Fantastic Friday—10/29

What an awesome week I’ve had! A-W-E-S-O-M-E.

1) I really did finally get back on the horse with my running and eating.  I’ve been half a$$ing it for a few weeks now and had gained 2 pounds.  This week I was finally able to drop them. AND I MADE A BREAKTHROUGH DECISION!

2) Hubs and I went to the Thunder season opener game on Wednesday. So much fun! I forgot how much I love basketball season. The game was exciting; we played the Bulls, and the score was close the entire game.  We finally were able to pull ahead in the last 3 or 4 minutes and won our first season opener.

3) Bunco was last night.  I play with several ladies I used to teach with, & they are such a fun, amazing group of women. Oh, & Lady Gaga, Marilyn, & a penguin showed up to play last night. (More on that in a later post. I know. I know. I’m leaving you hangin’.) 

4) I got to hang out with my girl, Louise, last Friday night.  It had been awhile since it was just she and I out together sans husbands and kids.  We went to The Melting Pot for some chocolate. What better way to send some girl time, right? The best part? I got a good Thelma & Louise story out of the night! Again, that’ll be for another post, BUT here’s a little reminder to tide you over.

5) Although I know it is still a work in progress, I feel that I am FINALLY starting to find a good balance in playing with my boys & being a domestic goddess (okay so maybe that’s a wee bit of an exaggeration) in this crazy, chaotic, awesome SAHM life. This past week, I was able to keep my house at a point where I was comfortable with it. If someone where to show up unannounced, I’d have been fine inviting them in.

6) This week I have been a blogging goddess. No really. I mean that this time. I blogged all week—except for yesterday. And for me that is incredible. When I get in over my head with the house, the boys, and running, this is the thing that gets taken off my plate. BUT, like I said above, I am finding that balance. I am figuring out how to get the housework, the playtime, the writing, the socializing, the family time all into one day. Some days (like yesterday) something has to give, but, at least this week, I did something right.

I’d love to hear about the good that happened in your week! Leave some comments & let us know what you are grateful for in your week.

Wordless Wednesday 10/27

The east side of Cozumel that a lot of visitors don’t see. I highly recommend taking the drive around the island if you are there. B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L!

Say No to Double Strollers!*

(*Not THIS particular double stroller, just double strollers in general.)

Today was the last straw.  I will quit running before I run with the boys in the double stroller again anytime soon. What’s that you ask? You want to know why? Well, let me just give you my two (Yes there are only 2) reasons I’m going on this little strike.

1) It is an absolute mad house zoo three-ring circus getting all three of us ready to go.

I have to wrangle the boys, get them dressed, get socks & shoes put on them, get my contacts in, put my running clothes & shoes on,  pour sippies of something to drink, pack a snack for the boys, grab the blankies, grab some small toys, put jackets on the boys, open the garage and push the double stroller out, close the garage, grab all the above mentioned crap, shoo the boys out the door, grab my keys and iPhone, get the boys buckled into the stroller, hand out all their “goodies”, get my headphones in ears, turn on the iPod, and start my Joglog.

Fun, eh?

2) Getting them to sit still and just enjoy the ride AT THE SAME TIME is next to impossible.

I am still at the point that running is a challenge for me. I can usually run 2 or 2.5 miles and consider it an easy run. BUT I need to focus, concentrate on breathing correctly. NOT GONNA HAPPEN WITH THE MUNCHKINS. EVER. This is my 2 mile run on a typical day.

9:00—Start running (Goes pretty smoothly until the snack is gone.)

9:13—Help 17mo find his sippy cup

9:15—Pick up said sippy cup out of the street 17mo threw it into & put it in the cup holder with me so he can’t throw it again.

9:15-9:23—17mo throws a fit for the sippy cup.

9:23—17mo finds his blankie & all is well with the world.

9:25—3yo asks me the 3,564th question since we began the run. I answer the question only to get the 3,565th question of the run. 

9:26—Turn the iPod up to tune out the incessant question asking by the 3yo. (Yes, I do this & I don’t care if you think it is mean. You aren’t there. You don’t know. And the questions are NEVER important. And I can still hear him if by some chance is ever was important. He just thinks I can’t hear him.)

9:29—Tell 3yo to stop messing with his brother.

9:30—Tell 3yo to stop messing with his brother in a stronger tone.

9:31—Stop my run, look into 3yo’s eyes, and tell him to stop messing with his brother or we aren’t playing outside when we get home.

9:35—Stop my run to pick up the train 17mo has thrown in the street.

