The Crew

Trials and awakenings

2012-02-08T08:36:00.000-06:00

I have worked with children almost all of my adult life. As I lost a daycare client this past August, I questioned my choices and myself quite heavily. This family chose to leave after a conflict I brought to their attention for my well being and the mom, who I had befriended, immediately cut off all contact with me. This became a personal wound as well as a financial problem. I felt lost. Where do I go from here?

My children have always been the most important to me. I began staying at home while I was pregnant with Sassy and until this point never looked back. Now I was faced with the real possibility of HAVING to return to work, even though James won't go to school until September. Thankfully God had me in his sights already because he had led me to a great group of ladies in a lifegroup at my church. My faith in his lead and trusting and following his path have definitely been tested but being able to check in with these ladies has helped me to keep myself on his true path for sure.

This story does not yet have a true answer, I have just added a new client and have some other possibles as well. I have sent resumes and had interviews but staying home still feels right.

Out of my trial my trust has been reawakened!

And the year flew by

2011-12-29T13:49:00.000-06:00

I have done so little blogging this year. It is hard to really say that I am a blogger if there are so few posts available to prove it. I would love to say that I was too busy but in all honesty I just didn't feel like I had anything to say that was worth putting out on the web forever. This forever concept is a tough one. The things that I post may seem funny or appropriate now but what really needs to be posted are things that honor me now and in the future. This has been my dilema. I could post about this problem or that frustration but in the end it hurts the person I am posting about and it hurts me and my honor. Not the kind of blogger I ever intended to be. My goal for this year is to blog with honor and glory and have something that is worth reading.

Trials and miracles

2011-06-28T20:35:00.000-05:00

This year has been an interesting one so far for me. It has shown me some trials as a parent and as a human being that challenges my faith and my sanity which have both come out stronger than I ever knew possible. It has shown me some places to focus my attention to help others. I am hoping to push the "bullying" policy at my childrens school which is long overdue.

Look for more coming soon

When God really listens...

2011-04-18T19:01:00.000-05:00

I began this year with high hopes of making 52 changes to my life and diet to make this my healthiest year yet. I bragged as I week after week really picked new things to change and then made the changes. They wer acumulating until the week that I put out a true challenge for me and God listened. When God listens he doesn't just grant you the ability to fufill your needs, he challenges your ability to meet the needs yourself. To this suprisingly I say thank you to him.

The change I made that has been such a challenge was to stop emotional eating. Some of you may not understand this idea but for those of you that struggle with this as well you know all too well from where I speak. After challenging this to myself, I faced stresses with my middle child, from minor health problems to lies and theft. MY dear hubby spent increasing time on Mom duty with his aging mother, my preteen had hormonal mood swings and a appendix scare and lil man is 3 enough said.

I have fought hard to not eat emotionally but follow a mindful eating midset so I know why I am eating, for hunger not for other reasons. I have not however always succeeded but continue to work and my weight has maintained which I was proud of since usually it would be a gain instead.

That will teach me to brag especially when God is listening

Week 7 Is that even right….

2011-02-16T13:53:00.001-06:00

The queen of staying power has yet again stayed at the same weight. Efforts are not enough if I do not fully commit. Last weeks no emotional eating was a tough one on me. How else would I have gained all this weight if I was not an emotional eater. I made not an ounce of progress last week. In all honesty I was depressed and spent much of the week second guessing my talents and abilities. Not good!

I am going to continue to push on though on that one as well as the rest because that’s the plan.

This week I am removing Mayonnaise from the house and not replacing it with anything. Bye bye fatty mayo!

Okay so 52 weeks and 51 changes?

2011-02-08T11:43:00.001-06:00

Week 1 was cutting the soda and increasing the water- check this one has been pretty easy!

Week 2 was exercising 3 times a week- I want to say this was hard but with all the snow we have had around here and all the shoveling I have done I am going to count that as my exercise but yes Mr. Treadmill I will be back to you this week for my run/walk workout

Week 3 was get outside everyday- Um yeah the snow and the shoveling made that one easy too since the snow doesn’t fall in the house. I can’t wait until spring weather makes this a fun fun change

Week 4 that is where I dropped the ball, I wasn’t on for a variety of reasons and the cold I had cut my resolve to make another change down to nil. I know it is an excuse but heck I never said I was perfect.

Week 5 Last week which I didn’t post. Increase fruits and veggies decrease snackies(you know who you are)

Week 6 This week

I have actually put quite a bit of thought into this week. The changes I have made have resulted in 8lbs gone but they are not drastic changes and they are not to terribly challenging. So what should be the next step to challenge myself. The decision was EMOTIONAL EATING- putting an end to emotional eating. I have a real problem in this area. The loneliness and boredom can sometimes be overwhelming and my coping mechanism is not working so I am going to put it in check. To those of you who are not emotional eaters this may seem wimpy but for anyone who has been there you know this one is a biggy .

Yesterday was not a good day for this rule by the way. I need to learn that others actions cannot bring me down only I can do that and I shouldn’t allow anyone else the right to do that.

I am but a work in progress!

52 weeks to a healthier me- Week 3

2011-01-19T10:16:00.001-06:00

Week 2 recap- I still did great with the no soda thing. It hasn’t proven in 2 weeks to be so terribly hard and the increase in water I know is so much better for me. So week one still running strong through week 2. Exercise, what can we say, I did a great workout on Tuesday started my walking and running program which should lead me to running as I get in better shape. I chose to spend another of my workout days shoveling snow which isn’t walking on a treadmill but definitely a workout so I am going to count it. The third day was a fast paced walk on the treadmill Saturday morning, no running this time but a fast pace and I was pleased with myself.

Week 3- I have been thinking a lot on this one, what should come next in my progression. There are so many changes that can be made what should this one be? A cold coming on made the decision for me. I am going to add something fairly easy this week. Every day I need to spend some time outside. I have a hard time this time of the year with Seasonal affective Disorder(I need more sunshine) I have decided that in order to combat this(thus combatting the overeating that can follow the depression associated with it) I need the outdoors. I would love to put a time on it but here in Wisconsin you can never be sure how long the windchill will make it safe to be out so I will just say everyday time outside and make the most of the weather.

Technorati Tags: SAD,diet,exercise,healthier me

52 Weeks to a healthier me

2011-01-10T13:15:00.001-06:00

Week 1 recap- Week one my goal was to completely avoid soda and to drink more water instead of other drinks that would be more caloric.

I was a big success on week number 1. Absolutely no soda consumed and I managed to keep off the 4 pounds that I lost with the stomach flu just as the week started

Week 2 plan- This week I am going to continue with week 1’s change and add on exercise 3 times this week. This will also continue after this week but this week my goal is 3 days of exercise(preferably beginning my running program)

I had originally intended for week 2 to be portion control but the flu has made that a more natural path and so I wanted exercise to begin in earnest instead.

unexpected jumpstart

2011-01-04T08:23:00.001-06:00

So who could have guessed that after starting this journey on getting healthier and of course losing weight, I would get an unexpected(unwanted) jumpstart. That’s right, the stomach flu. It started in our house on Christmas eve and took us out 1 by 1 slowly stealthily. New years eve I had fitful sleep and it began New years day. By the time I wanted more than water and crackers I was down 4 pounds. I know it is water weight but if I can keep with the portions that my tummy handles at this point I should have a good start on next weeks portion control plan.

Update- Other than a small swig of 7-up mid sick time I have stayed with my water challenge. I think that is helping me bounce back from this. Getting thirsty so off to get another cup of water, have a great day!

New Years day here we come

2010-12-31T16:28:00.001-06:00

I am not a person to make big resolutions. This year however I need to make a PLAN not a resolution. I am no dummy I know that the longer that I remain at a unhealthy weight the worse I will be. I already have mild high blood pressure and I know that a drop in weight would help that.

So what’s my plan you ask? Oh and thanks for asking. Each week I am going to make 1 healthy change to my life and as these changes increase I am hoping that the numbers on the scale will decrease in comparison.

Week #1- My drinking habit- No silly I don’t have an issue with alcoholic drinks, it’s the other kind and for the most part I don’t have a problem here either but I know that a healthier and less caloric choice for all my drinks(except my morning joe) will be replaced by water. Sugary drinks are just empty calories and diet drinks wreak havoc on your hormones because they trick your body chemically.

So this week join me in checking in with the water challenge!

Technorati Tags: weight loss,diet drinks,water

So how do we begin?

2010-12-21T14:12:00.001-06:00

It is so easy to say you want to lose weight and so hard to follow through on it. I don’t do well writing down what I eat or want to eat or thought while I was eating. That is not the best way for me. The main idea has to be portion control and getting moving.

Day 1: That is today! My portion control at breakfast was good, this one varies for me because I have daycare kids coming and my own kids getting ready to catch the bus about this time so sometimes I don’t remember to eat and others I overeat not paying attention(obviously a place to watch. I took the boys out to play and shoveled the entire 30 minutes that they played.(++++) Lunch time I snacked while cooking for them and so had a very small portion during the meal. Then during nap I needed to make treats for the girls to take to school on Thursday. Yes I ate some of the cookie dough and half a sugar cookie. Not great, not horrible, but not great. Heck perfection isn’t possible but at least I am trying.

Hopefully this afternoon I can either shovel again(in WI we got dumped on yesterday) or a run on the treadmill or Wii fitness we shall see.

Technorati Tags: weight loss,dieting,40,overweight

40 overweight and fed up with it

2010-12-20T17:51:00.001-06:00

This past July I turned the big 4-0. Numbers have never really bothered me, in fact I really love birthdays so I am not one that will be 39 and holding. What is the fun in that. I look at my mother-in-law, who in November turned 89, and realized that each year is a new goal to the next and that celebrating the accumulation of those years is so important.

So what makes me so fed up? I have been overweight for much of my adult life. My Junior year in college we found out that my Grandma had incurable cancer and I swung into what I now realize was a deep depression and the pounds began. I regained some control prior to my second child but if I really want to see 89 like my Mother-in-law I am going to need to make some healthy changes in order to even come close to that goal.

What am I going to do about it? That is the big question. It has to be a new way of life it can’t just be quick fix or these pounds will just come back. I want to make myself accountable to someone but I am not sure who. So I chose you, whoever you are, reading along and I will not only share my successes and there better be some, but also my failures and goodness knows there will be some of those.

Thank you for coming along on the ride and feel free to join in and journey with me to a healthier being.

Let it be

2010-12-07T07:58:00.001-06:00

The challenge during the holiday season is to take the time to enjoy it. We have put so much into the holiday that just doesn’t need to be there that we end up running each day from one activity to another, from one store to another but never take the time to enjoy the things that are most important.

If you are a Christian, what is this holiday truly about? Is it gifts given and gotten? Is it cookies or parties? Those things are all there, part of all of our memories but we are missing the real reason that all those things are happening. The birth of Jesus is the most important reason for the season. What can we do to remember this on a daily basis? How can we remind our children who focus more on the bearded guy and the presents?

This year, like last year our Christmas eve story will be about the birth of Jesus not the coming of Saint Nick. The kids are also going to make and decorate a cake for Jesus’ birthday and that will be breakfast on Christmas day as we remember the reason for the season.

What ideas do you have to share?

The wonders of the heavens

Praying for things to calm…

2010-11-17T13:16:00.001-06:00

Have you spent much time praying lately? Do you really know how it all works. I know we pray and expect that God is just going to answer those prayers in the way we expect. Funny thing is that when you pray for patience, god gives you things to learn to be patient with. You get the picture it isn’t as easy as one would think to master this prayer thing.

This fall we were super busy with all the normal 3 child, 2 parent crazy week stuff. I knew we were burning out and I prayed for things to calm. Little did I know that the answer to my prayers was tons more things to be done and places to go and so the answer to my prayer was that things were calm and I just didn’t realize it. Funny how that works.

