The Mother Land

A Poopy Post...

2009-09-27T17:17:00.004-05:00

Ms. K: (standing on her tippy toes, looking into the mirror) Poop makes me taller.

Me: Really?

Ms. K: Yup.

Me: Yes, you are my big girl...

I guess I should start by explaining that we had a breakthrough last week. Ms. K, just like her big sister Ms. M, had a problem pooping in the potty. Ms. M would poop in her underwear in the beginning before she would even sit on the potty. Thank goodness it didn't get that far this time around... Nevertheless, it has taken a while for Ms. K to figure it out and be comfortable with it all. Last week, after sitting in the bathroom for about an hour and encouraging her to be a big girl and poop in the potty, she did it! I can only assume that is the reason she thinks poop makes her taller. Hey, whatever works...

Is Obama After Our Kids? - His Speech To Schoolchildren

2009-09-04T13:37:00.005-05:00

OK, seriously people. Chill out. On Tuesday, as most of you already know, President Obama is set to give a speech to our school children about taking responsibility for their success in school. And now the GOP is making an ass of themselves. Again.

Now, I did not vote for Obama and disagree with A LOT of his policies. But, do I think he is going to be pushing his "socialist ideology" on our kids? Um, no. And if he is, then I will have the chance to read the transcript of the speech beforehand and opt out of the whole thing. (Actually, I don't think Texas schools will even be showing it) Anyhow, don't you think this is just a case of the current leader of our country sending words of encouragement to our children to study hard and stay in school? Most of Obama's predecessors did the same. And actually, while it was not during a speech in school, George W. Bush encouraged American children to send money to children in Afghanistan during a press conference shortly after 9/11...talk about pushing agendas? Since I did not have children in 2001 (and really could care less about politics at the time), I do not remember what the Dems had to say about that. I am sure they weren't very nice.

I do have to say that I am glad to see that the letter-writing assignment regarding how the children can help President Obama was taken out. That just seems....weird to me. They should be asking themselves how they can help others, not just our President. And I would like to see the other assignments that are to go along with the speech, just as I do all of my kid's assignments.

The bottom line is that this is another attempt by the current political parties at polarizing politics. Each side continues to try to claw their way to the top. And there are the unfortunate groups of diehards that fall for the rhetoric on both sides and fuel the media fire. They just nod their head in unison with whomever their leader is and spout off what they saw on FoxNews or whatever other channel they watch. What they are going to end up with is a very small number of followers on each side because everyone else is just annoyed, if we don't kill each other first. I am hoping for a new movement away from these two parties, Libertarian perhaps? :)

So, what do you think about Obama's speech to our kiddos? Don't be shy...you don't have to agree with me!

Bus Ride Fail

2009-08-27T16:15:00.003-05:00

Over the past week, Daddy Land has been urging me to visit this funny website. Yesterday, I did and was not disappointed. FAILBlog runs the gamut in terms of funny content, but I like to stick to the G-rated stuff. There is also a parenting fail category that always makes me feel better about my own futile attempts at being the perfect mom. :) The video I found is appropriate for all of us that have children starting school this week. I even showed it to Ms. M as an example of what not to do on her bus ride home! Enjoy!

Mama's Night Out

2009-08-16T20:54:00.004-05:00

So, last night I had the privilege of a night out with an old friend. However, times have changed since high school and college when we were busy giving our parents a run for their money. Both of us are now married moms with quite a bit different priorities than when we were young. Our night out was tame compared to some experiences we have shared, but very fun, nonetheless. Here is he gist...

You know you're a Mama when...

you get giddy when the waiter asks for your ID after you order a beer with dinner.

you go straight into Gymboree for post-dinner shopping.

you sit in the car at the far end of the parking lot while one of you pumps and the other calls to check on the kids.

you stare in aw at the pretty waitress at the bar that is wearing some sort of one-piece, spandex leotard. (didn't know grade school dance attire was in? guess I should have borrowed something from Ms. M's closet)

you don't recognize any of the music that is playing. OK...maybe I did, but she didn't. ;)

you sit and reminisce/cringe about the trouble you used to get into and how your own daughters will pay you back.

you wake up in the morning, ready to do it again ummmm, next year?

