What to do, what to do....

With the Hubby's deployment this Spring getting closer and closer, little projects that we have been meaning to do since moving into our house keep popping into my mind.

Like:

• Installing our smoke & carbon monoxide alarms (still in the protective hard plastic just like they were when we unwrapped them...Christmas 2010)

• Installing the ceiling fan the Hubby and I picked up the 1st week after we closed on our house. (April 2010)

• Doing something with our little bathroom.  Pretty sure the wall is rotting away behind the tub/shower.  The plastic blue w/coordinating maroon tiles need to go!  In my dream world so would the blue sink, stool, and tub.  Maybe we could take down the tile, put up new sheetrock, a new stool and would it be hard to paint the tub?....Okay before I get carried away, I may need to have my BIL who is the Assistant Manager of Pro-Build and King of DIY House Remodels come take a look and give me some advice.

• Okay back to the Bathroom, I really want to be able to wash my hands with warm water without the use of a wrench. The hot water knob fell off and the bolt is stripped. To do list item...To-DONE! Thanks honey :)

• Install new curtain rods and window treatments. Okay maybe not really pressing due to the deployment...but so bugging me lately.

• Make a budget for the year.  I want to focus on save $, save$, save $.  To do list item...To-DONE! 

• Make sure I have grass seed and fertilizer on hand to get a lawn going. (I have the grass seed...now the motivation)

• Spring Tree Planting Party!  We need to plant some fast growing shade trees, as the hubby cut down all our mature trees when we had to dig out the basement to stop the flooding.  Also why we need a lawn again.

• I need to buff up so I can start the lawn mower...yes its embarrassing but I am really not strong enough.  Pull-starts just aren't my thing....maybe I could hire a neighborhood teeny bopper to do it for me?

• I would love to have a raised garden, that will need to be built...and I will need to miraculously get over being the black thumb of death to all things meant to be green and leafy.

• Shooting lessons for the handgun the Hubby bought me for an early Christmas present.  I want to get a concealed weapon permit, but although I'm good with a rifle, I am just not comfortable with a pistol yet. And lets face it, I would look pretty silly walking around with the kidlets AND a rifle strapped on.  Bet no one would want to mug us though....hmmm

• Insulate the garage and get shelving up.  Okay FIRST...I really need to finish unpacking and clean the garage but I am convinced that the shelving would help with that. (We moved into our house July-August 2010, should I be embarrassed I haven't actually finished unpacking?) It would also help make our little home gym corner more inviting.  Hmmm...maybe I could mount my old TV over the elliptical?

• I also would like to replace the shiny brass fan above our dining room table with a chandelier...but the hubby says no.  So I'm wondering, can you spray paint the gaudy dated shiny brass finish? 

For some reason, and I know it is dumb, so bear with me I just want our home to be well....homey.  I want everything to be perfect, our check list of to dos...to-done. I want everything finally unpacked and put away.  I want every room decorated and organized.  I want my husband to know that everything is in order, and that when he comes home he can walk through the door and feel 'at ease'.

We will still have projects to do, stuff we can do together.  That is just part of making a house a home.  I really want all the little and mainly cosmetic stuff done.  I think it will make me feel better, which hopefully in turn makes him feel better. I realize most of the list I can do by myself, for some reason it just seems important to have it done together.

Be honest now....have I lost it?

Great Job Mommy

Parenthood brings many words out of your mouth that are nearly impossible to make up or imagine.  Today I stayed home with both boys because the toddler was sick.

Throughout the day so many odd phrases and advice came out of my mouth.

• No! No! No!  Do not hit your brother on the head with a muffin!

• Sharing toys means he gets to play with toys too...He gets to hold the toy...He can play with the toy in his own way, he doesn't have to do it the same way you do....Just find a different toy please.

• INC, like 'ink'....say it with me, Monsters Inc not Monsters 'Drink'

• Stop luring your brother into rooms and locking him in.



My homegrown cheerleader

 and out of the toddler's mouth.

Toddler: I farted in my mouth!

Me: You mean you burped

Toddler: I fart and burp in my mouth

After I refilled his sippy with water; while unloading the dishwasher; turning on the TV; reading books; handing him a dropped toy; vacuuming; high fives & knuckles; getting a bottle for little brother I received the phrases of the day:
"Great Job Mommy!"; "Yay Mommy!"; "All Better!"; "Oooh Nice Job!" It is nice to be appreciated :) Makes me wonder though, he had to try reeeaaally hard to find something to be proud of mommy for.  At least we have the little things.

