Semi-Crunchy, Semi-Sane

Not aiming for fashion forward

2011-10-14T22:38:00.002-05:00

Just not a fashion faux paux! I used to think I was a fairly trendy dresser. A nice balance between classic and cutting edge, while keeping a corporate vibe (well at least when I was in the office!). In the last 2 years, it has taken a severe downhill slide. At first I blamed the ever-growing belly as I was expecting Sunshine when I switched from working outside of the home to stay at home momma. So I spent a lot of my time in pants with elastic waists, shirts with an empire waist and comfy shoes. Once Sunshine was born though I didn't return to my previous wardrobe, but rather I fell into the comfortable rhythm of well...comfy clothes. My biggest fashion accomplishment of the day (besides a shower!) was changing from my "nighttime loungewear" into my "daytime loungewear". The biggest difference between the two would probably be the amount of dryer holes or paint stains between the nighttime and daytime wardrobes. Oh don't get me wrong, I still appreciated nice clothing and liked looking nice but honestly between changing dirty diapers, whipping out a boob every 30 seconds to feed a baby, chasing after an energetic toddler and taking care of a household, somewhere along the line I lost my desire to look nice.

So I'm on a kick to look a little bit nicer these days, partly because I have more places to go than the grocery store and the local library for storytime (I'd still show up in lounge or yoga pants and a casual shirt to those places). But I'm not quite ready to make the leap back into my Gap/Old Navy/Kohls/with a little bit of Target basics wardrobe. So my steps will be baby ones but ones that I hope will make me feel a little bit better about my wardrobe. What are my goals?

1. no frumpy jackets (or at least not all the time). I have 2 cute sweaters that are PERFECT for fall and I intend to use them.

2. Wearing non-tennis shoes. I'm guilty of living in tennis shoes, pretty much regardless of where I go. The rare exception is church, when I try to wear something else. My current hunt is for a pair of chocolate brown or black shoes that will go with everything from jeans to the couple pairs of slacks that I own (that fit my post-baby body)

3. Not always living in a silk screened t-shirts. This one will be a bit harder as 99% of the time I am still spending my entire day changing diapers, painting and doing other messy crafts with my kids or doing chores. In my mind, none of these require me to wear anything nicer than a ratty t-shirt that's left over from the college days (thankfully there's only one t-shirt left from high school and that's one that I keep for sentimental reasons). My pre-baby/between pregnancies work appropriate shirts thankfully still fit so I have options here.

4. Accessories! I just put earrings back into my ears after a 3+ year hiatus. I took them out simply because at one point Flower thought that they would be the perfect tug toy. I think earrings will be the easiest thing for me to ease back into wearing simply because they're small, I have a lot of variety and they don't get in the way of life.

So there you have it! My short term goals for bringing me out of my fashion slump. I don't want to end up on the cover of a fashion magazine but I'd like to consistently look more put together than I typically do. Now who wants to help me re-vamp my wardrobe so I can still be comfy yet look like I spent a little effort on myself?!

Sesame Street Live #giveaway

2011-10-13T21:47:00.000-05:00

If you have a toddler or preschooler like mine, they can spot Elmo a mile away! My 19 month old will literally light up and scream ELMO!!!! whenever she sees him, whether it be on the TV or in a book. My 4 year old also is still a big Elmo fan. They both love Cookie Monster, Big Bird and the rest of the cast of furry friends!

Join all of your favorite monsters as they become musicians! Elmo, The Count, Cookie Monster, Big Bird, Bert & Ernie and all their funny and furry friends are taking to the stage to share the magical world of music with children. When Jenny, the new Sesame Street music teacher, moves into town, her instruments get lost. Jenny’s new Sesame Street friends quickly come to her rescue, and they all discover "instruments" that they never knew existed…rubber duckies, trash can lids and even their own laps! The characters teach children, and themselves, that everyone has the ability to make beautiful music, whether they realize it or not. Don’t miss this opportunity to count along with The Count, visit Elmo’s World and do the Crumb-A-Rumba with Rosita and Cookie Monster at Sesame Street Live "Elmo Makes Music."

The show info is:

Sesame Street Live

“Elmo Makes Music”

Rockford, IL; MetroCentre

Tuesday, November 8 & Wednesday, November 9, 2011

There are 3 shows to choose from, including a Kids' Matinee on Wednesday November 9 at 10:30AM. Each show is 90 minutes long...PERFECT for younger audiences!

The best part is that I'm giving you a chance to win a 4 pack of tickets to see Sesame Street Live, "Elmo Makes Music"! All you have to do is leave a comment on this post to enter!

But WAIT! If you don't want to wait and wish to order your tickets now, I can make your purchase even sweeter! Sesame Street Live is sharing a $3.00 discount with everyone! When you purchase your tickets from www.metrocentre.com, use the code ERNIE to get your discounted price!

So leave your comment today with your e-mail address! This contest will close on Tuesday, Oct 18 at 11:59PM CST. I will announce a winner on Wednesday, Oct 19.

Is chivalry (or common courtesy) really dead?! (and a basic life lesson)

2011-10-08T22:00:00.001-05:00

Some days I think no and other days it feels like a resounding YES! So two days ago the girls and I went to help a friend of mine with a fundraiser. She had donated some cakes to be auctioned off so I helped her decorate the cakes. That was a 4 hour round-trip. Then I drove 30 minutes to Flower's pre-k parent/teacher conference and on my way back home, I started hearing this really weird, gravely noise coming from my car. I considered stopping but then I realized I was close enough to my subdivision that I could see it so tried to make it home. Nope...the sound got louder so I got smart and stopped the car.