Thanks Ms. J for a fabulous "night on the town!"

Is It Just Me?

2009-08-11T14:00:00.009-05:00

So...I am cruising down the freeway in my husband's Ford Focus (nice, right?) after my crossfit class, getting ready to run into the outlet mall to pick up a shirt I saw on sale. Kids are home with a great new babysitter and I feel free for the moment. I have the radio turned up, having a good morning and I hear it. It is the same song I have been hearing for the past few weeks on every radio station around. I cannot pinpoint why, exactly, it makes me cringe. But it does and it shouldn't, considering I have two kiddos. Maybe it is just an annoying song or maybe it is the simple fact that I couldn't do it. I have absolutely nothing against what this song is advocating for. I think it is a beautiful, wonderful, healthy thing if you can do it. Not a big fan of having it shoved in my face all the time, but that deserves a whole different post. And according to this song, my baby girls and I are screwed. Have you heard this song, too? Let me know your opinion. Is it just me that doesn't care for this song?

http://www.breastmilkcounts.com/campaign/Lullaby_CD/A.Perry_HealthyBaby.mp3

A New Day

2009-07-27T14:52:00.012-05:00

Sorry, friends, that I have been MIA. Been a little busy, to say the least. Not only with being a single mom, but also with play dates and dinners. Last week was truly a blessing. Yes, I was running around like my hair was on fire. And yes, I forgot to strap Ms. K into her car seat once (I only drove down our street until I heard the "Uh oh, mommy!" Never said I was perfect.) But we had so much to do, that we did not have a spare minute to obsess about missing Daddy Land. I want to thank all the friends that took time out of their days and nights to hang out with our little orphaned family. It warms our hearts to know just how many people have our back right now. BIG HUG!!!!!

In the midst of the first week Daddy Land was gone (when I wrote this sad little blog) I managed to snap a few pics of my darling girls. Right before I took these, I was having a "moment" of feeling extremely sorry for myself. These two little girls made me smile, just when I thought I would never stop crying. See for yourself.

This is Ms. K with her semi-mullet showing off her lovely new dentures given to her by a friend I won't mention. Thanks friend. Not the most flattering photo of my baby girl.

Here is Ms. M, always the lady, reading a potty book with sunglasses. Notice the blinds are shut behind her.

As I said, last week went well. This week we are off to a solid start. Ms. M has YMCA camp all week from 7:30AM-6PM. I KNOW! LONG DAY! I am missing her a bit, but also enjoying the quiet and alone time with my sweet Ms. K. That's all for now!

Stuck

2009-07-16T14:31:00.004-05:00

Did I say I was ready? Damn, today feels like a slap in the face. Since Daddy Land left on Sunday, I have been relatively fine. The tears have been kept to a minimum and not in front of the girls. Until today. Even the fish guy at the grocery store sent tears to my eyes when he sparked a conversation with the girls and the first words out of their mouths were about their daddy being gone and the package we are about to send to him in the desert. He said to thank Daddy Land for his service and told the girls to be good for mommy. I could not get away soon enough...the tears were coming.

Right now I feel like giving Bob Marley the finger. I guess what may have triggered this negativity was finding out that Daddy Land is going to "the desert" tomorrow instead of Saturday. I thought I had one more day in which we could share (almost, he is in Virginia) the same timezone and reach each other on our cell phones at any time of day. After tomorrow, it is the real deal. I guess Skype will become my best friend.

All day I have felt as though I have been stuck in the mud. I don't have the motivation to make the bed, to tell the girls no, or to go anywhere. It is one of those days where I feel like the kids are ganging up on me. They are constantly on calling me, arguing with me, or fighting with each other. In reality, they are just bored. But, I am at a loss as to what to do with them. There is only so much time I can spend at the pool, and that is about the only place we can go in this 100+ degree weather. I am already tired of doing this alone...can that be possible? I have a long way to go.

The bottom line is, I miss my best friend. My partner. Maybe tomorrow will be better. I am hoping that I look back on this post knowing it does get better.

My New Look: Hot Bliggity Blog

2009-07-14T10:59:00.002-05:00

Hey All! You may have noticed my new look here. I recently learned that people are having trouble leaving comments about my posts and I think it may have had to do with the background I downloaded a while back. And I love comments, so keep trying and let me know if you are still having trouble!

