Friday, February 17, 2012
Almost forgot
We got to see the Chase family on our holiday break! We went to Silver Dollar City together. It was a very short visit, but sweet none the less. The girls really got along great. We sure do miss them and are hoping they move our direction soon!
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Dream On
Ever since I was a child, I dreamed about my life as an adult. Something I never really realized until now was that my dream kind of never went past having kids. The entire time I was in High School I dreamed about meeting that special someone. Once I met that special someone, I was in a hurry to get out of college so I could start my adult life, buy a house, and have kids. Now, I have the kids and a house and I'm sitting her thinking, now what?
It was always get to one goal so you could hurry up and get to the next. I'm not sure I'm in a hurry to get my kids grown up and out on their own. In fact, for the first time I want things to slow down. I'm at a place where I realize a big change is coming. My youngest is getting closer and closer to going to school and I'm done having kids. My role as a full time mother is about to expire. When I say full time, I mean watching them 24 hours a day. Once Bren starts school or I return to work (whichever comes first), my full time hours will be reserved for breaks and weekends only. I'm excited, nervous, happy, and sad at the same time.
So since I don't want to set any goals to grow my kids up fast, I guess that leaves me with just living my life one day at a time and dreaming on about how wonderful I'm going to make my days with my children while I still have them. Someone once told me that our children are never really ours, we just get to borrow them for awhile. I really identify with that. After they leave our home, and are no longer under our control or watchful eye, it is totally up to God to watch over them. What a change that will be. I admit, I have imagined it a few times, what it would be like to be an empty nester, a grandma, just a couple of old people finishing their life together. Yes, I have thought about it, but it's not a goal at the moment, just a thought.
Anyhoo...I guess all of this is to say, I've been working a lot on recreating my dream since a big chunk of it has transpired. It's a work in progress. It's fun, nerve racking, and foreign all at the same time. Glad I have Jeff by my side to figure it out. He's the most supportive husband ever! No matter what my dream becomes, I think he'll be glad to ride along.
It was always get to one goal so you could hurry up and get to the next. I'm not sure I'm in a hurry to get my kids grown up and out on their own. In fact, for the first time I want things to slow down. I'm at a place where I realize a big change is coming. My youngest is getting closer and closer to going to school and I'm done having kids. My role as a full time mother is about to expire. When I say full time, I mean watching them 24 hours a day. Once Bren starts school or I return to work (whichever comes first), my full time hours will be reserved for breaks and weekends only. I'm excited, nervous, happy, and sad at the same time.
So since I don't want to set any goals to grow my kids up fast, I guess that leaves me with just living my life one day at a time and dreaming on about how wonderful I'm going to make my days with my children while I still have them. Someone once told me that our children are never really ours, we just get to borrow them for awhile. I really identify with that. After they leave our home, and are no longer under our control or watchful eye, it is totally up to God to watch over them. What a change that will be. I admit, I have imagined it a few times, what it would be like to be an empty nester, a grandma, just a couple of old people finishing their life together. Yes, I have thought about it, but it's not a goal at the moment, just a thought.
Anyhoo...I guess all of this is to say, I've been working a lot on recreating my dream since a big chunk of it has transpired. It's a work in progress. It's fun, nerve racking, and foreign all at the same time. Glad I have Jeff by my side to figure it out. He's the most supportive husband ever! No matter what my dream becomes, I think he'll be glad to ride along.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Knock and it shall be opened.....maybe?
I can't explain much, but sometimes it's fun to keep people hanging. So here goes. I found a door. I'm going to knock. We shall see if it opens. If it stays closed, this will be the last you hear of it. If it opens, there's more to come. Stay tuned.....or not. This could take awhile.
Hee hee!
Darci
Hee hee!
Darci
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Really? This early?
I've been noticing changes a lot this year in my body. Things I thought wouldn't happen until I was much older and one thing I thought I'd never deal with again. Perhaps if I made working out a priority these things wouldn't be issues. Maybe my body has been put into overdrive in the aging department since I haven't worked out and since I've decided it's done making babies. I don't know. What I do know is that if this is happening already, what in the world am I going to feel like in my 40's, my 50's, or even my 60's. I'm scared.
