Snowy Days...

The title pretty much says it all. Here are some wonderful pictures from our fun filled afternoon of sledding.





We had a blast!

I have become the CLICHE mom...

So my biggest fear has come back to bite me in the behind.

Real Life Conversations from this week...


The GIRL:

Leanna: "But Mom"

Me: "I said clean your room"

Leanna: "It isn't that dirty"

Me: "Good it shouldn't take long then."

----

M: "Leanna help your brother put his pajamas on"

L: "Mom I have to get dressed by myself why doesn't Hudson"

M: "Leanna I don't want his pants on his head and his shirt on his butt that's why?"

L: "You aren't putting your pajamas on"

M: "That's because I am the mom"

---

THE BOY

Hudson: "No"

Me: "Pick up your blocks"

Hudson: "No"

Me: "Pick them up now!"

Hudson: "I don't want to"

Me: "Well I don't want them on the floor PICK THEM UP"

Hudson: "Why?"

Me: "Because I said so"

Those things you swore and promised and BELIEVED you would NEVER say? Yeah right..welcome to being a mom.

Weight loss Challenge!

So I am ready to pull my hair out! I am hoping this is the "water" weight (if you know what I mean) this time because seriously arggghhhh.

So I am weighing in at 238. Not quite sure what the heck is up with that. Considering I have gone to the gym a few of times in the past 2 weeks (or has it been 3 since I checked in???) I haven't even been eating bad or anything. I have had a couple of sodas (I know that's bad but can't completely deny myself that caffeine), and 2 cheat meals in like 2 weeks (which is normal they say one cheat meal a week)...

Back to the drawing board have to work on it some more I guess. Tonight is church night. Luckily tonight is taco night so it is pretty healthy compared to some of the meals they serve. I also will get to chase after Hudson for the evening too so hopefully that will help out as well. Tomorrow is the gym with Jess more than likely and if I can remember to pack my gym bag, I am going to the gym right after work on Friday too. Saturday morning is work out day with Josh and Sunday is my day of rest (cause I probably won't be able to walk by then!!!!).

Here's hoping that this week wields some results.

TYGF

TYGF.. Thank You God For...

This is my simple way to ensure I am remembering simple and small or complicated and big things from my week or day or month and saying thank you. It is hard to worry and stress about the things going wrong or going without when you are focusing on being thankful for the blessings you DO have! So without further ado...

Letting me be a mommy. I know that sometimes I complain and whine and lose my temper. But really this being a mommy thing is a pretty awesome gig! I enjoy it more than I ever really let on to. It is difficult sometimes. Oh man the hardest job you have ever entrusted me with ever in my WHOLE life but thank you...

Thank you for trusting me with those sweet little gigantic monsters. Help me to remember through the craziness that this time is a gift. Help me to remember to hug and love them even when I am frustrated and feel like I don't have a hair on my head left to pull out.

Thank you for their rambunctious spirits. Help me to remember that their energy is your answer to my waistline prayers and issues and to get up and move with them and not say in a minute.

Thank you for their learning attitudes. Help me to remember they aren't big and that a question "why?" is a quest and a thirst for knowledge and remind me how often I question things myself.

Thank you for their sweetness and love. Help me to remember that when Leanna calls me into her bedroom for the 15th time at bedtime just to say "Love you Mom" not to be irritated and tired but to climb in bed for that extra snuggle.

Thank you for their stubbornness. Help me to remember that when Hudson is determined to do something on his own that it IS okay to be 10 minutes late to work or church or wherever to see that look of accomplishment on his face when he completes his task.

Thank you God for allowing me this job of greatness called Mommy, mother, momma, mom. Let me guard it with a fierce heart and a kindness my YOUR children deserve. Remind me, whisper to me and smack me upside the head should I ever forget how lucky I truly am.

Join me this week in telling what you are truly thankful for.

"Weak"ness???

I have briefly unburied myself from the medical tubing craziness to inform you we haven't died. We are alive and well.

I will attempt to return to normal all things when I can safely put the medical tubing back where it belongs under the sink and get caught up on Laundry.

Having a "sick" child who isn't really sick. Meaning not contagious and you can still go to work but still have to do all the cleaning that is necessary isn't so fun.

Breathing treatments are lots of fun to give to a kid who apparently has "weak" lungs. For those of you who have met "THE BOY" and have heard him scream or cry for that matter would you have put him in the "weak" lung category?

Another gift of awesomeness from daddy. Oh why weren't my genes stronger?

A phone call, a surprise and a happy little girl!

It all started with a phone call from Josh's Uncle Jim. Why is that important you ask? Let me tell you a story...


