Ok, so this week I vowed to start being better about working out and eating better. Unfortunately that didn't happen.
I managed to eat crap for just about every meal; and as I'm typing this I just finished my plate of chicken nuggets & fries. This week was met with multiple venti NF lattes, little caesars pizza & 2 bags of crazy bread, polishing off 1/4 of a pumpkin pie, pumpkin seed brittle (thank you williams sonoma) and not to be forgotten, mint chocolate cake bubbles. The only productive thing I did with regard to my pressing need to work out was buy a pair of toning shoes. I sprung for the reebok balance ball inspired kind (that still look pretty normal) instead of the crazy sketcher shape ups. I just think those look ridiculous.
Here's to retail therapy for getting me a tad closer to being ready to work out and my pantry for enabling me to eat as crappy as I do. Maybe I'll be better next week.
I've never really been an organized person. I mean, I am...but I have my own method which is no where near Martha Stewart's anal retentiveness. I stumbled across this today and thought I would share. I'm definitely going to try and start a dinner club! How fun!!
It only takes a few placed nicely in a cute tissue lined box. Add cute ribbon and a Christmas pick and they’ll think your middle name is Martha.
I use my fondue pot to melt the chocolate and then we just dip away. Get crazy and dip them in crushed candy cane or toffee chips before the chocolate sets.
Items needed to make dipped pretzels
Pretzels
Candy discs
toffee chips, sprinkles, crushed candy cane. (so many options)
fondue pot, double boiler or glass pyrex to melt in the microwave.
Parchment paper- this works better than foil or waxed paper for laying the pretzels on.
Kraft box
ribbon
Sugar Scrub - SO easy to make!
I think I made it, wrapped it and delivered it in less than 30 minutes.
Items needed for making Sugar Scrub
Sugar
Almond Oil
Essential oils
Glass Jar or plastic
Ribbon and tags
Combine 3 Cups Sugar with 1 Cup Oil. Drop in several drops of desired scented oil. Mix. Scoop into jar and seal.
Since this is the final day of NoBloPoMo, I thought I would ring in December with style.
As part of creating a new, better & stronger, me I've decided I need to start from within and jump back onto the fitness bandwagon. My rationale: you can't be happy with yourself and your life if you hate the body you live in. Plus I've been a slouch long enough! No more root beer floats and Heath Klondike bars. Tomorrow starts some sort of health regimen.
A commitment to bettering myself wouldn't be complete without a goal. Keeping it attainable (yet still kick my tush hard) I would like to be able to run a 5k by next November (hopefully the race for the cure in october...but I won't hold my breath). Now I have to preface this by saying that (1) I haven't been this out of shape since I moved to Texas 11 years ago (2) I am NOT a runner - in fact I HATE running. Even at the pinnacle of the best shape of my life (aka wedding day 2006), I couldn't run 3 miles without stopping and feeling like I was about to die.
I'll be officially weighing-in tomorrow...stay tuned for a starting weight.
For lil A's first Christmas I wanted it to be special and get her her first dolly. A cabbage patch (my childhood favorite). I found a cute surprise newborn one at Target online and snatched it up! Well it arrived yesterday.
I rip open the box to make sure its perfect and exactly what I was hoping for, and that's when I see it. The website labeled it as "Cabbage Patch Surprise Newborn" and depicted it with a caucasian doll. Well I hate to break it to the Target web developers/merchandisers/warehouse workers, but the baby doll I received was not caucasian. After looking at the website again, there is an option for the african american doll, but that's not what I ordered and that's not what was in the box either. I think it was the hispanic version, which isn't even shown as an option. WTF?
So I'm faced with a dilemma. I'm not racist by any means, but I was really hoping to get lil A a dolly that was similar to her when she was born. So now what do I do? Do I call up Target and ask them to correct the issue, hoping they don't send me another ethnic doll? Or do I start her off on the early foot of understanding diversity and culture?
Like yesterday, we stayed around the house all day. I thought it would be a nice idea to try and burn off some of the turkey and pumpkin pie I've been inhaling by taking the kids for a walk, but unfortunately the temps dropped a good 10 degrees in an hour, so the walk got cut WAY short. Either way, they enjoyed the ride however short lived. The balance of the day we watched Nick Jr and played. I'm trying to ensure these kids have a full ride to college by instilling good study habits now.
Mommy's Brainiacs
A huge highlight of the day was lil D's new found facial expression. I call it the monkey face. It's absolutely hilarious!
