Going Alternative: The Assessment
As you may remember, about 4 weeks ago, I went to a Chiropractor, Nutritionist and Wellness Doctor to see if we could figure out what was wrong with me. I had my follow up appointment this week where we discussed his findings based on my blood work, hair sample and urine. Fun stuff, right?
Well, the good news is, is that there is nothing drastically wrong with me. Although that is a relief, because really who wants to be clinically sick, I admit I was a little bit disappointed because there wasn’t a clear answer of what was causing all my symptoms. I wanted it to be clear and precise. HA! I knew that wouldn’t be the case, but I was hoping 
!
But the doctor did find some things from my tests. There are many (about 50% of the 52 items tested) that were slightly lower or higher then they should be. And a few essential elements that are completely out of whack! Interesting enough most of the items that are off a bit are associated with fatigue, inflammation and joint pain. So I was at least reaffirmed that what I have been feeling, hasn’t been “all in my head”.
I also tested hypoglycemic. Which this one really shocked me because I rarely feel that I have low blood sugar. I actually thought I did well without eating since there are many times that I “forget” to eat when taking care of the boys. I don’t get the “shakes” or dizziness but I have been moody, depressed during times and agitated more over the past few years then I have ever been before. But come on, I assumed that was because I am constantly running after 2 small children, like most moms.
As for my feet? There isn’t an answer for that yet 
. But instead of jumping the gun, the dr. wants me to go 2 weeks strictly on this new regimen he has me on and see if that helps. He is hopeful that my feet pain are associated some how to what I have been eating or lack of. If I am not feeling better after 2 weeks, I will go back in and discuss more options (and $$$$) to find a reason for my feet pain.
So where does this leave me? Well here is the fun stuff that I get to do for the next 8 weeks (*sarcasm of course):
- The doctor believes I may have a milk or soy allergy, presenting itself in the form of my “seasonal allergy” symptoms and migraines. He has decided to take me off all soy and limit my milk to minimal consumption. But pretty much I need to try to stay away from milk products also, but if I consume a little bit he isn’t too worried.
- He has put me on a hypoglycemic diet. Which means I have to eat a few bites of food every 2 hours!! This is going to be a hard one for me! So I have set my phone to go off every 2 hours as a reminder, that is if I have my phone on me when it goes off! Which is another issue all in itself!
- I am allowed to eat only 1 fruit a day due to the hypoglycemia and the rest veggies! This one bummed me out the most I think, because I am more of a fruit eater than a veggie eater.
- He has me off all enriched ingredients (such as enriched flour). So pretty much it has to be completely whole grain or I can’t eat it! So no more cakes, cookies or other yummies at least for the next 2 months.
- I have to drink 3 quarts of water every day.
- And lastly I get to take a boat load of vitamins, minerals and supplements and when I say boatload:
15 different varieties
Five day supply (AM, lunch, PM)
So that’s where I stand right now. Fun isn’t it? But I keep telling myself it is only for 2 months! Right? I can do that. Especially if there is any chance of my body getting back to the way God intends it to be!
So call me quacky, but I’m going to do it!
Since I have to do this for 8 weeks, I will be keeping you updated with all my quackiness, trials, mess ups and successes!
Next up: finding the right foods (oh it has been a fun journey so far *sarcasm again )
Going Alternative
Tomorrow, I am heading to a Chiropractor, Nutritionist and Wellness office for a Blood Based Health Analysis. This analysis is “based on a 52-point blood panel and an in-depth analysis of your urine and hair, your Science Based Nutritionâ„¢ report includes recommendations for supplements, foods to avoid, a comprehensive review of your medications, side effects and more.”
As you may recall, I have been dealing with many issues for some time (feet pain in the mornings, sore joints, fatigue, insomnia to name a few). I guess, Jeremy couldn’t take the complaining anymore because he actually convinced me to make an appointment ASAP, considering our insurance will not cover these expenses (and it IS very expensive), but fortunately we do have an HSA.
A friend of mind, suggested it and referred me to the office that she went to.
My family doctor ordered blood work for me and everything came back negative. He couldn’t find or explain why I was having some of these issues – dead end!
So I am hopeful that one day soon, I will feel normal. I will have the energy and stamina of a 32 year old not a 65 year old. That I will be able to work out and run after my kids. That I will be able to jump up after sitting for an extended period of time without feeling pain shoot through my joints, get out of bed without having to limp around until the pain is gone.
I am excited and hoping that this road will lead to some answers. Keeping my fingers crossed at least! I, of course, will keep you posted!!
Me? Stressed? Obsessed? Cakes on my Mind!
Some of you may already know that I can be a little bit of a stressed out obsessed person when it comes to figuring out what cake I am going to do for the kids birthdays (and friend’s kids birthdays). Now that Evan is older he can tell me what he wants and if you remember I started convincing asking Evan what kind of cake he wanted 2 MONTHS before his birthday! Because as you recall, he originally insisted on a Puma cake. But after talking it over *cough cough* he decided he wanted a drum cake. He already is telling me ALL kinds of things that he wants next year for his birthday cake. Lord have mercy! What have I created!
