Pick Me Up Monday: So THAT'S how you do it!

I got this email from my mom a long time ago and thought it would be the perfect laugh for an otherwise dull Monday morning.  When I first opened the email I quickly realized why I never got the hang of the yoga on the Wii Fit.  I've been doing it all wrong!  Next time, I'll be sure to have a few drinks first. J

 

  

  

 

{Almost} Wordless Wednesday: A Picture Update

Obviously, in the past month or so, my blog has not been a top priority of mine.  It hasn't helped that we haven't had Internet for awhile & I really find it annoying to update on my phone.  But I figured, I have some pictures on my phone that I need to stick somewhere so here ya go!  They are completely random but, enjoy!



Waiting with popcorn and a smile for the circus to start.





SPRING!!  I see you!




Easter morning.




Macy's new haircut.




Enjoying a family jam session at G'pa & G'ma Clark's.




Dancing to the music with G'pa Clark.



Break through? Not so fast!

Guess what happened last night?  Brynlee slept soundly for the first time in probably a month from 7:00 pm until 4:00 am when she woke up to eat. 

A look at her typical night lately: 7:00 pm bedtime, 10:00 pm: pacifier call, 10:00 pm-12:00 am: restlessness and more pacifier calls, 12:00 am: FEEEEEED MEEEE!, 12:00 am-4:00 am: most of the time there's good sleep here, 4:00 am-7:00 am: restlessness and pacifier calls, 7:00 am: GIVE ME BREAKFAST!!!!!  Cade is out of bed and blowing through the house like a bullet at 6:00 am and I would love to be awake before then considering I need a little bit more dark and quiet time to wake up, so I'm usually "up" for the day whenever Brynlee stirs between 4:00 and 7:00.

Last night I couldn't keep my eyes open starting at about 8:00 pm but I couldn't actually get to sleep.  I tried winding down during a few rounds of Angry Birds.  A "few" rounds turned into probably 629 rounds as well as stupid Facebook and email exploration, and before I knew it the clock read 9:54.

"Wonderful," I thought, "I've officially wasted all precious sleepy time that I could have had because Miss Princess will be demanding servants to soothe her anytime now."  But I soon drifted off to sleep...until 4:00 am!

The clouds parted and the angels sang.  I got six consecutive, beautiful hours of sleep.

And that, apparently, was my limit.  Because, by the way, I woke up before she did.  My body said, "Alright enough of this sweet crap.  You've rested long enough."  That's what I heard.  Cory, who was up already getting ready for work, heard, "Ughh ahmanna umph."  And then he told me I looked like Death.

I fed her, came back to bed, intended to go back to sleep, tried to go back to sleep, but there was no such luck.  Seriously, had I just given in at 8:00 I could have gotten eight hours.  EIGHT!  I've imagined how I will feel after the first time I get eight hours of sleep.  I've pictured myself smiling, wearing jeans and makeup and toddling around the house like Martha Stewart.  If I found a magic lamp today my three wishes would definitely be: no more debt, brownies and eight hours of sleep. 

Yep. 

I at least made the time that I was awake before the kids and every other smart individual in our time zone, that didn't have to go to work of course, productive by starting laundry, doing dishes and blogging. 

I may have played a few rounds of Angry Birds in there too.

Full of Interesting-ness

No I haven't died or fallen off the face of the Earth, which I guess would probably result in me dying so that was redundant, but anyone keeping track would know that it's been a week since my last post. 

I've been a little bit busy.  Mostly sitting around watching TV and aimlessly toying around with my new, very first smart phone.  In fact, I composed a draft of this in a "Write & Go" app with the very awesome Swype technology.  Yeah, this makes me cool now.  You know, I like to be up on the trends, catching all the newest technology (even if I catch them a few years later than everyone else.)  Next on our list: DVR!

Anyway, I later discovered that it's actually not helpful to use this "Write and Go" app for this type of writing unless you just want to get your thoughts down some place and fast because now I'm copying what I typed on my phone to the computer.  This led me to download a Blogger app and another called "My Writing Spot" so we'll see if I like either one of them better.

Interesting, this post is huh?

Ok so I may or may not have had a few more things, more productive and less pathetic things, on my plate this past week.  I've been meal planning more often for Brynlee as her eating patterns evolve.  She's eating a bigger variety of things as well as more things.  (Lots of things going on around here.)  I spent three hours in the kitchen making all sorts of meals, veggies and fruits for her (she eats better than the rest of us) which was Tons-O-Fun if you consider a cramped thigh, sore feet and a butt load of dishes (and not just plates and bowls and silverware, but all that plus two pots and two pans) fun.  Why do the little people make the big messes and require the most stuff.  Needy.

