tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79243110103429670192024-03-19T03:34:01.458-04:00chubbacoomelaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05021733044427723214noreply@blogger.comBlogger201125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7924311010342967019.post-70338464262411974192011-08-31T20:48:00.000-04:002011-08-31T20:48:04.991-04:00hello, is it me you're looking for?Have you seen<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh8eeSJqn7Jred44GRazR88QPM_JN8wGUNn8h0JZt1T8302fDYzWeHxDQ0TZq6VKlQ8uO8Z1UjFHFu3Uqo309O_lt5E4s9BfXTrfuVqo8nMSAhNxNwnRcm08OMq8dnyTnACGEb0PH9nW0/s1600/Lionel+Richie+-+Hello+Is+It+Me+You%2527re+Looking+For.jpg"> this flyer</a>? My friend Carrie recently saw it in England, where a man replace Lionel with his own face. Hilarious.<br>
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Long time, no see! So, what have you been up to in the last...year!? I've been thinking about updating this blog for almost a month now, but put it off. I'm just not sure that I can keep up with it when school starts up again. Sure, during vacation and fun summer time I have lots to say and publish. I am somewhat sane and can put two words together at night to form a thought. I have a running dialog in my brain about what I could write and share.<br>
<a href="http://chubbacoo.blogspot.com/2011/08/hello-is-it-me-youre-looking-for.html#more">Read more »</a>melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05021733044427723214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7924311010342967019.post-56369745490164617942010-08-22T09:48:00.009-04:002010-08-22T12:52:23.396-04:00Not half badThe thing I miss most would have to be the small moments. The times that the kids would be exploring in their own world and I would stop whatever cleaning or cooking I was doing to join them; to admire them; to delve into their reality even if just for a moment, and then we would each go back to what we were originally doing. But in that moment of time, it was just us and we were just together and loving each other and experiencing the moment in its truest form.<br /><br />It has been exactly one year since I started working full time, and while I wanted to write about it and express what was going on, I just didn't always have the words or the energy. It wasn't only that I was working full time, but also the kids started a new school full time, I started working out 5-6 days a week, we both had to be mindful of how we spent each minute whether it be to get the most out of our work time, or if we had to pick up the kids at a certain time (real school means that it's not as flexible as daycare), were we getting "me" time, were we getting family time, enough sleep, enough food, healthy meals, grocery shopping, or if we had to try to fit some social time in there (we rarely did). I was racked with anxiety when September rolled around with wondering how we would get it all done--<span style="font-style: italic;">could</span> we get it all done?<br /><br />The other thing that I miss is blogging. I miss writing about my life, probably because it has been something I have always done even if not in blog form. I miss having those <span style="font-style: italic;">experiences</span> to actually write about. When the bug would bite, I found it hard to actually have anything interesting to say. The kids spent more time away from me than they ever had, which meant that their experiences were happening at school where I wasn't witnessing them. And while this sounds as if I am being slighted by missed opportunities--that is not the case.<br /><br />It turns out that working full-time for us is not half bad. Of course one of the first things we noticed was the dramatic increase in pay. And while we did splurge the first pay check on new clothes. which we desperately needed, we kept our budget fairly the same. We had a few things to increase such as gas, school expenses including field trips, pictures, and tuition, but other than that everything else was status quo. This means that we tripled the amount of money we were putting toward our debt. By February we were able to completely pay off our credit card debt--about $10,000 in 5 months. Since then we have been able to save up enough money to pay off our SUV 3 1/2 years early. We haven't paid it off yet, but more about that later.<br /><br />I actually enjoy working and while I would most certainly choose to stay home if that were financially possible, this option is not as evil as I had once thought. In addition to the increase in pay, we have an increase in scheduled time. For some reason I work best under deadlines and when I have a strict schedule to adhere to. I was also ready and willing to commit to losing weight. I had had enough, and while I knew it would require hard work and dedication I knew it was what I needed. It took a little while to figure out what my proximal zone was, but once I did the weight came right off. It took me a total of 4 months to lose 20lbs. And then...I hurt my knee in December. Up until that point I had been running, so this really threw me for a loop. I got really down because I felt I had finally figured out what worked for me and I wasn't done yet! I've slowly worked through it and while I don't think my knee will ever be 100% again, I am working around it. I am, luckily so far, able to run.<br /><br />This summer I decided to take most of my vacation days so that I can at least feel like I have the summer off (still working 2-3 days a week). July was spent visiting family, staying close to home, and doing things like ABSOLUTELY NOTHING for an entire day. By absolutely nothing, what I really mean is that I spent the entire day reading. I couldn't remember the last time I did that. And it was blissful. But a day or 2 of that was enough. I have continued to read, but am doing it in shorter bursts. We'll see what happens when fall comes around.<br /><br />When August drew closer, I think we both said, "oh crap! One month left!" so we put our list of activities that we wanted to do before the end of summer into high gear. We did short little day or overnight trips to get the most bang for our buck. I have to say it was nice to not have to research every single free activity happening in the area, and just did what we could when we could.<br /><br />Part of not going away on a week long vacation had to do with vacation days, and not being out of debt yet, but another big reason is because we put our house up for sale. (This is also why we have hung onto the cash for the SUV instead of paying it off--at least yet) We hadn't planned on doing this so soon, or really for a long time at least. I thought I was going to work part time for at least 2 more years or longer and our house works for that situation. Working full time however, means that I do more driving--although not that much more--but also that the grocery shopping, doctor's visits or anything else that is just normal stuff we have to take care of has to happen after work/school or on weekends. We spend half of our time out on the drive there and back and end up being gone for a whole day just to run errands. The kids have taken to saying, "how long is it" before we even get in the car. Not to mention the endless flower gardens, grass cutting and other household chores that are required of an acre and a half of land. Now I know why the suburbs are so popular, and am longing for the convenience. We still love it here and aren't in a total hurry to leave (we were thrilled to be able to stay the summer) but we are hoping that a move will make the things we have to do a little bit easier.<br /><br />I used to spend my 2 days a week taking care of the errands or the gardening, cleaning and cooking, and now these responsibilities are shared by the whole family and are done on evenings or weekends (or in some cases not at all). I have decided to let some of the gardening go and we are pretty relaxed about cleaning the house, although we weren't very strict before. I definitely felt pressured to go back to work in order to keep my position more stable (we did have another lay-off scare in June--another reason we were piling up cash) but in the end we have definitely gained.<br /><br />How are the kids dealing with this? Well, they are getting older and more independent. They were both in school all day every day and while they were tired at night time, they loved it. They have friends and activities that I would not have been able to provide them with and it is exciting to us as parents to witness their growth from a different perspective.<br /><br />I'm not as nervous as this fall rolls around, but I am excited. I'm excited for Cameron to start Kindergarten in a new class and hoping that he thrives. Mikaela was so successful in Montessori that we have decided to keep her there another year. I am giving my weight loss another kick-start this fall and hope to lose those last 20 lbs, am going to try to blog if I have anything to blog about, but will definitely work on at least scrapbooking our family's memories--and finishing those baby books!! We're not sure when or if the move will happen, but either way we are fairly content. We will have all debt paid off in 1-2 years and are looking forward to never going back.