It does seem that when I pray for others, my messages are not quite so garbled to the man upstairs as those prayers seem to go through as prayed. Maybe that is my key, pray for others and know that someone is watching over me.

Me

2010-09-08T13:44:00.001-05:00

This is a sunny self portrait. Looking at new ways to get some creative shots.

So my journey has truly begun with photography. I have turned in and received back my critiques on Unit 1 from NYIP. Alls good and I took the requisite pictures. I was hoping for outstanding but I can work my way there as well. As for the beginning professionally I am still struggling to find the best way to sell my photos and my service so this is an ongoing process.

Just so happy to have gone back to something for me.

And the beat goes on….

2010-08-17T12:26:00.001-05:00

So my first photo shoot behind me and I am full of questions. Pricing for the shoot, pricing for the photos, settings for shoots and on my camera…… AHHHHHHHHH! This is exciting and scary all at the same time. Can’t wait until it is a regular feeling.

Summer

2010-08-13T08:14:00.001-05:00

This is the first summer in a few years that I have been able to really enjoy my children in their time off school.

Three summers ago I started the summer very pregnant and uncomfortable and ended the summer with a new baby boy. That summer was dotted with periods of fun but the late pregnancy and early baby times are always such a blur that you can never look back and really enjoy.

Two summers ago I did summer care for a friends 2 girls who are the same ages as my girls. I thought this would make for a great time not only for me but for the girls. Oh boy was I wrong about that one. That was perhaps the longest summer I have had in a long time. Suffice it to say that the 4 girls weren’t great together.

Last summer was great with the girls but lil man and the boys I watch were just too young to do fun activities so the summer came and went and we enjoyed each other but didn’t have any really fun times.

I am kind of sad to think of school starting this year. I know it will bring back a schedule, which we lack in the summer, but I have enjoyed our little day trips and just watching what loving girls my daughters have become. They help with lil man and the daycare children and are becoming such young women right before my eyes.

The Big 40

2010-08-05T14:24:00.001-05:00

Last Week I turned 40. I know I know such a big number.

In all honesty I wasn’t bothered by a number. I don’t feel that old(most days) so I just live like I am still as young as I feel. Then something like today happens.

An acquaintance who is also 40 and has kids about my girls age, died of a heart attack yesterday. Now I don’t know this man very well, in fact I never did. He was also into things that could have damaged his heart in the past. But the 40 and the heart attack thing really got me.

I had promised myself that I would start to walk regularly and build up to running after turning 40 and this sure gave me an even better reason to go for it.

Don’t take anything for granted!

Patience

2010-07-15T13:15:00.001-05:00

The last time I was on my ramblings were very impatient that my patience had not been yet rewarded. I have learned that my way in the world my direction to follow is shown to me. I have to be willing and watch for the signs but they are there. A few weeks ago I was arguing with myself over whether the early childhood position at church was my sign. I looked into it extensively but finally agreed that although it was a great position and looked perfect for me, the timing was not right on my end so this could not be the direction but maybe more realistically a test of whether or not I was watching for the signs. If I took this position I would need to find care for James and that is not something that I want to do. In 2 years when he is in Kindergarten maybe but not now.

Patience was rewarded, also the test of following through. I had taken a photography class through UW-Extension and posted my assignments on Facebook. Between those posts and talking to another mom at the park I had 2 job possibilities for photography shoots. The first didn’t work with our schedule which was frustrating and the second is still out there when I am ready. I wondered if this was telling me something but waited. When we returned from vacation I had received a letter from The New York Institute of Photography with an offer for a deal on tuition if I singed up before my birthday. Now I knew it. So for my birthday(and Christmas) this year from my dear hubby and my parents, I am going to be getting the tuition to go back to school online!

I am so excited. I have 2 other jobs lined up as well. Now I need to come up with a name and cost sheet so I can study hard and really make this happen. Any suggestions out there?

The search… the finding… the journey

2010-06-29T14:35:00.001-05:00

It seems as though my journey to find my place in life has a sense of humor. I went to college as a German major only to realize that there is no future job with that degree alone. I decided upon a degree in special education but the mix of my grandmothers death and the discovery of early childhood education changed my job decisions even though my degree remained the same. That is merely the beginning. I, after many years of teaching preschool and later directing a preschool decided to resign and find a new career. Three days after I left I found that I was pregnant, my new career(very similar to my old one) had found me. 12 years later I am still doing in home daycare.

When we lived in Madison I spent alot of time building a community for us. The YMCA and church and friends. Then we moved to my hometown where, it sounds silly to say, I had none of these things quite the way I did in Madison. I trusted though that god had something in store for me. The Christian education position came available in my hometown church I felt this was where I was called and took it. The position was wonderful and challenged me in just the right way both mentally and spiritually plus I was still available for my children. I questioned continuing when I learned I was pregnant again but it wasn’t until we lost Jordan at 20 weeks that I lost my direction, my faith, and in the end left my position.

Here I am 4 years later at a new church which has helped me to restore my faith, I am searching for my direction(lil man will go to school in 2 years) and the early childhood ministries position is available. The hilarity of the possibilities and the feeling that the timing is not right. But I can’t get the idea that I am being called out of my head.

Technorati Tags: path in life,calling,god

To the Dads!

2010-06-20T13:30:00.001-05:00

I happen to have a wonderful father and a husband that is a wonderful father. This is not something I take lightly. I know that I am blessed and on such a day I just say thank you! Simply Thanks for all I have and for all they are!

Lil man and his daddy!

Is my Brain too full…

2010-05-20T13:18:00.001-05:00

There are many days when I begin to wonder. Just how much can fit into a human brain. Some days I remember everything and look like superwoman in the process. Those days are the good days. Other days I lose everything. Those are the bad days.

Yesterday was one of those lose your own head days. I was outside with the kids and had taken my Kindle along because the reception outside is better and there were some waiting downloads. As normal things get crazy outside and at some point I bring the Kindle back in to keep it safe and put it……..

There is where the story had it’s whole yesterday. I knew I put it somewhere to keep it away from the kids but had no idea where that place might have been. I even checked the fridge, freezer and pantry. Hey you never know on the bad days. No luck! I wanted to read last night, no luck, I wanted to look at my daily verse this morning, no luck.

Today began and I got to work on making sure all the events are on the June calendar. We were missing all of Sassy’s softball games so I went to get a pen out of the drawer and guess what else I found.

My Kindle! Today is one of the good days! I have found a few other things too. Gotta love the good days!

Have a great day yourself!

Let the children know

2010-05-13T12:57:00.001-05:00

I started taking our girls to church with me quite early on in their lives, lil man not quite so as I was having a rather tough conversation/debate with god at the time. I did know in the back of my head that they may or may not continue this as they got older. This put a deeper want in my heart to expose them to a variety of churches and services and ways of thinking that would help them to make their own choice when it comes to religion. I think so many of us follow the church and are confirmed in our faiths at the predetermined age and never really choose our beliefs but just accept them.

I am not saying that people cannot find religion or be fulfilled by religion in this type of setting. I just know that it doesn’t work for everyone. Thus far we have tried a few settings. I think we found a place where we will all enjoy and be present in our choices.

I do believe that each of should do what we know how to do and if we know better we should do better. There is not a perfect one amongst us and the moment we begin to pass judgment is the moment judgment is passed upon us.

Are you listening to your calling?

Technorati Tags: getting to know god

A Journey for sure

2010-05-12T12:04:00.001-05:00

You don’t have to go back to far into the past to see the turbulent relationship I have had with god. I grew up in a Protestant church, went to Sunday school each Sunday(even after I was confirmed) and attended church until I went away to college. I was searching for his truth but I was never excited by his truth. I didn’t attend church except varying holidays the entire time I was in college and let’s be honest, many years after. It wasn’t until I had children that I began to search again. I went to a variety of churches and finally found a home in a church that excited me. His truth, his message was alive there and I was alive there it was outstanding. It was shortly after this that we moved. I figured that since I was moving back to my hometown that god had big things in store for me in the church I grew up in.

He did. I became the Director of Christian Education and began to bring new ideas and fun into my old church. The funny thing about it was that I was really alive in his word and things were happening there. I found out I was pregnant. We had been trying, or at least not preventing, for over 2 years at this point so I felt very blessed and made many plans that would help me to continue my exciting position and care for my new baby. That is when I was challenged.

On Good Friday in 2006 we went in for an Ultrasound for this precious, much loved and wanted baby. We brought our other children who were 5 and almost 7 with us to let them share in our excitement. All of this to find out that our baby at 20 weeks no longer had a heartbeat. We were crushed and felt much guilt for having exposed our children to such tragedy. We were induced later that day and on April 15th(yes tax day) we gave birth to a still baby boy. I had so many questions, wasn’t I doing all the right things, should I not be blessed instead of cursed. I was determined to carry on my faith(albeit shaken profusely) but it was then that I believe the devil intervened. Some of the older members of the church who were not as open to the changes I was making began to make noise and this noise got louder and with the struggling already in my head the noise over took me. Not only did I leave my position but I rarely returned to the church. I fought my faith and began to seek other answers. This seeking never brought me any.

This year around Christmas time I heard of a church, it was whispers here and there. Nothing loud but it repeated. If a conversation came up that included what church do you attend, the answer was always the same. I decided to visit this church after Christmas.

The first service and each thereafter have brought about such emotion in me that I am brought to tears many times. The message that I have missed my entire life was here. It is not about how righteous I am but about what I do with my life. How I treat others and how I help others. This is that truth that I have been missing, the piece that makes it all make sense. It was always the should and should not mentality in religion for me and I knew that just couldn’t be the message that god was trying to send. I know now that it is about him and not me. I can continue to follow where I am led by him as long as I always remain active in carrying out his word in his world.

I am ready for your challenge and thankful for your gentle lead.

Many thanks to The Blackhawk church in WI for making a place that I could discover his message for us all

The terrible twos go away right?

2010-05-05T13:05:00.001-05:00

Lil man has been a ton of fun lately. Everything is an argument and his opinion is the only one that is right. Screams can be heard for up to 10 minutes about my choice of dinner or clothes if they don’t fit in with what he has in mind. I have always strived to raise independent children but this attitude is too much.

It has been a while since the girls went through this particular stage so maybe I blocked out how horrible these fits can get. I am sure I did because I would remember this if it hadn’t scarred me so much that I got rid of those memories permanently.

This on top of having 2 preteens that I know are hormonal or at least pre-hormonal and it is amazing most days that I can make a full sentence by the end of the day.

God grant me the patience to parent in a loving manner and bring these 3 beings out on the other side as productive loving people.

Rainy Saturday

2010-04-24T06:51:00.001-05:00

The rain started last night. I know we had a little lightening about 3:30 this morning because our 200lb Mastiff needed me to get up with her, she was scared. This morning however it is just that drizzly stuff that hangs and slowly wets you to the bone not the downpour that drenches you in seconds. The drizzle is much sneakier. Our day isn’t too full but the soccer game at noon proves to be a little muddy so I am sure the washer will be used following the game as well as the shower. Sorry Sassy but you will be a mess when you are done. Thank goodness it is at naptime so lil man will stay home and we won’t have to fight to keep him out of the mud.

Tomorrow the rain doesn’t matter in the morning, church is inside and warm so we have until the afternoon before we will want to do anything outside. Truth be told we need the rain. Our transplants need the rain, our new trees need the rain, the grass, well it is mowing season.

