A House Divided by Milk

Found this setup at Walmart while kid free one night

There comes a time when one must face the music instead of dancing to it, oblivious and in denial to the words being sung.

In my case, it was a matter of getting my blood work back after procrastinating and using the excuse of having the kids with me as to why I couldn't do an 8 hour blood fast.

First the good news...

Things like my thyroid, sodium, platelet count, A1c (phew!) and blood pressure were great!

Not so great news...

The lipids panel could use some work. Cholesterol was only 12 pts over, while the good fats were lacking a little (but told a lot of people struggle and could be hereditary). Except my triglycerides were way way over where they should be.

Losing weight can lower them, along with a low fat diet (cue the boring elevator music)

With that being said, it really irked me that I hadn't had better numbers in something that I know can be super important when it comes to heart health. I didn't think my diet was that bad, and I certainly wasn't having a love affair with pork fat.

So, it has brought me to having to really take a look at my diet and portions to see how much of this is in my control without the use of drugs.

I've taken a look at just how I eat my food. After years of 30 min lunch breaks, I noticed that I don't chew my food all the way. And just before I've had a chance to swallow said food, my arm is bringing up another fork full. To help slow things down and make myself more conscious, I make myself put down the knife and fork between bites, not to be picked up until I've properly chewed and swallowed the last bite.

And believe me....I thought I was patient, but it has caused me to notice just how impatient I was becoming.

This brings me to the war on milk....

You should have heard the reaction Matt gave in regards to my recent purchase of fat free milk. Never mind the fact that I had purchased two gallons of 2% milk along with it. Threats of returning it to the store were thrown like random objects at a discovered spider. Statements such as, it's not healthy for you or anyone also ensued.

Oh honey...trust me...I will have no problem in our culture to make up the fats that you find lacking in my personal gallon of milk. More for me I guess!

Fall Fest @ Fort Ricky

It was a cold Fall Sunday afternoon, but we decided to brave the cloudy, but non existent rain weather and enjoy our last visit to Fort Ricky for the season. Visiting this time of the year means extra fun activities for all.

The kids enjoyed the rolled oats sensory bin

One has to feed the animals of course!

Big sister to the rescue when your little legs are a little too short

Eliza got to enjoy her very first pony ride and enjoyed the monster wheel trikes

The baby goats were the highlight of the visit. Nolan spent most of his time shrieking at any of them in fear and delight. Eliza wanted to hold each and everyone of them.all.the.time! She couldn't get enough of them and would try chasing and nearly tackling them to pull them on her lap.

If you have the crackers they sell, they are ALL your friends for a short while and Nolan got a little lovin in with the babies. Some even tolerated Eliza for a few moments...whether they wanted to or not ;)

We ended the day with a warm bubble bath, waiting for them as soon as we got in the door...compliments of daddy who came home that afternoon from being away for the weekend with a music ministry commitment. 

I think it took the rest of the evening for my backside to recover from the cold.

The Darndest Things (Eliza says/does)

You just never know what is going to come out of the mouths of babes...especially mine!

"My hair is tired"

(while looking at my bare stomach) "Look mommy, it like map" Then proceeds to point out where her's and friends houses are located on it.

(While getting dressed, Eliza pats each of my boobs) "They're just like daddies!"

She's caught on to the things we say to Nolan when he's got a bad diaper rash and it stings to be wiped. "There there, its okay Nolie"

Why bounce on your mini trampoline when you can jump naked!

Our Mary Poppins Bag

In times where we as a family are found to need to take one or both of the kids to a place where a) There are no kids to play with b)Not a place/event which looks kindly to loud playful children running circles around others or even biting large standing metal vases (yes I am serious about that last one)

This is where we've come up with a bag of fun when times are not so fun (ER, government offices, banks etc..) We came about to this solution when I didn't like handing some electronic binki to the kids to keep them quiet. Because, what we found was if they felt at any time outside of the house was too boring...they just about expected it. Not so much Nolan yet, but Eliza for sure. We've had to set some strict rules about the car dvd player.

Thanks to the recent hospital swag, I've dedicated this for Eliza. We have a mini back pack with other items for the whole family for later on also.

Items found:

Cheap dollar store markers- Who cares if one does get lost or a cap gets left off.
Fast food toys (unopened) - Delay that gratification in the bag for a later time.
Candy!- Well duh. A few suckers can work wonders.
Glow sticks- No matter the time of day...they are still magical.
Misc free notepads- You know the kinds with businesses on the top.
Mini coloring books
Stickers
Silly Putty
Crayola Twistables- I love these things for the paper free mess and no broken crayons at the bottom of bag.