One of the things that's really started bothering me is my knees. Do I dare say that running on them a year ago killed my knees for good? My left knee cracks every time I go up the stairs. Too me it's like nails on a chalk board listening to it crack and creek with each step I take. If I sit "criss cross applesauce" as Kadyn calls it because "Indian Style" is no longer socially acceptable, then my knees really start aching and hurting within a few minutes. My knees first started bothering me when I started running and I guess that it hasn't really gone away since, thus the all the blaming. It saddens me. I wanted to think I'd get back into it when my kids were at more independent stage and I felt better about leaving to go work out. But after the knee issues, I doubt running will ever be part of my workout routine. At least I can say I was a runner at one point in my life. Something I'd thought I'd never be able to do.
Pants....they won't stay up without a belt. I never had that problem before babies. I don't weigh any more than I did before babies, almost the same. It's as though my middle has thickened up a little and therefore a little bit of my curves have left. Actually, I like my body's new look; just don't like the way clothes fit my new body. Makes my thighs look smaller with a thicker middle. Just really annoying to have to wear a belt all the time. Wearing fitted shirts over belts just looks...funny.
I have heart palpitations. At first they bothered me. Now I'm used to them. Seems a lot of people have them but some never notice. Maybe I've always had them. My doctor said he'd check into it if they didn't go away in a year, but didn't seem too concerned. I think we won't do any checking, my last visit almost costed me 700 dollars because of a coding error for health baseline testing.
My skin....ugh! Dry, dry, dry. I have to lube up constantly with lotion. Curel is the ONLY thing that works on my hands. Took me years to figure that out. Every winter I would battle cracked finger tips that were so painful. I even run a humidifier all winter to add moisture to the air. Never bothered me before. Oh, and since we're on the topic of skin. Now that all the baby hormones are out of me, break out after break out. I've tried everything. Just when I think something is working I break out again. I've been the doctor route. Been on antibiotics, even did the dreaded accutane. It worked for a couple years, but obviously it isn't a permanent fix. The antibiotics worked for awhile but eventually made me lactose intolerant while I was on them. Just don't want to go that route anymore. So lately, I've been just resulting to acceptance and prayer to get me through. Sounds vain I suppose to be so concerned with it, but your face is something the world gets to see. There is no hiding it. It's a little embarrassing to be dealing with it at 34 and it is a bit of a confidence buster. I thought this was something only teenagers had to go through. I always wanted to be that mom that could go without makeup and feel confident, this just isn't possible with my skin. So thankful for good makeup. This pic of me is on a rare day where I am mostly clear and the makeup covers the rest. Ugh!
My feet hurt the moment I get on them when I first get out of bed. It's a sharp pain. I had this once before when I was working at JCPenney's in High School. I was wearing dress shoes and they killed my feet. Stopped wearing the shoes and my feet got better. Now I wear no shoes. Wondering if my feet just need extra support these days, but I don't want to wear shoes on my carpets. It wears them out twice as fast. Sigh! What's a girl to do?
My hair. Got my first few grays when I was in my late twenties. Now they are just pouring in and they are so stinking wiry and thick. I HATE them. My days of chin length to longer hair are going to be coming to a close within the next 5 years I'm afraid. Sometimes I wonder if I didn't dye my hair just how much older I'd look. I do have some silvers on my mother's side of the family. Looks classy on some woman. Maybe I'll get the courage to pull it off in my late forties?
So anyhoo...all this is to say, this has been a year of definite changes in my body. I've been really surprised and a bit disappointed with most of the changes. Hoping they slow down. Aging can be the real pits!