Processing time

2010-04-20T13:50:00.001-05:00

Last week I took some time to just process. I didn’t want to write while the feelings were raw and found some wonderful clarity to the week in the process. Thursday last week was the 4th anniversary of the loss of our lil Angel Jordan. At 20 weeks we learned that he had stopped growing and his little heart was no longer beating. This day changed who we were, who our children were, and how we looked at things for a long time.

This year for the first time it wasn’t as hard. No mistake it wasn’t just another day but I did not find myself drowning in sadness. I spent the week really looking at what we have. 3 healthy children a wonderful marriage and so many other things that have come our way. I spent time thinking how things may have been different if we hadn’t lost Jordan. Would he have been handicapped if he had made it and how severely. We don’t know exactly why we lost him so we have no idea what the issues were that we may have faced. How would any problems with Jordan have affected our marriage and our children. Would we realistically have had James?

This line of thought doesn’t lead me to it being a positive thing that we lost Jordan but it does help me to recognize and cherish what we have and know that it was in His plan for us all. I am so glad that I took the time to process this year it really brought me to a better place than I have been in a few years.

Not as easy with a Meat and potatoes Man

2010-04-13T13:54:00.001-05:00

So the decision to follow a more vegetarian diet has been an up and down process. Hubs is a true meat and potatoes man and there is no reason he should change how eats completely. This is my journey not his. The kids are well, kids and they have their likes and dislikes. This leads for me as a mom into some more challenging times while trying to restrain from meat eating.

There are nights when I was making a dinner that in order to follow the ideas I had originally had would have taken making a whole different item for myself. Some nights that isn’t an issue but some nights I am lucky to get one dinner on the table before we need to be out the door to an activity. So I have not truly been meat free during this period although I am more conscious of when I am eating meat so that is something.

The moral here is that there is not one part of us living that is black and white. These are not rules that anyone placed on me as law and being able to be flexible is most important.

Never claimed to perfection and don’t plan to ever strive for it either.

Pumpkin Pancakes(as promised)

2010-03-18T08:20:00.001-05:00

These are the best things I ever made for the family. Healthier than regular pancakes but still easy peasy. I make this recipe and double it. This way I cook once and freeze leftovers for during the week when things aren’t as relaxed in the morning.

Pumpkin Pancakes

2 cups flour

3 TBSP brown sugar

1 TBSP baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 3/4 cups milk

3 eggs beaten lightly

3/4 cup canned pumpkin(home canned or store bought)

1/4 cup cooking oil

Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl mix all the wet ingredients. Mix the wet and dry ingredients together. Do not over mix but make sure that everything is incorporated. Then its off to the griddle or fry pan, whatever you use for pancakes and it’s all flips and flops from there.

These come out a wonderful orangish hue and are moist and tasty. My family actually is bummed when I make regular ones now.

To veg or not to veg that is the question

2010-03-17T13:34:00.001-05:00

In High school I was a vegetarian, I probably didn’t make all the healthiest choices, I just didn’t want to eat meat as a general rule. I didn’t stop eating eggs, dairy, or seafood, so I guess I was lacto-ecto-pesco vegetarian. Those terms may be inaccurate but you get the gist. In college I remained vegetarian for a long time. It wasn’t until I moved in with my now hubs, who by the way grew up on a farm, that my eating habits changed to meat. I was cooking for both of us now, he is a meat and potatoes guy, how could I cook the meals that I enjoy(sans meat) and still be the Suzy homemaker that I thought I needed to be. This was a dilemma for me from that point until today. Having children for me didn’t make this any easier. I don’t do the short order cook thing so how could I make the meal that he likes and still follow my feelings on what I would like to consume. Oh the attempts and fails as I worked on this have been huge.

Well time to put myself at the head of the class. I am on a mission to change my eating habits back to what I am more comfortable with. Those in the family can hop on the veggie bus if they like, they can continue to eat meat as I serve it for others, but I hope they can support me and not get in front of the bus as I spend time making this work for me.

Day 1 no red meats in my menu at all today- they are the first on the list to go. Can't wait to make green pancakes(pumpkin) with eggs for our St. Patty’s day supper. If you are looking for a good pumpkin pancake recipe(with green or without) I will post the recipe tomorrow.

Technorati Tags: going vegetarian,family meals,Pumpkin pancakes

Got backup?

2010-03-11T13:45:00.001-06:00

Last weekend I had an overnight with my girlfriends from high school. We are all hitting the big 40 this year and some are more bothered by it than others. We do this every year in March and in the past we have had some really drunk ones but this year we did more talking than drinking. That’s a good thing.

It is so funny what we formulate in our heads about people we don’t see very often(even those we do). One of my friends said she wished she lived in our hometown with us. She said you see each other all the time. We told her no not really we don’t. Some of us haven’t communicated well enough with others(lack of calls, cards, emails)and those of us in that guilty zone didn’t realize that it was something we were holding but the other person had no clue and was not upset about it. Case in point, I sent one of my friends b-day cards over 3 weeks late and I was very bothered that I wasn’t on time. She however got a smile out of receiving it especially late because of the not that I attached. It was my stress, didn’t have to be.

I have learned alot over the years about friendship from these women. I have also learned alot about myself in the process. It isn’t every relationship that is like that. The biggest thing that I think we realized last weekend was that we were always going to be there not always as close as the past may have us remember but there nonetheless. So bring it on we have back up.

He’s growing up…

2010-03-04T13:41:00.001-06:00

I have been MIA for a while on here and it wasn’t intentional. It is what happens when life takes over. I have always said off line comes before on line does and so taking care of all the people in my life and all the things that keep the people happy(i.e. clean clothes, dishes,and house) have preempted much of my time on line. Not necessarily a bad thing. I have also been fighting with the fact that my baby is growing up.

Lil man has a short cut to his hair now much like his daddy. Where are the baby locks, gone.

He announced on Monday that he wanted to be a big boy and wear underwear like his daddy. Today he has yet to have an accident even though we took a quick trip to target. Not that I want to buy more diapers but again, gone.

While we were at said trip to Target, he took a trike of the shelves and pedaled it, when did he learn to pedal?

My lil man is becoming a little man!

Why so sad then? He is my last lil one. We are done having children and I have tried to make sure that I savor every last moment with him knowing that though we will have many wonderful time with our children as the grow up that this period in our lives is coming to a close. Baby fever is what I would have called it in the past, the longing to bring a new life into our family. This time, honestly, it feels a little different. I(we) don’t want to bring a new life into our family but enjoy the life that our family has. That being said I have probably just jinxed myself into a surprise pregnancy for such a statement.

New things are always hard to get used to and this is no different. I love my girls til the end of the earth and look forward as they begin to enter the world womanhood. Now I just have to remind myself that there are lots of firsts coming for my lil man too and that each new day will remind hubs and I just how blessed and lucky we really are. Pardon me as I wipe the tears of babyhood away now.

This is not easy….

2010-02-24T12:38:00.001-06:00

Like so many things in life you look at something someone else is doing well and think. Man that is easy, I can do that just as well if not better than them. Most times it just isn’t. Blogging is one of those things. I read others blogs and think man I can do that. The problem is that you have to find where you fit, not where you want to fit but to be truly good at it where you truly fit. This is where I fight right now. I am not a food blogger, not a full fledged religious blogger, no vital emergent problems with my health or the health of my family to blog about. I don’t claim expertise in any specific area other than my day to day, the education in my preschool/daycare, and the things that really get to me.

If and when you figure this one out then it is finding the group of others that fit into the interesting topics that you blog about. They are out there you are not alone in any of your blogs but to find them

Finally it is staying true to your beliefs. If you blog honestly blog honestly but always know that it is all out there for the taking and what you write has consequence and power.

If you don’t want others to read what you have written then you can’t publish it.

The most important part is to have fun but not at the expense of others.

Got it, now get to it

Technorati Tags: blogs 101,how to blog well

pushed over by an email

2010-02-18T13:52:00.001-06:00

Normally when I get those forward, forward, forward emails I either scan quickly through or delete entirely. Today I read one, big mistake.

The quote from the email:

“We should inundate the White House with emails demanding he keep his feet off of our furniture.
This arrogant, immature & self-centered man has no sense of honor, or of simple decency.
While this posture is disrespectful in any culture, it is absolutely never done in any executive setting.
Further, in over half of the cultures of the world, it is recognized not only as disrespectful, but as an extreme insult.
He thinks of himself as a king -- and not as a servant of the people, humbly occupying our White House for his term in office.
Electing him was an enormous mistake -- and will cost us in many ways, for generations”

I didn’t reply to this email. What do you have to say about this picture and the email that accompanies it? I am interested to know.

Fat Tuesday no more

2010-02-17T11:06:00.001-06:00

Ash Wednesday is a day of beginning for me. Fat Tuesday just sums it up. Things need to change. The last 3 weeks have been spent with primary focus on my hubby who had a kidney stone. Most people are able to just pass one the size he had(4.5mm) but for some reason his body fought that. He was in the ER twice, the second time admitted because his kidney was enlarged. He had 2 invasive procedures done in that 3 weeks and I think it gave us both a wake up call. I also of course was secondarily focused on the kids so there was no focus on the me I planned this year to find again.

Hubs is better finally and back at work. He will have to follow up to recheck kidneys etc but things are getting back to normal around here.

Now it is my turn! For lent I have given up any baked good type sweets(no cake, cookies, brownies, you know the lineup) I don’t especially think I NEED to this for spiritual reasons(I am not catholic) but this is more to prove to myself that I can be diligent about a change. My eating has been sporadically good and bad and my treadmill workouts have been intermittent at best. Still at square 1(okay maybe 1.5) from where I started at the beginning of the year but with strong resolve to improve my health and the health of my family.

I am hoping by the next Fat Tuesday that I can honestly say there is less Fat.

How I met hubs…

2010-02-07T06:41:00.001-06:00

Linking up to Mama M hey I am mama M too but not that mama M I guess I go by momma M instead. I digress. Today her link up is about how you met you significant other.

How I met the hubs, now that is a good one. It actually quite nicely sums up how our life seems to work out for us for the most part. Here goes…

I went to a ZZ-Top concert in 1986 with me was my aunt, uncle, a friend that happened to have a ticket too and our German exchange student. The 3 youngest of us were on the floor where it was standing room only and after the opener people were rowdy and drunk(not me I was only 15 and there with my aunt) Some rowdies from the front started pushing back and the rowdies from the back started pushing forward and the side people well you get my drift. All of a sudden everyone but the people in front stopped pushing and I lost my footing and began to fall backwards. Hubs, who I had never seen prior to that, caught me. We spent the rest of the concert together. When it was over neither of us had paper but I told him where I was from and my last name or something like that and we left. What happened after….. nothing I heard nothing from him for 6 months and then I got a letter. We wrote back and forth for a couple months and then went to another concert(David Lee Roth)for our first date. That was 24 years ago. It took 10 years of dating before we were married but as much as I hated it then(wanted to get married much sooner) I wouldn’t change a thing now. Wouldn’t trade him for the world.

Appreciation

2010-02-06T06:42:00.001-06:00

It has been a rough couple of weeks here and without dragging it out piece by piece what I can do instead is say that it has been stressful, emotionally draining, physically draining and frustrating. Through all that what have I learned.

I love my hubby and would be lost without him

I have an outstanding support system to call upon that give of themselves without question

People are amazing if you give them the chance to be

The family time we have is more precious than any other activity we could be doing separately.

As much as it has been a rough couple of weeks I guess it has been good for us too. Hubs may disagree alot with this since it is him in pain etc…

this picture says it all

2010-01-26T13:47:00.001-06:00

I think this is the vibe I am giving off right now! Lil man sums it up quite well. How is your day?

Technorati Tags: attitude,talk to the hand,go away,I'm hiding

Froggy Froggy Day

2010-01-23T07:27:00.001-06:00

It is January in Wisconsin but we have rain and it’s froggy(foggy)outside.

