Confessions of a reading addict

So, again, this week has gotten away with me with little blogging. I wish that I could say that it was because I was so busy with my kids that I didn't have time or that I was so busy cleaning that I didn't have time or that I that I was doing anything else other than reading. But I started reading the Hunger Games Trilogy on Saturday and couldn't stop till all 3 were finished. I finished last night at midnight.

The house is s disaster. I have tons of laundry to do.

Hello, my name is Jodie and I am a reading addict. My husband thinks I am nuts. He thinks that I don't actually enjoy books because I have to get to the end as fast I can. The truth is just the opposite. I get so into characters that I need to know what happens to them.

I get this trait from my mother and father. (My sister and brother are the same way too.) I do not read all the time because I know when I pick up a book, I won't put it down till it is done.

Books are just so much better than movies, but because I am an addict, I can't always indulge my temptations. Movies are just sometimes better for me. About 2 hours and I am done. Instead of 5 days of neglect.

My kids were fed, they were changed and dressed, they were happy, but other than that, I was just a selfish mom this week.

So it goes without saying that I left little to no time for blogging.

But I have started the next week of the 4-week Freezer Challenge that I am doing and we had homemade waffles yesterday for breakfast. Yumm. All the dinners I made last week were delicious and are already coming in handy. Yesterday, we had the marinated chicken that I threw in the Crock-pot and tonight, we are making our own pizza. Tomorrow, we are going to have the freezer lasagna, and Saturday, we are having chicken kabobs on the grill (hopefully, it isn't raining). I highly recommend this challenge. It has been great so far!

As for our holiday weekend, it was great. I can't for the life of me remember what we did Friday, but Saturday was the Race for the Cure. We had a great time as a family, but I was a little saddened by the event. It was Memorial Day weekend, so I knew that attendance would be low, but to read some of the comments on news articles about the whole Planned Parenting issue, I was saddened by how many people are ruining this event. As a survivor, I want to walk proudly with family and enjoy my time with them. I hate that it was something else this year. I am praying that it is better and more uplifting next year. (It also rained, so that didn't help the mood either.)

Saturday night, we celebrated my husbands 31st birthday with family and friends at a local brewery that has a golf simulator attached to it. The guys had fun golfing. Since no other groups were playing, we had basically a private room for ourselves. It was GREAT! We came back to our house and finished the night with a bonfire. I love summer.

Sunday, I made Bob one of his favorite breakfasts croissant French toast and we did a little yard work during nap time. That night we spent with family celebrating Bob's actual birthday and just hanging out. My reading addiction was in full swing by Sunday night, so basically, I sat outside with everyone reading well into the night.

Monday, we went out and hung out with Bob's Mom's side of the family and met the newest family addition. Even though he is 7 months old, this was Kian's first trip to the United States. Bob's cousin and husband live in Germany and are visiting for a couple of weeks. Calan had a blast with all the kids around. He played and played and played and played. Maisie just kind of chilled and chewed on whatever she could.

Then it was Tuesday and life was back to reality, except for reading books 2 and 3 in the trilogy. I am glad I didn't miss everything this weekend, but I probably should not pick up another book till I can learn some self control. (Or maybe not.)

Here are a few pictures from the weekend:

The kids sharing a cart for the first time when we went to Costco to get ready for the weekend. They thought it was the best thing ever.

Bob's birthday dinner Saturday night - Crab legs and steak kabobs. I didn't really get anything for Bob this year, so I just focused on his stomach. Favorite dinner, breakfast, and snacks. He loved it all.

Bob taking his first shot on the golf simulator.

Part of our work on Saturday. I am really trying this year to keep our gardens looking good. Because I was pregnant or with a newborn the last two summers, I just let things go and did not care. This year, I care.

Bob's dad and Maisie on Sunday. Izzy (the dog) looks to be a little bit jealous.

Calan refusing to fall asleep on our way home from Bob's cousin's on Monday night.

 

P.S. I am trying to get some upcoming blog ideas. I know that this is a family blog, but is there anything you guys want to know about me or my family. As you know I am pretty much an open book. Having some ideas ready will hopefully help me stay on top of writing. So, if there is something you want to know more about please let me know. 

One Proud Momma

The shirts I made for the kids with an iron-on applique.

May 2010 - 36 weeks pregnant with Calan.

Last night, I drove around for about 2 hours trying to find a plain white T-shirt for my son. (Why is there no plain shirts in 2T anywhere?) I needed it for Saturday. I needed to make sure that my kids had matching outfits. It is important to me.

Why is it so important? Because on Saturday, I will once again be walking in the Detroit Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. The last 2 years, I was very pregnant in my survivor shirt. This year, I will be pushing a decked-out double stroller with the 2 best accessories ever - My babies. 