One of the things that's really started bothering me is my knees. Do I dare say that running on them a year ago killed my knees for good? My left knee cracks every time I go up the stairs. Too me it's like nails on a chalk board listening to it crack and creek with each step I take. If I sit "criss cross applesauce" as Kadyn calls it because "Indian Style" is no longer socially acceptable, then my knees really start aching and hurting within a few minutes. My knees first started bothering me when I started running and I guess that it hasn't really gone away since, thus the all the blaming. It saddens me. I wanted to think I'd get back into it when my kids were at more independent stage and I felt better about leaving to go work out. But after the knee issues, I doubt running will ever be part of my workout routine. At least I can say I was a runner at one point in my life. Something I'd thought I'd never be able to do.
Pants....they won't stay up without a belt. I never had that problem before babies. I don't weigh any more than I did before babies, almost the same. It's as though my middle has thickened up a little and therefore a little bit of my curves have left. Actually, I like my body's new look; just don't like the way clothes fit my new body. Makes my thighs look smaller with a thicker middle. Just really annoying to have to wear a belt all the time. Wearing fitted shirts over belts just looks...funny.
I have heart palpitations. At first they bothered me. Now I'm used to them. Seems a lot of people have them but some never notice. Maybe I've always had them. My doctor said he'd check into it if they didn't go away in a year, but didn't seem too concerned. I think we won't do any checking, my last visit almost costed me 700 dollars because of a coding error for health baseline testing.
My skin....ugh! Dry, dry, dry. I have to lube up constantly with lotion. Curel is the ONLY thing that works on my hands. Took me years to figure that out. Every winter I would battle cracked finger tips that were so painful. I even run a humidifier all winter to add moisture to the air. Never bothered me before. Oh, and since we're on the topic of skin. Now that all the baby hormones are out of me, break out after break out. I've tried everything. Just when I think something is working I break out again. I've been the doctor route. Been on antibiotics, even did the dreaded accutane. It worked for a couple years, but obviously it isn't a permanent fix. The antibiotics worked for awhile but eventually made me lactose intolerant while I was on them. Just don't want to go that route anymore. So lately, I've been just resulting to acceptance and prayer to get me through. Sounds vain I suppose to be so concerned with it, but your face is something the world gets to see. There is no hiding it. It's a little embarrassing to be dealing with it at 34 and it is a bit of a confidence buster. I thought this was something only teenagers had to go through. I always wanted to be that mom that could go without makeup and feel confident, this just isn't possible with my skin. So thankful for good makeup. This pic of me is on a rare day where I am mostly clear and the makeup covers the rest. Ugh!
My feet hurt the moment I get on them when I first get out of bed. It's a sharp pain. I had this once before when I was working at JCPenney's in High School. I was wearing dress shoes and they killed my feet. Stopped wearing the shoes and my feet got better. Now I wear no shoes. Wondering if my feet just need extra support these days, but I don't want to wear shoes on my carpets. It wears them out twice as fast. Sigh! What's a girl to do?
My hair. Got my first few grays when I was in my late twenties. Now they are just pouring in and they are so stinking wiry and thick. I HATE them. My days of chin length to longer hair are going to be coming to a close within the next 5 years I'm afraid. Sometimes I wonder if I didn't dye my hair just how much older I'd look. I do have some silvers on my mother's side of the family. Looks classy on some woman. Maybe I'll get the courage to pull it off in my late forties?
So anyhoo...all this is to say, this has been a year of definite changes in my body. I've been really surprised and a bit disappointed with most of the changes. Hoping they slow down. Aging can be the real pits!
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Good old standbys
Every family has them. Those meals that everyone loves and become a standby or a repeat in the meal rotation schedule. In order for a meal to make my rotation or become a standby it has to be mostly healthy and easy to prepare. Sometimes I wonder what makes the cut in other homes. Feel free to share. I'd love more ideas of what your families love. When I meal plan, I typically make my standbys for 2 or 3 days and then I try something new for 1 or 2 days and they we eat leftovers all weekend. If any of my new meals make the cut, they get put into my rotations to add variety. I probably have more meals that fail than meals that make the cut, but I contribute that number to having a picky eater in the house, and I don't mean the kids. Ahem....!
Breakfast burritos-I saute a green pepper and tomato in olive oil and season with greek seasoning then throw it in the eggs. Next I wrap up the mixture in a whole wheat tortilla and throw in a handful of cheese and bake in the oven for 10 minutes. Fast, easy, and meat free! Usually serve with sweet potatoe fries.