Well starting last month, I began a list in my mind of birthday themes for Carter. And kinda started thinking of ideas for cakes. I think I have the list down to three:
- He LOVES fire trucks!
- LOVES pick-up trucks – maybe because Grandpa has one??
- LOVES Hot Wheels
Do you see a theme there? HA!
But today, Tricia tweeted:
So I started thinking about which post I wanted to link up to. Then it happened, looking through all the posts and pics, I started to have a small panic attack. I know, right about now you are thinking I am a little bit crazy! I AM CRAZY!!
So I linked up Miss Jolie’s Cake since it was the most recent cake I have done. Then for about an hour, started really worrying about Carter’s Birthday – HELLO it is a month away!! To some, that is plenty of time. To others, like myself, that is not enough time. Because my lack of creativity, it takes about that much time to think up something to do!
And I really do know, IT’S NOT ABOUT THE CAKE!! I know that:
- Carter doesn’t know the difference between a cake that takes 10 hours to make versus a cake that takes 15 minutes (or even store bought)!
- Carter does not associate my love for him based on the cake he gets.
- Carter won’t even remember this birthday – geeze!
But, because I am slightly perfectionistic AND pessimistic. My fear is that one day the boys will look back at birthday pictures and if BOTH of them don’t have comparable cakes, then heaven forbid, Carter will feel that I love Evan more. It’s silly, I know! Because really, what I should do is STOP making cakes now so that the expectation will NO LONGER be there!!
So for the next 4 weeks, I will be dreaming about fire trucks, pick-up trucks and Hot Wheels! HELP!
New iPhone App that Your Kids Will Love: Speak, Piggy
Okay parents, if you have an iPhone you most likely have several apps on it for your toddlers to play with for those moments, lets say when you are waiting in a forever long line with a cranky kid. No? Your children never act like that?
Anyway, if you haven’t heard already the crew at A Modern Eden have just launched their first iPhone App: Speak, Piggy, and it is totally for our kids. And it is totally cool. And of course educational – which you know makes my ol’ teacher’s heart jump a beat.
We downloaded it last night when it first became available and played with it without the kids around – ha. But this morning Jeremy busted it out to get the real review of it! Needless to say, the boys were fighting over who’s turn it was. They loved it! And for $.99 you can’t beat it!
So grab your iPhones and download this awesome app. Your kids will thank you and maybe let you have a few moments of silence while waiting in line 
!
Babysitter Mario
After keeping them outside until they ALL were begging to come in (I just couldn’t pass up the nice weather ), Mario took over and gave us adults a chance to chit chat!! I was kid sitting for Jenny – ha ha! Do you think they were close enough to the t.v.?
Thanks Mario for the little extra help this evening, because after running after kids All. Day. LONG! I needed you tonight and you pulled through!
Anatomy 101
Okay, so I have shied away from “embarrassing” or “too much info” types of stories, but I really couldn’t pass this one up.
Let’s face it – moms have to – how should I say it – multitask!! So most of the time I don’t get private moments in the bathroom. I mean come on, when a mom’s got to pee, a mom’s got to pee! A few days ago, I was “multitasking” in the bathroom by doing my thing and getting Evan’s pants put back on him since he took his completely off when he used the bathroom.
All of a sudden he yells, and I mean yells, “Mom your not pushing down your pee-pee, while your pulling my pants up, pee is going to go EVERYWHERE.”
“Well Evan, ummmmm, Mommy doesn’t have a ‘pee pee’….”
{Evan interupts me PANICKED} “But Mom, How can you go pee-pee if you don’t HAVE a pee-pee?”
“Well, ummmm, Evan. Mommy has a pee-pee just not like the one that you and daddy have.”
Evan thought about it for a moment and then responded, “well then I need to see it!!”
By now I am frantically pulling up my pants, trying to cover up any views, so that we wouldn’t have to deal with his request (Awww the innocence).
“Mom, but I wanted to see yours!!”
Fortunately at that moment, Carter threw a ball at him and they went tumbling through the house. Thanks Carter, I owe you one!!
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun!!
A few weeks ago, some of my house church ladies thought it would be fun to go to The Melting Pot for their Girls Night Out night (Thursdays through April). I will never pass up a Melting Pot date especially when I get to hang out with some great girls! It was one of those nights that you look at the clock and gasp because time flew by. We talked and laughed about everything from kids, jobs, goals, annoying people, Bon Qui Qui. You get the idea!
It was Michelle’s (on the right) very first time and I think I even heard a “there’s a party in my mouth” from her a couple of times!!
