Mama Notes

noreply@blogger.com (Samantha @ Mama Notes) — Mon, 14 May 2012 06:02:00 +0000

We aren't celebrating Mothers Day today, we're going to celebrate it in a couple weeks instead. Thomas is so busy with work right now, it's the end of the year and report cards are almost due. I am working every night plus some on the weekends so we are just SO busy right now. Only one more week until summer vacation!!!

So we aren't doing anything super exciting today and that's okay. I know they will make it up to me in a couple weeks. (Or at least they will now....;) ) We went to Costco today and I asked Lucas to pick me out some flowers. He picked out pink tulips. :)

Then we went swimming!

It was the first time I took both of them by myself, so I was a little nervous about what might happen. Usually my husband and I tag team it so one of us can watch each kid. Neither one of them can swim 100% on their own yet so it makes me really nervous.

I was SO impressed with them today. They both did so good. I seriously thought it was going to be a recipe for disaster and I just kept thinking of all the bad things that could happen. Joshua would just want to run around, he might fall on the wet pavement, they would both be throwing a fit and I would have to drag them both into the locker room, one of them would nearly drown.... but none of those things happen. We were swimming for an hour! Lucas did his best I've seen. We brought a few toys which REALLY helped. I don't know why we haven't thought of this earlier. Joshua played with an empty yogurt container the entire time, just sitting on the step area dumping water in and out. And Lucas had a little ball that I would throw and he would swim across on his tip toes and get it.

Ah I love my babies. They amaze me every day. They teach me that most of the time I make a bigger deal about things in my head then they really are. We just need to try things and go for it and see what happens. Some days will be more rock star material than others, but we are out there experimenting and learning.

They also teach me that if you have food in front of you, life is pretty darn good.

A good swim before nap means a good nap time, too!

In the locker room a mom told me Happy Mothers Day. She was so sweet. She's the first person besides my mom to tell me happy mothers day today and it's 1:10pm. haha I felt so special. She told me we gotta put in the effort if we want the result, referring to we have to make our kids exhausted in the morning with a fun activity if we want them to take a good nap and that's absolutely true!

Oh! The main reason I am blogging today is because I wanted to tell you, Happy Mother's Day! To me, to you, to my mom, to my grandma and mom- in-law, to all the moms out there... I want you to know that you are good enough. You kick ass, every day.

Here are some pictures taken in the last couple weeks!

Sunny Days

noreply@blogger.com (Samantha @ Mama Notes) — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 21:05:00 +0000

{Alaska in April. Lucas just turned 3 years old and Joshua is 17 months.}

On Saturday morning, the day before Easter, we woke up to it snowing. snowing. It was coming down hard, too! I have to say it started out my morning pretty rough. Lucas kept asking, why is it snowing? When is summer coming? Ha. I don't know sweet boy, I don't know.

I'm actually glad it snowed though, because it probably was our last "chance" for the year to beat our record. There was just so much snow this year. It became annoying towards March but everyone, including myself, was thinking that it's snowed this much, we might as well keep going and beat the record. And beat the record we did! It snowed more this year (winter 2011-2012) than it has since 1955. We got 134 inches this year! That's pretty cool, I think.

One day I will tell my children that they lived in Alaska when it snowed so much that we beat the record. We had to work extra hard to keep our igloo warm and took turns sleeping with our warm and furry dog.

I think that was the end of the snow for this year. Really.

Last week we got went to the zoo three times! It's so nice that it's a) so close to our house b) safe c) not a lot of people. We usually are there right when it opens and I swear we have the place to ourselves most times! and I love that d) it's a great place to walk around.

I'm having a real issue with Joshua's boots. Thank you to whoever gave them to us (they were hand-me downs) but the thing is, they are yellow. They're pretty cute and I normally wouldn't mind, but he is almost always wearing some sort of Oregon State orange and black jacket or sweatshirt. SO, then he has on those ugly yellow boots and the poor guy.. and then I accidentally bought Lucas green boots. I let him pick out what boots he wanted, and I thought he'd go for the fire truck kind but he wanted the green froggys. So I went along with it and didn't even realize what I had done to myself until we got home and one child was wearing yellow boots and the other child was wearing green boots and they were both wearing OSU jackets.

Lucas got a new backpack from Gigi. Also known as his "rescue packpack." It's crucial he takes it with him on zoo visits, rescue missions outside and normal places like the grocery store.

The camel was out and about today. This is the other side of him.

This morning we brought in the neighbors garbage cans. Such good helpers I have.

Something really cool right now is that summer is coming which means the days are so much longer. Right now the sun is out until about 9:30pm. I love it! It's like a different world. People and kids are out later and it just makes for a longer day. It's so fun.

Joshua :: 17 Months

noreply@blogger.com (Samantha @ Mama Notes) — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 06:00:00 +0000

I can't believe you are (almost) one-and-a-half years old.

You are so funny. I put the camera in front of your face and you automatically say "eeeee" and give me a huge smile!

You take a great nap every day, usually 2.5-3 hours. You never ever-fight naps. I lay you down and you might play for a little bit and then you fall asleep. You have a book in your bed and you usually read it until you fall asleep.

You go to bed really well at night too!

You love playing outside. You love jumping in puddles, pushing the stroller or lawn mower around, and sitting in the wagon.

Your hair is shaggy and long. It's not really my style, but it seems to fit you well. I tried to cut it the other day, even with your daddys help, and it didn't work too well.

You love taking a shower.

At night you sleep with two pacifiers and a little stuffed lamb.

Tonight we got to go on our first run of the season!! It was so great. I went about 7:15pm (you usually go to bed at 7:30) so it was perfect because you were tired and happy. You did great.. thank you for that :)

You say MAMA really good. I mean really. You have all these different ways you say it with different tones in your voice depending on what you want or need.

You are quite the tattle tale with your brother..

You love watching movies. You will actually sit on the couch or floor for 20 minutes and watch a movie. Your brother never did that.

You have broke four of my bowls. I have learned my lesson. You don't get to eat with my bowls anymore.

After I come home from work at night (if you're still up) I see you and I swear you got 10X cuter. You get so excited when I get home. You do a little screech noise and smile really big.

You want to do everything your brother does. He recently taught you how to climb on the couch and then play with the kitchen sink. You are not suppose to do that.

I love you so much! You are my sweet baby boy. You are getting so big and smart so fast!

Chocolate & Clean :: Cottage Cheese Pudding

noreply@blogger.com (Samantha @ Mama Notes) — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 17:39:00 +0000

I hate the texture of cottage cheese. Hate. I don't like the taste of it either. I don't even like the smell of it.

I remember when Lucas was little, he had cottage cheese for the first time. He loved it and got it all over himself. I was literally almost gagging I carried him straight upstairs to rinse off in the shower.

Anyways. Cottage cheese is a great source of protein. It's a great "clean" food to eat, so I'm trying to... eat it! I know many people can eat it "just as," straight out of the box, but I have to hide it in something if I'm going to eat it. (Sort of like broccoli and lots of other things that I pretend I like.)