This is what greeted me

Being the modern woman that I am, this is not the first tire I've had to change although I admit, this IS the first time I've had the tread almost completely peel off. So of course like anyone else who is engrossed in all things related to social media, I posted this picture on my Facebook Wall also noting for my local friends what road I was located on (just in case someone wanted to come to my rescue). I also called my dad to let him know that I was going to be late, to get my girls their dinner and to not scare them about my "broken car" (Flower's been having issues with broken things lately...they cause her to meltdown for some strange reason). So once that was done I set about the task at hand.

Now during this time, several cars drove past me in both directions. I'm on a quiet country road so it was QUITE clear that I was having a car issue, that I am female and that I was alone. Yet no one stopped to offer assistance or to even make a phone call for me. Not even the gentleman jogging along the walking path on the opposite side of the street! This really irritated me more than the fact that I would now have to shell out $$ for new tires.

About the point where I had already done most of the heavy lifting, someone did finally stop. It turned out to be an old teacher of mine and apparently he lives in a subdivision nearby (we're practically neighbors). As he was helping me finish up changing my tire we chatted about how no one had stopped to offer assistance but that he was glad to see that I knew how to take care of myself. He quickly finished up changing my tire, helped me load all my junk back into the car and went our separate ways.

As I reflected on this later that evening, I was more and more upset about the fact that NO ONE stopped to help me. Is common courtesy to help someone out that dead? Are we all so self-absorbed that we can't show concern for anyone other than ourselves? Or did I just have a streak of bad luck with 30+ drivers all passing me without stopping?! I highly doubt that it was the last one which makes me sad at the state of our society. Now I will admit that I rarely step out of a car to offer assistance anymore but I also always have one or both of my girls with me. But I will pull aside as long as I can safely do so and ask if they need me to make a phone call for them.

After much thinking my conclusion was a simple one. I was VERY grateful that I was alone in the car when the tire pretty much fell apart. Remember how I started this day? The girls and I were on the road for 4 hours total, driving at highway speeds and in traffic. So I know that at lower speeds I just felt a strong vibration in the car before I pulled over but who knows how the car would have reacted at higher speeds? So I'm grateful my girls were safely at home. I'm also glad that this happened near home. I could see my subdivision from where I stopped so at a worst case scenario, I would have locked up my car, walked home to send my dad out to change my tire while I stayed home with the girls. And finally I'm grateful that I already had the money set aside for new tires as that was the one major purchase I was making prior to winter.

So now that my car is sporting shiny new tires, I still wonder...if my old teacher didn't stop to help me out, would anyone else stop? Or would I have changed my own tire, packed up my own stuff and made my way home without anyone else feeling the draw to be helpful to a stranger? This experience will make me think twice about driving past someone pulled to the side of the road. Even if I can't offer physical assistance in helping them out, I can at least call a tow truck.

And my life lesson? Always have what you need. While I did have all the tools to get myself home in this situation (inflated spare, jack, gloves, etc) I also found that my manufacturer issued jack and lug wrench (especially the lug wrench) were RIDICULOUS! My shopping list now includes one that's a bit less flimsy :) If I'm going to be stuck out there again I want to make sure that the gear I have is best for the job.

Seriously this is a fabulous giveaway!

2011-10-08T20:40:00.002-05:00

So as momma of 2 girls I'm sometimes in a situation where I want them safely confined. Zoo, airport, large crowds, etc. It gives me peace of mind that I know where they are and that they're not going to be wandering off. One of my fellow bloggers is giving away a double stroller! FABULOUS! I've been on the hunt for a new double stroller as my current one is just "too much stroller" for some situations. Check out Mama to 4 Blessings giveaway for details on their double stroller giveaway! I'd be thrilled to win such a fabulous stroller!

Our first field trip!

2011-10-04T21:46:00.000-05:00

Ok so really it was Flower's first field trip but mine too (well as a parent anyway). I think one of the rights-of-passage in the early elementary years is to go to the fire station and Flower's class was no exception! So after leaving a protesting Sunshine with my dad, Flower and I were off to her first field trip. We met up with her teachers and her classmates (along with a bazillion other classes visiting the fire station on the same day) and started exploring the fire station.

Firstly, from my very foggy memory of my own fire station trips, there was no mobile smoke house, no fireman's pole set up with stairs and scaffolding around it for the kids to try out, no crawling tunnel. I think we listened to a firefighter (maybe more than one) tell us about stop/drop/roll, about how to never play with fire and we sat behind the wheel of a fire truck. So Flower's adventure was MUCH more fun to me.

The class got to see what a "fire monster" looks like. A fireman explained the importance of all the turnout gear, including how the mask and helmet make him look funny and talk a little funny but he's not "really a monster". Also they went over the importance of 9-1-1 and how they're supposed to only use it in a real emergency, not for things like having a fight with their sibling or being mad at their parents. These guys did a GREAT job talking to the kids (all pre-schoolers) at their level, explaining things in a way that they'd understand and making it fun. I think the highlight of the day was the puppet show teaching everyone how to stop, drop and roll.

Here's some of the fun that Flower had today.

Puppet show fire dog singing "stop, drop and roll!"

Flower going down the fireman's pole

I have quite a few more pictures of the trip but out of respect for the other kids and their families I'm not going to post their kids.

Thanks so much to the WFPD for a fabulous program! The kids all seemed to learn a lot and it's SUCH an important message. We are grateful to all of you!

Birthday Madness!!!