I am not sure how we got started with the kids calling for Frog. We just always have done it that way. The windows get froggy too in the car. It is funny how little sayings can be so family specific, others might hear what we say at times and be very confused by what they hear. Another example: If one of the girls says I love you to us we answer “I think you stink too.” Now to someone outside our family this would sound odd if not mean but our girls know it means that we love them to the moon and back. We haven’t started this with lil man yet he wouldn’t quite get it.

I think that these types of inside family jokes or sayings add to the family because it is something special that just our family says. I would sure miss it if it were gone. The question is are we messing the kids up by these funnies? No!

Do you have any family specific things you say?

Having a blast with my point and shoot

2010-01-20T11:54:00.001-06:00

The last few days with hoarfrost hitting the trees and staying there a while I have been clicking away. All this picture taking has me yearning for something that I can manipulate a little more. I love my point and shoot but long to focus on the small things that point and shoots just blend into everything else.

Any recommendations on cameras or ones to stay away from?

my budding photography

2010-01-18T13:36:00.001-06:00

Added a new blog for my budding photography interest

http://angsclicksandpics.blogspot.com

Please stop by as I learn and post and teach if I can about the photos I am taking both family and creative.

And the question remains

2010-01-18T13:05:00.001-06:00

So am I happier on the good mood diet? I don’t want to sound corny because I have by no means solved this weight problem but I have made some realizations.

The days that I follow the plan and make sure to get the superfoods etc. I do feel better. My mood is better I have more energy etc and that is the claim of the plan. My pants were even too loose until the bloating of PMS hit this morning. So all in all I like this program. The key is making it my every day plan to really reap the benefits and lose the weight.

It is possible and it is my plan. Oh do I wonder how it will change PMS. I have noticed the mood swings(read bitch switch) were better this month, I didn’t ream anyone for breathing, that has to say something.

The Wii fit plus workout kicked me today too so that is progress. Looking for a better one than that that has a continual workout not a stop system like the Wii. Any recomendations out there?

boys oh boy!

2010-01-14T12:05:00.001-06:00

SO the first 2 children I have are girls. I parented them the same, they are only about 20 months apart, and they couldn’t be 2 different young women if they were from different continents. So why should I be surprised when along comes our boy and he is nothing I have ever dealt with as a parent. I was/am.

I have an education degree, I taught preschool, heck even directed a large preschool all before having kids. I thought I knew and had seen all the parental mistakes and successes that I could then easily copy or avoid. Who could have warned me that my children weren’t going to follow anything I had ever known and that all that knowledge while good was really only going to give me a little boost and that I would end up flailing just like everyone else.

Then comes the boy. Lil man is a joy to have in our lives on a daily basis. He has so many good traits that you would be done reading for boredoms sake if I tried to name them all off but…… The energy and sheer devilish behavior that lil man can muster is a considerable hurdle for even me to jump on bad days. The energy is a simple fact of our winter location and the inability to successfully make it out doors as often as we would like be it because the cold temps or the fact that getting 5 children ages 4 and under(remember I do daycare) all dressed for the snow is a herculean task by itself.

The devilish side seems to be his call for attention as he shares his momma with the other children. Some days are great, others are more like today when I took a phone call during project time and the crayons began shooting from the box on the table to every other place in the room by airmail. He knew that I wouldn’t say anything while on the phone so he continued. His new line is “I didn’t do anysing” ditching the blame at 2 oh am I in trouble.

Love ya lil man and take it easy on me when you can ok?

Lesson learned

2010-01-14T11:48:00.001-06:00

Trying to be what I am not, a false persona, an attempt at something that is not true to my soul. In posting here I tried to become a funny off the cuff writer. I tried to take everyday situations and make a jest. I didn’t stay true to me. I didn’t stop to think of the real life people I know that read my musings and aren’t looking for something other than me. My jesting can hurt those who really know me because they don’t expect hurtful things, in jest or otherwise, to be said. That is not me, I do not attempt to harm another in what I do. This is where I misstepped.

The lesson which I have learned before, but seem to need to relearn in each new arena that I find myself in, is that all that is needed in any situation is to just be myself. When I attempt to be anyone else it just doesn’t work.

I love to read works where people are able to jest about everything and everyone and they are being themselves. That works! It just isn’t where I am from and what I can do. So bear with me as you read about my somewhat boring life and my attempts to change and find myself through the veil of kid induced stupor.

No more being anyone else but me.

GOTTA LOVE ME!!!!

disappointed

2010-01-12T09:42:00.001-06:00

disappointed in my self

made a misstep

hurt feelings

hope it is repairable

sorry

that’s all

trying to be good

2010-01-11T12:26:00.001-06:00

Ok so it isn’t so much a failure as it is the beginnings of perfection. With the new year already here and the number 40 lurking closer each month, I decided that we really need to get a handle on our health(I don’t want to do it by myself so this way just sounds better)You are welcome to join in but heaven knows none of you are battling this bulge that only bad genetics, having children, and a skinny husband can do to you.

So Amazon had some self help for free download on my Kindle and one of them sounded like something my hubs would say I needed. It’s called “the good mood diet” and while I am not really a diet person, I know you can all tell that, I figured what the hell it is free. I have read through a good share of the book and the ideas are sound and it really isn’t all that difficult food wise, I got me some kids and some other peoples kids. The timing etc just needs a little tweaking I think. I did great this morning. Had all the things I should have and was feeling good. On the right track here and then lunch for 5 children and heck I will have some of the Cavatini with them, then finally down for nap and those mint chocolates are calling. Maybe I need to put some ear phones on because I have had 3, thank god they are tiny things.

GOT TO PULL IT TOGETHER! The rest of the day can still go as planned just got shut the chocolates up. SHUT UP!!!!!!! There, and then follow as planned. This can get done. As for exercise, the treadmill has been calling and maybe now that the chocolates have shut up I can hear it and I would say move my fat ass for a while but it is really more of a belly issue here my ass is just fine. I know, good luck!

Strong woman/Homemaker can you be both?

2010-01-08T12:29:00.001-06:00

I have been fighting with myself for years, I don’t mean like multiple personalities fighting with each other although that does sound a whole lot more interesting. I am talking about the ideas that I have/had in my head about what a woman should be, what a mom should be, and the gray area in between.

As women we seem to get caught up in what we should be. There really is no perfect way to be a woman it all I think has to come to you naturally. Unfortunately we feel we need to judge each other on our decisions. Maybe it is our own insecurities over what we decide for ourselves, I am not sure. There is much debate between Stay at home moms and working moms over who is doing best by their children. Why does either side believe that they are right? This starts a fight within oneself over if you have made the right decision.

I was raised with a strong mother who worked outside the home full time. This gave me the perspective that a woman could do anything and I was raised to believe that with hard work I could accomplish anything I wanted to. For that I am very thankful. My mother has told me more than once that she considered staying home but that she knew that it just wasn’t for her. I don’t believe that she missed out on anything for having made that choice. When I thought about starting my own family though, I knew that I wanted to be home with my children to be a big part of their start in this world. I often get restless and look at what I could be doing instead or look forward to what I might want to do when they are not little anymore. I really though am quite comfortable being here for them though.

Another inner fight comes between the housework being a shared job since I do work from home and don’t have ALL day to do housework and the feeling that this is my domain and that cleaning etc is an activity that should as a perfect housewife fulfill me. I think this may be a point at which I will never be able to stop the inner argument because not only do I not like cleaning in the first place but I also am not the 50s version of a housewife. I am sure the hubs would like to see that version some days but pretty sure he couldn’t live with her all the time.

Technorati Tags: SAHM vs working mom,housewifery

It is snowing AGAIN…

2010-01-07T17:09:00.001-06:00

It started around midnight last night and not quite 24 hours later it is still snowing.

Somebody likes it

loves it

can’t get enough of it.

A new Addiction…

2010-01-06T13:28:00.001-06:00

This Christmas I didn’t have a whole lot of wishes for stuff I am trying to simplify our house and adding clutter to me for things I didn’t need really didn’t make a whole lot of sense. I am also not the greatest at shopping for me so I didn’t have a ton of ideas either. The Parents asked for lists and so I nicely wrote out what the rest of the fam wanted for christmas. The doodads the whatnots that they just had to have to make them ever much happier and then I got to me. I knew that there were 2 items that I had been drooling over but to me both were just too much to ask for. The first was this

The Amazon Kindle

It is a digital book ereader. No more paperbacks to fill the shelves no more rustling pages as I read trying to get lil man to take a nap, downloading books in mere seconds instead of shopping or waiting for shipping.

The Second thing I asked for was

A Kitchen aid stand mixer.

I cook and bake a fair amount as I try to make all natural healthy items for the family. I use a wooden spoon right now and had been drooling over these. I tried to win one a few times but that damn Pioneer Woman kept picking other winners at random. And thus the drooling continued.

Well the Parents happen to be some pretty cool people and made the decision that yes I was an expensive offspring but well worth it and wanted to get me something just for me. So the KINDLED me. I loved the idea that it was just for me and have played with experimented and downloaded incessantly since I got it. Oh and I have read too. I finished Witch and Wizard in no time and have been through a variety of things and downloaded more.

An addiction I won’t soon kick. The Kindle

Thanks mom and dad

Please unfreeze us we want to play…

2010-01-05T12:49:00.001-06:00

So what part of the country isn’t in a deep freeze, please take me there. It is not that I mind the cold. I can spend time outdoors and really enjoy myself even in the cold. I am not a wimp when it comes to that. However having a house full of children under the age of 4 is not conducive to outdoor play unless the temperature is a little warmer. I think it would make for some unhappy parents if I froze their children even a little bit.

The kids were great yesterday, although a little more energetic at nap time than I would have liked(mostly my son) but today they pulled out the crazies and turned off their ears and my oh my I had a few moments where I thought my head was going to spin around as I just tried to reel them all in, even for something as simple as just lunch. Again a lot of it was my child but oooooh did he have help.

What do you do to get the crazies out when you just don’t dare go out to play? We may have to hit McDs tonight just to exhaust lil man. Calgon even you couldn’t make a dent here.

Attention… what we need, what we’ll do for it

2010-01-04T13:05:00.001-06:00

I have always been a lover of attention. I think the best attention is for a job well done or something positive you have gained or accomplished. What happens when we don’t get this good attention though…. since we strive for attention in whatever form it is given, we turn and seek it in negative ways.

Growing up for the most part I got attention for the good stuff and can’t remember(maybe I am blocking it out) too many times where I searched out negative attention. This is not to say I had the perfect upbringing, only that there were not enough times that they stick in my memory.

As I watch my beloved lil ones grow though there are times when I watch them strive for the negative attention. I am sure these aren’t moments that will stick in their minds either when they are grown but it always gives me a gut check on what I am doing and how I can meet their attention needs in the positive. Lil man is my case in point at the moment. I have been watching a few extra kids as some friends need help as their grandfather is sick…. lil man however is by no means impressed. If I could sit and do things with and for them all day he would probably take it in stride but in order to get lunch, do dishes, or throw a load of laundry in the washer all hell breaks loose and he does not want to nor will he listen to me once we have hit this point. Today was especially bad since he had a little over a week where my attention wasn’t spread so thin. Throwing, dumping, screaming and threatening others and that was just his behavior. I have to find a way to curb this without my house falling apart. Does anyone else have children that are or have done this? Did anyone do something like this when they were young or hell even now

Happy New Year

2010-01-01T07:33:00.001-06:00

2009 is gone now and it was a year for our family that was neither extremely great or bad for that matter. It was for us just a year. I am excited to bring in 2010 though. I have lots of plans in my head for things I would like to accomplish this year. I haven’t quite made my resolutions but am working on it. Heck doesn’t need to be the 1st to do that. But for now hope everyone had a safe night and that the 1st day of this new year greets you with a smile.

