Love Grows Best in Little Houses!

34 (not so deep) things to be thankful for on my birthday

Okay Mom, this list is not in order of importance but more the order of what happened on my birthday. LOL!   Also, it did take me longer than a day or even a weekend to finish but I am also thankful for that.  I was too busy having fun!

1. Fountain Diet Coke

2. Donuts that are still warm

3. A husband that will bring me these things!

4. 3 kids who slept through the night last night (It’s a birthday miracle!)

5. snuggles in bed with the family

6. grandmas willing to babysit

7. seafood

8. giftcards to get seafood for free!

9. clearance sales making it fun for hubby to shop with me

10. Whataburger

11. great friends who bake beautiful cakes!

12. chocolate

13. bath and body works

14. sweet friends who call to say happy birthday

15. my wonderful grandparents

16. family to celebrate with

17. fly lady so that my house was ready for unexpected company

18. good books

19. baby swings

20. silly birthday songs

21. my girls’ senses of humor that keep me laughing

22. swim lessons and swim instructors willing to come to the rescue

23. bubble baths

24. Sunday afternoon naps

25. weekends with no housework

26. my group of friends who celebrated my birthday with me

27. great 80’s movies

28. onion rings

29.

Baby Steps, Fifth Disease, Shiny Sinks and Dates with Mama

Here’s what’s been going on with us.  I’d love to hear what is going on with you!

On Saturday night, while I was in the bath, Mr. P took his first steps.  Yes, I missed it!  But, I am so happy to say that Daddy was a witness.  He missed both of the girls’ first steps as they happened during the work day.  I’m not sure which of my men was more excited but I can report that I cried.  I know you mother’s will understand…

Darling oldest daughter has been home the past two days with Fifth Disease.  She hasn’t minded missing more school (I’m starting to feel like she’s home more than at school) but she did mind missing her choir and bell performance at church this weekend.   It has been fun to have her with me a little more than usual.  She is really becoming the sweetest little lady.  Sometimes in the busyness of life I can overlook what a fun little person she is.  I am now really looking forward to summer and getting to know her again.

I recently joined www.flylady.net.  You should check it out if you ever feel that your house is taking over your life.  I shined my sink and it is making a huge difference in my house, day and attitude!  I’ll post pictures soon.

And lastly, we have decided that gorgeous middle daughter needs some extra attention to help with her behavior issues.  I don’t think I’ve really gone into it here and I don’t think I should but we’ve had some rough days with the G monkey lately.  I’m not sure if it is some of the Marsha, Marsha, Marsha syndrome or just Strong-willed Child stuff or both but we are doing what we can to help her and the whole family work it out.  So, one of the things we did was I took her on a date last Friday.  We went to the movies, park and shopping!  I really enjoyed her and it helped me to be reminded of the sunny side of her personality.  It is really easy to get in a habit of negative thinking but well worth it to try to do better.  And, hopefully she is starting to see that Mama can do more than just scream and cry. 

I’ll be posting some pictures as soon as I can find the little wire thing that connects the camera to the computer! Time to declutter the desk I guess!

Too Much is Not Enough…

Why the title?  It seems as though we have had too much of everything the past two weeks but not enough of anything to blog about.  All three kids have been to the doctor but everyone is okay.  DH is working a lot but is taking it in stride.  And, as always, I’ve been trying to survive the three year old!  Whoever coined the phrase “terrible-two’s” hadn’t had a three year old yet!

I feel like I’m in the car alot.  Our six year old has swim and choir for extras right now and is thinking of joining girl scouts through our church.  I told her she needed to wait until swim is over but now it looks like she could benefit from a few more lessons.  So much for our one thing at a time per child rule!

I’m still trying to get to the gym but with the kids being sick it has been hard as they can’t go to childcare.  We are really looking forward to spring and the end of cold/flu season.  I’m developing a close relationship with the doctor’s office staff!  I did make the tough decision to quit Weight Watchers.  Not because it doesn’t work (it does!) but because for the past three weeks I couldn’t make my meetings and it just doesn’t look to get better soon.  So, I’m going to try it on my own and see how it goes.  I’ve also been trying to focus on home organization lately.  It seems like since Christmas my house has been out of control!  If you came over now, I might not open the door!  But, I can tell that I am making some progress it is just hard work.