2011-09-27T22:29:00.001-05:00

She's FOUR! It has been a fabulous year for Flower! So many changes and so much growth! I amazed by my big girl every day! Instead of having a birthday celebration on one day, we pretty much had a week long celebration.

We started the Sunday before her birthday with lunch with her grandparents. Flower got birthday ice cream at the end of her meal, which she graciously shared with her grandparents, Sunshine and me!

She selected a ladybug party which meant I got to make her a pink ladybug cake. Now I'm pretty ok at cake decorating but for some reason I hadn't ever created a cake using a shaped pan. So off we went to Michael's craft store to pick up a shaped cake pan! She LOVED IT and proceeded to spend the week asking me to make her a pink bug, then a red & black bug, then back to a pink bug. We finally settled on a pink ladybug which was more appealing to me (black and red food coloring stains and I really wanted to avoid potentially having stained hands). The day of her party was exciting! Flower was so excited to see her family and friends. We had about 30 people over to help us celebrate Flower's big day.

She always gets overwhelmed being the center of attention so wouldn't smile when we sang Happy Birthday to her. But she was also wanting to have a picture taken with some of her new presents so she was getting cranky because I didn't want them in the picture.

This is her requested pink ladybug cake, which was a double layer yellow cake with blueberry/lemon filling. We also decided to try and have an "appetizer party" instead of a full meal. I forgot to take my required "pre-party" table picture so here's an action shot before all the food was eaten.

And that's not her entire celebration! On Flower's actual birthday, Sunshine and I took her out to lunch (ok so really Sunshine didn't get a choice in the matter) and Flower got her ears pierced! I had asked her ages ago if she would want them pierced (several of her friends have pierced ears so she knows all about it) and originally she said no but after she saw one of her friends with sparkly flowers, she changed her mind. So we picked out some pretty sparkly blue flowers for her to have.

And here are the girls enjoying another birthday treat when we had lunch at Chili's.

Here's some more...Flower's birthday week ended with celebrating her birthday with her classmates today. I went to her pre-k class to bring treats (Flower chose White Cheddar Pirate Booty) and I had the opportunity to read a story to her class. Her teacher also makes crowns for the birthday kid to wear all day! Here is Flower wearing her crown during snack time.

There you have it gang! My firstborn little baby is a big girl now! Pierced ears, school birthday celebrations! What a fabulous week we've had and I'm so blessed to be momma to a wonderful, thoughtful girl!

PS...in case you're wondering about my giveaway, we didn't have any entries (were all of you on vacation?!). So I'm going to host it again very soon! Watch out so you can enter to win a copy of My Memories Suite digital scrapbooking software!

I'm in full fledged birthday mode!

2011-09-20T21:52:00.001-05:00

Flower is turning 4 next Monday so her ladybug party will be Saturday! That means a BUSY week of shopping, food prep and most importantly, her birthday cake! She has requested a ladybug shaped cake but wanted pink (instead of the traditional black & red) so I'm off to create that for her!

Stay tuned for pictures of her celebration!!!

Scrapbooking (and #giveaway)

2011-09-17T23:02:00.000-05:00

I love to scrapbook, yet the thought of breaking out photos, papers, embellishments and sharp objects (like photo trimmers) is a bit daunting these days. Yet I'm constantly looking for ways to capture moments and memories of the girls without taking over an entire table and trying to keep the girls out of all the "stuff". I've recently discovered My Memories Suite, which is a fabulous way to scrapbook without taking up a lot of time. With my computer and my digital photos, I was off to create my first digital scrapbook.

From start to finish the process has been easy! I was able to download my software package with relative ease (ignoring the fact that my internet connection has been slower than slow lately) and works with a typical Windows-styled interface. Then I picked the templates that I wanted to use. If I was feeling super creative or wasn't in love with any of the templates that came with the software, getting new ones was just as easy. I could go onto the My Memories website and peruse a ton of designs and the best part?! A LOT of what I liked was FREE! So I picked one of the pre-loaded designs and was off and running!

I created a 7 page scrapbook with the templates that loaded. I was given options of shifting around the pages in case I wanted to have them in a different order and to also add pages but I chose to keep them as they were designed. Cropping and loading photos onto each page was as easy as selecting the photo and the My Memories Suite software automatically gives me a screen to select exactly what I want loaded onto the page! Adding my journal entries was just as easy! I simply selected the box to type in and I was off. In about 10 minutes I created my first digital scrapbook!

Next I wanted to challenge myself a bit and get some new templates. Like I said earlier, the scrapbook software gives me a direct link to the My Memories Suite online catalog so I could browse new templates right from the software. It even indicates which ones are free and which ones cost money. So I downloaded another template and off I went (again!). This time I took a few more minutes to check out some of the features of digital scrapbooking and I discovered that in addition to the features that I would expect (font style choices, photo affects such as black & white, sepia, etc) I could also insert videos, narration and even music! Obviously I wouldn't be able to print these out but my thoughts immediately turned to how I could share these albums with my extended family, who lives all over the world. Literally with a click of a button, they could see and hear the girls! How awesome is that?!

My two very basic albums just touch on the basics that My Memories Suite can handle. It can do a lot more and I'm excited to create more and more albums to share with my friends and family! I'd also LOVE to share a copy of this software with you! Here's how you can win it!

To Enter (only the first is mandatory, the rest are optional for additional chances to win)

1. Comment (MANDATORY!!)
2. Like Semi-Crunchy, Semi Sane on Facebook
3. Tweet this
4. Mention it on FB
5. Follow me (semicrunchymomm) on Twitter
6. Follow my blog via Google Friend Connect
7. Follow My Memories Suite on Twitter
8. Like My Memories Suite on Facebook

Please leave a separate comment on this post for each entry.