My husband asked me last night why it mattered so much and it is because I want to be an inspiration to someone else. I want someone else to see that cancer was by no means the end of me. My life has quickly moved on and it is amazing. I am proud to be the mother and survivor. On Saturday I get to show off both. It is important. 

May 2011 - 31 weeks pregnant with Maisie.

It is sometimes hard to see what life is going to be like after cancer. For me, it was hard to be done with treatment and not sure what the next step would be. One day you are battling cancer, and the next, you are just back to normal life. You don't know how much cancer will affect the rest of your life, and for everyone, it is different. But, I hope some young girl sees me walking with my double stroller and realizes there is so much more after cancer. 

My kids are my proof that cancer did not win. My kids are my hope that my future is endless. 

Wordless Wednesday: Girls' Weekend

Getting hooked up to ride the Zip Line. We dropped off our luggage on Friday and headed straight to the Zip Line. What a great way to kick off the weekend!

About to hit the trails on horses. I swear at one point my horse looked back and me and said, "Lady, I do this all the time." I had literally just finished a Zumba class before going horse back riding. I was pretty much a hot mess, but it was a lot fun. 

My sister-in-law and I at the 80's Dance Party. You should have seen all the women. Hundreds dressed to  the nines in 80's style. Of course, that night's lecture was on accepting yourself and what better way to get over insecurities than dressing in 80's gear. It was hilarious!

Refreshed, renewed, and still loving life!

What an amazing weekend! It was so amazing to get away. I had a great time with friends and really feel like I learned more about what God's vision for women can look like and be. And let me just tell you, His vision is very freeing!

But, like any great weekend, reality still exists and life does keep going on. So our week is going to be pretty tame since once again we have a busy weekend up ahead. I am going to really try this week to get a lot accomplished at home and try not to play too much like I did last week.

I, also, have decided to try and stock my freezer for the summer to make meal planning easier and giving myself more time to play with my two pretty amazing children. Through another blog (I can't remember which one), I found out that Money Saving Mom is doing a 4 week challenge to stock the freezer with breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. I am going to take on that challenge and start by doing the dinners this week, which will be my meal plan as well.

Menu

• Monday: BBQ meatballs with rice and a side of broccoli and a salad
• Tuesday: Lasagna casserole with a salad and TBD veggie
• Wednesday: Chicken and broccoli casserole
• Thursday: Leftovers
• Friday: Marinated chicken with English peas 
• Saturday: Leftovers or dinner out for Bob's birthday
• Sunday: Family dinner TBD

Events

• Monday: I have 2 doctor appointments in the morning and then I have to do laundry and cook doing nap time and then hopefully we will head down to our neighborhood park in the afternoon. 
• Tuesday: Play date with my wonderful and pretty amazing friend and her son in the morning and then cooking during nap time. My cleaning goal for Tuesday is dusting. I swear every room in my house needs a deep dusting, so that is my mission. In the evening after the kids go to bed, I am going deliver team member packets for this year's Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. 
• Wednesday: I think we are going to go to the Barnes & Noble story time in the morning and maybe have lunch in downtown Royal Oak. My cleaning goal for Wednesday is to vacuum the house. 
• Thursday: I want to head to Home Depot and grab several bags of mulch to lay in my flower beds, which will be my nap time mission if I get it. And then I will need to clean the bathroom at some point. Hopefully, we will get a night time walk in before bed. 
• Friday: I will need to run errands and get ready for Race Day on Saturday. It is going to be a day full of odds and ends to say the least. Busy, Busy, Busy.
• Saturday: RACE DAY and Bob's birthday celebration!!! 
• Sunday: Bob's actually birthday. Probably going to head to church in the morning and then have family dinner at our house in the evening. 

So that's our week. Could be pretty crazy, or it could be absolutely manageable. I think I just need to stay as far away from the computer as I can, so I can stay focused and organized. After this weekend life should slow down, just a little. We have a lot going on this summer. I just pray I can keep up!

I am out of here

My bags are packed and I am ready to go. 

I am officially going away this weekend without my husband and without my kids. I can not even tell you the last time I went somewhere without my husband. I think that it was a bachelorette party weekend in San Antonio in 2009. I have only been away from Calan for 2 nights. One night we were gone for a wedding and of course one night when Maisie was born. And I have never been away from Maisie.

Why is it so hard for women to just go away? I feel like my husband has golf weekends and man weekend offers all the time, but for some reason us women are less likely to actually plan a weekend away.

I think  that is rather sad. We need time away to refresh and to miss our loved ones. We take such care of everyone else that time for ourselves is hard to come by.

I know I get caught in the trap that I say that I should go or do something, but nothing ever happens. Getting a pedicure is about as far as I go to treating myself.

Don't you think that is a little sad? I do.

I am so grateful that I get to go away this weekend. We should do it more often and not just say that we are going to do it more. ACTUALLY DO IT!