Mushroom sandwhiches-no my kids won't eat them, but Jeff and I love them. Kids eat chicken patties on this night or healthy grilled cheese night with pureed veggies in their grilled cheese. For the sandwhiches, fry up mushrooms, season with greek seasoning (works on just about everything). Pick out some gourmee cheese. Cut up some french loaf bread and make your sandwhich with the cheese and sauted mushrooms. Toast them in the oven and serve with salad and chips or tator tots.
Tofu lo mein- fry tofu until golden brown. Using two packages of oriental ramen noodles, throw in 2 cups boiling water until soft. Add 1 tbs of soy sauce and seasoning packet. Cook up one bag of stir fry veggies and season a bit with greek seasoning and then throw tofu and veggies in ramen noodles! Um, yummy!
There are three of ours. I would add frozen pizza, but doesn't everyone do that? The girls always eat cheese, Jeff does pepporoni and I always cut up veggies and make mine vegetarian. Every Friday night we do pizza family movie night that way. Love it! Healthy, no. However, Jeff may divorce me if we didn't have pizza at least once a week and I'm OK with that because I love it too. I used to make it homemade but was always tired of cooking come Friday night. Frozen is just easier. We have the rest of the week to be healthy.
Breakfast burritos-I saute a green pepper and tomato in olive oil and season with greek seasoning then throw it in the eggs. Next I wrap up the mixture in a whole wheat tortilla and throw in a handful of cheese and bake in the oven for 10 minutes. Fast, easy, and meat free! Usually serve with sweet potatoe fries.
Mushroom sandwhiches-no my kids won't eat them, but Jeff and I love them. Kids eat chicken patties on this night or healthy grilled cheese night with pureed veggies in their grilled cheese. For the sandwhiches, fry up mushrooms, season with greek seasoning (works on just about everything). Pick out some gourmee cheese. Cut up some french loaf bread and make your sandwhich with the cheese and sauted mushrooms. Toast them in the oven and serve with salad and chips or tator tots.
Tofu lo mein- fry tofu until golden brown. Using two packages of oriental ramen noodles, throw in 2 cups boiling water until soft. Add 1 tbs of soy sauce and seasoning packet. Cook up one bag of stir fry veggies and season a bit with greek seasoning and then throw tofu and veggies in ramen noodles! Um, yummy!
There are three of ours. I would add frozen pizza, but doesn't everyone do that? The girls always eat cheese, Jeff does pepporoni and I always cut up veggies and make mine vegetarian. Every Friday night we do pizza family movie night that way. Love it! Healthy, no. However, Jeff may divorce me if we didn't have pizza at least once a week and I'm OK with that because I love it too. I used to make it homemade but was always tired of cooking come Friday night. Frozen is just easier. We have the rest of the week to be healthy.
Friday, February 3, 2012
I-Spy with a secret twist
Sorry if this sounds like an infomercial. Have you ever just felt like sitting your butt on the couch and doing nothing? Tired of fighting the kids to pick up their rooms? Tired of waiting forever to see a job get done when you know it would go twice as fast if you just did it yourself? I have. And let me tell you for the past couple months I have just given up on having the kids pick up toys and done it myself. I got tired of being that nagging mother. Plus, I have the added bonus of having to stay on a schedule because of the daycare. Sometimes I just don't have 20 plus minutes to wait for the kids to finish picking up. I don't have the luxury of taking toys away if they leave them out. With four to five kids in the house, I need plenty of toys to go around. I have a solution for you!!!!
One day as I was scanning our basement and looking at the tornado that had just struck, I came up with an idea. Remember that I-Spy game? I played I-spy with them. I'd scan the room for a toy and say, "I spy a stuffed animal." They had to go find it and put it in the toy box. I tried to make it competitive by saying things like, "Who's going to find it first? Oh my, you're fast." After more they get the hang of it start spying 2-3 toys at one time to make things go faster. They fall for it hook line and sinker. In no time the basement floor was visible again, and I hadn't lifted a finger. No one complained. There was no nagging. I didn't take over to just get the job done. No one got distracted. They were EAGER to pick up the toys. Can you believe that? Granted it would be a whole lot faster if everyone just pitched in at the same time instead of picking up a couple toys at a time. However, by the time you remind the kids to stay focused and stay on task, I think this method might actually be faster and everyone leaves the experience feeling good.