I love making this "cottage cheese pudding" which not only has a lot of protein in it, but it has the best part.... chocolate! It totally cures my chocolate craving and I have it almost every night.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup cottage cheese

1/2 scoop whey protein powder

splash of almond milk

1-2 TBSP cocoa powder
{I don't normally add egg whites unless I really want extra protein.}

Blend it together + put it in the freezer for 20-30 minutes. More if you want it frozen and more ice cream like. I personally like it just cold and creamy so 30 minutes is about right for me.

This is a pretty small snack, but it's usually the perfect size for the evening when I'm sitting on the couch and want a "treat." If I want to make it more of a meal I'll just add more cottage cheese and protein powder.

You can do a lot of things with this. You can blend up a banana in there, or peanut butter. You can also substitute the almond milk for water, it taste good that way too.

It is soooo yummy!

It comes out creamy and chocolate-y.

This gives me faith that I can eat clean and still eat chocolate pudding. Yes!

Just a Number

noreply@blogger.com (Samantha @ Mama Notes) — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 22:51:00 +0000

When you step on the scale, you see a number. ###.

Automatically you compare that number to some other number.

A number that you used to be or a number that you feel you're suppose to be or a number that you favorite celebrity/fitness model/ordinary person says they are.

I'm not a fan of numbers. In college I failed miserably in math class and I swear the only reason I got a passing grade was because my professor felt sorry for me and my 5 month pregnant self.

I'm especially not a fan of numbers or comparing numbers or using numbers as a way to measure your progress. The scale is just a tool.

The scale just gives you some random number -- and who the heck cares what number it gives you today.

The scale does this:
gives you a #.

Here's what the scale does NOT do:
It doesn't tell you that your lean muscle mass has increased.
Your kidneys are healthier.
Your heart is functioning better thanks to the cardio you're doing.
Your self esteem has improved.
Your mood is better.
You have more energy.
Your pants fit a little better.
Your calves look more defined in those pair of heels.
You are lifting heavier weights in the gym.
Your endurance has improved.
You can carry your kids up the stairs easier.
You look better in the mirror.
You feel better.

I see women weigh themselves way too much at the gym and I hate it! I hate that immediately after you step off the scale you're either happy with yourself or feeling discouraged. I hate that you can be feeling great of yourself, feeling stronger and a little skinner, and then you weigh yourself and that number -- it goes up. Or, it doesn't show you what you wanted to see. And automatically, you get frustrated and discouraged with yourself.

This has happened to me. One day I was feeling pretty good, so I got on the scale. My first mistake was right there. The number didn't go down like I was hoping it would. I felt like all my hard work wasn't paying off. I fel like giving up. I felt like I haven't had any progress. Which of course, that's not true.

One of my clients lost 2 inches in her hips and waist, and 1 inch in her thighs, yet she gained five pounds according to the scale. Proof right there - she has more muscle! She just drank a liter of water, following a great meal and a tough lifting workout.

Your body can hang on to a lot of water throughout the day. Every scale you use is a little different. The number can go up or down five pounds in just a day based on what you've ate.

If you decide to weigh yourself to measure progress, here's what I recommend:

Weigh yourself once or twice a month. Once a week bare minimum. I personally weigh myself about once a month or less -- truly.

Measure your progress based on all the things I listed above -- feeling better, clothes fitting better, looking better in the mirror when you see yourself, increasing your weights at the gym, higher self esteem.

The scale is just a number!

{Scale rant over. Thanks for listening.} :)

Reflect

noreply@blogger.com (Samantha @ Mama Notes) — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 06:26:00 +0000

Preface: I know I've been on quite the blogging hiatus. No real reason -- other than I started working more so I'm gone every night, which is generally when I blog. I'm going to try to get back into it, though. I miss writing and I miss journaling what my kids and I are doing. Sorry to my family and friends who never see us! I will try to update more. :) If anyone is still reading...

It is now March.

Winter is almost over. Or, at least I think so.

We are two inches away from breaking the record of the most snow in Anchorage. Everyone - including me- is wanting that two inches to come so we can say we broke the record and then get on with spring already! There is so much snow outside. I've got to take some pictures. I'm curious to see what happens when it melts. Hopefully it doesn't happen all at once otherwise there is going to be a lot of water and mud going on.

I'm actually really excited for what they call "break up." All the mud and water from the snow melting.. my boys are going to love playing it.

Reflecting.

It has been a pretty good winter.

I learned a couple things. First, January is really an awful month. We're going to try and travel next January. I was depressed that entire month. It was dark and cold and I had two little boys who never got outside for more than 10 minutes. It was 15 degrees or colder every single day in January.

February and March have been much better. I'm proud at my husband and I for making a good effort at getting out kids outside as much as possible. I love that they love playing outside, even in the 20 degree snow. I don't hear much complaints outside. I love that Lucas loves to go sledding and ride his bike in the snow. I love that they force me to get out and they get to experience playing in the snow and just being crazy kiddos outside in the wilderness.

We have done so many fun things this winter. I think riding on/driving a snowmobile and snowshoeing are my favorites.

A couple things:

1. I hope everyone has the opportunity to visit this beautiful state once in their lifetime. Sometimes when you're in the city, the snow can be pretty overwhelming because it's just, a lot of snow. But then you drive 10 or 20 minutes to go for a hike or go snowshoeing or fishing or hunting or sledding, and it's almost like it's not even real. It's so pretty that it doesn't even look real. You just look around you like whaaat?

2. I am sick of the snow. Mkay, there I said it. It's March, snow is done. I did all my things I wanted to do. I'm ready to sit outside on a chair and watch my kids play in the hose for 3 hours!

I'm so excited for summer.. daylight till midnight!

That's all.

Snow Machine in the Wilderness

noreply@blogger.com (Samantha @ Mama Notes) — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 07:17:00 +0000

I went on a snow machine!!!

Dude please move yourself to Alaska so you can do this with me!

My bunco group and I went to a little cabin in the middle of Alaskan wilderness ( or something like that) for the day and over night. It was such a fun little get away.

My friend owns this cabin. I seriously want to buy one. I am not even kidding. It is like the most perfect thing ever and it makes me love Alaska just a little bit more.

Look at me!

I am in the middle of the freaking world with nothing around me but snow, trees and mountains!! It is unreal.

The snow machines were so fun. We were on them for hours!

Look at all my hot friends. They have all have at least one child. Betcha couldn't tell, huh?

That's cause cold weather makes your face look gooooood.

Wine break. But I threw mine in the trees after I took a few sips to look cool.

Denali mountain in the background.

We couldn't have asked for better weather. It was mid twenties and sunny!

Such a pretty view. This is the lake, which in the winter becomes... well, I guess ice with snow on it? Whatever that's called. It's like feet deep of ice, supposedly.

This was the only part that almost made me start swimming to the edge. Our snowmobile got stuck. And there was waaaattttter!!

Look at our footprints.

I guess it's called "over-flow." It means that there is so much snow that water is coming through. I don't really know what it means, but it does sort of make you freak out because, hello, water.

Thankfully we got rescued!

