Into the Thick of It

Monkey's First Primary Talk

2011-01-26T14:46:00.000-05:00

Monkey was asked to give a short talk in Primary the first Sunday in January. I wanted to give him as much input as possible. So in preparation, I asked him a lot of questions about the scriptures, his favorite scripture story and what he learned from it. Then I put it all together with a scripture verse. He did such a great job - no fear at all. He had some help "reading" but delivered like a champ.

The Scriptures are the Word of God

Heavenly Father gave us the scriptures to teach us about Him and his Son, Jesus Christ. My favorite scripture story is about the prophet, Nephi. Heavenly Father sent Nephi to Jerusalem to get the golden plates from Laban. It was important for Nephi and his family to have the word of God. Nephi said, "And we had obtained the records which the Lord had commanded us, and searched them and found that they were desirable; yea, even of great worth unto us, insomuch that we could preserve the commandments of the Lord unto our children." (1 Nephi 5:21) I know the scriptures - the Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine & Covenants and Pearl of Great Price - are the word of God. They teach us to make good choices and to be kind to one another.

Monkey and Huggy Bear at church

Venting

2011-01-20T19:01:00.000-05:00

Dear Government Employee who is controlling my life,

I dislike you. I am trying really hard not to hate you (especially since we aren't allowed to use that word in our house). I would like to understand what perverse pleasure you are getting from playing with our lives, but I don't.

When you moved us to WV in August 09 (at our own cost), it was with promises of a better life. A one mile commute!!!! Oh the things we could do! Real family time. Time to devote to our callings. Owning our own home. And for a while that's exactly what we had. It was amazing. And then....

You changed your mind. My husband was forced to endure a 3 hour commute (each way). He comes home exhausted and grumpy. As am I, after being with the boys from 5am-8pm. Chores don't get done. Callings become a burden. Family time is relegated to the lowest of priorities, after all of the things that we HAVE to do. We are stretched to our limits. (And don't even get me started on the financial impact.)

Over the last year and a half you have changed your mind so many times I have lost count. Every few months you tease us by letting Wil work from WV for a week, two, sometimes even a couple months... only to take it all back again.

Now I have tried (and tried) to have a good attitude. But it just isn't working. It's killing us.

Please retire.

Yours truly,
One Frustrated Mommy

**(Please understand that I am very grateful that my husband has a job that provides for our family. I know that it could be a lot worse. This week has been one of the "teaser" weeks and I'm struggling with the change.)

Happy Christmas Dance

2010-11-21T14:51:00.003-05:00

This is for those excited for Christmas. Bug wanted to share his feelings!

2010-11-04T09:34:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, I was rushing hurriedly from a meeting to pick Monkey up from school. I had just enough time to run into Walmart and pick up the last few things we needed for a Young Men's activity at our house. As Bug and I were leaving, the store the greeter gave him a bright blue sticker. I got our few bags and Bug into the car and buckled him into his seat. Which is when he decided that I needed to wear the blue sticker on my right cheek. I was so worried about being on time for pre-k picked up, I didn't even stop to pull it off....

Two hours later, after pre-k pick up, the taco bell drive thru, and at least half an hour in the tire repair shop, the nice man at the counter says, "Excuse me, did you know that you have a sticker on your face?"

oops.

Halloween 2010

2010-11-02T14:55:00.000-04:00


Charlie Brown ("Brownie Brown") and Joe Cool.

Trick or Treat!

Check out those super cool trick or treat bags. They hold WAY too much candy.

Zee and I walking around the neighborhood with the boys.

Monkey had his heart set on being Snoopy this year for Halloween. Which of course meant that Bug (and his perfectly round head) had to be Charlie Brown. Zee went above and beyond and made these fabulous costumes. I helped out by making the snoopy pants. She even made herself a coordinating Lucy costume. We had big plans to make Wil and I costumes too (Linus and Sally), until we realized we would be out of town for the ward Trunk or Treat. Then it just seemed like too much to try and sew. Wil stuck with his trusty "costume" t-shirt, which he loves (also Zee's creation) and at some point I pulled out my witch's hat. The boys' loved Trick or Treating in our little neighborhood. There were only about 10 houses with people home handing out candy. But that was more than enough. They had a great time knocking on doors and remembering to say thank you. Of course, Monkey says his favorite part was getting candy.

Your my little chu-chi face

2010-10-15T13:38:00.001-04:00

During those few precious quiet moments with Bug, when he was still tiny, sometimes I would hold his hand to my face while he was nursing. It was rare, since Monkey was usually trying to get my attention, but for me it was important... my link to my new baby boy.

Now it's been almost three years and I'm not sure when it happened, but Bug needs my face. Now that we've taken away his sippy cup and his pacifier, he wants his "mama cuggles" even more. I'm not so happy about that when his need for comfort means he's rubbing his hands all over my face at 3am, but I think it's worth the sacrifice. He's still my baby and I know that the day will come when he decides he's too big to cuddle with his mommy. So I'll take those "mama cuggles" for as long as I can get them.

Six!

2010-10-14T13:37:00.000-04:00

Today is our sixth wedding anniversary. Sometimes I can't believe how far we've come and sometimes it still feels like we're just starting. Here's my list of six* things that I love about my husband (in no particular order):

1. He does the dishes. All of them. Almost every night. Without complaint, even when the kitchen is trashed.
2. His geekiness is rubbing off on me to the point that I was SUPER excited when I saw he had gotten us Wii Lego Harry Potter for our anniversary.
3. He is always willing to serve.
4. He understands my need to have time to myself, which is usually spent shopping.
5. If you pay attention when you watch a show with him (TV, movies, commercials), he will tell you the brand and model of computer in use. Lately, this has also branched out to cell phones.
6. He doesn't complain when I burrow my feet under his leg, even when they are ice cold.

I love you, William.

*there are a lot more than six things, but Lego Harry Potter is calling my name.

"I blub you real real much"*

2010-10-12T10:38:00.000-04:00

Friday we said goodbye to our very last pacifier. It's been a long weekend, with some good nights and some struggles (naptime). But our Bug is doing better than I had expected. Isn't he a sweet boy?

*This is Bug's version of "I love you very much" and it melts my heart every time.

Baby Jaguar

2010-10-08T08:00:00.001-04:00

Last week I pulled out the Halloween bin and began to decorate the house. This was my helper:

Ears, tail and pumpkin cup... he's adorable

He spent most of the morning wearing this, following me around the house and growling. He was convinced that he was Baby Jaguar.

Do you see the resemblance?

How do you know it's Fall?

2010-10-07T08:00:00.002-04:00

My mums are in full bloom (honestly, my flower beds are happier and healthier than they've been in months). Monkey has adjusted to school. I've pulled out my slippers and put another blanket on the bed. Zee is making Halloween costumes. My favorite hoodie has emerged from the closet. And yesterday at the store, I found this:

I wanted to buy a whole case, maybe even a year supply, just so I wouldn't be without canned pumpkin again. But, yeah, I settled for one and it's already half gone. Pumpkin muffins, pumpkin bread, pumpkin cookies.... the choices are delicious.

It's beginning to smell a lot like Christmas

2010-10-06T13:14:00.000-04:00

My friend, Heidi, is really into doTerra essential oils. A few weeks ago she sent me some samples after hearing my whining about my boys and their inability to sleep. It didn't take long for me to be converted to lavender oil. It's amazing in it's ability to help Monkey calm down. It's been helpful at night, but the true miracle is on Sundays for church. We've gone from full blown tantrums in sacrament meeting to rarely having to remind him to quiet down.

So... when Heidi suggested I try the OnGuard (a blend of cinnamon, clove and orange to help boost your immune system) to help us all stay healthier this winter, I was all for it. This weekend my samples came in the mail and I've been putting it on the boys' feet when they get dressed.

This was the plan until Bug grabbed the sample and tried to get the cap off with his teeth, while getting his diaper changed.

Now he smells like Christmas...

Success?

2010-09-28T08:58:00.000-04:00

I made it one month into the school year before dropping Monkey off for school in my pjs. I'm counting this one as a success.

2010-09-22T13:26:00.008-04:00

Somebody in our house loves to play Rockband....

