when to nix the nap?

Everyday around 1:00ish I give Lacey a sippy cup of water and into bed she goes. Nine days out of ten she is asleep within 10 minutes. I generally wake her up at 3:00.

But she won't sleep at night. We've tried pushing back her bedtime, having a longer wind-down routine, waking her up earlier from her naps etc. Nothing seems to work. She generally goes to bed around 8:30 but doesn't fall asleep until sometime between 9:30 and 10:00.

Of course she is sleeping in longer than she used to as well.

I'm not sure what to do. The only thing we haven't tried is cutting out her nap all together. But I love double nap time. Plus, she falls asleep so easily it's easy to presume that she still needs the nap.

She's barely two. She still needs a nap.

Definitely open to suggestions.

up and down

On the upside:

A friend had a baby boy last Monday!

Also, last Monday, a friend of mine found out that her baby, due in May, is a sweet little boy!


On the downside:

I found out Thursday that my friend had a miscarriage.

I also found out on Thursday that my friends' 2 1/2 year old little girl was diagnosed with Autism.

The week started out great, but ended a little roughly. Please pray for those families.

An eventful Christmas it was!

We've had quite the last 3 days. Unless you're buried under a blanket, you're probably well aware that the upper midwest got blasted with snow. Lots and lots of snow!!

Let's start at Tuesday. Mike came home from work a little early as we were planning on opening our gifts that night. Ideally I do not like to open presents on December 22nd, but we were traveling over the holiday and decided to open them before we hit the road.

Santa delivered this year. Lacey got way to many things. The kitchen and all of its accessories (which were a lot...), families and furniture sets for her Calico Critters doll house, an activity table with crayons, chalk, colored pencils, and water colors, movies, clothes, toys. You get the idea. (I've already sworn that next year she is getting less). Miles was given cars, trucks, books, clothes etc. The activity table is technically for both of them but he doesn't get to use it quite yet.

I am now the proud new owner of a new down North Face jacket, an iphone (which I had NO idea about), hats, gloves, slippers, books, and socks. Jacket, hat, gloves. Do you know what I really needed? I've been miserable the last month because I haven't had a decent thing to wear in the cold! Mike was loaded up with tools from my parents, which is always appreciated, and loads and loads of running attire and new shoes.

So we headed out on the 23rd just as the snow was starting to fall. Ever since the big accident of 2008, during our move to Washington, driving in snow has made Mike and I nervous. The snow wasn't supposed to start until 8 pm though so thankfully we made it out of the city, before traffic, and home to Fargo before anything hit. It started snowing about 15 minutes after we got home. My brother, sister in law, and niece came over that evening. My niece had a cold.

And so on the morning of the 24th, Lacey woke up with a monster cold. We also woke up to 3-4 inches, which in ND/MN is nothing at all. We had a nice Christmas eve and wondered if the lightly falling snow would ever really pick up like they were predicting.

It Did.

We woke up Christmas morning to drifts higher than my 2 year old. I should probably put in here that I don't like snow. I don't mind 2 inches of snow. I do mind 12 inches of snow.
And it was still snowing. My dad's snow plow was used twice that day and my poor brother had to go out and plow (something he does on the side) at 3 a.m. to start clearing roads/parking lots.

Meanwhile we were homebound. Drank coffee and played games, and ate sugar. And it kept snowing.

Mike had to work today (the 26th), so we had to make it back somehow. Putting the kids in the car when it is a) still snowing; b) still dark; and c) closed interstates throughout the state of ND; make us a little nervous. We were headed into MN so the interstate was open, but we didn't see one single car until over an hour into our trip. It was weird. The roads weren't good, but they were drivable. We went pretty slow, but the sick kids did pretty well, probably because they were sick and just wanted to sleep. We got home late but made it safe and sound. Now, I just wish that this snow would melt, but heading into January and February I'm not holding my breath.

All in all we had over 18 inches of snow! Did you know they will fine you $500 if you don't have your sidewalks cleared within 24 hours of the end of the snowfall? I thought that was funny, and certainly practical.

Now, I am ready for a warm vacation, but work and school will have to do.

a DIY Christmas present for a little girl

WE DID IT!

We actually did what we set out to do.

We built Lacey a kitchen for Christmas.

So, the picture it a little blurry because I took it on my phone, but you get the idea. My dad helped us with the actual building of the kitchen because we own nothing in the way of tools.

He built the shell, we accessorized.

My favorite thing is the faucet. Pottery Barn Kids was nice enough to give us one of their extra faucets. Bless their hearts. It's tough work finding a child's size faucet.

So now we are going to load up the shelves and the fridge and let her get cooking!

lately

It's been so cold around here. The "I want to start crying when I go outside, but I don't cry because the tears will freeze to my cheeks" cold. Ick. I am already so over it. The high today is 5.
-------------------------------------------

I finished school last week. I was ready for 4 solid weeks off. Or so I thought. I got the following email this morning.:

"A partial syllabus outlining the chapters and practice questions and problems has been posted on Blackboard.

The first class assignment is indicated.

A more complete syllabus with the exact timing of class meetings and content and tests will be posted by the time class meets in January."