Mommy's lil Monkey!
Last but not least, lil A got her 2nd tooth on Friday night. She's winning the battle between her & her brother. Lil A = 2, Lil D = 1.
Today we spent the day lounging around the house. I braved the crowds and headed to Target for a few necessities...and a few things from the 2 day sale (yay)! Then we headed over to Aunt Kellie's again for our youngest nephew's 3rd birthday. The kids had a blast playing with all the other "big" kids. I discovered lil D really likes peppermint ice cream...babe after my own heart! They also acquired pillow pets today! They weren't sure what to make of them, and didn't sit too well on them just yet...but lil A definitely enjoyed licking her ladybug's antennae.
Today is the day after Thanksgiving, and while most people brave the cold temps and frantic shoppers for the elusive holiday deal, I usually stay at home. This year was no exception. The infamous CU/Nebraska rivalry game happens every Black Friday. Going a step beyond the tradition of the rivalry, this will be the last year the teams go head to head as they're moving into different conferences next year. Its a momentus day for college football; the end of an era. As such, we had to see it out in style.
Sticking with tradition we invited D's cousin and wife over for some football. snacks, game watching & baby time. As its going now, the game royally sucks as CU is losing but the kids did get new outfits to commemorate the day!
Happy Thanksgiving to all of my dear family and friends!
I finished all of my Christmas shopping this morning. What a wonderful feeling that is! Now on to my annual installment of Amy's 12 recipes of Christmas. I hope the kids will allow me a bit of free time to get all 15 sets done.
This year was obviously the kiddo's first Thanksgiving. On our way over to Aunt Kellie's for the big feast we were reflecting on how things have changed in a year. That's when I remembered that last Thanksgiving we actually announced to the family that we were preggo with the twinnies. What a difference a year can make!!! Holy cow! It definitely gives me a lot to be thankful for!
For their 1st turkey day, the twinnies played and played (and played) with their cousins, refused anything that resembled a nap, and were a complete mess by the time we left at 8. The dinner was fabulous, spent in the company of D's wonderful family. My sweet potatoes were a smashing success. The crusty pecan topping sealed the deal! We tried giving the kids some "real" mashed potatoes & sweet potatoes but they didn't like the consistency much. I guess we'll stick to Gerber and what little bit of homemade goodness I get around to making.
Thanksgiving Day = I'm thankful for everything I have in my life. A wonderful & loving husband, happy and healthy kids, a wonderful family, amazing friends, and a great job.
I apologize for skipping my post yesterday. After traveling to Salt Lake on Monday, I came down with a hellacious head cold. By the end of the day yesterday I had absolutely no energy left to type. So today is a double delight!
Tuesday was spent in misery working at my mom's while she prepared our "retail thanksgiving" feast. For anyone who has or still does work in the retail industry you understand the term well. Its basically a forced, early Thanksgiving because the slave driving industry makes you work on a day that's supposed be spent with family. Schmucks! Anyhow, as my mom will be working ridiculous hours, we celebrated yesterday with all the trimmings. From what I could taste, it was delicious!
Today I battled through the head cold and actually made it into the office, to spread the love & germs, but not before stopping at starbucks for my latte & pumpkin scone. (Didn't I say I wasn't going to eat anymore of their pastries??) Well I figured, I'm sick & feel like crap, so what's a little indulgence and few extra calories. After leaving the office around noon, I headed back to my mom's for Thanksgiving part 2...leftovers!! There's truly only one thing better than Thanksgiving and that's day 2 for all the yummy seconds. =) Lil D also had his appointment to recheck his ears from the recent infection. All looked well, so we're ready to have a blast this weekend! Now I'm off to prep my sweet potatoes for tomorrow and bake a few pastries. Nothing better than heating up the oven on a super cold day...and heating up your insides with some yummy mulled wine.
Day 2 = I'm thankful for medicinal induced foggy days and puffs w/ lotion. Day 1 = I'm thankful for my mom's cooking, my kid's health, a holiday based around eating, and 4 day weekends!
Today was my first ever ride on Southwest as I voyaged to Salt Lake City to finish up a project I'd been working on. I've always been skeptical because of the no assigned seat thing. Mostly because I have this wonderful knack of being the lucky one that gets stuck next to the disgusting pig of a man, that's hungover and reeks of BO. Plus I'm too much of an OCD planner to just wing something as big as my seat assignment for travel. So, I've always gone with Froniter.