I've hit up the dollar stores and my fav place to look is the dollar section at Target. Heck, they have stuff I would want to have in a busy bag!

For when they are older
Travel games- Wendy's had great family game night toys of popular full sized ones
Smart links- Flat slat building toy.
Scratch boards- Metal stylus that you scape a board with to revel color behind.
Trivia

As the kids get older, I am sure I will create special road trip bags filled with fun to use other than back to back movies. But for the time, I will enjoy being able to put together inexpensive fun distraction bags for as long as I can.

The One Car (part 1)

Most families couldn't fathom the thought of being without two cars in the driveway. This was us a few years ago, as we looked over the logistics of moving across the country. It came down to selling Matt's car and putting mine on a trailer to tow behind the moving truck.

For over a year, we had to survive with just the one car. I would take the bus into work, and then wait for the hubby to be done with work to pick me up. I remember being pregnant and bundled up to go out into the snow and wait for the bus. Out here, there are no bus shelters and the last bus leaves the depot at 5:30.

Not too long after I returned from maternity leave, we knew a second car was gonna have to be in the cards. Matt had been out of work not too long before the birth of Eliza and seeking work. This is when we purchased a used Ford Focus wagon. It was our first car for both of us to own a car in the new millenia!

Eventually, we purchased a mini van from a coworker of mine who was preparing to move her family to New Zealand.

I loved that van.

Having two kids and their carseats was proving the need of more space.

It didn't have all the sexy features like most other varieties, but it was ours.

......ours for just six months that is.

After the accident, we were able to pay off the remaining balance on the auto loan and still have money leftover to for a down payment on a new van. Which by the way, put us less in debt than before on the previous loan.

It was higher in miles, but came with some real bonus features our other van didn't like rear AC, captain chairs, a drop down dvd player and my personal winter favorite....an auto starter!

We both had cars for carting kids and making bacon.

To be continued....

Oh Fudge!

After getting a taste of some pumpkin fudge at the apple orchard, I wanted to find out how to make some of my own. Since I am not normally a fudge person, the pumpkin sounded like I nice alternative.

Off to Pintrest I went!

Most of the recipes I browsed were similar in the process, but there were some differences in the amount of butter, sugar, pulp, and if you used brown sugar. 

My first try at it was found here, and listed as an easy recipe. 

The most intensive part of the process is being held hostage at the stove while 

you have to constantly stir the pot for over 12 minutes

I had purchased the marshmallow fluff instead of the mini ones by mistake, but I 

think it may have made this a little easier to melt together. I used the entire jar. 

After this test, I went ahead and tried a different recipe that did call for a candy thermometer. It also calls for more pumpkin pulp and sugar, along with MUCH more butter...so I am sure it makes for a very rich and creamier than the above one. Let's call that the diet one shall we?

I followed the second recipe as followed ....and here is my result:

I think I just invented pumpkin caramel chews or something...or sticky piles of poo...

They taste amazing, and just like pie, so I tried to salvage them and wrapped bite sized portions 

up like taffy. 

Not sure if I'll venture into more fudge making or not...I might be pumpkin'd out at this point : /

How do you like THEM Apples?

To the apple orchard we went (much earlier in the afternoon I might add) to get those infamous fall pictures with the kids and load up on delicious apples!

This time around was a bit tricky with having Nolan now mobile. He is go go go these days.

Everytime I tried to put an apple in the shot for a prop...the kids would grab it and promptly start eating it....even the ones that were a bit rotten on the ground :/

It was also very warm. Great for no rain, but almost summer weather without the humidity.

And this time around....I decided to get in the pictures also...as I am not in a whole lot in general.

I didn't get all the shots I had wanted, but sometimes, you just have to cut it early and make sure there is some fun at the end of the day. By the time they will listen to instruction better...they won't be this little and cute. So I must take the not so great with the abounding moments of joy :)

Costumes & Cuties

It's that month again, and along with all the general fall decorations and such...it's costume season!

Last year, we went out as a family to a harvest party (was too cold and wet to go outside) and I went to extra efforts to dress my son up as Charlie Brown, while I pulled general fairy wings and dress up stuff for Eliza.

This year, now that Nolan is mobile and Eliza is a year older...I'm hitting Pintrest for inspiration.

There are a lot of store bought options for the under 5 crowd, but I think the best ones are those that are not a stuffed animal suit on your kid with just a face exposed. For my southern California friends, these are not made for ya'll with the nice weather. Kids end up wearing for a total 5 minutes in those things.

I think the best kinds are those that express their personality and don't steal their spotlight and distract. Sometimes less is more.

Don't think you have any crafty talent?

Felt and a glue gun is your best friend.