So much for a break. I got 6 days where I didn't think about school (much).
---------------------------------------
Those who know me, know that I have been a long time country music fan. Yesterday my husband downloaded his first country CD to itunes and downloaded it to his ipod. I was so proud.

Jason Aldeen if you're interested.
---------------------------------------
I somehow swung getting Christmas off. (Yes, the coffee shop is open on Christmas). We are going to my parents house. I can't wait.
-----------------------------------------
We've moved Miles into double pajamas at night. I'm serious when I say it's cold.

the big 1-0.

10 months that is!

Okay, so technically, Miles isn't 10 months until tomorrow, but I am working a long shift and then spending time with my husband and kids. So today we'll just pretend.
Weight: 23 pounds
Height: 30.5 inches
Teeth: 4. 2 top, 2 bottom
Sleep: 11-12 hours at night. 1 short nap in the morning and 1 long afternoon nap.
Food: I'll have what you're having. Loves to eat, but is weaning himself off baby food. Loves Lacey's food more. Will seriously eat anything except for Earth's Best Vegetable Beef Pilaf (and I don't blame him).
Favorite thing to do: watch people outside, and crawl around the house after mom and pull up on her when she stops moving.
New Skills: (in the past month)
-Moves from his stomach to sitting.
-Pulling up to a stand.
-Sitting down from a stand.
-Slowly starting to "cruise."
-Points to the sky when you ask him where the airplane is at.
-Points to the lights.
-Says "mama"
-Says "uh-oh" (it's the cutest thing, its more like eeeee oh).
-Drinks from a sippy cup!
-Can sign for 'milk.'

We love our little munchkin!

done.

done, done, done, done, done.

I can hardly believe it. After 3.5 months of always (and I mean always), having something to do (i.e. school). I am done.

Okay, so it's only for 3 weeks but I will take what I can get.

It's been a sacrifice for everyone. We do a lot of "hi-byes". On a typical day I work in the morning, Mike leaves for work the moment I get home, I study during naptime, play with them in the evening, put the kids to bed and study when they are asleep. Generally Mike would get home around 10. I'll hang out with him for a half hour or so, and then stay up and study until midnight. Go to bed. Repeat. Obviously I don't work everyday, so when I don't work I try to find motivation to leave shortly after he gets home. It's the type of schedule that isn't a ball of fun.

When you have to plan out time to hang out with your husband, it's easy to wonder what happened.

But we do it, and we don't complain (too much), and try to stay focused on the goal. I still have a 4.0, and I am set to graduate in one year.

Now, to take the GMAT and apply to Grad school, or not? That is the question.

let it snow. let it snow. let it snow.

Yesterday afternoon.

This morning.*

We are home-bound for the second day in a row. The kids have been out once in the past 4 days. But, we aren't really home-bound. The roads are plowed and absolutely nothing in the city is even close to being closed, however, going out with 2 kids when the temp is barely above zero, isn't something I feel like doing.

With highs barely reaching 10 this week, we might be staying in many more than 4 days.

At least we'll have a white Christmas.

*Taken from my phone, sorry for the bad quality.

New pics of the kids!

About 2 weeks ago, my friend Seanna came up to Minneapolis and took some pictures of Lacey and Miles. She is extremely talented and here are some of the shots!

busy much?

i haven't written a post in forever. finals are here and i have certainly hit survival mode. Just need to make it to December 11th!

So, everyone is busy around the holiday's. I get it. But, then I say this on my desk and had to laugh.



My accounting homework, that Lacey scribbled on, and please take the time to notice the "Pay Car Insurance" note at the top.

Apparently I haven't heard of calendar reminders, or post-its. But hey, whatever works. That car insurance is due today, and I am off to pay it right now!

thankful

In honor of November 26, here are 26 simple things I am thankful for.

1. My husband
2. My little boy and my little girl.
3. That the temperatures are still tolerable.
4. Christmas break.
5. A part time job.
6. Parents who bend over backwards for our family.
7. Paying off the car this month.
8. Sales at Pottery Barn Kids.
9. The oatmeal, cherry, white chocolate chip cookies that Mike made last night.
10. Good Earth tea
11. Country music. Specifically Carrie Underwood and Lady Antebellum
12. Wearing jeans to work.
13. A 4.0 GPA
14. The activity table that we found in the dumpster for Lacey (!!)
15. Hot showers.
16. No credit card debt.
17. Friends
18. Flannel sheets
19. Leggings!
20. Dishwashers that clean dishes til they shine!
21. Early bedtimes!
22. Coffee first thing in the a.m.
23. The internet.
24. Granite countertops
25. Stores like Trader Joe's and Super Target
26. That this past year, although very crazy and quite unsettled, we are all safe, happy, healthy, and stronger than ever!

30 day shred.

Because P90X is not a realistic option.

Since I can probably count on one hand the number of times I've exercised with my duo in the past 9 months, I decided I should do something about it.

Since I've found my motivation while we are on the cusp of ridiculously cold temperatures, I've decided that something indoors was probably the most realistic option. I really, really wanted to try P90X. Mike was planning on getting it for me for Christmas. But let's be realistic:

1) You have to be committed for 90 DAYS.
2) It costs upward of $150
3) My understanding is that it is an hour a day.