If you are looking for a new background for your blog, you can find one for free here.

Don't Worry...

2009-07-11T15:17:00.008-05:00

"Don't worry about a thing,
'Cause every little thing gonna be all right.
Singin': "Don't worry about a thing,
'Cause every little thing gonna be all right!"

Rise up this mornin',
Smiled with the risin' sun,
Three little birds
Pitch by my doorstep
Singin' sweet songs
Of melodies pure and true,
Sayin', ("This is my message to you-ou-ou:")

Singin': "Don't worry 'bout a thing,
'Cause every little thing gonna be all right."
Singin': "Don't worry (don't worry) 'bout a thing,
'Cause every little thing gonna be all right!"

Rise up this mornin',
Smiled with the risin' sun,
Three little birds
Pitch by my doorstep
Singin' sweet songs
Of melodies pure and true,
Sayin', "This is my message to you-ou-ou:"

Singin': "Don't worry about a thing, worry about a thing, oh!
Every little thing gonna be all right. Don't worry!"
Singin': "Don't worry about a thing" - I won't worry!
"'Cause every little thing gonna be all right."

Singin': "Don't worry about a thing,
'Cause every little thing gonna be all right" - I won't worry!
Singin': "Don't worry about a thing,
'Cause every little thing gonna be all right."
Singin': "Don't worry about a thing, oh no!
'Cause every little thing gonna be all right!

I think God was speaking to me today through Bob Marley (weird...I know.) Daddy Land, the girls and I were headed back from a morning at the splash pad and heard this on the radio. This is our last full day together before he leaves for 7 months. But to tell you the truth, I think we are all at relative peace about it now. After the long fight we had with the Navy and several months of disbelief, bitterness, and sadness, I think we are really ready. We have done all we can. Daddy Land has bought all his gear, set up Skype, and tied up every loose end around the house he can think of. (He sure does like to make sure we are all well taken care of!) We have spent a lot of quality time together as a family and as a couple. We have spoken to the girls, watched the Sesame Street deployment video twice, hung a map on the wall, and made a paper chain for all the days Daddy will be gone. Now we just need to lean on God and our wonderful family and friends.

Tomorrow, I will lose my absolute BEST friend for 7 months. However, I am so thankful for the support and love we have received leading up to this and the helping hands that have been extended to get us through this. I guess now it is time..."Don't worry (don't worry) 'bout a thing,
'Cause every little thing gonna be all right!"

"What do you do?"

2009-07-02T16:01:00.008-05:00

"Oh, I just stay at home with the girls," I say. Why do I say it like that? Maybe because I did not envision my life this way.

I did not envision my daily conversations consisting of "Momma? Momma? Momma? Momma?" "WHAT???" I did not envision endless piles of laundry and dirty dishes. Toys that always seem to creep back into the living room, my bedroom, the kitchen...anywhere really that they are not supposed to be. Wall "art" in the form of scribbles and stick figures. A minivan...What I did envision was a career. Then after I married at 25, had children at 29, I would effortlessly return back to the workforce after each child. I would easily juggle it all.

Well, I guess you could say God had other plans! I married the love of my life at age 21 before finishing my degree, much to my parents' dismay. Four months later I was pregnant with Ms. M. We then moved to Italy for three years (again, unhappy parents) where I worked part-time and on finishing my degree. Finally finished the degree in 2006 (check in the box) while I was pregnant with No. 2, Ms. K. I worked part-time from home (pretty miserably I might add) until last summer. This was when I finally became comfortable in my skin, as a mom.

I was brought up in a very estrogen-centric environment, to say the least. My poor father had three girls (a trend that may continue with our little family...if we choose to have more children). Feminism was rampant, which I personally don't think is a terrible thing. Women need to be in the workforce, they need to have the options they have today, there needs to be a woman president sooner rather than later, etc. But for me, these widely accepted expectations have tended to stifle my natural tendencies to want to be a stay-at-home mom (something I suspect my mother struggled with since she sometimes stayed home and sometimes worked part-time). And please don't get me wrong, I know my choice is not for everyone.

