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Thursday, December 23, 2010

Merry Christmas to All and to All a Good Night!


We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!


Yes, I totally put that photo in our Christmas cards this year. Ha! That's my little family, being goof balls as always. So why not just show us like we really are.

I am taking a break from blogging, tweeting, and other such for a few days. I want to relax and enjoy Christmas with my family. So I wanted to take the time to tell you all Merry Christmas!

I hope that you enjoy the holidays with your family, and you'll probably see me around next week. 




*I apologize for my absence lately. There is so much I want to tell you, but so much I hesitate to say here. I will come back around soon, I'm sure.*

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

The End

OK, ya'll. I was going to answer your questions on the last day. But you all have some great ones. I think most of them will take a little longer to get a thorough answer. Especially since I don't have my laptop, it's getting late, and I'm tired. So, I promise to get to ALL of the questions from the last comment section.

So for tonight, here are some of the easy ones. :D

From Shelly-
Q1: What do you do when you can't sleep?
A1: I tend to stay up if I think I'm going to have a hard time falling asleep. I'd rather get really tired while I'm finishing up laundry at midnight than go to bed at 10:00 and not be able to fall right to sleep. That said, there are times (though not many) that I get up in the middle of the night and can't sleep. If I lay there for more than 15-20 minutes and can't fall back asleep, I get out of bed. I work on the computer, read blogs, crochet, read, watch TV, or a combination of several of those things. I keep busy for a while until I'm tired again and then head back to bed.

Q2: What are your favorite comfort foods?
A1: Uh, I'm overweight (obese in fact), you could say I got that problem from having a lot of comfort foods. It's true. Mashed potatoes are a big time comfort food for me. Beyond that it tends to be sweets, desserts, or chocolate (pretty much of any kind).

From Annonymous-
Q1: Are you having another baby soon?
A1: Define soon. Also, Sarah sort of asked me about the same things. I will answer them, but I can't do it quickly. I would love to have another baby right now. But it does take 40 weeks to get one cooking. And then there are other complications for us. So, no, I'm not having another baby soon, but I sure hope to. (I'll write more later. So many things to say, but not enough time right now.)

I hope those will suffice for now. I'll get to the others as soon as I can. And if you think of anything else you'd like to ask, go ahead. I need to keep up this blogging more often thing, even though NaBloPoMo is finished.

Monday, November 29, 2010

One More Day

Alternately titled: So Close.

So, here I am, one day away from blogging every day (almost) in November. No, they haven't been quality posts. But I'm here. And I've tried to be a better commenter.

Since you are all so wonderful, I want to answer some question for you. But first, you have to ask them!!

Anything that you've been dying to know about me? I'll answer pretty much anything. Really!

Wanna know what size shoe I wear? Or maybe what time I go to bed? Am I a side or stomach sleeper? What do I want to be when I grow up? How's that next kid thing going? How much fun is it to be an aunt?

Anything. Ask away. Please!!

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Dog

Anyone want a 10 (almost 11) year old dog. He's a beautiful black and white cocker spaniel. But I have to warn you, he can be a bit of a brat.

OK, OK, so we probably really aren't going to get rid of the dog, but Matt & I might entertain an offer on him tonight.

We got home this afternoon from a few days away with our families. Generally we keep Chip (the dog in question here) in our fenced in back yard. But when he's at my parents' house he roams free, because they live in the country set back off the road. He's always stayed around the house anyway. Mostly he prefers being inside to outside.

When we got out of the car at home, we just open the door and let Chip out. He always heads straight for the house. Then he usually begs by his water dish until we fill it.  Tonight we left the front door propped open, because we had to haul in parts of twin beds that we brought from my parents' house (one for Zachariah...more on that later this week perhaps).

After bringing in most of the bed and the other things from the truck, I noticed I not longer saw Chip in the house. He usually stays nearby the window or doorway until we're done. Zachariah was playing quietly in his room and the rest of the house was quiet. We checked Chip's crate, where he sometimes waits for us, but he was not there nor anywhere else in the house. I took off outside, because he has wandered off the the neighbor's before when he escaped once. As soon as I got to the front of our yard, I saw movement in our neighbor's side yard...the neighbors across the street! I yelled, but he didn't come. Then I waited for 3 or 4 cars to go by on the road before running over there to grab him.

I called for him and ran towards him. That silly dog took one look at me and took off running the other way. By this point Matt had come outside from searching the house and saw I had seen Chip. He came running with me and Chip just kept running through the neighborhood.

Matt finally got him to stop and cornered him about 5 houses down. He picked him up and carried him about half-way, then I carried him the rest of the way. (I think the running around and carrying a 35 lb dog just about did him in since he's not feeling well.)

Grr, I can't believe him. I guess we'll keep a better eye on Chip or make him go to his crate when the door is open. I just couldn't believe he ran like that. Usually we can get him quickly if he gets out. But I thought for sure he was going to get hit by a car as traffic kept going by when I was chasing him. He tends to not pay attention to things like that, and he easily would have darted right in front of one.

So, for tonight only (ehh, maybe tomorrow too), if you make us a good offer, we might let you take our dog home.

Friday, November 26, 2010

Insert Title Here

This is my "oops" post. I did not make it to post yesterday. So I'm back dating this post. And yes, I'm fessing up and admitting it.

Matt got really sick Thanksgiving night. He was uncomfortable going to bed. His stomach was upset. A few days before he felt like he might be coming down with a cold or sinus infection, but this is not what was causing problems. A little after midnight, he was throwing up in the trashcan we fortunately moved beside him in bed. Then he was up miserable for a while. He got sick again later in the night too. And all day Friday was spent at my parents' house with Matt trying to be comfortable on a couch or chair somewhere. He finally slept most of the afternoon. He did not throw up any more, but he had a terrible headache, heartburn, and still a queasy tummy for a while.

Today was better. Matt slept well last night, and he was able to eat just a little today. Mostly he has a cough and some congestion bugging him now. He's still being cautious about what he's eating but his stomach is better. Thank goodness. I just hope it's the last that we've seen of it. Poor Matt.