<br /><br />The most exciting thing is that I now know we <span style="font-weight: bold;">can</span> accomplish all of this and we can do it <span style="font-weight: bold;">well</span>. It may not be easy, but we are thankful for all that we have and all that we will achieve.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">You'll find that some of the resources on the blog aren't being updated as much as I would like (or at all), but a few that have helped me immensely this year:</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />health</span><br /><a href="http://www.chrisfit.net/">ChrisFit</a><br /><a href="http://www.djsteveboy.com/mixes.html">Podrunner</a><br /><a href="http://www.livestrong.com/thedailyplate/">Livestrong--My Plate</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">money</span><br /><a href="http://www.daveramsey.com/">Dave Ramsey</a><br /><a href="https://www.mytotalmoneymakeover.com/index.cfm?">My Total Money Makeover</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Recipes</span><br />Should still be updating as I tag them (on the left)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Scheduling</span><br /><a href="http://calendar.google.com">Google Calendar</a><br /><br />...and major props to my iPhone that now carries my entire life in one little black box. And to my husband who let me have it <3melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05021733044427723214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7924311010342967019.post-34563673863604586962009-07-06T08:45:00.003-04:002009-07-06T09:12:01.651-04:00To Pee or Naught to PeeIt's here. The time that most parents look forward to from the first diaper change...DIAPER FREEDOM!! Mikaela has been wearing "big girl underwears" for about a year now and took to potty training very well. She was very motivated--such a difference from Cameron. We bribed that kid with everything under the sun, but he was having none of it. Kaela barely had to be prompted, until the novelty wore off and her independence kicked in. Even then, it wasn't as daunting a task as training Cameron (and a lot earlier than him, too). Throughout the year she would have anywhere from a few accidents a day to a couple a week. Within the last month (she turned 3 two months ago) she completely stopped the once-a-week accidents, and within the last month she has been waking up dry every morning. About two weeks ago we started sending her to bed with no pull-up on and she hasn't had a single accident! Again, so different from her big brother.<br /><br />I feel a rush of freedom, or a realization that...this is it. Cameron and Mikaela are "big kids" now--it's official. And I feel great about it, but part of me is saying, "be careful, don't grow up too fast." I guess I'm fearing a slippery slope scenario. In any case, with the good comes the..."COME. ON. Are you kidding me?"<br /><br />Why is it that my daughter must visit <span style="font-weight: bold;">every</span> public bathroom in the vicinity--<span style="font-style: italic;">twice?!</span> This is one problem that I didn't have with Cam. It doesn't matter where we are or what we are doing, but if she is even remotely aware that there is a bathroom in the area--SHE HAS TO GO. OK, so she's just being careful and doesn't want to have an accident, you say. Maybe, but why, after 10 minutes of going, does she have to go again?? Or, even worse--when we are in BJ's in the farthest corner of the entire place with a full cart of groceries--I HAVE TO GO POTTY. Or my favorite, "Mommy, I have to go POOOOOOPPPPIIIEEEE."<br /><br />And while we are on the subject of going...I have always shyed away from allowing my son to go outside. Even though we are in a remote area with no neighbors on two sides, I just didn't want him to get into that habit. I know of kids who suddenly feel the freedom to let loose wherever they are and (LOL) Cameron already had a surprise poop in my aunt's yard when I let him run naked for a few minutes outside. I thought it was hilarious, and my young male cousins will probably never forget it as long as the live. Anyway, the kid doesn't need any ideas. Well, of course boys will be boys and men will be men. Kyle has taught and allowed him an occasional outside pee and knowing this, Cameron has suggested to me several times while playing outside that he, "isn't going to make it." The bathroom is right inside and probably closer than the closest tree, but outside seems like the better option. Or on a recent walk out back to the lake, he refused to go back to the house and wanted to pee in the neighbor's yard. It's not a constant battle at this point, and I will continue to fight it as the situation arises. I'm just not ready to teach my daughter the finer art of squatting in the woods. You know, the whole balancing act, proper squat format, don't pee on your shoes!, and watch out for the bugs...she's got her college years to learn that.melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05021733044427723214noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7924311010342967019.post-79008923375056354272009-06-06T20:01:00.002-04:002009-06-06T20:31:52.099-04:00It's a Beautiful Day for a Bargain!Now that my time is not consumed with eating away my stress, I have time for reading a book (The Story of Edgar Sawtelle--not as consuming as Twilight, but I'm enjoying it so far), watching my favorite show So You Think You Can Dance, and today we garage saled. Kyle and I are lovers of a good deal, so of course we love garage sales. Before the kids, we'd casually stroll about with Tim Horton's (coffee) in hand and look for some household/tools/furniture bargains. We did a bit when the kids were young, but not as much. Once we moved to this more rural area, we weren't able to go out as much since we are fairly far removed from most communities who have the good sales.<br /><br />This year (today) we finally hit the yearly 10 mile garage sale in our area. Ten miles and about 5 communities all selling their crap. And we loved every minute of it. We tried to plan a course, but that got cumbersome and just started hitting the ones we though looked good as we passed by or the ones we could get out and walk around to several. We took the kids with us, knowing that they would score some free crap (and did they ever), but also knowing that they would probably get cranky and need to go home at some point.<br /><br />We headed out at 9am and I could feel the thrill of the hunt immediately. I lost track of how many we went to, but we just kept going, feeding the kids snacks, lunch, drinks all along the way. We took our jogging stroller knowing that if we were walking quite a bit or if they started to just get plain tired they could crash in there for a bit. Best. stroller. ever. And we got several compliments on it. We had two potty breaks, filled the SUV up to the point that we were shoving things in between Cameron and Kaela and tied stuff to the roof, didn't get home until 4pm, and spent $92 including a couple hot dogs, water and cupcakes. We couldn't believe how amazing the kids were behaving--they loved it! The kept saying "are we going saling more?" "Are we going to another sale garage?" I'm sure that getting toys and clothes for them helped, but I think they also enjoyed talking to everyone. We also were in awe of our finds...we just wanted to have a fun, carefree day and took out $100 cash. This is some of what we came home with (not sure I can remember it all, but I'll try):<br /><br /><ul><li>At least 20 pieces of clothing for Kaela including boots, slippers, pj's, snowsuit, and playclothes (no boys clothes in Cammie's size!! Just one pair of snowpants)<br /></li><li>some little toys, crafts, baseball glove, sport backpack, stuffed Barney (ick), FREE bubble blower that we already have but the kids always fight over, FREE helicopter toy that Cam is in love with, strawberry shortcake colorforms and figurine (free)<br /></li><li>3 wood chairs (two are in my kitchen now) for $3 each</li><li>scarf for me<br /></li><li>2 nail guns--finisher and stapler for $20, new weeder tool because my disappeared</li><li>FREE wood lounger that was sitting on the road waiting for garbage pick up</li><li>bike for Kaela for next year--all girly and she took $10 less than she was asking ($30)</li><li>a trellis for $2 but we didnt' have room and have to go back for it. hope it's still there tomorrow!</li><li>horse swing for swing set--$5 (they are about $50)!! and bouncy hopper ball</li></ul>The kids were troopers the whole way and Kyle started to peeter out after a while. It seems my recent and unfortunate run-in with poison ivy, and the prescription of prednisone to control it, has kept me fairly wired and energetic. I can't remember having this much energy, which helped to keep me going but has also helped me to motivate to get the house spotless and laundry done. I know, most people do these things normally, but I <span style="font-style: italic;">wanted</span> to do them and could probably clean until I fall over--if only I wouldn't keep the kids up in the process.