Parent’s University: Organization

This is part of a series hosted by Kat.  http://www.thesecretlifeofkat.com/site/comments/parents_university_organization/

A quick post about an organizational idea…(See Tressa’s blog at right for where I found this)

We just started a new system for meal planning which is working great at our house.  For awhile now we have made a menu and shopped accordingly but then easily disregarded it, went out for dinner and wasted a lot of food and money.  So here is the solution we came up with.  We now have “Nights” e.g. Hamburger night (tonight), chicken night, etc.  We sat the girls down at the beginning of the month and with their help put together a month long menu.  It went like this, “What is one of your favorite dinners that we make at home? Steak?  Okay, we’ll have that on every Monday night of this month.”  It works for us because the girls have ownership of a dinner, I know what to buy/defrost/cook on any given day and there is no guess work involved during the afterschool crunch.  An added bonus has been that our meals out are now planned, saving MONEY!  We plan to make a new menu each month so that we don’t get too bored.  Also, we don’t plan the weekends because we have more time to decide what we want and we always grocery shop on Saturday mornings.  Hope this helps someone out there!

Why no Hannah Montana?

I have a very disappointed little girl on my hands….there will be no Hannah Montana movie showing in our town.  Why?  I have no idea.  We have been planning a special mommy/daughter date to see this movie for months and now it won’t happen.  I think we may drive two hours north to my in-laws, drop off daddy and brother and go to the movies?  Too weird.  I feel like I am living in the olden days to take a trip to see the picture show!  Does anyone have an answer as to why we are not getting this movie?  I’d love to know.

Okay, I just read that the movie is only showing for seven days!  What blankety blank genius thought that up?  And, why advertise it soooo much on Disney Channel?  Is this a passive aggressive form of torture?  I’m sick so we can’t make the trip this weekend and I know I would never be able to talk Daddy into taking her on Super Bowl Sunday.  Please, please let it come out on video!  And may I say, I’m a little less of a disney fan now after a lifetime of loving all things disney!

Things will get a little easier…when????

I am needing some advice…the last few days in our household have been full of strife and frustration and anger and tears!  Not the peaceful, loving home that is my goal.  I need to know what to do about my girls.  Separately they are wonderful, fun, loving angels.  Together they are monster children!  Yesterday, they managed to fight, make each other cry and make me scream in the two minute ride home from school!  I am beginning to dread picking up the oldest every day because I know what is coming.

Here’s the background:  They are 3 years and 6 weeks apart in age.  The oldest is very intense and sensitive.  The type that cries over everything.  Also, although, I hate to admit it, she is very narcissistic.  Maybe because she is the oldest?  But anyway, she usually only cares what is happening as to how it will affect her.  The younger is VERY strong willed!  She can be very mean to all of us but only when her sister is around.  I call her Daytime Girl and Nighttime Girl!  She is truly like two different children.  They have to share a room because baby brother came along.  I talk to them about being kind to each other, helping each other and me, what Jesus wants from them, etc. but nothing seems to be working.  I have just about had it!  It is very hard to separate them because of the shared room.  I know all sisters fight.  I certainly fought with mine but this is starting to get ridiculous.  Any ideas?  I can’t tell you what they fight over because they fight over everything!  Help Me!

Gimme Three (Baby) Steps…

Here’s an update on our progress:  Pounds lost: 9.4, church attended: once, gym visits:8.  All in all, not too bad.  We are making a little progress in baby steps. 

There is something up with my blog.  I can’t type a post unless it is bolded.  Sorry.  That’s why  I haven’t been here lately.  Hopefully, it will be figured out soon.  Also, we now have 4 computer users in this house and three are addicted to Webkinz.  Anyone else out there in the same prediciment?  We are starting to think of a 2nd computer but we recommitted to the Dave Ramsey plan so it probably won’t happen this year.  How is your year going?  We’d love to hear from you!

 

Brand New Year

Okay….It’s time to talk about Resolutions.  We normally don’t make any because frankly, we rarely keep them.  But, it’s a new year and time for a new beginning.  So here are some of our resolutions and how we plan to accomplish them.  Okay, you knew I would have a plan in place!

1. Lose Weight – to that end I was at Weight Watchers at 8:00 this morning.  UGHHH!  But, we know it works if you stick with it!  Check back for updates on our progress. 

2. Eat at home more often/Eat out less often – plan: try really hard but not necessarily in the first two weeks on WW.

3. Attend Church more consistently – try to have at least some of us make it every week even if any of us are sick!  We tend to say we’ll just stay home if any one of us is sick.

4. Excercise more/ Use that gym membership! – I have no idea how to make this one work but because it will help with #1 I really need to do it.  Anyone want to meet me at the Y?  My only requirement – I don’t want to work out with anyone who is superfit already.  I need someone to journey with!

So, this list is a work in progress but these are some BIG steps.  Maybe by putting it out to the world I can stick with it!

Happy New Year and we wish you success with your resolutions.  We’d love to hear about them!

Ice, Ice, Baby!

Thank you Grandpa TC and Tommie for our really great trip!  We all loved it!