I even won a Gift Certificate (since it was Girls’ Night Out they were running some great gift raffles) to the My Pilates Studio!! HOLLA!! Jenny is so jealous! I was soooo hoping to win it! And had to be gracious about it when I did ! hee hee
Then if that wasn’t enough, I got to do it all over again this week. This time with some of my favorite bloggers! Thanks to the Melting Pot and Katie (who was the brain child of the event), we got to indulge in their cheese (with assorted breads, veggies, chips and apples) and chocolate (with assorted fruits, cheesecake, and other wonderful goodies). OH. MY. WORD!!
Twice in two weeks – my mouth and tummy were in Heaven! And of course, you can’t get a lot of bloggers together without it being a fun and loud evening.
And of course, Jenny had to pick on me the whole. night. long about not smiling “like I like her” when we take pictures together.
To quote her from her account of the evening:
…Cortney, in all our pictures, always looks mildly happy to be with me, and I always look really happy to be with her. So we were trying to mimic each others expressions and reverse roles in the last two shots and well…it kind if all got out of hand!
So we tried to reverse roles and got laughing so hard we couldn’t stop:
exhibit a:
And after several takes, this is what we came up with. Jenny is “smiling” like I do in pictures and I am cheezing like Jenny does.
exhibit b:
After we gorged – we may or may not have requested seconds on the strawberries – we got to tour the place. My favorite: the wine rooml. Yummy! I don’t remember the exact number of different wines they house, but holy cow it is A LOT! And thanks to my wonderful server from my first visit last week, he found me the best tasting German Riesling I have ever had!! But don’t ask me what the name of it is because I don’t remember. Monday night I just asked for the “good German one” because I am high class and all!
What a treat! To get to go to the Melting Pot twice in two weeks!! I am already dropping *subtle* hints like this one to Jeremy, that my birthday is coming up in just a few short weeks and hopefully we can snuggle in one of the “couples boothes” like Jenny and Andrea did:
Keeping fingers crossed that I will be enjoying some yummy fondue goodness in a few short weeks. Thanks to the Melting Pot (Girls Night Out) and Katie for creating an addict!
Traumatized: A Stroller Story
The morning started out as it has for the last couple of weeks. I picked up the house and got the boys ready for a run – I have been doing The Couch-to-5K Running Plan with the boys in the double running stroller since it has been so beautiful outside. My MIL texted me to let me know her and Jeremy’s Babci were heading to the park, which turned out to be perfect because me and the boys run around that park on our morning runs before heading to the playground.
It was a beautiful morning, although a *bit* windy (there was a wind advisory for the day). I ran half of my run before heading to the pond hoping Jan (Babci) and Big Babci were already there so I could drop the kiddos off and finish my run sans wind sail stroller. I was in luck, they had just pulled in. I literally ran up to them pushed the stroller their way and kept running. Ha, but Jan had motioned that she could take the kids, so for those of you who thought I was just dumping them off !
I finished my run and circled back to where they were at. They were sitting at a bench finishing up feeding the ducks and beginning their own snack. I had brought some yogurt for myself and had eaten a bite before Jan screams, “The Stroller…”
The stroller had picked up the wind and started rolling down the hill, straight toward the pond. It was one of those slow motion moments. I calculated the chance of being able to catch it in time, but knew it was hopeless.
I may or may not have screamed also, because as Jan and I both will attest, neither one of us handles *emergencies* very well! With both Jan and myself screaming set off a domino effect. Evan started screaming and crying insanely which in turn scared Carter into the same panicked state his older brother was in.
I took off running to the pond. Debating whether or not I should jump in. I looked down at the murky water, then looked at the (thankfully) floating stroller, then back to the murky water. I yelled up at Jan for her to see if there was anything in the car I could use to pull the stroller in, because remember that little tidbit about the wind advisory. The sun shade on the stroller acted like a sail on a boat and slowly the stroller starting sailing away from the rocks which I was standing on.
Fortunately, Jan had a long umbrella and ran it down to me. But it was about an inch too short. Darn it, I was going to have to jump in. Until I realized that there were city workers across the pond mowing the lawn. In desperation, I shouted to Jan to run over and see if they had a rake or ANYTHING that I could pull the stroller back.
Jan took off running, the kids were still screaming and Big Babci was still sitting on the bench expressionless with 2 screaming children sitting with her, and many people going about there business without acknowledging our *emergency* or offering to help. Geeze people this was a very expensive stroller I was trying to rescue!!
Just when I thought it was hopeless, the wind shifted just enough for me to barely poke the stroller with the umbrella and of course shifted again just enough to making pulling it back toward me almost impossible. It took every ounce of energy I had to keep the stroller from sailing away and to keep myself from slipping off the rock into the pond.
I screamed back to Jan that I had the stroller. She ran back to me and tried to hold onto me so that I wouldn’t fall in. I held onto it for several minutes without no avail but at least the stroller wasn’t floating farther away from me. The wind finally slowed enough for me to pull in the stroller slowly. It was terribly difficult to pull it in because the water resistance on the sun shade. Jan now is on her knees too trying to hold onto me while I was teetering on the side of the rock.