I really like the animals. They're cute.
The flight out was the early bird 7 am flight and was almost totally empty. I had a whole row to myself! Yippee! The flight back was the exact opposite, totally booked, and of course I ended up in a middle seat, but whatever. Its a short 55 minute flight, I could power through and endure. I was especially excited though, because this was going to give me the chance to finish a friend's recommendation on a book (audiobook actually, if I try to read anything I immediately fall asleep). It definitely provided some interesting insight; perfect for Thanksgiving week.
On my way home, I swung into Target to pick up some sweet potatoes for my pecan crusted yumminess I'm planning on making for turkey day. I got totally side tracked in the Hot Buy $1 section. Why do they have to put it right by the front door???? Either way, I got some cute mittens for the kids for our upcoming mountain weekend trip and some cute little trinkets for their stockings (that I still need to make, SHOOT!)
Day 3 = I'm thankful for new perspectives and great friends that help you discover them. Oh, and the DING!
Today was an especially uneventful day. I stayed in my jammies, watched Nick Jr. and made silly faces at the kids pretty much all day. The highlight was capturing more "embarrassing" photos, perfect for the kid's senior high school year books. (Yes I will be that mom that takes out a full page ad to embarrass the crap out of them.)
The only other thing of note that I did today was try out a variation of the traditional cranberry sauce for thanksgiving. I simmered a bag of berries in POM juice and sugar; basically reduced them down to a jam consistency. Its a tad bitter off the spoon, but paired with turkey or a yummy multi-grain english muffin and BAM...deliciousness in the making! Food Network eat your heart out!
Day 4 = I'm thankful for lazy days at home and the joy the kid's laughter brings to my heart.
I love getting my hair done, its really a nice treat and escape. I can chit chat about silly things like my scrapbooking and ongoing craft projects (my hair lady is a fellow craftaholic). I came away with great ideas and a new goal to open an etsy site. I also came away with a gripe. Why is it that hair stylists want to test out products and techniques on you?
I go in with my average - ho hum (straight) - hair style. I leave with a rats nest on my head. Curls, frizz and hair that poofs out at least 3 inches. If I stay outside for long, birds will start nesting in my hair. Whats worse is that I almost always have errands to run after my appointment, which means I'm subjected to public scrutiny. Is it so hard for stylists to make you look like the way you did when you arrived?
Day 5.2 = I'm thankful for pony tail holders and our 50 gallon hot water heater so I can wash my hair until its straight again.
Murphy's Law states that no matter what situation you're in, the minute a child feels clean, dry clothes on their skin they will poo, pee or vomit on those items.
Day 5.1 = I'm thankful for my energy star washing machine.
Well, last night was indeed one heck of a night. Lil A has been put on some new meds for her ongoing reflux. I don't know if that was causing her anguish or possibly the cold that seems to be developing, but she was up at 10:30, 1:30, & 4:30. So much for trying to get them closer to sleeping through the night. It was an evening filled with much screaming & crying. Not to be trumped by his sister, lil D was up at some point in the middle of the night, "starving", and bellowing out at the top of his lungs. Aye carumba!
This morning has also been super fun. I got up with lil D at around 7, washed our infantry of bottles (22), and was just getting prepped and ready for the day. That's when my little man decided to throw a monkey wrench in my plans and have the biggest blow out I've ever seen. What the hell did the diaper even do?!?! Off to the bath we went. He sat playing and splashing while I attempted to enjoy my luke warm latte. :| After getting him squeaky clean, poop free, and in a clean set of clothes, he thought it was necessary to spit up all of his breakfast. REALLY?!?!? Another bath... Lord help me!
Day 5 = I'm thankful for Kahula - which pairs nicely with coffee. Is 8 am too early to start drinking?
We had a wonderful day spent with Aunt Kellie at the mall. I was shocked to see how many people were already out shopping. If thats any indication of how the holiday shopping season will be, I'm glad I'm trying to get everything done now. I managed to get another 1/3 of my shopping done, and spent some quality time with my favorite sister in law. We had a wonderful lunch, made arrangements for Thanksgiving (I'll be making pecan crusted sweet potatoes - yum) and hopefully have a monthly girls wine night stirring for after the first of the year. Talk about multi-tasking! The kids were angels during the outing, it was amazing! I'm sure tonight will be payback. My gripe of the day - how is it that no matter how big of a stroller you have, people don't get the hell out of your way at the mall? I'm going to start running people over!