Now my kitchen was a mess, but that was OK because it matched the rest of the house.  My house had all of a sudden looked like a construction crew came threw, remodeled some secret room that I don't know about and left all the mess (think drywall dust and dirty foot prints all over the carpet) for me to clean up.  Really, I thought I just vacuumed and dusted yesterday.  Someone needs to be punished for this mess because nature can't be this cruel.  And I'm sure it wasn't the baby, so the boys it is.  How young is too young to vacuum?  (And on that note, how old is too old for a time-out?)

Also to mention from last week's To-Do list: I signed up to be a Tupperware seller lady and have my Grand Opening party this coming Saturday which doesn't help the whole house cleaning problem (and BTW hit me up if you want to order something!  And if you live in or around my living area, you're invited to my party!) 

I figured out how to hang eight pairs of soaking wet jeans on our drying rack after our washer ate a baby sock and some other small foreign items that made it in with the laundry, giving it a seemingly good reason to not drain or spin out.  It seems as of now that Husband has fixed the problem so I'm crossing my fingers that I don't need to post about that later. J

And of course, no To-Do list would be complete if it didn't include "pick up random stuff" and I can't believe how many "random stuff" piles still remain.

In other news, Brynlee has stayed true to her reputation of being a turd at nighttime, waking up almost on cue every night at 10:00 for her pacifier, midnight to eat and again at 4:00 for her pacifier.  Then if I'm lucky she will go back to sleep soundly until 7:00.  Cade was back to school last week, which was oddly difficult to get used to.  All I need to manage is to get him dressed (the baby and I, really that's optional), fed and in the truck but apparently I forgot how to do all of that well, at least.  It's incredibly hard to manage simple tasks when chronically sleep deprived.  My daughter will be paying for this in her teenage years.  I'm not above revenge.

Well, I hope you've fully enjoyed this lovely, most interesting post about my life this past week.  It was a joy to write it for you all.  Hopefully now the cobwebs will be cleared and I'll be able to amuse you with less worthless information.  Thank you for reading. J

What ever will I believe now?!?

I love horoscopes, so much so that I have mine (Libra) and my kids (Cancer) tattooed on my foot among cute swirly lines.  I love reading my daily horoscope in the paper and comparing every aspect of my life to the description of a Libra.  Most times it all rings true...somehow.

I also love BabyCenter.  I frequent the site often, searching for answers to all of my parenting questions.  I excitedly open my weekly emails from them to read up on all of the newest developments in my kids', well, development.  The information I get from BabyCenter never fails to answer all my questions and put any worries I have to rest.

Two things I love.  Two things I like to trust more than coffee and Desperate Housewives.

Let's tie all this together and learn why I'm slightly unimpressed with my latest finding.

I visited BabyCenter recently to look up something about Brynlee's eating or development or something.  On the homepage I found this:

Click to go do it yourself!

Cue the angels and soft lighting: Aaaahhh!!!  I was in heaven.  Of course, I had to do it.  I compared Cory and I to get our "parenting" horoscopes first.  This is what I got: Libra and Scorpio: Good Cop, Bad Cop.  We should avoid taking on extreme roles because our nature will inevitably pull up in those directions and our kids will quickly discover that they can play one parent against the other. 

Let's read on: Libra (me) is the parent that is "gentle and kind, with an aversion to conflict and controversy. You're the parent who says 'yes' unless you have a good reason to say 'no.' Consistent discipline could be a problem too, because you never want to be 'mean.'"  And Scorpio (Cory) "has no problem saying 'no' and may be stuck with the lion's share of the correction when rules are broken."

I stared at the screen while the crickets chirped.

This won't make sense to those who don't know us, but I'm sure those that do laughed a little when they read that.  I was sure I picked the wrong horoscopes.  Or BabyCenter has made a bad mixup mistake with someone else's results.  This was not describing my husband and I.  Unless the time that we went to Hy-Vee and Cade saw a flashlight that he wanted but could only get if he used his manners, which he quickly and severely failed at, so he got his flashlight taken away by Mom, then proceeded to throw a fit up and down every aisle and even showed a rare violent side towards his dad, but Dad decided that Son's fit was breaking his heart enough that he needed to give the flashlight back, stopping all tears instantly, was just a dream.  Because I'm sure it wasn't.  The security camera footage is probably still a go-to for entertainment for Hy-Vee employees during down time. 