You have 1 week. This contest will end at 11:59PM CST on 9/24/11. I will a winner randomly on 9/25/11 and will announce my winner via blog, e-mail and Twitter. PLEASE make sure you have an e-mail associated with your profile, post it in your comment/e-mail.

Good luck!!

If you want to get started TODAY, you can purchase and download your own copy of My Memories Suite for $10 off AND a $10 credit on the MyMemories store by clicking here and using my coupon code: STMMMS27512

PS, while I was provided a complementary copy of My Memories Suite software for review and this giveaway, all of the opinions are my own.

A decade has passed...

2011-09-11T01:00:00.000-05:00

The 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks is tomorrow. I have greeted each 9/11 since 2001 with feelings of sorrow, remorse and pain. It is one of the few times in my life that I remember the minutia. Every detail of that morning is freshly etched into my mind. From what I was doing when I first heard the news (blowdrying my hair and getting ready for work while the TV was on in my bedroom) to what I did when I arrived at work (worked frantically with my colleagues to locate our employees who were traveling that day...thankfully none of ours were in those planes) to how I felt as I drove home (eerie unease since the roads were completely empty). I'm sure many of you have similar memories or can recall exactly what you were doing when you heard the news.

Much has happened in the last 10 years. Terrorists have been captured or killed. Security measures for travel has been beefed up, to the point where some question the necessity of full body scanners that leave little to the imagination. Families have started to heal, children of 9/11 victims have been born and told the story as to why daddy/auntie/uncle/grandma/grandpa isn't with them. I am a lot less naive now. I used to think that terrorist attacks wouldn't happen here, yet as I watched people jump to their death from the Towers, as I heard about people working at the Sears Tower or the AON building contemplate evacuation, as I tried to grasp the enormity of a jetliner crashing into a skyscraper...I also contemplated how the people at Ground Zero, the Pentagon and in the PA field felt. And I just couldn't. I was filled with such sorrow at the thought of such tragedy that it took my breathe away.

I will never be able to fully comprehend the bravery of those who went up the stairs when everyone else went down. I will never feel what those families felt as they waited hours and days to find out if their loved ones had survived. I drive past a fire station or police station today and want to go back with a thank you card and some baked goodies (yes I realize most places won't accept homemade goodies anymore as there are still crazies out there), just because now I do appreciate them so much more than I did before. There was life before the attacks...and there is life after. The firefighters, police officers and other rescue workers that I know personally are in my constant prayers. Whenever I pull aside to let one of their vehicles pass, I also say a quick prayer for the ones that I know. I pray for their safety in whatever they're doing that very moment. I pray for their families who send them off to work not knowing if they will come back at all.

We will never forget....I will never forget. And my prayer is that our children won't have to watch the same sort of horror unfold.

Book Review: Unmeasured Strength by Lauren Manning

2011-09-09T20:51:00.000-05:00

Synopsis:

She was a hardworking business woman, had a loving husband and an infant son, and a confidence born of intelligence and beauty. But on 9/11, good fortune was no match for catastrophe. When a wall of flame at the World Trade Center burned more than 80 percent of her body, Lauren Manning began a ten-year journey of survival and rebirth that tested her almost beyond human endurance.
Long before that infamous September day, Manning learned the importance of perseverance, relentless hard work, and a deep faith in oneself. So when the horrific moment of her near-death arrived, she possessed the strength and resilience to insist that she would not yield—not to the terrorists, not to the long odds, not to the bottomless pain and exhaustion. But as the difficult months and years went by, she came to understand that she had to do more than survive. She needed to undergo a complete transformation, one that would allow her to embrace her life and her loved ones in an entirely new way.
Fleeing the burning tower, Manning promised herself that she would see her son's face again. Courageous and inspiring, Unmeasured Strength tells the riveting story of her heroic effort to make that miracle—and so many others—possible.

My Review:

To read about Lauren's struggle to survive the 9/11 terrorist attacks touched me to depths I wouldn't have imagined. Prior to the attacks, Lauren seemed to be living a blessed life...great job, wonderful family, everything seemed to look up for her. Her accounts of how she was injured in the attack was eye opening as well as a bit unbelieveable. I have read in other accounts of severe injury that there is some way that the mind separates itself from the body...almost an out of body experience Lauren's details about the moments after she was burned are so well written that it made me wonder how much of it was her true account and how much of it was what she was told once she regained concienceness. Regardless of the clarity of those details the overarching theme of strength, perseverence and tenacity. From her early days in the hospital to her long struggle in various therapies, she brought me through her journey with honesty and raw courage. I did have a few problems with her story. Firstly, towards the end of the book Lauren and her husband chose to have a gestational surrogate carry their child to term; a choice that was made as a result of Lauren's extensive injuries. When complications were discovered with the fetus/baby during a routine amnio the choice was made to abort the pregnancy. This just didn't sit well with me for various reasons. Also she mis-quotes Biblical passages; most noteably her reference that we (people/the human race) should love ourselves first. The Bible clearly states in the Old and New Testaments that we "should have no other gods before Me" (OT) and that we should "love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind (NT).

These two instances really stuck out in my mind, as did the way in which Lauren's "early years" and the last few years leading up to current day were quickly glossed over. I realize that there are editors, page constraints, etc., at work when writing and publishing a book but some of these details would have certainly given me more insight into Lauren's home life both before and after the infamous attacks. Regardless, this is a very real book...a very real story where the survivor takes me through her journey. I'm so glad that Lauren has had an opportunity to give her voice to the events of 9/11.