S.A.D. makes me well….. sad

2009-12-29T07:06:00.001-06:00

Those of you that live in the places in the country that really see winter will understand S.A.D. Seasonal affective Disorder comes around as we get less sunlight. Here in the upper Midwest we see less sunlight and then when we have storms like we have had a ton of lately there is even less sun to be had. That makes for one sad sap here.

In all reality my hubs will agree, I become a bitch, it is like PMS moodiness and depression and all balled up into a nasty mother, wife and person in general.

Who had the bright idea to put Christmas so close to the Winter solstice, the day when we have the least amount of hours of sunshine, if it is out,of the entire year. This is really not helpful in the holiday spirit thing for me. That and this years rain/snow mess made for a depression filled time with momma short fuse here. I tried to be the happy version of me but could feel the slipping if I wasn’t trying really hard to keep on track. The harder I tried the shorter the fuse was. Poor poor family indeed.

It may have helped if the hubs had gotten me anything for Christmas whatsoever although I did have a huge smiling moment when Sassy asked why I didn’t get much for Christmas and hubs had to feel all guilty because they noticed, poor hubs-NOT.

So why the revelation of this S.A.D. thing- Oh it isn’t a revelation, I know it is a problem but the sun came back the last few days and I am feeling back to me and not stewing in my own juices instead. Do you live where this causes problems and do you feel the effects yourself?

Today not so S.A.D.

Resolution of SANITY

2009-12-21T09:28:00.001-06:00

I have spent much of this year taking a good long look inside myself…. trying to figure out who this person is over 10 years after I began having children and who I want this person to be as my children grow up. I don’t have infants anymore and as the kids get older they do not need me to be the same kind of mom that I am when they are infants. I need to find the me that is not the mom of an infant. Have you seen her anywhere?

Some of the things that I have seen on the inside I have not liked and those things I am having to face and deal with in order to get past and through them. Other things that I found in there are things that I forgot that I enjoyed or haven’t given myself permission to enjoy in a long time. One of these things is photography. Yes I take tons of pictures of my children but that isn’t exactly what I mean. I want to take pictures that make people feel something. I want to learn everything I can about lighting and shading and all the magic that you can do with a camera. I am hoping to use all this knowledge and pursue photography as the children get older and the ME not the mom is back in control of my life.

Where is your me? What is she/he doing? What does he/she really want to do?

disco post kind of

2009-12-17T11:45:00.001-06:00

Seems all it took was nothing to figure out the audio so after giving up and uploading it anyways there was audio there. So my lil man rules the dance floor with his back ground dancers(Sassy and lil miss) and a guest appearance by JoJo our Mastiff who kind of takes over when she enters

not the post I want to write

2009-12-16T13:36:00.001-06:00

Ok so I didn’t post yesterday because I spent the day trying to get a video from my blackberry to upload on our computer, which was easy but with no audio. The video is funny but without audio not quite as much. Lil man is shaking his money maker to Staying alive, you know the disco hit. It was priceless and caught on the phone but drat. I am still working on this upload because it is too precious and possibly embarrassing for him as he gets older not to post it. Need hubs, my computer geek to save me though since I can’t get it to work.

Did I mention he is in just a diaper, lil man not hubs. His newest thing is to shake that butt as soon as any music comes on or if he is just being sassy. Hope this doesn’t send him in any future career paths.

Tonight the girls both have their holiday concert at school. Hubs and I are being sane but bad parents and only having one of us go. Lil man will not last for over 2 hours through 2-6th grades singing 3 songs apiece. That much stillness will throw him into his new screaming fits and one of us would embarrassingly have to leave anyways so we are just going to take care of that from the start. I know we should take him and train him to be able to do this but hell he is 2 and next year he will be older and we will try it then.

So until I get that video fixed…… later

School bus delayed 2 hours

2009-12-14T10:33:00.002-06:00

So we headed outside with the whole gang to play

There’s lil man hammin it up

Sassy headin for the deep ditch snow

My nephew lil D trying to maneuver on lil legs
Now we are all warmed up and have even finished our mom and dad projects which are baking away. Pics later for those.
Hope your Monday is going well too

Momma Bear woke up

2009-12-11T14:20:00.001-06:00

Everyone knows that when a mother feels her children are being threatened in any way the Mama Bear wakes up and comes out growling. Well lil miss R has a teacher that just woke Mama Bear. Last year miss R had the best year ever(her teacher last year is a rare one if you are reading Mrs. F we love you!) this year though her teacher is a rare one but in the opposite sense. My growl has started my claws are out and I am hoping the principal and I can meet to make sure there isn’t a mauling.

Don’t mess with my cubs!

A Friends giveaway link

2009-12-10T07:30:00.001-06:00

MckMama is hosting a giveaway of a HP touch smart computer. Visit her and sign up you might just win! Then you can give it to your friendly blogger HAHA!

AHHHH Winter has come with a vengeance!

2009-12-10T07:26:00.001-06:00

Tuesday night the snow started here and by the time it was all over Wednesday night there is almost 18 inches on the ground! Again I say why do I live in Wisconsin? Oh that’s right family and friends and the seasons changing blah blah blah…..

So along with the shoveling that comes with all that snow plus a little playing in the snow(mental image of a 2yo in 18 inches of snow)freakin hilarious. The mom that I am had a project or two all lined up for my children.

Ginger bread houses. The girls each had one to make and lil man needed something too so we….

made one from graham crackers but he put so much on the roof that it caved in. Then he had more fun just…

Eating crackers with frosting on them. Much better when you are 2!

Today is COLD!!!!!!!! School is back in and so we are back to waiting for the weekend.

Slow down I am trying to get off…

2009-12-07T13:14:00.001-06:00

Ok this month is flying past. My time to plan and shop and decorate and ENJOY, yes especially the enjoy part, is on the fast track. When will I get it all done. This Saturday we are meeting up with some old friends for a sorta kinda Christmas. Next Sunday we have the in-law Christmas extravaganza(big family). Then it is Christmas week already. So my online shopping has hit a stand still and I actually have to go into a store(gasp) to get the rest of my deals. Target looked at my christmas list I know they did and put many of the things that I simply must have on sale this week so that is where you will find me tonight. I know I could wait until later in the week but let’s be realistic tommorrow and Wednesday it is supposed to dump snow on us. Thursday night would be cramming too many things into one day and Friday I am going out with some friends. That puts us at Saturday when we have plans and kids along and then the sale is over so you can see why tonight is it. Hubs was likewise convinced unless maybe it is just that I talked so fast that he only caught part of what I said and agreed to it just to look like he was listening. He wouldn’t do that would he.

Also got a cal from a long lost friend who made my day today. If you are reading. HI!!!! I will talk with you soon. Hope we can make some plans soon.

Interview questions from Mommy wants Vodka

2009-12-03T13:45:00.001-06:00

1) Do you like sprinkles on your ice cream? God no!

2) If you had to choose one word to banish from the English language, what would it be and why? mediocre come on it’s average any way you look at it

3) If you were a flavor, what would it be? right now I would be chocolate but there are days I would answer lime

4) What’s the most pointless annoying chore you can think of that you do on a daily/weekly basis? folding clothes- I am the only one in the family that respects the fold once it leaves my hands anyways

5) Of all the nicknames I’ve ever had in my life, Aunt Becky is the most widely known and probably my favorite. What’s your favorite nickname? (for yourself) It was only used by a handful of people but Angish Hashish was the coolest one I have had otherwise nothing else worth mentioning

6) Your stuck on a desert island with the collective works of 5 (and only five) musical artists for the rest of your life. Who are they? Jason Mraz, Colbie Calait(I know that is spelled wrong), Rick Springfield(don’t ask), Plain White T’s, and Billy Joel

7) Everything is better with bacon. True or false? True but I don’t prefer bacon by itself

8 ) If I could go back in time and tell Young Aunt Becky one thing, it would be that out of chaos, order will emerge. Also: tutus go with everything. What would you tell young self? Never ever settle and anything you believe you can do you CAN do

Thanks Aunt Becky

Deal search- Oh Amazon I stalk thee

2009-12-02T12:59:00.001-06:00

Ok so last year I was the deal hound and didn’t pay full price for one gift. I scoured Amazon and Slick deals and Woot. I looked for clearance stuff at Target and Walmart. I was proud of me! I bragged about the deals.

This year I have gotten a few deals but Black Friday and cyber Monday were not all that I had hoped(at least not off of the lists I am holding)I have some deals under my belt this year but I’m not braggin not even particularly proud of them. Why couldn’t people ask for the stuff that is under the big deals? Well I guess it wouldn’t be their list then would it.

In all honesty I just want to be done shopping and for the darn holiday to just get here already. Where is the holiday spirit, where is the jolliness, it must be stuck wherever the snow has been staying cause we haven’t even put our tree up, the cards are still in my Walgreens file and I haven’t even begun to think about cookie baking. EEEK what is happening to my supermomdom(yeah I made that one up and spell check doesn’t like it). Maybe this year I have finally realized that supermom doesn’t enjoy the holidays because she is either too busy or too tired from being too busy.

Later Supermom never did like you that much anyways!

Oh Amazon post me some deals man or we are so over!

Over parenting, under parenting, what is the perfect plan

2009-11-30T12:27:00.001-06:00

I am always on the lookout for the best way to do just about anything and parenting is sure at the top of the list. I am realistic and know that I won’t do this perfectly or even remotely perfectly, just as long as my kids don’t need to visit a psychiatrists office and talk for many years to get over the way i parented I will be ecstatic. Ok so I am shooting a little higher than that but I could settle.

There are so many opinions out there on what helps kids be the best adults when the time comes that I end up sticking with my mother’s gut feeling and doing what feels right.

I could helicopter parent but my children would never learn from their mistakes(don’t get me started on how tempting it is to not let them make any). I could let them fend for themselves, I do know some children in town here that do for the most part and they are very responsible but I don’t know how happy they are to have all that responsibility.

Instead I little by little let go of the small things, then the bigger things as they make mistakes or fly with the added responsibility. The mistakes let me know they need to stay at the level they are on for responsibility and the flying lets me know to try to give them more the next time. I know they aren’t always happy with this(like when they forget their gym shoes at home and mom won’t bring them in, but the next time they don’t usually make the same mistakes.

What do you do with your children? Do you feel like you are doing it right or are always trying to find something better?

Thankfulness

2009-11-26T12:01:00.001-06:00

What am I thankful for this year. I know there are a ton of things that I am thankful for; being employed, my health, my family and their health. You know all the biggies that everyone lists off in their thanksgiving list. But are there things that aren’t quite so normal that I am thankful for. Sure there are:

I am thankful that even though Sassy is sick today it is just a fever and a headache- I am thankful she is not throwing up

I am thankful that lil man took an early nap(even though we fought to get there) so he will be pleasant at dinner.

I am thankful for the friends I have that are there no matter what. You know there are friends that are there and friends that are THERE. It is the THERE friends that I want to thank. I know I haven’t had all good days after losing Jordan and then lil man joining us improved that but some of my friends could see that although I had been changed by all of that I was still me.

Thanks!!!!!

When I grow up…

2009-11-24T14:51:00.001-06:00

When I grow up I haven’t quite figured out what I want to do. In my BKD(before kid days) I was a preschool teacher turned Preschool Director. I ran a large business, I had 25+ staff over 150 children enrolled and I was in charge of HR,PR,budgets, collections, and the list continues. I loved it! Since having kids I have been home and I am the staff, there are less children enrolled(thank god), I am still in charge of all the other stuff as well as running a household and raising wonderful children. I love this too!