I guess the reason I struggle with the "What do you do?" question has to do with a woman's choice to stay at home not being a viable and smart option in the opinions of others. Fortunately, I have several circles of friends that do find it acceptable. However in most circles, women are expected to work. Especially, if they went to college. A woman wouldn't want to "waste" her education, would she? That isn't the way I see it. I believe my education is used everyday, just not used in order to make money. It is used when I carry out the family budget, fix booboos, and manage my time. I have the time to explore things like Crossfit, this blog, politics, and crafts with the kids that I would not have time to do otherwise.

Now, I don't want to give the impression that I think all families should be like mine. And I don't want anyone to think that I live in some sort of fairytale. Staying at home with the kids down right sucks sometimes. And I cry about it sometimes. Especially recently, since soon I will be a single stay-at-home mom (talk about a double whammy!). But, there are more days that do not suck than days that do. Days when I know I would cry if I had to go to work. Days when the conclusion of the conversation goes like this:

"Momma? Momma? Momma? Momma?"

"WHAT???"

"I love you."

"I love you too, sweetheart."

Thank you, God, for my family and blessed life.

Mommies For Ron Paul! Support HR 1207 and Audit The Fed!

2009-06-17T13:24:00.007-05:00

Yeah, I know this isn't usually a political blog. But, it's my blog so I can put anything I want on it right? So here's the thing. Today President Obama unveiled a plan for increased financial oversight blaming our financial crisis on a "culture of irresponsibility." You can read more about this here.

Now, here is my issue. Obama's new plan will give the Federal Reserve Bank sweeping powers. For those that don't know, The Fed is a government institution that has the ability to operate similarly to private banks. And although they do not operate to seek a profit, their stock is owned by private bankers of each of the regional federal reserve bank systems . This alarms me, considering they have full powers in controlling our currency. They also have the ability to act without approval from Congress or the President. Now, our president is wanting to increase that power by tasking them with regulating the very banks that own their stock. HUH? Are you kidding?

And you may ask, "Who is overseeing the Fed?" Answer-nobody really. Although the Fed has the ability to print trillions of dollars to control our interest rates, decreasing the value of our dollar and is soon to oversee our entire financial sector, they have never been audited. Yep, we have no idea what they do with our money. That is why I encourage you all to watch this youtube clip and contact your representative to tell them to support this bill. You can also find much more info and instructions on how to do this at Ron Paul's website here. This is important ya'll!!

Spinach Cake Recipe

2009-06-13T21:30:00.006-05:00

Hey all! Normally you would not find me posting on a Saturday night. But I just had to share this wonderful recipe with everyone while it was fresh on my taste buds!

So, here is the story. I was chatting with one of the owners of Tillman Training (the place where I crossfit) about the Paleo Diet. It is also known as the caveman diet or hunter-gatherer diet. Basically, you eat what you can hunt, grow, or pick from a tree. Anyway, I asked if she had any good resources for recipes. This is when she told me about Elana's Pantry. I came across this recipe for a Spinach Cake and I must say that it is WONDERFUL. My entire family enjoyed it, including Ms. K who never eats dinner.

Here it is! I used cranberries instead of currants, which worked just as well I suspect.

Spinach Cake

1 ½ pounds spinach, thoroughly washed, leave stems on if they are not tough

3 tablespoons grapeseed oil

1 cup pine nuts

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 eggs, whisked

½ cup currants

1 teaspoon celtic sea salt

Wilt spinach in a large covered saucepan, over low heat (do not add water) 5 minutes, until tender
Drain and cool, then gently squeeze moisture out of spinach
Place spinach in food processor and pulse until coarsely blended, then set aside
In a small skillet, warm 3 tablespoons oil, add pine nuts and saute until golden brown
Add garlic to pan of pine nuts and saute together an additional minute
In a large bowl, combine pine nuts mixture, blended spinach, eggs, currants and salt
Spread mixture into a greased 7 x 11 inch pyrex baking dish
Bake at 350° for 30-40 minutes
Serve

Try it! You will not be disappointed. Also, check out Elana's Pantry for more yummy recipes. She specializes in gluten-free, but there is something there for everyone.

Wannabe...

2009-06-10T13:48:00.014-05:00

"One who aspires, often vainly, to emulate another's success or attain eminence in some area."