So what am I doing this weekend? I am going away with hundreds of women from my church to a summer camp location 3 hours away. I'll be taking a Zumba class, riding a horse, trying out a zip line to just name a few things.

I loved summer camp as a kid. I went every summer and was even a camp counselor the summer after I graduated high school.

I can not wait to be a kid again! See you on Sunday kiddos. Mommy does love you.

Would I do it again?

Would I have children so close in age if I could do it all over again? My answer overwhelmingly is YES!

Maisie was not a surprise. She was not an amazing accident. She was planned and hoped for.

We wanted our children close in age. We wanted our children to have a sibling. When I envisioned Calan growing up, I saw an unknown sibling with him, even from a young age.

Did I know what I was getting into? Absolutely not! Did I worry if I would be able to handle it? Absolutely. But I have not for one second thought that I should have done it differently. Having two children close in age isn't for everyone, but it is definitely for me.

I have had my ups and downs, of course. There are nights when I get little sleep because they have tagged teamed me and there are days when I wish I could get a break. I am human after all. But I think no matter what age children you have those feelings are no different if your kids are close in age or if they are not.

What I love about having 2 kids close in age is that I am doing it all at once. Yes, I have 2 kids in diapers, but if I have 1 kid might as well change another diaper. I would actually hate to get out of the diapering stage and then have to start all over again. (Someone else might see that differently, but that is the way I see it.) It is the same with food. If I am cutting up and preparing one meal, might as well make it two.

I love that toys are similar. There are no choking hazards laying around for Maisie to play with right now. Most toys are still "edible." I love that I already have to teach my son to share with someone else. His toys from what he can remember have never just been his. While most of the time, Maisie gives up a toy pretty easily, Calan does have to ask nicely to use it. Or he has to trade her for the toy that he wants. All life lessons that I am so happy that I have to teach now and every day.

I love that they still go to sleep at the same time and nap at the same time. I love that for 3 hours everyday, it is just me. I refresh. I blog. I can get things done. I can nap if I want. I can clean if I want. From 12:30 to 3 or 3:30 every day it is just me. LOVE THAT!

Of course, going out somewhere is not the easiest. It is one huge downfall to two small children. My diaper bag is huge. And eating out is not completely easy, but it is all possible.

I get so excited for this summer and watching Maisie walk along and follow her big brother. Or Calan reaching for Maisie's hand to walk with her somewhere. They are quite the duo already. I love hearing them laugh together from another room. The bond is growing.

Please do not get me wrong, siblings are siblings and there will always be issues, but close together or far apart, those issues are the same.

So, would I do it all over again? Yes. But am I ready for more? Not right now. I am not crazy after all.

Plus, both stay in a stroller, so no chasing after an older child. Containment is sometimes really, really good.  

Wordless Wednesday: Morning Play

I love that they are starting to play together. 

22 month / 9 month update

Calan loves riding the train at the mall. For a dollar, it is a great treat. 

Maisie all dressed up in the outfit her cousins picked out for her when they spent the night. 

Another month has come and gone and the next is almost over. Time is flying by, but I have no complaints. Life is good. The babies are good. We are good.

What a difference a month makes? The month of March was hell. The month of April was heaven. Life is really settling into a good routine. The calm before the storm, right? Not sure when life will become topsy turvy again, but right now, I am loving the flow. 

As for the kids, I am going to try to keep things based on just 22 and 9 months because the last two weeks have been crazy busy with things, but I will share more of that during the next update. 

So here's what the kids have been up to:

Sleeping

• The kids are officially sleeping in the same room through the whole night. At the start of this month, we tried and had to abort due to colds and bad sleeping, but we tried again and haven't looked back. I was determined. It was time and I needed to get Maisie out of our room. I just can't sleep well when she is making any noises, and she would not put herself back to sleep because she knew I was there. I have been amazed at how much the kids sleep through one another. Maisie falls asleep just fine when Calan is having a "crib party" rocking and singing to himself at night, and Calan sleeps through Maisie who about once a night cries out, but will either fall right back to sleep or just needs her pacifier. For nap time, I still have Maisie upstairs, but that is my choice. I think that it works better for us right now. 
• Calan has become a little energizer bunny at night. We usually put the kids to bed around 7:30, but he can take anywhere from 15 minutes to 2 hours to fall asleep. I use to try and get him to lay down, but I have found that does not help the situation. Usually if I just leave him alone, he finally does go to sleep. Though when he gets bored singing to himself or rocking, he tends to start calling for Maisie. While I find it adorable, I do go in then and lay him back down. Nap times have become a breeze. I put him down around 12:30 and he is usually out pretty quickly and sleeps till at least 3. For how much I struggled with nap times, it is amazing to me how well he sleeps now. 
• Maisie is my sleeping champ (for the most part). With her in her crib, she is sleeping much better at night. Usually, however, she does cry out once each night. It seems to be a startled cry like a nightmare or something like it. Usually just giving her a pacifier and laying her back down does the trick. Not really sure why she does it or how to get her to break the habit, for now, luckily, there is any easy solution to comfort her. Maisie is a great napper and always has been. Maybe it is a second child thing. If we are home, she naps from 9 till about 10:30 in the morning, but is perfectly OK skipping the nap if we are out and about. She then sleeps from 12:30 till at least 3:30. If she missed her morning nap, she goes from 12 till 3:30. I never worry about her getting enough sleep or being rested. But to make sure that both kids get a good nap, I have them nap in different rooms. I don't see myself changing that anytime soon. It works for us. 

