My Chore List and Rebelling Against The Milk

It’s time for a confession…..

So I decided about 2 or 3 weeks ago that I was going to switch my family from skim milk to almond milk.  I went to a meeting regarding nutrition and it may have scared the beegeebees out of me.  I pretty much decided that everything available to feed my family is going to somehow harm them, so we may as well just continue on our old ways.

Except milk….

The more I rolled that one around in my head, the grosser it became to me.

So I have switched them and they haven’t said a word.  But here’s the confession part, I haven’t switched myself.  It’s not that I have been cheating, I don’t have a secret stash of skim milk hidden in the outside fridge or anything.  I just haven’t used the almond milk yet.  Every morning, instead of my typical cereal, I have found something else to eat so that I didn’t have to break down and use the almond milk.  I even made myself a burrito on Monday morning, complete with beans and even lettuce and tomatoes.  It was really tasty, but definitely not my typical breakfast fare.

I am wrestling with the mindset that I am already almost middle-aged and have already harmed my body with whatever terrible things might be lurking in skim milk…..so I should probably just stick with it……..at least I have saved the children.

A funny side note, the kids are aware that most milk comes from a mommy of some sort.  They have all witnessed me nursing either themselves or a sibling and the whole biology of milk production makes sense to them.  We have bottles of breast milk in our fridge for the little one that I watch during the day and they know that the regular milk we used to drink came from cows.  But the other morning while eating his cheerios, Reese questioned aloud that he had no idea almonds had ninnies to get milk from.  (Ninnies would be my children’s term for breasts).  I thought about correcting him and telling him how almond milk was actually made from ground up almonds……..but you only live in a stage of believing that almonds lactate for so long, so I have decided to just let this one go.

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So I stuck with my chore list yesterday.  I was very proud of myself for cleaning all of my toilets and taking out the trash.  I also discovered a new cookie shop, which I think is probably even more important than clean toilets.    I told Reese we would check it out, but only if he took a nap.  No nap so no cookies – I run a tight ship.

But tomorrow for our Friday Treat, we plan to check it out.  Last Friday, Reese said he didn’t want to go to our typical frozen yogurt place and Mattie wanted to go somewhere extra special.  In my mind, I was wondering if that meant she wanted to actually go to a real restaurant.  I was quickly going over which restaurants were close by when she interrupted my thoughts by telling me that she already knew which special place she wanted to go to.

McDonalds…..

Her somewhere special was McDonalds…..

I was okay with that……

Mattie got a milk shake, Reese a caramel sundae, Lila a smoothie and myself, I had an apple pie – all for probably the same price as one serving of yogurt from our usual place.  I don’t know that any of what we ate was actually food, but hey – they are drinking almond milk so it ought to even things out, right?

looking all cool and aloof

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I need to iron.

Ironing is on my chore list, and so is dusting and cleaning the bathroom tubs and counter tops.

I don’t want anything to do with the bathrooms today, so I am leaning towards the ironing and maybe even adding something, like put my dining room back together.  I didn’t really take many pictures from Lila’s birthday party.  I told myself I would just reenact them the next day, but she started feeling cruddy pretty soon after her birthday so I just put that idea on hold….and left all the decorations up and the table scooted way out of its usual place…..for about a month.  It will be a month this weekend since her party and I don’t know, I’m just feeling like maybe it’s time.

Lila’s birthday brunch

Loving the birthday song

Sharing brunch with Uncle Chris

So ironing and decoration-putting away it will be….

Now that these are finally done:

We will have to reenact this again sometime soon and have her pose for pictures with her parents, because on the actual birthday, we didn’t get any of those either.  Lila is going to be 12 years old, crammed into this tiny shirt posing for pretend 2nd year birthday pictures.

In the mean time, I need to get to my ironing

I wish this could actually happen:

Suzie Homemaker working hard in the powder room

I took a shower the other morning and when I turned off the water and pulled back the curtain, this is what I saw in my bathroom.  I’m not sure how she managed to bring all this stuff into my bathroom in such a short amount of time and without me hearing anything.  It makes me so happy that I have just left her little bin of doll clothes and ironing board in my bathroom, just in case the mood should hit her again.

This is my bathroom

Too Much Time on My Hands

So I have some random things to share.  I had about 37 minutes the other day…not enough time to really start a big project like the ironing that is starting to take shape and the kids were napping so I wasn’t going to drag the vacuum upstairs.  I didn’t have enough time to start a tv show and I had already had something to eat for the day and gone to the bathroom…those are my usual go-to’s when I have a moment of free time.  Instead, I took a few tests on the internet, because I like to know what’s going on with myself.