We finally got it enough where I could pull it in with the umbrella and Jan was able to reach out for the sun shade. We pulled and pulled and finally were able to pull the stroller to the side of the pond. It then took extra muscle to pull it out of the water. Who knew that a semi- floating stroller could hold so much water.
We pulled the stroller out. The kids were STILL screaming hysterically and the people around the pond were still ignoring us.
Shaking and sweating at this point, I rolled the stroller back up to it’s original parking spot and dumped all the water out of it. We all tried to comfort the boys which neither one of them would go for. Evan kept screaming over and over again that “the stroller is wet, the stroller is wet. We won’t be able to use it”. Carter was just screaming!
I rolled the soaking stroller back to the house and Jan and Big Babci walked the boys over to the playground. Some of the city workers stopped me and asked if everything was okay and that they saw the tail end of the experience. One of them actually asked Jan if there were any kids in the stroller when it happened. Yeah man, I would just be standing there watching my stroller float away with my kids in it, face down in the water??? Men !
So, I am placing bets on if the boys will let me run with them tomorrow!!
Dear Morning Cup of Coffee,
I love you so! You know how I long for you every morning: steaming hot Starbucks french roast extra dark with french vanilla creamer. We have had a very long and enjoyable relationship. I miss you! Ever since those kids came into the picture, I have been left with a half drank cup of goodness and find myself returning to the microwave to reheat often. If only those kids just didn’t need me when they see me drinking your liquid heavenliness! Maybe one day soon, we will reconnect for a full cup every morning, like the good ol’ days, until then know that I think of you often.
xoxo,
Cortney
This post is part of Wordless Wednesday, for more like it, visit 5 Minutes for Mom, Wordless Wednesday and 7 Clown Circus (Wordful Wednesday)
To view a list of my Wordless Wednesday posts, click HERE.
Randomness
Some of you may have noticed I haven’t been around much lately. They’re are several reasons, some I will talk about in the up coming weeks and months but here are the major ones:
- Re-prioritizing!!! It is amazing what you can get done when you aren’t playing, wasting, goofing off spending time on the computer. I know – SHOCKER!! But I needed to break ties with my computer a little bit to reevaluate how I was spending my time! And what I found is that I can now keep my kitchen and living room clean, spend more time in the Word and more time with the kids, among other things. And I have actually more time to relax.
- I am really trying to find a balance between my multiple duties – wife, mother, friend, blogger etc.
- Referring back to #1 – I am less stressed. It seems like the last few weeks that I have reorganized my goals and to-do lists, the less stressed I am feeling. I know, it could or could not be a coincidence but I lean toward the could not.
- I am focusing my efforts towards my most important relationships right now: My God, My Husband and my Kids! You all are important to me but you know !!
- I am working out a new schedule and still working out actual “computer/blogging” times and as of yet, it has been hard to squeeze in that time during the day.
- Allergy season is upon me!! Seasonal allergies kick my butt! I don’t get stuffiness or watery eyes, but I get exhaustion, headaches and sinus pain and a nose that runs constantly. So by the end of the day after the house is settled, I can not even think straight and the tiredness is unbearable. You know, it’s the kind of tired that you can’t think straight, every thing is blurry, thoughts are fuzzy and bones are achy! So really, trying to get any logical sentences put together for a paragraph and then a story, just isn’t happening right now
- I’m not inspired to write about anything!
I could probably go on and on and on about what I am or am not doing with my time. But those posts will be coming soon, most likely! So thanks for those of you who have stuck with me and have asked where I’ve been !
Juggling Act
I don’t know how so many moms juggle everything! I just CAN’T seem to get my act together. I admit it! I feel like I am in a hamster wheel and I just keep running and not really getting much accomplished. And I know that I don’t even have it nearly as hard as some moms!
I have decided the problem is the “house wife” aspect of this whole SAHM gig is what is killing me. I can be a great mom OR a great housekeeper. But I can’t do both. I know that sounds silly or sounds like I am throwing my hands up and taking the easy way out. Judge if you like, it doesn’t bother me!
So I need your help, because obviously I know in reality that I can’t just stop cleaning and cooking and laundry and…sorry I digress… I need some pointers on how moms do it with multiple small children in the house. How do you find a balance without feeling guilty that the children need more or the house needs more.
I have read books and blogs but none of them really seem to have an impact on me. I need to know how to juggle happy, healthy kids with the other demands of being a wife! If you are a mom of multiple small children (or were one ) and have come pointers, I would LOVE to hear them. Because this mom is just about to lose her mind!
The Toddler Chatters Continue…Again
But this time, it’s Carter! If you remember, I wrote a few posts about the annoying wonderful chatter of Evan last summer! (here and here).
