I have had quite a few people ask me about this cleanse/diet that I am doing...so this post is dedicated to explaining everything that's been going on and why I am doing what I am doing!
So- for starters I am NOT a fan of "diets" so I was extremely skeptical when my mother in law pointed this particular one out to me. Since I am not a fan of the word or the concept, I am choosing to call this a "cleanse" because essentially that's what I am doing. Some spring cleaning! Monday, I hurled myself into the pits of hell (ok, maybe I am exaggerating- but the first few days were terrible!!) and I started Dr. Oz's 2 week rapid weight loss diet. Don't turn your nose up at the name like I first did...bear with me. So here are my reasons for even giving this a try.
#1- I am overweight. Whether I like to admit it or not, and no matter what my friends and family may say, I am heavier then I care to be. I desire a more fit, toned, and trim me. Therefore, I knew I needed to do something, I just needed to find the will power to do it.
#2- I am dealing with horrible stomach issues. I have always semi suffered in this area, but this past year has just been terrible. I am nauseous all day every day, which requires me to lay down on the couch for short periods sometimes as many as 6 or 7 times a day just to get through. It's worse in the evenings which results in me missing out on awesome family time because I am in the bathroom and hugging a bucket. Every. Single. Night. Folks. It's beyond old. I was first diagnosed with acid reflux- which we now know is not the case. I am still undergoing tests to try and locate a problem (so i'm not necessarily looking for diagnosis on this post. :p) but in the meantime I have honestly been praying about what I can do to help, since there doesn't seem to be any obvious triggers. When I read over this "cleanse" I thought to myself- "What a great chance to discipline myself to eat clean, and cut out all the junk." So...I went to the store, bought everything I would need and got started.
So here is a sneak peek into my day, generally speaking.
7 am- Wake UP
8 am- Sip on a cup of hot water with a 1/2 of lemon
Drink my breakfast shake (recipe is on Dr. Oz website)
Take multi vitamin and probiotic
10:30 am- Snack (usually a fresh veggie, cucumber, pepper, carrots, etc. with
plain hummus.)
1:00 pm- HUGE salad with fresh veggies, avocado, and balsamic vinaigrette.
3:30 pm- Handful of nuts, a cup of vegetable broth
5:30 pm- 6 oz protein, 1/2 cup of brown rice and unlimited low glycemic
veggies. (veggie list is on Dr. Oz website)
7:00 pm- 1 cup of plain greek yogurt.
Drink Green Tea (unsweetened) and water throughout the day.
Nothing to eat after 8 pm.
That's the jist. I switch the veggies up day to day, and try to get creative with my dinner. Tonight I am going to attempt spaghetti squash with seasoned chicken, sauteed mushrooms, zucchini, and onion on top. It's all about change. I can't eat a salad everyday for the next 2 weeks or so. I just can't.
So here's what I am finding:
I have not been sick since I started eating this way! Which tells me- I am allergic to something I am taking in on a day to day basis.
I have lost 4 pounds!
Win-Win if you ask me.
This is not saying that I will never treat myself to a "sweet treat" every now and then or any of that. I just know that it will not kill me to eat this way for a couple weeks, and really even a lifetime. It's amazing how when we eat clean, we feel sooooo much better. Now that I am on day 5 it is starting to get a bit easier. I won't lie those first couple of days were awful. I mean terrible. I was going through sugar withdrawls like crazy. For those of you who know me personally, you know how much I LOVE my coffee. Like to the tune of almost a whole pot a day...yeah, I haven't had any all week, but my energy levels are so much better. To boot- my sleep is amazing! Bye-bye insomnia and hello, I am ready to crash by 9:30pm! Over all I am feeling so amazing.
Now can I get a little spiritual on you? Another reason I did this was basically just for the self-discipline. I think it's good for us to deny ourselves things from time to time, just to remind ourselves that we don't have to have everything we want. Nor is everything we want, good for us. I was quite crabby the first few days, because I was fiening for chocolate, a cheeseburger, and coffee. It was a battlefield up in my mind, let me tell ya!! I was telling myself all sorts of things to convince myself I didn't need to make these changes- but I overcame!! Really and truly self indulging (on a daily basis) is a lack of self control...isn't that a fruit of the spirit? It may not feel good, but I have to make myself deny myself. Does that make sense? Here's a couple of my go to verses:
“For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline,” -2 Timothy 1:7.
“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace...gentleness and self-control” -Galatians 5:22-23
“For the grace of God... teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age” -Titus 2:11-13
“Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name” -Psalm 86:11
Now, these verses are great when I've got my fight on...other times I feel like Paul...
“I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do” -Romans 7:18-19
Haha! Really and truly God has given me the grace to stay strong. I've only cheated once! ;) My desire is to live a healthy life for my kids and my husband, and to demonstrate self control and self discipline. So- I will overcome! And hopefully along the way I will continue to feel better, drop weight, and gain a new healthy lifestyle!
Thanks for reading!
Friday, February 28, 2014
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Kids say the darndst things...Especially mine.
My, oh my. It has been so long since I have sat down at my computer to "blog". I have to admit I do miss it- so even though my mind is thinking of a million different things that my body should be doing right now, I will demand it to stay focused. I can't promise it will make any sense, my mind is in a state of stupidity. Want an example? D forgot his work keys this morning and needed me to bring them to him. I loaded up all the kids specifically heading to town to complete this ONE task, and 1/2 way there I remembered that I had forgotten the keys. Surely I can't be alone in these silly acts. What happens to our brains? I mean seriously, somedays I feel like I should be admitted somewhere. Then again, some days, a padded, quiet cell would be a really great idea. Anyway, today, let's talk about how kids say the darndst things!
