.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
Thank God for magic erasers. And baths.
Monday, August 12, 2013
Hannah the artist.
Rainy days are no fun. Today is no exception. So, while mom was busy making a grocery list and clipping coupons, little sister decided to take it upon herself to decorate the house (and make herself look like a lalaloopsy doll). Sigh.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
Thursday, August 1, 2013
August 1st!
Ahh, August. I keep thinking about early May. I had just wrapped up yet another semester at college, Cameron was weeks away from preschool graduation, ah. I thought I had time. Somehow, 3 months have flown by and we are both getting ready to head back to school in a little more than a month. There are some seriously mixed emotions going on around here.
Remember back to school time when you were younger? Yeah, it looked a lot like this.
Now, don't get me wrong. I absolutely love my kids and being able to be at home with them every day is awesome, but dang. Cameron learned to get into a routine at school, and I think that being home without it has got him all flustered. Being in school is really good for him and I am anxious for him to get back.
While I absolutely loathed back to school time when I was younger, my absolute favorite part was going shopping for school stuff. New backpacks? Binders? The best pens? Yup. Best part of school, hands down. It is kind of a sickness. When they start rolling the supplies out at Target in June, I get excited. The smell of crayons, the new stuff they come out with, all of it. Love. Butttt, we have a problem. We won't know who Cameron's teacher is until about a week before school starts, and along the same lines, we haven't received a list yet. Do you know me? I am a planner. I want to know what I need with a lot of notice and I want to start buying things asap. I found a list at Target that I thought was Cameron's, but no. Every single website (except his school's) has been updated with lists and they are all different. Of course. So until we get the definite list, we are buying random things that we assume will be needed.
We have been checking out clothes and shoes and trying to decide what he wants to wear at big boy school. The things I have loved so far include..
Remember back to school time when you were younger? Yeah, it looked a lot like this.
It's still quite a bit like that for me, as I get ready for my 5th (gah) semester in college. I struggle to remind myself that I am 2 semesters away from graduating with an associates (yeah, just an associates - not a huge deal) and push myself to finish because I know I can.
Anyway, when it comes to Cameron going to school, I can now understand why my parents always loved this time of year. I recently saw this picture and I laughed out loud. Literally. This is so absolutely perfect it's not even funny.
While I absolutely loathed back to school time when I was younger, my absolute favorite part was going shopping for school stuff. New backpacks? Binders? The best pens? Yup. Best part of school, hands down. It is kind of a sickness. When they start rolling the supplies out at Target in June, I get excited. The smell of crayons, the new stuff they come out with, all of it. Love. Butttt, we have a problem. We won't know who Cameron's teacher is until about a week before school starts, and along the same lines, we haven't received a list yet. Do you know me? I am a planner. I want to know what I need with a lot of notice and I want to start buying things asap. I found a list at Target that I thought was Cameron's, but no. Every single website (except his school's) has been updated with lists and they are all different. Of course. So until we get the definite list, we are buying random things that we assume will be needed.
We have been checking out clothes and shoes and trying to decide what he wants to wear at big boy school. The things I have loved so far include..
So, the countdown is on!
Monday, July 15, 2013
Hannah turns 3!
Hard to believe it, but it's true. This girl is growing up so fast and I can hardly stand it.
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
This post doesn't have a fun name.
It's safe to say that I am in a funk. The last month has been kind of a blur, with so much going on - but at the same time, feeling stuck in slow motion. I wrapped up my fourth semester (2 to go!) and am so relieved to be done for a couple of months. But, at the same time, kind of worried about what will go on this summer. Mainly because my kids are crazy. They fight over the craziest things (OMG! Bubba looked at me!) like all kids do, but since I am in a funk right now, it brings me down even more. These are the kinds of days we've been having..