I don't think I could stay committed for 3 months, especially working out an hour a day. Gimme a break.

And I can for sure, find something to buy for $150 (like a new winter coat or some merrell boots). Winter is coming people.

So then I heard about the 30 Day Shred. 30 days seems a lot more doable than 90, and at $14.99 it's a lot more affordable. Oh, and did I mention that its 20 minutes a day? I can do that.

So I bought it and tried it yesterday. I did level one. I found it pretty simple, wasn't dying, but I am a tiny bit sore in my triceps. It reminds me of the conditioning I did during my 12 year gymnastics career. I'll probably do level 1 for a couple more days and then bump up to level two.

9 months

my [not so little] boy had his 9 month well baby check today...

He weighed in at a whopping 22 pounds 8 oz!

He measured 30.5 inches! That's an inch a month since he was born.

He got a Hib vacciene, but that's not really important since he was supposed to get that 2 months ago, but they were out.

At 9 months Miles is crawling, and has been for over a month.

He is pulling up. He is not cruising around furniture though...he doesn't quite get the whole 'i am 9 months old and don't know how to balance' thing. He just let's go (and falls).

He is sleeping 12 hours at night.

He has 4 teeth (2 bottom and 2 top, which just popped through).

4 bottles a day plus 3 meals.

This kid loves to eat (no kidding, note how big he is).

He's a talker/babbler. Points to lights, learning how to clap, dance, and sign 'all done' and 'milk'

Miles is a mama's boy and loves to cuddle (and I don't complain).

Finally, he is into EVERYTHING. Keeps us on our toes, and does a great job at playing with his big sister.

The hardest thing about being a parent.

Have you ever heard of 'newborn envy?'

When you no longer have a newborn in the house and you miss that stage.

Of course, when you actually have a newborn, you may have 'baby can sit up envy' or 'baby can walk envy' or the biggest one, 'baby sleeps through the night envy.' But I digress.

(Actually, I would like to point out here that I don't have newborn envy at the moment, I just got both kids sleeping through the night very, very consistently thankyouverymuch)!

I have a friend who is thinking about having kids in the next year. She asked me what the hardest part about having kids is. At first I thought she was joking. I don't know. But she was dead serious.

Umm..okay. I thought about it and my answer was different that what I expected. I think the general thing that I've heard parents say is something along the lines of being flexible, or realizing that your child is their own person, doing what is best for your family regardless of what others think, or want, you to do.

Those are all very true things.

But, for me, the hardest thing about being a parent is having them grow up. Think about it. When you are pregnant they count on you for everything. Literally every.single.thing. Then they are born and they still need you constantly. But slowly (or actually rather quickly) they need you less and less. Suddenly the world is very interesting and all at the same time you are their entire world, and you aren't. They start crawling, walking, playdates, pre-school, regular school, activities, etc. And then you want a newborn again because a newborn counts on you for everything. And that my friends is where newborn envy stems from.

Why do I know that this is my biggest challenge about being a parent?

Because this morning when Lacey saw a school bus, she told me she wanted to go to school, and I had tears falling down my cheeks.

Stay my baby girl a little longer.

2 year well baby check

I suppose its called a well-child visit. But regardless, we had Lacey's 2 year check up today. I am only a month and some change late, not too shabby huh? (I am seriously so tired of bringing the kids in all.the.time. for random checks, nurse only shot visits etc.).

First, she has this fear of the doctor, so I was dreading having to bring both kids during Miles' naptime, but my husband didn't have to go to work until noon today so I got one on one time with Lacey. Nothing like using the doctor's office as our get away. We've been prepping Lacey for this visit since Sunday (mostly because I thought the appointment was on Monday, until I found my calendar at 9:00 pm Sunday night and realized the appointment wasn't until today...).

Things like telling her the doctor will look at her tummy, and her head, and her knees and toes and eyes and ears and mouth with a special baby light. She was golden. Did everything the doctor asked of her. She got the MMR shot as planned and she also got the H1N1 vaccine. I was very up in the air about H1N1, but ultimately I decided that if she were to get the swine flu I'd be kicking myself for not getting her vaccinated. I told myself that if they had it when I went there then I'd get it. (Same goes for Miles and his 9 month check is next week). She also got her finger poked and squeezed for a lead test and didn't shed a tear. She was more afraid of the band-aid than anything.

She refused to put on a pull-up to go to the doctor so we were in underwear for the entire drive there, the visit, and the drive home. She stayed dry. Hallelujah! While we were waiting I was having nightmares about her peeing on the cloth waiting room chair, thankfully that didn't happen.

She is 29 pounds and 35 inches.

robeez.

I'm not really a fan. I've never been. Is there anyone out there who is also not a fan?

They always look goofy on my kids' feet. And I think they wear out terribly.

I've always bought Isabooties for my kiddos. They have a great non-slip sole, can be washed in the washing machine, and are much cuter. They also run big, which can be both a blessing and a curse. But alas, Miles has grown out of his 3-6 month Isabooties. I have to find some new, similar, shoes like now (because if you think pulling up on wood floors with just socks on is okay, then you must be crazy).