These helmets kind of squish your cheeks. I'm wearing my friends husbands coat because I've only lived here for two years so I didn't know you have to wear a good jacket when you go on a snow machine. But I never got cold because I'm an ice queen.

Yep.

I am buying a cabin so if you are wondering where I am, maybe I'm out on a snow machine or ice skating or ice fishing or........ or maybe I'm floating on a raft on the lake till midnight in the summer or maybe I am pulling dogs. I just never know!

(Thank you to all my friends for this day! And for the pictures, too! )

Is this Spring?

noreply@blogger.com (Samantha @ Mama Notes) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 23:14:00 +0000

Someone needs to open a business that is either a indoor play gym, bounce house, museum, indoor playground, kids are space (enter your favorite indoor kids venue here) that is totally 100% child proof and kid friendly. The kind where you can sit down and, if you so wanted, you could not get up for an hour while your kids played happily and safely. They wouldn't crawl up the forbidden stairs, or go behind the front desk counter, or into the bathroom that wasn't theirs, or try to play with the vacuum cleaner, or escape out the front door, or grab the snacks off the shelf...

I swear, some days it is more of a workout taking my kids out then it is going to the gym.

Today we went to gymnastics. Funnest place ever. They have trampolines and balance beams and bars and, did I mention trampolines? I am so excited, ready to do some bouncing and some flipping and some toe pointing on the balance beam. All my kids want to do is push the car around, oh and Lucas wants to play with the vacuum cleaner. I practically have to beg and plead with them to join me and bounce.

We are not here to play with vacuum cleaners or sit in the car. We need to run around and burn off some energy!

Lucas goes up the stairs. I get so frustrated. He tells me is is trying to find the potty.
He goes up the stairs again. This is it, we are leaving now. I just wanted to write my name!!
I have to give him credit, I guess. Writing your name and going pee are great things.

The sweet girl who works there asked if he was testing my boundaries today. I replied that he does this a lot. She said, "I teach a gymnastics class and I have two girls and four boys. When I teach the girls it is so easy. Then when I have the boys, I just start praying." haha!

I was done. We got in the car and Lucas asks,
What's wrong with you? Why are you upset?
I explain to him that he wasn't listening and I was getting frustrated
It's okay. I forgive you.

Oh Child.

Joshua is 15 months going on four years old.

I need to start video tapping him. I need to figure out how to discipline him. He gives a huge smile when you say the word no. Sometimes I just ignore him. That would explain why there is a big puddle of water and dog food all over the floor in my pantry... ignored that one.

Joshua is crazy. He is just wild! I don't what to do with him. Do they start preschool at 18 months?

The weather right now is just so perfect!

My kids are LOVING it.

Grandpa got him this bike for Christmas. Who knew you could ride it in the snow! All of a sudden Lucas is very excited about it. He is so particular about his helmet. I think it's so funny the things that kids pick up on and what they remember. I was putting Joshua on it just for fun and Lucas runs up with his helmet. Don't forget Joshua's helmet!!

3 hours (total combined throughout the day) of playing outside on Monday in the 40's. Does this mean come June when it's 70 degrees were going to be outside for breakfast, lunch and dinner?

Lucas is having a birthday in a few weeks!! I'm so excited!

He wants his birthday party at the bounce house. I called and it's $200 plus $100 if you want to bring outside food. Not. Happening. I told him we couldn't have it at the bounce house because it was too expensive and he got so sad. It broke my heart! He got the big frown on his face and said, but I really really want to! I think we are just going to have a little party at the house. We only have a few friends to invite anyways and no family.. once again. :(

I am going to make it so special for him though! He wants a big cake and candy (he tells me every time we go to the store and he sees junk food that it is for his birthday party. ) and he wants Dora and Boots to come to his birthday. So, I guess I'll be using some sort of Dora decoration?

I also have no idea what to get him. He doesn't really want or need anything.. I think we might do a little guitar because he's into that right now. I am going to do lots of balloons and I might let him pick out his birthday cake..

I can't believe he is going to be three years old. AH.

Love my little monkeys so much!!

12 Week Weight Loss Challenge: Starts Monday

noreply@blogger.com (Samantha @ Mama Notes) — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 05:36:00 +0000

A couple weeks ago, I took an exam and passed it. This exam? It was the ACE personal training exam. Which means... I am now a certified personal trainer! I am so excited. I had my first consultation today and it was such a blast. We talked nutrition, exercise, I tested her body fat, we did some basic fitness test, I showed her a couple exercises, answered more questions.... loved it! I was so happy to help her.

I thought that sharing this with you guys would also be a good time to tell you that I want to start a little "12 week weight loss challenge" on Monday. Several people have already emailed me- if you're interested, send me your email address too. My goal is to email everyone (as a group, but we can chat back and forth privately if you want) once a week or so to check in with your goals. If you have any questions I would love to help answer them as well!

At the same time, I'm also going to enter myself into this contest on Bodybuilding.com You actually enter send in your before picture (taken with a newspaper by your side) and then submit your "after" picture at the end of the 12 weeks. The winner gets 10K along with a slew of other exciting things. I thought it would just be extra motivation and fun to do. So if you are joining me, you might as well enter into the Bodybuilding.com contest too. :)

I have to check on this, but I'm almost positive that no one sees the before and after picture unless you win. When you send in your picture it doesn't automatically go online or anything like that.

Make sure you read everything on there if you decide to do that - it's pretty simple but you do have to open up an account and send in your pictures with a newspaper so the date is showing. They have a "Q & A" section on the main page I linked to that is helpful. If you sign up for this, you don't have to follow any specific diet plan or training plan. You can do whatever you want.

The top 4 fat loss programs are HERE. You could follow one of those exactly for the 12 weeks or just use ideas from each one of them.

If you want to join us, send me an email! (mamanotes@gmail.com) I really suggest taking a before picture. It truly is the best measurement of how far you've came. The scale is a liar!

Let me know if you have any questions :)

Just the Loves of My Life

noreply@blogger.com (Samantha @ Mama Notes) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 08:06:00 +0000

Do you ever have those moments in parenting where you're like, I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I'M DOING.

Half the time I don't even know what to say to Lucas.

Yesterday I thought he was sleeping. I was downstairs and I started to hear noises, so I walked upstairs. He was on top of the bathroom counter, the medicine cabinet was open, the lids of our pills and vitamins were off and there was soap and lotion everywhere.

I just stared at him.

Ummmmm. What are you doing??

"I'm doing my chores, just like you are doing!"

I asked him if he put any of the pills in his mouth and he told me, "No. Those are only for adults." Thankfully he was telling the truth and he was fine. Oh my goodness that could have been awful. I am VERY proud of him for not putting any in his mouth. Apparently medicine with a child proof lid up high in cabinet doesn't really mean child proof.

He is asking me all sorts of questions.

How do you drive a car?
How do you cook eggs?
How do you cook oatmeal?
How do the trees move?
Why is he a construction worker?
How does the light turn green?
What is that man doing?
Why is the sun in my eyes?

All that in a 10 minute car drive.

