Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Groupon Fail

Take a minute. Pay close attention to the picture.

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

According to Brinna

Elbows are for bending.

Noses are for God Bless Youing (sneezing).

Mouths are for eating.

Ears are for whispering.

Eyes are for glasses.

Knees are for band aids.

Friday, June 1, 2012

Thank you

As we were leaving our local Relay For Life event I snapped this picture.

It's a perfectly beautiful sky on a day that was anything but. It was rainy and cloudy most of the day.

I couldn't help but wonder if it was a message from those that have been taken from us too soon by cancer. Maybe it was their way of saying "Thank You."

Thank you for remembering us, for advocating in our memories, for picking up the fight for a cure after we were no longer able to.

And to them I say Thank You.

Thank you for being a part of our lives, for showing is what courage is and for giving us the strength to fight in your honor.

Cancer sucks. Cancer sucks hard. The people that I know that have battled cancer are amazing, even if they lost their battle.

Thank you to all of the folks that work tirelessly on events like Relay For Life. Your dedication is amazing.

To the survivors, BRAVO! You have fought and won. May your days be filled with health and happiness.

If you're fighting cancer now, don't give up! You can and will win!

Thursday, May 31, 2012

Mommy's Law

I know you've heard of Murphy's Law. In this house we experience Mommy's Law.

Here are a few examples

1) On days when we have to get up early both kids want to sleep in. On my day off they're up at 6:00.

2) Brinna rarely naps....except when we have to be some where, then she falls asleep 10 minutes before we have to leave.

3) The kids can never find their shoes when we're running late. Even if they just had them a minute ago.

4) The kids never want a drink or snack until we're out in public with out one.

5) They pick up the toys just fine at the babysitter's, but the mere mention of clean up will elicit hour long temper tantrums when at home.

6) Nobody needs anything until I try to do something alone (like go to the bathroom).

7) Nobody ever needs to use the bathroom until I'm in it. Then suddenly everyone in the house needs it. Even Brinna who still wears diapers.

Monday, April 16, 2012

What did I just do?!!

After months upon months of agonizing and praying, I finally submitted my application to grad school. GRAD SCHOOL!!!! It might not seem like a big deal to anyone else but me, but to me it's a HUGE MEGA DEAL! When I got started college my whole intention was to get my bachelors, then my Masters, then my Doctorate. Well, after 5 years of school for my undergrad I was done. My GPA wasn't high enough to get accepted into the Master's program and Bowling Green State University. I would have had to take an extra year of classes just to get my GPA up. I wasn't interested in doing that. So, I made the choice to be done with school. Even at that point I thought maybe I would take a  year off and go back eventually. Well, it's been 11 years.

I started thinking about furthering my education awhile ago. I might have even written a post about it. I could go look, but my brain is sort of fried right now. ;) A few months ago I decided to go ahead and apply. I figured no harm. Then I realized the application required an essay. I should have known that, but for some reason it really threw me for a loop. It was the standard "Where do you see yourself in 5 years and why do you want a degree from us." I don't know why it threw me so much, but it did. You see, I don't have a 5 year plan. For some reason "Be a good Christian, wife and mother, have a decent job, be able to pay the bills and have a little extra" didn't seem to fit into what they wanted. And they needed 500 words?! So, I spent the last few months trying to come up with a 5 year plan. I researched what types of jobs I would be good at. I researched which graduate degree would best fit those jobs. And still...no 5 year plan. I saw a bunch of careers I would be really good at. A bunch of careers I would be more than qualified for with a MBA. So, I went with that theme. I did all the revising I could do (with a little help from a friend) and hit the submit button.

And now I wait.

Saturday, April 7, 2012

Then This Happens

Ben and I often talk about moving. We talk about how nice it would be to be closer to the grocery store, his work, and pizza. I really miss pizza delivery.

Then we get a perfect day. The one where the sky is blue, the sun is shining, the light breeze ruffles your hair. And I remember why we live in the country.

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

I'm big stuff

You may remember my friend Ashley from the guest post she wrote for me awhile back.

I was lucky enough to meet her when Adelae was just a baby. We were part of a message board for moms with kids born in Feb 2007. We've actually met a few times, so I know she's not some creepy internet stalker and she's a real person. And I love her. We might not see each other all the time, but we do keep in touch via Facebook several times a day.