The only problem with Isabooties is that they are hard to find. Much harder to find than Robeez anyway.

So I am thinking of getting these, Simple Weebit Booties. They are so dang cute and cheaper than Isabooties AND Robeez.

back in the swing of things...

sort of anyway.

do you know how much a 2 year old and a 9 month old can change in 9 days? i didn't. Lacey and Miles came back from Grandma and Grandpa's Saturday as new, smarter, stronger little ones.

Lacey- seriously has acquired an entire new vocabulary. she sure talks our ears off. she has also acquired a habit for not wanting to go to bed at night and "crying." which is really just the most obnoxious fake cry, but tends to make me go crazy and has woken her brother up...

she went potty at Mina and Papa's (lacey's terms, not mine), all week long. However, when my mom told her Friday night that she was coming to see me on Saturday she switched into baby mode and we've had quite a few accidents. We did however, venture to McDonalds with underwear on, she told me when she had to go and we successfully used the big potty. So not much is lost. We'll just have to stay home, pants free, for a few days and get this little regression out of our system.

Miles- is crawling with purpose. The wood floors make him slip, so he is army crawling. HE FLIES AROUND THE HOUSE, and eats everything on the floor. I don't care what anyone says, when then can both move independently, you don't stop. EVER. We have hit our 'hardest' stage yet.

so, kids are back, we are almost finished getting everything settled, and now I am starving and need to eat before they wake up!

Christmas shopping on a budget solved.

I have yet to meet a family on one income who has money at their disposal. Most families with young children and a SAHM are living on a shoestring budget. Of course we are one of them.

But really, when Christmas rolls around I still want to shower them in gifts! Thankfully they are still young and don't really even 'get' the whole Christmas thing. We take it easy while they don't know what's going on. It won't last forever. I read something the other day though that I thought was very helpful. I am not sure if it should be classified as 'Christmas shopping on a budget', because if you were really on a budget you might make your gifts, or only buy one gift, but here we go:

the article suggested you buy 5 gifts for your children:

1) Something they want
2) Something they need
3) Something to read
4) Something to wear
5) Something you want them to have

I'm not sure if I'll use this list or not, but I thought it was a great starting point, especially for families with young children. I want to think it helps avoid over-buying of plastic (obnoxious) toys.

Let me know your thoughts!

are mom's mean? are they?

i'm in the middle of a kid-free week and i am enjoying every minute of it. I miss my kids like crazy, but I am living it up not having them here. I'm doing all sorts of crazy things like running errands, you know, without trying to fit them around naptimes, mealtimes, and meltdowns.

i've noticed something though. mom's are mean. let me re-state that. i've noticed that mom's with small children are not very kind or friendly to people who are running errands flying solo.

am I like this?? EEK. I hope not.

For example, today at Target, I nearly got knocked into with a shopping cart TWICE. Apparently, mom's think you should get out of the way, because they have kids and all. I was seriously given an exasperated sigh and a glare which translated to "get the heck out of my way, i have such a tough job with these kids and you are making it worse by being in MY way." Last I checked, I thought the polite thing to do was to both move, or give a nice excuse me. (it was one of those moments where you move slightly and assume that they too will move slightly, but they don't and then you practically get run over).

I had another experience while going into the bathroom stall today. I was going into the big stall, when I hear someone behind me. We had the following conversation:

HER: you're not a family.
ME: excuse me?
HER: your NOT a family, you shouldn't use that stall.
ME: oh, did you want to use it?
HER: well, we were going to!
ME: well you can use it if you want to.
HER: you don't have kids, you shouldn't go in that stall (exasperated as she goes in to a small stall with her daughter).
ME: Well, next time, ask for the stall if you want it, rather than make a snide remark to me in front of your daughter. (yes I was pissed).

I was flaming. She was so rude. AND I DO HAVE CHILDREN NOT THAT IT SHOULD EVEN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

So anyway, i know that I have been the crabby, exasperated mom who is jealous of all those kid free people hopping in and out of cars like it is no big deal. It's weird seeing it from the other side of the fence and I vow to try my hardest to not be that type of mom.


and seriously, if you hate staying with your kids then don't. and at the very least don't act like a child in front of them. they see everything you do.

what we've been up to since we have not had the internet

we haven't had the internet while we were moving.

Thursday, we moved. In the dark and in the rain. Sound fun? It was fine actually. We finished unloading the truck around 10 pm so mike and I returned the truck and went out for wings at Green Mill. Yum!

Woke up Friday and went over the the apartment to finish cleaning. We were supposed to check out at noon and were doing a mad scramble to get everything cleaned. 12:15 comes and the apartment manager still wasn't there, so we gave her a call. She forgot. grrr. So we didn't check out until 1. Then we came home and moved all of our boxes that were in the garage into the house. that took 2 hours and was exhausting.

That night, since we still hadn't eaten anything, we went to Burger Jones. It was amazing. We will frequent that establishment again soon!

Saturday I had class from 8-5 and Mike worked from 8-5. We met up with some friends we haven't seen in forever that evening. (forever, like Lacey was 6 weeks old last time we saw them).

Sunday morning I had to work, and then we spent the rest of the day turning trash into treasure (pics to come). We worked on some home improvement projects and put on our creative hats. You know, something that you can't do with kids around.