<br /><br />Tomorrow we are going to try to work on the raised vegetable garden again. It was put on hold when we weren't sure what money would be coming in, but now we feel that we can move forward. Nothing substantial, but it's new to us so it's exciting!melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05021733044427723214noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7924311010342967019.post-13773576485419920302009-06-06T19:47:00.003-04:002009-06-06T20:01:16.681-04:00j.o.b.The job situation is stable and looking...well, stable for now. I got a call saying that no one was losing their job--after days of worrying, stressing, attending extra meetings and driving all over the place--not that I'm complaining. There are some things that still need to be worked out in order for me to really be safe, and I'm not sure I'll ever feel that way again in my current position. That's the downfall of working part-time in my area--there are no guarantees. I guess that could be said for most people's job and I know so many people out there are dealing with the possibility or reality of being unemployed.<br /><br />It's a scary thought--to not be able to pay bills, have health insurance, let alone any "extras" or fun stuff. I think that we would have made it somehow, but I know that our financial plan that we have been working on for a few years now would be set back. And that is disheartening. We have been paying down debt and have not used any credit cards for a couple years now. While I would not have resorted to using a credit card again (if possible) I'm sure that we would have been behind in some payments. Because we are paying down debt, we only have a limited "emergency" fund and no cushion in case of job loss. At this time, I was wondering if we had been doing the right thing. I guess...but it definitely made me think twice about our plan. For now, we'll just keep doing as we have been. <br /><br />One thing that has changed is that this has been a reality check and has made me start to consider other opportunities. There aren't that many right now, but going back to work full time is definitely on the horizon. I had expected that at some point. It's not that I don't want to work full time, but it's probably going to mean some big changes both professionally and personally. Hopefully, I can stay where I am for another year at least, but I'm still keeping my eyes open. If a great opportunity presents itself sooner, I am more inclined to go after it than I was previously.<br /><br />All the while my responsibilities kept on coming and I had/have some projects to work on. It was very difficult for me to concentrate while worrying about keeping a job, but now I feel like I have a bit of a renewed spirit and am looking forward to next school year. Cautiously.melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05021733044427723214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7924311010342967019.post-78701862360828332422009-05-20T21:08:00.003-04:002009-05-24T22:20:29.199-04:00sweet, sweet cammieWhen I was <a href="http://chubbacoo.blogspot.com/search/label/pregnancy">pregnant</a>, we told our family by having Cameron say, "Mommy has a baby in her belly!" It was exciting for him and funny to see everyone's reaction. Unfortunately, I miscarried, but we never explained what that meant to Cameron. He's only 4 and I guess never fully realized what we were talking about. He never asked anything about the baby, but did continue to say occasionally, "<span style="font-style: italic;">I</span> have a baby in <span style="font-style: italic;">my</span> belly!" We just laugh, and sometimes I used to cry, but now we just think he's cute. <br /><br />Cameron loves babies and is the most gentle, the most sweet, and the most adoring boy I have ever seen around them. Everyday I have to stop by the baby room at their school so that we can say hi. He comforts them if they are crying, plays with them and makes them laugh, and lightly touches their cheek or chin and looks at them lovingly.<br /><br />The other night I was cuddling with Cammie in bed, and he said, "When I grow up, I'm going to have a baby in my belly." I explained that boys don't have babies in their bellies. He looked at me with a pained expression and repeated, "When I grow up, I'm going to have a baby in my belly." <br /><br />"No, Cameron, boys can't have babies." And then his eyes squinched up and he looked like he was going to cry. "Cameron, you want to grow up and by like Daddy, right?"<br /><br />"yes"<br /><br />"Well, you can grow up and be a daddy like your daddy, but only mommies have babies. So one day, you can grow up and have a baby, but the mommy will have the baby in her belly. Just like Mommy had you in her belly."<br /><br />That seemed to settle him...for the moment. Hard to believe I had that conversation with him, but anytime I lay down with him for a while before bed he comes up with some funny things to talk about. Sometimes we have science lessons, sometimes we just talk about the day, sometimes we talk about his friends at school and how they treat him. It's a very special, quiet time that he just opens up and talks about whatever is on his mind. I know it won't always be like this, but I am going to treasure it for as long as it lasts.melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05021733044427723214noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7924311010342967019.post-50369723260945710742009-05-14T19:59:00.003-04:002009-05-14T20:22:50.715-04:00a whole lotta nuttinThings have taken a turn in my world and thus I have become silent. I did finish the Twilight series in record time (for me) and <span style="font-style: italic;">loved</span> it. <span style="font-weight: bold;">L.O.V.E.D. it. </span> I don't care if it is teen-angst-first-vampire-love-stuff. I dig it. And yes, the gardening is taking over my life again, but things with my job have been clouding my mind. I really don't want to air it all out here, but the gist of it is that I hope to continue to have a job. For about a week there was so much drama going on in my office that I was sick about it. I don't usually work in the office, so once I left I felt so much better and got back into the swing of things. I have occasional reminders that I'm not as safe as I used to be, but I keep telling myself that worrying about it isn't going to change the outcome. All I can do is keep doing what I'm doing and wait to see how it all unfolds--hard thing for a "planner" to do. The good thing is, that it has nothing to do with my performance. Just a shift in management, combination of departments, and possible weird certification/tenure/seniority stuff (of which the tenure and seniority I gave up when going part-time).<br /><br />I don't know if it is all the drama and the stress, or I'm just tired, or what, but I haven't been experimenting with recipes, writing or reading blogs...I've just kinda been <span style="font-style: italic;">blah</span>. Not that I'm moping around the house, but I certainly don't feel like myself lately. Hmmm...or maybe it's that pesky little pill. TMI? Probably. Oh well. Deal with it.<br /><br />On top of everything--or maybe because of everything--MY KIDS ARE DRIVING ME CRAZY. Like seriously, crazy. I'm definitely ready for some consistently nice weather (yeah right) and get them outside and on some trails. Usually they can't fight over toys or poke each other, or steal each others whatevers when we are hiking. I see a lot of that in our future. That and the beach..ooh, can't wait for the beach days. <br /><br />And then next week Kaela turns 3...how in the world is that happening? It blows my mind. And when I start to think forward, it all seems like it's about to go in fast forward. I think I stole some extra time with Cameron having the late birthday and having to wait another year to start school (2nd year of PreK next year). After that, Kaela starts and then it just keeps going. I feel like I should have that extra year with her, too! With all of their driving me craziness, I'm not as sad about them going off to school, but also with all the job uncertainty going on I'm facing the reality of full-time work. I haven't worked full time in 4 years...it will be quite a change for our household when that happens. Will I have the time to blog (forget thinking about the blahs), will I have time to cook? yikes...anyway, what was I talking about? Oh yeah, Kaela...so my little girl is turning 3...<br /><br />Hope I haven't lost you all--or at least not permanently. I'm sure I'll be back to my old self at some point. Until then, just enjoy the music. I know I hop on my own blog just to hear "Beautiful Life" and it makes me feel like everything is great :)melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05021733044427723214noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7924311010342967019.post-67450986086950396272009-04-24T14:13:00.001-04:002009-04-24T14:14:52.261-04:00Because it's fun...and Friday<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_5aLQCuRX5PRce08eAfhKAlNpRzhT7BJ_sz7Bh9hNI2bGZ_BHXk5V2t9Jp42mxlkyO9e10r4sCsQuOQ4RfpUPT_zxOD-s5xHV-iusL-TKYB6xu2dMc-MwuqBvuqQ6uTy-7ZQrMA3DHog/s1600-h/wordle.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 251px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_5aLQCuRX5PRce08eAfhKAlNpRzhT7BJ_sz7Bh9hNI2bGZ_BHXk5V2t9Jp42mxlkyO9e10r4sCsQuOQ4RfpUPT_zxOD-s5xHV-iusL-TKYB6xu2dMc-MwuqBvuqQ6uTy-7ZQrMA3DHog/s400/wordle.