*I was provided a copy of Unmeasured Strength by the publisher but all of the opinions are my own

PS. I will be hosting my very first giveaway starting early next week! Stay tuned to find out more and enter!

So we will start with the most recent...today!

2011-09-07T22:06:00.001-05:00

For as much as my lazy gene seems to dominate (and by lazy, I mean I loathe chores and errands but seem to have boundless energy for anything kid related), I sure seem to stay busy. This week has been no exception!

It is Flower's second week of Pre-K so I had a few hours with Sunshine to do whatever we wanted. So went (for the second day in a row) to pick beans at my friend's family farm. They wouldn't have lasted until the weekend Farmer's Markets so I was invited to help myself. So while Sunshine had a little snooze in the Himmel Mei Tai on my back, I picked enough beans for many, many jars of dilly beans. I think in total I had 4 grocery store bags packed full (the plastic ones, not the ginormous reusable ones). So today became known as Dilly Bean Day!

From roughly 8AM until dinnertime, I single-handedly washed, trimmed, sterilized, stuffed, seasoned and processed 24 cans of beans. I still have 3 colanders overflowing with beans but alas it was dinnertime and I had run out of jars, dill weed and garlic so those will have to wait until tomorrow. For those of you not familiar with the canning/pickling process (as dilly beans are simply pickled beans with a little bit of kick) there's more time spent boiling liquids than there are handling the produce. Here's some photos of today's handiwork!

Rinsing the beans to remove all the dirt, loose leaves, etc. My sink was COVERED in dirt after each batch was removed.

Just a small portion of the beans that I had to can.

A view of the beans pre-processing (lidding and putting the jars into a boiling water bath so that the jars seal and the produce doesn't spoil during long term storage). The bright green and the red from the chili pepper flakes reminds me of Christmas. The dill reminds me a little bit of Christmas greenery.

The final product. This is 24 pint jars of dilly beans, processed (and all successfully sealed!) and ready for long term storage or sharing with friends.

While I love the way the jars look with all of the beans standing at attention, I hate the waste of the excess bean that gets trimmed away in order for the beans to fit into the jar. So I usually reserve a jar or two to put the scraps as those can also be consumed. Perfect for little fingers! See how much nicer the jar looks on the right?!

The last 3 strainers of beans that will be processed tomorrow.

And just because Sunshine wanted to be part of the canning action, here she is trying to get herself ready for long term winter storage ;)

No I haven't disappeared...yes we have LIVED this summer!

2011-08-31T21:19:00.000-05:00

It has been a long, hot summer filled with lazy days and lots of adventures! In blogger land, a couple months is like an eternity but now with the rhythm of the school year starting I will also have a routine again! As much as I love the lazy, crazy days of summer, I function better with structure and routine.

Our summer was filled with thrilling milestones for Sunshine! She went from a tentative walker to a full fledged, almost running, FEISTY toddler! She also has about a bazillion words and uses them all with gusto! Everything she says would be followed by a !!! if I were to type it out. She loves following her big sister around, climbing on anything and everything and just being herself.

Flower has also hit a major milestone. Yesterday she started preschool! I have a full fledged preschooler! She was tentative when she took her teacher's hand to walk inside but came back with glowing reviews! She even agreed to go again tomorrow. I'm so thrilled that she will have peers to interact with and others to learn from someone besides her family members.

I will have some upcoming posts filled with pictures of our summertime adventures and also my first book review. I'm very excited to have the opportunity to read and share with you my thoughts about this book.

I have so many feelings and emotions tied to the tragedy of 9/11, as I'm sure all of you do. I just received Unmeasured Strength over the weekend so will have my thoughts to share with you very soon!

In the meantime, I hope you will all enjoy the last unofficial weekend of summer.

Anywhere except in bed...

2011-06-01T13:54:00.000-05:00

Sunshine, in her ever changing world, has recently decided that cribs are for the birds. Or other babies. She will not sleep in her crib for more than a couple hours, which means that she ends up in bed with me more often than not. Basic premise is simple...I'm already tired, I need sleep, she needs sleep and I am willing to take the easy road. But as she gets older, we get a bit more crowded. Last night I had been laying down for a while (with her chubby leg draped over my stomach) and when I slipped out of bed to get a drink of water she rotated and ended up sleeping perpendicular to where she was...yep, you guessed it folks! I was booted out of my own bed by my 14 month old! Now to be fair she didn't flinch when I shoved her back over to her half of the bed. Instead she decided to show her displeasure by passing gas, snoring and kicking me a couple times as she settled down again. It amazes me how soundly she sleeps when she's next to me vs when she's in her crib. But alas I want my space back. I don't want to constantly (in my asleep state) be on alert for rolling over on her or anything. But she's a stubborn thing and I'm worried that sticking her in her crib will result in her screaming for hours (unacceptable), me being up all night rocking and re-rocking her to sleep (more acceptable but exhausting) or me giving in and her crawling into bed with me for years to come. So for mommas who have co-slept into the toddler days, what is the most gentle, least exhausting way for me to get her into her crib???

I think it's time...

2011-05-17T10:32:00.000-05:00

To *gasp* focus on me for a while! I've always been fairly petite but with having 2 children and having nothing in terms of time for me, I think I need to carve out the time. I'm not pleased with how I look. So baby steps...figuring out what I can cut out in terms of calorie intake (not easy esp since I'm still nursing and I have negative reactions if I cut out too much) and figuring out how I can incorporate the girls into any sort of a workout.