Cameron is still in preschool, that will wrap up on May 22nd. He will have a small graduation ceremony and we will be done with it. He had kindergarten screening 2 weeks ago, and it has been decided that he will go to Young 5s in the fall. Same elementary school as the kindergarten, just a different program for now. I had a conference with his preschool teacher, and the fact that he is younger (by a year in some cases) than all of his classmates is evident. 'He isn't behind, he's just young.' He has a few things to work on, writing his name, coloring, and cutting to be specific, but he is ready to move on to bigger things in the fall. Much like the kindergarten program, Young 5s is an all day thing, meaning he will be gone from a little after 8 in the morning until about 3:30 in the afternoon. It will be strange to be responsible for only Hannah during that time!
Cameron has also recently started t-ball. He hasn't had his first game yet (that's on Saturday!), but he seems to enjoy it so far. Of course, the practices have been more for socializing and not so much learning, so daddy has had to spend some time teaching the basics to him. It is cute to see him out there learning how to play though.
There really isn't much new happening in the world of Hannah. She is deep into the terrible twos, having random breakdowns because things don't go her way, for instance, she doesn't get her arm in her sleeve on the first try? Hysterics. Same goes for putting her shoes on and putting the diaper on her baby doll. There are many days spent with motrin nearby. She got her birthday presents from Grammy early, accessories for her Bitty Baby Petey.
Cameron is still in preschool, that will wrap up on May 22nd. He will have a small graduation ceremony and we will be done with it. He had kindergarten screening 2 weeks ago, and it has been decided that he will go to Young 5s in the fall. Same elementary school as the kindergarten, just a different program for now. I had a conference with his preschool teacher, and the fact that he is younger (by a year in some cases) than all of his classmates is evident. 'He isn't behind, he's just young.' He has a few things to work on, writing his name, coloring, and cutting to be specific, but he is ready to move on to bigger things in the fall. Much like the kindergarten program, Young 5s is an all day thing, meaning he will be gone from a little after 8 in the morning until about 3:30 in the afternoon. It will be strange to be responsible for only Hannah during that time!
Cameron has also recently started t-ball. He hasn't had his first game yet (that's on Saturday!), but he seems to enjoy it so far. Of course, the practices have been more for socializing and not so much learning, so daddy has had to spend some time teaching the basics to him. It is cute to see him out there learning how to play though.
There really isn't much new happening in the world of Hannah. She is deep into the terrible twos, having random breakdowns because things don't go her way, for instance, she doesn't get her arm in her sleeve on the first try? Hysterics. Same goes for putting her shoes on and putting the diaper on her baby doll. There are many days spent with motrin nearby. She got her birthday presents from Grammy early, accessories for her Bitty Baby Petey.
I think it's safe to say she loves that baby.
Monday, March 25, 2013
Life Changes.
I made this one of my New Years Resolutions in December, but I am now finally back on the diet bandwagon. It's pretty official, thanks to this email:
I am the kind of person who HATES wasting money. I have struggled internally for the past few weeks trying to decide if I should spend the money to join Weight Watchers again. I have had incredible success in the past, but the thought of spending $60 at once makes me cringe. And since I am the kind of person that hates to waste money, I know that by signing up for this and spending that $60, I will stick to it. If I don't, it will make me insane.
The same goes with a gym membership. I was lucky enough to have a membership at the YMCA a year ago that my mom generously paid for, but I eventually stopped going. I was bored of the whole concept and decided that a cheeseburger and a coke sounded much more appealing than an hour at the gym. A few months later, I joined a different gym, one that was super cheap, but again, issues. It was in an inconvenient location, they didn't offer childcare, etc. So I quit going there too. Ugh. This is becoming a pattern now. Well, as of last Thursday, I am once again a member of the local YMCA. It is going to be pretty expensive to go there, but the perks of being able to go whenever I want and having someone available there to watch my kids (for $1 each time. Yes, just $1. For 2 kids. For 2 hours.) make it so very worth it.
So come along, once again, on my never ending weight loss experience. It has been about 2.5 years since I started this whole thing, and I am embarrassed to say that I have ridden a rollercoaster this entire time, really great highs (low numbers on the scale) and scary dips back to my old habits. But this time? I'm holding myself accountable and finally getting healthy. If not for me, definitely for my family. I want nothing more than to be around and with them for a long time. These are just the first steps.