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328322980004594706" border="0" /></a>melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05021733044427723214noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7924311010342967019.post-67510330314867082272009-04-19T14:38:00.002-04:002009-04-19T14:45:37.403-04:00I've been Twilighted and Kidnapped by the SunI was on the fence about reading Twilight, but then I saw the movie and asked a few people at work if the book was worth it. The answer: definitely. And I have to agree. So all of you who are snubbing the teen craze--you don't know what you're missing. Kyle and I are fighting over the copy we borrowed from one of his students--day and night. The series has 4 books in it and we are currently reading the 2nd (New Moon). This is where I spend all my free time.<br /><br />When the kids are around we have been outside soaking up all the beautiful sun that has come our way. Yes, it's sometimes cold, but we just bundle up and take it in. It feels great and in turn we have gotten quite a jump start on our gardening this year. So, with that in mind we are building and planning a vegetable garden. I've been wanting to grow something tangible, something useful, for several years but growing children took over. They're on their own now (sorry kids) and we are ready to take on this project. I'll let ya know how it goes.<br /><br />Other than that...I have a few random photos to put together and share, but only when Kyle wins the wrestle for the book. Don't get your hopes up though--I fight dirty. (how else can I beat a 6'3" gigantic hunk of a man??)melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05021733044427723214noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7924311010342967019.post-8938172375506017182009-03-31T16:14:00.004-04:002009-04-01T08:03:33.652-04:00ahh kidsCameron has gotten into somewhat of a sneaky stage lately. He knows what he is doing is wrong (or more accurately, not allowed) but he does it anyway. A few minutes ago I caught him with half of a box of wipes in his hand, cleaning the floor. While I will accept any help I can get in the cleaning area, the reaction to me catching him is what really upset me. The look on his face said, "Oh shhh... I'm in trouble." He went to timeout--not for the wipes, but for doing something he knew was wrong. We had a little talk and he seemed to get it. But, ya never know with those sneaky 4 year olds.<br /><br />Cameron is now on the task of cleaning up our big box of coloring supplies. They accidentally fell on to the floor--no big deal--and he is putting them back. He came up to me in the kitchen and asked for a cloth. I asked, "what for?" He paused, looked up at me, sighed and said, "I just need to clean off my hand." With that, he reluctantly held up his hand with his fingers pressed together. I saw bright, red marker all over it. Apparently he thought he was going to get in trouble, but instead of trying to hide it or take care of it himself he decided to own up to it and suffer the consequences. I'm sure you know that I would be more likely to draw with the marker all over my own face rather than be upset with him for getting dirty. All I could do was give him a big smile, a bigger hug, and tell him that I love him. And go finish cleaning up before I turn 70.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />note: I am standing in my kitchen writing this while it's fresh in my mind. The kids are supposed to be cleaning up. Cameron just came in saying that Kaela hit him and I can hear her crying. I walked into the dining room to see what was going on and she was sitting in our time out area. I said, "did you put yourself in time out?" She said, "yes" I said, "oh, because you weren't being nice?" And with that she turned herself around on her little bum, looked into the corner and said, "don't talk to me". I'll say it again...ahhh, kids. Did I mention both refused to nap today? Big surprise, right?</span>melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05021733044427723214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7924311010342967019.post-81273505578858669512009-03-31T13:41:00.003-04:002009-03-31T13:53:07.487-04:00Will it ever end?The sickness, that is. I hear about it at work, on Facebook, from other moms--this is the year of sickness. We certainly have not escaped it and I seem to have gotten the brunt of most of it. I blame this on the fact that no matter how sick my kids are, we still seem to be in each other's faces. I just can't bring myself to not cuddle them up and smother them with attention when they are sick--isn't that the time they need it most? I also blame this on being in schools and touching computers all the time. I try to be very aware that computers are some of the dirtiest non-living things, but apparently not good enough. I am trying to eat a balanced diet, but those things slip once in a while and I am certainly not good at taking a vitamin everyday. I usually remember about the time that my post nasal drip has taken over my face. And lastly, what I know to be one of the major causes and it's a disgusting confession...I still bite my nails. I am able to stop, but it takes a whole lot of effort on my part. It takes serious attention to myself and when I am unconsciously putting my fingers in my mouth, and it takes constant pampering of my nails to keep them filed and painted. Can't imagine why that one seems to slip through the cracks!<br /><br />So, two weeks ago I lost my voice for no apparent reason except the aforementioned post nasal and yesterday I woke up with a stellar sore throat. It seems wimpy to complain about a sore throat, but when you consider spitting because of the pain, well I guess that is at least a little worthy.<br /><br />I'm hoping for the best and shoving vitamins, ibuprofin, and sudafed down my throat. This weekend is a big one and I need everyone to be in tip top shape!melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05021733044427723214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7924311010342967019.post-9928794506323470802009-03-23T21:54:00.003-04:002009-03-23T22:06:28.386-04:00Spring has Sprung<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIzGv9AFqND2_xdLS90YkaZx84FOVBzK2kQO1bsjfX3ZVh1Fl4AGc4YH0kQwTRODmv7-oq__fAgzOqw190YmpB-HNuTh4Trk9WglEBFeig_XJorQzpD9OFNGyZ7LqlXaDYmHCMfpiVvvk/s1600-h/Recolor_IMG_0974.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 312px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIzGv9AFqND2_xdLS90YkaZx84FOVBzK2kQO1bsjfX3ZVh1Fl4AGc4YH0kQwTRODmv7-oq__fAgzOqw190YmpB-HNuTh4Trk9WglEBFeig_XJorQzpD9OFNGyZ7LqlXaDYmHCMfpiVvvk/s400/Recolor_IMG_0974.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316567493349259890" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6BNGG2EIi0I2tK-WQpi7inAljDcIAHFk3fpI5jsDwSmo_5jcd1ln846YPLPwcIUmSZPAaVuhqG4cKr9RM4lhwFGs5gjypQLkSxmQHln62SOKrIp5IIAA8U7lQj1ZqaQ9ondbJYaytQJk/s1600-h/Recolor_IMG_0995.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6BNGG2EIi0I2tK-WQpi7inAljDcIAHFk3fpI5jsDwSmo_5jcd1ln846YPLPwcIUmSZPAaVuhqG4cKr9RM4lhwFGs5gjypQLkSxmQHln62SOKrIp5IIAA8U7lQj1ZqaQ9ondbJYaytQJk/s400/Recolor_IMG_0995.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316567499974017378" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqQa0YiY-xsNRn_YT0iCH3BbzNsLdtsxKLwEyzK_oNPzjV_fN0Vpn_y6yTO71yfebJNTJAFoClYOggkUnTiUNH7FjFU0_NY99MqPSwkEssK81-ZL55oMklCTkiqZrpdcQpowJgpN87Ef8/s1600-h/Recolor_IMG_0997.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 318px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqQa0YiY-xsNRn_YT0iCH3BbzNsLdtsxKLwEyzK_oNPzjV_fN0Vpn_y6yTO71yfebJNTJAFoClYOggkUnTiUNH7FjFU0_NY99MqPSwkEssK81-ZL55oMklCTkiqZrpdcQpowJgpN87Ef8/s400/Recolor_IMG_0997.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316567510608821042" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM2TRKQqv9hDyCCtEd7BiM5Rh778VLgMSuQv9bJi0p2hBrfumOwfERKR-nyYwmmL-h6bXK_Q7p8vck597qJMzrhyphenhyphenPCWogkI07iyje1Lgcn_QjwKh-pwWz5iHmpH0aFJOzg9RU22DRqwc0/s1600-h/Recolor_IMG_0999.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM2TRKQqv9hDyCCtEd7BiM5Rh778VLgMSuQv9bJi0p2hBrfumOwfERKR-nyYwmmL-h6bXK_Q7p8vck597qJMzrhyphenhyphenPCWogkI07iyje1Lgcn_QjwKh-pwWz5iHmpH0aFJOzg9RU22DRqwc0/s400/Recolor_IMG_0999.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316567520934887394" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVpJGhalNN4A2mZXfKpt-9JnaiSbSKFSajETkCca-R-o_I0z4NPQh0ZEZkPmVCbSG-TJhWuRRankf8JtFdTwMptkxQV36ZF5TXtMkpg0JofpQ_Xuemg2stK9TVBR2hZqwRRgeZ6HDKAsI/s1600-h/Recolor_IMG_1001.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVpJGhalNN4A2mZXfKpt-9JnaiSbSKFSajETkCca-R-o_I0z4NPQh0ZEZkPmVCbSG-TJhWuRRankf8JtFdTwMptkxQV36ZF5TXtMkpg0JofpQ_Xuemg2stK9TVBR2hZqwRRgeZ6HDKAsI/s400/Recolor_IMG_1001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316567520982795266" border="0" /></a>melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05021733044427723214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7924311010342967019.post-74588615846801021202009-03-17T22:20:00.003-04:002009-03-17T22:30:21.494-04:00Misha Baby, We Love You<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTq3KPUYKMASpnklkWpvMTYeHY-kJL3V40qa-7jmf3q23rA1v9m50Yxz1evbilf45_DUotDAkIvRXBoshGB5Wr3cl9HUx4V5Xaz2Xk7aCcUhTOtFp1uD2gpr3PjzdSF_OgJbu2AfhUYrQ/s1600-h/IMG_0981.