I got a pop the other day. He asked what I was drinking.

"Oh, it's a pop."
" A pop is not healthy. You shouldn't drink that."
" I know Lucas, you are right. My stomach is probably going to hurt now since I drank that pop."
"Pop is for adults only."
"Well I am an adult."
"No you are a mommy!"

I am very proud of him. He has his/my phone number memorized. We've been working on that for a while and he was pretty close but now he is perfect at reciting it!

Now I am working on teaching him his address. He knows he lives in Alaska but he doesn't know his address. It's so fun teaching him new things and when he gets it I am so excited and proud!

Lucas LOVES to cook. I seriously can't keep him out of the kitchen. I thought about buying him his own set of cheap stuff to use. Of course he wants to use all the real appliances. Today I made him use water only and a little bit of flour and oatmeal because I thought it was the cheapest food we had in the house.

He helps me clean it up. He knows that is part of cooking. His daddy taught him well.

Joshua loves to read books. He brings me books all the time and sits on my lap so cute. He says "duck" and almost said "Rabbit" the other day. He also LOVES it when the tv is on. He actually grabs the remote and hands it to me, whining to turn it on. Ha. Today I turned it on for a second and then turned it off and he started this pitiful cry! It was so funny.

Joshua and Lucas sat on the couch for 10 minutes together today at watched Leap Frog.

That is when you look over and see two blonde hair boys and you just melt to the floor in pure mommy joy and love and thankfulness.

I was talking a friend - he has two older boys and his youngest child is a girl - about the differences between boys and girls. I was like, "is your daughter easier than the boys were/are?" He goes, "Oh yeah!! She is SO easy!"

I love this baby so much. He really needs a hair cut. He's got the shaggy look goin' on. I am scared to cut it though. He is just so funny but oh my gosh, he is SO dramatic. He literally gets on the floor and does a temper tantrum. He's only 15 months old! Who does this?? It's so funny. I am like, what are you doing child? It's just a water bottle! I will give it to you in a minute!

He loves to do anything his brother is doing. He says "bye bye" pretty well. And he signs please and when he does I give him anything he wants.

Scentsy Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Samantha @ Mama Notes) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 01:06:00 +0000

Sometimes, my house smells.

From being stuffed up all winter because we can't open the windows to let fresh air in, or the dog just smelling like... a dog, or dirty diapers (which get taken out to the garage) or food creations that my children are making.

Okay, my house doesn't really smell bad that often. Or at least I hope not.

But either way, I love it when my house smells good and yummy!

I also really like candles. But, having a candle makes me a little nervous because of the kids.

This is where these Scentsy plug-in's come to the rescue. Plug it in your wall, turn it on, and your house smells delicious. It also sort of acts as a candle or a little light - perfect for a bathroom.

My friend Monique is a Scentsy consultant with her own little shop. She sent me a plug in and a warmer to try out in my home!

At first I was a little overwhelmed with all the pieces. But it's actually really easy. I emailed Monique and she answered a few questions for me too. You just put the little light bulb in and it screws in the main part.

The "bar" - the candle that melts and smells yummy - just pushes out of the plastic holder it comes in and then you break it into pieces.

It smelled good, but it wasn't as strong as I was hoping it would be. Maybe something is wrong with my nose, or maybe it depends on the scent.

Giveaway!

Monique is giving away a plug in warmer and bar of your choice to a winner! There are a ton of warmers to choose from, along with numerous scents. Lots of colors and designs and lots of scents depending on your taste and what room in the house you want it for. Go check out all of the selections and tell me what you would choose!

To Enter:

Option 1: "Like" Moniques Scentsy page on Facebook HERE.
Option 2: Join the mailing list HERE
Option 3: Tell me what bar or scent is your favorite!

Giveaway is open to anyone in the United States. It ends Wednesday, February 1st. Please leave a separate comment for each entry and don't forget to leave your email address so I can contact you if you win! Winner is selected randomly.

If you have any questions or want to join Monique's team, you can contact her HERE.

Wahoo to a yummy smelling house! Anyone want to come over for a girls night?

Do You Want Ketchup With That?

noreply@blogger.com (Samantha @ Mama Notes) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 22:39:00 +0000

Lucas is tracing his hand.

Before that you'll see some scribbles.

No. Not scribbles. Those are words, obviously.

What does it say?

It says, Lucas, please don't get into the lollypop's.

{Lollypop's are in the cupboard above the fridge.}

My boys have been loving playing in the sink lately. Lucas has always loved to do the dishes, and now Joshua want's to be up there with his big brother, of course!

This provides about 30 minutes of fun play. Only clean up is some water.

Lucas loves to cook.

He doesn't get it from me.

I'm making pancakes. Don't worry, I'll clean up the mess.

mmm looks yummy, doesn't it? This is some tomato soup, crackers, ranch dressing and ketchup.

Everything he creates and does in the kitchen is up to him and all his own ideas. I pretty much let him use whatever he wants.

Eventually I had to tell him we couldn't do this anymore because the smells from all the food were starting to smell pretty gross.

I so wish I could give him a real - but not working - microwave, dishwasher and oven to play with. He would love that.

I found the can opener in the bathroom and the pizza cutter in my bedroom.

I was at work, my husband texted me and asked where the cheese grater was.

I have no idea. Really. Ask Lucas.

Doing Alright

noreply@blogger.com (Samantha @ Mama Notes) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 08:31:00 +0000

It's only Monday, but it's been a rough week for me so far. My kids were both sick this weekend - poor babies, but they're bouncing back quickly and I have a feeling tomorrow they will go back to themselves - bounce house, anyone? I already mentioned on Facebook, but I called 911 because Joshua did the whole screaming-not breathing-purple & limp in my arms thing. He was fine, thank God. The doctor said he looked fine as well and said it was "normal." Will probably do a EKG test just to be sure there are no heart problems, which I'm fairly confident they're aren't, but a peace of mind is always a good thing. I hope to everything it isn't the beginning of what doctor thinks may be a "breath holder."

I had a good cry and then I wrote this post. Sorry if it's cheesy, weird, or emotional.

I've had friends recently come to me - or to their Facebook wall or blog post (ha) - with parenting woes, struggles, hurdles, decisions.

You guys. I am right there with you.

I just want to tell you that whatever you are doing right now, it's fine. There will be a day when you (and me, and you and all of us) will be totally at ease when our house isn't perfect and be happy and content just playing on the floor covered in dog hair and cheerio crumbs. ( I have become so much more at ease with it, and it really is a beautiful thing. I used to worry about dishes in my sink. Thankfully I got over that before my kids moved out for college.) We will be okay with giving our child a bath at night without any soap. Which, seriously, it's fine - I do it all the time and my kids still smell delicious. We will stop comparing ourselves to other moms and feeling inadequate because we can't homeschool like her or decorate like her or because yeah, we really do spend more time "pinning" things than actually doing them. Who cares? When we can just wake up each day and put on some mascara, some lip gloss and jeans and call it good. You got blush on or a new shirt? You're freaking amazing today. When we treat ourselves with respect and love and everything we deserve -- healthy food to fuel our bodies, sleep and relaxation much deserved, exercise for our soul and muscles, new earrings cause we rock and red painted nails just cause we want to.