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope that you all had a fantastic Thanksgiving with your families. We did our usual holiday routine with lunch at my Grandma's and supper (less than 4 hours later) at Matt's aunts. Now we fed and full. I know I'm stuffed to the brim with turkey, ham, potatoes, and more.

May you find many things to be thankful for today!

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Thanksgiving Eve

What are you all doing on Thanksgiving Eve? Cleaning your house? Packing your bags? Driving to the relatives? Cooking up a storm?

I'm catching up with laundry. I have a salad in the fridge. I'm thankful for wonderful family who shares such a lovely Thanksgiving meal with us.

I hope that you all have a lovely Thanksgiving tomorrow!

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Review blog

Have you guys been by my review blog in a while? I have some super cool giveaways going on right now. There is the $75 CSNstores.com gift card, a Barney Learning Pack 6 DVD set, 2 Families of the World DVDs- Kenya & Afghanistan, and one for 3 Melissa & Doug puzzles.

You could finish some of your Christmas shopping if you win. :D Plus I have another Pillow Pets giveaway coming up among other things.

And don't miss me on Facebook, Twitter, and my Facebook fan page too. Thanks! You guys rock!

Monday, November 22, 2010

A weekend away.

Becky, you're awesome! You nailed it. That was indeed Giordano's Pizza in that last post.

We spent last weekend in Chicago. We had tickets to the Toy & Game Fair. It was pretty fun. There were some neat toys and things that Zachariah enjoyed playing with. And we really liked all the interested games that we saw. I'm hoping that I can make contact with a few of the companies to highlight them on the review blog.

So since we were already at Navy Pier, we took the opportunity to visit Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. for lunch that day. Mmm, it's always so good. Matt had never been to the one in Chicago, so that was fun to take him and Zachariah there.

We also met a really friendly bum in Chicago. So if you ever find yourself lost near Michigan Ave. and Water St., just go down toward the Metra underground. I didn't catch his name, but he tells us that people get lost looking for it all the time and he's happy to help them out. Ha ha! He was funny!

So, what did you do this weekend.

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Wordless Weekends- Sunday Edition #3



So, I realize now that I did not take many pictures from this weekend. But if you're really good, these pictures will help you figure out where we went this weekend.

Where do you think we spent our weekend?

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Wordless Weekends- Saturday Edition #3



We spent a weekend away. Wanna guess where we went? Not much to go on here, but the next post will help.

Friday, November 19, 2010

Spoiling It

OK, so I've already approached this subject on Twitter and Facebook. It's been a month or so, and I think it's time to revisit it. And this will give you a chance to chime in if you missed it before.

Most of you know that I started watching my nephew, Patrick, 4 days a week at the beginning of September. It's still going pretty well. We've adjusted our schedule and gotten used to having a baby in the house...mostly. I'm still happy to pass him back to his mommy each evening and on the weekend, but it is fun to spend so much time with him too.

He is 6 months old now and doing so many new things. This brings me to my dilemma. When the baby does something "new", do I tell my sister-in-law about it? Or should I just let her see him do it first?

To be honest he's with us almost more waking hours than he is his parents. And he's bound to do things for the first time at our house. When he rolled over, I think he did it first at our house. I had talked to SIL about how close he was to doing it, because it was the same way at home. I'm not positive whether or not he did it first at our house, but I suspect he did. So I say something like "Oh, so he's rolling over now? It was nice to see that." And she says "That's great!"

I don't think she's disappointed that we see it first (if she is she hides it). And I don't always mean to tell her something she hadn't seen him do yet. Just this week he's been working on his first teeth. It started with him being grumpy two weekends ago. She'd mentioned how grumpy he'd been all weekend when he came on Monday. He was a little out of sorts for me too, and she and I discussed whether he could be teething or not. His check up was the next day and the doctor saw no ear infections or anything, so it was likely teething. I looked and thought I saw teeth starting to get close to popping up. Then Thursday I noticed him really chewing on the edge of his pacifier. I looked in his mouth and saw that his two bottom teeth were just starting to break through the gum. I mentioned it to SIL when she picked him up, and she was excited but she hadn't seen them yet. Oops. I didn't even think about it like that. I thought my telling her was more as an excited aunt. And it ends up, I was the one who saw the teeth first. She missed it.

If I was the working mother, I would feel bad that someone else could see some of those milestones first. But with my child in the care of a family member, it wouldn't bother me so bad. And I also think I'd rather know those things had happened than not know.

But from the "poll" I took before, I got different opinions. There were many people who thought I should just let her see things and think they were for the first time. So, in other words, I should mention those little milestone things and just wait for SIL to tell me about them after she sees them.

And about the same amount of people said if they were the mother, they would just like to know when it first happened even if they weren't there to see it. Plus they believed it softened the blow since a family member is the caregiver.

What do you think? I'm at a loss here. In some ways I think I should keep my mouth shut, but yet shouldn't I just be open about it? I almost just want to ask her, but then I worry she'll think I'm holding back the truth by not telling things. Help!

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Thankful Thursday #3

I am very thankful for the occasional night out alone. It doesn't happen often, but when it does it refreshes me. I think a little time out by myself (or with friends) is a good thing for me, for my marriage, and as a mother. And I'm thankful when that happens. Yep, it's the little things in life...

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Loose Ends

I spent most of my free time today tying up loose ends...literally. I had several crochet and knitting projects that needed finished up. I'm so bad about starting things, getting them mostly finished, then leaving them sit.

I put the buttons on a Santa suit I crocheted for my nephew. I sewed together a mini-sock monkey ornament. I sorted some old yarn. I made pompoms for two hats that needed them.

That among other little things. I need to take pictures for proof of my adorable new projects.

Right now I'm working on a crocheted afghan for my sister's Christmas gift. She's been after me for about 2 years to make her one. And it should be done soon!

I love being able to finish so many things at once. But I think my list of new projects I want to start is getting too long.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Adult Fears

Do you have adult fears? No, not just fears about being an adult....though that is still scary to me once in a while. (When did I become grown up and have to handle all these grown up things? Why does this kid think I know so much? And since when did so many people depend on me and the decisions I make? Really?)

Sorry, back on track here.

No, do you have any fears that didn't bug you before, but the older you get the worse they seem to get? Or is it just me?