After the kids are all in school I would assume that the hubs expects me to go back to work somewhere else. Full time, part time,all the time(lol) that we haven’t really discussed yet, mostly because lil man is only 2. I have thought about going back to school but I would need to know what for. So at this point I am left thinking, What so I want to be when I grow up?

Maybe I should just never grow up! Yeah I kinda like that better.

Whew!

2009-11-20T13:58:00.001-06:00

So the week passed by so quickly, even though some parts felt they would last forever, and we are facing the weekend. Hubs is headed towards the north with some buddies to pretend they are going to shoot deer but I will be very surprised if he actually returns with one, heck I will be surprised if he actually shot the gun. I am not fooling myself into thinking this is anything more than a boys weekend but that is ok too. He needs that and I am glad he is going for him. We will miss him while he is gone. All 3 days. LOL

This just gets me to thinking about my need to venture out beyond my house, beyond my children, beyond my hubby and find myself again. While my children are really young I give them all of me at least as much as each one needs(they have all been different in this) and then as they begin to really be their own little people I am able to pull back. I still believe that because I chose to have these little ones that I need to be there for them but they need me less and less as the grow and I let them take the lead in how much they need.

So the dilemma becomes now that Lil man is heading into the time where he needs less of me, Who am I? What types of activities would I like to join into to reestablish the me? Good question. I have done a few things here and there lately. I took the kids portraits myself and although I need a little work in lighting I think I did a pretty good job.

Now it is the work to find other places where I can make a difference for me while still being available as these wonders of mine grow.

What would you do?

2009-11-19T10:25:00.001-06:00

So Sassy B gets up this morning and looks tired. She says she has a headache(which she gets when she’s tired) and when I send her up to get dressed she says her tummy hurts but she doesn’t know if it is because she is hungry or not. I leave the decision up to her whether or not she will go to school or not(she loves school). She decides to stay home. Now I can’t tell you if she is sick or not but what do you think if your child just needs a day off? Do you go for it or is it off to school with you no matter what?

life and times of the daycare mom

2009-11-18T14:15:00.001-06:00

Wow what a week it has been. I am truly in love with my job. I am my own boss, I am home with lil man and I get to sing and paint and play outside. What could possibly be wrong with my job.

It’s the kids. Ok so I am just kidding(mostly). There are days that the word no and everyone’s full name are the most often heard things. You know your full name, the one they use when you are in deep doodoo. Yeah that is the one. Well my group above normally doesn’t have those days but this week I have added a few kids to help out some friends in need just on a short term basis and let me tell you the group reacted.

Lil man has been neeeeding attention more than ever and my nephew has so many changes right now otherwise that he is in all out terror mode and has put us all on notice on what he is going to have happen(he’s 1). Let me tell you the only one not having meltdown city is N and for that I am very proud of him since he is the lifer here. As for the new kids, newness is always awkward and difficult but they are doing as well as one would expect.

Was it wrong to want some Captain in my coke at 10 am today? No it wasn’t. Why you ask? Because I poured the coke and added ice and stepped away from the captain. Oh I do love that man but not with kids and not at 10 am on a Wednesday. All I can say is thank god for nap time around here and I am looking for a good afternoon with a happy group even if the rain won’t stop.

Gratitude!

2009-11-10T07:25:00.001-06:00

It is so easy to forget to be grateful. It is easy to complain about what we don’t have and wish and want for more or better. The last few weeks in the life of a fellow blogger have been a huge reminder to me that I need to be grateful for what I have.

Stellan, the 1yo son of my blogging friend was diagnosed in utero with heart problems and at his tender age went through his second ablation yesterday. He was supposed to have it today but once he was no longer on meds for his heart he went downhill fast and actually at one point crashed and had to be shocked back to life. In the end the procedure went off without a hitch and although not out of the woods yet he came through well. Why am I telling you all of this?

I am so grateful that my 3 children are healthy and even on the days that I think they are going to make me crazy I praise every moment of health that I have with them. Not everyone is as lucky as we are and I want to begin each day remembering that more than anything.

Now with that said it is back to potty learning!

The insanity that is the potty

2009-11-06T06:53:00.000-06:00

Ok so lil man is coming to the age where it is inevitable. POTTY TRAINING du du duhhhhhh! Can you feel it? The dread, the horror, the laundry. Definately the laundry.

Now I am not one to force the potty. It just has never worked for me because these little creatures are at an age that they are fighting us tooth and nail for control of just about everything. I wanna walk, I wanna movie, I wanna sippy, well you get my point. Contol battles and potty training just don't go together. So I try to take a kinder, gentler approach to this momentous event and at the first sign of frustration, mine or his (ie usually my frustration)we back off.

Yesterday we broke out the undies and the potty chair in the living room and gave it a whirl. In the morning he would wet a little(floor dry undies wet) and realise that he had to go and sit and do the rest on the potty. Nap time pull-up because let's get real that isn't gonna happen yet. After nap not quite as good. 2 full all out wets as in change the undies and clean up the floor and then the monster of all monsters. "I poop anain" says lil man. It was at this point that I calmly took him in the bathroom, emptied out the poop, took off the undies, put a pull-up on him, sent him back to play and poured myself a capt and coke. Yes you read that right I poured myself a drink. You see I had been ultra patient with him through each change of underwear the whole day and the poop the dreaded poop in the underwear pushed me past being patient. I didn't show this to lil man of course since he isn't having accidents on purpose but knew I was done for the day and we had made progress that I would just undo if I showed him my frustration. Thank you mr capt.

Today is yet another day and the undies have started wish me luck and sanity. I am gonna need it.

Oh the Saturday of a supermom

2009-10-24T11:43:00.000-05:00

This morning we were cleaning fools. It seems when you are downsizing and getting rid of stuff you find piles of dirt or dust bunnies where those items used to live. Out dust bunnies out! That was a good job to get done this a.m. before Sassy had her soccer game. Lil man and I stayed home from the game this morning becasue he is battling a cough that just won't leave and I don't want it to turn into anything else. So I got some peasant bread going and lil man napping before they return.

Sassy has a birthday party to go to today so I am taking lil miss with me to the beauty shop. I need a cut and color and she wants a cut. Love that it will give us alone time too. She needs that more sometimes being the middle child and all.

Tommorrow hubs' sis and BIL will be here for lunch and then some deep conversation about his mom. They want to get things figured out while she is healthy so if her health declines it isn't a rush decision on anything since hubs is the decision maker for the family there. His mom is going to be 88 this year and we wish her many more but never hurts to be prepared.

Hope your weekend is blessed and full.

Supermom too much to handle

2009-10-23T13:20:00.001-05:00

Supermom, I think there are too many of us attempting to be her. Do we really realise that she is not real. Each mom that we see that we think does it better than we do has her own faults that she obsesses about. One night someone told my hubby they thought I was supermom. He so proudly told me this tidbit of information and instead of being proud(like he was of me) I took immediate offense to it. "What did she mean by that?" I believe was my exact words. I couldn't take it as someone thinking I was doing well but instead as someone thinking I was doing too much.

I have been reading alot of mommy blogs of late and can really see into the hearts and lives of some of these women and realise that each and every one of us is trying our best. This is leading me to a time where I begin to try to let things go. I want to be there with the healthy homemade dinners, and the clean house and the organised life(lets not forget the perfect daycare since I do that from my home). Does that really sound doable for anyone? Yeah right!

Hey did anyone notice that there wasn't a place in there that dealt with taking care of myself? I think this is another key missing in my life.

So not everything will get done and a few dinners here and there will be prepackaged but as a family we will be happy, sounds like a great trade off to me.

Today- drop off the dog at daycare(we are boarding her next week and she is timid,even though she is a mastiff), go to target,donate some crap at goodwill, get groceries....take a break so that the 2 boys that are being towed along can play at McDs and then lunch. Pick up the dog, bring in the groceries, put the boys up for nap,unload said groceries....have some craigslist stuff picked up....blog and check email....once nap is done we will pick up the girls from school, pick up more envelopes, mail paperbackswap and DVDswap items then home to make dinner and you guessed it PASS OUT! Wow when you put it out like that(and that isn't including many of the little jobs that will get tackled in the meantime it is no wonder I haven't done anything for me.

Well the day in the life needs a little tweaking obviously but don't they say that acknowledgement of the problem is the beginning of fixing it.

To all my fellow Supermoms out there- Take it easier on yourself Oh and remember why we do what we do!

my 3 reasons are cute as can be

Toddler Thursday

2009-10-22T12:01:00.000-05:00

Oh my the week has passed and I haven't posted since Saturday. I thought about posting and had posts in my head but never made it to putting them through the keyboard.

Oh Toddler Thrusday..... lil man has had one of those weeks that I find myself thinking "you are lucky you are cute" quite often. He has an explding vocabulary and wnat to know not only what everything is but also how it works, why it works, and what he can do to make it not work anymore. Last Sunday I took protrait pictures of the kids and most of the pictures of lil man(at least the good ones) are not posed at all it was shoot and go which although challenging was fun all the same, especially after seeing how some of them turned out.
I will have to post some but for right now they are too big to upload here well but I will figure it out.

Realised today that the last of the 4 eye teeth is breaking through and the behavior, no sleeping, eating like a bird, all makes sense and then you feel like duh mom what did you think was going on.

Happy Toddler Thursday

Simply Saturday

2009-10-17T06:16:00.003-05:00

Last weekend Sassy B had a soccer tourney(which they got 2nd in) so Saturday was not simple. We were there by 730a.m. after dropping lil man with my mom. Coffee save me, uh no it was cold and we had flurries, the only thing that saved me was finally coming home, taking a hot shower and starting the fire. UMMMM warmth.

Today we only have 1 soccer game, no tourney. It is during lil man's nap so I don't know what our plan is but at least one of us will be at soccer. Then homework since both girls were gone last night. I also need to find outfits for pictures. I am going to attempt to do our pictures this time. I used to love photography and am looking forward to jumping back in(why did I ever stop, darn kids and my momma instict to be around them)

So simple is finding clothes so that all the kids match.

Friday Five

2009-10-16T11:11:00.003-05:00

This Friday my five are not as monetary as the last.

My first is pictured above. Yes lil man is a favorite but today I am talking about the pumpkins. I love the color of pumpkins, the flavor, cutting them into jack'o'lanterns and yes pumpkin pie. We had a great harvest of pumpkins this year so no trip to the pumpkin patch for us.

Secondly I love the crisp mornings that warm in the afternoon. You know those days that you send the kids in their winter jackets on the bus and when they come off they are carrying them.

Third is the fall colors in Wisconsin. There are so many different colors in the leaves that you wonder how so much magic can happen at this time of year.

Fourth is Wisconsin Badger Football I am an alum of the UW-Madison and having grown up with badger games love the team in good and bad sseasons.

Finally there is number five. Sleepovers! Both girls are going to sleepover at friends houses tonight and that leaves the hubby, lil man and me to hold down the fort. Looking forward to a quiet house for the night(and the morning) before it is back to reality and a busy weekend on Saturday.

What are your favorite things today

Remembering Jordan

2009-10-15T11:47:00.002-05:00

Monica's post today reminded me that today was one of remembrance for a group of us that never asked to be part of such a group but were placed there. Whether you lose your baby just shortly after getting a pregnancy test, 1st trimester, 2nd trimester, anytime thereafter, you automatically become a part of a group of women and their partners who have lost a child. Most of us never held that child and most of us never witnessed that child's first breath but to us they will always be our babies. Jordan is our angel baby and here is his story.