Yesterday while changing little Pip's diaper, I almost lost my life. I opened that thing up and the most pungent, rotten, who-ha smell slapped me across my face. Without going into to much detail about my poor child's unmentionable, I knew we needed to seek out some help from the doctor. So I called and scheduled the appointment. I've been having some doctor appointments for myself here recently and have pretty much exhausted my childcare resources, so I knew I was going to have to tow everyone along. We charged their tablets, got dressed in our finest sweatpants and headed out. I was so proud that while I was at the window checking in my kids were sitting so quietly and politely. They were getting along great and playing on their tablets. (*side note* Is it just me or does every other momma out there feel judgmental glaring eyes when you mention your kiddos with technology? I try my best to limit their time, and feel they still have great imaginations, but sometimes Kindle fires and Dora episodes are great babysitters...and hey, we all need a break from time to time! Be free from the guilt and shame my fellow kid wranglers!) Back to my story- I should have learned by now in life that as soon as my heart begins to swell, and I get an insy-winsy tiny bit prideful about my kids, the fall comes soon after. Today it was in the form of a little person. I turned around just in time to see him walk in the office door, sporting his rather large bum da bum, and prayed to the good Lord in heaven that Micah's eyes would stay glued to his screen. Every mom knows this situation. We've all been in it. The panic that instantly attacks us when thinking "Oh my, what are they going to say? And how loud are they going to say it?" There were roughly 30 other chairs open in the waiting room on this particular day, but to that guy none looked quite as inviting as the chair that was right. in. front. of. batman. Yup. That was the lucky seat. I hurried to find a seat next to batman thinking distraction and some good defense was my only chance at avoiding an embarrassing situation. Then, batman looked up. He locked eyes with that sweet, little man sitting across from him, then casually looked back down at his tablet. I thought to myself, well that was easy. But again, I thought to soon! His little head flew back up in the air, and he quickly exclaimed, "Momma! Look at the man!" I laugh because we have all been there, but this is also when I pray to God that I don't fail these awesome teachable moments. I leaned in close and said, "Batman, look around, is there anyone else in this room that looks just like you?" He looked around and quietly said "No." So I continued to explain, "Exactly! Jesus is so cool and creative that He made us all look so different! That's what makes you Batman, and that's what makes that man, that man! Jesus loves all of us, and he thinks he made us all perfect, and special! How cool is that??!" He agreed it was pretty cool, and the I am assuming the mom of our little man friend gave me a wink and a smile, and mouthed the words, "Thank you" to me. It warmed my heart. Now before you go thinking I am all perfect and blah, blah, blah. Batman did quickly forget our conversation and tried to call his sisters attention to our new friend to which I wasn't so nice and Christ like. I grabbed his finger, squeezed real hard, gave him my best "mom look", and said through gritted teeth, "Not another word!". Did that scare you? Can you just hear my tone? It did the trick.
So I feel this need to always look put together, and clean, and stylish when I go to the doctors office. I don't know why, I just do. So what happened next was also very humbling. I think while I am writing this post God is showing me exactly why he blessed our family with Batman, he is so good at keeping us all humble...and dying laughing! Here's what happened:
Batman: "Umm, Mrs. Doctor, I've been here before. I have."
Doctor: "Wow, that's really cool!"
Batman: "Yep. Hey, you wike my sweatshirt?"
Doctor: "I sure do! Virginia Cavaliers- that's awesome."
Batman: "Yep. You see dis white stuff right here?"
Doctor: "Yes..."
Batman: "Yeah, dat's some bird poop."
Great. That's just great son. I didn't even know how to cover that one up. I'm pretty sure it was just the white salty stuff off the side of our van- but I can't even be positive. Kids are just awesome.
Well, I am going to do my best at staying in this blogging world, I really am! I must go get lunch ready for my kiddos. Hang in there mommas, you are amazing. You work really hard all day long, and your kids listen to you more then you are aware. Slow down and take the time to help them see the beauty in something that looks a little different today...
Peace, Love, and PB&J.
Laura
Yesterday while changing little Pip's diaper, I almost lost my life. I opened that thing up and the most pungent, rotten, who-ha smell slapped me across my face. Without going into to much detail about my poor child's unmentionable, I knew we needed to seek out some help from the doctor. So I called and scheduled the appointment. I've been having some doctor appointments for myself here recently and have pretty much exhausted my childcare resources, so I knew I was going to have to tow everyone along. We charged their tablets, got dressed in our finest sweatpants and headed out. I was so proud that while I was at the window checking in my kids were sitting so quietly and politely. They were getting along great and playing on their tablets. (*side note* Is it just me or does every other momma out there feel judgmental glaring eyes when you mention your kiddos with technology? I try my best to limit their time, and feel they still have great imaginations, but sometimes Kindle fires and Dora episodes are great babysitters...and hey, we all need a break from time to time! Be free from the guilt and shame my fellow kid wranglers!) Back to my story- I should have learned by now in life that as soon as my heart begins to swell, and I get an insy-winsy tiny bit prideful about my kids, the fall comes soon after. Today it was in the form of a little person. I turned around just in time to see him walk in the office door, sporting his rather large bum da bum, and prayed to the good Lord in heaven that Micah's eyes would stay glued to his screen. Every mom knows this situation. We've all been in it. The panic that instantly attacks us when thinking "Oh my, what are they going to say? And how loud are they going to say it?" There were roughly 30 other chairs open in the waiting room on this particular day, but to that guy none looked quite as inviting as the chair that was right. in. front. of. batman. Yup. That was the lucky seat. I hurried to find a seat next to batman thinking distraction and some good defense was my only chance at avoiding an embarrassing situation. Then, batman looked up. He locked eyes with that sweet, little man sitting across from him, then casually looked back down at his tablet. I thought to myself, well that was easy. But again, I thought to soon! His little head flew back up in the air, and he quickly exclaimed, "Momma! Look at the man!" I laugh because we have all been there, but this is also when I pray to God that I don't fail these awesome teachable moments. I leaned in close and said, "Batman, look around, is there anyone else in this room that looks just like you?" He looked around and quietly said "No." So I continued to explain, "Exactly! Jesus is so cool and creative that He made us all look so different! That's what makes you Batman, and that's what makes that man, that man! Jesus loves all of us, and he thinks he made us all perfect, and special! How cool is that??!" He agreed it was pretty cool, and the I am assuming the mom of our little man friend gave me a wink and a smile, and mouthed the words, "Thank you" to me. It warmed my heart. Now before you go thinking I am all perfect and blah, blah, blah. Batman did quickly forget our conversation and tried to call his sisters attention to our new friend to which I wasn't so nice and Christ like. I grabbed his finger, squeezed real hard, gave him my best "mom look", and said through gritted teeth, "Not another word!". Did that scare you? Can you just hear my tone? It did the trick.