I totally have a fear (though fairly mild) of heights. I don't know when it started, but I've really noticed it more and more in the last few years. Sometimes it really bugs me, and other occasions I don't notice quite so much. But it's more on the "bugs me" side than not.

Last fall Matt & I went to see the Indianapolis Colts. Coming into their HUGE stadium there are open escalators to the upper levels. Going up them, you can see out over the field. It's really cool. Except that once I got on I didn't like it. I got on the escalator, got dizzy and almost fell over backwards. Fortunately, Matt was behind me and I did make it up. It was a strange feeling. And we sat up in the tippy top of the stadium (I'm sure Matt would make me clarify that we were really one row down from the top) and I felt a little light-headed the whole time. It was strange. I could deal with it, but something in me did not like that height.

The other place I've noticed is driving up an off-ramp from the interstate not far from here. (I was on it tonight which is what got me thinking.) It's a long ramp that has a bug turn in it. What bothers me is that it's up and open underneath. It's more like a bridge (which I don't normally have problems with), and there is no ground directly underneath the road. I think the combination of that and the big UP is what bothers me. I just don't like it. I've gone over it many times. It's never fun. It just makes me feel funny.

Do you have any strange things like that bother you? Ehh, it's probably just me.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Movies

Do you take your kids to the movie theater? I started taking Zachariah to movies a year ago. He loved it, and we haven't stopped since.

Over the summer we got to see "Toy Story 3" and "Despicible Me" at the theater. They were both fun kids movies. He loved them, and I enjoyed them as well. Those are the types of movies that I want to take him to.

I'm hoping to go see "Megamind" tomorrow night. And maybe later this month or next month we can see the new Disney movie "Tangled". That looks really good. Have you found any good kids movies? Do you like to take your kids to the theater.

You know, the cost is what normally turns me again, but we have a cheap theater near us that helps. In a nearby small (very small town) there is a one room theater. They show kid-friendly movies (and occasionally others but at the later showing), and they sell tickets for $3 per person anytime. And they have great snack prices too. $5 will get you a huge tub of popcorn and 2 drinks. Can't beat it.

I enjoy doing a movie night with Zachariah as a treat for us to get out once in a while. It's always good to find an activity that we both like, and it seems to make a good mommy & me activity for us. I'm sure some day (sooner than I wish) he won't want to be seen in public with me anyway, so I'll just soak it up while I can.

Friday, November 12, 2010

I Told Him...

I told Matt I was going to write this. I did! He's had fair warning.

Matt's gotten into the blog scene pretty heavily too. He reads a lot of mommy bloggers among others. He has a review blog of his own too. And I know he reads my blogs. I'm OK with that.

Just this evening he read something that a lady had posted. She said something to the effect of "don't you wish your husband couldn't read your blog, so you could write snarky things about him?"  When he read this to me, I said "Yes." Then I told him why. Why don't I just tell you my complaints. I'm sharing them, because I think that you'll be able to commiserate with me.

So, maybe I've shared this before. Matt is a great cook. Amazing! He has skills in the kitchen that I couldn't begin to imagine. I can cook. I can bake. I like to cook and bake. But Matt likes to cook too. And since he's good at it and thoroughly enjoys it, I encourage him to get in the kitchen once in a while when he can. This amounts to about once a month now.

This sounds wonderful you're thinking. Well, it is. Except...he refuses to do dishes. We do not have a dishwasher (nor can we put one reasonably in our kitchen). I am the dishwasher. When I make supper, I wash the dishes. When Matt makes supper...you guessed it...I do the dishes.

The problem is Matt likes to make elaborate multi-step dinners. This means many bowls, pans, dishes, etc. That means more dishes for me. Something is not working out here. Shouldn't he at least do the dishes when he cooks. Or if that doesn't work, he can do the dishes when I cook. Come on! I'm tired of washing dishes.*

While I'm on the subject, I did stop putting away Matt's clothes about 4 or 5 months ago. I'll hang his dress clothes in the closet, wash his clothes, fold his clothes, take them to the bedroom, but that's it. He always fussed about not being able to find things in his drawers. My organization didn't make sense to him, and his didn't make sense to me. So I just plain stopped putting his clothes away.

Sometimes I feel bad about not doing it, but I don't sweat it too much. I know it gives him an extra chore, but it has seriously saved arguments and hurt feelings since I stopped doing it for him. Sometimes we give, sometimes we take. I guess those are the things that make a marriage.

What chores do you and your spouse argue over?


*Truly, I don't mind dishes as much as I say I do. I can handle it, and it's just a pain sometimes.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Veteran's Day

Happy Veteran's Day to any veterans or active duty troops out there! My cousin is currently serving in the army and is in Afghanistan. He is expected to return home next month.

He has missed his wife's whole pregnancy, but I'm happy that he'll be home to see the birth of their second child. He missed most of the first pregnancy with their son too. I know he'll be glad to be home soon to see his wife, son, and soon-to-be-born-son.

Thank you, Nick for serving our country. Thank you for making my life what it is. Thank you for sacrificing precious time with your beautiful family, so that we can safely live our lives here. Thanks! I love you!

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Time

I have to tell you something. I have the pokiest kid in the world! No, really! You think your kid pokes? Mine could beat your pokey kid with even more pokiness.

My son is almost never in a hurry. He takes his grand old time eating meals. And he likes to eat, so this takes up a big chunk of his day. He takes a long drawn out baths. Then he delays bedtime as much as possible.

Every time we need to leave the house, he's poking. When we're out and about, he's generally poking behind us.

This kid has one speed and only one speed....slow.

Most of the time this frustrated us to no end. Any ideas how to cure the pokies?

One person suggested a timer. I have used a time in the kitchen. It seems to help sometimes. I'm wondering if buying a little kitchen time would help out. I am willing to give it a try. But I'm open to other ideas too.

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Busy Weekend

This weekend was pretty busy. We had a fun kid's birthday party for my cousin's little boy. He turned 6. He and Zachariah get along great when they actually get together. My cousin is in the military and currently serving overseas. But he will be home soon, so his wife and son are moving back to New York. We'll miss having them nearby. It's been great to see so much of them, but I'm glad their family will be reunited. And just in time for the arrival of their long-awaited second child's birth too.