9:41—Again with the questions

9:44—17mo hits 3yo—crying ensues

9:46—Return home vowing to NEVER run with the boys again.

So, be honest. Do you blame me? My new plan is to go on my runs as soon as my husband gets home from work. Ahhh, nice, peaceful runs. The absolute bliss.

Sleep: I Need It

Picture it. You’re all snuggly in your bed. You’re sleeping so soundly you have a drool spot on you pillow. (Gross? Maybe Satisfying? Definitely.)  The window is open so you can hear the storm rolling outside. You you are dreaming the BEST dream you have ever had, and it is gettin’ good.

Cue the 17 month old. Screaming. Bloody murder. You wake up and look at the clock. It’s 2:00. IN THE MORNING. You’ve only been asleep since 11:30. You get up, stumble into his room, change his diaper, and determine his tooth must finally be coming through.  You go ahead and take him into the living room, give him some ibuprofen, and—what else?—watch a Blue’s Clues so the medicine can kick in. Finally you get him back in bed, and you go crawl back into your warm, cozy snuggly bed. It’s 2:30.

Cue the 3-year-old. Up and down for the next TWO HOURS. He has to go to the bathroom. He has to put a bath toy he found in his room back in the bathtub. (WHY???) He needs a drink of water. You get up with him no less than 3 times. Finally you get back to sleep somewhere in the neighborhood of 4:30.

And then, per the norm, the 17 month old is awake for good at 5:15.

This has been my life the past three nights. Not all three nights have been this bad (This was the first of the three & by far the worst.) I mean, come on. I feel like I have a newborn again—in a fog and running on autopilot. Sure I am used to getting up at 5:30 or 6:00 everyday courtesy of the younger little man, but really? What is up? Shouldn’t my 17 month old be sleeping better by now? (My 3-year-old is BY FAR my better sleeper.  This particular night was so out-of-character for him.) I have tried putting the littler one to bed later. Still gets up at 5:30. So, I out him to bed earlier. Still up at 5:30. Limit his naps during the day. Hello 5:30. Let him sleep the day away. You guessed it. 5:30. So, my next plan of attack? Back to baby basics. Get him back on a schedule. Starting tomorrow. At 5:30 AM.

Do you other mommas have any words of wisdom? How do I get this kids to sleep later? 

Splish Splash!

We discovered this splash park near our house late this past summer when our air conditioner was on the fritz. We spent just about every afternoon there that week because that’s how long it took the AC people to get out to our house. The boys LOVED it! (Well, it took the 16 month old a bit to warm up to it, but he loved it after a few minutes.) It was a great place for them to cool off from the 100 degree temperatures. As soon as the splash park opens again Memorial Day weekend, I’m sure we’ll be there.

5 Years & Many More to Come

Today my husband & I celebrate our 5 year wedding anniversary; it feels kind of like a small milestone.When I decided I was going to write this anniversary post, I had trouble deciding between writing about our actual wedding or writing about our actual marriage.  I decided on the latter.   Too often I think people go into marriages thinking it will be a piece of cake. That everyday is going to be full of honey and sweetie and sugar pie.  That the hot passion will last forever. And please don’t get me wrong.  Some days are like that; sweet, kind, passionate. But it’s rarely like that ALL day, EVERYday. Because, you know, real life happens.  Kids, careers, merging two families, creating a home.  So here are a few “lessons” I have learned in the past five years. (I can’t speak for my husband, but I’d venture to guess he has learned a few of the same things too.)
In the case of my husband and I, we are both first borns  (i.e. stubborn) and we were older when we got married (i.e. set in our ways), so you can imagine how much we can butt heads some days.  The words, “You know you don’t always have to be right!” have come out of both of our mouths on more than one occasion. We have learned to fight (Yes, we fight. You’re shocked I know!) in a way that works for us. I have continually discovered through these past five years just how important it really is to know your partner’s “fightin’ style”.
I know this isn’t a new concept; that you have all heard “experts” say this, but I am here as a non-expert to say it is OH. SO. TRUE.  You have to make time for date nights & time for each other. When hubs and I have a few days in a row that aren’t just peachy-keen, one of us will realize it has been a few weeks since we had time just us. Ideally, we try to have date nights at least twice a month. (This doesn’t always happen.)  But they really do rekindle & refresh us.  And these date nights are all well and good, but want to know the secret that I think really works for us? We go on a vacation every year sans kiddos—yes you read that right. EVERY YEAR.  And while we miss our boys like crazy (I almost cried when we boarded the plane this year—ALMOST I said), we find we reconnect on so many levels while we are away.  We are reminded that the most important thing we can give each other and our boys is a strong, loving relationship between us. And while being the best parents we can be is so very important, being the best wife/husband might be even more so.  Because, let’s face it, the boys will leave this house eventually, and it will be just my husband & I living here. I want that day to come and be looking at my best friend not a total stranger. My point is I’ve learned it’s important to make time for you as a couple.
Another lesson I’ve learned? I feel closer to my husband when we do activities together. Sounds weird right? Let me give you an example.  We are both divers.  There is nothing we enjoy more than diving together.  There’s just something about experiencing something together that not everyone sees that makes me fell close to him.  And the conversations about the dives last way past the dive itself. Heck, we still talk about the dive when my husband touched a shark at least once a month.  Other activities we enjoy together?  bike riding and following our local NBA team.  Simple things.
The most important thing I’ve learned is that for my husband and I both is to know we each have the others’ back; that we are on each others’ side. And I am going to leave that one just that simple.
So, that’s my wisdom I have to impart on you. Please don’t read this and I think that I think we have it all figured out. Because I don’t. We are still learning daily, but I do feel like we are pretty good at some things. That’s ok, right?   No matter how long you’ve been married, I believe you always are learning new things. What have you learned in your marriage?