About a year ago Ashley decided she was going to take her love of blogging to the next level. She started doing product reviews in addition to her regular blogging. She hit a snag when she realized that she could only review toys and clothes geared toward boys. Naturally, due to my awesomeness, she asked if I would be interested in helping her do reviews. And, since I don't have enough to keep me busy, I said yes! (I won't like the prospect of free stuff didn't hurt.)

So, you can occasionally find my reviews on her blog And The Little Ones Too. While you're there reading my introduction post, look around her blog. She has some giveaways open right now that I'm sure some of you would love.

Monday, April 2, 2012

IN. THE. TRASH!

I was sitting in the kitchen checking my Facebook, Email, and the like. I hear this conversation coming from the girls.

A: You NEVER EVER play with these toys! I am SICK AND TIRED of seeing them laying around. I'm throwing them in the TRASH!

B: Lots of fake crying

A: That. Is. It! I told you a zillion times to CLEAN UP THESE toys! Now they're IN. THE. TRASH!

B: a bit panicked No! Don't throw them away for real Adelae!

A: I told you I'M SICK OF IT!

Lots of giggles

As you can guess, this is a conversation we've had more than once in this house. I've never actually resorted to throwing their toys away. Mostly because I'm a pack rat. And I hate to think of all that money going in the trash. We bought those toys with our hard earned money. I can't see just pitching them. I know of some parents that have though.

I think the mess associated with kids is something all parents struggle with. I know there are parents out there that manage to keep a perfectly clean and clutter free house, even with little ones. I'm not one of them. I wish I were, but I'm not. I'm more about the play than the clean up. As a result, our house is rarely, if ever, truly clean. About once a week I get fed up with the mess and I demand the kids pick up. This results in the "If you don't clean up, I'm throwing your stuff away" conversation.

I was sort of hoping one of my kids would have that "neat" gene that makes them want to clean up all the time. So far, that hasn't happened. It's a constant struggle to get them to pick anything up. It's not just toys. It's dirty clothes, dishes, dress up clothes, and just about anything else they get out. I hear "But I HATE to clean up" at LEAST once a day. For almost a week we had them cleaning up two times a day. It was amazing! Then work, life, and laziness got in the way. I find it hard to be the enforcer when I've been at work all day. I just want them to be happy and have fun. I don't want the few hours I have with them to be spent yelling about cleaning up.

I wish I had a magic wand. Or some Mary Poppins type magic. I would LOVE cleaning up if I could snap my fingers and BAM! clean house. What tricks do you use to get your kids to pick up? Tips for keeping the house clean? When I get home from standing on my feet all day, the last thing I want to do is stand at the sink and do the dishes, or walk around picking up all the junk that magically accumulates when we're gone. (Where DOES that come from anyway?!)I'm open to any tips that can keep us from struggling with the stuff all the time.

Thursday, March 8, 2012

I Made A Choice

 

I made a choice yesterday. I decided to not let others negativity weigh me down. We all know that one person that complains about everything. I know I do. The person I’m thinking about complains about the cold, then complains when it gets warm, then complains because it’s raining, then it’s too dry, work is too busy, work is too slow, the list goes on and on. I consider myself a pretty positive person and the constant complaining really drags me down. I find myself getting really depressed. Instead of looking at the good in life I start focusing on the bad. When I’m at work I find myself getting short with my customers and that’s not like me at all.

I knew something had to change. So, I made a choice. I decided that I was going to not only find the positive side of every situation, but also make that positive side known. Someone complains about the cold? It’ll be over soon enough. Too much rain? It’s good for the grass! Job getting you down? At least you have a job!

After I decided to look on the bright side of life, I had a much better day. I enjoyed my time at work, I enjoyed my customers, I enjoyed my kids and husband much more. Just like a negative attitude, a positive attitude is catching. If you’re happy, then those around you will be too.

Sunday, March 4, 2012

Sunday, Sunday

I love Sunday. I always have. It’s always been the one day of the week where I don’t have to do anything.

When I was a kid Sundays were full of just being. There wasn’t anywhere we had to be (after Mass, of course), there wasn’t anything that had to be done. It was the one day of the week I could read a book, take a nap and even have a Pepsi. (I wasn’t allowed to have pop.) If I was with my grandparents, we’d do pretty much the same thing. It was such a relaxing day.

The lazy atmosphere of Sunday has stuck with me my entire life. When I was in college, Sunday was lazy day. I’ll admit that I had to do homework, but it always felt wrong to be productive on Sunday.