Labor Day on the "Root Canal"

2010-09-21T08:00:00.002-04:00

The boys love to take their trikes to the C&O Canal to ride on the towpath. A few weeks ago, Monkey overheard Wil and I talking about his need for a root canal. Now whenever we drive over the bridge above the canal... you can hear two little boys yell, "ROOT CANAL!"

Speed Racer


Wil checking our location and pushing Bug's trike.

Ode to Sleep

2010-09-20T07:35:00.004-04:00

This is where I would write my "Ode to Sleep".

Extoll the virtues of a full night's rest,
Wax poetic on how I wish the monster would sleep past dawn,
But, alas, I am too tired.

*the monster, my inspiration for this post

Africa

2010-09-14T08:00:00.000-04:00

For months now Monkey has talked about going to Africa. (I have no idea where he got this idea, but it's stuck in his head for a long time.) Since my parents had come up on Saturday to celebrate my Dad's birthday, we decided this would be the perfect time to visit Africa (aka Wilson's Wild Animal Park).

When we pulled in, it was a bit questionable (part wild animal park/part junkyard)... but once we headed inside. The boys loved it (so much so that we couldn't get them to stop long enough to take a picture, unless it was the back of their heads).

Checking out the tortoises -"Hey, Mom!!! There's THREE!!"

Bug kept yelling at the rooster to "Be kiet, da yions are leeping!"

Billy Goat Gruff - this guy was mean

Why, hello, emu...

Feeding the fallow deer

What's next?

The Tortoise and the Hare

Check out my new look

2010-09-13T08:00:00.000-04:00

Just in case you read the blog through Google Reader, you should click on over and check out the new look. My sister put it all together and I think it's fabulous.

Create your own Monster in 7 easy steps

2010-09-10T12:45:00.002-04:00

Things you will need:
a happy healthy 18 month old
a pacifier
a sippy cup

1. Pack up all your earthly belongings and move.
2. Take your happy healthy boy and move him to a big boy bed in the new house
3. Let him sleep in your bed when he wakes up in the middle of the night, placating him with alternating pacifiers and sippy cups of milk.
4. Drag this on for almost a year.
5. Decide you've had enough.
6. Begin excruciating steps to remove child from your bed, wean him from pacifier and then the 4am milk sippy.
7. Realize that you have made this decision just as your happy healthy boy has hit his terrible two's with full force.

Ta da! You too will have your very own sleep deprived 2 year old. But watch out... cause they bite.

ps. Don't let this adorable face fool you.

righteous desires

2010-09-09T12:40:00.003-04:00

You know how there are things in life that you struggle with for a while because they seem like really good things but it just isn't working and then you come to terms with whatever it is and then you are ok with it for a while and then you come really close to resolving the problem/attaining the goal and you realize that you can't resolve the problem/reach the goal after all and that thing you were fine with yesterday becomes a HUGE deal all over again and you feel like you have to start all over...

Yeah.

It's only taken 20 years to learn this lesson

2010-08-27T12:58:00.003-04:00

I remember clearly my mom's frequent requests to clean my room and make my bed as I was growing up. More often than not they went unheeded and resulted in me being stuck in my room until it was clean (usually missing out on something else I had really wanted to do). I'm sure I'm not the only one who spent parts of their childhood/teenage years in the same situation.

Fast forward 20 (plus) years. Now I get it. I love my bedroom. The little details are all coming together. I'm in love with that color. I've been slowly sneaking more pillows on the bed over the last 5 years and Wil has even stopped complaining about them (he's a champ). BUT... our bedroom is the dumping place for everything without a place, along with all of the unfolded laundry. Slowly I've been able to get this more under control (except, of course, the laundry, which might always be a step ahead of me*), but it's still the last room in the house to get cleaned.

Except for the bed... it's the one thing I can accomplish quickly, without having to go in search of cleaning supplies or missing parts. And especially when it's been a no good, horrible day - walking in the room and seeing that the bed is made, makes me feel like I've accomplished something.

I'm coming to terms with the fact that my room may not ever be uncluttered beyond the time it took to take those pictures, but you can bet the the bed will be made.

*I was complaining about my plight to my mother the other day and in her wisdom she said, "Do you remember growing up and going to the M's and the G's and C's and the W's? Can you think of a time when there wasn't a pile of laundry waiting to be sorted, washed, folded or put away? Probably not, because once you have kids... it just doesn't happen. Thanks, Mom, for keeping it real.

My Mirror - a birthday update

2010-08-25T16:27:00.002-04:00

Last month we had friends coming to visit and see our house for the first time. The chaos and clutter had been driving me crazy and knowing that friends were coming... it was the last straw. I called babysitters, Wil had a day off and we cleaned. We unpacked, organized and finished projects that have been waiting a year. It was fabulous. It didn't last long, but I now know that it can be clean.

While doing all of our projects I hung my new mirror. It's the perfect addition to the two mirrors that were already there - and I love, love, love it. I love my lamps from the Christmas Tree Shops, that look like glass, but are really just plastic. Also my super cute annilygreen pillow, that Zee surprised me with for my birthday.... and of course that little monster is adorable too.

First Day of School

2010-08-25T16:07:00.002-04:00

Showing off his backpack (above) and nametag (below)

Peeking in the classroom with Bug

Hanging up his backpack

2010-08-11T21:59:00.002-04:00

In the last 36 hours Little Man has...
- taken 5 lbs of sugar from the kitchen to the playroom
- snuck a pump bottle out of the bathroom and used it to give his stuffed animals a bath (this was while we were trying to clean up the first mess)
- climbed in to the pedestal sink and used it as a toilet
- emptied the canister of the vacuum, the one full of SUGAR, back onto the floor
- spilled a 12 oz berry smoothie across the kitchen floor (this one was an actual accident)

The next two weeks can't go quick enough. Last week, I wasn't looking forward to him starting school, but now... I would be happy to send him tomorrow.

I'll try that again...

2010-07-28T19:56:00.002-04:00

Wil and I are off to pick up the boys from a friend's house. But I have to take a minute to document this occasion: my WHOLE house is clean. At the same time. This hasn't happened since we walked in the door after closing on the house, before we moved anything else in... a year ago (almost exactly). So next time I think that there's no way it will happen, I now know that it isn't impossible.

Somehow I missed the last 4 days

2010-07-22T08:54:00.003-04:00

Saturday morning my very first migraine hit. Unfortunately, I didn't realize what it was until I couldn't bear it anymore. No over the counter medicine I tried even touched the pain, so I spent as much time as possible with my head on a pillow, hiding from my children (cause, wow, they are REALLY loud). By Tuesday, I couldn't handle it anymore and headed to the doctor... 2 visits, a CT scan and a nasty shot later, I feel human again. Someone has taken the 100lb weight out of my head and I feel like I can function. I love modern medicine. I also love my husband and my sister, because they put me to sleep for 12 hours straight and then made sure the boys were taken care of while I was out of it.

While I was in my haze, I did discover a few things....

If you have the recipe for spaghetti pie and love it as much as we do, then you should try this. Little Man asked for thirds and said, "Wow, Mom, this is YUM!". It's quicker and easier than spaghetti pie and even has less fat (because you skip the eggs and butter). I made mine in a oven safe skillet, put the cheese on top and threw it in the oven until the cheese melted. This one is a keeper.

I had peaches from the farmers market in my fridge that needed to be used and found this recipe. It is divine. (and can you tell where I've been going for new recipes? I'm kind of hooked) I added some blueberries we had in the fridge and substituted the maple cream with some vanilla bean ice cream. I might have had the leftovers for breakfast, but it was fruit... right?

My mirror is on it's way!

My boys have alter egos:

We are very serious about saving the world.

As we were pulling out of the hospital parking lot yesterday Bug asked me, very seriously, "Mommy, you feel better now?" That boy will melt your heart.

Happy Birthday to Me!

2010-07-15T11:14:00.004-04:00

I'm feeling indecisive... or maybe a bit overwhelmed by the choices.

For the last few years, instead of a birthday gift, my mom gives us money for our birthday. She says it's easier that way and I L.O.V.E. having something I can spend on me without having to worry about which budget I'm taking it out of. But because I know it's coming sometimes I spend months dreaming of what I'm going to use my money for. This year is no different... unfortunately, my dreaming has left me with too many decisions. Now I'm having a hard time deciding how best to spend my money.