Anyone have any tips on how to incorporate workouts with 2 young kids (and no gym membership where I can leave them at the kids area while I workout)? Any tips on slowly reducing/changing how I eat while still providing balanced meals and variety for the girls? We eat 99% of our meals together so that they learn (mainly Sunshine as Flower knows the drill) that meals are a time to eat together.

I don't have any goals in terms of weight loss or inches loss. I just want to look a little better and have a little more energy.

What they don't say about celebratory days...

2011-05-08T14:39:00.000-05:00

It is still just another day. Everyone talks about what they did for a special day (birthdays, Mothers/Fathers Day, etc) but the "normal" stuff still happens. Of course it isn't mentioned as it makes the day feel a bit more ordinary and less special but it still happens. We compare notes on the special meal(s) that were enjoyed and how delicious everything was, just leaving out the bit about how every dish in the house was dirtied and it took 3 dishwasher loads to clean it all. We mention the gifts that were given; without ever saying that something was too small or large, wasn't quite the color that we wanted or something else. But do we mention the disappointment that the special thing we have been asking for wasn't wrapped up with everything else? Nope.

So why is it that we only talk about the good? Why do we not mention the ordinary? Because it isn't "special"? I have had this thought going 'round and 'round in my head for weeks now, as I often do leading up to and after a special day. Is it because I put too much pressure into having the seemingly "perfect day"? Is it because I want more from the day than I have ever had? We are not the Cunningham's or the Cleaver's. I'm not quite sure.

So for me this "ordinary" Mother's Day is just fine. I made us cinnamon rolls (of which I think I ate most of them as Flower and Sunshine wanted other things for breakfast). That's just fine :) Church was pretty normal, although all of the mothers were given a carnation. Sunshine chose to break mine in several spots but she was amused the entire sermon so I could actually focus and listen...a first since she's been born so I will consider it a success. Flower made me a cute construction paper flower but she didn't have a good idea WHY she was making me a special flower. So not spectacular, just a touch above ordinary. The rest of the day will probably be a similar theme. I have chores to do, the girls will want to play outdoors, I will still do baths, bedtime and everything else that is "ordinary". But at the same time I will consider myself blessed because of my two sweet girls. And that is enough to make this ordinary day, spectacular.

Happy Mother's Day!!

2011-05-07T20:22:00.000-05:00

A day all about Mothers! Considering the other 363 are about the kids (the other one day being about dad's) I sure do love a day all about me! While I dream of having a full spa day with no kids and just pampering for me, I also know that's not what I truly want. I simply want a day to enjoy my children. There will be plenty of days once they're older where I won't have the entire day with them anymore so I will enjoy my full days with them now.

I hope all of my fellow momma's have a fabulous day tomorrow. I hope your families appreciate the fact that you spend your time and energy taking care of your loved ones. If you have little ones like me, I hope they give you a day filled with cuddles and kisses, even if they don't fully know what Mother's Day is all about.

Obligatory royal wedding discussion

2011-05-02T21:21:00.000-05:00

No I didn't plan to watch the wedding live, but I ended up watching it live. Sunshine woke me right around 5AM so I fed her and flipped on the TV...fairly easy to find coverage of the wedding between Kate and Prince William as it dominated every news station. I was most interested in seeing her wedding gown and the bridal party's attire. It did not disappoint! I have vague memories of Princess Diana's wedding and was hoping for something equally memorable for Kate. I LOVED the lace sleeves, detailed veil and elegant design. Her second gown with rhinestone waist and angora bolero sweater were equally stunning.

My second curiosity was what she would be called post-wedding. Apparently she's not a Princess yet...at least according to her Grandmother in law...she's a Dutchess. So then my curiosity got the best of me as to why this all happens the way that it does and I guess it boils down to one thing...the Queen gets to choose. That's a pretty darn good rule if you're the Queen or on her good side I guess. But there are all these fabulously complicated rules and traditions that she apparently took into consideration. So as I drowsily fed Sunshine the evening following the wedding I used my handy-dandy new super phone (a Thunderbolt in case anyone is interested) and did a bit of reading as to why Kate isn't a Princess (yet) and browsed a thousand or so photos of their wedding.

Admittedly seeing such a beautiful wedding did remind me of mine but not in a warm and fuzzy way. More of a "what would I do if I were planning my wedding today" sort of way. Fairly natural I guess seeing as there are definitely elements that I would keep and elements that I would change. I would have probably chosen a different wedding gown as well as a different Chinese wedding gown (I think the only similarity between my wedding and Dutchess/Princess Kate is that we had multiple gowns!). Not so much because I disliked my choices but simply because my taste has changed in 5 years. And I would have probably taken the time during the reception to actually enjoy my meal and eat my slice of wedding cake.

So did you set your alarm to watch the royal wedding? Did you catch the replay once you woke up and had time? Did you DVR? If you could do it over again what would you change? What would you differently?

With and For

2011-04-28T14:27:00.000-05:00

As a momma I do a lot of stuff. Some of the stuff is pretty mandatory, like making sure the girls are clothed and fed. I try to not do marathon days of things that I would consider chores though. I try to make some time to sit down and be in the moment of being a momma. Whether that be sitting down and reading to the girls or turning on some music and having a dance party in the family room, I do it (and try to ignore the pile of laundry I see from the corner of my eye).