I know, I know, this isn't rocket science and maybe it's been done before. I'd like to think it's all my own ingenious idea. I didn't read this in a magazine like so many of my other parenting tricks I have acquired. Thus, I thought I'd share this little trick with others. So when you have your own, sit on my butt and let the kids do all the work thoughts, think of the I-Spy pick up game.
One day as I was scanning our basement and looking at the tornado that had just struck, I came up with an idea. Remember that I-Spy game? I played I-spy with them. I'd scan the room for a toy and say, "I spy a stuffed animal." They had to go find it and put it in the toy box. I tried to make it competitive by saying things like, "Who's going to find it first? Oh my, you're fast." After more they get the hang of it start spying 2-3 toys at one time to make things go faster. They fall for it hook line and sinker. In no time the basement floor was visible again, and I hadn't lifted a finger. No one complained. There was no nagging. I didn't take over to just get the job done. No one got distracted. They were EAGER to pick up the toys. Can you believe that? Granted it would be a whole lot faster if everyone just pitched in at the same time instead of picking up a couple toys at a time. However, by the time you remind the kids to stay focused and stay on task, I think this method might actually be faster and everyone leaves the experience feeling good.
I know, I know, this isn't rocket science and maybe it's been done before. I'd like to think it's all my own ingenious idea. I didn't read this in a magazine like so many of my other parenting tricks I have acquired. Thus, I thought I'd share this little trick with others. So when you have your own, sit on my butt and let the kids do all the work thoughts, think of the I-Spy pick up game.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
18 problems, one solution
I have 18 problems:
1. Toddler man is going through a horrible hitting phase
2. I have to remember to close 5 doors in my hallway or toddler man gets into things he shouldn't
3. I am constantly tripping over toys on my way through the hall to get things out of the laundry room, bedrooms, bathroom, and utility closet.
4. The big kids can't play with toys that have little pieces because of toddler man and baby
5. The big kids can get loud when they play in the hallway and wake baby in one of the bedrooms
6. I have to pick up the playroom every time I put toddler man down so he won't play with toys during nap time
7. Toddler man is also going through a stealing toy phase
8. Toddler man is also going through a follow the big kids around and mess up their games phase
9. Baby and toddler man follow me to the bathroom in hallway and sit outside the door and whine. Then baby leans on door and comes crashing to floor when I open the door.
10. Baby gets in kitchen and pulls on my pant legs while cooking and whines and then I trip over her.
11. Baby gets in dishwasher if it is open.
12. Baby picks the tiniest crumbs off floor in kitchen and tries to eat them if I miss them when sweeping
13. Baby plays with humidifier in kitchen and tries to chew cord
14. Toddler man keeps bringing toys into the kitchen even though I have a no toys in kitchen policy
15. Baby comes into kitchen during craft time and eats paper bits on floor
16. Baby and toddler man come into kitchen and try to get into cabinets
17. I step on toys and trip over kids trying to get little ones to the changing table to change a diaper in playroom.
18. When kids run from the playroom to living room back and forth there is a blind spot where they often run smack into each other.
I'm sure there's more, but needless to say, with all these problems I decided something needed to be done for my sanity. Curious? Here it is:
And I don't have to trip over toys or kids to get into the laundry room, bathroom, or bedrooms. The baby and toddler man can't get into the kitchen, hallway, or playroom and have all the toys they need in the living room. The playroom is reserved for big kid play only. The big kids can play with their little toys in that room and take a break from toddler man's incessant hitting, stealing, and game meddling. I can still keep my eye on both groups of kids from the kitchen. I can go to the bathroom in peace. There is no more running through the hallway and bumping into each other or being loud by baby's room. The big kids pick up their own toys before nap time in the playroom for the grand price of one chocolate chip and then I don't have to do it. I can leave doors open and don't have to worry about toddler man and baby getting into things they shouldn't. And most important, my sanity is back! It's like everyone has their own zone, including me! If I had to do one more time out for hitting, stealing, getting into things, etc. I think I would've lost it.