Jack-O-Lantern: McMelon

We have a new member of the family: our jack-o-lantern. The other night we were all outside playing, and E asked his daddy if they could make a jack-o-lantern. So, my husband dropped his workout, and they got started.

 

Once the face was drawn on and the top cut open, it was time to clean out the pumpkin, E got grossed out and went to ride his bike. So much for the father-son bonding time (not to mention the workout that daddy dropped).

When E did grace us with his presence, getting him to pick up the stem was about the only touching of the pumpkin we could convince him to do. 

Of course daddy would have had to do the carving part by himself anyway.

We thought he turned out well.  E is so proud of him that I think he thinks he carved the jack-o-lantern himself. And we’ll just let him think that cause, well, he’s 3 and what’s it going to hurt? But I know the day is coming when E will carve a pumpkin into a jack-o-lantern all by himself & not get bored or grossed out because, you know, time flies.

A Little Hike

These are my boys in action this summer.  We were at the Grand Canyon. this was right after we had a picnic lunch; they took off with their daddy on an exploration. I didn’t realize how closely their close matched until my husband showed me this picture.  Love that each of them have a foot off the ground.  Yep, this picture pretty much depicts my life—always on the move!

Fantastic Friday 10/8

Still love this idea.  My goal is to do a fantastic Friday post every week.  It really does make you realize what you have to be thankful for. And I’ve got a lot of gratitude to express for things that happened this week.

1.  We got the garage cleaned out! This bares repeating. WE GOT THE GARAGE CLEANED OUT! Finally put all of the baby stuff in the attic while we figure out if we’ll have a third child. And we got all of the boxes full of my “classroom” put away on selves or in the attic.

2. While cleaning out the garage and the attic, we re-discovered 12-18 month fall/winter clothes that my 1-year-old can now wear. AND we found 4T clothes friends & family passed down for my 3-year-old. Now we don’t have to spend money on clothes for the boys this season, which is awesome since we are still figuring out this one paycheck household thing.

3.  The stars aligned, & I got to sub yesterday. It looks like this will be the Thursday norm of me.  I’m thankful for this for a couple of reasons. 1) Though small, it is a little extra money for us. 2) It keeps me in the loop for when I go back to teaching in a few years.

4. I am thankful for my husband who wants me to be home with the boys as badly as I do.  He worked his rear off the past couple of days to figure out more ways we can cut expenses to give us a little more wiggle room every month.

5.  The scales are finally headed in the right direction again!  After two weeks of the numbers going up (Remember that vacation my husband & I took?) and then holding steady, I’m FINALLY down one more pound. Yay!

6.  It’s been a great week home with my boys, but the best part was Wednesday afternoon when my 3-year-old took a nap (That was a good thing, but that’s not where I was headed.) & woke up wanting to cuddle.  I got 30 minutes of cuddle time with my sweetie pie.

7. Thunder tickets came in the mail this week.  I am so excited for the season to start.  Going to really enjoy going to games this year because next year me might have to sell off several tickets.  No way we can afford season tickets with me staying at home.

8. Can’t believe I almost forgot his one, OU BEAT Texas! BOOMER SOONER!   

How was your week?  What happened that you are thankful for? Remember, sometimes it’s the little things. :)