After trying for over 2 years we assumed that we were never going to have a third child. We had 2 healthy girls that wasn't so bad. To our suprise just after new years in 2006 we found out we were pregnant. This pregnancy was like the others I had even felt his first kicks. It all changed on Friday April 14th. We went in for our 20 wk u/s and had brought our girls with us. It was there we learned that our little baby was no longer alive. The heartbeat was no longer there and he had even stopped growing a few weeks prior. We were induced shortly thereafter and I gave birth to a still child on April 15th, 2006. We would later learn that we had a boy and would name him Jordan. I believe that he has been there looking over us in many cases in the last 3.5 years and I often talk to him when I am feeling a little lost.

It took us 6 months to get pregnant again and lil man came along just under a year after Jordan should have been born. It has not always been an easy road moving on from his loss but he is watching over his brother and now his cousin that has joined the family and as much as I miss him I know he is in a better place.

Remembering all the babies that were lost.
Pregnancy and infant loss remembrance day October 15th

Toddler Thursday

2009-10-01T15:56:00.002-05:00

Last night while sassy had soccer I was graced with some mommy time. I went to the library and grabbed a couple of books(okay they were on parenting), sat in the rocking chair and enjoyed the peace and quiet. The first book I looked at was called "The Happiest toddler on the block" lil man has been having some rough days and I just wanted to get a different perspective on the 2's. I really more or less paged through this book and read the parts that pertained to 2yos. I liked it but can't actively recommend it without having really read it from start to finish.

I have however noticed some things on my own that may help lil man and I get along much better. He doesn't have a ton of mommy time that he doesn't have to share. He has 2 older sisters and since I do in home child care there are children here most of the day and most of the week. When we have time that he and I are alone together he is an angel, well most of the time, and I am able to enjoy him and I think he me.

I am going to work on him having more time that doesn't include sharing me. I think the girls need this too so it is a challenge I am going to face head on.

What is on my mind Wednesday

2009-09-30T11:07:00.004-05:00

What is on my mind this Wednesday? My children are on my mind today. I am constantly conscious and questioning my parenting. I really want my children to grow up to be wonderful, happy, well adjusted adults that can think for themselves and be productive in the world. Sassy B is 10 and with the tween years come some interesting challenges as a parent. These wonderful beings are beginning to exercise their independance. I am struggling to allow independance while still expecting respect and responsibility. This has been a battle this week and hopefully after a little blow-up this morning we can turn our days around and be wonderful with each other for the most part but we will see.

Lil miss R on the other hand is struggling to stay less independant as she reaches an age where she should be rebeling. Becasue this is so opposite her sister I am struggling to remind myself that she needs the extra TLC that sassy B didn't and that it is ok that she does. She is not her sister and will probably always need things differently that sassy does.

Lil man on the other hand is learning to talk as only a young 2yo can and this makes for some very funny and enjoyable times mixed with much frustration on both our parts. It also screams independance and I want and mine, mine, mine while clinging to mom with both hands. It is lil man who tops off my confusion these days since he is in so need of me and yet wants to do his own things and this is probably an arguement in his head as well as between the two of us and if I can remind myself this and take the time to tickle and hug and laugh we will really make it through this happy and healthy.

You wanted to know what is on my mind, it is full today. What is on your mind?

2009-09-29T12:01:00.002-05:00

Gratitude today? I really took some time with this one today. Lil man has been teething, not sleeping enough and has a cold so his behavior has been less than stellar lately. Add to that 2 busy school aged girls who like their mama have a mind of there own(why did I foster that) and you have one mama having a hard time focusing on what she really is grateful for.

It didn't take long though for me to really remember what I am grateful for today(most days). My children are happy and healthy and wonderful. They, even on their worst days, make me happy that they are part of my life. As I get frustrated with lil man I remember the loss of his brother Jordan(at 20 wks gestation) and think of how lucky I am to have him and that can take away almost any moodiness that he can show. So today I would say I am grateful for happy healthy children!

Simply Saturday

2009-09-26T06:50:00.004-05:00

Today is going to be a simple Saturday and I couldn't be more excited. Hubby has to DJ so his day won't be quite as simple, but for the children and me there isn't a real plan in sight. Love it that way.

One thing I would like to do today is work more on my apple pile. Applesauce is the thought and done simply.

Wash, peel, core and slice the apples. I put my chunks in a water/lemon juice mix(1/4 cup lemon juice to about 8 cups of water) then when you dish is full plop it all in the microwave and cook until the apples are soft, strain the apples to get rid of all that water and then use an imersion blender or your food processor to make it as chunky or smooth as you(or your family) likes.

What could be more simple than that! Have a great simple Saturday!

My Friday 5 favorite things

2009-09-25T05:56:00.002-05:00

This Friday my 5 favorite things are things that I am using all the time right now. Here we go:

#1 Ball Canning Jars I have canned so many things this year that I have but a few lone jars in my cupboard that don't have something canned in them. Tomatoes in all forms possible, grape juice, pears, apple pie filling, pickles, peppers and the list could go on

#2 Quicken I am also in charge of our finances and bill paying and would be lost without this program and online bank updates. It is a big part of how I budget.

#3 The jogging stroller On the days where the stress of everything is getting too much I just plop lil man in the stoller and we go. It really works and hopefully will help my waist line too.

#4 My Dell mini laptop This was my birthday present this year from my hubby. It is such a great way to do all that I do online and can move throughout the house like I do instead of sitting in the kitchen like our desktop does.

#5 The preschool/toddler activity ideas I get. These keep my days sane(well sort of) and help lil man to really learn some wonderful things.

What are favorite things this Friday?

Toddler Thursadays

2009-09-24T13:41:00.004-05:00

Things haven't been quite so peachy in toddler land this week. I am not sure if it is the terrible twos or the teeth that are breaking through but lil man has really been of arguements this week. Yesterday he argued with me for 10 min because he wanted more noodles. They were all gone and no amount of reasoning with him was going to stop the yelling that he wanted more noodles. Finally, when I was almost in tears from trying to come up with some way to stop the rampage, I went out and got the dish the noodles had been in and showed him that there were no more left. Even this was greeted with "more noodles!" I then turned the bowl upside down and tapped it on his plate and a little angrily said "there you have all the noodles that are left!" He then suddenly decided that I was not holding out on him and god forbid saving all the noodles for myself. He is so lucky that he is cute or he may have been out on the porch that day instead.

Do you have any toddler tales that can compare to the terrible twos noodle episode? Please share if you do!

Toddler Thursday

2009-09-10T20:33:00.003-05:00

Well today began earlier than usual since lil man woke up at 5:30. He was in a good mood though so I thought it is going to be a good day. Then the girls almost missed the bus(hey it comes at 7:10) but again since they made it I thought it is going to be a good day. We promptly headed out to the new Walmart Superstore to get things done early since I knew nap woulod come early.
Through the entire store(yes the whole place) I heard and was forced(by mommy guilt and many years of teaching) to answer the question "Whats dat?" As it started I continually answered cheerfully knowing that I was educating my son as I went. It was sometime past the paint area when I started just answering, no joy in the feeling of being a good mom anymore just knowing that I WAS going to forget something from my list(thank god for lists) if he didn't just stop. By the time we made it to check out(a whole new area to talk about) I was ready to go home, hoping and praying that he would fall asleep so I would have some semblance of quiet for some part of the morning. My prayers were granted and sanity returned to mom.

The rest of the day passed without much excitement, although the questions and conversation continued at a high level. I was just about tired of hearing the lil mans voice tonight when he climbed onto the couch next to me looked up and said "I luv you mom"

That made the whole day, every question every conversation and any frustration that I felt all worth the effort. Noone said that raising children would be easy, thank god there are times that we get the praise from our kids to keep us going

Missed my monday theme of the week post....

2009-09-08T12:21:00.003-05:00

This week we continue with our September plans and tweak our learning time to fit these toddlers a little better. First we start with the schedule. It seems that our group time needs to move back a little and leave a little more play time early in the morning. This will be an easy fix as we can also shorten group time until they get a little older. I have also noticed that we should switch our outside time and our project time. The grass is wet far to long now and we are not able to play without very wet shoes if we go out first but if we do our project first then the sun has had a little more time to fix our problem. New schedules always take a little time to perfect. Here is what ours looks like now
Drop-off/play time
Group Time
Project time
Outside time/large motor
Lunch
Wind down and clean up
Nap
Snack
Pick-up/play time

Now on to what we are learning this week
Monday-we all had off for Labor Day
Tuesday- We made red playdoh and had playdoh time, in group we sang some songs and felt a sandpaper circle(we will do the same group time all week), outside we played hopscotch
Wednesday- We will be making name placemats with stickers and markers that we will cover in contact paper
Thursday- we will bring out the playdoh again for cutting out circles
Friday- We will use different size balls to make rolling ball art

I am excited about the week although it seems like we need to stuff 5 days into 4.

Back with more activities next Monday and hopefully we can get some pictures added too.

A gratitude reminder

2009-09-08T12:08:00.002-05:00

I have been feeling gracious for so much lately that I couldn't help but join in to Gratituesday. Laura at Heavenly homemakers posted today about the abundance of produce to be canned and frozen even though she had some issues in her garden this year. This got me thinking. I have been canning and freezing for weeks upon weeks now and many days not feeling so "gracious" to be doing it again each day but instead I remind myself today that for everything there is a season and while things are in overabundance today and my workload is heavy and my list of to-dos is long, it is just simply that season. There will be many a winter day when my chore list will not include many of the jobs I must do today but my menu will include the many foods I have taken care of and my grocery bill will not include the cost of these items. It sometimes truly takes another to remind you that there is more than one way to look at each situation and the up side is usually not to far away!

Thanks Laura

A camping we will go....

2009-08-24T12:38:00.005-05:00

This week the theme is camping. Today we set up a tent to play in the girls are having a blast, the boys lost interest soon after set up, well 50% is pretty good right. Noone wanted to color a picture of a tent so that activity was out. I am really looking forward to tommorow when we take our nature hike and the kids can pick up whatever they like(ok no worms preferably) and we will stick them to contact paper to make collages. I know that they will all get into this activity in one way or another. Wednesday is smores day so that treat will sweeten them all up(oh I am so funny). Thursday we will fingerpaint on fish pictures and Friday we will use red and orange paint to make fire pictures. This will end our open lessons this summer and Monday we will be starting our pre-preschool lessons. I am actually looking forward to a much more scheduled time for the boys. I can't wait to watch as they pick up so many new things each week. Exciting times for toddler learning!

This week is also one for ending the summer fun with my girls. They have been so great this summer and have helped and played along. I really hope they had a great summer too. Tuesday next week they head back to school and to their friends and all their activities. Sad but exciting nonetheless.

Glad today was for clowns...

2009-08-17T12:12:00.003-05:00

I sure was not feeling it this morning when I got up. I awoke earlier than I wanted thanks to our wonderful pooch who I dearly adore but come on let me sleep. My coffee didn't taste right, I couldn't find my cell phone and darn it I just wasn't in a good mood. In to my day enters my daycare boys, my nephew D and J's best buddy N. They are quite the trio and although I was quite sure that they were not what I needed this morning, actually figured they were the opposite of what I needed, I was wrong.

You see this week we are talking about the circus. 2yos dancing around like clowns. That is a definate way to smile. We painted clown faces and although none of them look like faces they are outstanding and colorful and FUN! The boys are napping and my girls who have just a few weeks before school starts are catching some daddy time since big J is off today. That is always a popular day for all the kids because it is something out of the ordinary. Gotta love Dads time.

After nap we are going to paint our faces, some more clownlike than others. The girls are especially excited for this part since the morning activity was less than challenging.

Tommorrow however is Popcorn day! We will be open air popping so it flies in the air and lands on a blanket we have out and then we will eat some and decorate popcorn pictures with it too. This is a great all ages activity because it touches so many of our senses and the creativity is wide open for all. I am actually after writing it, more excited for tomm. I can just see the excitement on their faces as the kernals fly from the popper landing willy nilly to be gobbled and packed in bowls and glued and of course fed to the dog.