I am the kind of person who HATES wasting money. I have struggled internally for the past few weeks trying to decide if I should spend the money to join Weight Watchers again. I have had incredible success in the past, but the thought of spending $60 at once makes me cringe. And since I am the kind of person that hates to waste money, I know that by signing up for this and spending that $60, I will stick to it. If I don't, it will make me insane.
The same goes with a gym membership. I was lucky enough to have a membership at the YMCA a year ago that my mom generously paid for, but I eventually stopped going. I was bored of the whole concept and decided that a cheeseburger and a coke sounded much more appealing than an hour at the gym. A few months later, I joined a different gym, one that was super cheap, but again, issues. It was in an inconvenient location, they didn't offer childcare, etc. So I quit going there too. Ugh. This is becoming a pattern now. Well, as of last Thursday, I am once again a member of the local YMCA. It is going to be pretty expensive to go there, but the perks of being able to go whenever I want and having someone available there to watch my kids (for $1 each time. Yes, just $1. For 2 kids. For 2 hours.) make it so very worth it.
So come along, once again, on my never ending weight loss experience. It has been about 2.5 years since I started this whole thing, and I am embarrassed to say that I have ridden a rollercoaster this entire time, really great highs (low numbers on the scale) and scary dips back to my old habits. But this time? I'm holding myself accountable and finally getting healthy. If not for me, definitely for my family. I want nothing more than to be around and with them for a long time. These are just the first steps.
Thursday, March 21, 2013
It's been awhile.
I'm still here! I don't know what my problem is, but good grief. Life has gotten busy, guys!
Things are all pretty much the same around here.
Cameron is about 2 months away from graduating from preschool. His school year has flown by and if you ask me, he has certainly benefited from going to preschool. He had a round of testing in December and the teacher is doing it again right now, so we will be able to tell based on that how much he has improved throughout the school year. Speaking of school, on Tuesday night, Josh and I went to a parent meeting at his elementary school. You read that right, ELEMENTARY school. It doesn't seem possible that this little guy is going to be a full-day student in the fall, but he is. :tears: He will be tested by the school in April to determine whether he will be going to young 5s or kindergarten, but either way, he will spend 5 full days a week at school. It will be an adjustment for me and Hannah, but it is very exciting!
Hannah could technically go to preschool in the fall, but she would have to be potty trained, and since I am mother of the year, I can admit that she is not potty trained yet. She will be 3 in July and has had major successes in this area, but with everything else going on in daily life (my school, Cameron's school, SO MUCH DRIVING), we haven't had time. This summer, though, will be the end of diapers in our household. Woot! This girl is a complete chatterbox and talks ALL THE TIME. Somedays, it gets to be so much that I have to ask her to please whisper or go talk in another room. She is a naughty little thing, always getting into everything she knows she's not supposed to. She's lucky she's so cute.
Things are all pretty much the same around here.
Cameron is about 2 months away from graduating from preschool. His school year has flown by and if you ask me, he has certainly benefited from going to preschool. He had a round of testing in December and the teacher is doing it again right now, so we will be able to tell based on that how much he has improved throughout the school year. Speaking of school, on Tuesday night, Josh and I went to a parent meeting at his elementary school. You read that right, ELEMENTARY school. It doesn't seem possible that this little guy is going to be a full-day student in the fall, but he is. :tears: He will be tested by the school in April to determine whether he will be going to young 5s or kindergarten, but either way, he will spend 5 full days a week at school. It will be an adjustment for me and Hannah, but it is very exciting!
Hannah could technically go to preschool in the fall, but she would have to be potty trained, and since I am mother of the year, I can admit that she is not potty trained yet. She will be 3 in July and has had major successes in this area, but with everything else going on in daily life (my school, Cameron's school, SO MUCH DRIVING), we haven't had time. This summer, though, will be the end of diapers in our household. Woot! This girl is a complete chatterbox and talks ALL THE TIME. Somedays, it gets to be so much that I have to ask her to please whisper or go talk in another room. She is a naughty little thing, always getting into everything she knows she's not supposed to. She's lucky she's so cute.