Yesterday I didn't get Joshua dressed. I let him wear his pajamas all day long, even when we went to the grocery store. Lucas found a pacifier in the car and I let him have it. (Totally against my rules.) They had a snack of fake cheese & crackers at the store and I didn't put a hat on Lucas as we walked to and from the car. For some reason, it was oddly empowering. It was like I was saying, yeah world, I let my toddler wear his pajamas out in public. What'cha gonna do about it?

We wake up each morning and automatically we have all these decisions we're faced with. Our to-do list that we started last night and added number 10 and 11 this morning, having crossed off maybe the first two things. The chores we're suppose to finish so when people come over they think we have it all together. We go on these play dates and hope that our kids behave in a way that is socially acceptable or even better- maybe they will be so impressive people will think you're awesome. Our goals, our "should's" and then all the things we didn't get to, forgot to do, didn't want to do or just didn't care about doing.

At the end of the day, to me, there are a few things that matter. And I'm just talking in the spectrum of parenting here, although if you have one thing lined up right it usually reflects the other things in life lined up right, but let's just stick with parenting right now..

That I've gave my kids love and affection. Fed them a decent-enough meal to satisfy them and somewhat nourish their bodies. Provided them a safe and loving place to learn, play and grow. Gave them hugs and kisses and a million "I love you's." Laughed with them, played a few games of cars and if I've read more than 15 books -- it's an even better day.

If I've done all those things, then I think I'm doing alright.

You too, mama.

Do You Use the Free Child Care at the Grocery Store?

noreply@blogger.com (Samantha @ Mama Notes) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 04:37:00 +0000

If you shop at Fred Meyer (or other stores that have free built in day care) do you leave your kids there while you shop?

I never have.

Honestly, I don't see myself ever doing it. It has never crossed my mind as an option. Not that I think it's "bad" or anything, I've just never considered it. We walk past it every time we leave Fred Meyer after we check out with our groceries. I always wondered what people thought about it.

(Source)

Part of me thinks, No way! I don't even know who these people are watching my kids. And it's so... public. Someone could walk by and... I don't know, I just don't like the idea of total strangers watching my children.

Then the other part of me says, Well, I guess it's the same as a day care at the gym. Technically I don't know those people very well either. Right? And I think this actually might be safer.. don't they use little pagers or something? (Not sure, really.) AND, it would be nice to shop alone and let my kids play- burn off energy for 30 minutes.

So -- curious.

Do you leave your kids in the play place while you shop? Why or why not?

Bringing the Snow Indoors

noreply@blogger.com (Samantha @ Mama Notes) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 22:02:00 +0000

We've had kind of a lay- low week. It's been so cold that I've just been hibernating. Lucas isn't feeling 100% like himself the last couple days, so I wanted him to rest at home a bit too. He's been complaining that his mouth and tummy hurt, so I'm not sure whats going on. We were going to stay home again today, but I thought it would be best for us all to get out of the house. I wanted the boys to burn some energy and get some exercise. We all know exercise makes us feel better! Only wish it was outdoor exercise, but oh well.

Today we went somewhere new -- gymnastics!

This gymnastics center is pretty cool. Tons of room for kids to run around, lots of things to climb on/under/in, trampolines to jump on, mats to jump on and off of, balance beams to walk on... basically something I want in my basement.

I didn't realize how much it was going to cost, but I figured $5 or so. I was shocked when she said it was $10 a person. ummmm, I cannot pay $20 for an hour of playing right now. Thankfully they have a punch card option so we did that which is a much better deal! Lucas wasn't as excited about it as I was hoping. He just wanted to play with the car that was there. I think part of it was because he's not feeling that great. I practically had to beg him to jump on the trampoline and climb up the mats with me.

Joshua loved it! That little monkey loves to climb on things.

I thought about putting Lucas in a structured gymnastics class when he turns 3. This was a good opportunity to figure out that decision. Turns out a class is $17.50. And that's for a 45 minute class. It wouldn't even make sense for me to do that. For one, it's really expensive and for two, it's only 45 minutes so it doesn't even give me a chance to go and do anything. Plus, Joshua really loved it. So I think it makes the most sense for me to take both of them! They can play while I watch them and play with them and it's about $9 for two hours (if we last that long.)

Next time we go I'm bringing my camera!

On another note, somewhere throughout my blog reading within the last couple years, I thought I remembered some superior mom bringing snow inside for some creative play. I wanted to try it too. When I asked Lucas about it he said, "wellll, honey, if we bring it in the house it will get the floor all icky!" Okay. Good point. So then I suggested putting it in the bath and he agreed that was a better idea.

I didn't really know what I was doing, so Lucas and I figured it out together.

I took the snow shovel outside and brought three big scoops of snow upstairs.

Of course the snow was a little cold. Whoever gave me this idea didn't explain what the next step would be. How do you play with snow when it's freezing?

So I'm like, "play in it! Do something! Play with the truck in the snow mountain!"

What, am I suppose to put gloves on their hands while they are inside? I don't get this.

They had fun playing with it for a while and then took a shower.

Oh, until Lucas broke the faucet. I have no idea how he did it. I just turned around and he said, "I broke it!"

I'm glad it's the weekend.

I have a dermatology appointment this afternoon that I really don't want to go to, but such is life.

Tomorrow, since I will have my husbands help, we are all going outside for a walk. I am determined. I don't care if it's -5 out (right now its about 0-2 degrees) I am making it happen. I will put the kids in the sled and go for a 15 minute walk around the block. Just something. Oh! And swimming this weekend, too. Lucas loves going down the slide by himself and Joshua loves riding on my back. So fun.

Can you recommend any good new release movies? Hubby and I are trying to decide what movie to watch tonight!

Ben The Bachelor: Episode 3

noreply@blogger.com (Samantha @ Mama Notes) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 22:06:00 +0000

Forgive me, but I can't help myself any longer.

Let me preface by giving my opinion of The Bachelor: Ben. I think he's a nice guy. But the hair. It needs a trim and I'm looking forward to seeing what he does with it this season. Will he grow it out? Cut it short? Go for a new look completely? Only the most dramatic season yet will unfold this mystery and I can't wait to find out.

The first date was with Emily. She's pretty cute. The climbed up the Golden Gate bridge. Was that freaky or what? I had a stomach ache the hold time! That was a brave move. Dangerous, much?

Thankfully Ben kissed her and gave her magical powers so she could finish that climb. Gosh Ben, you are just sooo sweet!

The group date.

They went skiing. In San Francisco. On fake (?) snow. In bikinis. Because that's so normal. Seriously, who does this?? But don't worry, in case you get cold in your swim suit, you are wearing a cute hat and scarf! And high top socks that accentuate your thighs! Personally if I had to choose, I'd want socks on my upper half, as I happen to think my calves are a little slimmer than my thighs, but whatever, I'm not in charge.

Lindsey and Ben went on a date.