This is where you come in. Check out my wish list below. Let me know which items you would get me for my birthday. You have $80 to spend (including any tax and shipping charges).

1. wrought iron vintage mirror - $15 (plus $10 shipping)

2. Mom's Line a Day Journal or Quotable Kids journal
3. shoes - I can not decide which one of these I like best. The flats ($30) are by far the most comfortable shoes I have ever tried on but the flip flops ($25) would be perfect right now and I'm sure would last me for years.4. I'm in love with these and these and these. Similar ideas but VERY different applications. I can't narrow it down to just one. But I do need something to hang in the entryway of our house. It would have to be at least 8x10 but bigger would be better.

5. this sign: ($54 + $12.50 shipping)

6. a half tee - perfect for layering when I don't want the seam from the bottom of the tank to show through. (2 for $26 + shipping)

Have fun shopping!

ps. this money is burning a hole in my pocket, so you have until Sunday evening to vote.

2010-07-11T23:05:00.001-04:00

Since we took away Bug's bedtime pacifier a few weeks ago, bedtime has become a nightmare. The boys share a room and will play/fight/irritate each other for hours to avoid sleeping. We've had to get both creative and harsh with them... it's no fun.

Tonight was bad and after an hour & a half of doling out the punishments, Wil took away everything. They each had a pillow and a blanket, but all of their stuffed animals, extra blankets and their beloved blankies were gone. The hallway was piled high. Things soon quieted down and the boys went to sleep.

About half hour ago we went in to tuck them in and give them back their blankies (mostly because I want them to sleep through the night). We discovered both boys in one toddler size bed, legs dangling over the edges, taking care of each other. It was such a sweet sight.

Sometimes it's nice to be reminded that they can do more than be naughty & mean to one another... and that when things are hard they'll stick together. I sure do love those boys.

The Romantic Weekend

2010-07-11T14:41:00.003-04:00

The majestic George Washington Hotel, a modernized and updated local in the heart of Old Town Winchester is the retreat for couples. It offers access to the walking mall and several fine eateries including The Union Jack and The Dancing Goat.

This is the setting we selected for a one night get away for Lauren's birthday. For dinner, we chose a place called Sona, an Indian restaurant. Sona is one of our favorite places to eat and we love going there! We had Lamb Boti Kebab, Chicken Vindaloo, and Chicken Tiki Masalla. We enjoyed a fantastic meal that again delighted our taste buds. After dinner we retired to our hotel room. A luxurious room with a fireplace, jacuzzi tub, and a four poster bed.

As we were preparing to retire, I walked into the fireplace and broke my left pinky toe.

I stand corrected....

2010-06-14T19:56:00.000-04:00

Little Man (for no apparent reason): "Holy Mother of Science!"

I have no idea where he picked this up.

Correction: While getting the boys ready for bed this evening, Little Man heard me telling Wil the story and corrected me.

"No, mommy! I said, oh sweet mother of science!"

That's even better. It's still making me laugh. I have no idea where he heard it, but I have a feeling it's going to stick around for a while.

Jinxed

2010-06-10T13:03:00.003-04:00

Last night Zee and I were talking about schedules, who would be home when and such, she asked, "you know that you can take a shower without another adult at home?" (first mistake). I do know this and I will leave the boys to take a shower, but I try really hard to avoid it. I worry about what they will get into, the mess that will be waiting or that my shower time will be invaded by two little boys (the most common result).

Fast forward to this morning. The boys had eaten breakfast and went downstairs to play. Zee has some time off and is home today, so we went upstairs to work on various cleaning projects. We were getting a lot done and commenting on how well the boys were playing (second mistake). Then the crying started. And escalated into screaming. Bug comes up the stairs with his hands over his face, screaming that "there's something seriously wrong" kind of scream. Within the next 90 minutes, I had:

been on the phone with poison control 3 times
spent 20 minutes with Zee and Bug in the bathroom, giving Bug an eye wash
found empty bottles of Dawn, Windex and Clorox Green Works in the playroom
tried hard not to lose it with Little Man
cleaned copious amounts of soap out of the plastic train table with the hose
tried again not to lose it with Little Man as he disobeyed me, following me outside through the opposite side of the house and then peeing on a tree
washed off all of the toys which were covered in dish soap
tried to clean the soap out of the carpet (unsuccessfully)

Luckily, Zee was home and could help. They picked the plastic train table. None of the stuff they got into was caustic and none of the bottles were full. Bug is fine and his eyes have cleared up.

Now I'm exhausted. This took all of the energy I had, physically, mentally, emotionally. And in the end Little Man didn't even get appropriately disciplined. There were so many things to deal with and I was so angry that I didn't feel like I could do anything without losing control. The toys that they "washed" are being put in time out. But by the time, I could deal with that part of it, the association between the action and the punishment was gone.

So how do you handle these issues? When you have to deal with the consequences of the action before you can discipline? How do you get them to understand (at 4) the seriousness of what they have done? Is there a Bearenstain Bears book for this one?

I'm at a loss.

2010-06-03T11:13:00.001-04:00

There are days when I get caught up in the to do list... the laundry that still needs to be folded, the mess in the playroom that is beginning to take over the rest of the house, the list just gets longer.

Then there are days when I ask my boys' what they want to do & they say, "cuddle on the couch with you, mommy". My heart melts. It's now 11 o'clock. The laundry can wait & the mess will be there tomorrow. We're still in our pjs, cuddling on the couch... and we might just be here all day.

2010-05-31T22:50:00.001-04:00

I am so so tired but I wanted to get this out before tomorrow catches me off guard and I forget.

Today was a perfect day. I want to somehow capture it and keep today around just a little bit longer. The funny thing is that even though it felt perfect, there were things about it that went wrong... sunburned shoulders, financial stress, whining. But today, none of it mattered. The boys woke up super early, but it gave me the chance to go shopping with my mom. Then we spent the day visiting friends and playing in the pool. The weather was amazing and the boys had a blast.

So when someone invents a way to stop time and capture little pieces to relive, I'm going to pick today.

2010-05-28T14:31:00.001-04:00

Me: I love you & wish you would listen and obey.
Monkey: Mommy, I love you too...and just I wish you would understand me.

Me too, kiddo, me too.

2010-05-13T14:40:00.001-04:00

After almost a week of not feeling well, I finally broke down and went to the doctor yesterday. I was diagnosed with an upper respiratory infection... not cool but also not unexpected. Thanks to my husband, sister & a wonderful friend, I was able to get some rest. Enough to handle things when Wil brought the boys home early because Bug threw up. He's now napping. Monkey is sitting on me, eating goldfish and watching Rocky & Bullwinkle.

And honestly I'm not sure where I was going with this... maybe that means I need to go back to bed.

2010-05-10T21:58:00.001-04:00

Little Man's Sunday school teacher graduated from college last week & moved back to Colorado. Tonight when he said his prayers I caught this:

"Thank you for Miss Mandy that she can live happily ever after."

We miss you, Mandy!

2010-05-03T08:42:00.001-04:00

We have church from 11 til 2. It usually isn't too bad. We don't have to rush to be out the door in the morning, meetings don't start at the crack of dawn and we still have some part of the day left after church. But in order for it to work I have to stay on top of things.

Yesterday, I was so not on top of things... Bug had a really late nap. Wil & I both fell asleep on the couch watching Veggie Tales with Little Man. This led to a late dinner and even later bedtime.

Today I'm paying the price... a rainy Monday with really grumpy boys. Please send chocolate or a nice long nap.

2010-04-14T10:46:00.001-04:00

I blame it on the plan...

You see, I had the perfect plan for how to get everything done so we'll be ready to leave for Louisville at 4am tomorrow. It involved taking the boys to preschool/the babysitter and spending the morning cleaning, finishing laundry & packing.

But it never works that way...

"Hi Doc!"

Easter 2010

2010-04-12T12:05:00.002-04:00

Bug discovers a bowl of chips and digs right in.

We spent Easter Sunday at my cousin's house. Which was wonderful. She's amazing and always makes sure that there's something for everyone. The boys had an Easter egg hunt (Little Man wanted to find ALL the eggs. Bug wanted to stop and eat all of the "beams" from inside the eggs.) They played with the train table she had saved from her boys and loved seeing Grandma and Uncle Matt. (Grandpa was stuck at home with poison ivy in his eye. So gross.) We visited with my grandparents and Aunt Sharon, watched some tv with the kids and just spent the afternoon relaxing. It was fabulous.