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTq3KPUYKMASpnklkWpvMTYeHY-kJL3V40qa-7jmf3q23rA1v9m50Yxz1evbilf45_DUotDAkIvRXBoshGB5Wr3cl9HUx4V5Xaz2Xk7aCcUhTOtFp1uD2gpr3PjzdSF_OgJbu2AfhUYrQ/s320/IMG_0981.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314347394562359170" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">We visited my mom this weekend...and so did Misha. Cameron and Mikaela were beside themselves waiting to see her. Both of them LOVE babies. We have to stop by the baby room at the daycare so they can say hi <span style="font-style: italic;">every day</span>. They gently touch a baby's cheek, or hand or speak sweetly to them. To have a baby around day and night--well, that's just their cup of tea.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHvo2ndRgjOODKN_loaTbsyaKJqnuAVW0ajSJqekdPfkaGXNUU_C9u4qlLyKDs_il2P2osy56soOoRKmcQv6R2JqNG26-JSWPpjaGfhDI9btkWmBs-cXR3LzLRk9bIWGORfmiGIBeBEkM/s1600-h/IMG_0980.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHvo2ndRgjOODKN_loaTbsyaKJqnuAVW0ajSJqekdPfkaGXNUU_C9u4qlLyKDs_il2P2osy56soOoRKmcQv6R2JqNG26-JSWPpjaGfhDI9btkWmBs-cXR3LzLRk9bIWGORfmiGIBeBEkM/s320/IMG_0980.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314347393692595026" border="0" /></a>It actually started with Cameron wanting to carry and hold Misha. He's a pretty big kid, but still only 4.<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYcnI22KUvw1jFF97mnoShEATwPLH1GMafUTgU6WKh4VYiQIDrkGx6DgWegag6w2Rh569wI7gh2B7wKHtxCHxdCUU9hCEYuHIZq7mGD2cjRtIv70PTkKTZhDZimMn2UPDFHz-BBbBDX28/s1600-h/IMG_0979.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYcnI22KUvw1jFF97mnoShEATwPLH1GMafUTgU6WKh4VYiQIDrkGx6DgWegag6w2Rh569wI7gh2B7wKHtxCHxdCUU9hCEYuHIZq7mGD2cjRtIv70PTkKTZhDZimMn2UPDFHz-BBbBDX28/s320/IMG_0979.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314347390287266642" border="0" /></a>Mikaela also wanted to hold Misha, but was pretty happy with hugging and sitting with her.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-haaeU7WM_PV8pqC4aKr7J_QzDKNBaGsEJPYIyBMD1wgNroRdd9_awFGgA8Jea-4wZf6XOhRE7WNXCezgpovXxgHN6Dyo_n2RZiQwqzWvbI9SFSSPtX68BrbglspdzDxw_TsDN4koFFg/s1600-h/IMG_0977.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-haaeU7WM_PV8pqC4aKr7J_QzDKNBaGsEJPYIyBMD1wgNroRdd9_awFGgA8Jea-4wZf6XOhRE7WNXCezgpovXxgHN6Dyo_n2RZiQwqzWvbI9SFSSPtX68BrbglspdzDxw_TsDN4koFFg/s320/IMG_0977.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314347376354568914" border="0" /></a>They played with her toys, wanted her attention, and when she left all they could do was ask, "where's Misha?"<br /></div>melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05021733044427723214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7924311010342967019.post-26625684677469169852009-03-12T18:54:00.006-04:002009-03-12T19:56:58.835-04:00Gourmet DinnerKyle went out with some friends from work for happy hour tonight..the nerve. I mean, the man goes out every....(we've been married 7 years, umm...carry the one...) once every 2 or 3 <span style="font-style: italic;">years</span> by himself.<br /><br />It's just happy hour so I made <a href="http://gettingfreedom.blogspot.com/2009/02/lentil-brown-rice-casserole-my-way.html">this casserole</a> that he loved last week. Anyone else make this? I'm having some trouble. Last week I forgot to put the foil on so I guessed that was why it wasn't cooking in an hour. I tried again this week--with foil--but we are going on 2 hours now (and I even kicked the temp up to 400 degrees!) So, I'm still waiting for him to come home, the casserole's not done and I'm starving. I already gave the kids some turkey dogs and decided to make a peanut butter and jelly graham cracker sandwich. This is totally my favorite thing lately. My mom used to make them occasionally when we were kids (probably because we ran out of bread? At least that's when I brought them out of the closet at our house!) But I know that she really liked them, too. I thought they were ok back then, but preferred my starchy white yummy smooshy bread. Not that I miss white bread or anything. And maybe because I am off white bread that these are so appealing to me. Either that or I'm an old mom. he he.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpI-NcQqWfFCs2YNzXSS7yumZ8akqO3UK3TjQ_94oaNlycslZdpLFQUp8hPMkxAwQNNBp885EA0UU2UuEJvdiYOL7Zt456gNBySqFxo4xkJFXhvUrioVOrJmJlp5QkaFDlVglltmY_P_A/s1600-h/898-peanut-butter-jelly.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 244px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpI-NcQqWfFCs2YNzXSS7yumZ8akqO3UK3TjQ_94oaNlycslZdpLFQUp8hPMkxAwQNNBp885EA0UU2UuEJvdiYOL7Zt456gNBySqFxo4xkJFXhvUrioVOrJmJlp5QkaFDlVglltmY_P_A/s320/898-peanut-butter-jelly.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312453411457418482" border="0" /></a><br /><br />When I was a kid, <span style="font-weight: bold;">my</span> favorite sandwich was a PB & J with a slice of bologna in the middle. Yum, I know you are all grossed out, but I have always loved it. I love all things salty and sweet and I think that was the pull with that one. If only I had bologna (or ate lunch meat) I could really relive my youth right now.melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05021733044427723214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7924311010342967019.post-64359414951447088882009-03-11T18:13:00.003-04:002009-03-11T18:17:50.707-04:00Playtime at OUR House<span style="font-style: italic;">note: I included a video section on the left hand side that will stay there. I'll keep posting videos though, since they are small on the side and to let you know when I've added a new one.</span><br /><br /><br /><object width="400" height="300"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=3551260&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=00ADEF&fullscreen=1" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=3551260&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=00ADEF&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="300"></embed></object>melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05021733044427723214noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7924311010342967019.post-45443687442473789622009-03-10T13:48:00.002-04:002009-03-10T13:57:04.346-04:00Who Broke My Blog?Looks like the background wasn't working, which made the text unreadable...I need a makeover anyway. The problem is that I am so picky..so you will see <span style="font-weight: bold;">slow</span> changes to the look and the features.melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05021733044427723214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7924311010342967019.post-85451275017783238922009-03-08T13:25:00.003-04:002009-03-08T14:17:17.308-04:00a better meOn my little bookshelf (right hand side of blog) I've added a new book: A New Earth Awakening to Your Life's Purpose. When Oprah did this book as her book club choice, I really wanted to join in. I got the book from the library and even tuned in briefly to the first webcast. However, I just didn't feel ready to get into heavy reading. I have not been a consistent reader for several years now and being a little out of the loop I was...a little fearful, I guess. <br /><br />Lately, we have been visiting the library about once a week as a family. I had always wanted to do this, but I was worried about the noise the kids would make and it just never seemed to fit in. Well really, I didn't make much of an effort to fit it in. The past 3 weeks or so has been a wonderful experience for all of us. Last week, I saw A New Earth sitting on the shelf and I said to myself, "alright, let's give it another go." And it sat on my bookshelf at home for about a week. Finally, I just decided to go for it and give it a try.<br /><br />I opened up the book, glanced at the first chapter and decided to skip it. It didn't look that important and thought I could just jump right into the nitty-gritty. However, as I looked at the first sentence of the 2nd chapter I decided...maybe I should read the first, just in case. And I'm so glad I did.<br /><br />The first chapter is a bit theoretical and not as tangible as the following chapters, but it spoke to me. I could identify and relate to the thoughts in a way I have never been able to before. In Oprah speak, I had one "aha" moment after the next. I felt a release, an understanding, and an openness that I have not felt in a long time. So far, it has really changed my view.