It was awful.  I was beyond pissed at Cade's behavior and Cory's reaction and wanted to throw the stupid flashlight out the window of the truck on the way home.

Surely, this horoscope result was just a mistake and I decided to move on to comparing the rest of us.

First off, it kept describing me as a gregarious social butterfly, which maybe 10% of me is.  And my kids (Cancer), are shy?!?  Homebodies?!?  Dependant?!?  HA!  My son thrives on entertaining any guest, stranger or family member that walks through our door and has no problem disappearing into a crowd at our local arcade and bowling alley, against all warnings from his parents.  And my daughter?  Well, she's only 8 months old but I can already picture her on a stage singing her little heart out.

I just had to laugh when it suggested getting your Cancer child a pet or plant to care for.  It said they would "know what to do almost instinctively."  Really?  So the lima bean plant in a plastic Solo cup that Cade brought home in his backpack, spilling dirt everywhere and almost snapping the stem in two was good for the health of the plant?  Huh, no wonder my bushes aren't growing.  I'll be sure to stomp on them this spring.

It did hit the nail on the head when it described Cancer kids as sensitive.  Holy cow are they ever!  Cade carries on as if a limb is being amputated when I'm cleaning a small scrape and Brynlee, well, she already pulls at our heart strings with her (sad) cries. 

Also, Cade does love his stuffed giraffe that he's had since about a year old, which the "Cancer child profile" predicted.  He's had a hard time with our current weaning system where Giraffe has to stay in his bed instead of being dragged around everywhere he goes.  We did this mostly for thumb sucking reasons, but that's a whole other story!

I'll probably be looking up some information on this thumb sucking habit and how to break it (although, I'm not loving the fact that Brynlee is a pacifier baby considering I still have to make regular trips into her bedroom at least once during every sleeping time to pop it back into her mouth.  Cade was a much better sleeper, thumb conveniently attached to mouth.) 

I'm hoping BabyCenter doesn't fall short with advice in that category, because these horribly false horoscope results have almost ruined everything I've ever known to be true about life! 

Without reliable horoscopes and solid BabyCenter stories, where am I to turn?!?

Mommy Brain, Or Just Plain Stupid?

I've done some pretty stupid things in my life, the majority being just "blonde moments."  But I also was a decently smart cookie in my school years.  Lately, I seem to be having more of those infamous blonde moments, and I'm choosing to blame my kids.  I really do surprise myself sometimes with my level of stupidness and what better way to celebrate it than to share with all of you! 

While coming up on a red light, that only turns red if someone pushes the button at the cross-walk, I see cars stopped and a black dog walking across the road.  My thought, "What in the world?!?  The dog pushed the button and, to top it off, is actually walking in the cross-walk?!?"  No, dummy.  The dog is on a very long leash and the owner is about 12 feet behind it.

I'm always filling glasses of water when I have another one sitting half full in the living room.

I returned the Bill Nye The Science Guy: Outer Space DVD to the library before dropping Cade off at school.  When I get home, I start dusting around the TV where I find the Bill Nye The Science Guy: Outer Space DVD.  I returned the case.

During my morning routine one day, I got my cup of coffee and took my vitamin.  After helping Cade get his breakfast, putting away a few dishes, washing a couple bottles and briefly reading the headlines in the paper, I started eating a banana and then.....I took my vitamin.  Just 15 or so minutes after taking it the first time.  I felt really healthy that day.

Brynlee still wakes up once a night (around 2:00 or so) to eat.  During the time that she was sick, she woke up quite a bit more than just once.  I still tried to only feed her once though around her regular time.  Except for the night that exhaustion got the best of me and I fell asleep shortly after 9:00.  Brynlee woke up and I stumbled out of bed, eyes still closed, grabbed the bottle and went in to feed her.  I never really opened my eyes until I came back into my room to see that it was 9:24.  Loser!

Lunchtime can get crazy around here.  I have four people to feed and some days that equals four different meals.  One crazy day in particular, I got a bottle warming for Brynlee.  A few minutes later I take it out and put it off to the side.  Meanwhile, I'm doing a few dishes, throwing a few pieces of food to the 1-year-old I watch, fixing plates for Cade and I and trying to soothe Brynlee's whines for her food.  As I'm putting things back in the fridge and getting other things out, I grab a bottle for Brynlee to warm up.  This would have been a huge failure but luckily I noticed the already warmed bottle as I was starting to warm to new one.

