Sunday, September 27, 2009
A Poopy Post...
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...
Friday, September 4, 2009
Is Obama After Our Kids? - His Speech To Schoolchildren
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!
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Bus Ride Fail
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Mama's Night Out
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!"
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Is It Just Me?

Monday, July 27, 2009
A New Day
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!
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Stuck
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.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
My New Look: Hot Bliggity Blog
If you are looking for a new background for your blog, you can find one for free here.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Don't Worry...

"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.
'Cause every little thing gonna be all right!"
Thursday, July 2, 2009
"What do you do?"

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.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Mommies For Ron Paul! Support HR 1207 and Audit The Fed!
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!!
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Spinach Cake Recipe
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.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Wannabe...
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!)
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
What's Your Play?

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

You can see more fun Photo adaptations at Dolce Pics!
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Home Sweet Home
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.
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.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Annual Beach House Vacation
Monday, May 11, 2009
Great Outdoors
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.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Wildflower Center
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?
Thursday, April 30, 2009
You Capture: 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.