Growing Pains

2010-04-12T10:47:00.005-04:00

I'm not even sure how to cover the last few weeks. Some days it feels like I needed to quit my job because life was about to get C.R.A.Z.Y.

We took Little Man back to the doctor for his follow-up appointment for the breathing treatments. He was all clear! No more breathing treatments. No more signs of wheezing. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case with Bug and he came home with his very own "spaceman" mask. There are no pictures to document this, because it became a HUGE fight to get him to sit still with the mask on his face for the 15-20 minutes needed to get all the medicine in his system. It was exhausting. Luckily, it did the trick and the nebulizer has been put away.

Wil has a new calling at church, Young Men's President. It requires a lot of time. My calling can be time consuming as well and we're still learning how to balance it all.

Wil's full time job is also changing... to what? We have no idea.

We were able to see dear friends get sealed in the Washington, DC Temple for time and all eternity:
We celebrated Zizi's birthday with a fun dinner, but unfortunately no pictures.

In an effort to help out some of our family, I spent 8 hours in the car in one day, never going more than 2 hours away from home. We picked up my great Aunt, stopped at home, took her to Harrisburg and headed to Tremont to see Wil's cousin who had just returned from Iraq. Little Man was with me the whole time. Wil and Bug joined us for 5 hours of the trip. I was glad to help and happy that we got some moments like this out of the "adventure"**:
The cousins drove up to visit while they were on Spring Break:
We enjoyed General Conference and Easter weekend (pictures to follow).

I got so sick of my hair that I went from this:

To this:

We turned the water to the hose on after the long cold winter and found a pipe that had frozen. Unfortunately we didn't find it until water started flooded out from under the baseboards in the play room. Luckily, we think the builder will cover a good deal of the damage. It also means that the carpet is all torn up and we can't send the boys downstairs to play.

The house is a mess and I look at the calendar and think it could be weeks before I even have a chance to catch up. I keep thinking we are handling all of this fairly well, at least until something minor happens and I react like my 4 year old. So if there are days (or weeks) when you don't hear from us, you'll know why. We'll be taking it a day at a time and trying to smile and enjoy some of this craziness!

Because the sippy leaked...

2010-03-29T16:19:00.001-04:00

Any suggestions on how to get blue gatorade out of a cream carpet?

Spaceman Medicine

2010-03-18T08:00:00.000-04:00

Little Man calls this his "spaceman medicine". He has to do this 3 times a day and it takes 20-30 minutes, depending on how still he's willing to sit. He's been such a good sport about it... maybe because I bribe him with promises of treats and Lego Star Wars.

Happy St. Patty's Day from my little leprechauns

2010-03-17T18:11:00.001-04:00

A breakfast treat

2010-03-16T08:00:00.001-04:00

Sunday we were supposed to be attending Stake Conference (a meeting of multiple congregations of our church) and then driving down to my grandparents. Our plans for the day didn't leave much time for preparing meals or trying to convince the boys to eat something other than fruit snacks or cheese crackers. (Of course, as I type this they are sitting on the couch eating apples that they "snuck" from the fridge.) My plan was to make monkey bread for breakfast and then pack sandwiches for the car. Then the boys got sick and I didn't have to worry about it anymore... but after a couple days of sick, fussy boys, I needed the treat.

I had a recipe from Shannon. She said this was a fast, easy and delicious breakfast - three things I always like to hear. And you make them the night before, so there's no mess or fuss in the morning. You should try them.

Overnight Pull-Aparts
Layer 22 frozen Rhodes dinner rolls in a greased bundt or angel pan.
Mix and sprinkle the following over rolls:
1 c brown sugar
1/4 c white sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
a handful of chopped nuts of choice (I used sliced almonds)
Melt 1 cube butter and pour over top.

Cover with plastic wrap and leave overnight. (do not refrigerate)
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Turn upside down onto plate. Eat while hot.

When I do these again, I will cut it down a little... probably 16 rolls in the pan with a little less of the topping. Only because I had to physically remove them from the table before we ate the entire pan. So so good.

What's up Doc?

2010-03-15T12:24:00.004-04:00

Friday, Bug woke up with the bark. The cough that hurts just to hear it, the one that means you'll be spending you weekend in steamy bathrooms, if you don't get directly to the doctor's office. Little Man was also starting to cough, though not nearly as bad. So off we went, one mommy and two boys in the doctor's office.

Once we did the usual dance (Bug, put the chair back. No, you can't wash your hands. Turn the lights back on. Don't jump off the table. I asked you to put the chair back. Bug, leave the stirrups alone. SIT DOWN. Hey, you want to watch a show on Mommy's phone and eat some fruit snacks... here ya go.) while trying to answer the nurse's questions. The doctor comes in, the boys' transform into well behaved children and we get the diagnosis - parainfluenza. This is the viral precursor to croup. It can also cause bronchitis and, in severe cases, pneumonia. For Bug it's not such a big deal, 3-4 days on steroids and he's doing great. Little Man isn't so lucky.

Little Man at 10 days old in an oxygen tent at Children's Hospital.

He was hospitalized for RSV when he was 10 days old, so anything that attacks his respiratory system, hits hard and is difficult to kick. So when the doctor asked if he had ever been diagnosed with asthma, I wasn't caught completely off guard. We spent the weekend on meds that make him hyper. Coughing, overtired and hyper is not a good combination.

Today we went back to the doctor, because the cough had gotten worse. We came home with a nebulizer and breathing treatments for the next week. We'll go back for another follow-up and see if his breathing has cleared.

I'm hopeful that his chest will be clear and we can chalk this one up to a virus. Otherwise, we'll take the next step and be grateful that it isn't something more serious.

ps. i read this blog today and am feeling especially grateful for my two boys.

2010-03-14T07:00:00.001-04:00

Daylight Savings Time,
You are not my friend. Please give me back my hour. I need it much more than you do. I promise.
Sincerely,
Lauren

2010-03-09T15:11:00.001-05:00

I wish I could say I was one of those moms who could enforce a "no tv" rule, but I'm not. Which is why I can tell you to check out Shaun the Sheep.

It's genious... Or maybe I'm just that tired.

My Buggy Boy

2010-03-02T20:00:00.000-05:00

Today is Bug's second birthday and the last two years have gone by way too fast. He's such a little boy now... there's not much baby left.

For his birthday I thought I would make a list of 24 of his favorite things:

his pacifier
Yo Gabba Gabba
strawberries
singing happy birthday
backpacks
having the whole family at home
Penny kitty (a stuffed white kitten that used to be Lindsey's)
"I no no" (I don't know)
his bibi and bob
mac and cheese
Thomas the Tank Engine
Bubba (brother)
bathtime!
"NACK!", said in a loud growly voice means he would like a snack.
capes
yogurt
shoes
All the Single Ladies
cuddles
whatever Bubba has
books
pancakes
Lightening McQueen
Hiding

Happy Birthday, DoodleBug

Ace Ventura, Pet Detective

2010-03-02T10:37:00.003-05:00

Sunday after church we had a potluck dinner. About half the ward was there, enjoying breakfast for dinner and Little Man had attached himself to one of the teenage girls. The youth were all standing along the stage and Little Man was sitting on the stage with his plate keeping them entertained. I was sitting at table not too far away, trying to eat, keep an eye on him and get Bug to eat. I look up at some point and see that Little Man is no longer sitting, but walking along the stage. No big deal. Bug gets my attention and when I look back, Little Man is bending over with his butt facing the congregation, a hand on each cheek, backside pointed to heaven, making his butt "talk". Luckily Wil had the self control to handle the situation, because I was laughing way too hard. I have no idea where he came up with this one... and I'm a little scared to see what the future holds.

**Little Man has NOT seen this movie. And if he's coming up with this stuff on his own, he may never see it.

2010-02-24T18:59:00.001-05:00

Little Man (trying to get my attention): Dad! Daaadd! Daddy!
Me: I think you need to learn my name.
Little Man: You mean, Lauren the Quee-eee-en.

Why yes, that's exactly what I mean.

2010-02-23T10:18:00.001-05:00

We are working on Little Man's pre-K applications. The program at his elementary school is a peer modeling program. Does anyone have any experience with this type of program? Thoughts? Suggestions? I'm having a hard time finding information on the pros and cons for the "peer" children who are in the classes with the special needs kids.