The first test was, “How Many Kids Should You Have”.  I have to say, this one had me a little nervous because A) what if it said I shouldn’t have any at all? and 2) what if it say I should have more?  I so do not want to have any more!  Turns out my magic kid number is 3, but 4 if I keep that drink I will be needing handy.  I figure I don’t need any more bad habits, so we will keep it at 3.  Good job internet!

The next test I took was “What Trendy Thing Would You Really Love if You Actually Tried It”. This one really made me laugh because it was, DIY-ing everything.  That I would become a slave to Pintrest if I would just open that box.  This made me chuckle because it is all so true.  From my kid’s birthday parties to even shopping for a silly tv console, I would much rather see what I can find (on a budget) and then gussy up.  I have two pieces of furniture in my garage that I got for a steal, but need to be refinished.  I make my own birthday cards.  I have a sewing machine that I fantasize about relearning to sew on and making fabulous little dresses for  my girls.  Internet, how in the world did you figure this out just by asking me which breed of dog I felt resembled myself and which fast food restaurant appealed to me?

In other news, it’s Girl Scout Cookie time.  I don’t know if that’s an actual thing for everyone else, or just me….but to me, cookie time is right up there with the coming of spring.  I can spot those little girls from a mile away (okay – through a crowded parking lot – but still) and around this time each year I start carrying at least $3.50 with me all the time so that should I come across one, I can buy a box of Thin Mints.  Some lucky little girls made their first sale this past Friday.  I assured them that I would definitely be back…..I don’t think they thought I meant on my way out of the grocery store….maybe in a day or two.  It’s tempting to get Mattie into Girl Scouts just for the cookies.  We used to have a little neighbor girl who would act as my supplier every year, but we moved away and then she moved away.  Now I am in search of a new Girl Scout…..should you be a random reader in my neighborhood who has their own Girl Scout, send me a comment and we will get connected because even though it’s only been about 4 days, I am running low on Samoas.

So Brandon and I have finally come to the conclusion that the only way that we can help Mattie’s room situation (there is stuff everywhere and it kind of smells like a barn), is to provide her with more storage.  So I have been on the hunt lately for a new dresser.  My hunts usually involve Goodwill and the other day I was so excited because I came across a real jewel.  It’s a nice, low, all-wood dresser perfect for the girls room.  We needed some low enough because Mattie is not particularly tall and I could imagine her climbing the drawers trying to get to her skivvies every day.  So we had a few specific needs when it came to this dresser that I also wanted to find for under $100.  And find it I did!  It is slightly retro, kind of Mad-Men-esque and looks like it might also contain a stereo or record player, but I think it’s going to be fabulous when it gets painted.  I thought I had really hit the jackpot on that Goodwill run and then I spotted it….

My second-hand store unicorn

The item I have secretly hoped for but never said out loud because I never really thought it would actually happen.

Find of all finds

I found a, not completely perfect, but pretty dang close, American Girl doll.

Her hair looked a little mistreated, but hey, so does mine most of the time so who am I to judge.  She was still wearing her American Girl doll outfit, down to her own little skivvies, and I just stood there holding her as though she was pure gold.  Part of me felt like I should hide her, that out of nowhere someone was going to come out and snatch her from me, telling me she had been left there by accident.  But there she was in all her super-expensive-little-girl-doll-glory for the low, low price of just $4.99.  I was beyond excited.

My plan was to take her home and wash her clothes and look on-line to see how I might be able to fix her hair.  That or possibly send her off to the doll hospital because even paying to have her head replaced would be a steal compared to actually buying a doll.  I planned to do all of this before presenting her to Mattie and just shock the pants right off of her.

Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on if you are Mattie or not, I can’t keep a good secret for long.

That doll was at our house for maybe 4 hours before it was handed over to Matilda Belle, and she just about wept with excitement over my frugal find.  Let me just say, there have been no complaints about me running into Goodwill since this.  The kids are all full supporters of my little habit now.