In other news, I celebrated my 27th birthday this week. It depresses me that the number on the end of that 20 is getting so high, lol. I don't want to turn 30! I remember being 18 and feeling like 30 was so far away, and then I blinked and now I'm so close. I'm working really hard to do good things with my life, so I can be proud of who I am and what I've done. One day at a time, I suppose! I'm still in school, with 2 semesters remaining until I get an associates degree. I'm taking it one semester at a time, trying not to overwhelm myself with what lies ahead. It will be worth it in the end, which is about a year from now. Can't complain!
Until next time!
Monday, December 31, 2012
New Years Resolutions
I have made New Years Resolutions in the past, but never really stuck to them. Life gets in the way, or I just became lazy and decided that my resolutions were stupid. Well, in an effort to improve myself, I am going to list a few of my resolutions and hope I can stick to them.
1) It's something I have struggled with for about 7 years, but I want to get myself down to a healthy weight again. I've had some really great stretches, getting myself within 15 pounds of my goal weight, and then awful setbacks where I gain all the weight back again. I've done Weight Watchers, and had great success, but when money is tight, that is not something that is high on the spending priority list.
1) It's something I have struggled with for about 7 years, but I want to get myself down to a healthy weight again. I've had some really great stretches, getting myself within 15 pounds of my goal weight, and then awful setbacks where I gain all the weight back again. I've done Weight Watchers, and had great success, but when money is tight, that is not something that is high on the spending priority list.
Me at my largest, just before Hannah was born.
Me in summer of 2005, in the bright pink shirt.
Most recent picture of me. Christmas 2012.
My friend has been working on a plan to take baby steps towards a realistic goal, and I think I am going to do the same. If we go slowly, there is less room for failure.
2) Become a better parent. I will admit it, I am not the best mother in the world. My kids, like every other, are flawed. There are many more bad days than there are good (between the fighting, hitting, screaming, crying, etc.), but they are kids. I sometimes have a hard time remembering that. There will be messes, there will be struggles. These are things I need to remember. 2 and 4 year olds do not realize that grabbing something the wrong way will probably cause a ginormous mess. Or that pouring their own glass of milk while mom is in the shower is probably not the best idea. What I need to realize is that messes can be cleaned up. Being hard on your kids for stupid reasons is not a good way to build a relationship. I do not want to be the kind of parent that has a terrible relationship with their children. I do not want them to fear me. I do not want them to go through their teenage years hating me, counting down the days until they get to leave my house. Again, this will probably involve baby steps.
3) Continue my education. I have completed 3 semesters, and have 3 to go, and am so far thrilled with my progress. 13 classes down, and all but one completed with a 4.0 (that pesky 3.5 will haunt me forever). It has not been easy, juggling kids, school work, a once a week job, but it will eventually be worth it. It has been exciting for me to prove to myself that if I put my mind to it, I can achieve it. When I was a senior in high school, I didn't care about grades or college. I was more worried about boys and having fun, and picking up my life and moving it across the country. Looking back now, I wish I would have gone to college right away. But when you're 18 years old, you don't always do the right things.
So, what do you think? Doable? I really hope so. The past few years haven't been stellar, but they haven't been awful either. I am hoping that 2013 rolls in and will be the best year that I've had in awhile.
Happy New Year to you all!
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Oh, hai!
Remember me?
I'm still around! Life has been hectic. Cameron goes to school, I go to school, I clean a house on Thursdays.. Yeah. Hectic. Not to mention, Christmastime? Yeah. Life in overload. But, for the next 2 weeks, I am free from my school, and next week will be spent at home with no trips to preschool or to the house I clean, so life will be good. I'm kind of excited about the idea of jammies all day long.