So I feel this need to always look put together, and clean, and stylish when I go to the doctors office. I don't know why, I just do. So what happened next was also very humbling. I think while I am writing this post God is showing me exactly why he blessed our family with Batman, he is so good at keeping us all humble...and dying laughing! Here's what happened:
Batman: "Umm, Mrs. Doctor, I've been here before. I have."
Doctor: "Wow, that's really cool!"
Batman: "Yep. Hey, you wike my sweatshirt?"
Doctor: "I sure do! Virginia Cavaliers- that's awesome."
Batman: "Yep. You see dis white stuff right here?"
Doctor: "Yes..."
Batman: "Yeah, dat's some bird poop."
Great. That's just great son. I didn't even know how to cover that one up. I'm pretty sure it was just the white salty stuff off the side of our van- but I can't even be positive. Kids are just awesome.
Well, I am going to do my best at staying in this blogging world, I really am! I must go get lunch ready for my kiddos. Hang in there mommas, you are amazing. You work really hard all day long, and your kids listen to you more then you are aware. Slow down and take the time to help them see the beauty in something that looks a little different today...
Peace, Love, and PB&J.
Laura
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Airplane rides, and clear blue Texas skies.
Well, I have had lots of requests for a new blog post...so here I go...
As most of you know I just returned from a trip to Texas to see my sister and her family. It was an awesome trip although I am back home, and my sister is STILL pregnant. That was NOT how it was supposed to go down, but- that's how it went down. I had perfect, amazing plans as to how this trip would play out and it didn't work out that way, so I guess God's plan must be even more perfect and amazing. Go figure. He always one ups me. I didn't think I was being to picky, I just wanted to experience an amazing birth (how do I know it would be amazing you ask? Well #1 birth is ALWAYS amazing. #2 I wasn't the one giving birth!) and meet my new niece. But, alas, life goes on and Skype will do just fine until (hopefully!) Christmas time.
So Saturday morning rolled around and my alarm clock went off (apparently) at 6 am. We needed to be walking out the door at 7 am in order for me to make my flight. Much to my surprise I was jilted from my sleep by D sitting straight up in bed yelling...
"Laura! It's 6:54! Did you not set an alarm!?!?"
I sleepily sit up and say...
"What? Of course I set an alarm."
D- "Well, your phone must be on silent or something! We are late!"
L- *calmly* "No it's not on silent, I remember it going off."
D- *NOT calmly* "WHAT?!?! You just turned it off!?"
L- "Yeah, I guess I was tired."
D- *very frustrated* "Let's not talk about this...we've gotta go."
As we scrambled around getting ready, he still could not fathom the fact that I just turned off my alarm. What do you want?? I'm a stay at home mom. I don't live by those kinds of schedules. The kids are my alarm- period. They were still sleeping, so I was still sleeping. Plain and simple. My bad. Since we woke up extremely late I was able to stick to what I know best and travel in pure mom fashion...without a shower, hair a mess, and no makeup. I did, however, class up a level from yoga pants to leggings. Oh! Let me clarify I was wearing a long sweater, without that little fact, the whole legging thing would be terrifying! (You're welcome for getting that mental picture out of your head! Airplanes and camel toes do NOT go hand in hand!) Thankfully, we didn't hit traffic and I was able to check my bag and sail through security without any problems. I made it to my gate right on time and boarded.
Traveling with a baby is no small feat. I was confident though that I had enough tricks up my sleeve to keep Lil Pip entertained, and after all I was permanently equipped with her favorite thing of all...boobs. As I was going through security this kind TSA woman kept prompting me to "Remove all 'dos liquids from yo bag fo dat baby." After the 3rd request she was finally close enough for me to say "I don't have any liquids in my bag." She then LOUDLY exclaims "OH! I get it, yo liquids are attached! Ain't no takin' dem things off, even fo us! Go on through." Great, thanks!
As I boarded the plane, I was beginning to realize that babies aren't the most popular thing on airplanes. I'm used to getting kind smiles, and people talking sweetly to Lil Pip, instead I was getting scowls, and people rolling their eyes, since I was running late most everyone had already boarded. When I arrived to my seat, I happily exclaimed "oh! That's me! As I pointed to the middle seat right between an older man in a business suit, and a body builder in a "STAFF" t-shirt. They looked at me for what seemed like a minute, blinking in disbelief. I then had a kind older lady behind me ask if I needed her to hold my baby while I get settled. Sometimes my mouth speaks before I give it permission to, so after telling her "Well, this is ackward. I've never let a stranger hold my kid before. But, I guess you can't really go anywhere anyway, so sure. Thanks!" Yikes! I thought to myself...did I really just insinuate to this poor, kind woman that in any other situation she would likely steal my baby?? Oops. After collecting Lil Pip back from my stranger friend I settled in to my seat between these wonderful gentlemen and was ready for take off. For the first part of the flight it was great! All my tricks were working...then it started to happen. Lil Pip started fussing just a bit, and throwing herself backwards trying to suck through my shirt. Oh yes, it was happening. So, I tossed my blanket over my shoulder (Hey! At least I used a cover!) and under went Little Miss...she's a bit stuffy so after several loud sucking noises she finally latched on and was quiet. Immediately my business man friend closed his eyes, but I caught him glancing over every once in awhile, very uncomfortable by my actions. I thought it was great. My body builder friend just rearranged himself slightly facing the aisle. Thankfully, these two men lived through my horrifying act, and we landed safely.