Anyway, at the birthday party we actually had all the great-grandchildren together. That's never happened. First of all because Easton is a brand-new addition. And secondly because two of the kids are in the process of being adopted into my other cousin's family, so they've only had them for less than a year. It was fun to see all the kiddos together though and get a neat picture with my grandmother...their great-grandmother. The picture was posted this weekend if you're interested.

It was such a long weekend, that my child (he-who-never-naps) fell asleep on the couch Monday morning. He was pouting about something, then slept in this position for well over an hour. It's so unusual for him to fall asleep anywhere but in bed. And to sleep through all the normal activity going on around him, complete with baby cries. That was one worn out kid.



I'm glad we're well into this week with other things to keep us going. What's keeping you going this week?

Monday, November 8, 2010

Oh So Monday

We had a late night last night. The Trans-Siberian Orchestra concert was wonderful. If you've ever had any desire to see them, go! Go now! You won't be sorry.  Well, at least not sorry about seeing them, but you might be a teensy bit sorry about staying out so late when you have to get up early the next morning.

Zachariah was a bit of a problem to put to bed for my parents last night. We drove late to pick him up there after the concert then drove our hour and half home. It was a late night. Then he got up at his normal time. He was a little testy most of the morning. At one point after I'd put Patrick down for a nap, Zachariah laid on the couch. (He was mad I wouldn't help him with something he was capable of doing himself, so he was pouting.) Next thing I know, he's sound asleep all curled up over there. So funny. Thank goodness he was good the rest of the day.

Patrick (my nephew, who I am babysitting for four days a week) was a little out of sorts today. His mommy had said he was like that all weekend too. I think he's teething. It looks like he has the bottom ones maybe coming close. But his nap schedule was way off. He wanted to eat, then he didn't want to eat. On and on it went all day. He was manageable, but I did not get anything else done around the house while he was here. I'm thankful that he'll only be here in the morning tomorrow, because he has his 6 month check-up in the afternoon. Also...I can't believe he's already 6 months old. They grow so quickly from the beginning. It will never cease to amaze me.

What a Monday! I'm glad it's almost over. And I'm happy that we had a nice weekend to balance it a bit.

Friday, November 5, 2010

Dreaming

Do you like to "dream" about the what-if's in life? My husband and I do. I read in a book recently that it's good for married couples to dream together.

Sometimes we dream about our future lives together. Things we'd like to do, places we want to visit, and other fun things. Some of these things are realistic, but some are truly dreams and may (or will) never really happen. And we know that. But it's still fun to dream.

Do you do that?

I hope that you do. I think it's good to have some dreams. Sometimes it gives us something to work towards, and other times it gives us a little stress release just to think about other things.

A few months ago Matt saw a house for sale out in the country not too far from us. He was riding bicycle a lot this summer, and he rode by it often. He started to like the house more and more. And he told me all about it. He did a little research and found it online. It's even listed with a realtor that we know in person.

When he told me he saw a house he liked, I didn't know what I'd think. I knew he was mostly dreaming about it, but that's OK. Like I said we do like to dream together. My hesitation was that we have slightly different tastes in houses. I wasn't sure that I would like it.

Then he drove me by it one time on our way home. I was shocked. I really liked it. It's not what I'd call my dream home, but it was a nice house, practical, a great location, and a beautiful property. That was it, from them on I have been dreaming about this house. I've even pictured how our things would fit in it and what I'd like to do with the extra rooms (it is quite a bit bigger than our current house).

I did all this knowing that we couldn't afford it..even if we were looking for a house right now. But we do like to dream about getting a bigger house. We do hope to be in a position to sell our current home and buy something better in the next 5 years or so...or maybe sooner if we can manage. But there is a lot of work that needs done before we get there.

For now I'm going to forget about the work, and just dream about myself in that little house down the road. And there is nothing wrong with that.

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Thankful Thursday #1

Since there are 4 Thursdays in November, the last one being Thanksgiving, I thought it would be good to share what I'm thankful for on Thursdays. Want to join me?

We've been doing some work around our house lately. It causes headaches, and simple projects never end simply. Things always escalate and turn into bigger projects. Then when we think we're done with things for a while, something breaks or goes wrong.

That all said, I am very thankful for my little house. It keeps us warm in the winters and cool in the summers. It's sweet and quaint. This is the home that Matt & I first had together (we bought it on our first anniversary...9 years ago). It's truly our home. Love it and hate it, but it's ours.

With so many people struggling in this country, I am very thankful for my house.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

What's on TV?

Are you guys big TV watchers? We are. Most of that is due to the fact that we're sort of trapped at home in the evenings with a young kid needing a set bedtime. But this fall I'm not thrilled with what's been on.

There are a few new shows worth watching for me, a few old favorites that we're enjoying, but I feel like so many are missing the mark this season.

Glee- We watched it last season. I loved it. This season...meh. I'm very quickly losing interest and the reruns are not helping.

Amazing Race- I enjoy this, but I'm not completely invested in any of the teams. However, it would be fun to finally see an all-female team win it.

Survivor- We're watching, but not terribly interesting this season for some reason.

Big Bang Theory- Love it! This show is still hitting the spot.

Chuck- Same here. Love it! A few episodes have been not as captivating, but I still like the characters and the show.

The Middle- One of my favs. I've loved this since the beginning, and it still delivers on the laughs.

Modern Family- Fun, enjoy this.

How I Met Your Mother- For some reason I'm not enjoying this as much this season, but I can't figure out why.

And that's about it. I sometimes catch Castle, Private Practice, and Cougar Town online.

In general, though, I've been rather disappointed. There are nights that we don't really find anything to watch, so we catch up on the DVR or watch movies. What gives this fall?

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

With the Bad Comes the Good

So, I'm sick. Bleck. I have a cold. Fortunately it's not too bad. I can handle a little stuffiness, drippy nose, and sinus drainage. Zachariah had it first and shared with me. Isn't he just the sweetest!

But the good stuff is that I get to sleep in a bit tomorrow. My sister-in-law had some cancellations in the morning, so she doesn't have to go in early. That means my nephew won't be here until after 10:00. I'm hoping that buys me an extra hour or two of sleep in the morning. At the very least, Zachariah will crawl into my bed and watch cartoons while I rest for a bit longer. We don't do that often, because I have to be up earlier when I babysit normally. I like those quiet slow mornings.