Speaking of Christmas, we're ready! Christmas cards were mailed weeks ago (I'm talking days after Thanksgiving), packages have been mailed for family and secret Santa draws, and our tree is bursting at the seams on December 20th. Let's not forget that we haven't put our presents out for the kids, and neither has Santa. These kids have so many people in their lives that love them. :)
Fall 2012 semester wrapped up last week, and I am proud to add four more 4.0s to my transcript. My GPA remains at 3.98, but that is still something to be very proud of!
The next few days are consumed with Christmas parties and family get togethers and a teeny tiny bit of snow. I am probably the only person in SW Michigan who would prefer a green/brown Christmas, but it appears that I will get my wish. Yay! When you have as many places to go as we do, we kind of appreciate nice, clean, and dry roads.
Until next time, Happy Holidays!
Friday, October 26, 2012
Friday, October 12, 2012
It's that time again..
Believe it or not, folks, Christmas is just a little more than 2 months away. What?! It honestly seems like I just took down my decorations and got rid of the snow.
I don't know about you, but one of my most favorite holidays is Christmas. I love the atmosphere, the decorations, the food, shopping (especially on Black Friday), and just about everything BUT the snow. ;) I absolutely love Christmas trees and Christmas music and look forward to the day after Thanksgiving (I try to respect the bird!) so I can get all my stuff around.
For the past 2 years, I have worked with Shutterfly to produce the Christmas cards my family sends out. I have been so pleased with what I've received and love sending the cards out to my friends and family. I absolutely love the Christmas Photo Cards that are offered from Shutterfly. The quality is amazing and the pictures look so crisp and clear. We are always receiving compliments on them as people start getting them in the mail.
The cards offered by Shutterfly are surprisingly affordable for the quality you get. They have great deals year round on their products as well. Visit this link to check out their Special Offers page.
AWESOME ALERT! If you are interested in winning a $50 credit towards Christmas cards on Shutterfly's website, leave a comment with your name and I will enter your name into the contest. (The giveaway will end on October 26th!)
I look forward to seeing what everyone comes up with for Christmas cards this year! Ho ho ho!
I don't know about you, but one of my most favorite holidays is Christmas. I love the atmosphere, the decorations, the food, shopping (especially on Black Friday), and just about everything BUT the snow. ;) I absolutely love Christmas trees and Christmas music and look forward to the day after Thanksgiving (I try to respect the bird!) so I can get all my stuff around.
For the past 2 years, I have worked with Shutterfly to produce the Christmas cards my family sends out. I have been so pleased with what I've received and love sending the cards out to my friends and family. I absolutely love the Christmas Photo Cards that are offered from Shutterfly. The quality is amazing and the pictures look so crisp and clear. We are always receiving compliments on them as people start getting them in the mail.
The cards offered by Shutterfly are surprisingly affordable for the quality you get. They have great deals year round on their products as well. Visit this link to check out their Special Offers page.
AWESOME ALERT! If you are interested in winning a $50 credit towards Christmas cards on Shutterfly's website, leave a comment with your name and I will enter your name into the contest. (The giveaway will end on October 26th!)
I look forward to seeing what everyone comes up with for Christmas cards this year! Ho ho ho!
*this post is sponsored by Shutterfly*
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Conversations with an almost 4 year old.
Cameron is quite a creative little guy..
He loves to give compliments, mainly to me, and often says 'Mommy, you look fabious (fabulous)!'
So when he went up to his room and picked out his own outfit and dressed himself this morning, I told him, "wow Cameron! You look fabulous!" He was quick to reply with a "NO MOMMY. I am not fabious. I am cool." Lol, okay then!
He has quite an interesting taste in music. He lives for going in my car and listening to the Yo Gabba Gabba cd, but has recently started to like different music. Like, Call Me Maybe for example. I played it once in Josh's car and he insisted that we replay it 3 more times afterwards. I think Josh's head was ready to explode.
I don't know if it's something he learned at school or if he just picked it up somewhere, but he has been thanking me after I make him meals. The other night, he was so thankful for the french bread pizzas I made. This morning, he came to me after he ate his pancakes and said "thanks for making me pancakes, mommy." My heart? It melted.