I had a great time visiting my sister, and was able to see some long time friends that I hadn't seen in quite a while! It was great being able to spend so much time with my niece and nephews as well, usually when we are together there are so many kids running around by the time I take care of my own and their needs, I don't get that undivided special time with the others. So that was nice, and trust me...we had plenty of bonding time. They wake up at ungodly hours, and since I was there to help I wanted to allow my 42 week pregnant sister time to sleep. The second morning I may or may not have bribed them into giving me back rubs at 5 am while I dozed. FYI: kids will pretty much do anything when promised chocolate. All in all it was a wonderful trip. The flights back went incredibly smooth (despite some, well a lot, of turbulance) and I can't even describe how I felt walking to baggage claim and seeing D, M girl, and Batman standing there waiting for me!! Reunited and it feels sooooo dang good!
Today we are back to normal...D's at work, I'm working on laundry, dishes, and school. Batman is running around naked playing one note on the recorder over and over, and has washed his t-shirts in the flooded bathroom sink with all my soap. I can't wipe the smile off my face, because without a doubt I am one blessed woman!!
As most of you know I just returned from a trip to Texas to see my sister and her family. It was an awesome trip although I am back home, and my sister is STILL pregnant. That was NOT how it was supposed to go down, but- that's how it went down. I had perfect, amazing plans as to how this trip would play out and it didn't work out that way, so I guess God's plan must be even more perfect and amazing. Go figure. He always one ups me. I didn't think I was being to picky, I just wanted to experience an amazing birth (how do I know it would be amazing you ask? Well #1 birth is ALWAYS amazing. #2 I wasn't the one giving birth!) and meet my new niece. But, alas, life goes on and Skype will do just fine until (hopefully!) Christmas time.
So Saturday morning rolled around and my alarm clock went off (apparently) at 6 am. We needed to be walking out the door at 7 am in order for me to make my flight. Much to my surprise I was jilted from my sleep by D sitting straight up in bed yelling...
"Laura! It's 6:54! Did you not set an alarm!?!?"
I sleepily sit up and say...
"What? Of course I set an alarm."
D- "Well, your phone must be on silent or something! We are late!"
L- *calmly* "No it's not on silent, I remember it going off."
D- *NOT calmly* "WHAT?!?! You just turned it off!?"
L- "Yeah, I guess I was tired."
D- *very frustrated* "Let's not talk about this...we've gotta go."
As we scrambled around getting ready, he still could not fathom the fact that I just turned off my alarm. What do you want?? I'm a stay at home mom. I don't live by those kinds of schedules. The kids are my alarm- period. They were still sleeping, so I was still sleeping. Plain and simple. My bad. Since we woke up extremely late I was able to stick to what I know best and travel in pure mom fashion...without a shower, hair a mess, and no makeup. I did, however, class up a level from yoga pants to leggings. Oh! Let me clarify I was wearing a long sweater, without that little fact, the whole legging thing would be terrifying! (You're welcome for getting that mental picture out of your head! Airplanes and camel toes do NOT go hand in hand!) Thankfully, we didn't hit traffic and I was able to check my bag and sail through security without any problems. I made it to my gate right on time and boarded.
Traveling with a baby is no small feat. I was confident though that I had enough tricks up my sleeve to keep Lil Pip entertained, and after all I was permanently equipped with her favorite thing of all...boobs. As I was going through security this kind TSA woman kept prompting me to "Remove all 'dos liquids from yo bag fo dat baby." After the 3rd request she was finally close enough for me to say "I don't have any liquids in my bag." She then LOUDLY exclaims "OH! I get it, yo liquids are attached! Ain't no takin' dem things off, even fo us! Go on through." Great, thanks!
As I boarded the plane, I was beginning to realize that babies aren't the most popular thing on airplanes. I'm used to getting kind smiles, and people talking sweetly to Lil Pip, instead I was getting scowls, and people rolling their eyes, since I was running late most everyone had already boarded. When I arrived to my seat, I happily exclaimed "oh! That's me! As I pointed to the middle seat right between an older man in a business suit, and a body builder in a "STAFF" t-shirt. They looked at me for what seemed like a minute, blinking in disbelief. I then had a kind older lady behind me ask if I needed her to hold my baby while I get settled. Sometimes my mouth speaks before I give it permission to, so after telling her "Well, this is ackward. I've never let a stranger hold my kid before. But, I guess you can't really go anywhere anyway, so sure. Thanks!" Yikes! I thought to myself...did I really just insinuate to this poor, kind woman that in any other situation she would likely steal my baby?? Oops. After collecting Lil Pip back from my stranger friend I settled in to my seat between these wonderful gentlemen and was ready for take off. For the first part of the flight it was great! All my tricks were working...then it started to happen. Lil Pip started fussing just a bit, and throwing herself backwards trying to suck through my shirt. Oh yes, it was happening. So, I tossed my blanket over my shoulder (Hey! At least I used a cover!) and under went Little Miss...she's a bit stuffy so after several loud sucking noises she finally latched on and was quiet. Immediately my business man friend closed his eyes, but I caught him glancing over every once in awhile, very uncomfortable by my actions. I thought it was great. My body builder friend just rearranged himself slightly facing the aisle. Thankfully, these two men lived through my horrifying act, and we landed safely.