Yep, that pretty much explains me. Oh, I try SO. VERY. HARD! But, usually I end up with something ugly. My favorite part about it is definitely the shopping. I can spend a good part of the day in the craft store. I start, then stop, start again, get distracted or busy, and if I am very lucky I finish. This nearly sums up my crafting abilities. I "wannabe" good at it. I adore pretty things and almost anything handmade. But...I can't quite get the hang of it.

Whether I am good at it or not, I have come to enjoy applique. And lucky for me I have 2 precious girls to experiment on that always think anything I make for them is gorgeous! For anyone that does not know, applique is simply applying (or sewing) fabric onto another piece of fabric. In my case, I cutout fabric into cute designs and sew them onto t-shirts.

Today, I am proud to have finished two shirts that had been pushed into the back of a closet for months (along with my sewing machine) and were begging me to finish them. So without further ado...Ta-Da!

I have done some of these shirts for friends and some have asked how it is done. So, here are some simple instructions:

1. Pick out the appropriate size t-shirt (duh). I like to go with the brand American Apparel because they are made in the great US of A and they aren't made in sweat-shops. They are also just really cool looking.

2. Pick out a fabric to be applied to the shirt. I usually like to use something with vibrant colors, such as Amy Butler fabric and cut it into shapes of birds, dogs, etc. It can be found in specialty fabric stores, but not usually the big box craft stores. In the case above, however, I used a cute picture of kitty cats and little girls from In The Beginnings Fabric.

3. I then use a fusible web called Steam-A-Seam 2 to permanently fuse the fabric onto the shirt. This is by far the best I have found. It is very easy to work with, doesn't gum up sewing needles, and is washable so that if your stitches come apart the design stays put. Just follow the directions on the package.

4. Sew it on! If the design is small and intricate, I will hand stitch it using decorative thread. In the case above, I used my sewing machine because it was a simple square.

That's it! Don't ask me why it took me several months to finish it...that's just how I roll I guess. It really is simple. OK...now I am inspired again. I can think of a few babies out there that need some cute t-shirts. (Sorry friends. Just humor me and put them on your babes. They won't know the difference!)

What's Your Play?

2009-06-03T14:16:00.007-05:00

Here is another fun weekly photo challenge. Dolce Pics posts a weekly photo to be edited in any way that you desire. I am completely clueless about photo editing and photography in general really! But I think it is fun to play around with pictures! Below is the original.

And here is my play! I used Picasa to edit my photo.

You can see more fun Photo adaptations at Dolce Pics!

Home Sweet Home

2009-05-27T14:34:00.019-05:00

While I had a great time with my family at the beach, I am so glad to be home! All the sand, salt, and mosquitoes were starting to get to me. No matter how many times you shower, there is still that film on your skin that you can't get off due to the yellow, stinky water that comes out of the faucet...And the beach is a lot of work with a 2 and 5 year old! By the time we lugged all our junk out onto the beach, it was time for Ms. M to go potty...or it was lunch time...or, well you get the picture.

OK, enough complaining about our virtually free vacation at the beach! (thanks mom and dad!) We really did have a great time! We were blessed to spend some quality time with my whole family, even grandma! And, Kelly and I were even able to sneak off alone a couple of times for some boogie-boarding and a quiet lunch thanks to the many hands that were there willing to take care of the girls. The girls (obviously) enjoyed themselves. What kid wouldn't. They did most of their playing in the sand building castles and walking the shore looking for shells, although Ms. M had a blast in the water with my dad, pretending to save him from the waves. We ate TONS of junk food and drank lots of beer. (we are trying to get back on track now after our feeding frenzy!)I am also halfway through Eclipse (the 3rd book in the Twilight series) and Kelly finished The Shack. There is nothing better that sitting on the sun deck with a beer and book in hand with the sound of the waves crashing in your ear. It was exactly what I needed after the past few months of the emotional roller coaster we've been riding.

