Sunday, March 29, 2009

Female Philosophy (at least mine)

Last night Brian and I went to the Elks Foundation (I know, I know...).with some people he works with. It really wasn't too bad. The food was yummy, the drinks were strong, the silent auction had lame stuff, and the raffle items were guns. Where else can you go where they serve you alcohol and give away guns!

By 9:00 they were only 1/3 of the way through the live auction and had not even got to the silent auction or raffle items, so we decided to hit DQ and go home. Brian had to be to work early today anyway.

Now it is 8:00 am and I have tried to sleep in as long as possible, started laundry, and attempted to enjoy some alone "me" time. But my heart and mind just keep longing for my kids!

I don't get it, when they are around I long for alone time (NOT ALL THE TIME), but as soon as I get it all I want and think about is them!
So what is this female philosophy, this female way of thinking? I wish I knew but the best I can say is I don't know what I really want, and when I think I finally get it I just change my mind and want what I had. No wonder we are so durn complicated and confusing to men!

Learned? Maybe I want, and need, both situations; but need them at strategic times. Now would be a time I want and need to have the kids. (It may change again around nap time.)

Saturday, March 28, 2009

March and Maddox Milestones

This month has gone so fast; first Spring Break, then a week of CSAP prep, another week of CSAP testing with one more to follow, soccer games, and spring cleaning... It is no wonder it has been several weeks since I have posted.

Maddox is changing so much recently, in social, physical, and intellectual ways. His imagination has taken off! He regularly engages in imaginary play, often bring us in as props (I am usually the princess that he rescues, or the puppy that he plays with). He will entertain himself with his cars or other toys for extended periods of time.

He has sprouted up like crazy too. All of his winter clothes that were 3T/4T are now high water pants on him. I just can't bring myself to go buy new jeans or long pants when there are literally only weeks till he will be in shorts full time. We pulled his trike out of the garage and he is coordinated to pedal and steer it now; last spring he needed someone to push him. I think that we will get him a bike for his birthday. He has started to play and interact with other kids too, just as long as the other kid is older than him, he is not too fond of "babies".

He has always loved books and wanted me to read "all of them" before bed. But just the other night he gave me the best gift. He picked out his truck book and said he wanted to read it to me! He held it right side up, turned the pages correctly and mimicked reading to me just as I read to him; enthusiastic voice, showing me pictures, asking me what I thought was happening or which was my favorite. I just sat there with the biggest smile holding back my tears. It was too cute I wish I had video taped it! His vocabulary is growing exponentially too! He was trying to tell my mom to "carrot". He kept saying he wanted her to "carrot", but she didn't know what he was saying, so he stopped and very clearly said to her, "Grandma, I want you to HOLD it for me."

His vocabulary as also grown in a negative way too... he has said some mean and naughty things and we have been correcting, spanking, all that but he still was saying it. It finally took him calling dad "stupid", but I took him in the bathroom and stuck the bar of soap in his mouth. Surprise, surprise he has been pleasant as a peach since!

Here are pics of him being engrossed in his own play...Got to love him!



I especially like this one where he is making funny faces in the reflection of the car...



Learned? I need to keep better records of what is going on in my life here; after all that is the reason I started this thing...

Friday, March 13, 2009

Two Weeks or Two Days?

I know it is so very cliche to say it but... Time flies when you are having fun! This spring break is going by at warp speed.

Monday, Allison and I braved the fiece winds and took the kids sledding at the cabin. It was nice to spend time with her and her kids, I have missed them so much!



Tuesday, I had taxes scheduled for 9:00, so I was up early to go. Before we were to leave, I double checked our tax envelope to make sure that I had everything. It was a good thing, because Brian's W2 was missing. I ended up tearing apart the whole house, literally, looking for it to no avail. The rest of the day was spent cleaning up the mess I had created and packing us for our trip to Denver.

