Random Happenings.

Life at our house is getting more hectic by the month, I swear.

Cameron is coming up on his (tear) 3rd birthday. He has already been telling me what he wants to do for his 'birday'. He wants to go to Chuck E Cheese (ugh) and have a happy birday cake - with Buzz Lightyear and Lightning McQueen on it. I hope I can convince him to do something besides Chuck E Cheese. That place is a migraine waiting to happen. Maybe I can talk him in to going bowling.

His vocabulary is growing by the day, and his favorite word is 'no'. I am afraid that the threes will be more terrible than the twos, and that is saying a lot. He is into kung fu (not sure where he picked this up), and likes to punch and kick things. He spends a good amount of time in time out because his favorite target is his sister. I scheduled his first dentist appointment for next Wednesday, and he is excited. I told him that the dentist is going to tickle and count his teeth, and when he is all done, he gets to pick a prize from a treasure chest. He is so excited. He won't stop talking about it.

Hannah is, well, Hannah. She has seemed to slow down in the growth department (thank God!) and is getting close to walking. She has been walking with hands for a few months now, but is just not ready to take off on her own yet. I am torn on this anyways. I know that once she walks, she will be more demanding, but I'm hoping she'll be a little easier too. As I type this blog post, she is standing up on her own clapping. She does this often. I keep on thinking that it won't be long before she takes off, but who knows.

She's been saying more words, bringing her count up to like 6 words. Mama, Dada, Baba, Baa (bath), Papa and Nana. She loves to read books and I have a feeling that she will be a dancer. She loves music and dancing around.

And as for me, well, I am about to be busy. I start my classes next Tuesday. I am taking 12 credit hours this semester. I registered for my classes a little late, so to get full time status, I have to take 5 classes. Thanks to advice from some Mean Mommies, I have decided I will make myself a schedule to ensure that I get my work done and maintain good grades. I know I can do it, I just need to hold myself accountable. I want to be a better student than I was in high school. Well, let's face it, I had a C average in high school, so I want to blow that out of the water. Wish me luck!

Y3W - Raising 'Em Right!

Little Wolverines fan!

I love a good deal.

Saturday morning, Josh, the kids and I headed to Kohl's for a little retail therapy. Or torture, if you ask Josh. ;)  Anyway, I was browsing the clearance sections and came across some great deals. I am so proud of them, I have to share.

I found a sticker-less candle that looked like a Yankee, so I picked it up and examined it. The tag on the bottom said it was a Yankee Candle, the vanilla frosting flavor to be more exact. There was a clearance sticker that displayed the price at a whopping 80% off. Say what? That never, ever happens. The candle was marked $4.39. That is so awesome!

Unfortunately for me and my new candle, while moving furniture around the living room on Sunday afternoon, The candle was dropped off the top of our bookshelf and the glass shattered. Josh saved the actual candle, so now I have to find it a new home to burn in.

Also purchased on Saturday was a set of wall sconces. Our living room has a wall that has been in need of some sort of decoration. We put up a shelf, complete with the Willow Tree figurines that Cameron hasn't broken (grr...) and a couple of pictures on it and needed something else on the wall. Enter these sconces, regularly priced at $29.99 on clearance for $5.99.

Love them.

And last, but not least, is the best deal of them all. As you know, I am starting school in 3 weeks, and I have been looking for a backpack for awhile now. I found this bag right next to my Yankee candle and knew I had to have it.

Josh and I looked over the backpack a few times to see if anything was wrong with it, but found no flaws. I haven't been able to find it online, so I am assuming it's an older bag marked down because the pattern was discontinued. Either way, $22 for a $55 bag is a great deal.

And I bet you're thinking that is as good as it gets. Nope! I (foolishly) applied for a Kohl's card last year, so I get additional coupons throughout the year. This time, I got a 30% off coupon, so I got an additional 30% off the things I bought.

All 3 items cost me $24. And I saved $88.

Y3W - Libraries are fun!

I took the kids to the library yesterday afternoon since I needed to pick up the next 2 books in the series I'm reading (Stephanie Plum mystery novels, recommended by a few Heysteks). Anyway, after I got my books, we went to the library's lower level where the kids' books are. They have a special room just for toddlers to play in, so we spent some time in there. Cameron absolutely loves the library and asks to go at least twice a week. And every time we go, he asks to see the trucks, like the time the big trucks were there.