So, that's my life.  You may laugh (at least I hope you did a little, otherwise what was the point of this post?) but while you get pleasure out of my stupidity, remember that this my brain people.  I have no control and it's starting to worry me!

I'm glad I saw this now because it very well could have been the next thing to add to my list!

Oh illness, why must you exist?!?

We’re back to co-sleeping, at least for the time being.  Actually, we didn’t ever really establish regular co-sleeping habits with Brynlee due to my middle of the night pumping distraction and her big brother’s early rising routine, so it was better for her to be in her own dark, quiet bedroom.  I love co-sleeping though.  I did with Cade for several months and I enjoy doing it with Brynlee whenever it works out.

The reason we’re co-sleeping now?  You can blame RSV.  I’m assuming that’s what she has anyway.  Cade had it when he was 6 months and she’s showing the same symptoms.  Plus the little girl that I watch just had it (side note: Bridget, don’t you dare feel guilty! J)  I do feel somewhat to blame though, as if I’m not breastfeeding her “right” because, why else would an exclusively breastfed baby, who never leaves her mommy’s hip, get RSV?  I know my thoughts are irrational.  Babies get sick, it’s inevitable.  But still, I hate that I can’t do anything to get rid of it, so to cope we’re co-sleeping.  It’s easier for me to comfort her when she wakes up SCREAMING without any warning and when she needs propped up to help keep that God-awful snot out of her nose.  I can also monitor her breathing when she’s in bed with me and when she gets wheezy, I can take action. 

I’ve learned a couple things during this pandemic and thought I would share.  Turns out, the first child doesn’t always teach you everything you need to know.  Here’s what I’ve learned:

-My husband doesn’t wake up to the shower running (for our steam breathing treatment), even at 2:00 in the morning.  I guess that’s not something he considers unusual.  Thanks for the concern, dear!

-The toilet is not good for trying to rock a baby to sleep…

-…especially a baby that’s excited about the sound of the running water, thinking she’s going to be taking a bath.

-Laying the baby beside you on your own pillow is a great, easy way to prop them up so they can sleep easier.  This however, is something I already knew.  What I learned is that a 7 month old has a wonderful sense of humor and bonking their head against yours while you both lay peacefully on the pillow is hilarious.

-Sleeping in a recliner isn’t really that bad when you consider the alternative – not sleeping.

-Sitting in a (hot!) steamy bathroom for 10 minutes, while trying to keep a baby happy with the usual “I’m gonna get you!” games gives a person a splitting headache that lasts for hours.



No, my camera isn't this crappy.  This is during one of our steam treatments -
right before I got a headache that lasted the rest of the day.



But seriously, if there’s anything to enjoy while your child is sick, it's definitely that you have an excuse to cuddle more, give extra kisses, rock them longer and even co-sleep.  I know that’s what I’m enjoying anyway.

The Result of Sleep Deprivation + Cold Medication

Today while pumping, I spotted a little black ball of sock fuzz on my bedroom floor.  I sat with my eyes heavy and my chin resting in my palm, just staring at the fuzz.  Then it started to move.  Things started to blur, and the fuzz gained thin little legs and antennae.  Despite intense blinking, rubbing and raising of eyebrows, things blurred more and the fuzz started changing size and shape.  "It's a sock fuzz, dummy!"  I kept telling myself, yet my brain insisted it was some bug creature that only existed in my imagination because it had legs like an insect and moved like a worm.  Unfortunately, I see myself catching up on 0 hours of sleep in the near future.  At least I might get some mediocre entertainment out of it.

Household Tips

Rachael Ray had a “tip” themed show today with great tips ranging from how to start your own business to how to make a memory chair out of stuffed animals.  I love love LOVE learning all about things like this and I love it even more when I can actually implement them to better my own life.

So, I decided to compile my own "household tip" list.  I'm no pro with years of experience under my belt, but I do have two kids and am crazy about cleaning and organization.  Most of these might seem completely lame or make you say, “….DUH!  You think that’s a ‘brilliant’ idea??”  Well, to me it is.  And some of these I only know about because I believe I thought of it myself (meaning, I didn’t see it on the Internet or hear about it from someone else) or because my mom did it.  I just want to share and hey, how am I suppose to know if you already know about it or not?