What activities would you do with your children if your theme for the week was the circus?

Toddler fall curriculum

2009-08-06T13:32:00.002-05:00

It is that time again, the big kids will be going back to school soon and it will then be time for a more academic time for the toddlers. During the summer we focus on learning and fun and make the activities span the age range from 1-10 yrs. That may I just say is challenging. We travel alot and see parks etc instead of having group times and learning times for preschool type learning. In the past week I have been digging and researching and putting together what types of activities we will focus on to begin:

Name recognition- What are the letters in your name and what does it sound like and look like.
Colors- Starting with just red, blue and yellow
Shapes- We will start with the circle
Numbers- I know I should include 0 but instead we are going to work on 1,2 and 3 to start with. Toddler don't understand the 0 idea yet.
As for seasonal ideas we will talk about apples and even visit an apple orchard
I am also excited to do the I am me unit as this is different every year as they grow and realise more about themselves, their families and the world around them.

I am excited to see the progress that they will make this year since this is a big year for growth.

Octobers ideas will come along later

Wow what a ride...

2009-08-06T13:27:00.002-05:00

Well my bday ailment turned nutso as a infection in my ear went into my face and pain took me back to the Dr. Lots of meds later I am almost better. It is amazing as a mom how much goes crazy when you are sick and not doing your day to day stuff. It has taken me all week to get this place reasonably in order again and honestly I still am not done. It just goes to show how things would run without mom around in all honesty.

It is just a number right?

2009-07-30T14:22:00.002-05:00

Age is just a number right? I have always loved my birthday and never feel the dread as each year comes of getting older. I have always believed that it is not the number but how old you feel. Unfortunately today as I turn 1 year before the big 40 I don't feel as young as usual. This doesn't help my theory in the least.

I have been having some difficulties with my joints, this stems back to a serious car accident in my early 20s and I really thought that the settlement I got was a good deal then, now I am not quite so sure anymore. Then after a nagging ache in my left ear this weekend, it turned into all out pain on Tuesday and after a not so quick trip to urgent care(read this 1.5 hours to see the Dr. for 3 min) I have swimmers ear from wax trapping shower water, good lord my head doesn't go under at the pool while being with a 2yo in the kiddie pool. So motrin and ear drops are making my way through the last of my 30s.

My goal however is much higher than this. I want to welcome 40 next year with a healthier me. I will be making dietary, exercise and lifestyle changes to make my 40s outstanding. You are more than welcome to read this as I need to get myself in better shape and stop kidding myself that I will be young forever. You may also read this that I now have a 2yo son that I need to keep up with and the only way to do that is by getting in shape.

40 here I come! You won't get the best of me!

Oh so toddler...

2009-07-21T19:29:00.003-05:00

Today was one of those days of toddler learning that nothing in your lesson plan or any other plan for that matter gets done. Lil man and his 2 buddies that I do daycare for decided that today was the day to learn what words we use(instead of our hands, feet, and teeth) when we argue over anything and everything. I spent the day giving them the words to tell each other what they wanted to have or to have happen. Lil man wanted the book that N had and of course in toddler style he walked up grabbed it and pulled. N on the other hand was not done with said book and so he hung on tight and pulled too. Now while this is really cute and I could have spent some time taking bets on which boy would ultimately end up with the book, I took the high road or at least the road that I was educated to take and worked inside the problem so that each boy could be heard(without high pitch screams) and understood. The thing is that when you begin this it really is something you have to continue to follow thoughout the day. They actually are looking for the words as you go. Now the boys undoubtably learned something today and hopefully in the near future will use it without the help(betting it will be a little longer than the near future), I have to honestly say that I learned something too.

Mediating between toddlers all day is alot of work! I have earned my sleep tonight if not physically then emotionally. I am drained but ready to go again tomorrow.

What did you learn today?

Teaching toddlers....

2009-07-13T11:46:00.003-05:00

So many people just roll their eyes when you talk about teaching toddlers. You can't be serious, they play, they still wear diapers, etc., etc.
They could not be further from the truth. Children at this age are little sponges and they can take in sooooooo much. Now you aren't going to see them doing workbooks or making anything exactly the way that you intended in your adult mind but it is the perfect time to introduce all the same activities that you would do with Preschoolers just at their level.

A weeks lesson on Transportation would look something like this:

Monday: At story time sing "the Welcome song" to start group time then sing "The wheels on the bus", read a short story about cars or trucks or trains (you choose the vehicle), and finish group time by talking about other activities for the day.
At art time: Use chocolate pudding and trucks with different types of wheels(for different looking tracks) let them drive in the "mud" then when they are done take a piece of constuction paper and make a print of their tracks. Warning if you want to keep this you will need to spray it with a sealer or some hair spray since it is food.
Large motor: Outside, weather permitting, use the ride on toys and draw roads etc with sidewalk chalk, play rules of the road. Also you can pretend to be airplanes and fly around the yard.

There are many types of ideas that you can tie in and as long as you expect only what their bodies are capable of they will thrive on planned lessons.

Do you still think toddler lessons are not real?

What do I know the most about......

2009-07-12T08:00:00.003-05:00

Kids! I have worked with children for 18 years and had my own children for the last 10 years. I have spent much time thinking about where my experience lies and right there staring me in the face or knees, if you are talking about my almost 2yo, it was. I have a degree in education and taught preschool and have been home loving, caring and teaching my own children forever, why should I try to dig up and recreate the wheel on a topic I know nothing about. So here we go.

Today is however an off day. We had friends over last night and our 10yo was at a birthday party so it is just me and the little man awake at the moment. He is only a week away from being 2 and I am left wondering where my baby went. I quite loudly up until the last week or so stated that 3 was enough and we were done. I am getting the baby itch though with him growing up. I still am pretty sure we are done, financially it doesn't make sense and I am almost 40 so who am I kidding but it sounds nice in theory.

Tommorrow I will be posting about preschool activities for your toddler. If you have any ideas let me know and I will add you in.

More than just christians

2009-05-13T08:04:00.003-05:00

After putting much more thought into the last couple posts I came to one realisation. It happens in each belief and/or religion not just christians. People become overzealous about their beliefs and then feel that anyone that doesn't believe the same thing is wrong. It is not everyone but there are always the extremes that take it too far. This is why we have holy wars and cults that commit mass suicide. Anything taken too far isn't good. My personal experiences have only been with people taking christianity too far. Thus my opinions are founded in what I have experienced.

Now I don't come at this discussion with no knowledge of religion. I spent a couple of years running the children's education program for our church. The job I really enjoyed, the politics of the church and some of the parishoners however made me feel less welcome and even like they were watching for failure.

I long to find a group that just believes that each and every person should be equal and is equal in god's eyes and my faith in organised religion may be restored.

Does anybody know of a place like that?

Oh boy oh boy here we go again

2009-05-08T20:26:00.004-05:00

Yesterday I was on a bit of a rant about christians or at least those people claiming to be the most christian. Today I have stepped back a little and know that I was also in my post being judgemental. The difference I feel being that I was meerly stating what some do in the name of christianity not pointing my fingers at any one particular person.

That being said, I wonder how many christians really realise that the bible originated as stories that were passed down by story tellers, perhaps around a fire, for many years. When stories like that are told each teller tells the story a little differently some stress one part some another and some tellers even embelish the story they are telling. By the time that the bible was actually written, who knows how many times the stories had been told and by how many tellers and with how many small or large changes to the original. This is not a history, factual, book. Noone was following everything and writing it down as it all happened.

Now while this diminishes the factual part of the bible per se, it doesn't make the message any less important. The problem with reading it as law is that people from all sides use the words inside this book to make themselves right in their eyes. Gay marriage and abortion are just a couple of places that this has been and is being done. The message carried within, no matter the factuality is to treat others they way that you would like to be treated. If you are able to do this one small thing the rest comes easy. Do you want someone to tell you that the way that you behave is wrong? Most people don't. The key here being that if you truly believe then judgement is reserved solely for God and the rest of us are just forcing our opinions on others.

In your search for your truth have you taken all of the real facts of the bible into consideration or do take the words as fact and force your judgement upon others?

Christians- Who measures up?

2009-05-07T10:42:00.004-05:00

It has come to my attention increasingly lately the claim of christianity by people. You hear "I am a christian" from them and then you have to wait to see if you then hear them making judgements upon another person or group of people. It is at this point with those "christians" that I question how true they believe. If you are truly a christian then judging others should not be in your nature. Who did Jesus judge. Did he shun the lepers, the prostitutes, the poor, the filthy? No, there is no judgements in true christianity. I have a very hard time with oragnized religion or religion at all. This among other things is one of my issues. The people who claim to be the most christian are generally the most judgemental of others. Something in this needs to change.

If you are making decisions for yourself and your family that is your choice and I applaud you. If you then expect your choices to be the choices that others make you have stepped too far. Each person is put on the earth to make their own decisions and their own mistakes and each of us must learn on our own without the judgement of what they should be doing or what they should be teaching.

Please think of this the next time that you judge another person. Are you really as christian as you claim.

Seriously? Not!

2009-04-18T06:11:00.003-05:00

I really did mean to be on yesterday. It seems that my other job and parenthood keeps getting in the way. I provide daycare for a friend's little man who is the same age as my little man and for my Brother's little man who is about 8mo right now. As you can probably guess my days are kept busy with 2 almost 2yo and a baby while they are all awake. I attempt daily to make sure that their naps cooincide in the afternoon so that for at least an hour I can have them all asleep at the same time. The last 2 weeks my plan has been foiled at every turn which leaves me stuggling to make sure all the other stuff that my homemakers job as well as the time just for me(yeah that is a good one) is taken care of. Such is the time line of the mom huh? I am sure that almost everyone else is in the same situation when it comes to time and scheduling.

We are finally once again at my favorite part of the week, the weekend! Today we have a 9am soccer game for B, then at 1pm R's 2 freinds are getting dropped off here so that we can head to The Hannah Montana Movie to finally celebrate her birthday. I am really hoping tomm will be less busy as there are things at the house that are needing some time too. What is happening in your weekend?

A bakers challenge

2009-04-16T14:28:00.002-05:00

Money saving mom gave out a challenge yesterday as she is in full nest mode at 38 weeks pregnant and trying to fill her freezer with after baby foods(kudos to you by the way on all the hard work). I had baked yesterday out of Maryjane's farm cookbook for Honey Graham Crackers the recipe which I will post tommorrow as nap time has ended and crazy life has begun again. Today I baked Finer Things Fall Comfort Muffins . I must run and play but will check in tomm with my recipe and any other projects that are going on. Such is the life of a mom right?

Parenting- Not for the faint of heart

2009-03-26T07:05:00.003-05:00

I have my entire adult life wanted and cherished being a parent. I could think of nothing better that I would want to do with my life. I would give my life for my children and would if I could keep them from any pain.

It is difficult when you have to watch your children in pain and really can't do much for them. My littlest had a bout this last week with the stomach flu and watching him recover has been heartbreaking. My little man who is always so full of life and busy exhausts himself just walking from the van to the house. I have often wanted him to sit still and now I just want him to move and enjoy it.

Now I know in the grand scheme this is nothing. Other parents have to watch their children with cancer and heart problems and so many things so much worse than the stomach flu. I do appreciate that and know I am very lucky.

It does remind me however that these children are just on loan to me and my job is to help them become great adults that can then leave me, truly an even sadder thought right now although I will be very happy and proud for them when that day comes.

I hope that all parents out there can take time out of the craziness and realise just what a blessing each day is.