Here is a picture of Hannah playing with the blocks. This was not a long lived activity though. She kept on chewing on them, so she had to be directed to a different toy. Silly girl.

I love the semi-side eye. "Tell me 'no no no' again, I dare you!"

A Cameron post.

This morning, I decided I was tired of looking at Cameron's scraggly hair and decided to do something about it. We are on a tight budget this month, so taking him out to have it cut just wasn't an option. I took him into the bathroom, got Josh's clippers out, and cut his hair to a 5. It took us a few tries since the battery on the clippers kept dying, but I am pretty happy with the end product.

Now that I know I can do it myself, I look forward to saving quite a bit of money.

Yesterday, the kids and I spent the afternoon at the outlet mall in Michigan City. There, Cameron got some new shoes for the fall. How is my kid already wearing a size 9? Cry. Anyway, he got a little pair of Nike Shox, and they are adorable on him. He doesn't want to wear them yet though. He likes his sandals.

Happiness is...

A little boy's voice yelling from an upstairs bedroom. "Mommy! C'mere, mommy!" Even at 6:45 in the morning.

A precious little girl that is trying her hardest to stand up on her own.

Two kids that are growing beautifully and learning more every day.

Two kids whose blankie love rivals Linus's.

Dreaming up a new plan for the outside of your house.

 

(I want to find some sort of planter for up next to the door too..)

And the ultimate happiness?

Stepping on the scale and realizing you are only 12 pounds from your weight loss goal. Holy crap.

Please pay no attention to my lack of pedicure and flip flop tan lines.

Life is good today.

Getting back on track.

It's official. I fell back into a funk in the past few weeks.

I stopped dieting. Ugh, I hate myself for it, but I was so burnt out from months of counting every single thing I ate and decided to go crazy. There really is no excuse for it, because I was doing so well. I know it's because I stopped using Weight Watchers and no longer have to be held accountable for what I'm shoveling into my mouth. There have been days that I decided to drink regular Coke instead of Diet, which undoubtedly will help me gain back 10 pounds, easy.

And exercise? Psh, what's that? We all know that I had been giving the C25k program a shot in the beginning of the summer, but shin splints ended that adventure. Josh's stepdad gave me some pointers to avoid the shin splints, so I am planning on getting my butt in gear and going out for morning runs 3 times a week. I am kicking myself for being so close to my goal and giving up. Because let's face it, taking a break is essentially giving up.

What brings me to this conclusion? Well, for starters, I want to revamp my wardrobe. I am a jeans and tshirt kind of girl, but there are times that I feel like throwing on a pretty dress and feeling good about myself. And have you seen Ashley at The Stauffer Shenanigans? She looks amazing, and she hasn't given up! She is my motivation.

If you read this and you have some inspiration to help motivate my lazy self, lay it on me. I am 15 pounds away from my goal and I KNOW I can do it.

It's August!

Ahh, August. One month closer to my favorite season, fall. I can't be happy living in Michigan. I hate the snow and driving in the winter, but also loathe the humidity and heat of the summer. So when fall and spring roll around, I am a happy camper. Anyway..

This fall holds some excitement for our house. I have finally decided to go to college (emphasis on finally), and will be starting my classes in the first week of September. I have decided to work toward a degree in accounting, starting off with 2 years at a community college before transferring to a university. Lord help me. I haven't gone to school in 5 years, when I attended one semester at a community college in California. The pessimistic side of me worries that I will do an awful job. Like high school all over again. Who had time to study or do homework? Life at 16 consisted of chasing after boys and hanging out with friends. School work took the backseat to everything else in life.

Now, I'm 25, and I have a high school education. Not good enough. I have enjoyed my time at home with the kids, but they won't stay young forever. One day, they'll go to school, and I won't want to sit around here anymore. So going to school to get an education that will lead me to a job is what is best for us. Not only will I get some adult conversation/interaction every day, but we will have extra money. That sounds amazing. I look forward to getting out and actually doing something with my life.

Also coming this fall, a little boy will turn 3. Say what?! 3? I think I need a drink.