I had a great time visiting my sister, and was able to see some long time friends that I hadn't seen in quite a while! It was great being able to spend so much time with my niece and nephews as well, usually when we are together there are so many kids running around by the time I take care of my own and their needs, I don't get that undivided special time with the others. So that was nice, and trust me...we had plenty of bonding time. They wake up at ungodly hours, and since I was there to help I wanted to allow my 42 week pregnant sister time to sleep. The second morning I may or may not have bribed them into giving me back rubs at 5 am while I dozed. FYI: kids will pretty much do anything when promised chocolate. All in all it was a wonderful trip. The flights back went incredibly smooth (despite some, well a lot, of turbulance) and I can't even describe how I felt walking to baggage claim and seeing D, M girl, and Batman standing there waiting for me!! Reunited and it feels sooooo dang good!
Today we are back to normal...D's at work, I'm working on laundry, dishes, and school. Batman is running around naked playing one note on the recorder over and over, and has washed his t-shirts in the flooded bathroom sink with all my soap. I can't wipe the smile off my face, because without a doubt I am one blessed woman!!
Monday, September 10, 2012
Crazy Tired.
I loved waking up this morning, the sun was peering through my curtains, and all 3 kids had slowly made their way into my bed for morning cuddles, and giggles. (Well, I guess 2 kids made their way, the youngest of the 3 has "made a way" to be in my bed all night long.)
Good Morning!!
Anyway, we are all laughing and having a great time, then M girl says "Mommy, what's sex?" ... ... ... ... ... ... ... Me: "Well uh, well. Really M girl? For starters where did you hear that word?" It's obvious that the people who say home schooled kids are sheltered and don't socialize really don't have a clue about home schooling at all. We still have plenty of jaw dropping questions asked around here. Plenty. So after we finished up our very vague conversation about sex, we headed out for breakfast and of course coffee for myself.
I leaned back against the counter breathing in the smell and soaking up the taste of that first sip of hot coffee, I love savoring it. Probably because it's the only taste I get of hot coffee. I was thinking about the day and how it is all going to play out, we are starting 1st grade with M girl here today! (Prayers appreciated!) I was really soaking up and enjoying this morning, now that I think about it...I know why. I actually woke up. This isn't going to be a wonderful spiritual blog post about how wonderful it was that Jesus woke me up this morning, I am thankful he did that. However, what I meant was that this morning I am just thankful I woke up, and wasn't already awake.
Yes, I do have three kids but I seem to have forgotten the joys of a teething child. Thing is when it's your third and you don't sleep at all, there isn't the luxury of taking a nap, staying in bed a little later then usual, or just taking a lazy day. (meaning for stay at home moms...mommas that have to be showered and out the door by 6 or 7 am- you are super woman. I couldn't function in public most days.) See around here, every time Pip has a sleepless night, she falls into this amazing restful sleep right around 6:30 am, when the other two usually wake up no later then 7:30 am. It's perfect! Just enough time for me to crash, HARD, only to be awakened about 30 minutes later with a pounding headache. You all know what I am talking about. Doesn't matter how many kiddos you have, if you are a mom, it's happened. Those short little naps that leave you worse off then when you started are a gift straight from satan himself. I'm certain.
So here is why I am writing this post, D and I spent most of the afternoon yesterday laughing hysterically at my state of "craziness" the night before. I'm really glad we are laughing about it now, because it was so beyond immature of me, but girls...I am just not responsible for what I do or say when I'm functioning on less then 3 hours of sleep in like 52 hours. Seriously. Around here I am more of the night owl, and D is the morning person. So we have a great system worked out and it works for us. However, some times the kids don't really honor that system, and this weekend was a great example of that. So bottom line: I was sleep deprived, we had a street festival in our town on Saturday that our church/youth group was doing a big outreach at, my faithful monthly friend had stopped by for her visit, and I was miserable. After baking for two days straight, then being out in the heat and working the festival, I was done.
D said that he would handle the kids for the evening so I could come home and just crash. Well, that was true until about 8:30 when it was time to get the kids in bed, and he was out on the couch. After enough whining on my part he helped me get them in bed, then I was left alone with Pip. D had some of the guys from youth group spending the night and was watching a movie with them so I was trying to be respectful of that, after all I couldn't unleash my complete crazy while we had house guests. Maybe it was the Lord's will to have guests at our house that night, otherwise it had the potential to get really ugly. Every time I would finally get Pip to sleep something would happen, either the movie was blaring and it was brakes screeching and gun fire, or it was the cat pouncing toys acting totally psychotic. Side note: I hate cats. I went out to ask D to turn the movie down, and to my horror he was dead. asleep. I'm talking mouth hanging wide open, snoring, and probably drooling if it hadn't been to dark for me to see. That's when it happened. I returned to Pip's room where I was pacing the floor, bouncing her and trying my hardest to get her to sleep. The more I walked and bounced the angrier I got. The mental picture I had of D sleeping on the couch kept flashing through my mind. Anyone else been here?? I mean my hubs is NOT a dead beat, by any means. He's extremely helpful, he just can't hold his eyes open for anything after 9 pm. I kept having the thoughts like "yeah, it must be nice to just lay down and sleep." "Must be nice to just relax on the couch and watch a movie without a baby hanging onto your boob for dear life, and climbing all over you." The more I had these thoughts the angrier I got. I switched into crazy mode! So naturally I did what any mature woman would do and started sending him text messages. I knew he wasn't going to get them, but man...it made me feel better. I called my husband a "douche bag". Seriously. I did. See we as mom's have it rough. You know why? We get so exhausted that we just want a break, then when we get the break we end up missing our kids so badly we are dying to see them again. Or in this case, D came to relieve me but PIp was still screaming so there was no way in this world I was going to be able to relax. So this happens:
Me: Ok, just give her to me.
D: Make up your mind! What do you want me to do? Just go to sleep!
Me: I can't sleep while she's crying!
D: Well then I don't know what you want me to do.
Me: Just give her to me, I'll get her to sleep.