2010-02-22T08:31:00.001-05:00

On Wednesday we spent the afternoon at my grandparents house with our cousins from Massachusetts. Unfortunately, we brought home a nasty stomach virus. Blog posting will resume once I can remove myself from the couch & my brain recovers from hours of Thomas the Tank Engine.

Ditch Witch, Part 2

2010-02-19T10:18:00.000-05:00

2010-02-19T09:18:00.001-05:00

Words not to teach your 4 year old = Ditch Witch

2010-02-17T09:00:00.000-05:00

Photos taken Christmas morning 2009

2010-02-16T18:49:00.001-05:00

dear chocolate bundt cake,
my past experience with bundt cake leads me to believe that you are dry and bland, but your simple appearance is quite deceiving. you are so delicious that you must be from the devil. i blame you for how uncomfortable my jeans have become. i am no longer allowed to bake you if you are going to be staying in my house. you are too dangerous to be my friend.
wishing i had more self control,
lauren

Surviving the Snow

2010-02-16T14:34:00.004-05:00

I wanted to post last week, but I was so bored with being snowed in... what more was there to post other than day after day of snow. So here are some of the finer points of the week:

* My husband took pity on me when after being stuck in the house for 4 days I came down with a monster sinus infection. He dug out the van, took the boys to Chick-fil-a and left me in a quiet house for a few hours. It was heaven (even with the pain).

* Bug turns 2 in less than two weeks. It is rare for him to throw a tantrum, to the point that when he does I automatically think he's sick. Apparently, that's a direct result of his pacifier. Weaning + snow days = fail.
* Little Man is completely consumed with Lego Star Wars. He will play it for hours on end. This means you have to sit with him while he demands you do it his way, even if this means jumping Jango Fett off a cliff a jagillion times. Lego Star Wars is now in time out.

* This was the cool view from our kitchen after the snow stopped and the sun came out for a few hours. The 40-50mph winds (which Little Man called buggy snow, because it stung so bad) created this:

Snow

2010-02-09T09:43:00.002-05:00

After help from friends and much shoveling, we were able to get to the house and park the van. That was 36 hours ago. Here's the forecast for the next two days:

... WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 7 PM EST WEDNESDAY...

A WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 7 PM EST WEDNESDAY.

* PRECIPITATION TYPE... SNOW.

* ACCUMULATIONS... 7 TO 14 INCHES.

* TIMING... SNOW WILL BEGIN LATE THIS MORNING INTO EARLY THIS AFTERNOON AND IT WILL LAST THROUGH WEDNESDAY. MODERATE SNOW RATES WILL OCCUR TONIGHT... AND HEAVY SNOW IS EXPECTED WEDNESDAY MORNING.

* TEMPERATURES... TEMPERATURES WILL RISE INTO THE UPPER 20S AND LOWER 30S THIS AFTERNOON. TEMPERATURES WILL DROP INTO THE MID AND UPPER 20S TONIGHT. TEMPERATURES IN THE UPPER 20S AND LOWER 30S WEDNESDAY.

* WINDS... LIGHT SOUTHEASTERLY WINDS TODAY BECOMING NORTH- NORTHWESTERLY 15 TO 25 MPH WEDNESDAY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. THE COMBINATION OF SNOW AND STRONG WINDS WILL MAKE TRAVEL VERY HAZARDOUS.

We've already had 4 huge temper tantrums this morning and it's not even 10am. George Washington Hotel, I miss you.

2010-02-09T09:41:00.002-05:00

dear spring,

we love you and miss you. please come soon. i have two boys who are dying to play outside in the sun.

yours truly,
lauren

The best kind of snow day

2010-02-06T11:10:00.004-05:00

Wil and I hit the five year mark back in October. We haven't had a weekend alone since we moved back to Maryland and decided it was about time. The planets finally aligned, reservations were made, babysitters all set... and then the weather forecast called for TWO FEET of snow. In this area that's big news. Things shut down, people don't leave their homes, they don't have the equipment to handle that kind of snow. So we had to decide if we were going to change our plans or roll with the punches. After much convincing (and a particularly rough morning with the kids) we decided that we would try it and see what happened. (Mostly Wil had to convince me that it was ok to leave the boys even though it was the anticipated "Super Storm" or "Snow-mageddon".)

So while our house looks like this:

the view from the front door

our poor cars

This is how we've spent our weekend:

we walked through the snow to this pub, where I had some really yummy fish and chips.

We stayed at the George Washington Hotel, which I highly recommend. It's an historic property in old town Winchester, VA.

We slept in a gorgeous room, with a fabulous marble bathroom.

Enjoyed the pool and hot tub...

ordered room service, caught up on all our favorite shows and enjoyed both the hotel restaurants while we watched the snow fall.

It was amazing.

Now we just have to figure out how we are going to get home. But if we're snowed in for another night... it wouldn't be so bad.

A Little Snow

2010-01-30T15:55:00.007-05:00

We got a little snow this weekend. About 3" so far. We are wondering if there will be church tomorrow. I hope so.

"It's about how you live."

2010-01-27T11:33:00.002-05:00

Today is my last day working for Calvert Hospice. Starting tomorrow I will once again be a full-time mom. So many people have asked me how I feel about this change... I don't know that there's a simple answer to this. What I'm feeling right now seems to change depending on who I'm with.

I do know that I'm ready to be done and give my boys my full attention. I know that with all the changes and chaos the last few months, they need that time and attention. I know that sometimes the thought of being with them ALL. THE. TIME. makes me want to beg my boss for my job back. (Of course this is usually in the midst of a full fledged temper tantrum.) I know that there are parts of my job I will miss. Really miss a lot. My amazing co-workers, my fabulous boss, the wonderful volunteers and the work that is done to help people at a difficult stage in their lives. Calvert Hospice has been a part of our lives for almost 5 years, when I first started working here. Since then Wil and I have both worked for hospice in both paid and volunteer positions. They have watched my boys grow up and have been a support to us when we needed it, both personally and professionally.

I know that death and dying are natural parts of life. I'm grateful for the amazing Hospice workers out there who help so many people and their families to manage pain, deal with grief and make this part of our lives just a little bit easier. I'm glad to have been a part of an amazing organization, to see where your donations go, how they touch peoples' lives. It has changed me.

If you are in a position to do so, please check out www.calverthospice.org and make a donation. If not, find your local hospice... attend an event, see what volunteer opportunities are out there - they can use your help in so many ways.

Recent discoveries...

2010-01-25T12:51:00.004-05:00

I was helping my mom shop for Zee for Christmas, when I found a link on her blog to Darlybird. (I think she may have been led there by cjane.) I fell in love with the earrings! The great colors, the vintage feel, feminine without being over the top and a great price. I don't feel like I'm being irresponsible or too frivolous when I shop there. Zee found red "Nie Nie" earrings in her stocking. I bought the white ones with a coupon that found it's way to my inbox. And there might just be a pair on their way to my mom for her birthday.

For Little Man's 4th birthday, we had a RED party. I did my best to find everything I could that was red... paper banners made with red scrapbook paper, tissue paper balls, red vines, cherry candy sticks. Of course, we were still on a budget so luckily all those things were really inexpensive to make. So when I was searching Darlybird for those earrings and found these cupcake papers, I couldn't resist. I did 2 dozen cupcakes for his party and still have enough left to make a couple more batches. They are a little smaller than the cupcake liners I usually get, but it made them perfect for the kids.

I've seen these sudzing bars in the store and have always figured they were a waste of money. Then a friend bought a pack for the boys for Christmas. I LOVE THEM!!! Seriously. Love. Them.

The soap is inside an odd fabric cover. When you use it the fabric acts like a washcloth and you get all kinds of lather (which the boys love). It also keeps the soap from getting slippery so little hands (or mommies) can hold it easier. But the best part by far is they claim that it lasts "twice as long as regular soap". In our house it proved that and then some. My boys are notorious for dropping a bar of soap in the bath tub for it to become slimy and gross and melting away into nothing. I don't like having to fish it out of the tub or having to use a bar of soap that's all slimy. Plus they like using them so they will actually wash themselves (of course this means I have to have two on hand at all times). The first two we opened lasted about a month, which for us is great. The boys love baths and will take one at every opportunity. I've even started using them since even though the boys have their own bathroom, somehow they keep ending up in mine. It's a definite two thumbs up.