My mother use to hit up thrift stores for tops and bottoms that would work and could be modified by using fabric dye or simple alterations. Hoodies are a great alternative to a hot and itchy wig. Just stitch or glue on felt or yarn until covered. Even printing out superhero insignia and glueing to cardboard can be an easy alternative. Just hot glue to fabric and voila!

Possibilities are endless when you think outside of the Halloween store!

So what are your little goblins going dressed up as?

6 Month Anniversary

Yes, its a bonus blog day for ya'll!

It has come to my attention that I have been a fully stay home mom for 6 months now. Certainly doesn't feel like it though.

Here is what I've learned so far:

>Some days, you get the same amount of stuff done as if you were leaving the house for work.
>You may have glorious plans of educational activities to enrich the days...but they don't exactly happen.
>Afternoon nap time can be a wonderful time of the day.
>Dinner can only be as spectacular as to what you have in the fridge/pantry
>You feel like superwoman if you can take both kids to a doctors appointment AND go grocery shopping.
>Why clean up after breakfast when its just going to get dirty at lunch.

I am sure there are more pearls of wisdom learned, but this is what has come to my attention for now.

What have you learned as a mom recently?

Ding #*$! Dinggle Jingle

I know there are posts on FB about how many more Fridays there are until Christmas. When watching TV at a playdate, I noticed the new toys and the commercials playing to lure young desires like mythical sirens.

Our children have the benefit of being the only grandchildren on either side. That means no competition for birthday and Christmas loot. One side will take our suggestions for gifts literally, while the other will use it for amusement and still go ahead and give what they want to give.

Last year, the kids were given some Little People toys with wheels. When you press the drivers seat, it plays a song. It is a cheap song that only switches out two words for each toy.

"Pull & Hall...Pull & Hall"

"High & Low..High & Low"

It is sickly sweet and not at all creative...and well...very annoying.

Then as I was vacuuming the house, and kicking toys away which of course triggers all the noise responses...it hit me.

How could I not have heard it sooner!?

THE FLIPPIN SONG IS A RIPOFF OF THE BARNEY SHOW TUNE!!!

So now, every time I hear those toys, the purple dinosaur comes to mind.

That's parenthood for ya!

When Life Brings Bad Apples

These pictures were not the planned ones I had been preparing for....

No, these were the ones that I tried to squeeze in, in order to not feel like I had wasted all of my time and effort for the afternoon.

You see, we have a family tradition going on since I was pregnant with Eliza to go to a small apple orchard. After she arrived and it was fall again, going to take cute pictures has been on the agenda ever since.

This year, I had a vision with a new prop to incorporate. I stained it before hand, loaded up the other small props to complete it, picked and dressed the kids several times until I finally found the right combination to complement each other. 

The day was wonderful after mostly rain the day before and Matt had this afternoon free from commitments. About halfway to our destination, Matt asks how late the farm was open till. With how light it was, I was pretty confident we had more than enough time on our side. But, out of curiosity, I decided to pull up their information on my phone.

They closed.at.four.flippin.pm! The farm had already been closed for 30 minutes when I glanced at the dash.

Who closes that early on such a glorious afternoon?!

We tried another closer orchard, only to find out that their u-pick season didn't start for another week. So we drove and drove around to look at the scenery as I stewed about all my precious time and energy gone to waste.

Eventually, we stopped at a state park that has a waterfall. The kids had been asleep most of the time while we were driving and enjoyed hearing the rushing water.

This is all I could salvage out of our afternoon of pictures....

For some reason only God would know...apple orchard pictures were not meant to be. It is hard to accept this, when there are no guarantees for nice dry weather. I have about one month worth of weekends to make this happen. Even less when you have to take in the fact that Matt has to be with me to child wrangle and has a few weekends of ministry commitments.

Here is to letting go of control and praying for good weather next weekend! 

What One Does for Their Child

We decided that a Mommy Daughter date was in order when someone posted on Facebook that an area kiddie venue was having a Frozen night, complete with meeting Anna and Elsa. 

What I didn't count on was just how popular of an idea this was to everyone else in the area, hence the hour long wait to just.get.in.the.freaking.building.

We paid the $7 entrance fee to play, and then waited in ANOTHER line for 30 minutes......

So we could get this ironic shot with the toddler-tyke celebrities

Yes, that's right...I had to fight her to go and stand with them. 

She.would.not.smile

All that waiting for a sour puss pose, after talking about them nonstop before hand.