Day 6 = I'm thankful for the wonderful ease of online shopping.
Thanksgiving is officially 1 week away. How is it already the holidays again? I somehow lost 6 months of this year in the blink of an eye. Sheesh! Good thing I'm meeting my sister in law at the mall tomorrow. I think my goal of having the holiday shopping completed before turkey day has been blown out of the water.
Either way, here's to a week of thanks!
Day 7 = I'm thankful that god invented elastic waistbands and velour jumpsuits! Sweatpants thanksgiving here we come!
Today, like most days, I whipped into Starbucks for my morning latte. I was wearing a snazzy new pair of boots, feeling a bit fabulous, and decided I'd spice up the morning routine. Hello eggnog latte AND pumpkin scone! =) It was truly heaven; until I got to work and decided to look up the nutritional information of that oh so scrumptious scone. Bad idea, very very bad idea! 400 calories?!?! What the heck?? How can something so delicious and small be that bad for you? Its just not right! From here on out, I'll be sticking to the usual nonfat latte and skipping the breakfast pastry. Sad day for my tummy, hopefully a happy day for my tushy.
Not to be outdone, Lil A decided it was time to catch up to her brother and cut her first tooth today. Opposite of little D, she sprouted her bottom left toothy. She also decided it was high time to stop inch-worming and start attempting to crawl. She can take one scoot forward and then falls, but it still counts. That's the news for the day.
We made a London Broil for dinner tonight. According to the recipe, once you marinade it overnight, its tender and delicious. Well after cooking it for about an hour, the sucker was still tougher than rawhide. Who the hell actually buys London Broil?? And if they do, what the hell do they make with it??? Jerky? All I know is I'll never make that hunk of crap again. YUCK! Thank god we had an avocado in the fridge. Guacamole for din din is a much better option! Now...off to floss my teeth a few hundred times.
Since I got 1/3 of my Christmas shopping done this weekend, I felt it was time to set up the tree today! With Christmas music blaring, I went to town fluffing and puffing the tree up. (ps - they need to invent an auto-fluffing tree). I'm sure the kids thought I was nuts! They really enjoyed all the lights on the tree and already have found a way to inch-worm over to it to try and pull it down. Guess I'll be on my toes the next few months. =)
As mentioned in an earlier post, I recently mourned my 30th birthday. With that came a whole barrage of aches, pains and overall soreness. My body has never hurt so much in my life! Like everyone forewarned, your body flips a switch and presto 30 years of life hits you like a freight train. Anyhow, no need to rehash the past.
Yesterday, I decided a mental health day was needed. The kids went to school and I had the day to myself. Perfect opportunity to catch up on some appointments and get some cleaning done around the house.
I had my annual eye exam in the morning - which I was particularly excited about because I love getting new glasses. In the last few months I've noticed slight changes in my vision (for the better) that I thought was purely a result of pregnancy. Well, as it turns out I'm delusional and my vision is not getting better. In fact, its getting worse, much worse. I walked out of the appointment with a stronger prescription and a referral to a glaucoma specialist. Yeah that's right, a damn glaucoma specialist! I turned 30 and now have they eyes of an 80 year old. Craptastic!!
Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, bright cooper kettles and warm woolen mittens... Haha, I'm a sucker for Julie Andrews!
I have recently realized my growing addiction to Starbucks. I used to "treat" myself once a week with a fabulous beverage, however I now own an espresso machine at home (not a barista though damnit) and still find myself in the ridiculously long drive thru line at Starbucks on a daily basis. What is it about that place that lets me throw my spending cash into the wind, thinking that $4 is totally reasonable for a cup of coffee?!?! Possibly the fabulous selection of mugs and knick knacks? Or the awesomeness that is the Pick of the Week? Maybe its the fact that the morning baristas know you by name, remember your order by heart and comment on your outfit? Yes, yes and yes. However this is not the sole reason I go to Starbucks Personally I think its their pastry offerings. At least 3 times a week I wake up hungry for pumpkin loaf. And why wouldn't I? They serve it year round (halleliujah)! But nothing holds a candle to "old reliable"; the banana loaf. One day, while chit chatting with my favorite barista, I noticed that there was a card laying on the counter. What do my pretty brown eyes see but the secret recipe for their banana walnut bread. OMG OMG OMG!!! Here it is, for your snack time pleasure:
2 C Flour 1 tsp Baking Soda 1/2 tsp Salt 1 egg 1 1/8 cups Sugar 1/2 cup vegetable oil 2 Tbsp buttermilk 1/2 tsp vanilla 3 ripe bananas, mashed 1/2 cup + 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 325. Grease loaf pan and dust with flour. Blend flour, soda & salt together and set aside. Mix together egg, sugar & oil until combined. Add flour mixture and when blended add the buttermilk, vanilla and bananas. Mix until combined. Fold in 1/2 cup chopped walnuts and pour batter into loaf pan. Top batter with remaining 1/3 cup walnuts. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (my oven takes 1 hour 12 minutes). Cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack before removing from pan.