Mr. Grunt & Growl (why oh why couldn't this picture have been taken after I dusted?)

Toddler: hold on baby (finger up in the air)

Baby: grunting and growling while thumping rubber duck off the ground

Toddler: Mommy, tell baby brother no

Me: Brother is fine honey

Toddler: Not fine mommy, tell baby no no

Baby: demon possessed growling and thumping rubber duck off the ground

Toddler: serious look on face...Baby Mommy say No!

***The toddler thinks its up to him to decide the proper technique to be used when playing with toys.  He is having a hard time with his brother not doing things exactly how he thinks they should be done.
We have also been working on explaining that Mommy and Daddy are the only ones who can say no.  It pains the Toddler to not be able to boss his brother around, but he seems to think he found a loop hole today.***



The Toddler feeding his toys (why yes, that is the aforementioned rubber ducky...good eye)



Goal Progress #1

Remember my Post of 28 Goals?

Well I made some progress.  I cut myself *THREE* times, digging around for cooking utensils and decided I had put off organizing the drawers long enough.  I picked up some trays at WalMart which were around $8 a pop (at first I thought kinda spendy)...but now I'm thinking best investment ever.  I'm not sure if I regret not having a BEFORE picture, or am happy because of how embarrassing the state of the drawers were.

I did do some purging.  I grabbed an old grocery bag and put in the mismatched hand-me down silverware and utensils I've haven't used in a while.  The hubby and I bought a silverware set earlier this year (we are so grown up now...matching forks, spoons, and knives!!) It will take a little bit to get used to what is in what drawer, but it is so much easier to find what I am looking for by just opening the drawer.  AND no more bandaged fingers!

the adjustable holder, no slide bottom...serving pieces organized!

Cooking Sets and Spatulas together :)



matching silverware, and the kiddos utensils have a home now





Hodge Podge and accessories w/cords drawer



So in under 20 minutes I organized 4 drawers and started towards my goal of becoming more organized.  Bonus its super easy to keep organized, as the motto "Everything with a place, and Everything in its place" really does ring true. Okay, so I admit that last drawer doesn't look all that organized, but trust me it is an improvement and I can find stuff easier.

You  may remember I started this post mentioning that I cut myself, well all the knives got purged.  I have 3 Cutlery Sets that all include blocks, so I decided I didn't need the extra, hand-me down, free-floating, waiting-to-shank-the-next-unsuspecting-finger-digging -through-the-drawers assortment of knives.

*I do need to confess I have 2 more drawers to go through.  The rolling pins and baking stuff is still in need of some love. I also had so many more pieces, that are now packed up because I seldom use them.  But they are now separated by purpose in bags and all together in a shoe box in a newly organized closet.  I am really enjoying a more bare bones approach*

10 Things I Love About You

I have been down in the dumps and spewing a lot of negativity lately.  So I'm going to share an exercise I use to help me get over it.  I make a list of 10 things I love and am grateful for.

I love my husband with all my heart, he is my rock, the ying to my yang, my other half, and unfortunately the person I tend to get upset at when my life goes into turmoil.

So babe, here is to overlooking tripping over your boots in the middle of the floor, to my purse and coat being thrown on the floor when you want to use the coat rack, to revving up the kids right before bedtime, not letting me get away with hogging all the blankets, turning the volume on the TV too loud, leaving refrigerated items on the counter instead of putting them away, leaving a trail of clothes throughout the house and ignoring the hamper, emptying the garbage without putting in a new sack, leaving whiskers in the sink, and not rinsing out the tub after washing an air filter.

10) You always notice and thank me for anything I do around the house. Thank you for appreciating me.

9) You always tell me I am beautiful and perfect for you when I most need it....like every time I look in a mirror.

8) You start my car in the morning so its warm and I don't have to scrape ice off the windows.

7) You indulge my obsession with cuddling, there is nothing like being held in your arms.

6) You mow the lawn and shovel the driveway and sidewalk with no complaints...ever!

5) You are amazing with our boys, and I hope they grow up to be just like you.

4) You introduce me to new books, and one of my favorite things about you is our shared love of reading.

3) You are hard working, down to earth, and honest. A man's man who provides for his family and takes them to church with him every Sunday.

2) You may not like to admit it, but you have such a huge heart.  I love how much you care...even when you act like you don't.