Growing Pains

2010-01-19T13:52:00.002-05:00

I had to take Little Man to the doctor today... a trip I have been agonizing over for far too long. My fears were somewhat validated as I realized how completely spoiled we have been for the last 4 years.

When Little Man was born I knew who I wanted as a pediatrician. Dr. Hawit had been a pediatric specialist when my sister was younger and now has a small practice in the county. He's old, he's cautious and he's thorough. His office is small with only two exams rooms. He has one wonderful nurse that has been working with him for 20 years, she's awesome. There are two other ladies on staff, who are kind and great with the kids. If I left a message on the phone before office hours, I would get a call back within minutes of the office opening, almost always getting an appointment before noon. Well care visits were easy to schedule and there was little to no wait before you saw the doctor. He listened to me and trusted my judgment as a mom. He also watched out for me, noticing when I was catching what the boys already had and calling in a prescription so I wouldn't have to take them out again. When Little Man caught rota-virus while on vacation, he personally called me a couple times a day to check on us.

Then there was today... the doctor we saw was pretty good, I had no complaints there. But this place is HUGE. There were at least 20 people in the waiting room with 15-20 exam rooms just on the peds side. The nurses treated me like I was stupid and the next available appointment for a well care check up is 2 months away. We won't be going back.

But we still have to find a new doctor... even though I would be perfectly willing to drive two hours to see Dr. Hawit. I know our experience has been unique but I also want to believe that there are other doctors out there who will care for my children.

How have you found doctors after moving to a new area?

More to come...

2010-01-19T13:51:00.001-05:00

I know we have more pictures somewhere, since I know we took some on Christmas and Little Man's birthday. I will post them as soon as I find them.

Christmas Eve 2009

2010-01-19T13:44:00.002-05:00

(because Santa likes orange juice with his cookies)

new pjs

this is the only way we could get him to stand "still" in front of the Christmas tree.

Defrosting my fingers

2010-01-12T17:00:00.003-05:00

I can't remember the last time the temps here went as high as freezing and with a bitter cold wind along with it... I'm freezing. All. the. time. And that's my excuse for being lame. It takes me forever to get something started because it means I have to leave a cozy warm place, something akin to torture for me.

I promise to update my blog as soon as my fingers and toes defrost. Unfortunately, that might be months away.

Random thoughts for today

2010-01-05T12:30:00.004-05:00

The breakfast of champions this morning was the crumbs of the Puppy Chow Chex Mix, a leftover Rhodes roll, ranch dressing and parmesan cheese. The boys brought all the ingredients upstairs to surprise me. When we got back downstairs for a real breakfast and I was getting frustrated, Little Man said, "I'm sorry Mommy, I wanted it to be happy mother's day."

I gave my notice at work today. I'm trying not to mentally check out and after 2 weeks off, that's REALLY hard. As of January 29th, I will again be a full time stay at home mom.

It's this guy's birthday and I sure do love him.

Happy 35!

Breakfast of Champions

2010-01-04T09:30:00.002-05:00

The great thing about Little Man being old enough to get himself something for breakfast is that when he's kept me up most of the night, I don't have to move to find him something to eat.

The bad thing about Little Man being able to get himself something for breakfast is that when I forget that the chocolate covered pretzels that we had as treats for our dinner guests are within his reach, not only will he eat them for breakfast, but he'll also share them with his brother.

Anyone else ready for the holiday treats to disappear?

The year in which I find myself again

2010-01-03T21:37:00.002-05:00

I'm not sure what is was about 2009, but there was a large part of the year where I didn't feel like me. Due in part to all the changes going on, I was a mess. The smallest things would stress me out beyond what I could handle. I was often in tears and yelled at my children far more than they deserved. In the last few weeks, even with the holidays, I have been working hard to make things better.

Wil and I spent hours this weekend working on the chaos that had become our bedroom. The kind of mess that makes you cringe as you walk past. It's been horrible wanting that room to be a sanctuary but dreading having to go in there even just to sleep.

On top of all the cleaning, we've been making an effort to be social. On New Year's we invited over a few other families from our ward in the hopes of making some new friends. It was great. I cleaned the house, while Zee got dinner ready. Wil pitched in when he got home from work. After both boys had naps, they were well behaved (I'm pretending the nightmare before naptime didn't happen). We had a great time. The house even stayed relatively clean the rest of the weekend, so much so that we were able to have friends over for dinner after church with little stress.

Tonight, I was walking past my bedroom, I realized that I felt like me again... and I really like it. Our house is finally starting to feel like our home, like my very own space. I don't feel as stretched to my limit... there's breathing room again.

I don't know what 2010 holds for us, but I do know that I'm starting it out in a good place.

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T00:16:00.001-05:00

Much love from our photo booth to yours!

We wish you a Merry Christmas

2009-12-25T09:00:00.000-05:00

Jesus has a jet plane

2009-12-24T16:55:00.003-05:00

Little Man once told me a story about Jesus. It's been a while and it was told while we were traveling. The basics - Jesus has a jet plane.

This week I found proof:

Snow, Snow, Snow, Snow

2009-12-24T07:49:00.006-05:00

Something to Make you Smile

2009-12-18T12:32:00.003-05:00

I thought I might make up for the lack of posting by giving you an early Christmas present. I know it's not very Christmasy, but I promise it will make you smile.

Watch this one first (sorry it's kinda pixely):

Now this:

Dear Santa

2009-12-01T15:50:00.002-05:00

Little Man has been asking for a dog for the last year and we've been putting him off. Mostly by increasing his collection of stuffed animals. Now he's telling people that Santa is bringing him a REAL dog for Christmas. For CHRISTMAS!!!!! I don't know what to do. Do I hope that he doesn't remember? Do we risk his disappointment on Christmas morning? Should Santa start looking at a dog that will fit well with our family, just in case?

Help!

If you can't say something nice...

2009-12-01T08:43:00.006-05:00

I have been working incredibly hard the last month to organize a successful fundraiser for Calvert Hospice. It's been stressful on the whole family and I've had my moments when I've wondered if it was truly worth it.

Friday was the big day and as with any big event, things went wrong and I didn't think we would get it all done. But thanks to my family and wonderful Hospice volunteers, it all came together. The Hall was beautifully decorated, the food was amazing, the silent auction went well and I got great feedback from my boss and from those attending. Of course, there was room for improvement (the perfectionist in me always finds something) but I was really happy with how things went.

Until yesterday....

A older gentleman came into the office yesterday. He seemed very nice when I first sat down to talk to him about his "concerns about the Gala". Then he just got mean. Once he started there was no way to stop it. I sat there quietly, trying to smile as he single handedly torn apart small details of the event which, in his mind, were less than acceptable. It felt as if it would never end, but eventually it did and I was able to escape to my office before the tears came. In a matter of minutes, the day went from feelings of happy relief to feeling as if I had failed. All of the little things that I knew weren't perfect, were now confirmed. All of my mistakes and certainties were pointed out in detail. I was wrong and I had failed. Now, I realize that some of this came from days (weeks) of sleep deprivation, 12 hour days and still trying to be a good mommy. But I spent the rest of the day nursing those wounds, trying to figure out what I should have done differently and wondering what brings us to be so mean to others.

I know there are times when registering a complaint is necessary. I wonder though how often we take it too far, straying from constructive criticism to just being mean. Do we truly understand the circumstances? Is it really going to improve the situation? When did it become ok to be so mean under the guise of being "concerned"?

I hope that next time I'm in a situation where I might feel "concerned" or think that someone just HAS to know every detail of what might be wrong, I can remember.... "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all". Maybe it will keep someone's day from being as yucky as mine was yesterday.

Give Thanks

2009-11-30T14:06:00.003-05:00

We have finally come to the end of Festival. The Gala was a success and we are hoping to head home on Saturday. I'm looking forward to life going back to "normal" and being able to settle in somewhere. So before November is over, I wanted to make sure I made my list... not the one that goes to Santa, but this one:

Things I'm Thankful for in 2009

people who are nice * our new house * my boys * trouser jeans * Wil * my job * a kind employer * family * Herbie * Kitty * having kids who are appeased by stuff animals, even when they want a real pet * thomas the tank engine* toys that don't make noise* little boys who do * Susie Q *yummy food * new recipes * my own kitchen * good friends* purple shoes * scarves * new make-up * chocolate * technology * shopping with my mom & sissie * cute blogs that come up with fun ideas so I don't have to * a sister who will finish my projects when I get in over my head * the gospel of Jesus Christ * Christmas music * my sewing machine * crafts * homemade gifts

What are you thankful for?