In the words of Emeril, BAM! Starbucks Banana Bread!!! =) =) =)
PS - #2 favorite thing right now are the holiday mint m&m's. Mint & Chocolate is by far the best combination in this world.
Catch up time...here's pics from the fall. I had lofty ambitions of doing tons of fun activities with the kiddos (ie: fabulous scrap moments in the making) however it didn't really pan out that way. Either way, it was still a blast.
Halloween @ Aunt Kellie's
Pumpkin Fest at the Botanic Gardens (the kids were asleep...so the pumpkins came to them)
The total sh*t show of a gingerbread house - not haunted but definitely scary!
Sitting up like big kids!
Audrey Hepburn. She looks totally annoyed, yet still fabulous!
Denver got their first sprinkling of the white stuff for the season; or in layman's terms, it was the twinnie's first snow!!! They didn't like their puffy coats so much, but loved looking at all the huge snowflakes floating to the ground.
Picture Disclaimer:You'll have to excuse the way I look in the pics. I was laughing uncontrollably because lil A was showing her avid disgust in her coat by blowing raspberries and arm farts (see Nov. 1 post) the whole time.
Dylan erupted his first tooth yesterday and with that apparently brings his first ear infection. The kid won't lay down and is crying like crazy. I see a trip to the doctor's office in our immediate future.
So I really did have every intention of posting something fairly intellectual today, being as that all of my other posts this month have been utterly random; however I changed my mind.
I got home with the kids tonight, rather excited about a possible new side gig for extra spending money, when I noticed little D was exceptionally fussy and really going to town on some teething keys. So, I decided to poke around. Little bumps had formed on his bottom jawline in the last few days, but it wasn't anything major...maybe he'd spring a tooth in another month I thought. Well, what do my lovely eyes behold this evening??? A pearly white toothy poking out of his precious little gums. No wonder why he's fussy! 7 months, on the dot, D man got his first tooth! HOORAY! Proud mama here. =D
I am officially declaring today Mamma Mia Fantastics Day!!
As part of my 30th birthday extravaganza my mom showered me with clothes, a fabulous laptop bag from Vera Bradley in baroque (love this new pattern) and tickets to tonight's closing show of Mamma Mia. It did not disappoint! SOOOOO amazing!! By the end of the show, everyone in the crow's nest (aka nose bleed balcony section where the cool people sit) were up, dancing & singing. It was seriously amazing. To top it off, some of the cast was offering a photo op for a minor charitable contribution. DONE & DONE! Who could pass up the chance to have their picture taken with people from such a fabulous show?!?!? All I can say is I have ABBA stuck in my head now and I kinda like it. ;)
I've been up since 5:30 and have had to change 3 times (thats once an hour for the math challenged out there). I absolutely love that I have a burp cloth over my shoulder but the spit up never lands there. Oh no! It finds the path of clean & dry resistance, dribbling down my arm, back, tummy, hair....everywhere BUT the stupid burp cloth. Thank god for perfume because right now I smell like a barf bag. Smashing!
Today, I will be posting about my love/hate relationship with Target. I went in this morning with 2 items on my list: $15 iTunes gift card and a dozen eggs (which I had a coupon for, so they'd be free). Today was going to be a quick and inexpensive pitstop! There was a huge smile on my face as I walked in. =)
I make a b-line for the grocery section for the eggs; if I venture one step off my "list" path it won't be pretty. That's when I remember that I needed diapers. So, over to the baby section we go. A jumbo box of diaps in the cart, I find myself perusing the clearance Halloween section, the pet aisle for a new doggy bed for Mushu, and then I came across the shoe department. Oh no, the shoes! As if I don't already have an issue with shoe shopping, lets add that now I get to shop for 2 more people! Thinking that the weather will soon be changing, the twinnies "NEED" sensible winter shoes. I find a pair of skater shoes for D and fabulous brown mary janes for A (which happened to match her outfit perfectly!). WOOHOO! Then I remember that I still needed eggs. Back over to the grocery section... By the time I reach the register my cart is fairly full of non shopping list items. I walk out an hour later with over $100 dollars worth of stuff and of course a triple venti non-fat latte. SHIT! It happens every time. Damn Target and their fabulous selections!!