And today Matt won tickets to see the Trans-Siberian Orchestra in concert this weekend! It just so happens that my parents are available to keep our kid. We're excited to go to something fun like this together. We're pretty fortunate that we do get out just the two of us once in a while. We have grandparents within driving distance, who are willing to take in their grandson from time to time. And it's so good for us to get this time together...to forget about being parents and just relax a bit.

Monday, November 1, 2010

Going For It



Every year I have done NaBloPoMo. I can't believe that it's November again, and it's that time of year again. Yep, I'm going to stretch myself (a lot) this year and try to post every day in the month of November.

This will be a big commitment for me this year, since I've only posted 33 times so far this year and I'm planning to post 30 times this month! I do miss blogging here (I've kept busy with my other blog), and I want to try to come back to it. So I'm going to give it my all to give you some quality material.

To help us along this year NaBloPoMo is doing Wordless Weekends. That will help in the posting and also get me to share some new photos of my family, which I've done very little of lately.

Will you join me? Oh, come on, you know you want to!

Saturday, October 30, 2010

CSN....The Store that has it all!

It's that time again. I'm giving CSNstores.com another go. I will be reviewing an item (or items) for them coming soon. I have not chosen what I will get yet. It's also so hard to pick something out since they have so much.  Do I want one of their contemporary coffee tables or new cookware for the kitchen? Or should I check out toys for Christmas or purses and shoes for myself?

With over 200+ stores to choose things from, I can always find something great with CSNstores.com. What would you get with a gift certificate from them? I'm leaning towards some decorations or things for my living room. I want to redecorate a bit now that our flooring is finished.

Friday, October 29, 2010

Who is Trick-or-Treating really for?

OK, I can't stand it anymore. I don't want to post on Facebook for fear that someone will think I'm singling them out. I'm not, and I'm sorry if you think I'm talking about you. I'm not. This is just a general rant about Halloween and trick-or-treating. And I have a feeling I can't be alone in my views.

First of all, if your child is not eating candy (they are too young), is it really worth taking them trick-or-treating? If they are coming along with older kids, I can see the fun in having them come along. But you really don't need to ask for candy for a child that is obviously too young to eat it.

And even if you do take your young baby trick-or-treating and you're taking candy for them, don't laugh and make excuses for the baby when they are sleeping and you are still collecting candy for them. Sorry, but I found that tacky.

I should also say that it is fun to dress a baby up, so I do understand wanting to maybe take them to an event to show them off a little. But it's the candy collecting thing that gets to me. If you, as a parent, really need candy just go buy it yourself.  My son's first Halloween was when he was 7 months old. I dressed him up, mostly for me, and he came along to a party I was helping with for kids. But I never dreamed of going out trick-or-treating with him. I didn't feed my 7 month old candy, so why would I do that. In fact my son has only done trick-or-treating at the mall. He doesn't get tons of candy that way, and it's well light, indoors, and so much safer.

Which leads me to my second issue...Do your children really need to go trick-or-treating more than once? Really? I don't know about you, but I don't really need my child to have that much candy. We go to one event, so he can dress up and enjoy the trick-or-treating part. That's plenty for us.

This year we attending a Trunk-or-Treat event at our church. It was a lot of fun. But since we did this, we ditched going to the mall-o-ween like we have done in past years. One time trick-or-treating is plenty.

And yes, I'm totally judging my friend who took her 9 month old to the church event and to the mall. What is the point?!! He doesn't eat candy, and he's too young to even remember this and understand what's going on. I should be nice, though, and say I do understand they were having fun taking him out, so whatever.

Friday, October 1, 2010

Fun Fact Friday

1. Can I just complain for a minute? Thanks.  We've had soccer games for 2 weeks now. At the beginning of the season they asked parents to sign up to bring a snack. No problem.  I'm happy to bring a snack for the kids afterwards. It cost around $10 or so to bring a small snack for all 12 kids.

First of all one of the mothers made a comment about needing to have her snack day be at a certain time, because she would need to get her paycheck first. OK, I understand needing money, but do you really live that much paycheck to paycheck that you don't have $10 (or less in some cases) for a small snack for the kids. And if that really is the case, I'm not going to judge, but I'd be happy to take over and provide snack a second week if needed. That's not a problem...really (and we live on one income). I know that's a little judgy, but I just see it as poor planning/budgeting.

Second, when asked to bring a snack after an athletic event I'm thinking of all the good things that I could bring for the kids to build their energy back up after playing so hard. I guess I'm alone in that thinking. So far we've had goldfish crackers with sugary juice box, Little Debbie chocolate brownie with sugary juice drink, and Little Debbie chocolate cookie with sugary just box. Now, I am not saying my kid doesn't eat those things from time to time. We've left him save these snacks and eat them later. Whatever! But come on parents, can't we give these kids something a little better.  The best out of that list is the goldfish crackers, which I'm OK with.

So this is our week to bring snacks. We take them to the game tomorrow (which looks like we might get rained on...great!).  It was hard for me to find "good" snacks that we prepackaged.  It's not mandatory that the snacks be prepackaged, but it's so much easier for a game to have something the kids can take on their way home. We found Minute Maid 100% juice boxes, mini-boxes of raisins, and whole wheat snack cracker packs.  I would have liked a slightly better alternative to the crackers, but my options were few. At least I found some whole wheat with no trans fats ones. We'll see if any of the kids (or parents) makes any comments about this week's snack.

2. Why is it so difficult to find great fitting jeans for real women without spending a small fortune?  After asking for recommendations on Twitter/Facebook I found some good options. I am a plus-sized woman, and it's tough to get good jeans that fit nice.

I found a new place I'd never heard of or been to... Avenue. Their jeans are priced pretty well online. Plus they happen to be running a sale this weekend, and you can find good online discounts for them. I had a few things picked out, but I was nervous about spending money on shipping not knowing how things would fit. I didn't want to pay to ship stuff back.

I heard mixed reviews about Old Navy's plus-sized jeans. I looked around and didn't see anything on their site that was what I wanted anyway, so maybe I'll try them some other time.