The big kids can climb over the toy boxes so they are allowed to wander as they please and I trust them. Toddler man has managed to get past my barricades a couple times, but I am swift with discipline and I'm hoping to break him of the idea of gettig past them soon. I also have to make sure the kids don't completely empty the boxes, or the toddler man and the baby can push the toy boxes and get through. The toy boxes slide easily on the carpet so I put them away after daycare each day and get them out each morning. It' s a hassle, but the benefit is WAY worth it. A weird post? Perhaps....but something that solves this many problems deserves a post. Sigh!
1. Toddler man is going through a horrible hitting phase
2. I have to remember to close 5 doors in my hallway or toddler man gets into things he shouldn't
3. I am constantly tripping over toys on my way through the hall to get things out of the laundry room, bedrooms, bathroom, and utility closet.
4. The big kids can't play with toys that have little pieces because of toddler man and baby
5. The big kids can get loud when they play in the hallway and wake baby in one of the bedrooms
6. I have to pick up the playroom every time I put toddler man down so he won't play with toys during nap time
7. Toddler man is also going through a stealing toy phase
8. Toddler man is also going through a follow the big kids around and mess up their games phase
9. Baby and toddler man follow me to the bathroom in hallway and sit outside the door and whine. Then baby leans on door and comes crashing to floor when I open the door.
10. Baby gets in kitchen and pulls on my pant legs while cooking and whines and then I trip over her.
11. Baby gets in dishwasher if it is open.
12. Baby picks the tiniest crumbs off floor in kitchen and tries to eat them if I miss them when sweeping
13. Baby plays with humidifier in kitchen and tries to chew cord
14. Toddler man keeps bringing toys into the kitchen even though I have a no toys in kitchen policy
15. Baby comes into kitchen during craft time and eats paper bits on floor
16. Baby and toddler man come into kitchen and try to get into cabinets
17. I step on toys and trip over kids trying to get little ones to the changing table to change a diaper in playroom.
18. When kids run from the playroom to living room back and forth there is a blind spot where they often run smack into each other.
I'm sure there's more, but needless to say, with all these problems I decided something needed to be done for my sanity. Curious? Here it is:
 |
| I have blocked the entryway to the hall and kitchen with two toyboxes. |
 |
| Now my hallway stays kid free and clean! |
 |
| And this mess is contained to the living room. |
And I don't have to trip over toys or kids to get into the laundry room, bathroom, or bedrooms. The baby and toddler man can't get into the kitchen, hallway, or playroom and have all the toys they need in the living room. The playroom is reserved for big kid play only. The big kids can play with their little toys in that room and take a break from toddler man's incessant hitting, stealing, and game meddling. I can still keep my eye on both groups of kids from the kitchen. I can go to the bathroom in peace. There is no more running through the hallway and bumping into each other or being loud by baby's room. The big kids pick up their own toys before nap time in the playroom for the grand price of one chocolate chip and then I don't have to do it. I can leave doors open and don't have to worry about toddler man and baby getting into things they shouldn't. And most important, my sanity is back! It's like everyone has their own zone, including me! If I had to do one more time out for hitting, stealing, getting into things, etc. I think I would've lost it.
The big kids can climb over the toy boxes so they are allowed to wander as they please and I trust them. Toddler man has managed to get past my barricades a couple times, but I am swift with discipline and I'm hoping to break him of the idea of gettig past them soon. I also have to make sure the kids don't completely empty the boxes, or the toddler man and the baby can push the toy boxes and get through. The toy boxes slide easily on the carpet so I put them away after daycare each day and get them out each morning. It' s a hassle, but the benefit is WAY worth it. A weird post? Perhaps....but something that solves this many problems deserves a post. Sigh!
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