There have been others, but this kid is getting so smart. He asks every morning if it's time to go to preschool. I feared he would be 'afraid' of school and wouldn't want to go, but that is the farthest thing from the truth. He is learning and growing every day and I'm so proud to be his mom.
He loves to give compliments, mainly to me, and often says 'Mommy, you look fabious (fabulous)!'
So when he went up to his room and picked out his own outfit and dressed himself this morning, I told him, "wow Cameron! You look fabulous!" He was quick to reply with a "NO MOMMY. I am not fabious. I am cool." Lol, okay then!
He has quite an interesting taste in music. He lives for going in my car and listening to the Yo Gabba Gabba cd, but has recently started to like different music. Like, Call Me Maybe for example. I played it once in Josh's car and he insisted that we replay it 3 more times afterwards. I think Josh's head was ready to explode.
I don't know if it's something he learned at school or if he just picked it up somewhere, but he has been thanking me after I make him meals. The other night, he was so thankful for the french bread pizzas I made. This morning, he came to me after he ate his pancakes and said "thanks for making me pancakes, mommy." My heart? It melted.
There have been others, but this kid is getting so smart. He asks every morning if it's time to go to preschool. I feared he would be 'afraid' of school and wouldn't want to go, but that is the farthest thing from the truth. He is learning and growing every day and I'm so proud to be his mom.
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Cameron's first day of preschool.
He started school just about a week ago, on September 5th. He goes Monday, Wednesday and Friday but hard to start on Wednesday last week because of Labor Day.
We woke up at our normal time (because let's face it, that is early enough) and got ready while Josh took Hannah to Nana's house. It was a half day, so we didn't have to be there until 10. Before he headed out for breakfast, we stopped in the front yard to take some pictures.
We woke up at our normal time (because let's face it, that is early enough) and got ready while Josh took Hannah to Nana's house. It was a half day, so we didn't have to be there until 10. Before he headed out for breakfast, we stopped in the front yard to take some pictures.
We headed to my friend Nicole's house to take some pictures of her son, Nicholas, who is in Cameron's class.
By this time, it was close to 9, so we got in the car and headed to McDonald's for breakfast. We got done early enough, so we headed to the school to take some pictures there.
As soon as school actually started, it was pretty difficult to get pictures of either of the boys because they were like blurs. Running from activity to the next. I think they like their school. :)
His very first 'art project'!
And because I LOVE these collages..
I wonder how much that will change over the years..
He's been to preschool 3 times now and has had a great time each time he's been. He is always excited to go and it is next to impossible to get him out of the building when it's over.
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Sunday, August 12, 2012
I heart Chicago
For the past few weeks, the girls I've 'known' since we were pregnant the first time (so like 4.5 years ago) have been planning a huge get together in Chicago. I have yo-yo'd like a crazy person with so much happening this month (and receiving bad news about a family member), but decided last minute on Friday afternoon to go. I had enough time to take a shower, do my hair and makeup and throw together an overnight bag before I left. I hopped a train in Michigan City and headed to Chicago. I love it there.
I arrived in Chicago at 6:30 and patiently waited to meet up with the other girls. I met one right off the bat and we listened to a tour group guide tell a story about how the hotel we were staying in was haunted, and other ghost stories. Interesting..
As soon as (most) everyone arrived, it was off to dinner at a pizza joint. Holy yum.
a picture of our pizza, courtesy of Ashley
And I took some awesome pictures of me and a couple of the girls.
Caroline & Me
Tara & Me
Ashley & Me (photo courtesy of Ashley)
Amaretto sours with Tara at the hotel bar
Looks like I really needed more to drink. Oye.
And after that, it was all a blur. To say I had a good time is a massive understatement. While the other girls stayed throughout Saturday and part of Sunday, I was on a train headed home Saturday morning. I had other things I needed to do (and my cold kicked into overdrive on the train), so it was for the best. I'm still holding out hope for another get together in the spring where I can stay the whole time. I had a blast and can't wait to do it again!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