1) Have you seen you in a uniform? 'Nuff said ;)

I love you dear husband, though I am neurotic and a nagger, whiny and needy, I fly off the handle, am thin skinned with a big mouth, I battle depression, talk through movies, and can be sharp tongued .  You have made me happier than I have ever been in my life and inspire me to be a better person.


I am so proud of you, and grateful for giving me our perfect little loving family.




***Pictures by Leslie Bohle. Check out more of her work at BohleImages.com***

Out of the Mouths of Babes ~ The cycle continues

I have a childhood memory of riding in the box of the feed pickup with my sister, while Mom and Grandma went around the cows to put out mineral.  At the sight of the first cow I jumped up, pointed and shouted as loud as I could "Son of a Bitch! SON OF AAWWWHH  BIIIIITCH!"

Mom slammed on the brakes and I went splat on the back of the window (think that stuffed suction cupped Garfield everyone used to have in the rear window), then yelled "out what did you say?"  Being  honest, naive dumb I proudly repeated what I had said.  I don't remember exactly what mom said next, but this is the end of the conversation as I recall it.

Me: but that's what Daddy calls them

Mom: *sigh* Well, that's not appropriate right now...don't say it again.

Without speaking I gave my sister a look of, "So its not just another phrase that means cow?"

Who kindly returned a look that said "You dumbass"

Back story: I had rode along with Dad the day before while he was chasing escapee cows, or was it bulls in the wrong pasture?  It was before the huge concern of seatbelt safety for children (or we were just behind the times) and I remember bouncing around more than Tigger on a trampoline.  I held on to everything I could get my hands on but still would fly up at every bump and smack my head off the cab of the pickup.  Had I been a can of pop, its safe to say that everyone would have passed on popping that top.

Which brings me to last night.  Hubby took the toddler for a daddy day at the farm earlier in the week, and casually mentioned, while I was washing dishes.

Hubby: Um, so don't be surprised if Josh starts saying a new new word or two

Me: How many letters are we talking?

Hubby: .....

Me: Are they 4 letter words?

Hubby: Nope, more of a phrase....with 3, 2, 1, and 5 letters!

Me: ....SOB?

Hubby: Yep

Me: it's a dad thing isn't it? The cycle continues

Hubby: ?

I proceeded to tell him the story I just shared with you. I'm sure he will learn many phrases and words from Dad, Uncles, Grandpas, and many others.  I will cringe at them later.

Honestly it wasn't as bad as I thought, I also haven't caught him using it yet.  Though, for the last 6 months I've been having a heart attack every time he drops his fork....he tends to leave out the 'R'.

28 Goals

 

I'm not going to call them New Year's Resolutions, but here are 28 goals for the year.  I'm a realist these aren't all going to happen.  But, here we go! Maybe writing things down and putting them out there will inspire me to make good on them...for each thing I have crossed off the list by 2013 I am going to reward myself though.  Not sure what the reward will be yet.  Do you reward yourself for meeting goals?

28 Reasonable & Unreasonable Goals for 2012

1) Organize the house 

2) Run 26, 15, 10, 5,  3 miles (without dying)

3) Plan and shop ahead of time for weekly meals

4) Grow a garden

5) Keep a house plant alive...beyond a technicality

6) Have a respectable lawn

7) Decorate for every holiday

8) Reach my goal weight of 155 pounds

9) Wear mascara & eyeliner for a whole day without looking like I lost a boxing match

10) Dance in heels

11) Get grandparents regular actual photos of kidlets

12) Catch up on scrapbooks

13) Decorate every room in the house

14) Sew my own curtains

15) Make/sew a clothing item for myself

16) Upcycle, or refab a clothing item

17) Memorize a poem

18) Spend a day with the boys, and willingly let them play in a mud puddle (lord give me the strength)

19) Say morning & nightly prayers with the boys

20) Join a group of some sort

21) Try 5 new foods

22) Palm the floor (currently I can't even touch my toes)

23) Updated 5th gen pictures with the boy's 104 year old great great grandma

24) Create & Use Filing system (goodbye junk drawers....yes you read that right, plural)

25) Blog at least once a week (starting....NOW!)

26) Actually do/make at least one thing I pin on pinterest every week

27) Paint the living room (might have to wait for Hubby to deploy to get away with this one)

28) Get my 104  GGMIL's (Great Grandma In-Law) moonshine recipe!