Wednesday, we took Maddox to the heart doctor. At his yearly check up his pediatrician heard a murmur, so to be safe he had us go st the pediatric cardiologist.(This has been a major stress for Brian and I lately.) The waiting room was very UN-kid friendly - no toys, no books, BORING! To make it worse, I was about 15 minutes early (I had thought I would need to fill out paperwork being new patients and all), and they were running about 10 minutes late! Once back in the room they gave me the paper work to complete! GRRR! The saving grace of the office was the nurse, she was great with Maddox. She gave him "stickers" and said they were going to have fun and stick them all over his body.



Then she said he was going to be like Spider Man and have a web. He did really great, the most difficult part was him needing to hold still. He still says that he didn't like the doctors because he didn't want to hold still and be quiet!

In the end, Maddox's heart was given the label of a healthy heart with an extra sound, an innocent murmur. The doc said that most preschool age kids grow out of it, and IF it persists more than a few years we could come back for more tests, but as of right now, he is not worried.

Immediately after the dr. we took Maddox to my step mom's, and Madison and I headed over the mountains for our girls trip. We listened to a book on CD, The City of Ember. It was very enjoyable and we finished it just as we arrived home- perfect timing! We got to Denver with enough time to change and get dinner, then we headed to the Buell Theater for Phantom of the Opera! The show was great, the singers were amazing and the sets were intricate!



Thursday, Madison and I headed to Park Meadows to go shopping. We only went to a few of our favorite stores, Express, Urban Outfitters, Saphora, Justice, Dicks Sporting Goods, but spent enough money to make me feel guilty... We walked out with three new dresses, a new shirt, and a new make up piece for me to try , and a few new outfits, a soccer ball, and soccer sandals for Madison, and a birthday present for my mother in law.

We stopped at the Adidas out let in Silverthorn because I am in desperate need of new running shoes. Of course they didn't have the AdiStars in my size, so I tried on the step down, and was reluctant. I looked at the size 6 in the AdiStar, and thought I should try it. To my extreme joy they fit! I ended up with my favorite shoe, in a cool new color, for 1/3 of the original price! WOW!

When we got home we went to my mom's for dinner and a movie, a very nice evening.

Now it is Friday, and I am wondering how a whole week when by in what seemed like only a few hours. I am not sure what today holds for us, but I am sure it too will pass in the blinking of an eye.

Learned? I had a great time, just Madison and I, we need to do that more often while she still want to be around me.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

What Do Cows Say?

Brian: "Maddox, what do cows say?"

Maddox: "MOOO!"

Brian: "What do horses say?"

Maddox: "Neigh"

Brian: "What do you say?"

Maddox: "Why are we going this way? Why does that work? Why dad, why?"

Learned? This boy is way more insightful than we give him credit for.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

The Geography of Bliss

I thought I would broaden my horizons and read a non-fiction. So what do you choose in the vast sea of titles that make up this, rarely visited by me, genre? Travel has always interested me, I want to go around the world some day (should start saving now). Also other cultures are intriguing! And lately life, in general, has seemed in short supply of bliss. So why not one that combines all of this into one neat package. The Geography of Bliss by Eric Weiner.

The Geography of Bliss is categorized as a self help book, which I did not realize until after I had read it, though I find that to be a bit of a stretch. The author is witty and has a great writing style so I did not feel as though I was reading a non-fiction book. He is a self proclaimed grump, and wants to find the happiest place on Earth and why it is happy.

He starts his world wide search for bliss at the World Database of Happiness in Amsterdam. I didn't know such a place existed, the sole purpose of this organization is to gather data on happiness. They have also ranked the worlds happiest places, hence why this is Weiners starting place. He then continues through Switzerland, Bhutan, Qatar, Iceland, Moldova (not a happy place but one of the saddest, Weiner went there to gain perspective on happiness through the contradiction), Thailand, Great Britain, India, and America.

I was surprised at the diverse nature of each country he visited, they were all happy (except Moldova), for very different reasons. What can be learned about what makes us (places) happy is best said by Weiner himself "Money matters, but less than we think and not in the way that we think. Family is important. So are friends. Envy is toxic. So is excessive thinking. Beaches are optional. Trust is not. Neither is gratitude."