The weather was perfect. The first two days there were almost cool. However, cool to me is different than cool to some others. I didn't get in the water until the third day. I have to be burning hot to get in the water...I am such a wimp. Surfside itself seemed to be in OK shape considering Hurricane Ike that almost destroyed Galveston. There were a lot of repairs being done on the homes and the house we usually rent wasn't available. But the most notable change for us was the beach, or lack there of. Normally, we are able to set up "camp" close to the water and the cars on the beach drive behind us. This time, the water and the sand dunes were so close together that there was no other choice for cars but to drive right in between us and the water. This poses a slight problem when preschoolers are involved. Imagine how difficult it is for an excited child, bucket in hand running for the water, to stop and look both ways before crossing the "street." Anyway, we managed and towards the end they were really good about it.

Below are a few of my favorite pictures from the trip. First is Papa with the girls.

Then Papa and Daddy with Ms. M.

Ms. K playing in the sand.

Ms. M playing in the sand.

The girls hamming it up.

Daddy Land's "sexy" face.

A very, tired Ms. K cuddling with daddy.

Papa with my sister's "pet" wild baby dove...funny story.

My sister's pug, Chucky. She just graduated as an engineer, but she should have been a vet. He reminds me of the little old Italian ladies that would pere down from their windows when we lived there.

And that's all I've got. Great trip...

Annual Beach House Vacation

2009-05-16T08:51:00.003-05:00

Just a quick not to say that we are going to the beach this week. Every year my parents rent a house in Surfside, Texas for the whole family to enjoy. This year is a little different in that this is the first time we will be there since Hurricane Ike last year. I will let you know what I find. We will return next Saturday. Yay!

Great Outdoors

2009-05-11T15:12:00.027-05:00

Yesterday was great. The entire weekend was great! Our little family experienced our very first camping trip to Guadalupe River State Park for Mother's Day weekend. I have years of wonderful memories of doing this growing up and I hope my girls look back at this trip and smile like I do. There is one major difference though. We went for ONE night. I remember going for a week with my family and honestly...I don't know how they did it. Because frankly, it is A LOT of work! Luckily, we went with another family and that spread out the work load. Our kids are also the same ages and that kept them busy.

We were off to a rocky start when we arrived at 2pm in the Texas heat. We set up camp at the hottest part of the day. Ms. M set to the task of helping Daddy Land set up the tent.

While Ms. K played with a bucket.

And the pups were hot.

Really hot.

And it was not long before we had our first boo boo...the first of many.

But before long we were settled in at our camp and our friends had arrived. Time to kick back to relax.

Then it was time to head down to the river. Here is Ms. K and our friends' son. Ms. M was long gone. Too quick for mommy to get a pic.

Then it was time to get back to camp. The kids enjoyed hot dogs and the bigger kids ate yummy fajitas. And beer of course. (no that is not Ms. M's beer on the table. I meant grown-ups)

After dinner, it was time for the kids to settle down and go to bed. Someone isn't a happy camper...sorry, couldn't resist.

However, that did not happen for another 2 hours or so...go figure. I guess they were having too much fun! Time for some adult/drinking-around-the-fire time.

That is pretty much were the pictures stopped for the night!

Our night in the tent was...pretty much sleepless. At least mine was. At first I was too hot and dirty-feeling (that is a word, right?). Then I couldn't sleep because of the teenagers in the campsite near us (after commenting about this to my husband, he called me something along the lines of an old lady). Then I was too cold. Then Katie was crying. Then I was worried that the kids were too cold. The list could go on and on...

The morning came way too quickly. The kids were offered breakfast tacos like the rest of us, but they had something else in mind...the breakfast of champions: Pringles and Cheez-its. Oh, what the heck, we're camping.

It was then time for Daddy Land to make the mommies some Mother's Day coffee in our very cool new percolator.

Then there was a dance party in the tent to the song, I Like To Move It Move It from the Madagascar soundtrack.

Unfortunately, it was time to pack up the gear. Was it that time already? It really went by quickly. The kids entertained themselves with the water faucet while we cleaned up.

What a wonderful Mother's Day weekend! I am still recovering and I still don't know how my parents did it. But it was certainly worth it! In the beginning, I had my doubts that we would survive. Ms. K hates bugs, trips alot (because she is 2), and doesn't like to get dirty. I wasn't as worried about Ms. M since her best friends are rolly-pollies. But in the end, they were filthy, brused, barefoot and...HAPPY. We can't wait to do it again!
After we were all showered, fed, and unpacked, my girls and guy surprised me with a lovely Mother's Day song last night.