This was the best part of the entire show. Matt Nathanson started singing.

I re-watched that portion on Hulu 4 different times. Why couldn't they had the cameras on him the entire time? I'm sorry, but he just does sexy singing good. Have you watched this video of him and Jennifer Nettles singing live at the CMA's? Besides the fact that I don't understand the pants Jennifer is wearing, it's seriously the best performance ever and it should win awards. Matt has this weird vibe going on but oh, I love it so. Have you seen him dance? It's like a bird losing it wings. How can he make it look so good?

Back to The Bachelor...

Okay so anyways. Lindsey and Ben are ~~making out~~ dancing. She has cute heels on. I like her simple black dress. I don't know if Ben can handle her, though.

Courtney is rude . And that dress -- no girlfriend.

Courtney asked how much he liked her on a scale of 1-10. Awww gag. What grade are we in again?

So Shawntel shows up. Whatever.

Then the rose ceremony. DUN DUN DUUUUUN.

Honestly I can't waste anymore of my time talking about this. I want to get back to the most important thing that happened in this episode:

Thank you Matt for providing me new music to clean my house to.

I love you.

The end.

Must be Winter

noreply@blogger.com (Samantha @ Mama Notes) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 09:03:00 +0000

It has been absolutely freezing.

Is it April yet?

We're pretty much on a friends house - gym day care - bounce house - museum- grocery shop - rotation. Our favorite indoor playground closed so that indoor option is now... not an option. :( I'm so bummed! I've been feeling really bad about not getting my kids outside, but ohmygosh it's cold! We've kind of gotten out of the habit of going outside, too. Hopefully it warms up a little in the next couple weeks so we can get some fresh air. As of now, I park far away from the entrance to places and count that as outside time. It's seriously like 3 degrees right now so I get some points for that.

I found a new lunch favorite --

Chicken taco wrap!

In the mix :

Chicken, spinach, tomatoes, salsa & Fage greek yogurt (used as the sour cream.)

So yummy!

I'm really loving these "Flat Out" flat bread tortillas. 9 grams of protein and 100 calories. Not bad.

I had this little guy to keep me company.

He is so funny! He knows when the camera is on him!

So, Lucas wants to learn how to read.

How do you teach a child how to read? I guess you start with learning all the letters first, right? He was asking me how I read and I told him, you have to read all these letters and words. I sat down with him at the table to work on some letters and I was happy we got 10 minutes in. And only four minutes of craft time! Who doesn't like craft time?! So I'm just not sure how to teach him letters that doesn't involve sitting still -- any ideas? Honestly most of the things he learns (besides learning through play) and most of the things that I am directly teaching him, are when we are talking about it. We do a lot of talking in the car - a. lot.- to the point where I literally have to say, "okay Lucas, lets turn on some music and have a little bit of quiet time, okay?" He asks a million questions in the car and we have some pretty good conversations and learning opportunities. I like that and it works well for him and his learning style. But letters.... isn't Leap Frog Factory suppose to teach him that stuff?

Sort of not really joking. All my friends said that movie taught their kids the letters. I guess for now I will just keep reading books to him and trying to point out some letters as we go. I love reading books to him.

Today I'm thinking we might build a fort with blankets and move the couches around. Oh and I have to go to Target to get diapers. Perfect. Day trip to Target. Done.

Two Weeks In

noreply@blogger.com (Samantha @ Mama Notes) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 08:02:00 +0000

I had a great full body workout this morning with a combination of free weights and weight machines. I don't generally write down all my weights and exercises I do when I lift. Now, technically, you really should. It's a great way to keep track of what you're doing, or what you've been doing, track your progress and remember what weight you left off on. I usually just remember what exercises I do and what weights I do. In fact, I even can remember it all from this morning -- nearly 12 hours ago.

Today was leg day, so I kept that as my focus, but I also added a few other exercises as well to make it more full body. For some reason I really love working out on Saturday mornings so I try to get in a full body session in that day!

It looked like this:

{I did 3 sets and 12 repetitions of everything}

Leg Press: 90 pounds
Lat Pulldown: 35 pounds
Push Up's: Body weight
Deadlift : 40 pounds
Squats: 40 pounds
Tricep extension: 10 pounds
Side Should Raise: 7.5 pounds
Shoulder press: 10 pounds
Bicep Curl: 30 pounds (barbell)
Leg Extension: Actually don't remember the weight on this one..
Leg Curl: Not this one either.. oops..

I've been eating clean for, like I said, about two weeks. I have been doing really good... until today. I had a little binge of a diet coke, small bag of chips and small bag of fruit snacks. Okay, and a cookie. Fine, two cookies. I'm glad I got that out in the public. I haven't told anyone, so keep your mouth shut.

I need to figure out how to eat healthy and clean but also make it taste exciting and not be the same thing every night. I know there are a lot of recipes out there, I just need to try some. I was also thinking, I may be adding in a few items that are not necessarily "clean" but are still healthy. I need to make this maintainable for me and something that I will be able to stick with and not get bored with. Tomorrow and Monday I hope to make some food to get me through the week. I want to try some new protein bars and chicken recipes.

So I am feeling a little discouraged today.

On the plus side, I'm gaining a lot of strength in my weights and I'm seeing my arms get stronger. Hopefully once I start adding cardio in two weeks I will be able to shed some of the fat that is covering my muscle! :)

Oh and something else that is very interesting to me - last night I only slept about 6 hours because I went to bed way too late and woke up early with Lucas, but I had so much energy the entire day. I notice on days I workout I am so much more awake. I need to figure out how to exercise every morning!

"It's not how you fall, it's how you get back up." We all fall down sometimes. We all fail and make mistakes. It's how we recover from those mistakes that help us grow. It's how we get back up that helps us to learn from ourselves and become stronger and better at what we want to do. I am GLAD that I have food struggles like this. I am learning how to be clean and healthy. I don't want this to be easy. I don't expect it to be. It would be un-realistic for me to think that I could go from eating "pretty healthy" and processed foods to 100% clean foods and call it easy. My struggles with food help me relate to others who go through the same thing. It helps me "walk in their shoes" and know what it's really like. It forces me to figure out how (or if) I can have balance with certain foods.

Tomorrow I will wake up. I will eat my normal breakfast or 4 egg whites and 1 whole egg, scrambled with a piece of toasted ezekial bread. From there I will go on and get back up and pretend like today didn't happen so I can start a new week fresh and ready to kick some serious gluteus maximus.

BOO. YAH. Clean Eating. BOO. YAH.

10 Things

noreply@blogger.com (Samantha @ Mama Notes) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 21:37:00 +0000

Oh, hello little ol' blog!

Where have I been? I don't know, I just haven't been here!

Here's a "10 things" re-cap of stuff that's been goin' on the last week or so.

1) I'm eating clean foods. Like, real and whole food.. basically things that "have a mother" (fish, chicken, eggs) or things that come from the ground, or things that have very few ingredients. Non processed stuff. It's actually kind of easy, once you start doing it regularly.

2) Lucas is in love with Dora.