For today's post we'll be taking a glimpse into the chaos that is my life. After finally getting the kids loaded and on their way to school with dad, I haul cookies upstairs to get ready for work. This process used to take me a good 45 minutes - make up, hair, fabulous outfit, accessories - but now I can get it done in a whopping 15 minutes! It's not that I don't care about what I look like, because I do, its just that I'd rather attempt to get an extra 20 minutes of sleep and spend 10 minutes in the starbucks drive-thru line for my caffeine fix than accessorize my outfit.
My morning commute is met with 40 minutes of great Denver traffic, all while struggling to keep my eyes open. Definitely not safe, but you do what you've got to do. Once I arrive at work, I have to check in with the gate guards. Typically this is a brief - "good morning", flash my badge, speed to my building because I'm running late - activity. However, there are a few times when the random vehicle inspection falls on me (like it did this morning). This is when our rent-a-guards check the vehicle to make sure terrorists and weapons aren't sneaking onto our campus (the thought is just hilarious to me). So, you've got to pop the hood of your car, unlock the doors and let the guards have free reign. Today, my guard was in for an extra special treat! Here's a list of the menagere of crap that's in my car:
In the cargo area: Dualie BOB 12 pack of water bottles Baby Bjorn 2 Dirty diapers (I forgot to take them out, whoops)
In the backseat (prepare yourself) 2 car seat bases Emergency car kit (still out from Ruby's infamous breakdown) Box of red patent flats that need to go back to DSW 3 pairs of heels leftover from switching to flops immediately after work 2 baby blankets A burb cloth 1 of lil D's shoes Teething rings & toys My work calendar A cardigan A cookie sheet (from the rice krispie treat ghosts I made for the kid's halloween party last week) Reuseable shopping bags Massive car jack Tissue Paper Diaper coupons A million & 1/2 empty water bottles
In the front seat: Smurfette lunch box Forever Sunshine Lotion Hand Sanitizer Triple venti non-fat latte!! Registration sticker from 2 months ago (I really need to put that on my plate)
** note to self, clean the car this weekend! **
All the guard had to say after the inspection was "Wow lady, you've got a lot of baby crap in your car". I said yes, I'm a mom of twins and tore ass out of the check-in gate.
All the while, my favorite Bob Marley song was playing in the background. This is my life...utterly random & chaotic.
So I found this fabulous cajun place here in suburbia called Nono's Cafe. Its amazing! It rivals my favorite Texas cajun eatery Razzoo's. They have the most amazing food, gumbo, shrimp po-boys, beneighs AND pralines! Not to mention this fabulous dipping sauce that I'm having for dinner tonight. Nothing says dinner like saucey goodness and bread. Can you say carbs, carbs, carbs?? Utterly delish, with a kick of spice! It pairs wonderfully with my favorite Chardonnay. Yummers!!! The only thing I'm missing is fried pickles and sharing a gator bowl with great friends. Definitely missing my delta sig ladies tonight!
I always swore to myself, from my first scrap class years ago, that I would make as many of my cards, calendars, stationary & photo albums as I could (instead of buying them). There's just something about a handmade craft that warms your heart. I've been on a roll since then with my annual christmas cards, 12 recipes of christmas, and calendars - its been great! Unfortunately, my crafting hobbies have come to a screeching halt these last 7 months and I surrendered to ordering my cards online. Its definitely a sad day for me and my scrapbooking supplies. =(
In honor of NoBloPoMo (November Bloggers Posting Month) I'm going to do my best to post something meaningful or random everyday. So I thought I would kick this craziness off in totally random style. Here's Nov. 1st!
Today my almost 7 month old baby girl impressed me with her talent to blow arm farts. I'm almost positive that's not the technical term for it, but you know what I'm talking about. Those raspberries you blew on your arm when you were in 3rd grade and thought was the most hilarious thing ever. Yup those! I'm really not sure where she learned this trick, but its fabulous cruising through Target with tootster letting the arm farts fly like she had beeferino for lunch. Can I just say she's advanced for her age??