Bug & a Brownie

2009-11-08T21:44:00.002-05:00

I rarely insert myself into my wife's blog and leave comments etc, but this was just to good.

w.

2009-11-06T14:13:00.004-05:00

I'm picky about my hair... REALLY picky. It's fine but thick. It wants to be both straight and curly. It's difficult. And although there are times when it irritates me, I really do love my hair. Maybe this is why I have a LOVE/HATE relationship with getting it cut.

Years ago, when I had both the time and the money, I had a fabulous stylist named Sonya. She had a cute british accent, kept up on all the styles and knew my hair almost as well as I did. I sat in her chair every 6-8 weeks and trusted her implicitly with whatever she wanted to try. It's been 6 years and I still miss her. A few weeks ago I read Amy's post about leaving her favorite stylist, then came cjane's post about her hair and wished I lived in Provo, if only to call Ashlee for an appointment. (She would know what to do about all this gray. And the post partum hair growth that STILL hasn't caught up to the rest of my hair, not to mention that it grew back a different texture than the rest of my hair.) I realized that it was time for a haircut.

But who do I call? Why is finding a stylist more difficult than finding a doctor? Or am I about to find out that they are equally as difficult?

So this morning I got my haircut and now I'm wishing I had waited just a couple more weeks (or at least until after family pictures on Wednesday morning). I'm sure that a shower and styling it myself will help (it usually does), but seeing 3 inches of hair on the floor was not a good thing.

The lesson in all of this... I will spend the time and money it will take in 2010 to find a new stylist. One who will love my hair as much as I do. May it be a long and happy relationship.

and then I cried

2009-11-02T14:01:00.002-05:00

We had a great "holiday" weekend. The boys looked super cute in their costumes, thanks to my fabulous sister. Without whom they would have been a monkey (third year in a row) and a dog (hand-me-down costume), because those costumes required absolutely no forethought or planning. Instead they went as the cutest Harry Potter you have ever seen and a little black cat. We spent time with family, ate lots of candy, got very little sleep and enjoyed seeing old friends again. This morning Wil and Zee packed up the car and the boys and went back to WV. They won't be back until next Tuesday. The following Monday starts my temporary single parenthood as Wil and I are living over two hours away from each other, I'm working full-time and he's tackling a 2 hour commute. I should be looking forward to my week of relief from most of the stress, only dealing with work and trying desperately to get caught up. Instead, I'm struggling to not feel like I'm getting a huge FAIL. I miss my boys already. I'm behind at work. I don't feel like I can be a good mom and be a good employee.

So I ask that you think of us in your prayers this month and I promise we will return to blogging as soon as the dust settles.

I hope I didn't snore

2009-10-22T09:27:00.002-04:00

Ya know the times in life where you have to have a mantra in order to survive, something you can repeat over and over to yourself throughout the day in order to keep your sanity. Lately, mine has been:

"And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethen were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord." (Mosiah 24:15)

With all of the changes happening in our lives, some of which we have chosen - some of which are being forced upon us, I've had a hard time being able to accept it all... and accept what it means to our day to day lives. I've had an ever harder time doing this all with patience and/or a good attitude. So I read my mantra everyday and tell myself that whatever happens I can handle it, and handle it with a good attitude. What I didn't expect to see from this is the blessings that have come this week... being able to recognize the little (and BIG) things that have helped me to bear my burdens with ease.

Zee and Wil have the boys. I know this isn't easy for them! It's allowed me to work long days and still recover from this nasty sinus infection.
Dad picking up dinner so I don't have to worry about it.
My boss... who gives me the freedom I need for my family.
Medicine. Especially the kind that knocks me out so I'm getting the sleep I need.
A Starbucks gift card.
Kind and generous people. A local massage thereapist called our office yesterday and offered free massages to all of the Hospice employees. You know I was first in line! I went over to his office expecting a 15 minute hand massage... an HOUR later he woke me up and sent me back to work.

Now I'm hoping that I've been able to regroup and rest enough that I can conquer the next 6 weeks.

2009-10-19T11:34:00.002-04:00

Wil, Zee and the boys left grandma's house yesterday evening to head back to West Virginia for the week. I'm still in Maryland, trying to get caught up at work, without the stress of temporary single parenting. It is really strange (and super quiet) without my 3 boys.

Just to make sure I wouldn't miss them too much, they left me a present... the sinus infection I've been avoiding for the last 3 weeks. Dodging that bullet was too good to be true. But thankfully, I have the time this week to rest and get better.

So, "meet our animals" will be postponed til next week. Medicine is waiting at the pharmacy. And fingers are crossed that my boys will be good for their Zizi.

Five years and counting...

2009-10-14T09:29:00.004-04:00

It's been five years since this day:

and I don't even know how to express how grateful I am for my wonderful husband.

So, in honor of our fifth anniversary, I'm going to give you my top 5 reasons why I love Wil.
1. When a mouse runs across the kitchen floor at 9:30 at night, he tries to catch it. Even though he's dog tired from being up since four and spending 14 hours at work.
2. When said mouse chase causes our living room to look like this:
He puts it all back AND does the dishes.
3. Our boys 4. He works hard to be a better man, husband and daddy.
5. He loves me... even when I'm a big hot mess and forget it's our anniversary.

2009-10-13T21:32:00.001-04:00

First there was Mrs. Mantis. Then the stink bugs came in droves. Now my husband is trying to catch the mouse in our living room. West Virginia hates me.

Meet Our Animals Monday

2009-10-12T22:18:00.002-04:00

Today we took a trip to visit the boys' great grandmas in Pennsylvania, which means we also got to visit Trooper. Here's a video of Little Man and Trooper becoming fast friends during the summer of 2008. You might need a translation, he's very worried about the stuffed bee Trooper is playing with...

Here's Little Man and Trooper today

(this is the best I could do to get them both sitting still at the same time)

When you don't have to share

2009-10-09T11:45:00.000-04:00

I stopped at Starbucks this morning on my way to work. I had left the house without breakfast and dreams of a Pumkin Spice Creme frappacino were dancing in my head. So I ordered a large... it's 3 hours later and I'm trying to figure out why I can't seem to finish it. Then it dawned on me that I don't have 2 little boys snitching my "smoothie". Next time, I'm by myself can safely order a small.

2009-10-09T09:48:00.000-04:00

I'm the guest blogger at "On How to be Lovely"! I think my sister just knew that I needed to be reminded of this with everything that has happened this week.You should check it out.

2009-10-08T10:28:00.001-04:00

I had to fire a vendor yesterday. It was awkward and made me want to throw up. You see, I avoid confrontation as much as possible. I really don't like having to "discipline" an adult (although I have no problem telling my children "no"). As a reward for being courageous and not crying in the midst of the meeting, I bought myself a birch beer... then I had ~~a lot of~~ some chocolate.

Wil says I need to not be so hard on myself, that it's understandable with the stress of work, sick babies and being far from home, I'm going to need some chocolate. The problem is, I feel out of control. I can't walk past the dang candy dish in the office without something finding it's way into my hand. And let's not even talk about the cookie jar at my parent's house. When one part of my life feels that out of control, so does everything else. I have a hard time focusing and decision making is near impossible.

Which brings me to the big question... how in the world do I get it back under some sort of "control"? Recognizing of course, that I can't "control" everything. There is always the element of faith in the mix... maybe "find the balance" is a better way of putting it.

In the midst of the chaos, how do I find the balance?

2009-10-06T22:37:00.001-04:00

A well planned week has turned into chaos... We are at my parents house. Little Man has croup. My sil (who watches the boys while I'm working) ended up with a nasty flu. Two days at work have turned into a full week.