I have mentioned a time or two, that my boys are as different as night and day! I love it, because I get to experience a whole new parenting world with Carter! Evan wasn’t much of a talker. I even remember the doctor asking me at Evan’s 2 year appointment if Evan could ask for what he wanted. I replied “no, but he will go to the refrigerator and get what he wants”. But within a few weeks of that appointment, Evan decided that talking was kinda a cool thing.
Carter, on the other hand, has been jibber jabbering since I could remember. I loved hearing him talk to himself in his crib over the monitor and hearing his little voice when he played with Evan. Over a short period of time, those nonsense sounds have become very distinct clear words!
Carter definitely has a mind of his own! When he says “no”, he means “no”! And the way he says it, can’t be any cuter, even if it is a word that parents would rather not hear all. the. time! And of course, he loves to say dadda and mommmm-ma! And of course I love hearing that too.
Besides a whole list of clear words he says, there are a few funny words coming from his mouth lately, that as a teacher, I feel the need to correct, but as a mom, I am tempted to egg on for awhile. Such as:
- Wa-Wa – this is the name he has given Evan. And even if you say “Evan”, he will agree with you and then say, “uh-huh, Wa-Wa”. So in his mind, he is saying “Evan” even though it sounds nothing like it.
- Doeby-Doeby – is his “blankie”. Really? I don’t even have any explanation for this one. But it is very clear that there is only one definition for “doeby-doeby”.
- Dibby-dibby – Bink. Again, don’t know?
He is starting to string words together.
- “What’s this?” “What’s this?” “What’s this?” “What’s this?” Okay so you get my drift. He wants to know what everything is! So I hear this 1000s of times a day! Lucky me
- “I want _____” So here is the child that I get to tell the Doctor about when he asks, “can Carter express what he wants?” “I want juice.” “I want crackers.” “I want cookies.” “I want truck” So he pretty much understands how to use this phrase in perfect context.
It seems like just yesterday, I was complaining explaining about Evan’s non-stop chit-chat. Now I have 2 sets of conversations to try to ignore decipher! Lucky me! And if you see me talking to myself – I may be a little crazy – but it’s the only intelligible conversation I can have now-a-days!
Hangin’ With my Girls
As much as I loved BlissDom (and I really did come away with some great ideas and many things to ponder about). The best part of the weekend was hanging out with some of my favorite people! Especially, being able to run around and not worry about getting home to the boys. We Slept in, took naps, stayed out and partied, we had meals without being interrupted!! What could be a better escape for a mom!
I loved the drive down with Jenny and Emily (I also roomed with). Although Jenny’s white noise machine was slightly intimidating, I grew fond of it by the end of the weekend !
The best thing about blogging is building relationships with others. What started out as meeting these girls online (because of blogging) has turned into real life friendships.
Shannan and me
Andrea, Emily and Katie (photo courtesy of Jenny on Flickr)
I was also super excited that I got to meet Christine! We have been stalking following each other’s blogs for several months and when I found out she would be there – I couldn’t wait to meet her!! I just think she is the cutest thing ever!
Why Am I Doing This Again…
I am tired! I mean all.the.time! I cannot wait until February 12 – that is when I am going to the Doctor and I am NOT leaving until there is a reason to all of this, or at least a game plan to figure it out! But that really isn’t the reason for this post – well sorta!
As you might recall, I haven’t had much free time lately. My dad comes over 3 afternoons a week (during the boys “rest” time) to allow me to go work out! And I have mentioned a few other times that as much as I appreciate and love the time, it has given me NO down time to unwind! I put the boys down for their naps (although Evan has decided that naps are for babies and downright refuses to take one) and they get up pretty much about the time that I get out of the shower. So it has worn me out!
I was in the shower yesterday, thinking about this predicament and came up with a list of why I am doing this to myself, in hopes that it will encourage me to continue and that the end result outweighs the temporary craziness! So here it is from least to greatest:
5. I really want to get back into my size 6 clothes. They are soooo cute. I walk into my closet occasionally and long for the day that I can just throw on any thing in my closet without the worry that it won’t fit!
4. I REALLY love to eat! I mean – love.to.eat!! And nothing really healthy for me. So I can justify the slice of pizza if I know that I have worked out that day! Once I get to my goal weight that is. Right now, I am super strict with what I am putting into my body!
3. The runner’s high is becoming quite addicting. Even on the days that I really don’t want to head to the gym, knowing that I will feel great afterward is enough to get me there and at least attempt to work out!
2. I have found that running really clears my mind. It is the most amazing feeling for about an hour after I am finished with my workout, especially when I get a great run in. All the stresses of life almost disappear for a small window of time. The argument that I had with a friend, the craziness of boys stuck inside of the house, the 10,000 items on my to do list, the fact that I didn’t get any sleep the night before – all of these things and more take a back seat and I can honestly say that I feel de-stressed and relaxed. And it is an amazing feeling!!
And the #1 reason that I am putting myself through this craziness….