Why do I do this? Because I don't want my girls to remember that I was "so busy" doing stuff for them that I didn't have any time to do stuff with them. Yes there are the big things like making the meals, doing the laundry, cleaning the house...but there are also the things that I enjoy doing but really won't matter to the girls in the long run. Lately my crafty side has been coming out and I've made several garments for Flower. Will she remember that I made her a nightgown? Probably not. It's mainly enjoyment for me to have the time to sew and create so I do it under the guise of "making something for Flower". But really it's to give me a sense of doing something for myself. To feed my creative nature in a fairly practical way. I think she will remember having dance parties in the living room, going to the zoo and seeing the animals, snuggling up with a good book.

So the purpose of my thoughts? Really as a reminder to myself. A way to remember to not get so busy doing all the "stuff" but to really sit down and do the little things that will shape my girls memories. So what do you do with your children? What do you do that will shape their memories?

Another song...

2011-04-22T22:13:00.000-05:00

That strikes a chord with me. I love songs. I love music, lyrics, rhythm and everything else that makes music. I love the emotion that it can invoke within my heart. The latest lyrics that have captivated me are:

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

Laura Story-Blessings (the copyright is hers, not mine)

These words remind me that even though my spot at the table in Heaven is secure, it does not mean that my life will be easy. My true blessings will come in ways that I might not be able to recognize. There are the obvious ones; like my girls, having a roof over our heads, food to eat, etc. And there are the things that bring pain, sadness, tears. How are those blessings? They teach, challenge and ultimately help me to grow. Whether it be to grow as a mother, daughter, sister, friend...whatever.

So at the end of this Good Friday (which is my 33rd Good Friday. It reminds me even more of Jesus as He lived 33 years and I have done a mere speck of what he has done in my 33 years), I reflect on the happy moments so far in my life as well as the struggles. Each has taught me something, whether I know it or not. Whether I have learned the lesson fully or not. Each moment of joy, sadness or struggle has reminded me that I do not walk on my journey alone. He lifts and carries me throughout my days and my nights. He gives me peace with my situations. He provides what I need, NOT what I want or think I need. I have enough. I have more than enough. I have the gift of salvation and everlasting life. I pray that my friends who have not found this yet will find it soon. Happy Good Friday everyone!

Perfectionism

2011-04-14T22:00:00.002-05:00

We all want to be viewed as perfect or nearly perfect I think. Otherwise why would we care what people think? Why would our feelings be hurt if someone disapproves of us. This can so easily carry through to our children that we don't even notice it. I don't think society, our family or our friends expect our children to be perfect. I know I certainly don't expect Flower and Sunshine to be perfect, nor any of their friends. I fully expect playdates to include some sort of altercation where a toy isn't being shared, someone isn't careful or someone's feelings get hurt. It's all a part of interacting with society and the lessons start young. So why is it that when our own child does something naughty (hits another child out of anger, throws a toy or something else equally child-like) parents will go to great lengths to hide it? Do they want their child to be viewed as perfect? Then I think about my girls. Do I want them to be perfect? Nope, it's not possible. Do I want them to be good people? Yes. Do I realize that they make human mistakes? Yes. Do I hide those mistakes? Nope.

Sunshine has started this lovely habit of biting. Usually when Flower has a toy she wants or I'm doing something that doesn't involve playing with her (like chores). So she'll crawl over and take a nice nip of a shirt sleeve, a pant leg and occasionally flesh. So we say the same thing over and over again. "No biting, Sunshine!" and I remove her from the area. Lather, rinse, repeat. Do I hide this? Nope, it's part of her development in expressing her displeasure. She has no words so she uses her body. I simply warn whoever we're playing with that if Sunshine gets crabby at them, they might get a little nip. Everyone takes it in stride, usually even the kid who got nipped. They realize that Sunshine is a toddler, that she doesn't talk and yet she still needs a way to show that she's angry. All perfectly normal (although sometimes painful if you're on the receiving end of a nip) things.

So I will be honest and tell ya that Sunshine might bite you if I know she's in a crabby mood. Someone else might not mention it and then be super embarrassed when their child bites yours. If I don't mention it and Sunshine bites another kid, I might be chastised privately for not warning everyone around us in advance. So it seems that children aren't allowed to be children. Toddlers with no words will make their feelings clear through physical response. Young children will mimic what they see older children and adults do and say...often without realizing the dangers of certain actions or that words aren't always appropriate for them. It's normal. They're aren't born knowing how to behave in society. They aren't born with adult language to express displeasure over a toy being taken away. It's our job as parents to teach them these things. Will I hide my children's faults in order to make them appear perfect? No as the people around me will know that it's a lie. So the next time your toddler who smacks at someone in frustration, with a school kid who uses a bad word in front of you, don't hide it. Take care of the situation at hand (even if it means publically punishing your child with a time-out) and move on. Chances are, no one is thinking horrible thoughts about your non-perfect child ;)

Saving or Spending

2011-04-12T08:26:00.000-05:00

Contrary to the title, this won't be about money. Well not directly at least. I'm a saver. I've always been a saver. I'm not going to show up on Hoarders anytime soon but am known for keeping something for much longer than necessary (case in point, I recently threw away the owner's manuals for my Windows 95 computer). Whenever I get anything fun, like new pretty yarns, scrapbooking paper that's too pretty to cut up, etc., I save it. It goes with the rest of those items and I consider using it. There's good and bad with this, I think. I always have supplies when I have a streak of inspiration (and more than 30 seconds to myself) and want to be creative. The bad is that I don't always allow myself to use up my supplies.