Then it ends with total male confusion and female frustration. In the end, it all worked out fine. He actually was the one to get her to sleep that night, and then at 5:30 the next morning I felt him slide her out from our bed to go rock her and lay her in her bed...and yes, I know it's where she belongs, I just haven't had the strength to convince her that's where she belongs. He fed all the others breakfast and had everyone dressed and ready for church before even coming in to wake me up.
So see, he's not a dead beat, he's just as tired as I am, truthfully, he's probably even more tired. When he woke me up that morning, I chuckled and said, "So have you checked your text messages yet?" Shockingly he didn't know where his phone was (it's lost 99% of the time) so he said no. As I told him about the messages I sent that night he just busted out laughing. His response: "you were crazy tired. Literally!" Have you mommas ever done something like this? React out of sleepiness only to think later "What was I thinking??" Yeah. Last night I slept pretty good. Pip was still in bed with me, I need to work on that, but more so I needed that sleep. It felt good, and now today I am ready to tackle the world. Well, our little piece of the world. Here's the text messages I sent my husband. Try not to look at me any differently even though I am sure it'll be hard. I love D. I love Jesus. I love my family. I was just tired. Hahahahaha!
Monday, August 20, 2012
Little, Sticky Fingers.
I know it has been awhile since I have blogged. How do I know this? I know this because I typed in 3 different web addresses until I figured out the right one. Note to self: it's been way to long if you forget your own blog address. :-/ YIKES.
Anyway, my last post was titled "Sally Homemaker". Who was I kidding? Seriously? I must have been in a super productive mood that day, that's the only explanation I can give. The only follow up I have to that post is that I did FINALLY get the kids all moved into their new rooms. I haven't finished decorating the way that I would like, and of course there are countless pinterest projects I would love to complete to hang on the walls and such...BUT, that hasn't happened yet. I'm confident it will eventually though. I think...
So the other night I was tucking Batman in to bed, and we were cuddling and being silly. Bed time is probably my favorite part of the day. Shocker, eh? Ok, it is my favorite for obvious reasons, but more so because of all the cuddles, and giggles that come with it. Anyway, Batman is loving himself some Little Rascals here lately, and is now in this thing of singing "You are so beautiful to me..." to ME! How stinkin' precious is that? So as we are laying cuddling in his bed, he reaches up, puts his chubby little hands on my cheeks and starts serenading me with his oh so sweet, totally off key version of this Alfalfa classic. As the song continued on I noticed I was smelling something weird...but tried to shrug it off. Then Batman slightly moved his hands on my face and I noticed they stuck just a little. Eek. I gently tried removing his hands from my face, but when he is singing his heart and soul out he is only content with those chubby sausages on my face. I started to get nauseous! Seriously, I was getting sick on my stomach. All I could think about is where these little hands had been. Somehow we made it through the song, and I politely declined his offer for a second round.
Bottom line...this incident really got me thinking about just how nasty our kids hands really are. I mean grant it I do make my kids wash their hands, but I don't have the time to make them wash every hour and then hover over them to make sure they are properly lathering and singing Happy Birthday through 2 times. By the way, this is just a glimpse of what goes on in my head...read on if you dare. What if we were able to do some type of test to see everything that is on our kids hands? Think about it. Chickens, frogs, lizards, pee, poop, dirt, food, the list can go on...this is just a few of the things I find my children handling/wiping. I am positive I would be appalled at all the dirt/germs they are rubbing all over my hands, arms, and face. It's gross just to think about. I remember one day while Batman was potty training he had his hands all over his "part" trying to keep it pointed into the toilet. While doing this he noticed a small cut on his finger that he then shoved in my face and begged for me to "tiss it and mate it better." *GAG* I offered him a prayer, and he was happy with that, thank the Lord! It's things like this that I think about. And here's the kicker...as stay at home mom's we rarely shower daily, (don't act like you do) so not only are we a sloppy, unshowered, pajama pant, messy pony tail, mess- we are breeding grounds for bacteria. A walking science experiment. Let that soak in.
That's really all the thoughts that I have for today, I am sorry I wasted those past 5 minutes of your life. I need to get going, D has started a new work schedule and gets off at 2:30 now! That's 2 hours earlier. I'm excited about this- however, that means that I don't have nearly as much time to waste in the morning hours if I am going to make it appear as though I have been a productive wife by the time he gets home. :) Time to get some laundry, dishes, and school with M girl done. However...I may hurry and grab a shower first. :)
Anyway, my last post was titled "Sally Homemaker". Who was I kidding? Seriously? I must have been in a super productive mood that day, that's the only explanation I can give. The only follow up I have to that post is that I did FINALLY get the kids all moved into their new rooms. I haven't finished decorating the way that I would like, and of course there are countless pinterest projects I would love to complete to hang on the walls and such...BUT, that hasn't happened yet. I'm confident it will eventually though. I think...
So the other night I was tucking Batman in to bed, and we were cuddling and being silly. Bed time is probably my favorite part of the day. Shocker, eh? Ok, it is my favorite for obvious reasons, but more so because of all the cuddles, and giggles that come with it. Anyway, Batman is loving himself some Little Rascals here lately, and is now in this thing of singing "You are so beautiful to me..." to ME! How stinkin' precious is that? So as we are laying cuddling in his bed, he reaches up, puts his chubby little hands on my cheeks and starts serenading me with his oh so sweet, totally off key version of this Alfalfa classic. As the song continued on I noticed I was smelling something weird...but tried to shrug it off. Then Batman slightly moved his hands on my face and I noticed they stuck just a little. Eek. I gently tried removing his hands from my face, but when he is singing his heart and soul out he is only content with those chubby sausages on my face. I started to get nauseous! Seriously, I was getting sick on my stomach. All I could think about is where these little hands had been. Somehow we made it through the song, and I politely declined his offer for a second round.