I am sitting at work on Thursday and my cell phone rings and it is Josh's Uncle Jim.
His friend Jane has two extra tickets to that nights performance of Disney On Ice. Jane wanted to know if Leanna and I would like to attend. I of course told him to tell Jane I needed to find a sitter first for Hudson until Josh would be able to make it home from work. (A whole lot of work later we worked it out but I won't bore you with those details).

Fast forward a couple of hours. We are getting picked up in front of my Aunt's house by Jane and her granddaughter Sophia (that is how she had extra tickets her grandson and her daughter were supposed to go as well but they were sick).

We were headed to see Disney On Ice. Let me tell you Leanna was sooooo excited.

Ms. Jane also knew were weren't going to be able to make it home before taking Hudson to my Aunt.... so she grabbed an extra princess dress up dress from Sophia's house so Leanna could dress up too. (She is the nicest lady).

The best part??? The most awesome surprise??? WE WERE SITTING ON THE ICE! Leanna was beside herself. We were six seats down from the platform on the corner where the skaters jump up and dance and wave and everything it was awesome.

It was magical to watch my little girl's face. She was so thrilled to be there. It was a wonderful gift and a treat. If you are reading this Ms. Jane Leanna has yet to stop talking about it! Thank you from one thankful momma and one super treated little girl.

*Note blogger won't upload the pictures for some reason. I will attempt to post those either later today or tonight when blogger stops misbehaving*

Silent Saturdays! Giggles1

TYGF

TYGF.. Thank You God For...

This is my simple way to ensure I am remembering simple and small or complicated and big things from my week or day or month and saying thank you. It is hard to worry and stress about the things going wrong or going without when you are focusing on being thankful for the blessings you DO have! So without further ado...

Todays TYGF is....

I am thankful for Blocks. We love blocks at my house. We build so many fun things with them. We love to build and knock them down and oh you guessed it build again.

Hudson is into the how tall can I stack them phase.

Leanna is into the lets make a castle with them phase.

Either way it is tons of fun and we can spend hours (thankful for several sets) playing and enjoying each other as long as they work on different projects and I remain the Overseer of the blocks and working together or separately with their blocks.

So God if you happen to cross my blog today. Thanks for creating the person whose talents and gifts gave us "the average joes" *winks* (kids and adults) blocks. We love them so much and they provide hours of clean and easy fun.

Christmas Pictures...

The title says it all so here you go....

Coordinating Christmas jammies.

Two super cute kids!

Me and Josh on Christmas Eve...(notice the haircut???)

The family all together.

Their Christmas Chairs pretty cool huh?

2 and 4 year check ups...

Okay so I know that Leanna and Hudson were born in August and September (respectively). However for some reason the night time well baby checks book out like 4-6 months. So we just were able to get those taken care of (and minus a bump in the road with Leanna we haven't been to see our wonderful Dr. Mc"Bride" since Hudson was like 18 months old).

So the gist of the visit?

My kids are HUGE!

Leanna
43 1/2 inches tall
46 pounds
She has 20/40 vision (which I have been informed means awesomeness)


Hudson
36 1/2 inches tall
34 pounds



They estimate for Hudson at the final status of his height - 6'2"!!!!

Those are some tall babies. The even sadder part of all of this. We had an appointment for Leanna in October and she measured at 42" inches tall which means from October 21 until now she has grown 1 and 1/2 inches. OH MY STINKING GOODNESS. So know you too can feel my pain regarding my children outgrowing clothes. Does anyone know any giant children we can buy hand me downs off of?

Big kids. Wow!

MONSTERS!!!!!!

Does it never cease to amaze any other mamas out there what we will do?

I don't know about you guys but since I have become a mama I do more stuff that I never ever would have thought myself to be doing?

I stick my hands in toilets to scrub them after a sick baby. I wipe noses and heinies more often than I thought possible. I ask questions like..."What in the world made you think sticking your brother in the closet was funny?" "Hudson do you understand why we don't put gum on mama's sweater now?" I find playdoh in my shoes. Blocks in my pillowcases.

The job I love most... being the hero! Cause that is all fun and reaps the bestest hugs and kisses ever.

For Hudson being the adorable two year old that he is....monsters are waging a war in our home every single night. Did you know that monsters in our house only come out after dinner when mama is cleaning it up? Did you also know that monsters don't go away anymore when Daddy comes home. This is a very sad thing now... for Daddy. Mama is now the hero! (Sorry Daddio your out and I am IN!)