These 2 guys! I want to be that mom who runs with her kids, plays with them, teaches them new things. Not the mom that sits on the sidelines and watches from afar! I wanted boys!! God has blessed with two amazing, spunky, active boys and I don’t want to miss a second of that! I want my boys to look up to me, to be proud that I am their mother! I want them to have a role model on healthy eating and exercise! I want to be able to be tackled, to race, to jump rope all without getting tired and worn out! I believe that this is one of the best gifts I can give these two boys – a healthy, happy mom!
So, now it’s your turn, what keeps you going?
Napping Wars
Evan has decided that naps are no longer fun! I was very blessed with a child who LOVED to nap. He would request it, quite often. People were amazed to hear him come up to me and ask to go nap.
Those days were so nice! But as we all know, babies grow up and decide that naps are no longer needed.
For the last few weeks, Evan has refused to nap. He will nap maybe every fourth day. Of course there are pros and cons to this new found independence. I do NEED this down time, but I really HATE the fact that if Evan takes a nap, he ends up not going to bed until 9:00 or 10:00. Which I NEED some quiet time in the evenings. So I have to weigh the lesser of two evils.
I do have him “rest” every day even if he isn’t napping, but we have different views of the definition of “rest”. We are still ironing out the afternoon ritual sans naps !
One of the negatives to not taking a nap is that by about 5:00 every evening, Evan, we’ll say, is in rare form. He is definitely tired by then and shows it! Whiney and crabby are two of the nicer words that can explain his behaviour!
Now that I have explained what has been going on, let me give you a little story about Friday. I got home from working out a little earlier, took a quick shower {while my dad and Evan watched t.v. since Evan WILL NOT sleep when he know Grandpa is coming over}, in hopes to try to get a quick nap in on the couch with Evan.
Thursday, I convinced Evan to nap with me on the couch and was able to get in about a 45 minute nap (so did Evan). So Friday, I was hoping for a miracle of two-fold: Evan would nap with me on the couch and Carter would take a exceptionally long nap!! Well, Carter did take a long nap – a 3.5 hour nap. But Evan decided that he would either kick me or whisper “Mommy” each time I started to doze! I tried pleading, threatening, whining and just plain ignoring, but to no avail, Evan and I did not nap !
Carter awoke and I grudgingly got off the couch to get him out of his crib, feeling bitter that Evan did not allow me to sleep and sluggish since I did drift off several times in the hour of battling Evan. I got Carter out of his crib and came back into the living room to this (excuse the pjs, yeah we decided to stay in them all day):
It was 3 minutes!! Three minutes from when I got off the couch where Evan was wide awake and returned with Carter. In that time, he rolled off the couch and fell asleep. It was 4:30! Needless to say, I didn’t try to keep Carter and the dog quiet! Apparently all that hard work of keeping me awake wore the little kid out! Poor little guy! {insert major sarcasm and bitterness!}
War of the Roses: Part 2
As you might remember from a few months ago, I took a Wilton Cake Decorating Class. As you may also remember that I had a very stressful time learning how to do roses (check out my Wilton journey here, here and here)! But in the end I somewhat conquered the roses.
But, because I am a perfectionist, I decided to take another level one class but this time, I decided to take the class at a local cake business, Cake Craft. One of the girls that works there just raved about it and mentioned that you learn much more than in the Wilton class. Besides that, I get all my supplies there and it is a local, small business, which I love to support!
Last night was the second class of a 6 week course. Last week was just an overview and a little bit of practice on…can you guess…ROSES. I didn’t freak out. I stayed somewhat calm and actually didn’t do too bad! As you will see from the pictures from last night, we have done more in the 2 classes so far as we did in the complete Wilton Class 1, so I am super excited to learn some completely new things next week.
The instructor, Mary, is awesome!! I informed her that I can be somewhat of a “perfectionist” and she has made it a point to pick on me, but also has given me some one-on-one instruction. Which being a teacher myself, I really appreciate!
So as promised here is my finished product from last night.
Hi Ho! Hi Ho! It’s off to the Park We Go…
If only God would give us one nice day a week during the winter I think I wouldn’t go out of my mind. We finally had a “warmer” day this week and it didn’t rain {woot woot!} so of course when I did my weekly check of the weather over the weekend, my heart skipped a beat to think me and the boys would actually get to run around outside!!
Those eyes!
Doing some light Astronomy
Running laps
Running laps too just like his big bro
Just hangin' out
Someone LOVES to swing!
The ONLY puddle in the whole park and guess who found it and had to splash a little
This post is part of Wordful Wednesday, for more like it, visit 7 Clown Circus (Wordful Wednesday).
To view a list of my Wordless Wednesday (Wordful Wednesday) posts, click HERE.
I Only Birthed Both of You, so You Better Give Me One Smile…
Today’s quest of trying to get a decent Christmas photo of the boys can be summed up with this:
After giving up on Carter, since he doesn’t understand bribery yet, I even went as low as to tell Evan, “We WILL NOT go play with the trains at the book store UNLESS you GIVE me A NICE SINCERE smile! Yeah, one of my “Mother of the Year Moments”!