And now we finally have internet so I am back up and running, doing homework and catching up. I'll try to post pics of the new place as soon as I can. I love it!

battles

Everyone fights their own battles.

Sometimes I forget that.

Yesterday for example, was particularly rough. The kids were going crazy and they were driving me crazy as a result. I was doing a lame attempt at packing. I am hours upon hours behind on homework, it was cold and rainy and we went for a drive for lack of anything better to do. Miles fell asleep in the car and, as a result, refused to go to bed at bedtime. Lacey was bouncing off the walls until 10.

It was a long day.

But then I visit MckMama's blog and read about Stellan who is sick, sick, sick. And I cry. Why? I cry because my kids are healthy and because I am not sitting in a hospital room on their first birthday hoping, against hope that this will pass. I don't have to live with that. I don't want to live with that. It's still not fair though.

And she is just one, individual example, of someone who is fighting a battle. Some battles are short and easy, some are l-o-n-g and treacherous. But we all fight them.

All of us.

All I can say is keep your head up, stay positive, and do what you can to keep fighting.

And pray. Oh, yes. PRAY.

Safe?

According to Forbes, Minneapolis is the safest place in the U.S. to live.

For the record, the top 5 cities are:

1. Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN
2. Milwaukee, WI
3. Portland, OR
4. Boston, MA
5. Seattle, WA

And the 3 most dangerous cities, all coming in very close to each other:

1. Detroit, MI
2. Memphis, TN
3. Miami, FL

There's your interesting news for the day.

busy, so busy.

This week:

I work 6 hours today, Mike works 10. We'll be packing any chance we get.

Tuesday: I work 5 hours, Mike works 10. He is training new employees, and has a one on one with his DM for 3 hours which perfectly overlaps when I am supposed to be working. Still haven't figured that one out. Packing any chance we get.

Wednesday: Thankfully, I don't work. Mike works 10 hours, plus it's Wednesday which is his paperwork day, so he will be busy. I will be packing the kids for their 10 day stay with my parents (yes, TEN DAYS).

Thursday: Double doctor appointments in the a.m. I have to take them alone. Rush home, feed lunch, meet mom and dad, exchange kids, study all.freaking.afternoon. Work 4 hours in the evening. Start moving. Mike is working until 9:30 pm.

Friday: I am off, Mike is off. Move everything, clean apartment, check out of apartment.

Saturday: I have class from 8-5, Mike is working 8-4. Going to church at 6 pm. Meet up with friends afterwards.

Sunday: I work 8-1.

TO DO:
Clean AC units
Clean Bathroom
Clean oven
Clean Microwave
Scrub floors
Clean carpets
Vacuum carpets
PACK
Dust trim and furnace vents
Change lightbulbs
Clean cabinets inside and out
Rent U-haul to move everything.
Drop off at Goodwill
Clean mirrors and windows
Clean fridge
Clean sinks
Clean inside of dishwasher
....on and on...

Activity Table

We are looking for an activity table. We want one that can duo as a coffee table since it will be in the living room. Also, since it will be in the living room it cannot be bright, plastic, colorful, etc.

not my style.

So, naturally I am drawn to 2 stores that I think might have something along those lines. Pottery Barn Kids and Land of Nod. We don't have a Land of Nod in Minneapolis (why the heck not??), so that leaves me to Pottery Barn.

I love me some Pottery Barn, and of course they have exactly what I want (well not exactly, since I want black, but you get the idea). Of course its also going to cost me $349.


So then I decide to look for alternatives. It's not that the $349 is an absolutely unimaginable price to pay, but I could find plenty of other things to buy for that much money.

On a whim I checked out Amazon.com.

Lo and behold...



$99.99

Thank you Amazon.

I am sure its not the same quality but: a) it's going to be destroyed by kids and b) I am going to paint it black anyway and who wants to spend $349 just to paint it. For $349 it should come in black.

I don't know if we'll get it, but so far it's the most promising option.

A real tear-jerker.

Every time I hear this song I tear up. This is not ideal, since I always here this song in the car, on my way somewhere. I get to Target wondering just how red my eyes are...

What I love about this song is that it reminds me as a mom, that my kids are going to grow up, faster than I want. It reminds me to take time to breath. To not worry about the toys all over the floor or the fact that they have messy faces, that Lacey doesn't want to go to bed at night and that Miles wakes up at the crack of dawn. It reminds me that one day they won't need me, and I have to let them go. Right now, I am just gonna hold on as long as I can.