Bottom line...this incident really got me thinking about just how nasty our kids hands really are. I mean grant it I do make my kids wash their hands, but I don't have the time to make them wash every hour and then hover over them to make sure they are properly lathering and singing Happy Birthday through 2 times. By the way, this is just a glimpse of what goes on in my head...read on if you dare. What if we were able to do some type of test to see everything that is on our kids hands? Think about it. Chickens, frogs, lizards, pee, poop, dirt, food, the list can go on...this is just a few of the things I find my children handling/wiping. I am positive I would be appalled at all the dirt/germs they are rubbing all over my hands, arms, and face. It's gross just to think about. I remember one day while Batman was potty training he had his hands all over his "part" trying to keep it pointed into the toilet. While doing this he noticed a small cut on his finger that he then shoved in my face and begged for me to "tiss it and mate it better." *GAG* I offered him a prayer, and he was happy with that, thank the Lord! It's things like this that I think about. And here's the kicker...as stay at home mom's we rarely shower daily, (don't act like you do) so not only are we a sloppy, unshowered, pajama pant, messy pony tail, mess- we are breeding grounds for bacteria. A walking science experiment. Let that soak in.
That's really all the thoughts that I have for today, I am sorry I wasted those past 5 minutes of your life. I need to get going, D has started a new work schedule and gets off at 2:30 now! That's 2 hours earlier. I'm excited about this- however, that means that I don't have nearly as much time to waste in the morning hours if I am going to make it appear as though I have been a productive wife by the time he gets home. :) Time to get some laundry, dishes, and school with M girl done. However...I may hurry and grab a shower first. :)
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Sally Homemaker.
So I know I posted just yesterday that I hadn't done a lot of things in about a month, but today I am pleased to announce that Sally Homemaker is back. OK, that may be a generous title for myself, since I have yet to scrub my kitchen floor but! I did make dinner last night, and I have been doing laundry as though I didn't have any underwear clean to wear...oh wait. Never mind. I do now.
So D and I were sitting down talking last night and he helped me realize that things around here aren't really as bad as I am making it seem. Sure we get messes every now and then, but it's not so bad. Here is the thing that is making me feel so overwhelmed and stressed...
So D and I were sitting down talking last night and he helped me realize that things around here aren't really as bad as I am making it seem. Sure we get messes every now and then, but it's not so bad. Here is the thing that is making me feel so overwhelmed and stressed...
downsizing.
Yep, that's it. See here's what's happening around here, my two older kids are moving into the same room, and Lil Pip will be moving over to have her very own room! Her first ever. It's a bittersweet thing, I guess I'm ready for it. I just can't believe how fast she is growing up. She's sitting just to the right of my computer screen playing with her toys, and I have to tell you she is quite the distraction. *Stay Focused* Anyway, the kids have bunk beds that have already shipped and are due to arrive any day now. THAT stresses me. They each have so much stuff in their rooms I'm not sure how I am going to make it all work. So slowly but surely I am going to take steps to organizing and cleaning out. As I was folding laundry yesterday I noticed myself grumbling a little about our house, and how we just don't fit anymore. We have a 3 bedroom 2 bath house, no basement, no attic- just a shed in the back yard. (That we really can't use for anything but yard stuff because we are so deep in the woods mice regularly get in it. Yuck. I know.) In the midst of my grumbling I had the thought, have we really "outgrown" this place, or are we just too greedy/materialistic? It was a humbling thought. See I am finding myself slowly getting further and further away from the simple life, and slipping deeper and deeper into that "american dream" mindset. "Oh, I have way to much stuff (clothes, toys, gadgets) to fit into my wonderful, perfectly fine home. We should start looking into buying a bigger house...to fill up with more stuff...that we don't need...while the rest of the world lives with so little." I don't want that to happen to us. I want my kids to be thankful for the little things in life. I want them to appreciate the small, thought out, handmade gifts just as much as the big ones. I really would give each of my kids the world on a platter, but what good would that do them? When you have been to other countries and you see first hand how some struggle just to put a measly meal on the table, yet here we are throwing birthday bashes with massive amounts of food that will end up in trash cans, and our kids have so many gifts to open that by the time they get through them all they've lost interest. It's sickening. Yes, I want my kids to have nice things. Yes, I am going to throw them what I hope is going to be a rockin' birthday bash. However, before all this goes down we are going to be doing some cleaning out. Going through toys, and sharing with those who may need it, and perhaps enjoy it, a bit more then us. Also, going through our clothes and shoes...I'm the guilty one here. I am to ashamed to even voice on here how many pairs of jeans I own. Grant it...(in my defense!) they range from maternity jeans to skinny to regular to fat. But who needs all that anyway? Not sure who I am fooling by keeping all those size 4's in my closet anyway. I just keep thinking, "what if I do actually stick to a diet and get that skinny again?" Not happening, and if it does I will cross that bridge when I get to it. So after all this rambling I'll give you the skinny:
The Vogt's are on a quest to organize and to downsize. I'm going to do my best, in an attempt to be a good blogger, to take pictures and document all the changes and organized systems we put into place. I'm not sure about all you other mommas, but I function much better outside the home, when I know my home is in order. Some of you may have already done this during your annual "spring cleaning". SNOTS! That's great! But, if you are like me and you haven't mustered up the strength to tackle those closets that have things shoved in the corners- you know, the ones that irritate you everyday when you see it, yet, you just haven't had the time or energy to do anything about it. Or if your kids toy boxes and bins are full of crappy Mcdonald's toys, broken toys, or perhaps some toys that the dog has mistaken for his bone...let's tackle those things too. Oh, and while we are at it...let's sort out clothes. You know how your kid is now in a 4T yet those 3T's (and let's face even some 24 months) are hanging out in those drawers having a party...let's shut that party down. I'm a list freak, and I love coming up with organizational systems that work, so as I am tackling this stuff and come across stuff that excites me, and works for us...I'll share it. Please, do the same for me. :)
P.S. I'm thinking from how everyone is talking that I have a lot of readers, but my blog doesn't have a lot of members. I love to read your comments, feed back, and ideas...it gives me fuel to keep going. In order to leave your comments you need to create an account...just a username and a password, it'll take you 2 minutes. You can do it! Sign up, then click to be one of my blog members/followers, and then leave me your two cents. Thanks friends!