I realized this morning that Flower is the exact opposite of me so far. She and Sunshine got a "goodie box" sent to them from family recently. There was a book for them to share, some toddler appropriate snacks for Sunshine and a bunch of stickers, markers, glue, etc., for Flower. So yesterday afternoon and this morning Flower has been busily creating "cupcakes" and other 3 year old creations. As she used up all the white puffy balls, her thought was "eh, I'll just use something else when these are done" (I think she actually said that). To me I was thinking "well why don't you save some of those to use another day?". I didn't say this to her as she loves crafts. She would do them all day, every day if I let her.

So as I watched Flower use up all of her brand new stickers and craft things from her goodie box, I was a bit sad. Sad that all the glittery stickers were gone, sad that the little white puffs were gone. Flower was gleeful that her creations were done and that she used up everything (including a couple stickers that ended up on Sunshine's back).

Do I want Flower (and someday Sunshine) to be like me? Saving everything and not fully enjoying it at the moment that it was given? To be saved for enjoyment on a rainy day? Or do I want them to break open new things with gusto? To enjoy them for the moment and not have them later? Both are good qualities. I think I need to embrace a bit of Flower's gusto for enjoying things immediately. And I think she will learn eventually that it's also nice to save up for that rainy day.

Sorry for the lack of posting

2011-04-11T22:22:00.000-05:00

I've spent 1 week in vomit, teething, random fever exhaustion and another week in my kid has outgrown all their clothes so now I get to tear apart the basement finding bigger sizes and washing/sorting all the smaller stuff for resale/donation. We also had 2 FABULOUS days of summer-like weather (complete with humidity!) so the girlies and I were soaking up the sunshine and making friends with the neighbor's grandson. More on him later! Goodnight bloggie land! I've missed you!

The miracles of motherhood!

2011-03-29T21:27:00.000-05:00

I have no idea who cut Sunshine's umbilical cord...nor do I know if I passed the placenta from her birth. Seriously! I have no idea. I wasn't under the influence of drugs, I wasn't knocked out, I just flat out don't remember. But I'm pretty darn sure that both have been completed although some days I wonder if Sunshine would prefer to have the cord still attached!

So while I ponder whether or not these things happened and how they were accomplished, I also wonder what else I might have forgotten about. And what other momma's have forgotten about during the childbirth process? I remember Flower's birth fairly well, even 3.5 year later. But a mere 1 year later I barely remember Sunshine's. I guess this is how women have had more than one baby generation after generation. I have no recollection of the pain of an unmedicated birth. I barely remember the physical part, only the emotional...the love I had for her the instant I saw her.

So what have you forgotten about the birth of your children?

Yes I DO work!

2011-03-28T22:07:00.000-05:00

This thing called motherhood isn't necessarily a cakewalk and anyone who dares challenge me will probably get an earful. I teach, nurture, provide nourishment, drive, clean, clothe, read to, snuggle, hug and kiss 24/7 with no breaks, no overtime pay and usually no recognition. My rare breaks usually consist of going to the grocery store on my own instead of hauling two children with me. The last time I had my hair cut, it was in my kitchen while bouncing Sunshine on my lap (gently so as not to end up with a crooked hairstyle!). So when people give me the "gee you're a slacker" look when I mention that I stay at home with my girls, I simply want to push their face into a poopy diaper and walk away. Just because I do not collect a paycheck does not mean I do not work. I'm raising the next generation of strong women which is more important than any paycheck that I can collect.

Seeing as my "break" is over, I will do a quick pick-up of toys before I turn in for a few hours rest (to be interrupted either by Flower needing a middle of the night potty break or Sunshine needing a few snuggles...both of which will be met with love)

Responsibility Time!

2011-03-26T21:43:00.000-05:00

Not that we shirk our duty around here, but I have admittedly been lax with Flower about responsibility and her contribution to the household. I don't intend for her to go out looking for a job to help with the bills yet but she sure can help out with chores. So I've been toying with the idea of chores/allowance/reward for her. Having perused a couple sources I think it makes the most sense to do a visual chart for her, complete with earning stickers for things completed, even things that are expectations (brushing teeth, getting herself dressed, putting her things away). Then there are things that I typically do that she can certainly help with (putting hers/Sunshine's clean laundry away, putting "family" laundry away like linens). I'm not sure if those things are in the "too much" category or the "not enough" category though. I certainly don't want her toiling away all day long and not enjoying life, but I do want her to learn how to earn things, not just assume that I will get them for her.

So now onto rewards...what are good smaller rewards for a 3.5 year old? The bigger ones are fairly easy as she flat out asks for them. But I'm not sure what the balance is between the smaller rewards being so easy to earn that she doesn't "get it" or the bigger rewards so hard to earn that she gets discouraged and gives up. So a biggie that she has asked for lately is a pillow pet. Yes folks...a $20 cute pillow that is completely unnecessary, especially since we already have enough stuffed animal friends to fill two large laundry baskets. But I don't mind that being a larger reward (especially if I also have enough time to sneak out some of the older ones to be put in the donate pile!). So how long should she have to work in order to earn a $20 pillow pet? How long should she have to save to say earn a pack of gum or cookie from the bakery?

I have downloaded a chore chart from one of my favorite homeschool momma's websites but not sure if that will be too easy or hard of a concept for Flower to grasp (you shift the cards around based on whether it's done or not). Maybe I'll do a plain handwritten chart to tape to a wall and use stickers to mark stuff as complete. Since Flower can't read yet, I'll have to print out some graphics so she knows what each square is for. Hmmm...onto my next teaching opportunity as I figure this out! So folks, next time you see Flower, she'll have probably just finished washing and waxing my car (no probably not I don't want the paint job to be all scratched up).