Erica suggested JC Penney. I didn't end up going with the brand she recommended, but I did find a lot of selection in my size there. I was surprised, and I'm glad I went to the mall instead of ordering online. I was able to try some different types/brands on and see what worked. I lucked out and they were having a sale on jeans, plus I had a 15% off coupon from a mailer. So I did end up with 2 pair of jeans and a new shirt from Penney's.

I was also going to try Macy's, but by the time I got there I'd already purchased 2 pair of jeans and didn't need anymore. So I didn't even look at pants there. But I did find a few cute tops for a reasonable price.

3. It felt good to go shopping just for me today. This plus-sized girl doesn't do clothes shopping very often.

4. Since we're already on the clothes kick...what do you think of the short (knee length or just above the knee) sweater dresses with leggings? I'm leaning towards cute. But I had a thought today...is that really going to last more than one season? Will it be a purchase that won't even work for one more winter/fall?

And would that style work for a plus-sized girl? I saw some really cute sweater dresses in Macy's. They had leggings too. I have fat legs, but with a knee-length sweater dress over top, I suppose it's no worse than wearing my knee-length sundresses in the summer. What do you think?

5. I'm working on an awesome afghan for my sister for Christmas! She's been after me for a while to make her one. I think she'll love it. I like it so much I want to keep it for myself!

6. Have you seen the pumpkin hat I made? I posted pictures on Twitter & Facebook. OK, OK, I'll add some to the bottom of this post in case you missed it. Also, if you're like me to make one for you, let me know. Shoot me an e-mail (mommydaisy@gmail.com or psmomreviews@gmail.com), and we'll work something out. (I can make newborn, 0-6 month, 12 month, and toddler size)

7. If I hear "Hey, Mom?" one more time while I'm typing this list I may scream. Then promptly send my kid to bed! GRRRR!

8. In case you were following the "should I tell my sis-in-law that my nephew rolled over for the first time here or not" debate...she didn't stay long enough for me to say anything yesterday. And I won't see them until Monday. I'm truly hoping that Nephew rolls over for his mommy & daddy this weekend!

9. I've been sorta dieting. I'm more trying to watch what I eat than anything. I hate calling it a diet. Plus there have been days (usually on the weekends) when I wander from it because we're going away or doing other things and I want to have something fun to eat. But I have lost 5 pounds. I need to add some exercise and get moving here. I have a LOT of weight to lose, but I'm taking this step-by-step. I know if I try to jump in and be really strict I'll quit as soon as I start. So I think changing my mindset, which I truly am already, is going to be the way to go.

10. The best news might be that Sarah from Semi-desperate Housewife had her baby boy this week. I've seen pictures from her husband and her sister-in-law. He's delightfully adorable! A beautiful baby! I can't wait until she posts about his birth and shares more pictures.  (I need to hurry up and make him a pumpkin hat too!)

1 week old baby with the pumpkin hat I made

Newborn pumpkin hat (my friend's new baby)

Nephew with the 12 month size hat

My adorable nephew with the adorable pumpkin hat I made

Monday, September 27, 2010

Official Soccer Mom

Well, that did it. Zachariah is now playing soccer, so I guess that makes me a soccer mom. I'm not sure I live up to the stereotype out there, but I don't think I really want to do that either.

Regardless of my altered title, we are involved with soccer twice a week now. It's going well so far...
...if you consider your son not taking the water break during practice, then stopping mid-drill to insist to the coach that he must take a water break right now doing well.
...if you consider your son refusing to run up and down the field within 5 minutes of the first game doing well.
...if you consider your son standing at the sidelines yelling at you (the parent) that he is too tired and has no energy to play, after that first 5 minutes, in front of all the other parents, who are now looking around trying to figure out who this crazy little boy belongs to doing well.
...if you consider your son playing the first quarter, then taking a turn on the bench the second quarter only to have him refuse to the coach to go in the rest of the game doing well.
...if you consider your son, who is sitting on the bench at his own insistence, not paying attention, picking on the kids sitting with him, and knocking all the teams water bottles off the bench doing well.

Zachariah is the one in red with blue shorts & blue shirt under, who's face you can see. 
OK, so there have also been some good moments. When he does actually play, he loves it. He especially likes the part when the whole team gets in a circle, puts their hands in, and yells "Gooooo Indians!" He has had more fun and gotten into it more now that they're doing full games and not practices. And he loves the snacks at the end of the games too.

Matt & I enjoy watching him play and run with other kids. It's good for him to learn to listen and respect coaches. It's good that he's making little friends. It's good that he's wearing off some energy (even if he thinks he doesn't have any).

We're just hoping that Zachariah can stick out the rest of the soccer season and keep up with the other kids...at least a little bit.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

The Store That Has It All

OK, if you haven't already, you definitely need to check out CSNstores.com. They have over 200 different stores online. You can get anything from a platform bed to fantastic fitness equipment to cookware. They have a little of everything for everyone.  With Christmas coming up, it's a great place to shop even for the people who are hardest to find gifts for.


*I have an review opportunity with CSNstores.com, so watch soon to see what I pick.*

Monday, September 13, 2010

New job

Yep, I have a new job. No, I'm not quitting my current one...that of super stay at home mom and blogger extraordinaire. (I can dream right?)

I have taken on a babysitting client. I never thought I'd want to do that. Sure, I'm already home during the day. Sure, I'm great with babies and kids. Sure, a little extra money would be nice. But I like my time with my son. I didn't want to get into all the stuff that comes along with having other children (ones that aren't mine) here to take care of all the time. And they bring in their germies. And they'll play with my son's toys. There are so many things I didn't like about it.

But here I am. Today starts my new job. I'm happy about it.

I just complained about all the things I didn't want to deal with having daycare in my home. Why in the world did I change my mind? Do I really need the money? Do I feel like I need one more thing to do all day long?

Here, this is the reason I decided to babysit. This is the one and only reason.



That little adorable guy is my nephew, Patrick. He's such a sweetie. I can't get enough of him. So when both of his parents were returning to work (Daddy started a new job today), I offered to watch him. I love spending time with him. I love to spoil him. And we just love having a baby around.