I have read a lot of things on the internet that seem to be great fixes for dry, frizzy American Girl doll hair, but I have yet to actually try one out.  The most popular is the “Downy Dunk” that actually involves dunking the dolls hair in Downy fabric softener and also has a step that involves a ceramic straightener.  I don’t know about you all, but the that just seems complicated and riddled with possibilities for me to screw it up.  It also suggests spending a whole weekend on this task and that also waves red flags at me.  The other highly recommended fix is to use “braid spray” like for artificial braids that one would have woven into their hair.  Again, this isn’t something I am feeling really confident in, mainly because I don’t know where one would get braid spray.  I wish I could say that I have never had braid throughout my head, but that would be a lie.

However, they were my own hair and I just washed them.  They also only stayed in about the same length as my vacation.

So for now, Liesl, as she has been affectionately named, is sporting a loose pony tail and bonding with her new roommate Elizabeth.

Lastly, I have been frustrated lately because I don’t feel like I get anything done.  I have been planning to wash Reese’s sheets for quite some time now and I know that all of the toilets in my house need a good scrubbing.  But I get myself overwhelmed when I think about the daunting task of cleaning a whole bathroom, plus, I don’t find myself having huge chunks of time to bath a whole room.  I have decided that I am just going to make a list of single chores that really need done and when I have 15 minutes here and there, I will do just one of these tasks.

That way, I can actually accomplish something, even if it’s not much.

Todays task has been to actually make the list…..and I still haven’t done that yet.

And really quick before I sign off here, Congratulations to any and all Dale Jr fans who might be reading this.  Wasn’t Sunday exciting?!!!!!!

Start Your Engines!

After an almost 3 month wait, life feels like normal again.

The flag has been planted…..

The line-up has been set….just like Christmas, it was done the night before right before we went to bed

The uniform is pressed and ready

The National Anthem has been sung

And Mama’s new 2014 Jimmie Johnson shirt arrive just in time on Friday afternoon…..

And now we wait

Happy Great American Race Day!!!!!!! Welcome 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Season!!!!And Merry Daytona 500 to all.

 

I Love You Bigger and Stronger Than A Monster Truck

I remember thinking that I was going to have two girls.  Two girls that I would dress in matching outfits…maybe not completely matching, but at least coordinating.  AFter having a little girl for 3 years, I couldn’t imagine anything but the world that she had created around us.  I would definitely be having another girl.

Then in February, like writing on the wall, the truth was flashed before me in black and white.

Plain as day, clear as as a bell…..I saw the penis, but I had no idea what in the world it meant.

Oh, at the time I thought it meant no more cute baby clothes because everyone always says how nothing is nearly as cute for boys as what they have for girls.  I thought it meant a world of boy things that I wasn’t really interested in, and I had no idea how I was going to bond with this little person the way I had with my girl.

That extra body part on the ultrasound really threw me off.

That was 6 years ago and this past Saturday night, I found myself in a completely foreign land.  A foreign land that I’m pretty sure I would have never ventured into had it not been for that boy.  Flanked on each side by a handsome little man-child, spending a small fortune on two sno-cones that came in light-up, plastic glasses and wearing bright orange ear plugs, I experienced my very first Monster Jam show/race/ challenge? I don’t even know what they refer to their traveling competition as, but I went just the same.

Excitement

We cheered on Spiderman because…..well, it was Spiderman and my dates are big superhero fans.  I spent the evening soaking up the moment, watching these little guys who right now don’t even come up to my armpit, but who I know in the very near future are going to tower over me.  They were excited and ornery, pretending to toss ice over the railing, and every now and then, they would just stop and stare in amazement at those huge trucks doing those silly tricks  – flying over and crushing yellow and purple junked cars and throwing dirt everywhere – and I couldn’t help but stare at them.

Totally enthralled in the “jamming” and their son-cones

And to think that I thought for even a moment that I wasn’t going to bond with boy the way that I had with my girl.  I guess that’s true, I haven’t bonded the same way.  The first “Live” show that I took Mattie to was Sesame Street live, followed by Disney Princesses on Ice a year or two later.  Reese’s first “Live” event I think was probably a NASCAR practice.

Me and that boy

But bonded we have.