• Secure a cleaning rag to a specific cleaner with a rubber band to avoid “cross clean-tamination” J
• To help with stuck or baked on food on a cookie sheet (or something similar that you can’t easily soak), lay a wash cloth with hot soapy water on it on top of the cookie sheet and let it set for several minutes.  I love the special cleaners that you spray on, let sit, then simply wipe away, but they aren’t advised for nonstick surfaces.
• Keep a small basket with baby diapering essentials in every major room of your house so you don’t have to trudge up (or down) stairs to the changing table every time baby needs a change.  I also keep Q-tips, travel sized lotions and baby powder and disinfecting hand wipes there too.
• Hang a small (locker sized) marker board on the door of your pantry or a cabinet in your kitchen to keep a shopping list.
• This isn’t uniquely my idea, but I’m always buying storage containers to hold all sorts of things that aren’t easily organized.  I always had piles of things on my closet shelves that don’t stack nicely and fall all over the place (like light bulb packages, battery packages, cleaning supplies, medicines, bathroom supplies, etc.)  I’m not sure why it took me so long to automatically buy storage containers that I can shove all those things into and STACK on the shelves.  Seems like a no-brainer, but I guess I needed several reminders, so count this as another one for you!
• Keep a “family binder” with sections for recipes/weekly menus/takeout menus, your budget, event invitations and each family member to keep specific information like health records, school information, activity information, etc.  If you go out and have a babysitter often, you can have a section for them too with emergency phone numbers, kids’ schedules, important Do’s and Don’ts and any other information you need them to have.  I actually got this idea from another great blogger (Sister’s Stuff).
• These are essential items that I always keep packed in my suitcase.  Items that you seem to always need, yet regularly forget when traveling!  Plus, I don’t have to run around the house rounding up everything during those stressful packing times!  It helps to shorten the “To-Do” & “DON’T FORGET!” lists so much when leaving for a weekend.  Also, it cuts down on crazy unpacking moments when everyone gets home tired and cranky.  Everything has come in handy at least once!
• an extra (cheap!) baby monitor set
• a night light
• an extra phone charger
• extra bath/toiletry items (I just have a bunch of travel-sized containers that I always refill.  Then, I don’t have to pack my originals or dry them off after showering that morning!  I also put my old, but still working, hair straightener in there so I don’t have to wait for mine to cool before I pack it.)
• a lint roller
• plastic grocery sacks
• diapers or Pull-ups (I did this with Pull-ups when I stopped using a diaper bag with my son.)

• Put snacks (like crackers or fruit and cereal bars) in a small Tupperware container in the diaper bag so you never forget to leave the house with a snack AND you aren’t trying to feed your toddler animal cracker crumbs because they got smashed at the bottom of the bag.  Another snack tip, for variety to help keep your child happy while waiting: have a “trail mix” snack in a Tupperware container.  Trail mix ideas: marshmallows, Cheerios or other cereal, raisins, peanuts, Rainbow Goldfish, pretzels, fruit snacks.
• Another diaper bag tip: Have lots of small items falling to the bottom of your diaper bag?  Go to the cosmetics section of your favorite drug store and buy a small makeup bag to hold all those items.  Things I keep in my bag: pen, travel size diaper rash cream, Orajel, chapstick, hand sanitizer, fingernail clippers, tweezers, Tide pen, Infant Tylenol, Infant laxative drops, small tube of Aquaphor, all those extra alcohol wipes you never used on your infant’s umbilical cord.
• My children’s doctor’s office has great little books that they record your child’s stats and shots at each doctor’s visit.  My friend commented that she wished her daughter’s doctor’s office did that.  So, it’s not technically my idea, but it’s a good one!  So get a little Memo notebook to record this information and keep it in that handy dandy bag I suggested in tip #10. J
• Have a lot of your children’s precious artwork, but out of fridge space?  Take pictures of the “best” and at your child’s birthday, make a photo book (like one from Kodak.com) with all the pictures of their artwork from that year.  I also keep some of Cade’s most special drawings or crafts and store them in a storage tub in his closet.
• Okay, another weird one, but it took me 4 years to think of it, so maybe I can shed a few years off for you if it applies.  My kids sleep with fans on to create white noise (blame my husband for starting this habit because now WE sleep with a fan too.)  When Cade was a baby, we always had the problem of the fan circulating too much air in his room, making it chilly.  It hit me when we had Brynlee, to put the fan in the doorway (we have a plug-in behind the door) so it blows right out of the room.  Then, when we’re not using it, we store it behind the door.  We have tower fans so they fit back there nicely.
• For those of you who love to have you kids help you cook (or don’t love it because of the mess) this tip is from a cook book from my husband’s grandma.  Putting salt on a raw egg that’s been spilled on the floor and you can sweep it up with a broom.