Sunday is still lazy day in our house. We usually go to church. After we either go to brunch or make a big breakfast when we get home. After that, it’s a whole lot of nothing. I usually read, play around on the computer, cross stitch and play with the girls. Ben’s a little more productive than I am. He usually cleans something. I cheer him on. The girls get to watch more movies than is probably good for them and just hang out. It’s nice. We’re all together, even if we’re not doing the same thing. It’s a lovely way to recharge our batteries for the upcoming week.

If you don’t make Sunday a lazy day, I highly recommend trying it. If you can’t be lazy, at least be together.

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Happy Birthday, Valentine

I know that Adelae’s birthday was almost a week ago (Feb 14 to be exact) and we did lots of great stuff to celebrate. It just never seems like her birthday until we have her party. She was even a bit confused.

 

It always amazes me how much my kids grow and change in one short year. I always get a bit nostalgic. I pull out the baby pictures, the videos of their first steps, first words, first time eating baby food, first day of school…all that good stuff that makes us parents think “Crap. People really were right when they said to cherish every moment because they’re only little once.” I look at my giant child compared to the baby she was and I get a little panicky.

 

This last year Adelae has changed so much. She has grown so much physically, of course, but that’s not what astounds me. It’s her brain that blows me away almost daily. And she’s just so nonchalant about it. The other day she says to me “So, I can read now.” Like it was no big deal. A few days later she says to me “Hey Mommy, guess what. I can do  math now. I did addition with Daddy and I got them all right with out his help.” Ummm…what?! Reading?! Addition?! Isn’t that suppose to wait until 1st grade? Or, at the very least, Kindergarten? And her imagination is really something to behold. Her and Brinna will play Barbies for hours. Literally hours. And her heart is as big as they come. She can often be heard offering to give her toys to her little sister. Not loan, give. Sometimes it’s a ploy to get another toy, but most of the time it’s a genuine act of generosity. When she wrote her birthday list she added a few things for Brinna on there as well.

There are are times when she is most definitely still just a little kid. Like when she bawls because she has to go to bed, or she can’t watch 5 movies in a row. She’s still really shy around adults and kids she doesn’t really know. She hates to clean up. Normal kid stuff. But on the whole? I’m pretty sure she’s the best kid ever. I might be a little biased though.

 

She makes my heart melt all the time. I feel like I must be a pretty good Mom to have such a great kid. Nothing makes a Mother feel more validated than when your 5 year old climbs in your lap, lays her hands on your face and says “Don’t worry Mommy. You can still snuggle me even when I’m 5.”

 

A birthday post wouldn’t be complete with out a few photos, of course.

 

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Friday, February 3, 2012

I broke my kid

Adelae is shy. Like really shy. Like “I’d rather poop my pants at school than tell the teacher I have to go potty” shy. I think I broke her. I think I might have told her to “be careful” or “stop doing that!” one too many times. I can’t help but wonder if I’ve somehow made her this way. She won’t talk to other kids because she doesn’t remember their names. She’s petrified of adults. That includes her aunts and uncles, teachers, and sometimes even her grandparents.

 

You can see the moment the shyness starts to overtake her. She starts scrunching the bottom of her shirt in her hands. Her head drops down. Then her shoulders start to round. It’s like she goes into a protective stance, as if she’s afraid she’s going to be hurt. We went to Build A Bear the other day and I thought Adelae was going to have a nervous breakdown when the worker was talking to her. She was scrunching her shirt so hard that she left wrinkles. Adelae was so hunched over I thought she was going to contort into a ball. It’s painful to watch.

 

I want to jump in and answer all the questions for her. I want to scoop her up and tell her that she doesn’t have to talk to anyone. I want to keep her home so that she doesn’t have to endure this every day at school. Her teachers tell me that she’s fine with the other girls in her class, but not the boys or the teachers. (I’m ok with her being shy around boys. That can last until she’s well into her 20’s.) But, I know that’s not the right thing to do. After all, it’s not like she cries when I drop her off at school, or anywhere else for that matter. She happily gets ready, jumps out of the car and races to her classroom. But, she does poop her pants because she’s too afraid to tell the teachers she needs to use the restroom. She goes with out eating her lunch because she won’t raise her hand to ask the teacher to help her open the containers. It hurts my heart. It makes me sad that I can’t be there to remind her to use the restroom, or to open her containers. Or to just hold her and make sure she’s ok.