Zachariah does great with him and is excited that he'll be here 4 days a week. It's easier having the childcare in the family (and we're the closest family to them), plus my rate is cheap, cheap, cheap. I'm just happy to be able to help them out and see more of my nephew. It's a win/win really.

So, let the adventures in babysitting begin. I'm sure it will be great fun.  As long as I have enough time to do everything that I did before, we'll be well off. And no one can control the amount of spoiling that will be happening here. 

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Once a Month

Well, this once a month blogging thing is probably not the best. I miss interacting with my readers, whom have probably given up and moved on at this point. I'm still reading your blogs. I haven't been commenting as much, but I'm trying to stop and say hey every once in a while.

I am still blogging over at this little place called PS Mom Reviews. I think that has been sucking all my blog time, and then I have nothing left to give here.

But I am realizing that I'm missing something here. I miss the therapeutic nature of this blog. And the community of my blog friends.

So here I am to make an effort to post more here. But in case I don't, you can always find me over at PS Mom Reviews (especially if you like to win fun stuff!). Or on Facebook. Or on Twitter both as Mommy Daisy and PS Mom.

I hope that you all had a great summer. What was your favorite part of this summer?

Me? I enjoyed our trip to Wisconsin immensely. But there was also the trip to Kansas that was fun. Plus I got two new nephews to love and spoil! It's been a summer to remember.




P.S. Thanks so much for the awesome giveaway, Swistle.

Monday, August 2, 2010

Bedroom Remakes

Last week I was cleaned out our bedroom. It seems to be the collecting place for things that I'm not sure what else to do with. I wanted the clutter gone.

I've been much happier with our room since it's nice and clean. I feel more relaxed in there. I can sleep easier too.

While I was cleaning, I was thinking of things I could do to make our room better. I wonder if a bedroom vanity would look good in there and be more functional for me. We could use a new bedset too, I think, ours is 10 years old. It was a wedding gift, and it's never been what I wanted anyway.

I think little things like that plus some other little decorative touches will make my little bedroom just what I want. How do you make your bedroom cozy and inviting?

Friday, July 30, 2010

Aluminum/Tin


Yesterday was our 10th wedding anniversary. I cannot believe it's been 10 years already! And I mean that in a really good way.

10 years with this wonderful man has been great. Sure we've had our ups and downs, but through it all we've stuck together. I know that Matt always loves and adores me (and even find me incredibly sexy). And I do the same for him. He is a fantastic husband and father, and I couldn't ask for more.

We're so exciting that we celebrated our 10th anniversary by going out to a simple dinner with our son and then following that up with miniature golfing. Exciting stuff! But you know what, it didn't matter. Just spending some time together was nice.

We knew that we wouldn't be able to do anything big. We just got back from our vacation, so that was part of our anniversary gift in a way. We still would like to go out for a nice dinner alone, but we're going to wait a few weeks until Matt's parents can keep the kiddo. (They're in the midst of moving much closer to us.)

But I did get a nice surprise from Matt. He bought me a beautiful necklace. It was completely unexpected and thoughtful. He always spoils me.

To wrap up the wonderful 10 successful years of marriage, I will offer some tips to a great marriage (because mine is truly great!). Enjoy!


Tips for a great marriage
  1. Listen to each other, take the time to truly listen.
  2. Hug and kiss each day.
  3. Say "I love you"...a lot!
  4. Respect each other's opinions, even if you don't agree.
  5. Agree to disagree once in a while.
  6. Don't dwell on the bad things.
  7. Forgive easily.
  8. Take time to spend alone together regularly.
  9. Put your spouse first.
  10. Laugh often!

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Happy Birthday to Me!

Today is my 30th birthday! And you know, I’m excited. Truly I am. I’m ready to close the chapter that is my 20s and start a new one with my 30s. I feel like it’s a fresh start in my life. And I can’t wait to see what this life holds for me.

When I was turning 27/28, I was worried about getting closer to 30. I don’t know why. I just didn’t like the thought of it. I felt so old already. But in this last year, I’ve changed my outlook. Maybe the inevitability of it hit me. But mostly I think I’m ready to embrace it. How can 30 really be that much different than 29?

So many people (women especially) say they are 29 and holding (or something similar). Not me. I am 30 years old and proud. I have been through many things in my 30 years. I have learned so much. I am still young and I have a lot of life to look forward to.

I’ve always enjoyed having a summer birthday. And with it being so close to the 4th of July there are always lots of get-togethers, cookouts, picnics, fireworks, festivals, and other great summer fun going on. Tomorrow is only supposed to reach a high of 76 here. I think that will be the coolest birthday on record for me (probably not, but I don’t remember any cool birthdays).

The plans for my big day? Ehh, not much. Matt and Zachariah are taking me out for dinner. I get to chose where. That’s about it. Maybe I’ll get out of the house for a while with Zachariah. I got a check from my grandma, so maybe I can find something to get with it. (I just saw an ad for the new “Dance on Broadway” Wii game, and it looks like fun!) Otherwise, it’s just a normal day. I’m sure I’ll do laundry and dishes and scrub the toilet.

And you know what? I don’t care. That’s my life, and I love my life. So, Happy 30th Birthday to me!


Friday, June 4, 2010

He's here! Another new nephew!


I have to say, just over a month ago I had never experienced being an aunt. But now, I have my hands full, and I am so excited!

My sister-in-law had her baby a month ago. I've been able to see him a lot in the last few days with the funeral visitation and funeral of Matt's cousin. All the family has been around and while sad, it's good to catch up with everyone...and getting a little nephew spoiling in.

Today, though, right as the funeral was ending...

My sister gave birth to her first baby. A boy! 7 lbs 12 oz 21 inches! Perfect!

They named him Easton David! I love it!

She did it all naturally. No epidural or other drugs. She was a trooper and had a great birth. I saw her an hour after she had him (I got there as soon as I could, but I had to wait until the funeral was over). She looked and felt great.

I was able to spend a while at the hospital. Everyone came by right away, and they trickled out. I stuck around to help her with the baby for a bit. I was able to help her with nursing quite a bit. He'll be a good little nurser. He got a great latch. I enjoyed sharing some wisdom and knowledge with her. And both the new parents asked me lots of questions and thanked me for my help. It felt great to be so useful. And I'm so grateful that my sister and I have such a close relationship that I can do that for her. I will never forget that. It was so special to me.