3) Tomorrow we go and tour a potential preschool for next Fall. ohmygosh.

4) I'm posting more on my Facebook page about nutrition and new things I'm eating. I am learning a ton right now so I love to share it with people. Especially if you are trying to lose weight or eat healthier. :) I'm slacking on blogging lately because the conversations on Facebook are so much better! It's so much faster and easier to put something up there like a question or a thought.

5) This evening Joshua started screaming when I was putting his diaper on. This is normal, he loves to be naked and doesn't get happy about putting a diaper and clothes on. But he was screaming so hard that his face started to get purple as he was laying down. I picked him up and sort of moved him to get him to breath. For a split second his head went limp. I had to shake him again and say his name several times... it was the scariest thing ever!! He went back to himself pretty quickly afterwards but it was really scary. He definitely lost oxygen for a second or two. I hope that never happens again because I still have a stomach ache from that scared feeling of seeing my son like that!! I talked to a few people that told me it was normal and a way to get attention. They said to ignore it. Right. Because ignoring a child who is purple in the face and not breathing is easy to ignore.

6) This child looks so sweet, doesn't he?

Okay, he is really sweet but he's also trouble. Not only is he trouble, but he does it good. He's smart. He's learned all these things from his older brother, plus his own slew of things. I'm having a hard time disciplining him right now

He climbs on everything!! His favorite right now is climbing up the chairs and then on the table.

Oh boy.

I've tried firmly saying No. I've tried doing the silent method of taking him off the table and putting him back on the ground a thousand times. I even tried a time out today. Oh, and I also did the completely ignoring thing. I don't know if that made it better or worse. At one time or another both Lucas and Joshua were up on the table for a good 10 minutes playing and having the time of their life. I was so done. I just ignored them. This morning Joshua climbs up and I hear Lucas... he's taking over my mother responsibilities. Sort of nice. " Joshua, get down there! You are going to get in big trouble! " Ha.

7) Lucas turns 3 in two months.

I am in denial.

Gosh, my children do sweet-mischievous real well, don't they?

I'm so excited for him to turn 3. I want to plan something big. I'll get on that tomorrow I think.

8) I have to stop here because Joshua is on the table eating crackers and I want some...

Homemade Haircut

noreply@blogger.com (Samantha @ Mama Notes) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 05:18:00 +0000

I finally finally finally gave Lucas a hair cut, all on my own.

I bought a little kit at Costco that had a razor in it, with two combs and a good pair of scissors.

I thought I was going to use the razor, but I didn't.

I really had absolutely no plan. I had (have, still do) no idea what I'm doing. I cut the back and the bangs straight across and then the other pieces I just sort of combed up and cut. He was my "guinea pig."

I put him on the bar stool while he was watching a show and gave him a lollipop.

I did it super fast. I didn't take much off, just a little trim which was really what he needed.

I was pleasantly surprised at how well I did!

Any un-even lines are suppose to be there. It's called layering. :)

This saved me $14!! It cost me about $14 to get Lucas's hair cut. That x 2 and going every 2-3 months is really going to add up. I think I can get the hang of this hair cutting thing!

Next is Joshua...

I have no idea how I'm going to get him to sit still.

Jelly Toast

noreply@blogger.com (Samantha @ Mama Notes) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 22:37:00 +0000

It's been so great having my husband home these last two weeks. Parenting sure is easier when there is two of you! I'm nervous to do it all alone again starting next week. I mean, I know I'll do fine and we'll get back into a routine soon. I am just overwhelmed, I guess.

Diaper bag. Why am I the only mom of two children under the age of three (I like to add that 'cause it sounds more dramatic) without a cool diaper bag? Wouldn't that help make me more organized and give me space to carry all these nifty gadgets so when a child of mine is throwing a fit or doing something ridiculous in public that is making me look like "one of those moms" I can whip out a treat or water bottle or a new dog toy that squeaks and make everyone in the world happy?? Why have I been a parent for almost three years and I still don't have an awesome bag to carry around with me? Why? WHY?

I want a Timbuk2 bag. They are high end bags, that's what my husband said. The cheapest one is $90. I don't care. I want it. You can even customize it to make it your favorite colors. I am buying it. $90 to have a place for all my gear is totally worth it, is it not? Look at me, already on my way to making my life easier.

Next topic. Waking up early. I wonder if I went to bed at 7:30 I would be ready to go by 7:30 am? Probably not. It is still too early. Plus I can't go to bed at 7:30 even if I wanted to. The Bachelor is starting next week and that goes until at least 10pm. Later if you include emotional baggage clean up and prying yourself off the popcorn infested couch. Oh I work on Monday nights. I'm going to have to talk to my boss around working around my schedule for that. So then the other nights, well I have studying to do or other important shows to watch, or chores or writing or reading or folding laundry or working out. So I go to be between 11-12 at night. I don't want to go to bed earlier. I just want my kids to sleep in later. That is the only solution to this.

Winter. Okay, ya'll. I love winter and the snow and the frosty the snowman. You know that about me. But I am counting down the months until suuuuuumer. We can spend all day outside and I can sunbathe on the picnic table. We can play soccer and ride bikes and oh, I am so ready.

Behold: my children eating toast with jelly.

They are so cute when they're eating.

Well, really it's the only time they are sitting still and I can get good pictures of their faces.

I'm obsessed with their blue eyes and blonde hair.

Last night my husband and I went on a date. We found a babysitter. Boom Chicka Latta. We went out to a restaurant with a gift certificate we got for Christmas. Both of the boys were sleeping - she came over at night - and she watched TV the whole time we were gone. Ha. It's funny paying someone to stay at your house and watch TV. But what else was she suppose to do, right? I hope she continues to be awesome because I think more date nights should be in our future! I think I might talk to her about doing some light cleaning when she comes over. Is that appropriate?? I'm not sure. She is only 16 and newish to babysitting so I don't want to freak her out.

{Slightly off topic but when I was a babysitter, I was amazing. Not trying to brag, but it's the truth. I would clean up after ourselves, which is expected, but then after the kids were in bed I always left the house in better shape then when I got there. I would fluff the couch pillows, fold the blankets, put away all the dishes, clean the counters, organize shoes on the floor, whatever. People always came home and were so pleasantly surprised to find that I cleaned up so nicely after I put the kids to bed! I sort of have high expectations in that department, but I realize most people don't do that.}

My next project is making a list of goals. I know this will help me be more productive and organized in life. Are you going to make goals for the new year? I haven't made goals for a while. We all should make them, you know.

Vacuum Cleaner, Lawn Mower & Hockey

noreply@blogger.com (Samantha @ Mama Notes) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 05:14:00 +0000

We had a fun Christmas. It was quiet, but that's okay. Quiet as in the amount of people (or lack of) we had at our house, not quite in the sense of battery operated toy making noise. :) We watched The Charlie Brown Christmas on Christmas Eve. Christmas Eve evening (?) we went out for a walk in the big sled and then Thomas took Joshua inside because he was getting cold.

Lucas and I played outside for about 45 minutes longer. We went up and down our driveway on the sled about 50 times!