What a lucky mama...

Wildflower Center

2009-05-04T17:39:00.015-05:00

I took the girls to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center today. It was pretty eventful for a Monday morning! Next weekend we are going camping with another family and this gave me some insight as to how the girls are going to react to all the creepy crawly things that lurk in the woods! We saw a lot of birds, butterflies, wildflowers, one BIG black beetle, something else BIG that ran away from us through the bushes, and a grand total of 6 snakes (one of which was enormous...I am glad we weren't close!)

Here is Ms. M's reaction:

Here is a sweet picture of the girls on our "nature hike."

Here is another one of them sitting in the wildflowers.

Checkin out the tadpoles.

"Look mom! A rock!" (OMG, I can't believe there is a rock out here!)

Here is Ms. M scaring me to death...again.

And finally, I caught one of those snakes poking it's head up behind a rock. Can you see it? Yuck!

Now...how do I explain to my girly girls that this is just a warm up to tent camping?

You Capture: Joy

2009-04-30T11:19:00.015-05:00

So, I stumbled upon this cool blog the other day: I Should Be Folding Laundry. Every week a new photo challenge is posted. This week's theme is Joy!

Here is the first picture I thought of! It is an old one of Ms. M when she was a baby.

Here is another right after Ms. M's birth.

Here is one of her enjoying the great outdoors at Pedernales Falls.

Here is Ms. K laughing at the animals from a petting zoo at school.

Here is Ms. K and Daddy Land at the lake last year.

I am so blessed to have these little creatures that bring me so much joy! Sometimes I need to remind myself of that when the days get tough.

For more JOYful pics visit HERE.

Texas Round-Up

2009-04-27T16:16:00.005-05:00

Over the weekend, Ms. M ran in her first ever race! The Texas Round-Up family mile! We started off with a full 30 second sprint. Then a little break...then a sprint...then a break...then another sprint to the finish line! It wasn't really a mile, more like a quarter mile. But we had fun and I am so proud of her! Now we just need to work on endurance...

Here is a picture of Ms. M and Ms. K enjoying a post race bagel and power aide. (They also handed out Cheetos at the finish line. Must have been hurting for sponsors considering this was part of the Texas health and fitness initiative...)

MSG?

2009-04-22T20:14:00.013-05:00

So, today at Ms. M's gymnastics, Ms. K was eating Gardetto's (you know...the snack food with pretzels, bread sticks, etc.). There was another mother there watching her daughter. She also had a 1 ear old. Ms. K offered the little girl a pretzel and the mother said, "No thanks. That has MSG, right?" I had no idea, so I decided to look it up when I got home.

I had always seen food labels and restaurants touting "No MSG." I knew that I should stay away from it and that we should eat processed foods in moderation. But, I was really shocked at all the negative information out there. This makes me think that there has to be at least something to this.

Apparently, MSG in one form or another is in almost everything on our supermarkets shelves. It is supposed to be a "flavor enhancer." Here is a list of ingredients that contain MSG if you are wondering:

Autolyzed Yeast
Calcium Caseinate
Gelatin Glutamate
Glutamic Acid
Hydrolyzed Protein
Monopotassium Glutamate
Monosodium Glutamate
Sodium Caseinate
Textured Protein
Yeast Extract
Yeast Food
Yeast Nutrient

It has been linked to obesity, eye damage, asthma, headaches, fatigue, and depression. While the FDA has not decided to require manufacturers to label clearly that a food has MSG, they have a name for a reaction to MSG: MSG symptom complex. Here is what they said-

An unknown percentage of the population may react to MSG and develop MSG symptom complex, a condition characterized by one or more of the following symptoms:

burning sensation in the back of the neck, forearms, and chest
numbness in the back of the neck, radiating to the arms and back
tingling, warmth, and weakness in the face, temples, upper back, neck, and arms
facial pressure or tightness
chest pain
headache
nausea
rapid heartbeat
bronchospasm in MSG-intolerant people with asthma
drowsiness
weakness

MSG is also an excitotoxin. This means when added to food, it makes you crave more even if you are full. No wonder I love fast food and pizza! I also read several studies that say scientist use MSG to fatten up their lab rats for obesity studies.