Oh and the funny thing is…I didn’t really even notice that horrendously large pillow until I got home and was looking at the photos. So I guess I am semi-happy that none of them turned out too nice !!
This post is part of Wordless Wednesday, for more like it, visit 5 Minutes for Mom, 7 Clown Circus (Wordful Wednesday), Wordless Wednesday
To view a list of my Wordless Wednesday posts, click HERE.
Boot Camp Week 1
Okay, so over the weekend, I spent some time planning my attack on the bulge. I am officially starting my new diet lifestyle today. I really spent some time evaluating what was realistic of me as a mom and wife and what I wanted to accomplish. This is what I came up with:
- I need to find a healthy meal plan that I can eat along with my family, because it is not realistic within our grocery budget to be buying food for myself and buying food for the rest of the crew. So I spent some time this weekend looking for recipes that were “healthified” but still would keep my 3 men happy! I think I found some good ones!! Being this my first week, I will see how it goes and re-evaluate next weekend of pros and cons of this week’s meal plan.
- I don’t want to “diet”! I want to be able to eat tasty meals but without the extras. So I have decided at least for the next few weeks that I need to break my addiction to sweets. I truly feel that I am addicted to cakes, cookies and pastries. And this really is my down fall. So I am taking all sweets out of my diet, at least until I feel that I can eat a dessert in moderation instead of eating the whole cake!!
- I can’t starve myself, like I used to. Before kids, I could be extremely strict with my caloric intake. But I just can’t do it now. Those boys wear me out without dieting, but if you add the stress of a extremely low calorie diet, I physically get sick. My body rebels. So this week I am going to try to stay around 15oo calories per day. I will reevaluate as I go along. This may work for me, or it may not. We will see!
- After agonizing for almost a week on how to fit in my exercise routine, I finally decided that the boys would have to go to the gym with me and hang out at the nursery! This really killed me! I have NEVER had any one watch my kids that weren’t family or very close friends (except for the church nursery). I know many people who don’t think it’s that big of a deal to drop their kids off and many don’t have a choose because they don’t have a sitter, to each their own. But this was a really tough decision for me to make… BUT THEN…my mom pulled through as she always does and suggested that I ask my dad to come over during the boys’ nap time and that would free me up to run to the gym without having to drag them along. And my dad agreed as long as the “barbarians” stay asleep until I get home . I live a block away from my gym and my parents live 8 minutes from me, so this is an ideal arrangement! So we have planned to have him come over Monday, Wednesday and Fridays. THANKS DAD!!
- I bought myself a Fitness/Food journal to track my progress.
I wasn’t really looking for one, but I happened to walk by one that caught my eye and was super cute, so I splurged and bought it! - I am putting away the computer at night and going to bed. How does that fit into my well-being plan? I need to focus on getting enough sleep, because I DRAG during the day. Partially due to my unhealthy diet but also the fact that I am not getting adequate sleep. And now that I will be working out during the boys’ nap time – that eats into my blogging/computer time and I know that I will want to catch up on that during the evening hours. So I am making it a point NOT to even go there.
That’s what I got so far. There will possibly be some tweaking as the weeks go by, but it’s a start. A very planned out start, since I did spend several hours at Caribou Coffee this weekend so I could think without being interrupted by the boys!
Thanks for all the feedback from my original post and I can’t wait for you to take this journey with me!
‘Tis The Season…
To go on a diet.
It’s official! I must get some control over my eating habits. I have been in denial and hoping that my waistline would ignore the extra junk I have been eating. But unfortunately that isn’t the case and I must do something! I swear I am a fat person living in a semi-normal body.
I have gained 15 pounds since I stopped nursing Carter, about 9 months ago. I was working out and eating healthy but did indulge in my sweets, but since I was burning those extra calories, I was able to continue to lose weight. But when I stopped nursing, I continued to indulge my sweet tooth just as often as I was. But now I have just gotten completely out of control. Sweets are my CRACK!! And my waistline and my butt are showing the signs.
So, I need something EASY! I can’t spend my time thinking about or cooking meals that involve many ingredients or too much time. I don’t want to sit at my computer and search hours upon hours for healthy meals. So I am hoping to get a little help from you guys! Are there any programs, websites etc. that have worked for you, especially you guys that have multiple toddlers in the house, because this momma doesn’t have too much time to think of herself. I don’t even mind spending some extra money at this point. Or you know if Jenny Craig wants to sponsor me, that’s cool too, ya know.
HELP ME!!
HELP! I’m Stuck in This House with 2 BOYS!
If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook, I have COMPLAINED mentioned several times that my household has been sick for 3 weeks now! Trying to find things to keep the boys busy has been a challenge since they tire easily, but being boys that don’t want to sit around and rest. Now the first week when Evan had Croup – he did literally sit around and watch T.V. all week long! But now both boys are antsy, whiney and sick! What a wonderful combination!