The Happiest Place On Earth? Not To My Kid!

Cade came into our room last night because of a bad dream.  He told me all about it this morning and remarked at how "real" it seemed.  "Yeah," I said, "sometimes dreams do seem very real.  But you know that they aren't."

"But, there's a place where dreams do come true!  I saw it on TV!!"

"Inception?" I thought, "We did just watch that.  And IMPRESSIVE that he understood the concept of that movie!!!"

Nope.  My child is not a genius, with the mental capacity of an adult.  It was much more uncomplicated than that actually.  He'd simply seen a commercial for this place:

Way to go Disney, for filling my child with the fear that the monsters and horrible storms that he dreams about could actually come to life.  We may never get to enjoy a family vacation to your wonderful World. 

Luckily, Cade did have the ability to understand my explanation of what the phrase, "dreams come true" really means.  Haha!! J

Ultimate Slacker!

I could possibly win an award for America’s Ultimate Slacker tonight.  Ok, maybe not the ultimate slacker.  First, let me show you the “dinner” that I’m eating right now:

My son’s dinner: PB&J, a banana and some milk.  He was lucky to get that.  My husband's: one of his protein shakes (he's part of a strenuous workout class right now) and chips and salsa.  At least my daughter ate well.  A thawed cube of sweet potato zucchini and some breast milk! J 

The reason I’m posting this is because I started my morning reading another blog post about the “perfect mother” and have thought all day about why mothers find it necessary to criticize each other.  Every move I made today, I thought, “What would another mother think of this?” or “I wonder how many other mother’s have done this exact same thing.”  I wasn’t getting down on myself.  Just curious thoughts. 

I think going from a working mom to a stay-at-home mom, I really set the bar high for what I wanted to do around the house and with the kids.  But even stay-at-home moms don't have perfectly clean houses or get dinner on the table every night.  And I'm slowly beginning to be okay with that.  So what's really important?  Slacker or not, I’m a pretty great mom.  Some days I’ll doubt that, but today isn’t one of those days.  Besides, isn’t it more fun to just let loose sometimes.  Who wants dessert before dinner? J

Thank God It's...Friday? What's that?

TGIF!  Wahoo!  The last day of the work week!  Weekend here I come.  Two full days of no work replaced by relaxation!  I know exactly how I’m going to spend it.  I’m going to sleep in late, watch TV in bed, order pizza for lunch at 2:00 in the afternoon, shower whenever I want for however long I want, then maybe call some friends to figure out “the plan” for the evening.

Hold up.  You mean to tell me that I’m going to be doing the same things during the weekend that I do during the week?  I’m not going to get a break?  I STILL have to fix food at normal eating times and pick up toys and play make believe and help kids get back to sleep in the middle of the night but still wake up at the crack of dawn?

Oh that’s right, because I’m a mom.  Back to reality.

My husband asked me this morning if it sucks that I don’t have a real “Friday” because I stay at home.  Eh.  Not really.  I still have that “TGIF!!!!!” feeling and the I get the “Monday blues.”  I don’t know why exactly because sometimes my husband even works weekends, so really it is exactly the same as the week.  But I love my job.  I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

Kudos to all you Mommies (and Daddies) out there who sacrifice it all for their little bundles of joy.  You have the most important job in the world, and it's amazing!  But take some time for yourself this weekend, even if it means locking yourself in your bathroom for 30 minutes to enjoy a facial and hot shower.  Why don't you go ahead and sing in there while you're at it.  J

Just A Saturday Night....

3:40      Husband calls.  On his way home from a long day of overtime work on a Saturday.  Declares that we should go out to eat.  Wife stresses over the thought of mixing a restaurant with a baby who hasn’t napped.  Must get baby to nap now.

3:55      Baby goes down for nap.  Hooray!  Wife picks up the computer to search for hold-my-baby’s-socks-on devices and knows she’s wasting time.