He didn't have to wake up
He'd been up all night
Layin’ there in bed listenin’
To his new born baby cry
He makes a pot of coffee
He splashes water on his face
His wife gives him a kiss and says
It gonna be OK

It won’t be like this for long
One day soon we'll look back laughin’
At the week we brought her home
This phase is gonna fly by
So baby just hold on
‘Cause it won't be like this for long

Four years later ‘bout 4:30
She's crawling in their bed
And when he drops her off at preschool
She's clinging to his leg
The teacher peels her off of him
He says what can I do
She says now don't you worry
This’ll only last a week or two

It won’t be like this for long
One day soon you'll drop her off
And she won’t even know you're gone
This phase is gonna fly by
If you can just hold on
It won’t be like this for long

Some day soon she'll be a teenager
And at times he'll think she hates him
Then he'll walk her down the aisle
And he'll raise her veil
But right now she's up and cryin’
And the truth is that he don't mind
As he kisses her good night
And she says her prayers

He lays down there beside her
‘Til her eyes are finally closed
And just watchin’ her it breaks his heart
Cause he already knows

It won’t be like this for long
One day soon that little girl is gonna be
All grown up and gone
Yeah, this phase is gonna fly by
So, he's tryin’ to hold on

‘Cause it won’t be like this for long

It won’t be like this for long

Artist: Darius Rucker

and I'm out!

I was paying bills this morning (and by paying bills I mean repeatedly having to sign back in to Wells Fargo dot com, so as to try to get something finished before getting interrupted again). Efficient? no.

anyway.

I'm viewing bill pay and check my Verizon bill. It normally is around $100 a month. What did I see? $274+

I had a heart attack. Then I thought, maybe I forgot to pay it last month, because sometimes I think I pay these things in my mind, but I get interrupted and logged out before I follow through on that actual thought.... So then I looked at the statement. $171+ in "data" fees. "Billable Megabytes" to be exact. I called up mike, since he was the one who used these megabytes and neither of us have a clue as to what they are.

He gives them a call. So here is what happened. Mike borrowed a phone from a friend for a couple of weeks last month to see if he wanted to buy it from him. That phone was a data phone, but Mike didn't have a data plan. So, he is using the phone and one day needed to review some resume's for work and was using the phone to do this. He was on the phone for maybe an hour total---split up over a few different time periods. Here is the real kicker though, both his previous phone and my current phone can connect to the internet, but they give you a warning saying that this will cost you. This new phone didn't give any warning, Mike isn't really the first person who would know that they will charge you for things like this, and I don't blame him since, he normally gets a message telling him what fees will be incurred.

$171 for an hour. Or $14.99 a month unlimited. Take your pick.

Verizon won't wave the fees, and they certainly can't go back and just charge us $14.99 for that one month. This was the most recent in a string of issues we've had with them this year. They have caused us so many headaches.

Mike says we are out. He is going to talk to the Manager at the mall, because they are friends, to see if he can wave our fees (and will probably give him free jamba juice whenever he works...) .

Then we are marching over to AT&T and porting our numbers. To iPhones.

well, I for one couldn't be happier.

Ugh, Monday.

Does anyone like Monday? I used to like Mondays for 2 reasons. First, Mike used to have Sundays and Mondays off. But now, I have class all day Saturday so he doesn't work and works Monday instead. I will admit that it is nice he has a 'regular' weekend, but it doesn't make me like Mondays.

The second reason I used to like Monday was because The Hills was on. But they moved that to Tuesday.

So, what do I enjoy about Mondays?
1) Coffee
2) The fact that The Hills will be on tomorrow.
3) Class is 5 days away.
4) 4:30 pm.

Numbers on the brain.

Literally.

PVIF = 1-1/(1+n)i/i so,

PVa=R(1-1/(1+n)i/i.

Because PVa=R(PFIF)

and this is the type of thing that keeps me up at night, over and over again I will talk these formulas out to myself (I have plenty more).

That and remembering the correct way to journalize receivables with recourse, vs. without recourse, and secured borrowing. Remembering to discount the notes receivable, and then charge back to interest revenue during the appropriate year. Oh, and the difference between % of sales and % of receivables when computing bad debt expense...but that's an easy one.

Of course I am in 2 classes, (although I tend to sometimes forget this because the former class is that much more work).

But I also dream about supply/demand curves, elasticity, governmental price ceilings, price floors, tax burdens-consumer vs. producer, and surplus and shortages.

But I'm setting curves in both classes, and I couldn't be happier about the material I am studying.

I hit the sweet spot. I found out what I love and I am going with it. Are you pursuing your dream?

8 Months!

Today marks 8 months for this little guy.

Miles is working on pulling up and crawling.
He gets on all 4's from his stomach and from a sit.
He can also get to a sitting position from his tummy.
His tummy is still his favorite place to be, he's a tummy sleeper.
He army crawls.
When he's too lazy to army crawl, he rolls to his destination.
We have to keep the floors clean.
He'll eat anything he can find.
But his favorite thing to eat is gerber puffs.
He gets all giddy when he sees the yellow container.
He gets giddy when he sees Lacey too.
It's the best when she makes him laugh his little face off.
Which is all. the. time.
I am SO happy they are close in age.
So happy.
So, so, happy.
No teeth. But I think I can see them coming!

Snow and Birthdays.

We woke up this morning to SNOW! Pretty exciting, but I was too lazy to bundle up Lacey just to go out and touch it. We will have plenty of opportunities to play in the snow. April is 6 months away, so that means we have at least 6 months of opportunities.

I've got to post pictures of her birthday, but time has got away from me. We are going to pick pumpkins tomorrow, so we'll just do one big collaborative post.

As long as it's not snowing.

Park

I found a big ball at the park.

We were all pretty thrilled.