So, desperate, I went to Odd Lots in hopes of finding some activities/toys to do with the kids to keep their minds off being sick, that were easy to do and didn’t require a lot of thought and preparation on my part, since I too have been dealing with the same sickness as the boys. Trust me, I wish that they would just watch T.V. without bothering me !
I came across some Crayola items that were reasonably priced and looked interesting. As much as I love Crayola, most of the items geared toward toddlers were never fully embraced by Evan (he is one hard nut to crack when it comes to activities that don’t include a ball), so I haven’t tried any of them on Carter. So I was a little apprehensive to buy anything, but I was desperate.
I picked up some TaDoodles Washable All-In-One Paint. If you know me, I hate doing crafts with my kids because of the mess. Thank goodness for an Artsy Daddy that takes care of that! These were perfect because I didn’t have to pour any paint and within reason the boys didn’t get their hands all messy! Score!
Besides that, they really enjoyed painting! Did Crayola put me up to this? NOPE!! The boys really enjoyed playing with the TaDoodles and I loved the easiness of them, so I thought I would tell you guys that this is one product I will buy again and since Christmas is coming up, what a great little stocking stuffer for the boys. OR even better, HEY Crayola I would be certainly happy to sample any more of your products out and if you can send me some more of these TaDoodles paints I would greatly appreciate it! Come on, help this stir crazy Momma out!! K, thanks!!
The Face of Croup
Let me just start by saying that I have been very, very blessed by God not to have sick kids up until this point. Neither of my boys have never even had a fever that was related to sickness. Croup itself isn’t life threatening or even compares to many of the illenesses that hopefully we will never experience, so I don’t want this post to come across as if our world has come to an end! Just wanted to document how our week went! And how stir crazy this mom is getting!! So when Evan woke up Sunday night screaming and couldn’t get consoled, we knew something was wrong and Jeremy immediately took him to Children’s Hospital. I have mentioned before that Evan has an EXTREMELY high pain tolerance, so when he was telling us that he was in pain and had a 102 degree temperature, we were not about to wait it out!
He was diagnosed with Croup! On Wednesday Carter started running the temperature too. Each boys has reached 102 at least once each day! So guess what we have been doing ALL week long:
This one is my favorite because notice how we transformed the living room! We brought down our T.V. from the bedroom so that we could hang out in daylight during the day instead of having to hang out in our basement. I am so against having a T.V. that accessible but you got to do what you got to do. And we brought up the futon mattress from the basement, because Jeremy spent a few nights sleeping down by Evan!
The doctors told us that if his croup flares up severally enough to take him outside in the chilly night air. So a few nights, that’s what Jeremy had to do. This scene just broke my heart and I happened to have the camera next to the door. He fell asleep out there, but the moment we brought him back inside the house he started back up again! Poor little guy!
But we are hopeful. We have gone almost a full day without temperatures! {fingers crossed} Maybe I’ll we’ll be out running around very soon!
Baby It’s Cold Outside
I have a feeling that I will be taking a photo similar to these and there will be snow on the ground. I just purchased some heavy duty – water proof mittens and gloves for the boys (from Lands’ End). I just have a feeling that since summer heat and fall leaves hasn’t diminished their enthusiasm for the sand box at Grandpa’s, I better be prepared! A mom’s got to do, what a mom’s got to do! The prospect that the boys’ won’t be able to play outside for several months makes me shiver with worry. How are we going to make it through the winter without playgrounds and Grandpa’s Garden. Since he does read my blog religiously…HMMMM maybe I can get him to rig a portable heater in the garden so they can continue to play outside!
The Toddler Chatters Continue
Recently when Evan started really talking, I wrote a post about it called the Toddler Chatters Have Begun. I knew from that point on that I was in for a long, long road of listening to things said to me over and over and over again.
Evan has moved on from talking about Tiger Woods (sorry Tiger), to now the following: “What does (insert any noun you can think of here) do?”
Case in point:
Me: That is a chicken, Evan (after seeing one that was skinned)
Evan: What does a chicken do?
Me: A chicken says ‘cluck cluck’
Evan: What does ‘cluck cluck‘ do?
Me: Evan that is the sound a chicken makes, silly.
Evan: What does a sound do?
Me: A sound is something that we can hear.
OR
Evan: Mommy what’s that? (fish feeder that you put a quarter in to get food for the fish)
Me: That is a fish feeder.
Evan: What does a fish feeder do?
Me: We put money in it so that we can get food for the fish.
Evan: What does money do?
Me: Money lets up get food for the fish.
Evan: What do fish do?
Me: Fish swim in water.
Evan: What do water do?
Okay so you get the drift. I don’t know if I am going to make it or not!! These question and answer sessions usually end up with me walking away and pretending I don’t hear him or trying to change the subject, which is risky since the next topic could end up in this same cycle. HELP!!
What has your toddler began to say over and over and over again?
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