<br /><br />I have been searching for something...doesn't it seem like so many of us are? Why is it that I read so many of the same topics, discussions, and issues amongst so many people? Why is it when you read my archives you find the same themes circling around and around? I struggle with keeping up with everything as a mom, wife, and employee. I am frustrated when I can't get it all done with the cleaning, and the cooking, and the baking, and spending time with my children. I am constantly on the quest to live a healthy lifestyle, including making healthy foods for my family and exercising. A topic I don't write much about has been my unrest with spirituality. I don't subscribe to any one religion, but have more of a world view. I approach religions with an open mind, an acceptance of all beliefs, but have struggled to define exactly what this means in my life as well as how will I pass essential values and morals on to my children. My job is a great job and I relish the flexibility it provides. There are many things I greatly enjoy about it, but I can't bring myself to say I love it. I appreciate everything it provides for me, but have always felt a need to make a difference in the world. I have always wanted to help people, specifically children, and I get very little to no satisfaction in this area with my current position. I wonder over and over again, do I continue in my current state because of the convenience it affords me or do I try to move on to something I truly love and not just like? <br /><br />It feels like I work on maybe one or two areas of my life, but haven't been able to "conquer" all or any of them. The battle starts to fade and I move on to the next issue until it all comes full circle and I start again. Is this what my life is meant to be? I really don't want to spend the rest of it circling in the same spot and never finding the answers. What about this,<br /><br /> "Instead of asking what I want from life, ask what does life want from me"<br /><br />Hmmm...yes, I think I felt that way once before and I forgot about it. What<span style="font-style: italic;"> does</span> life want from me? I've already gotten a couple answers--thank you, life. I'll keep listening.<br /><br />Yesterday, we went to a new library (to us) and drove down a long road along the river we haven't been down in a long time. It was a truly enjoyable experience, yet simple. Just a normal event. I had conversations with my husband, interactions with my children, and it was normal yet, different. We went to my in-laws house to celebrate my husband and brother in-law's birthdays. I wasn't feeling well, but wanted to be with the family so I went anyway. Again, so glad I did. I was more open and because of the release I had felt from reading the book, had a much more agreeable presence. How do I say this without sounding like a jerk? This is hard to admit, so hang in there with me 'til the end. Sometimes when I spend time with certain people, I walk in to an event with...a status quo of almost crabbiness, I guess. Sometimes I can just be disagreeable without reason. It just resides there, lying underneath the surface. Nothing that is said or done can snap me out of it. I am aware of it, ashamed of it, but still it sits there because I don't know what to do with it. Those feelings were gone yesterday. I was able to engage people with no prior thoughts or attachments. I could take what they had to say and to give to me at that time and appreciate all that it was, for what it was. And for the most part, all that my friends and family have to give to me is love. I guess this is what they mean by "being present".<br /><br />I have heard this many times before "it's important to be present". So, I recall sitting in my livingroom with my kids, trying to be present. I would shut out all the extraneous thoughts of work, or getting things done, or whatever else was running through my mind. I would sit there and take it all in. But not really. I was trying to let go of the to do list, but I still had all the prior emotional attachments. Even though I stopped the distraction of thoughts, that layer of emotion was still present and essentially, blinding. I didn't get it. I have always tried to put myself in a present state--appreciate the kids being young, appreciate this beautiful day, appreciate this time with your family. Appreciate? Yes, I had that down. But <span style="font-style: italic;">really</span> present? I only just scratched the surface.melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05021733044427723214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7924311010342967019.post-62700648758472556592009-03-01T19:21:00.003-05:002009-03-01T20:03:23.509-05:00Mind on my Money, Money on my MindI'm told, "you're going to lose your readers" because I haven't written in a while. That makes me laugh for a couple reasons. The truth is, I write when I have something interesting to say (well, at least that is of interest to me) or a memory that I want to capture. I often end up writing several posts at once because thing shave been building up and I get in the mood. If you don't hear from me for a while, it's probably because things are either 1) crazy busy and I can't even stop to think about it or 2) just the daily grind.<br /><br />The past couple weeks have had a bit of both. The other truth is that I do write, but I don't always post. In fact, I wrote a post about how I was jumping out of my skin waiting to hear about what kind of finance rate we were going to get for our new vehicle. Looking back, it really isn't something that any of you would want to read at length, but it took the edge off for me while I was just sitting around itching with anticipation.<br /><br />After hours of research and visiting a few dealerships we did buy a "new to us" Honda Pilot. It was a stressful situation for me with the research, comparing, etc., but now it's done and I feel like we got a really great family vehicle for a fantastic price. I'm not one to love cars--I actually think it's kind of silly to "love" your car, but I can appreciate a reliable vehicle to get me from place to place. And if you add in a few extras (such as heated seats--hot butt!) then I might be a little more fond. So it's true that I have left the minivan world and moved into the land of SUV's, but only sort of. We do have the optional 3rd row that goes up or down very easily depending on if we need extra seats or the extra storage. I love the possibilities.<br /><br />And then we helped my mom move back to Pittsburgh. Actually, Kyle helped put things together and I tried to keep the kids out of the way. I'm really excited to have my mom closer and her new digs have some fancy amenities that I plan to take full advantage of.<br /><br />One of my many obstacles from day to day, week to week, and now year to year is to get our debt and spending under control. A couple years ago, my mom gave me the Financial Peace book by <a href="http://www.daveramsey.com/">Dave Ramsey</a>. What he said made sense and I started arranging our lifestyle and budget according to his principles. There were a couple things that I wasn't so sure about and I still struggle with. First and foremost, I have chosen to work part time. I was a full time employee up until I was able to go part time when Cameron was 4 months old. It was the best decision and I feel very blessed to have been able to have that opportunity. If I could have stayed home with him full time I would have done so. The only reason I could not is because I carry the health insurance for our family and it wasn't something we could give up. Now, I am thankful that I continued to work because I think it fulfills some needs that I have and allows me to give the kids some independence with going to "school". One of Dave's principles is to make as much money as you can to get out of debt as fast as you are able. That makes sense, but it doesn't take me more than 15 seconds to say that my family comes first and I will never get this time back. For that reason, we have to make due with the money we are bringing in.<br /><br />After I got a working budget, we worked out a system to use only cash and no credit card for any reason. We have been successful at this for 2 years now and looking back--I'm pretty proud of that! We have been steadily paying our debt, spending within our budget, and feeling like we were doing the right thing for quite some time. Recently, however, I started getting frustrated that my credit card debt wasn't disappearing as quickly as I would like. I took a hard look at where we were spending money and although I don't think we were spending outrageous amounts, I do think we can cut back. So, we are making some hard choices and cutting way back in a lot of areas--to the point that I don't want to buy <span style="font-weight: bold;">anything</span> new, especially if it's not absolutely necessary. I admit, I am saying this after we bought a new car (not according to Dave either because we financed) and I just bought the kids new wardrobes for next year ($5 per piece of clothing from Children's Place!! And 80% off at Harstrings! Great deals!). Still, this means no decorating pieces for our house, cutting back on gifts, Christmas budget, and vacation. No more electronics fund (sorry...no flat screen), furniture, or any of the "extra" budgeting that I had been doing. All of those funds are being slushed into the credit card until it is paid off. <br /><br />We will be feeling good in our reliable car, but we'll be vacationing at my mom's this year. Camping is even out of our budget. If I turn down invitations to go out to eat, don't take it personally it's just because I went out to dinner with you 3 years ago and am still paying it off. :)melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05021733044427723214noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7924311010342967019.post-81330395690242705442009-02-10T21:15:00.001-05:002009-02-10T21:15:49.164-05:00Goin’ To the Chapel<span xmlns=''><p>Cameron and I were walking out of the grocery store and he said, "Mommy, I am going to marry Mikaela."