Oh and real quick...here's the dinner that I finally made last night. BBQ chicken and a steak for D on the grill, complete with sauteed veggies straight out of the garden, picked just minutes before being tossed into the skillet. YUM.
Be Blessed!
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Almost A Month...
This is my 1,223,453 attempt at writing a blog entry this month. Let's see if I actually get to click the "publish" button on this one...
Truth is, I should NOT be sitting here right now doing this. I'm lazily relaxing in my pj's with a cup of coffee pretending like my house is clean, the laundry is done, and dinner for the evening is all planned out. That is definitely not the case my friends. I titled this blog "Almost A Month" because it's been almost a month since I've done a lot of things. It's been almost a month since I have posted anything here, on my blog. Almost a month since I've cooked my family dinner, and again, almost a month since I've scrubbed my kitchen floor, and although it's only been 1 week since I've done any laundry it looks as though it's been almost a month. It's crazy how one kid can change so much...with 2 kids it was a piece of cake to keep my house orderly and spotless! Throw in just 1 more, and it becomes a daunting task, that I am almost positive is impossible. Just yesterday actually I was cleaning my little heart out, then while I was dusting I started smelling something strange. I turned around and much to my disgust Lil Pip had discovered treasure. In my cleaning frenzy I had forgotten to take the dog out...yep, I'm sure your mind has already taken you where this is going. Thank God Lil Pip isn't into putting stuff in her mouth yet! I was horrified, and puking in my mouth the whole way to the tub. As if adding the extra kid and beginning home school with M girl wasn't enough we went ahead and added another dog, a kitten, and some chickens. Shew. Typing those things has a weird effect on me, it's liberating but all the while shaming. I guess it's because some of you mommas will read those statements and think, "yep, I'm right there with you", and then the rest of you mommas will think, "wow! there is NO excuse for that." Who knows, maybe there isn't really any excuse, but it's been very crazy around here lately. We came back from vacation and as soon as our bags were unpacked life took off. My sister has been in from Texas visiting, and it has been wonderful having her so close! I miss her. A lot. Of course while she is in town, why worry about cleaning? I have two reasons here...1. There are 6 kids all 5 years old and under. 2. Cleaning takes time away from making precious memories. You probably wouldn't be able to guess this on your own after reading my above statements, but I am actually pretty anal when it comes to my house, I'm getting better but I used to be like a crazy woman. Seriously. Then I had a wake up call...One day I was on my hands and knees scrubbing my kitchen floor, and I was continually fussing at the kids to stay off my wet floor, and to stop jumping on my back, knocking me over, tickling me...whatever. I've noticed anytime I try to scrub my floors on my hands and knees, I always end up being attacked from behind!! I guess I look vulnerable. Anyway, I noticed my frustration that day and how it was effecting my kids (negatively). That same night, I was hurriedly trying to clean up dinner and get everything in it's place, when D came up behind me and placed his arms around my waist and started kissing on my neck. I snapped. "Can you please stop it!! You know I am trying to get this stuff done! Just let me work." For real. I said that. He got pretty upset with me and said, "Sorry for trying to show you I love you...most women would love to have that problem." I went to bed that night thinking...thinking hard. Since then I really try my hardest to not get so caught up and overwhelmed with the mess, I try to not let it effect me anymore. Am I saying to stop cleaning, and live in filth? No. We are supposed to keep our homes nice, and to serve and provide for our families. However, if scrubbing my kitchen floor is going to keep me from wrestling or playing outside with my kids then for the time being, a quick sweep will suffice. I also discovered that letting a pot sit in my kitchen sink overnight didn't cause my house to self destruct, and that it is a lot more fun to give in to the hugs and smooches of my lover then wash a dish. If you were to drop by my house at any given moment odds are you would find a mess, but I guarantee you if you can look beyond it you will find a family that yes, has it's issues but, we are full of love and silliness. I want my kids to know that when they talk to me, I am listening. What kind of mom am I if I can't even dry my hands long enough to bend down, make eye contact and really listen to Batman telling me (while wearing his super hero cape) about all the bad men he's beat up for the millionth time that day? I want my kids to know they are heard. I want to be their #1 fan, their biggest encourager. Sometimes, it's taking a step back and working things out through discipline and follow through, it's hard to be consistent, loving, and patient if I always have "work" to get done. Here's the truth, I can scrub my kitchen floor and after our next meal, it will be dirty again, and always there for me to scrub. But M girl, she won't be 5 and imaginative forever, Batman, he won't always be 2 and wanting to slay the bad guys or "tuddle wif mommy on da couch", and Lil Pip she won't be nursing for much longer either. These are the moments with them that I will cherish all my life, and I don't want to miss out on them. I mean let's face it, one day my kids will be adults and I will be that little old grandma in the check out line telling younger moms, to soak it up...it goes by way too fast.
True Story:
While I was writing this post, I heard this banging and splattering noise, so I set the computer down to go investigate since the kids were playing outside. As I got to the kitchen I looked out the patio door to see Batman with our old Pinterest project that hadn't quite made it to the trash yet. (I was being super mom the other day and actually did a "project" with the kids. You know the baking soda and vinegar thing, if you are a mom I am sure you have it pinned to your "kiddos" board! :)) Anyway, it's hard and dry now...Batman had the pan and was throwing huge handfuls of the hardened mixture at my windows and laughing hysterically. What makes boys think of this stuff?? :)
How can I get mad at him when he looks this stinkin' cute in a super hero cape?? Seriously.
Thankfully I caught him before it got too bad! :)
Stuck to my windows.
Be blessed peeps!
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