Now trust me, while we waited outside with other bored children and their parents, I kept questioning if any of this was worth it. Could we catch a movie? Maybe Chuck E. Cheese's would be a better experience with no waiting in line? The option was presented to Eliza numerous times, but she kept opting for both (I hate 3 yr old indecisiveness). A family was nice enough to hold our place in line so I could run Eliza down the stripmall to the grocery store bathroom. Cue the waterworks when she thought we were leaving for good.

Was it worth it to me to wait in the line, pay the money and get a so/so encounter for my daughter (would it have killed you Elsa to have put on some makeup to look more like your character?)

No

But I guess there will be times when you just have to suck it up as a parent...to go against all practicality of worthiness of your Friday night and indulge.

PS

I do believe there is a Polaroid of me and Sheera that my mother made me pose for because it was a free picture...and I had quite the scowl too. 

Button Button, who's got the Button?

Tonight I write this post, not to link it to Facebook, but to just be real with those who come to visit without being asked to.

For most of my life, I've heard compliments of:

"You're so creative"

"What talent"

"You should go into business"

"How lucky are you"

It is all fine and dandy, but as the saying goes...actions speak louder than words.

Ever since I quit my outside job, I've tried to become more intentional with my entrepreneurial skills. From doing photography, trying to watch children or crafting...all things or services in which I can pursue without having to sacrifice staying home with my children.

I've tried selling some decorative owls, called Anytime Owls. With the time, skill, and materials needed...these are not some made in China ornament. I found out the other day that a lady who was allowing me to have a display of the owls said that they were not selling and returned my inventory. She said people felt they were too expensive and wanted to only buy them at 70% less.

Have we all gone mad with Walmart prices?!

I am only charging what one would pay at a specialty store, and probably less than a boutique. But yet, folks will lay down $20 for a mass produced with no personal craftsmanship ornament from Hallmark.

I think one of the most outrageous cost of these would be what places charge for buttons. We are talking about a small snack baggie of assorted colored buttons at 5-6 a pop! I didn't think plastic was THAT expensive...as it would cost an absurd amount for 1 gallon of buttons compared to a gallon of gas.

I've tried to go below what the market is charging for my talents/services, but it is very humbling to get passed over for someone else...especially when you know what you are worth. I'm not looking to make a fortune, but to provide for my children this Christmas. I know I am capable, and I don't want a hand out. Just to work hard for my family in small ways.

Growing & Growing

We FINALLY got around to Nolan's well baby visit.

Height: 34" (78th)

Weight: 25 lbs. (37th)

And head...94th! Never, have my children ever reached this size before until today.

It was a doozy of a visit for him, with getting a wart freezed, two shots and fighting a bad yeast rash for awhile. Big sister was extremely upset with the news of shots for her brother. 

All was made better with a toy airplane after. 

Fun on the Beach

Why eat it all when it makes the best art medium

A Long Overdue Castle

Its been done for quite a long time, but I finally got around to taking some pictures of it. For some before pictures, click here for the first post.

I wanted it to reflect some of the color pallets used with each pony, but not go too over the top with girly accents...just in case Nolan decides to take it over for knights and dragon battles.

I used acrylic paint and finished it off with a water based clear varnish for easy clean ups.

Eliza loves it, and each room is the perfect size for the small ponies and even some of the furniture sets they sell. Maybe their Santa's will surprise her this December.

Friday Snack Post

+While cleaning up the family room area, I found a teapot on the dinner table. Matt was standing in front of the toy bins and I said catch. After it left my hands and landed in his, the teapot responded with a "thank you."

+Eliza keep saying the phrase, "That's my Daddy" or any other member of the family.

+Break a promise to go to the grandparents house one time, and they'll be asking to go there every.day.

+I now remember why I don't serve my kids rice that often. It is like the head lice of any carpeted/rugged surface.

+Nothing feels better quite like a mom than to find every sippy cup with a matching lid and anti-spill valve in your cupboard.

+Kid socks: WHY YOU SO HARD TO FIND! (voiced in the voice of Darla from Finding Nemo)

+It is roughly the same price if not cheaper to go to Olive Garden and get two Soup, Salad, Breadstick meals and one kids meal to split when compared to the family going to Panera. Who'd have known?

MOPS and I

During the summer and in between hospital visits, I've been working with our local MOPS steering team, getting ready for the upcoming season. This years theme is Be You Bravely.

My responsibilities are in crafts and graphics (I know, big surprise) This year, we will have new hand painted tapestries hung with our MOPS mission and theme. You can see the one above I was working on in progress. It is pretty easy to make and you can trace your image using a magic sewing pen and acrylic paint.

In addition, this year, at each meeting, a extra special door prize will be given. In staying with our theme graphics, a hand crafted felt bird, made by me will be given away. They were a lot of fun to make and I am sure a few new ones will appear on the display branches later on :)