An old broom handle and a red nerf ball will do in a pinch.

Kelsey is being easy and pitching underhand to Dad. The first basemen is standing awfully close to the pitcher and that doesn't look like a ready position.

Ohh no Plaid Dad doesn't know his own super strength. Kelsey takes a line drive to the arm.

Dad checks for damage while Kelsey scream.

Not impressed.

If looks could kill!

Hey Dad I'll pitch to you.

Time to check on supper.

Pat and some of his buddies had a "man weekend" and spent two days in a garage making this awesome sausage. That's what I call a "Sausage Party!"

Happy Again

Olivia in a tree.

I think the cardboard brings this area up to health and safety code.

When Plaid Dad cooks like this it reminds me of Martin Picard "the wild chef" from the Food Network.

The hand-cam

Our un-official 6th kid we call him "Mike Rokochy"

That can't be legal but big brother Levi makes the rules.

Ready.....and snotty!

Even super heroes get tired. Dad and Ellie after nebulizing her. Monday morning and back to work and school after a ten day break......Not quite, we spent the morning in the walk in clinic to find out Ellie has pneumonia. No fun :( Yet again Pat dropped everything and helped me get the medication, clean the house, and made an awesome supper which ended with chocolate mouse. He melted one of the kids Easter bunnies and folded it into fresh whipped cream. That makes everything better.

This picture sums up how she is feeling. Poor Ellie has to take yucky medicine and have the nebulizer and the worst part was the chest x-ray where they had to strap her into this contraption (the role of Ellie is being played by a random baby)

And just so you know he doesn't really need the coat to be super! This was one day he suprised me with a coffee and a quick visit. He also makes the kids their school lunches! This is one of my favorite pictures of Pat and Ellie he does look great in Pink!