4:05      Husband gets home, scolds wife for wasting time on the computer, flops down on the couch.  Hypocrite.  Preschooler goes through regular routine of welcoming Dad home: screaming, jumping on the couches, running from living room to front door to kitchen to living room.  Repeat.  Do we really want to go out?  Maybe we should order take out.  Wouldn’t it be nice to get out of the house?  Is it a bigger hassle to get all ready?

4:30      Wife still on the computer.  Baby still sleeping.  Husband still slouched on couch.  Preschooler still spastic, wearing only underwear from naptime.

4:45      Baby’s awake.  GET OFF COMPUTER!  Prepare dinner for Baby, change out of sweats into real clothes, put pants on Preschooler.  Ahh!  Have to pump!  Check diaper bag.  Dog needs let out.  Don’t forget to warm an bottle for the restaurant!  Go warm the truck!

5:25      Leave the house!  Head to the restaurant.  Participate in “how was your day?” small talk.

5:40      Restaurant is PACKED.  Husband can’t believe it’s already this “late.”  Circle the parking lot, back on the road.  Where to now?  This one?  PACKED.  That one?  PACKED.  Annoyed.  Discussion of options ensues.  Preschooler hears the conversation and chimes in, “MCDONALDS!”  Repeats request incessantly, louder, louder, LOUDER.  Baby, who has recently found her voice, joins in.  LOUD NOISES!!

5:55      Husband and Wife continue brainstorming.  Truck passes McDonalds.  Volcanic meltdown!  Wife holds head in hands.  Husband loses patience.  MORE LOUD NOISES!

6:00      Truck stops at train track.  Meltdown continues.  Wife realizes Baby’s bedtime is in an hour.  Anxiety.

6:10      Settle on a restaurant without a wait.  Pizza.  Exciting!  Why didn’t we order in?

8:00      Wife opens bottle of wine.  Flops down on couch, comfy in sweat pants.

Who says a mother sacrifices wild weekend nights?  My Saturday nights are still crazy. 

20 Minutes of Yoga = 2 Days of Sore Muscles

I’m usually not one for New Year's resolutions because of course, they are easily broken and that makes me feel like a loser.  So why did I start this blog with a list of New Year’s resolutions?  Well, this time I was trying to hold myself accountable.  Maybe if I put it in print for multiple strangers to see, I would want to follow through.  I have tried.  Really.  Okay, just kinda. 

My biggest issue, as is true with many others in this country, is creating a work out regimen and sticking with it.  I don’t particularly look out of shape.  I’ve been blessed with my father’s mighty metabolism.  But metabolism doesn’t build muscle!  I eat healthy and try to stay as active as possible with my kids but I am not in shape and a few choice areas of my body could use some work, if you know what I mean. ;)

I got myself my family Wii Fit Plus for Christmas and I’ve been super excited to really use it to its full potential.  I’ve set up my profile and set my goals.  I’ve picked my favorite games and exercises and created my desired routines.  Now, if only I could drag my sleep-deprived butt out of bed in the mornings to DO that routine, everything would be peachy keen!  If I could do that, this post could be about how awesome I am.  How I’ve met my first goals and how I have so much more energy.  But it’s not. 

I’ve “played” with this game maybe five times since eagerly opening it on Christmas morning.  One of those times consisted of 20 minutes of yoga, something I've never done before.  This caused two days of not being able to move my arms without a groan.  Who know yoga was so intense?  Why haven't I been more committed?  For a couple common, obvious reasons...

For one, I need to get up by 5:00 AM to have some time before my kiddos wake up, ready to have Mommy at their beck and call.  My daughter has deemed herself the queen of the castle and has been crazily difficult to get on a consistent schedule.  She changes it up every week.  I’m choosing to get other household chores (and a little blogging time) checked off my list during her nap times rather than working out.  Also, her nighttime habits have been less than desirable.  One morning when I was able to get in my "workout", the game greeted me with this lovely message:  "Good morning, Bre!  Do you feel refreshed?  Do you know it's been 14 days since you last trained?"  Thank you for that pick-me-up.  I’m getting maybe six hours of choppy, interrupted sleep each night.  No, I don't feel refreshed!

Secondly, my husband is gone for work by 5:00 AM, home by 4:30 PM and gone again (for HIS exercise classes) by 5:00 PM every night.  So for the majority of the day, I’m by myself with the kids.  By the time he gets back home, our kids are already fed, bathed and our daughter is in bed.  He’ll eat his dinner, play a little with our son then get him to bed before we crash ourselves.  I’m busy!