It's getting late. I miss my husband. I'm stressed about work & the boys. I'm exhausted.
I don't know what I would do without a supportive husband and a wonderful sissie, who's coming back down here to watch the boys so I can take care of the problems with my event without feeling like a horrible mother.
I have to keep reminding myself that this is temporary and will all be over in December. We just have to make it through until then, living apart and working full- time. Wish us luck...and me a lot of patience.

Meet our Animals Monday

2009-10-05T09:00:00.002-04:00

Lemonade Kitty

Bird

A work in progress

2009-10-02T09:51:00.003-04:00

Our empty living room

I don't have a picture of our room when we only had the two chairs. But here's our work in progress:

The big chair and ottoman are being moved back to my parents house. We still have to hide cords, hang pictures and I'd like to get a smaller Karlstad chair from Ikea to replace the big one. Eventually we're going to replace the tv and entertainment center with something that coordinates. Wil picked out our fun lamps, which took me completely by surprise. I love them! And that space on top of the entertainment center bothered me in the apartment too. I just haven't been able to find something that works up there. Last of all, my dad is going to build me boxes to put on the tops of the windows and then I'm going to cover them with some kind of fun fabric... no curtains in this room. I love the light, but want to be able to hide the mini-blinds. I'm so excited to see it all come together.

It's my mother's fault

2009-09-30T21:31:00.002-04:00

I do this every time. Every single time. I don't know why I haven't learned yet, but knowing both my mother and grandmother, I know that the cards are stacked against me.

Tomorrow evening is book club. AT MY HOUSE.

This may not seem like a big deal, but we haven't even lived here for two months. There are still boxes in my dining room and this weekend we bought a couch. The new purchases inspired a room makeover and more unpacking. All of these things are very welcome and important things. (We have to have someplace for the Book Club ladies to sit. Two chairs just wasn't going to cut it.)

So it's almost 10pm. I'm trying to find the desk under the pile of junk that has yet to find a home and I'm feeling overwhelmed. I'm trying hard to be a little different in our new house. Not the frantic lady, who's rushing to clean her house 30 minutes before people get here... I'd like to be the lady whose house looks nice enough that people could just drop by and I wouldn't be worried. Also, I would like it even more if my son wouldn't ask, "Who's coming to our house?" whenever I mention cleaning. That can't be a good sign.

I better go finish the book...

CAKE!

2009-09-30T13:59:00.001-04:00

"Meet the Animals" Monday

2009-09-28T20:41:00.004-04:00

Little Man would like to introduce you to his animals! We are hoping this will be a weekly installment, but he's 3 and has no concept of time. As you are enjoying a little peek into his world, pay attention to Bug sitting next to him (and I apologize for the shaking camera, I was laughing too hard).

Snowball

Bug also wanted to contribute...

Penny Kitty

A few things...

2009-09-28T18:12:00.003-04:00

We all have some sort of sinus infection and it's not pleasant. Please excuse us while we recover from all of the nasties. In the meantime, something to keep you entertained....

A new blog!

A yummy recipe - that's really easy.
*note... sear your pork chops in olive oil for about 6 minutes each side before baking, a little less if you have thin cut chops.

Fun kids music.

And an adorable picture of my Buggy Boo eating cupcakes....

Breakfast of Champions

2009-09-22T15:33:00.004-04:00

Wil had to leave for work early this morning and while I was trying to finish getting ready for the day, the boys were off on their own. It was kinda quiet, so I was a little worried about what I would find if I headed downstairs. Before I could find out, they came up to see me. This was the end result:

Breakfast in the bathroom... at least it was yogurt, right? And they're sharing?

Cause she's super cool

2009-09-22T11:29:00.002-04:00

Zee has a friend named Annie. I've never met her, but I love her blog. It's fun, she has great taste, a lot of talent and is a fabulous mom to a super cute baby. You should check her out... and the cool desk she made. I also love that she posts this kind of stuff, it makes me feel more normal.

A few of my favorite things?

2009-09-22T11:03:00.002-04:00

This weekend Wil finally convinced me to get rid of our old phones (and bad service) and upgrade to his dream... an iPhone. We've been arguing for months about our "need" for new phones, but that's a post for another day. So we don't have a couch, but we have shiny new toys and now I'm faced with all kinds of new features and options... most of which are putting my brain on overload. You see, unlike my sister and husband too, I'm having a hard time finding what I really like. I'm rarely the one who discovers a new artist, sites like facebook that ask for your favorite music/movies/books leave me stumped. I look through iTunes wondering if I'll suffer buyers remorse for downloading a whole album. I see my playlists of 80's music, Backyardigans, Yo Gabba Gabba and Joshua Radin, then I feel stuck. Maybe in the 80's... maybe in a search for kids music that doesn't make my brain feel like it's melting away. Where do I go from here? Usually, it's my sister's music library... today it's up to you. I'm asking for your help... give me some ideas, thoughts, suggestions. What do you listen to? What helps you keep your sanity in the midst of the chaos?

coo-coo-pot

2009-09-18T22:39:00.002-04:00

Little Man has hit that age where he's making up his own words. Some are fun and silly. A lot of them are a variation on the word "poop", but our favorite by far is "coo-coo-pot".

Tonight we used this word to refer to one of the designers on Project Runway... she was definitely a little coo coo.

Little Man has been asking for a pet for over a year now. Randomly he will start crying because he doesn't have a pet. Last week he just had to have a lamb, a few weeks ago it was a pig, at some point he wanted a giraffe... today he saw pictures of puppies online and we're toast. At some point he's not going to accept stuffed animals as a substitute for real ones, but until that day I'm willing to break the bank on webkins, beanie babies or any other puppy dog substitute.

I'm thinking about starting a weekly post... meet our stuffed animals. I could go for months without posting the same one twice. It's kinda scary.

Bug bumped his head today on the wall behind the sofa. The bump was followed by the following conversation:
Me: Did you bonk your head?
Bug: yeah
Me: Do I need to kiss it?
Bug: yeah
He pats his head, leans over and I give kisses to his head. He would then lean over until his head touched the wall, look at me and say "bonk" (or something that sounded pretty close) then he would wait until I kissed it and repeat the whole thing all over again. If he's acting a little coo-coo-pot tomorrow, we'll all know why.

In the midst of our move, we met my grandparents for lunch and talked about Little Man's desire for a pet. A couple weeks later, my parents met up with my grandparents to have lunch with them and check in. During the conversation, my grandmother told my mom, "If I had know that Lauren wanted a dog, I could have gotten her a cocker spaniel when Pepper Duke passed away." Um, Pepper Duke died before I was born. But thanks for the thought Gram.

This past weekend I took the boys down to my parents house, upon on return home on Wednesday, I found a mantis INSIDE the house. There are some bugs I can handle (and by handle, I mean put a bowl or bin over top of them until Wil comes home and can take care of it) and others just freaked me out. Like the jumpy spider things we used to get in our townhouse in Annandale - Yuck! The mantis falls into that category. I'm staying as far away as possible... finding one in the house freaked me out. And since I was trying not to freak out the boys as I keep one eye on them and one on the mantis napping between the blinds and the window, pick up the phone and call my husband. Honestly, if he worked more than a mile away, I wouldn't have... I would have been a nervous wreck all afternoon, but I would have done it. Thank goodness, Wil's boss took pity on me. Within 15 minutes, he came home, rescued me from the mantis and was back at work. He's a good man.

This was a different mantis from the one that was living on the light outside the door. How can I tell? Smaller and no ginormous belly fully of baby manti (would that be the correct plural of mantis?). She's been gone for over a week now and I'm hoping she went far away to have those babies.

Sometimes I feel like a nut

2009-09-08T22:37:00.002-04:00

Tonight, we went to our first Book Club meeting. Since Zee and I are forcing our need to be social onto others, we felt it was important to attend. Next month, we'll be hosting... so we'll see how that goes. So after the discussion of how we wanted to set up our book club and some minor guidelines as to how this would work, we started to chat. We talked about jobs and job searches, kids and wacky eating habits, likes and dislikes and at some point I started to wonder.... do these ladies think I'm crazy? a bad mom? a total nerd? Am I that obnoxious kid that always says, "where I used to live, we did this...."?

My parents have lived in the same house for 32 years, I didn't have to be the new kid until I was in college and I wasn't very good at it. It took me 4 years to find really good friends, before that there was just a lot of awkwardness.

So now my fingers are crossed and there are a lot of prayers being said that we can make new friends in our new place.