I pushed it up hills...

and down hills.

I ran after it.

I pushed it around the park.

I showed my brother.

He wanted to eat it.

He wanted to eat grass too.

I even pushed the ball down the slide.

Then found it again.

When I got to the bottom.

I found an orange leaf.

and I tried to push Miles off the monkey bars.

It was a good day.

crybabies

My Sister in Law said to me yesterday:

"You're kids always seem so happy, do they EVER cry?"

Me: HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

Thanks for the compliment though!

Potty Training

We've had a lot of success with Lacey and the potty. We haven't used diapers while we are home for the past week. I still put her in a diaper for naps, bedtime, and errands though. I'm not sure how to transition out of that.

Here's what we did.

I got some candy (smarties for us), and put them in their own container. I printed off a clip art picture of a potty and taped it on. In our house, this is known as "potty candy."

I grabbed a bunch of things from Target's dollar section, and put those in a visable, see through, rubbermaind container. These are "special toys." They are for when we go poo poo on the potty.

I took Lacey to Target to pick out panties (I hate that word, but that's the word we use, so bear with me). Lacey has a new found appreciation for Dora the Explorer, so imagine her delight when she found Dora panties! I didn't have any plans to start potty training right then. In fact I was debating if I should wait until November, after we move. Either way my plans rapidly changed.

We literally got home from Target and she asked to put on her new Dora panties. I didn't really want to open them yet, because I wanted them to be a special surprise for when training really started. However, she persisted and I obliged. I told her that she needed to keep them dry. I started giving her juice and set the timer on the microwave at 15 to 20 minute intervals. I constantly asked her if she had to go pee pee. When her juice ran out, I re-filled it. When the timer was up, I set her on her potty to see if she had to go. She initially wet her panties, but apparently once was almost enough for that girl. She's had 1 accident since then (and it wasn't even on my watch).

By day 2 she was telling me when she had to pee. To be honest, since it is a lot of work, I wanted to get lazy and just put a diaper on. But I didn't.

So now, here we are a week later. She has received 3 special toys in the last 2 days! She has been dressed and ready for bed and then had me take off her diaper to go pee! Those are the kind of progress reports I need. I am starting to trust her potty skills more and more. She asks for panties the moment she wakes up in the morning. I don't really have to ask her if she needs to go pee, she just tells me. She's terrible at pulling down her underwear though, so we are working on that.

Now, I just need to figure out how to take her out in public without a diaper and trust her while she naps and in the carseat. Really I need to get to Babies R Us and buy some water proof items.



Here are some other things that helped:

1) ONCE UPON A POTTY- the DVD. My sister in law recommended this dvd to me and it has helped so much. That is really when Lacey "got it." We sing the potty song from the movie all the time.

2) Explaining to Miles that he is too little for the potty. He is too little for panties. He is too little for potty candy, etc.

3) Talking about other people who use the potty...Daddy uses a potty, mommy uses a potty, Elias uses the potty, etc.

boys and baby gap (shoes).

I suppose I should first start by saying that I am in the minority. I am in the minority because I think I may be one of the few people on this planet who thinks that boys clothes are more fun to buy than girls' clothes.

This may be why Lacey will still be mistaken for a boy on many an occasion. I just don't totally get into frilly pink okay?

But I digress. I always, always, always, find the best deals on shoes at Baby Gap. Can anyone else attest to this?

Here are some finds....

Sandals for Miles, for next summer. $3.99.

Boots for Miles. $3.97

SNOW BOOTS. Do you know how hard it is to find snow boots this small?
$2.97

And I couldn't pass these up! $2.97.

He only owns 4 pairs of shoes, and these are them. Just to be fair I've got a couple of pairs for Lacey too....

These sweet fall Mary Jane's were only $4.99. Size 7, so still a tiny bit big, but will work with thick socks.

And I just snagged these the other day. $2.99. Perfect for next summer.

un-freaking-believable.

As if there weren't enough ploys and marketing scams on the market for new (or seasoned) mothers. Enfamil needs to go ahead and come up with something like this:


Enfamil Restfull- designed to digest more slowly so your baby stays full longer and sleeps longer.

Umm.....okay.

We all know that breast is best. It is. I'm not even going to go there.

But I, like many mothers, feed my baby formula, my own choice, but also dictated by medicines that I take. Formula is already a multi-million dollar industry, and so let's just ignore the absurd idea that they now want you to buy a special formula for nighttime.

This disgusts me and I hope Enfamil rethinks and pulls it.

First, since when are young babies supposed to be sleeping through the night? They are supposed to wake up and eat for many reasons. Secondly, why on earth would you want to give your baby something that is designed to digest more slowly, something that will be more difficult on their little tummys (and what on earth did they add to this to make it digest more slowly, I don't even want to know)?

If your baby isn't sleeping though the night a special formula won't solve your problems.

Being patient with them and loving them, will.

Any thoughts?

Playdates.

In case you're not aware, playdates are for Mom's.

They are not for kids.

this and that.