 

And I blame myself. I’ve gotten better, but I’m an overprotective mother. I’ve said “Be careful!” more times than I can even imagine. I’m petrified of my kids being kidnapped, so I’ve always told her to NEVER talk to strangers unless Mommy or Daddy says it’s ok. In hindsight, I may have gone overboard. And now I’ve broken my baby. I can’t fix her. I don’t know what to do. I don’t know how to give her the confidence she needs. We try to come up with suggestions to help her at school, but then she’s too shy to even raise her hand. When she talks to me about it, she gets teary eyed. She WANTS to be more confident, but she just doesn’t know how. And I don’t know how to help her. I feel like a failure as a mother. I know that underneath that shy exterior is a wonderful little girl. She’s smart and funny. She’s a wonderful sister and friend. She’s so much more than the girl that hides in the corner. How can I give her that confidence? How can I right my wrongs?

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Migraines Suck

I suffer from migraines and have for most of my memory. They’re not headaches. They’re migraines. Blinding, pounding, nausea inducing migraines. I try to explain to Ben what they feel like because “headache” is far too mild.

Imagine that you have a grape in your hand. Now, squeeze one end of the grape. See how the opposite end is sort of swollen looking, like the skin might rip at any moment? That’s how my eyes feel. Even blinking hurts them. It feels like the inside if my eyelids are lined with sandpaper. Now, imagine that you have teeny tiny elves all around your poor swollen eyes. Not cute little elves either. Knife wielding angry elves. Every single time the weakest bit of light hits your poor swollen eyes the evil little elves poke you one trillion times with their tiny little knives. Now imagine that every little sound you hear is amplified by one million times. Sort of like being at a rock concert in the front row with out all the fun of actually being at a rock concert. Now, remember that time you had the stomach virus from hell. The nausea, the body aches, and oh the nausea. Sucks right? But I’m not done yet. Now imagine that your brain is swollen against your skull and feels like it might explode at any given moment. Oh, and your head weighs about a trillion pounds. As if that isn’t enough, imagine that your neck and shoulder muscles are so tight that you can barely bend your head. You feel like your shoulders have taken permanent residence up around your ears. It’s not a lot of fun. Add in a job where you have lots of people to deal with, a computer screen to stare at and (if you’re lucky) the drive thru to contend with. But, you think to yourself, I can handle this for one day. It’s not so bad for a day. Then 3 days pass. Then it’s Christmas and you can’t even really enjoy the day because you’re head hurts so dang bad.  Then it’s 3 weeks later and you still have the cursed migraine and you’re seriously debating ripping your own head off because at least you wouldn’t have that stupid migraine anymore.

Did I mention that this whole time you’re taking Excedrin Migraine and Ibuprofen like it’s candy? 2 Excedrin is the recommended dosage. As you take them the first day you think “Ah..this will get me some relief.” Only to find out later that it doesn’t make a dent in the pain. Then you take 4 Ibuprofen because that HAS to help right? Nope, no such luck. So you drink a pop thinking “I read somewhere caffeine helps.” Nope, not at all. You think “Maybe a massage.” But, since it’s the holidays you don’t have the extra money, so you beg your husband to do it. Except he’s afraid of hurting you and is, understandably, tired from work. So it doesn’t really help at all. Calling the chiropractor will help, but they don’t have any openings. Awesome. Finally, after 3 weeks of suffering, you have an emotional breakdown. It had to happen sometime right?

This is exactly how my life went from a few weeks before Christmas until after the New Year. It was awful. I was miserable. I had a migraine on Christmas, I had a migraine on New Years. It sucked. A lot. I think the worse part is that people just don’t understand. It’s hard to explain to someone what it feels like. They seem to have the “Take some Tylenol and get over it” mentality. If someone tells you that they’re suffering from a migraine, please offer to help them out so they can go crawl into a dark hole and sleep for a few hours. Or at least be understanding. Maybe loan them a pair of sunglasses. Or a massage.

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

No Resolution For You!

I should probably post lots and lots of pictures of the girls opening their Christmas presents, but I'm not going to. Mostly because the pictures are still on the camera and I don't have the patience to upload them, edit them, then fight with Blogger to get them posted. Maybe some other day. Or maybe not.

Instead, I'm going to blog about New Years Resolutions. It seems like everyone makes them. Or at least says they do. I don't. I used to. Of course, like 90% (just a guess) of other people in the world, I always failed miserably. Then I would get all depressed because I couldn't stick to my Resolutions. I think I'll just bypass all that guilt and not make any resolutions to start with.