Its amazing how almost overnight you start to feel old. I woke up that morning and every joint in my body hurt. What the hell?!? Is this the start of arthritis? I have two things to say about the whole situation:
#1 - I'm refuse to get any older (I'll be counting in reverse from here)
#2 - Turning 30 sucks!
Everyone I talk to says that your 30's are far better than your 20's. That you're established and rooted. Well that's all fine and good, but there's just something about saying you're in your thirties. Its like you submit to elderhood. All the young kids think 30 is old and lets face it, you just can't be quite so carefree as your were in your 20's. Gone are the days of partying til the bars close (I'm in bed at 9 these days), spring breaks are a thing of the past, and being the uber successful businessperson is really laughable now that you understand how the working world really is.
My dad came into town this year to celebrate the big one. It was really a great visit. We took the kids to the King Tut exhibit at the DAM, hit a rugby game, and made my grandma's infamous german chocolate cake! YUMMERS! All in all, it really was a great weekend (even though I think I might have found my first gray hair).
So Ruby (my Jeep) had a really bad day a couple of weeks ago. It was Columbus Day, one of my absolute favorite federal holidays; the kids were at daycare and I had high aspirations. #1 on my list was to sleep in. #2 was running multiple errands sans kids. At my first stop, I return to my car to it not unlocking with my remote entry. ODD. Once inside there was nothing. It didn't turn over, no clicking, no nothing. Dead battery. Thank goodness my brother was around and saved me from being a parking lot prisoner. Scrap my list of things to do, #1 on the list was a trip to Pep Boys for a new battery. Unfortunately the jerks had a 3 day wait in their service department and couldn't install a new battery in my car until then. At this point I figured, well the car is running I'll go pick up the kids and then go home. As long as I don't turn the car off I should be ok, right? So off I go. I get off the highway, stop at a red light, and Ruby dies. At this point its the up slope of rush hour traffic, my car is completely dead (no hazard lights) and people are barreling off the highway toward my car. So out I hop to wave people around my car and figure its time to push. So that's what I did. Pushed her right out of the intersection amid all the lazy men watching me at the intersection. Chumps!! What the hell happened to chivalry?!?! Anyhow, 2 hours of being stuck in my car the tow truck finally arrived and I was swiftly delivered to Firestone (NOT crappy Pep Boys) for a new battery. I think next time I'll listen to my dad's advice and replace my battery every 2 years, regardless of condition.
Why are there no "healthy" fast food drive-thru's?? My gripe of the week is, of course, tied to my every growing weight. When you're out and about (with the kids) and realize that you haven't ate in a good 8 hours, you're faced with bad, worse & worst for viable meal options. Taco Bell, Burger King and McDonalds. The trifecta of heart attack snacks. Is it so hard for Subway, MadGreens, Tokyo Joes and the other multitude of healthy shops springing up to understand that they need a damn drive thru window?!?! I understand that its a bit of an oxymoron to need a drive thru at a healthy eatery since if you're healthy you'll get out of your car and walk; but honestly these places are overlooking a key market, moms! The last thing I want to do is heft car seats out of the car, when the kids are either asleep or in meltdown mode, to get a damn salad or sandwich. So, of course, I find myself in the Chick-Fil-A or McDonalds drive thru more often than I'd like to admit. And once I've made that choice, I'm sure as hell not grabbing a salad...I want nuggets and fries!
So, after 5 months of mommyhood, I have to admit that I was expecting something much different than the reality that is my new life. Don't get me wrong, I love everything about being a mom, and wouldn't change a single thing; but I am struggling to rediscover my old self in this new lifestyle. Since we got the call from the doctor that it was time to head to the hospital everything has been upside down.
Cleanliness is next to godliness? If that's the case, then I'm going to hell! Our living room looks like the stomping ground of a baby war zone. While I'm sure that's perfectly normal, its my lack of motivation to keep things clean and tidy that I think might not be normal. Yes, I try to clean, but really its nothing like my old Hotel George standards where the house was scrubbed from top to bottom. Now everything has a hefty coating of dust, bathrooms are dirty, laundry is piled as high as Mt. Everest, and I don't think I've vacuumed in a month. To be frank, everywhere I look there's work to be done and I honestly don't care. I feel tired, and ragged, worn down and just plain old. I'm nearing 30 in a few weeks and my body aches like I'm 50. Maybe from the extra weight that I unrealistically thought would miraculously disappear? Possibly from the perpetual sleep deprived state I now live in? Whatever the case might be, it sucks.