The boy and his mother

And I rather enjoyed my time at Monster Jam

Living On The Couch and Other Weekend Adventures

This past Friday, we set the wheels turning on the beginning of this ride we will call Reese’s formal education.  It was bound to happen eventually.  Either that or I was going to get hauled off to jail for truancy, and I figured the choice of sending him off to school was probably more practical for my family’s needs at this time.  Besides, with me in jail, he would have to go to school anyway……

So Friday, the boy, the babies and I headed to school for Kindergarten Round-Up.  He was stoked….His buddy Ben Ben, was also at Kindergarten Round-Up.  They walked into the classroom, the room that had previously belonged to their older siblings, and completely owned it.  This was their turf now, well maybe not quite yet as it’s still just February, but come August…….Overall, I would have to say that our school puts on a pretty informative and welcoming open house for their prospective students.  There were tours and a beautifully thought out information packet (and let me just say here for a second, our family has really enjoyed the wooing literature that has been sent to our house even though the school already knows that they have us as promised attendees for next year.  It’s nice to feel wanted, even if I’m on the school board and part of the marketing committee….it’s nice to see our efforts in action). But I think what would have really made the experience would have been if there could have actually been some sort of “round-up” of the kids.  I would have really enjoyed, and I think I can also speak for the other parents, watching our principal chase our children around with a rope. Maybe he could have worn a special cowboy outfit…..I’m just saying, it would be memorable.

We followed the day up with a routine trip to Yolo, our favorite frozen yogurt place, where it was determined that Lila’s little sniffles were a full on cold and that we needed to get home and into our sweat pants as soon as possible.  This set us up for a weekend that consisted of lots of Vicks vapor rub, around the clock Olympic watching and very little movement away from the couch.  Reese came down with the crud on Saturday morning at around 11.  You saw it just sort of take over as he went from sitting up on the couch watching a movie about lion cubs, to wilted in a puddle of sweat shirt and pajama pants between the cushions of the couch.

Sunday was rounding up to be pretty much the same as the day before.  Showers were taken, not for hygienic purposes, but for the steam.  Reese is completely convinced that steam has intense healing properties and even if he were to break a bone, I’m pretty sure that he would insist on a hot shower and sleeping with the humidifier beside his bed. Pajamas were changed and the couch cushions fluffed for another day of lounging….

Except……….

Mattie and I had a date.

About 4 years ago, maybe 5, Brandon and I went to see the acclaimed Broadway musical Wicked for the first time.  I loved it and the soundtrack soon became part of the usual playlist in our car.  Mattie also became a fan and would ask me all sorts of questions about the story line.  Even without having ever seen it, she fell in love with the story and the music.  I promised her that if Wicked ever came back to town and she was a bit older, I would take her to see it.  And it just so happened that this year, Wicked did return to Memphis and right in time for Mattie’s birthday.

Tickets were bought.

In lieu of a big party and even presents from her dad and I, Mattie was finally going to get to see her show.

The drive downtown to The Orpheum, she was silent.  I suppose she was lost in her own little world, daydreaming about what it was all going to be like.

We parked.

We found our seats.

And she sat there, holding her little “Elphaba” doll on her lap, waiting.

Matilda and her doll….waiting

And then the lights went down and the music that she loved came to life.

To say that she loved it would be putting it very lightly.  She may have even suggested that we go and hide in the bathroom and stay there until the next show started.  I don’t know where she gets these ideas.

The girl and I and my puffy blue coat that I haven’t taken off in over a month now

We walked down the grand staircase, happy to have shared this memorable afternoon with each other and headed to the car.  As we walked, I told her about how when Daddy and I came to see this show, we passed by some of the flying monkeys who happened to be taking a smoke-break just outside of the stage doors.  It had just finished telling my little story and got a good laugh out of the girl, when we noticed a little group gathered just outside of the same stage door/

Oooh, maybe Mattie could see some flying monkeys of her own…..

Or even better, the stars of the show…

Who knew Broadway performers wore snuggie onesies after their performances

Granted, they had already changed out of their fancy stage make-up and glamorous costumes…

Mattie and her peeps – the guy played Feyero, he didn’t have a onesie, but sure looked precious in that bow tie he .

But it didn’t really matter to her.

Mattie and her autographed doll, thank goodness they had silver sharpies

She was a very chatty little girl the rest of the evening.  Thrilled to the gills at not only having seen this wonderful musical, but getting to meet the people who performed it.

Happy, Happy, Happy…..to say the least.

I have also been able to use those same actresses to “encourage” her own  practicing. So thank you Jenny and Hayley, who play Elphaba and Glinda in the current touring cast of Wicked for lighting a musical fire under my child who usually prefaces every practice session with some pretty intense stomping and some good ol’ fashioned stink eye.  I’m pretty sure she would rather be working on her singing skills, but for now, piano is close enough.