I know what you may be thinking: BOO HOO!  But before you play me the world’s smallest violin, remember that I’m not feeling sorry for myself or making “excuses.”  I’m simply agreeing with millions of other Americans and new mothers in saying, it’s hard to start and stick with a workout routine!  Cue “Biggest Loser”!  I’m venting, owning up to my failures J.  I'm hoping once I'm getting better sleep I'll be more eager to wake up at 5:00.  This used to be no problem for me!  I can run on six-ish hours of sleep, they just need to be consistent.  Uninterrupted!  I’m a mother, a wife and soon I’ll be watching my friend’s one-year-old four days a week.  I’ve never had a regular exercise regimen (unless you count high school basketball practice) and trying to start one while also trying to adjust to your newly expanded family is rough!  If you’ve done it, HUGE kudos to you! 

So I’m curious, what’s your never-fail tip for getting your exercise in everyday?

I Did It!

I did it, I made a button! J

Okay, so you might not be that impressed, and I'm really not all that happy with the actual look of the button itself, but I'm ESTACTIC that I just figured out how to do it!  I started throwing one together, just to see if I could and when I successfully completed one step after another, I couldn't stop and I made my button!  Hopefully, I will have time to make another one that's a little "prettier" but I'm just so proud that I made this one!  So, how do you say, "Grab it."  Haha  you'll have to go to my sidebar to get it because I've pushed my luck sitting on this computer and my son is about to wreck the house he's so bored! 

Thanks everyone J

We'll Have To Pass!

Have you heard of Sophie the Giraffe?  I’ve seen Sophie in so many places: the subject of posts on fellow mom blogs, hanging from slobbery fingers in strollers at the mall and wrapped in colorful paper at my cousin’s birthday party.  What was all the hubbub about?  Maybe Brynlee would enjoy being a part of this trend.  Then I saw her at the bookstore, smiling back at me from behind her price tag.  YIKES! 

On second thought, I think this little giraffe will do.  The one that hangs from the bouncy seat that we got 4 ½ years ago when my son sat in it.  Our budget-friendly Sophie.  Haha. 

Hogwash!

I began my blogging journey (my second journey actually, with my first lasting a short 4 months during my pregnancy with my daughter) just a few short days ago. In an attempt to "get blogging" quickly I chose a name without much thought: "Reuter Rubbish." After posting this and brainstorming several more hours, I solved my problem myself and came up with "Race Cars & Ruffles." Enjoy my blabbering. I guess I just needed a brainstorming platform and my blog fell victim!
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Alright, I'm hating my name. My blog name that is. I wanted to get this blog thing up and running and "needed" a name quickly, but I can't be that creative that fast and now I want to change it.


Already.


I used my last name but that's not the part I care too much to change.


Rubbish.


Really?


At first I thought, "Oh it's lighthearted. My blog isn't really that important. Not too many will care about it I bet. It's just a bunch of nonsense about my life and my family." But rubbish? Can't I give myself more credit than that? My life and my family aren't trash and although I'm no journalist, I don't think my writings are junk. It started with an "r." That's why I chose it. Whoop! How creative am I?!?


I've been trying to think of a different one myself but apparently I'm gonna need a few days. The creative section of my brain seems to have gone to mush. From an adult point-of-view anyway. It's been taken over by baby talk and a preschooler's interests.


I have managed to break out of the box a little bit. This is what I came up with: my son is obsessed --OBSESSED!-- with race cars. Racing in general, really, and he shows no mercy when it comes to winning! (I get scolded if I don't pick the #1 gas pump or if I finish my cereal before he does!) Then there's my daughter. My sweet baby girl. I've fully enjoyed dressing her up and she's most likely in pink (I didn't really plan it this way, but it just happened.) Bottomline, I love to make her look girly. So when you think girly, you think ruffles? Race cars & Ruffles? (Here I go with the "r" again!) I'm thinking I like that. Any other suggestions?

Hello New Year's Resolutions!

1. Jump on the blogging bandwagon.

2. Start reading again.

3. Scale down my facebook friends. "So, how do I know you?" But build up my other online communities!

4. Play with the Wii Fit Plus everyday. If I call it "playing" it seems less like working out!

5. Cook more?? Maaaybe!

Good luck to me...we'll see how this goes!