Anyway, I just thought I would share what I found. I am not saying that our family will never eat fast food or anything processed again, but I will definitely be paying more attention to what we put in our mouth. For more information, here is a link to a site that covers everything you want to know (or not) about MSG.

http://www.msgtruth.org/

Just Say Yes

2009-04-22T14:29:00.008-05:00

I recently read an awesome devotion from the book Hold You, Mommy written by Laurie Lovejoy Hilliard and Sharon Lovejoy Autry. It talked about the times as a mother that you feel like all you do is say "no" to your kids and everyone is in a crabby mood. It is a vicious cycle! When mom is frowning and stressed all day, so is everyone else in the family. It tends to rub off on the people around you. Believe me, I know! I do it all the time! At the end of the day, I ask myself sometimes, Did I say "yes" once to the girls today? The book describes this as a "basement day."

On the other end of the spectrum would be the "balcony day." These are the sort of days I would like to aim for! They are the days when you have patience with gum on the carpet (yes, happened this week), arguments about who gets to turn off the TV (happens daily), and questions like "Mommy, do you have a baby in your belly?" (happened today... no, I'm not pregnant). Balcony days are days when you stop saying "no" and start having a little fun with your kids. The laundry that needs to be folded can wait. Let them help with chores or make their lunch, even if it takes ten times longer and you end up with a mess. Take this time to lift them up and show them gentle guidance instead of bossily telling them what to do all day. Trust me, you will end up with better behaved, loving kids!

Well, I have been trying very hard to be a balcony mom lately. I admit I am not perfect, but at least I have a goal, right? One thing that I said "yes" to this week was breaking out the sidewalk paint. It has been hidden and forgotten in our laundry room for several months, possible a year. I have not wanted to mess with it to be honest. However, the other day, my girls had a blast in the driveway. We even had our neighbor out with us (I apologize for your messy child, neighbor!). At the end of the day, yes, I had a huge mess on my hands. They were covered head to toe. But, the joy they received from this moment of freedom was worth it!

Cute Things Laughing

2009-04-19T17:57:00.004-05:00

This is one of the cutest things ever! Check out this website:

http://www.cutethingslaughing.com/

My favorite is #19 because our girls laughed the same exact way! I do wish we could see what the parents behind the camera were doing. I know we have done some pretty silly things trying to get our kids to laugh!

For more cute things check out:

http://www.cutethingsfallingasleep.org/

Crossfit Women

2009-04-17T13:01:00.003-05:00

girl at the gym

2009-04-17T12:38:00.004-05:00

Scene: Me getting ready to do my Crossfit workout at Gold's (blech, I would rather be at another gym instead of the meat market). I am getting myself situated at the squat rack and loading the weight.

Gym guy: Do you have any interest in this machine here? (pointing to the smith machine, he looks at me with genuine concern)

Me: No, thanks.

Gym guy: Are you sure? I am almost done here? (again, the concerned look)

Me: No, thanks.

Man that annoys me! Just because I am a girl, I can't be trusted with the squat rack. I need the smith machine so I don't hurt myself...

Check out this Crossfit video for some of the workouts. I apologize for some of the language in the song...but it is a good video.

Llittle Blessings

2009-04-16T20:39:00.005-05:00

God has graciously blessed me with an early riser, Ms. M. This is something that I will probably be thankful for in the teenage years. However, my little morning person isn't even in school yet (starts in August). Not to mention that I am NOT a morning person. I get as much sleep as I possibly can with a 2 and 5 year old.

Today was spent at Lowes and Walmart shopping for blackout curtains and a fan to drown out noise. I did this even though I know that she will be up, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, at the regular time. It doesn't matter that she will be sleeping in something that resembles a cave.

But, after our busy day with no daddy to help at bed time, I found myself taping (yes...taping) a blanket to the wall to cover the window. We had to settle with thumbtacks after the duck tape did not work, surprise...surprise. I guess you could say that's the way we do it here in Texas.

funny poop video of the girls

2009-04-16T16:22:00.003-05:00

In the Beginning...

2009-04-16T14:34:00.002-05:00

OK. Here we go. I am attempting to start a blog...again! I promise I am going to stick with it this time. More later.