A big weekend for us, the olympics, Reese heading off to college (college/kindergarten…close enough), watching a 3-D movie on our tv (that’s a whole other story) and then Mattie’s musical dreams come true.  This next weekend has a lot to live up to…….

At Least We Had Gibson’s Donuts and Tasty Waffles

I would like to address, specifically, any readers that I have who were also attendees at Lila’s birthday brunch on Sunday. I woke up very early Sunday morning and immediately headed to the shower because I knew that if I tried to fit that task in later, there might not be time.  Typically, I brush my teeth right after the shower and before putting on my makeup.  This particular morning though was going to require coffee and who wants to brush their teeth just to drink a big ol’ mug of joe?  So I skipped the first opportunity to brush.

And the coffee started brewing

I had a little break where I fully intended, even started to walk up the stairs, to go and brush my teeth.  But then I decided that the dining room table needed a little something else around it, a little swag or something because I hadn’t done a very good job of thinking out my party decorations.  So instead of brushing the pearly whites, I crafted a little pennant banner thing out of my stack of scrapbook paper.  Which by the way, has come in super handy for all sorts of spur of the moment needs.  Who knew patterned paper was such a necessity!

When the time comes to send my little chicks out into the real world, I will definitely make sure they go out with a credit card for emergencies, a level head on their shoulders, and a pad of assorted scrapbook paper sheets for whatever life throws at them.

I also probably poured another cup of coffee.

I managed to get myself dressed and that would have been a fabulous time to brush my teeth.  Unfortunately, my closet and my bathroom are not located in the same vicinity.

Another missed opportunity.

Around that time my guests started to arrive and I’m gonna be real honest here, I completely forgot about brushing my teeth.  I hosted my child’s 2nd birthday with morning breath.  I am hoping that since there was a lot of eating going on and this eating started pretty much immediately, that I was able to cover things okay.

I am hoping

But even if that didn’t help at all, my face did it’s best to distract my guests from my absent-mindedness.  I have no idea what is going on with my skin, but recently I have started to break out like I’m going through a second puberty.  And on the day of this little shindig, I was sporting a pretty hearty zit on my left cheek.  By hearty, I mean this thing looked like maybe I had a twin in utero and do to some crazy accident, I had absorbed my sibling…..via my face.  I would post a picture here so that you could understand exactly what I’m talking about, but I think WordPress has a policy about graphic photos.

So to my friends and family that came over to celebrate my Little Birdie and were instead met with the hot mess that is her mother, I apologize for any images that may be burned into your memory.  And next time….I promise to do better.

But something I will not apologize are these:

But usually she is loud, and very, very busy

Can you show me a pretty smile, Lila? Obviously not

Trying to show “2” with her fingers

Wondering when the sun will come back to Memphis

Sometimes…..sometimes, she is very still and contemplative

I may forget to brush my teeth on occasion and my face might look like I have a tropical disease that should probably require my being quarantined, but I can take a pretty picture once in a while.:)

On another note, but still on the subject of the birthday girl.  She had her big 2-year Well Child visit yesterday.  We are proud to say that she now officially weighs enough to no longer ride in an infant car seat.  Most children hit that 20 lb mark around their first birthday, I guess I could have held on to that carrier for another year.

Everything went well at her check-up.  She didn’t have to get any shots which made everyone involved very happy.  Last time the girl got shots, Reese just sat in the corner and cried.  I think he was more concerned about her getting shots than she was.  We did learn that it was that time again, that time when the doctor starts telling me that my kiddo needs to let go of their pacifier.  I hate those words.  Pacifiers are a friend to everyone and loved by all here in this house.

Lila left the doctors office walking tall and feeling pretty sassy about life. Reese left with a lollipop in his mouth as payment for the mental anguish he had to endure while fretting over the inevitable shots for his sister and I left feeling like I should have been given a lollipop.  She’s probably more ready to give up her “sosa” than I am for her to.  I imagine it’s like that with most everything.

So tonight, as Mattie sleeps dreaming about the Mesa Verde cliff dwelling Native Americans (she has a test in the morning), Reese sleeps in his little bed made into a full on nest because since taking away his pacifier, he started collecting all sorts of “lovies” that must be present in order for him to function, and Lila sleeps peacefully, completely unaware that her nights and naps with her sosa are now numbered…..enjoy this little look back in time at all 3 of the Baughman kiddos at age 2.

Good Night!