<br /></p><p><br /> </p><p>"You can't marry Kaela, it's against the rules."<br /></p><p><br /> </p><p>"And you will marry Daddy," he said as we crossed the parking lot.<br /></p><p><br /> </p><p>"I already married Daddy."<br /></p><p><br /> </p><p>"And I will marry Kaela."<br /></p><p><br /> </p><p>"You can't marry Kaela, it's against the rules. You can marry Maddie," I said cautiously. We've always thought that the two neighbors would think this idea gross and consider themselves more like brother and sister than anything icky like linking them romantically. I didn't want to put any pressure on their 4 year old friendship. Being 4 is tough enough.<br /></p><p><br /> </p><p>"Yeah! I will marry Maddie."<br /></p><p><br /> </p><p>"Or you can marry Sophia."<br /></p><p><br /> </p><p>"No, Sophia is too little for me to marry, but Kaela can marry Sophia."<br /></p><p><br /> </p><p>"Um," and I thought to myself...<em>maybe if people get their heads on straight because who are we to judge? Wouldn't it be nice if by that time people would be a little more tolerant of others? Maybe just because you or your religion doesn't believe that marriage between same sex couples is acceptable, maybe people can realize that doesn't give them the right to dictate what marriage means to others. Yes, Cameron, Kaela could marry Sophia if they so choose.<br /></em></p><p><br /> </p><p>And then Cam says "...because Kaela and Sophia are the same size!"<br /></p><p><br /> </p><p>"Uh, yes, they are the same size..."</p></span>melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05021733044427723214noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7924311010342967019.post-9437339669609324752009-02-06T21:20:00.004-05:002009-02-20T12:20:37.219-05:00someday you'll find it, the rainbow connection...This was my favorite song when I was a kid. I LOVED rainbows and not just a little. My *dream* room had an ever-expansive rainbow painted across the entire wall. That was awesome. I had Peanuts rainbow curtains to match. I would have painted myself a rainbow if I could have. I've never been much of an artist, but hand me a few Crayola markers and I will draw the most beautiful rainbow any 8 year old could ever do.<br /><br /><br /><br />When I saw the picture, I had to hop right on over and see what this food dream come true could possible be! I linked this recipe on the right, but I had to write about it, too. The pictures are just so rainbowly spectacular. (Note the new word for the week--this is becoming a habit.)<br /><br /><a href="http://omnomicon.blogspot.com/2009/01/how-to-make-rainbow-cake.html">The Omnomicon</a>melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05021733044427723214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7924311010342967019.post-18788845503499741322009-02-06T21:01:00.004-05:002009-02-11T20:18:14.209-05:00when good cakes go badI had to check the archives to make sure I wasn't included..I've made some bad cakes in my day. And one really great one that I never got a picture of. But that's a story for another day.<br /><br />Amy, this one's for you...if this is your competition--you definitely need to up your prices!!<br /><br /><a href="http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/">Cake Wrecks</a><br /><br />Oh! and Kyle has an idea for you: make a butt shaped cake so people can say "it tastes like ass!" (his sinuses are pressured, too; you can't hold him accountable)melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05021733044427723214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7924311010342967019.post-47856977211503977852009-02-06T20:05:00.005-05:002009-02-09T19:40:14.785-05:00Oh Mr Sun, Sun, Mr Golden SunCameron has always been a great sleeper. He wasn't one of those crazy, nice babies that slept through the night at 6 weeks (or 6 months) but he would go to sleep fairly easily and wake up happy. He has always taken great naps. He will even still indulge me with some afternoon sleep a few times a week. However, he has acquired that atrocious habit that most 4 year <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">olds</span> torment their parents with in the morning, "is it time to get up?" Although his statement is more like, "MOMMY! DADDY! It's time to get up!"<br /><br />My mom came to visit last week and slept on the couch, which happens to be right outside Cameron's room. Now before you think I am awful for making my mother sleep on the couch, let me explain the set up. Then I'll get to the point--I promise. First of all, I have no guest room and it's a little bit more annoying than I thought it would be when we moved from our 4 bedroom house. My brother, his wife, and my baby niece were all crammed into Mikaela's room. They loved sleeping in a princess bed--and who wouldn't?! Mikaela slept in Cameron's room and my mom enjoys sleeping on the couch for two reasons. One: she gets a feather bed spread out over the couch and the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">ottoman</span> so it's like a double, and then she gets the down comforter over her; secondly, Cameron comes out of his room and snuggles her in the morning. She particularly loves it when he touches her neck with his icy, cold fingers. She told me so. Don't cry for her, Argentina.<br /><br />We started talking to Cameron about "when Mr. Sun is out then you can get up" because it's still dark here for some time in the morning. Cameron comes out of his room now and says, "Mr Sun is out--time to get up!" Or, "is Mr Sun out?" or "where is Mr Sun?" Now, I know there are remedies to this and I think I have heard quite a few involving an alarm clock and setting it for an appropriate time to get up...etc etc but I haven't gotten around to it.<br /><br />But then I saw this: <a href="http://www.goodnitelite.com/index.php">Good <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Nite</span> Lite</a>. It's a moon! and a Mr Sun! and it tells Jr when to get up...and it's $35!! yikes. But maybe Ya Ya would like to sleep in a little next time she visits?<br /><br />Oh, and Kaela could use one, too.melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05021733044427723214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7924311010342967019.post-2102080826673972782009-02-06T11:01:00.002-05:002009-02-06T11:20:06.446-05:00I'm using the only brain cell available at this timeLast week<a href="http://chubbacoo.blogspot.com/2008/05/misha.html"> Misha </a>came to visit...oh, and my mom, brother, and sister in law. I took NO pictures at all, but Mom had her fancy camera so when she gets a spare moment we'll be posting those pics.<br /><br />As for me, well my brother left us a great gift--yet another cold. Totally not his fault, but I am going on my 3rd illness in about 2 weeks. I'm seriously over it. I guess I'll start taking those vitamins EVERY day.<br /><br />You'll excuse my lack of judgment as I post this "25 Random Things About Me" that has been circulating Facebook and blogs everywhere. The first time I was tagged, I ignored it. But then more came through and I truly do enjoy reading this information about other people--for the most part. So, since I have little to no brain function due to sinus pressure...here ya go.<br /><br /><ol style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" zid="1" type="1"><li value="1" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-size: 11pt;" zid="2"><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11pt;" zid="3">I have to crack my hips every night before I fall asleep.</span></li><li style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-size: 11pt;" value="2" zid="4"><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11pt;" zid="5">I have always wanted to be a foster mom. </span></li><li style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-size: 11pt;" value="3" zid="6"><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11pt;" zid="7">I lived in Canada for 2 years.</span></li><li style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-size: 11pt;" value="4" zid="8"><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11pt;" zid="9">The only thing I have ever known for sure is that I wanted to have a family.</span></li><li style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-size: 11pt;" value="5" zid="10"><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11pt;" zid="11">I love the smell of firewood and heat our house with a wood burning stove.</span></li><li style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-size: 11pt;" value="6" zid="12"><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11pt;" zid="13">I make realistic plans for life, but end up following my heart. And it has always been right.</span></li><li style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-size: 11pt;" value="7" zid="14"><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11pt;" zid="15">I </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11pt;" zid="16">would move anywhere in order to live in a cul-de-sac with my friends.</span></li><li style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-size: 11pt;" value="8" zid="17"><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11pt;" zid="18">My husband is the man of my dreams. For real.