So, I introduce my newest nephew! What a sweetie! I can't wait to spoil him rotten too.

The new family!
And Auntie Sarah (me!) and Grandma with the new little guy!

Saturday, May 29, 2010

Sad

We lost Matt's cousin yesterday. He was young. It was a tragic accident. It's so sad. It's even harder to lose someone so young. I don't know what else to say. (Here's what Matt had to say...what little he could for now.)

Joe- you'll be missed! (This photo is from the family Christmas party, the last time we saw him unfortunately.) Please pray for the family this week. Thanks.

Friday, May 21, 2010

Evidence

My kid is strange.

Don't believe me? Here's a little evidence.


His favorite thing to do with his grandma, Matt's mom, (and anyone else who will pretend with him) is play "sleepover". She doesn't mind playing along, but he makes her sleep on the floor in his room.

Then there was the day I found his bear "playing" Wii.

And the morning I found his underwear on his doorknob. Not sure what this was about. (Also, I so need to repaint our doors.)

We went to the park with my mom, and he wanted her to be the "grumpy old troll". She had to ask him riddles, so he could cross. (Anyone else know what this is from? My sympathies if you do.)

And last night I went to get a cookie after Zachariah had gone to bed. This is what I found.*

What is wrong with my kid? Please tell me that your kids do strange things like this too!






*I was telling Matt about the cookie thing tonight. Zachariah overheard and said he was hungry one day when I was in the shower, so he got a cookie but he wasn't hungry enough to eat the whole thing. Ha! (It did totally crack me up when I found half a cookie put back in the container.)

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Accountability


OK, who's keeping me accountable? Uh, no one? That's why I haven't blogged ALL WEEK! Well, I might be a little to blame too.

I put out this little challenge at the beginning on the month. The goal is to blog a certain amount of days that would be reasonable for you, but stretching you to make you blog just a little more than maybe you have lately. I chose 3 days a week.

A few other people have joined me in my quest. Andria and Kelsey have joined me in my adventure. And I must admit that I'm loving seeing more blog posts from both of them. I guess they still haven't spurred me on to blog more.

I won't give up, though. I'm going to keep on keeping on.

You want to see a few of my excuses? Of course you do!

Zachariah playing "sleepover" with Grandma.

PATRICK! My adorable nephew!

Cuddling with my new nephew and Zachariah's new cousin. He is in love with baby Patrick, so sweet and gentle with him.

Baby Patrick (my new nephew for those of you not following along) is home now with his mommy and daddy. He had to stay in the special care nursery for a week, but he left last Monday evening. He's doing fantastic! He's growing quickly and has gained almost a pound already. He really is a sweet cuddly baby...the best kind!

I love being an auntie! It's so much fun to have this little baby to cuddle and hold. It's just great. Now I'm patiently waiting for the next nephew to arrive (my sister's) in approximately 21 days.

Since Patrick spent a few extra days in the hospital and they had him in the hospital here in our town, it was easy to pop up there to see them every day. We were near them several times a week for Zachariah's swim lessons, so we'd stop to see the baby on the way home. I was glad we were able to do that. And I think that it helped that Matt & I could offer some support and wisdom with them from our similar NICU stay.

But the last two weeks have seemed crazy with our regular swim lessons, then throw in the new baby excitement, plus we took food to them a few times at the hospital and home, and all our regular other activities. It's been a little nuts around here. I am hoping it settles a bit this week. I could use a little more restful quietness. And maybe a little sunshine too. Would that be too much to ask?

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Mother's Day


I hope that you have a fantastic Mother's Day!

May your children be angels all day long.
May you get to sleep in.
May you not have to cook all the meals today (I'd say any meals, but that's probably not realistic now is it).
May you get lots of love, hugs, and kisses!

Happy Mother's Day!


Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Nephew!

I have been a parent for over 4 years now. While I love the experience and enjoy being a mommy, I have yet to experience the pleasure of being an aunt. I have been looking forward to that for a while.

Being an aunt is just different than being a mom. You have a little more freedom to spoil the kids, because then you get to send them home for someone else to deal with. And believe me there is a lot of spoiling that I need to do. My son has been the only grandchild in both mine and Matt's families for 4 years now. He has had plenty of spoiling. It's our turn now.

We found out in the fall that Matt's sister was expecting her first baby. We've been so excited and filled with anticipation. Then at Christmas, my sister surprised us all with a pregnancy announcement of her own. So we find that we're having two nephews due a month apart. Talk about plenty to spoil!

Yesterday at 10:00PM (around then, I can't remember exactly, maybe 10:04PM) my first nephew was born. (Son of Matt's sister, C, and her husband, L)

May I introduce to you, Patrick Charles.


He weighed in at a mere 8 lbs 5 oz and 21 inches long. He has a head full of thick dark hair and has the softest skin I've ever felt.

As you can tell from the picture, Patrick is spending some time in the Special Care nursery. He's had a start eerily similar to our Zachariah. He was due on the same day of the month (just a different month) as Zachariah, we induced on the same day (different month) as Zachariah, got shipped off to the Special Care nursery like Zachariah, and is in the next spot over in the same hospital as Zachariah was. Strange. He seems to have the same sort of infection that's preventing him from being at his mommy and daddy's side.

It was so strange walking into her hospital room with no baby there. But it seemed familiar, it happened to me 4 years ago. As I walked through the same hallways with my brother in law, I was a little spooked at the deja vu-ness of the whole situation. Seeing him in that little bed under the warmest was just too familiar. Our Zachariah spent a week in that same nursery under the same warmers.

But we know that Zachariah came home after a week. He grew up big and strong, and he is a healthy (really healthy) 4 year old boy now. I have every reason to expect that Patrick will be the same.

And I have a little experience from the mother's point of view. Our breastfeeding relationship didn't start well. There are things I would change if I could go back and do that. So I pass that knowledge and wisdom along to my sister-in-law in hopes of preventing her the same problems.

Through all these thoughts and feelings, I'm so excited to meet my new little nephew. I'm thrilled to be an aunt, and I can't wait to get to know Patrick more and more each time I see him.