Christmas morning, Lucas comes into my room about 7:30. He woke me up and I said, "do you know what today is?" He replied "Today is Christmas! Let's go get my vacuum cleaner!" Haha. We had bought it at the store a couple days earlier and apparently he saw it and hadn't forgotten about it!

We woke Joshua up and went downstairs.

I was so excited to give them the vacuum cleaner and lawn mower! I knew they would love them!

On Christmas day, in the early afternoon, before nap time after the sun came up and after we filled our tummy with an eggs and ham breakfast, we went outside to play in the snow and climb up "the snow mountain." Lucas had his hockey stick with him; one of his Christmas presents and most definitely a favorite. One of the neighbors opened his door and yelled out, " does he need hockey skates?" I was surprised but said, "sure!" Five minutes later this little boy (I think he's probably 4 or 5) walked out with the cutest pair of miniature hockey skates and a bag of pucks. It was the sweetest and cutest thing. He said "Merry Christmas!" After a little conversation, we learned from his dad that they used to be his, but he wasn't interested in hockey, much to his dads disappointment. The father told us they have lots of hockey things, so if we ever need to borrow anything than to come on over.

This was right after we came inside and he had just taken his snow gear off. See his white cheeks! It was around 10 degrees on Christmas Day.

I LOVE people like this. I love when people give things or do things for people just because of the kindness in their heart. Not because they want to get money from it, attention or something in return, just because they want to be a nice person and bless someone else in an unexpected way. In the most cheesy way possible, it warmed my heart on that Christmas day. Lucas and I are going to make a Thank-You card for this young boy... maybe we will make a new friend!

Lucas found a roll of tape to use as a hockey stick. (Prior to the gift giving of pucks...) Look at my sweet Joshua. He found the snow shovel to use as his hockey stick!

Lucas was SO excited about this new hockey gear. He tried them on in the house, but we told him they have to be outside. I showed him pictures on google of hockey players on ice so he could understand a little better. He played in the garage a bit with his hockey stick and puck. He just think it's awesome.

Joshua loved the lawn mower we got him. That and the vacuum cleaner were a big hit, as I knew the would be. The boys have been ~~playing~~ fighting over them since yesterday.

My house is covered in toys now! I'm actually finding it really nice. They are staying entertained which is great because it's cold outside and our favorite indoor playground closed!

What was your child's favorite Christmas gift?

Dermatology Appointment

noreply@blogger.com (Samantha @ Mama Notes) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 08:43:00 +0000

I went to the dermatologist today. It was my first time going, I was a little bit of excited and nervous, too. I have to get a mole that's in between my toes removed. Apparently moles on the feet and hands are never good. I think I might have got it during one of my pregnancies, but I'm not entirely sure. It's not too often that I look between my toes... unless I'm painting my toes, maybe, but I don't do that as much as I should. I think I will do that tonight, actually!

So I made an appointment to go back in a few weeks so they can remove it. Eww and Owe. I think it might hurt. I'm curious to see what kind of scar it leaves. Not that I care, considering it's in on my feet, but my derm man think it will leave a pretty big scar because my skin seems to be sensitive or something. I am a little freaked out by this appointment (is it called a surgery??) and I will probably cry because everything hurts worse than childbirth unless you are actually in childbirth. Including the dentist. I hate the dentist and even though dentist make a nice sum of money, I sort of feel bad for them that they have to be a face of bad news in someones day. Even though I did know a kid who wanted to be a dentist in high school and he was pretty nice looking.

The dermatologist (think technically a physicians assistant who specializes in dermatology, but what gives?) is going to send my mole off for testing or something which I think is pretty scientific. I'm anxious to hear about it, hope it's not bad or anything. He said it will give him a good idea about the other moles that I have and if we need to remove any others.

I don't use a lot of face wash on my skin, sometimes olive oil at night. Dude, have you tried it? Don't look at me like that until you try it. It is awesome! Takes off all your makeup- even eye- really easily and leaves my skin feeling so soft and clean.

In case you were wondering about my skin.

In other news, Lucas has been playing with his black bear a lot the last few days. He named her Rosy. He said it was his sister. At frist I thought he was saying "wozey" and then I realized it was Rosy from Cailou. And Rosy is Cailou's sister. Ohhhhhh I get it. Usually when he watches that show it's 7:14am and I'm dead on the couch pretending to be rock star mom while he sits in his soggy diaper and watches this awesome kid on the TV.

He has been taking care of Rosy, so sweet. I love that he does this because it means he seems me taking care of him and his baby brother and he likes acting the same way. Right? He put Rosy to bed and patted her back and then he wanted me to nurse her...

Joshua. This child, oh man.

He is learning all these naughty tricks from his brother!! The other day I found him on top of the table, eating left over lunch! I was like, how did you get up there?? He is SUCH a monkey.

He is trying to say cracker right now. It's really cute.

They are sharing a room. Lucas takes Joshua's pacifier out of his crib and puts them on the dresser. Ha. Then I hear him "you little stinker!"

In case I don't see or hear you before then, have a Merry Christmas!!

Questions:
1. Do you go, or have you been recently, to see a dermatologist? Got any good or educational stories?
2. Olive Oil on Your Face?
3. Cailou: You like or you don't like? My toddler likes it = I like it.
4. Elf on the Shelf? Creepy or Cute?

Monkeys

noreply@blogger.com (Samantha @ Mama Notes) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 22:58:00 +0000

Joshua is so funny. He loves to hold silverware in his mouth and give you this smirk of a smile. Love him. He giggles so hard when you say the word "bonk" (like you bonked your head on the couch) in a funny voice. Lucas will say it in the back seat and they both start laughing.

Lucas fell asleep on his chair.

His naps are getting shorter and shorter as the days go. So are his wake up times. Holy goodness, 6:45am is way too early to get up in the morning. I guess this is normal.

Joshua LOVES books. He brings me books all the time to read and I will find him sitting on the floor flipping through the pages.

Lucas yells out, "He climbed up on my homework table!"

Oh, did he now...

After several times of (un successful) redirecting, he does it again, but looks like he lost his pants this time. And a sock.

Zoo Lights

noreply@blogger.com (Samantha @ Mama Notes) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 18:12:00 +0000

We got lots of new snow!! Sometime early last week, it poured rain for almost 48 hours straight. It got "warm" (around 45 degrees!) and almost all of the snow melted. It was so weird. We were so excited when it started snowing again this weekend! Nothing better than big snowflakes falling out your window. The temperature has been just perfect the last few days so we've been outside a ton!

This weekend, we went to the zoo lights. It's kind of like the Pepsi plant back home.. except it's a walk through, with animals, and outside. And a little colder.

Talk about festive.

Grandma Anna and Grandpa Rick got the boys matching snow suits.

The entire zoo was lit up by Christmas lights.

The real polar bears were sleeping.

We had a great time. Joshua and Lucas loved walking around. We were there for almost two hours!

Joshua took breaks in the stroller.

The lights were great. Some of them went to music.

There were tons of people there! Definitely a popular place. Guess that's what perfect weather does to everyone.