</span></li><li style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-size: 11pt;" value="9" zid="19"><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11pt;" zid="20">I will never have the regret that “I should have had more fun”.</span></li><li style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-size: 11pt;" value="10" zid="21"><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11pt;" zid="22">I </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11pt;" zid="23">love all types of music. I have seen Air Supply, Vanilla Ice, Motley Crue</span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11pt;" zid="24">, Grateful Dead</span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11pt;" zid="25"> and the Wiggles in concert.</span></li><li style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-size: 11pt;" value="11" zid="26"><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11pt;" zid="27">I am an internet junky. I love having the power of knowledge at my fingertips.</span></li><li style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-size: 11pt;" value="12" zid="28"><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11pt;" zid="29">I love to belt out Whitney Houston tunes in the car. By myself.</span></li><li style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-size: 11pt;" value="13" zid="30"><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11pt;" zid="31">I changed my major in college 4 times. I changed my grad program once.</span></li><li style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-size: 11pt;" value="14" zid="32"><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11pt;" zid="33">Once I get an idea in my head, I have to research, plan, and figure it all out until there is nothing left to wonder about.</span></li><li style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-size: 11pt;" value="15" zid="34"><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11pt;" zid="35">I have written a journal ever since I can remember. Now I write a blog so that my kids will know the stories of our lives.</span></li><li style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-size: 11pt;" value="16" zid="36"><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11pt;" zid="37">In 10 years of public school I had one good teacher. My freshman year in Catholic school I had three. I have had </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11pt;" zid="38">1 teacher and 1 counselor</span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11pt;" zid="39"> who did more harm than good.</span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11pt;" zid="40"></span></li><li style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-size: 11pt;" value="17" zid="41"><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11pt;" zid="42">I strive to be the teacher my students need, not necessarily who they want.</span></li><li style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-size: 11pt;" value="18" zid="43"><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11pt;" zid="44">I love the thrill of a good bargain.</span></li><li style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-size: 11pt;" value="19" zid="45"><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11pt;" zid="46">I have never been one to sit around and wish. If I want something to change I figure out a way to do it.</span></li><li style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-size: 11pt;" value="20" zid="47"><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11pt;" zid="48">I am often underestimated becaus</span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11pt;" zid="49">e I have blonde hair, big boobs </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11pt;" zid="50">and a </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11pt;" zid="51">"sweet" </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11pt;" zid="52"> smile.</span></li><li style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-size: 11pt;" value="21" zid="53"><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11pt;" zid="54">I hate to clean my room—still.</span></li><li style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-size: 11pt;" value="22" zid="55"><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11pt;" zid="56">Last year, an 18 year old boy died in front of my house.</span></li><li style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-size: 11pt;" value="23" zid="57"><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11pt;" zid="58">I highly respect people who are real, can laugh at themselves, and admit when they are wrong.</span></li><li style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-size: 11pt;" value="24" zid="59"><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11pt;" zid="60">I have pierce</span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11pt;" zid="61">d</span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11pt;" zid="62"> my nose and tongue, and have a tattoo.</span></li><li style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-size: 11pt;" value="25" zid="63"><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11pt;" zid="64">I care more about making a difference than making</span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11pt;" zid="65"></span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11pt;" zid="66"> a lot of </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 11pt;" zid="67">money.</span></li></ol>melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05021733044427723214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7924311010342967019.post-19752574514924222512009-01-21T19:47:00.004-05:002009-01-21T19:57:16.123-05:00what's the secret handshake?When I was a kid we used to say a little prayer every night before bed. It went like this, "God bless Mommy and Daddy, 2 Grandmas and Grandpas, Uncle Mike, Aunt Chris and Uncle Bob, Jeff, Mike, and Jen, Tussy [our dog] and then it varied according to our pets and whatever we were feeling I guess. We must have had our own names in there, too. My brother being the ever loving PIA that he was, used to throw a fit (mainly for the sake of throwing a fit) if we didn't say things correctly or whatever his issue of the day was.<br /><br />Before we put our own kids to bed we always give hugs and kisses. Slowly we added on...first a kiss, then a hug, then a bump, then a bump with an explosion, then a bump with a click of the tongue and point your finger up for a shock. Unless it's Kaela, then you could either be in for a quiet explosion and shock or a loud one--you never know until you get yelled at for doing the wrong thing. Sometimes we have a song or two, and almost always we have a Walton's style "I love you!" and "you're my best friend!" or from Kaela "you're THE best friend!" and "I love you!" and "sweet dreams!" and "you're the best friend, Cammie!" and "you're the best friend, Daddy!" and they all have to be repeated back. Sometimes we are at this for a few minutes and have to put an end to it, but I really do love it and wouldn't change our routine for anything.melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05021733044427723214noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7924311010342967019.post-49483484080432882022009-01-20T10:12:00.002-05:002009-01-20T10:45:44.446-05:00It's my blog. I can cry if I want to.I'm in a slump--and who wouldn't be? We had a full week of a stomach virus, me included. A week of water, crackers, and cereal. Right on the tail end of that virus, before it even had time to give us it's last little kick, we all started with a cold. We are on day 9 or 10 of no sleep. It's really getting old. I'm exhausted, Kyle's exhausted, the kids are exhausted and miserable. I'm tired of being tired. I can't even retreat for a long, hot shower because our plumbing is leaking. The plumbers can get here on Thursday--for a very hefty charge. I'm sitting here trying to plan some meals so we can eat real food and at least pretend to feel normal, but I'm feeling...blah.<br /><br />OK, that's about all the feeling sorry for myself I'm going to allow. I'm the first one to say "if you're not happy with something--change it". While these things are largely out of my control maybe if I try to do something about it I'll feel a little relief. Round the clock vitamin surges? Energy boosts? Sitting on my butt and relaxing? Yes!<br /><br />I also have to mention that all has not been doom and gloom. Our next door neighbors, whom we don't know all that well, cooked and dropped off a warm and delicious dinner of chicken and dumplings, salad, and fresh baked chocolate chip cookies. It was one of the nicest things anyone has done for us. It was just what we needed when we needed it. They probably think it's not that big of a deal, but just that small thing made a big difference. It was the first full meal we had had in a week. It was warm and full of good things to give us energy and at the same time feel comforted.<br /><br />Well, if I'm going to <span style="font-style: italic;">do</span> something I guess I should stop blogging and start doing. Here I go...right now...off to put things back together...here I go...not feeling sorry for myself any longer...melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05021733044427723214noreply@blogger.com0