*********************************************************************************

Update 2/21/12: 

#5 - What is the opposite of progress? The plant I have had for 5 years that could be better described as tortured rather than living or dead...is well dead.  I tried to cut it back to see if I could bring it back to life and it didn't pull through.  So to complete this goal I will have to get a new plant.

#22 - Okay I can't palm the ground yet, but I can touch the floor now with my fingertips! That is what they call progress my friend.

#25 - Pretty easy to check on, but so far I am doing good on this one.

#26 - I made something I found on pinterest yesterday!

Baby Withdrawals *the long & rambling edition*

I am in midst of a major, massive, stressful daycare crisis.  Since the end of December and all of January I have had 5 different people watching my kiddos.  My wonderful temporary daycare lady  who was 8 months pregnant decided she wasn't crazy enough to watch 4 kidlets 2 & under including a newborn; my MIL watched them for a week; I held my mom hostage at my house for 3 days after coming back from a funeral in Wyoming;  one of the truck driver's wives came to my house for a week, my future SIL came over for a couple days; and then finally the most heartbreaking decision...I sent both kids to my Mom & Dads for a week (3 hours away).

This face is kinda how I have felt lately

I cried most the trip up and back, put on a happy face and gave the boys hugs, kisses, and told them of the fun they would have. I can't describe how empty I felt without them. Hubby had been gone 2 1/2 weeks to Arkansas and I  thought I wanted a break, but it didn't seem right to send them away after only 1 day as a whole family.  I was lonely and I'm sure if you asked the poor sweet gals at work that had to listen to me...whiny.

How could you not miss this face?

I vacuumed, I rearranged how the toys were in the toy boxes, I lined up toy tractors and trucks by size, I scrubbed counters, cabinets, and cupboard doors. I switched things up and folded our towels in a different way and order. I looked at the empty swing, frowned at the clean booster chair with no sticky, crumby mess on the table in front of it.

Or this cute face?

I put makeup on every morning, flat ironed my hair, made breakfast, brushed & flossed my teeth, while taking my time....and then called my mom so I could talk to the boys and wish them a good morning...and then called them on my lunch break...and then called to tell them goodnight.  And asked the hubby every night, "Can we go get our babies?" (For those who don't know me...I pretty much stopped wearing makeup after the 2nd trimester of my first pregnancy, my hairdo has been a ponytail for the vast majority of my 20+ years, and I haven't eaten breakfast regularly since elementary school.

My husband thought I may have went off the deep end.  I started by going through the boys closet and hanging everything in order - Jackets, PJs, Sweaters, long-sleeve tees, tees, and fancier onesies, then overalls.  That wasn't enough so I went through again and grouped them by colors and when applicable designs (stripes go together, then plaid, etc.)  Then I folded clothes in the cubbys, long-sleeve plain onesies (by color) on top, short sleeve onesies(by color), each drawer of socks (which may or may not have been organized by type of sock...you can't have plain white, next to white with gray toe), Folded jeans in the next cubby, folded sweatpants below...also separated by color.

***My husband may have a point...I'm not sure prior to the boys being gone/or since they have been back I have even folded any socks...or clothes***

Blissfully Messy & Noisy

We made it until Wednesday night and decided that he would meet mom & dad halfway after the cows were feed at both places Thursday.  He brought them to work so I could cuddle and hug them, and it was wonderful to come home to a house about to become messy and blissfully noisy. Then Friday morning we woke up and said...what are we going to do with them today? We still don't have daycare??? The toddler had a Daddy Day at the Farm, and Baby Boy met daycare provider #6.

I am still stressed about daycare, we have someone in place temporarily and are on a waiting list for an opening at a daycare just a few blocks away from our house.  Hopefully we will have a spot in February. The boys have been doing so great though, although potty training is taking a back seat until we have a more stable routine.





I should mention though, that the alone time with Hubby was nice.  We had a few lunch dates, and had How I Met Your Mother marathons via Netflix every night, got to cuddle and use the bathroom without interruption!  I both missed and loved not having the little pitter patter of feet come into our room at 5:30am to stare me in the face with a loud "Good Morning Mommy!  I Hungee!"

 But Such is the Life as a Wife

PS - Did you know it now costs TWICE as much to LOSE at Powerball?  If that isn't a sign of hard times I don't know what is.  My biannual $1 ticket purchase now seems frivolous and wasteful at $2 a pop.

It's so good to have them home :)