We found a place to rent. I love it. It's in the neighborhood we want to be in, has 3 bedrooms, remodeled kitchen and bath, attached garage, wood burning fireplace, french doors in the living room, wood floors, free laundry, and tons of storage. Oh and its a tudor (I am slightly obsessed with tudors). We are just waiting for our applications to come back. Oh and she is very flexible on lease terms, meaning that we can still look for our own place come spring, if we want to. THIS makes me happy.

Therefore we decided not to buy right now. We can't find anything anyway. I am way, way, WAY, too busy with school to remodel. THAT is the truth.

Miles isn't falling asleep on his own well anymore. He is chewing on everything. THIS can only mean one thing....teeth. Hoping they come through soon.

Lacey is now a fan of Dora the Explorer. I must admit, this was my own doing. I kind of forced it on her, but i am SO, SO, SO sick of watching Finding Nemo. I was desperate okay. There is nothing wrong with THAT.

short sale update

the price opinion came back high.

$31,000 higher than our offer, which is what the bank takes as Gospel, so they countered our offer at the price opinion.

It's too high for us, considering the house needs work.

Funny thing is, they want us to counter or accept by Monday or they have to "de-activate" the file. I find that VERY rude since we have been waiting on THEM since May.

Grrrr.

It may be off the table. We may counter back and meet them halfway. We don't know.

I am going back and forth, questioning whether or not I could even take on a remodeling job like that right now (or ever), 2 kids who need constant interaction/supervision, hours of studying etc.

But then we KNOW that we can walk into that house, without lifting a finger, and re-sell it for $30,000 more, and obviously we could make more money if we do some work.

You can't say that about many houses in the market right now.

I will update when we make a decision.

Name ONE thing...

1. You use everyday...
Coffee pot. It's the first thing I use everyday.

2. You can't live without...
Can I name just ONE? Okay...my Contigo vacuum insulated mug, because it keeps coffee hot for 6 hours, and since I don't have a spare second to sit down and relax in the morning to enjoy it, that is a very good thing.

3. You should be doing right now...
HOMEWORK. or watching Jay Leno's new show...


4. That makes you happy...
Babies that sleep through the night

5. You'd wish you'd learned earlier in life...
That I like accounting and should have gotten an accounting degree off the bat instead of a psych degree.

6. That you did today...
I changed FIVE messy diaper. Jealous?

7. That you think you could eat everyday for the rest of your life...
Jelly Bellys...except if I were pregnant because then they make me sick. So I guess I would have to say cereal.

8. That completely stresses you out...
Not knowing where we will be living in 6 weeks.

9. That you miss...
newborn babies (but I don't miss the eating every 2 hours, up all night, waking up crying and not happy, part)

10. That you wish you were better at...
RUNNING. Maybe not better at running itself, but better at getting my butt out for the run!

Your Turn!

road to recovery

we found out what was wrong with Lacey.

double ear infections.

and a ruptured ear drum.

OUCH!

Thanks to an oral antibiotic, we are finally on the road to recovery.
Let's all run around crazy like and give a cheer!

7 MONTHS!

I'm Miles and I am 7 months old today!

I'm quite the little guy. I sleep through the night...usually, sit all by myself, and I am trying desperately to get on all 4's. My arms keep giving out though!

I don't have any teeth.

I wear size 3 diapers.

I am about 19 pounds and 29 inches! I've almost tripled my birth weight.

I am so big that mommy and daddy put me in a big boy carseat and I am much happier.

Some of my favorite things to do are watch my big sister, go on walks, swing, and put things in my mouth. I especially love to eat. I've never turned down any food.

I still like to spit up though...

little boys

It seems like everyone is either pregnant or having a baby. In fact, just yesterday I know THREE people who gave birth. Whenever someone I know has a baby it gets me thinking about my own deliveries. Especially my little boy.

My pregnancy with Miles was almost identical to that of Lacey's. I craved the same foods, was disgusted by the same foods, was terribly, terribly sick, and on and on. I was pretty sure I was having baby girl #2. And then, on September 27th, 2008, I found out differently. I was having a BOY.

I was scared. Like really, really scared. What on earth was I supposed to do with a boy?

On February 13th, 2009 at 3:42 pm my 7lb 3.5 oz baby boy came
(and quickly, like 1 push quickly)
into this world

and i found out right away that boys aren't scary.
BOYS ARE WONDERFUL.
I am so blessed to have a boy. Not any boy, but MY BOY,
my sweet little guy, who gets about 5,000 kisses every day because he is so darn cute and wonderful.

and he is 7 months old on Sunday. Growing up way, way too fast for his mom.
And I went from thinking "What am I going to do with a boy?" to
"What on earth would I do without a boy."

my little girl

This little girl is pretty special.

She's very helpful when it comes to watering plants.

She acts like she wants to eat a cookie,
before deciding she isn't a chocolate fan.
Just like mom.

And she's pretty classy. She does lunch in
downtown Minneapolis.

right by Target Corp.

She thinks Target is pretty cool.
Just like mom.

But then one night she was up.
all.night.long.
SCREAMING.
This special little girl got sick.
Wear pajamas all day sick,

nap in the car with our face covered up sick.

fall asleep on the couch during
sesame street sick.

But today, after 5 lethargic days, high fevers, and not eating,
she is better. 90% better.
Mom is happy.

like REALLY, REALLY, happy.