While the main current of the book was happiness, I was much more taken by Weiners description of each culture and country. It was almost like a mini get-away around the world.

Overall rating? Enjoyable, not a total waste of time. I will probably stick with fiction.

Learned? In any language around the world there are MANY words to describe feelings of sadness, but very few to describe happiness. Wonder where our focus is?

Sunday, March 8, 2009

My Weekend In Pictures

Did all the laundry


Enjoyed the "music" of bubble wrap (Notice FOLDED clothes on couches...)


Put laundry away (it is normally stacked 3 ft high on the couch and toy box)


First daffodil bloomed


Shopped


Dinner with Rachel and Josh


Watched this


Taught Maddox how to use the mouse


Met Allison down town for lunch


Finished this (non-fiction, a rarity for me)


Learned? I think the weekend went by faster because I don't have to go to work next week.

Saturday, March 7, 2009

Dear Spring Break

I know I previously said that I would enjoy you no matter what weather you brought... BUT SNOW! You bring me snow on my first day of break?

Learned? Careful what you proclaim.

Friday, March 6, 2009

Spring Break, Spring Break, Oh How I Love Thee

I love thee for you come none too early,

The guarantee of having only 2 children to raise,
The promise leaving the work email closed,
The joy of not hearing another excuse for why work from January is still missing

I love thee for you come none too early,


Whether you bring sun or rain, I'll enjoy it just the same,
Spending mornings snuggling kids rather than rushing them out the door,
Enjoying a run to start my day followed by fun at the park with the kids and the dogs

I love thee for you come none too early,

Having a few spare hours to spend with friends,
Maybe a trip out of town for the day,
or even a trip to be spoiled at the spa,

I love thee for you come none too early!

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Wanna Know What I'm Good At?

(Warning, this is a pity party in disguise...)

I am good at running 4 miles a day and showing no progress towards loosing my last 5 pounds.

I am good at eating any sweet that is in close proximity to me -- my house, school, even the convenience store on the way to work.

I am good a collecting laundry in multiple places and multiple stages. There are always 2 baskets full in the room, two clean loads on the couch waiting to be folded, at least one load folded and waiting to be put away, and another two in the washer an dyer.

I am good at maintaining a messy house. My specialties are collecting dog hair in carpet, dirt on the hard wood floor, dishes in the sink and in the dishwasher.

I am good a prolonging trips to the grocery store. A real expert of eating anything for dinner, including cereal, just to keep the trips to a minimum.

I am great at putting my kids off after work when they want to play, I just turn the TV on to give me time to veg.

I am good at teaching kids lessons that they forget, even after having 1 and 3/4 years of the subject.

I am good at keeping all friendships distant, I fill my time with other meaningless stuff besides growing relationships.

What do I do best?

I am REALLY GREAT at pissing my husband off!!!

Learned? I am good at a lot of things... but all of the things are not so good!

Monday, March 2, 2009

My Kids Crack Me Up!

Me "Madison what are you doing in there?"
Madison "I am pooping sideways."


Maddox singing in the car to the Ting Tings That's not my name...
"They call me grand ma, they call me Caid, That's not my name"

Learned? Kids continually crack me up! I wish I was that funny!

Sunday, March 1, 2009

CRAPS!

Last night Brian and I went to a company get together- dinner and games included!. Dinner was great, and after that I spent the rest of the night at the Craps table. I had played years ago in Vegas, and forgot how fun it was. We all started with 500 in chips, and me being a chicken would only bet 5 on any one part of the table - even thought it wasn't real money or even mine! Even with my dinky bets, by the end of the night I had 950 in chips!

With the chips you win you turn them in for tickets and put the tickets in different drawings. All of mine went into the Yampa Hot Springs Treatments for Two, no I didn't win. Brian, who seems to be better at playing his odds, put in for several things and ended up winning two items. New muck boots and a Mag Light. Brian's friend and coworker that we went with won the big prize - a Mesquite get-a-way including golf!

Learned? Craps is way less stressful than cards, you don't have to think much and you can't really mess up the other players (unless you roll CRAP!)