Tubby Wubby
I know now that I had extremely high expectations going into post-pardum. After the near picture perfect pregnancy, rebounding back into my old figure (or better) was going to be a piece of cake. Days, weeks and months have slipped by, and well, I'm still waiting for that to happen... The glaring truth of the matter is I know I should be working out, but I can't find the motivation to actually do it. I tell myself every Monday, this is going to be the week to get back into a workout routine. The week flies right by and I've gained another couple of pounds. See, I associate working out with, well, work (and I work enough as it is). 40 hours a week in the office; all the other hours of the week as a mom and wife. I struggle to find 10 free minutes a day, and when I do, the last thing I want is to workout. I want to sit my tush on the couch, eat some comfort food and mentally check out.
This month has been so much fun! The kids are little chatter boxes, D laughs like crazy, A is mastering the art of rolling all the way over, and most notable; the two of them have become much more interactive with each other. Here's a couple of recent shots at playtime - twins style.
As a kid, summer always marked ice cream and running through the sprinklers, so I figured its time to start those memories for the twinnies (even if they won't remember them yet). So I snagged an inflatable pool to introduce them to non-bathtime water, mostly because I love their bathing suits. Turns out they like it! I may have to get them into swim lessons next year.
A couple of weeks ago marked the beginning of solid foods for the kiddos. Rice cereal aka cardboard mush. Even with applesauce or bananas to make it tastier the outcome has been the same.
For the last couple of weeks the kids have mastered the art of rolling over onto their tummies. In true twin fashion, I was able to catch them doing it in tandem. Maybe I should get them into synchronized swimming??
Official pics of the twinnies at 3 months. For the record, there is a shocking lack of purple clothing available for boys. Thank god for Old Navy and double sided tape!
Jungle life has definitely been busy. The kids are doing well and growing like weeds. D is our little chow hound and is constantly hungry. The kid has a hollow leg (I'm already afraid for the teenage years). As a result of his voracious appetite, he's growing faster than his sister. I'll be interested to see what their 4 month appointment stats will be. Lil A is our sweet petite and recently turned drama queen. She goes from happy to pissed in a flat second. On a positive note, she has been sleeping like a champ! Shes usually ready for bed around 8 and sleeps through the night...amazing! Her brother, on the other hand, has only managed to do that twice so far. I guess its true that boys develop slower than girls. Fingers crossed he catches on soon.
Big D is prepping for the fall rugby season at the Air Force Academy. He'll be driving down to the springs once a week plus games. While he'll still be on the road, it's a much shorter commute than Ft. Collins, so I'm happy about that.
Now that its mid summer, the temperatures here in Denver have been slowly creeping up into the mid 90's & 100. Since the back of the house faces west, our main level just cooks in the afternoons. After many sweaty evenings on the patio, we decided that a retractable awning would be a good addition. That was just installed yesterday and its already made a huge difference. We opted for the biggest size available...a whopping 20' x 12'. The thing looks like a sail! I'm not complaining though. If it will keep the house cooler I'll be a happy girl!
In my final days and weeks at home I've been feeling like my old crafty self. Since accessorizing my lil peanut is the funest thing ever, its become apparent that I need a way to manage her growing collection of bows and clips (instead of just tossing them on the dresser). With a little fabric and a lot of modge podge, I was able to make these fabulous little gems. Hello hair clip holder!
The kids are doing well. Their checkup resulted in ideal results, 2 healthy (albiet colicky/refluxy) babies. They had their first series of shots which honestly was horrific. I don't see why they think its ok to stab an infant with 4 shots at once; they don't even provide that level of torture to adults! Otherwise, things are great.
They still wake about every 3 hours to eat, and aren't sleeping through the night yet, although princess is starting to show signs of a longer sleeping pattern (thank god!). Her brother just needs to follow suit. Our days are filled with tons of excitement - a morning walk (weather permitting), tummy time & swinging, sitting outside for some fresh air and lots of classic rock (and the occassional daytime soap opera). D still has an enormous head and A has a set of pouty lips & really long eyelashes. Big news this week is that they have both started smiling!! =D
While I know I'll have to return to work in a few short weeks, I'm enjoying every second of being a temporary stay at home mom. If anyone has any clever ideas on how I can make that a permanent thing, I'm open to suggestions.