I have a magical can of "Monster Spray". It is pretty awesome stuff. I am going to give the recipe to all of you monster fighting mama's right now.
- 1 spray bottle
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup yummy smelling essential oils
- aka spray bottle filled with febreeze

All you have to do is walk around the house spraying for monsters. Don't forget the closets and under the bathroom sinks! Once house smells delicious has been ridded of the evil monsters gather small handsome boy (or for those of you with girls) and be rewarded with hugs and kisses of awesomeness!

Happy Monster Hunting Mama's!!!!

"The special with you"

We were at some friends house last night. The "G" family. They just welcomed a new baby, "D", in the family. (She is pretty stinking cute.)

On the way home (Leanna and Hudson were soooooo tired). Leanna tells me, "Mom thanks for letting us hang today. You yelled at us some when we were bad. But it was pretty special and I love special with you".

Man oh man does that kid know how to ring my bells. I look at that and think about that and I feel two things. I am so glad that she thinks it is still "special" with me. Two did I really yell to much. I am learning on when to yell and when not to yell. See last post on my resolution priority to not "freak out" as much. I hope that my kids don't look at me and see the 3 headed monster that does nothing but discipline and yell and isn't much fun. I mean I want them to be well behaved and sharers and kind but I want them to look at me and see the Mom they can talk to about anything, who helps them and reads stories to them and bakes cookies too.

It is a fine line we walk as moms isn't it ladies? When to scold, when not to? When to stop cleaning and instead build that tower of blocks. When to say forget it and order pizza and watch a movie. When to stick to our guns and realize they need this lesson more than we wish we didn't have too? Oh being a mama is hard hard hard work. But there are moments like "I love special with you" that make all the hard ones sooooo worth it.



I love the "special" with you to Leanna more than I can ever ever ever put into words.

The New Year Arrives...And No Post?

So sorry been slacking again. I have had a pretty weird holiday. Sorry.

I am not the "resolution making type". I think they are awesome. I also think that I suck at them and don't like the stench of failure. Call me crazy.

There are some things that I wanted to accomplish in 2008 and I think I was pretty successful.

Couponing I have been kicking butt and takin' names with coupons this year!
Best shopping trip was a grocery trip the cashier rang me up: 167.67 was the total I handed my STACK of coupons and paid OOP! 53.26 and he gave me 30 dollars worth of coupons off of my next shopping trip. Pretty stinking awesome.

The BIG one I quit smoking. (I gained 25 pounds doing it :( and am incredibly embarrased by this.) I have been smoke free since September 24th 2008. Yahooo.

I started back at my gym and so far had lost 12 pounds (I think I am up a few with the holidays making total weight loss like 6 but hey...)

Those were some successful things. Here are a few things I would like to be successful in this year.

More weight loss I am working on 20 pounds more. We will see if I get there. Not stressing cause it don't help but working on it.

I want to be less freak outish. I have some pretty great kids. I freak out WAAYYYYY to much. The playdoh colors can be mixed it won't kill anyone. The want to draw a picture on the screen door when it is frosted over what is it going to hurt minus the fact that I need to re-windex the window. So less freak out. Makes sense if you know me I promise.

I want to spend more time with my husband. I miss him and he is FINALLY at home now!!! We need to find someone who rocks our world with the whole babysitting thing. Either that or I am starting a swap night with some friends or something cause I love that hunk that I call husband he is pretty freakin' terrific.

I want to be slower. I mean stop RUSHING. Life is sooooo fast around me. I am missing some stuff trying to be the one to keep up all the time. So saying NO more often is a top thing on my priority list. Missing things is rough and I am already missing alot because of work. So I am definately going to start making the most of the littler things and stop rushing Leanna and Hudson. If bedtime is a little late because dinner took longer on the stove, I am NOT skipping that bedtime story. Slowness = big one this year!

I need to focus on the friendships that count cause here lately I have been feeling used. I want to make sure I am not making others feel this way. I want to make friendships that LAST. I have lost touch with some pretty awesome ladies and I am hoping to reconnect with them and to hopefully make a few more friends and to also tell the friends people who are using me and not really caring for me and my family where they can sit to catch the next bus. I want to have some friends that I can look back with on this crazy part of my life and laugh and have memories and share things with. Godly friendships would be extra super special. I am not wording this well sorry. I want ladies that I can laugh with, cry with and truly feel as though we are there for each other.

God. I want to be closer to Him and truly know that I am listening for His plan for me and my family. I want to pray and talk to Him more and read and study and praise and sing. I want to not be so afraid to make Him so prominent in my life. I want to love like Him.

These are a few of those things that matter to me this year. I am refocusing me. That sums it up pretty nicely.