Eating

Maisie tryout sweet potato fries, an easy favorite. 

• Both kids made huge strides in eating over the past month. Maisie is eating more solid foods and Calan is eating without a fight. 
• I had to resort to a little bribery and timeouts to get Calan to eat his food. He loves bread and most fruits, but was avoiding anything he didn't want and just saying "all done." I now do not have to even use bribes and usually just a threat of a timeout solves any eating issues. I am not the mother that thinks that he needs to eat everything on his plate, but he does have to at least try everything. Dinner times have been way more peaceful and he is sleeping better and rocking less at night because I think he was hungry. 
• Maisie has been doing great eating. I still have not giving her a ton of solid food basically because of laziness on my part, but what I have given, she has done fine with. She loves sweet potato fries and bananas. She has had toast and some strawberries. I did try to give her some scramble eggs, only to find out she is allergic. (Yea, that was fun.) So far she hasn't had any reactions to any other foods. When she is a year old, we will have her tested. She will most likely grow out of the allergy. 

Activities/Milestones

The kids looking through their Easter baskets. Cheerio filled eggs were a huge hit. 

• Maisie had her first Easter. Both kids liked their Easter baskets. We went to church, had brunch with Bob's mom, and then headed over to Bob's dad's for dinner. Nothing crazy, but fun nonetheless. 
• Maisie is now pulling herself up like a champ. She has just begun to transfer between items standing up like from the ottomen to the chair. She is crawling all over the place and usually crawls right to my feet and climbs up me to be held if I am in the room with her. 
• Maisie is still lacking vocal vocabulary. She is pretty quiet most of the time, but I have heard her say "i, i, i" a few times and "mmmm" and if you do a cough noise she repeats the noise. She just enjoys observing the world. 
• Calan's vocabulary keeps expanding. Funny things are starting to come out of him. Like if he is eating something he actually likes he says, "mmm, that's good." Or a couple weeks ago, I said "thanks, honey," to bob for something and Calan said "thanks, honey," most of the day. Pretty cute. 
• Calan is finally saying other colors than blue when asked, so he might not be color-blind after all. 
• My sister and her family came to visit in April and the kids really enjoyed playing with their cousins who are 9 and almost 12. And my nieces loved playing with the babies. It was great to see my kids playing with their family. The last time we saw them, I was pregnant with Maisie and Calan was almost 1. A lot has changed in a year. 

Schedule

I really revamped and worked on our schedule this month and that has been a huge help in keeping the peace in our home. If you have a toddler and not on a schedule, I highly recommend starting. Life really is a lot easier when they know what is coming next. 

7/7:30 a.m. Wake up/ Maisie bottle

8 a.m. Breakfast

8:30 a.m. Maisie pack-and-play time (independent playtime); Calan and I chores. (Calan loves to sweep and clean up.)

9 a.m. Maisie nap time. Calan room time. And I take a peaceful shower and get ready. 

9:30 a.m. Calan TV time and I get coffee time. 

10 a.m. Calan and I play (usually with his train table)

10:30 a.m. Maisie wakes up and the kids play together

11 a.m. Maisie bottle; Calan either free play or TV time depending on his mood. I get lunch ready. 

11:30 a.m. Lunch

12 p.m. Play outside or story time or free play inside

12:30 p.m. Both kids nap. 

3 p.m. Kids start to wake up. TV time fore Calan if Maisie is not up yet. 

3:30 p.m. Blanket time and snack time for both kids. 

4 p.m. Depends on the day. Sometimes learning time, sometimes errands, sometimes outside play time. 

5 p.m. Prep for dinner

6 p.m. Dinner time

6:30 p.m. Bath time

7 p.m. Daddy time or TV time

7:30 p.m. Bedtime

Overall

What a great month! We still had some lingering colds, but nothing like March. The kids are starting to act like siblings and that is pretty fun to watch most of the time as long as Calan isn't hurting his sister. Another month done and this month is almost over already. Summer is just going to fly on by. 

Calan has become increasingly interested in Maisie and wants to know where she is at all times. He probably says her name 100 times a day. Cute ... yes; Annoying ... Absolutely. 

Weekend getaway

Calan testing out the pilot's seat. He was in button heaven.

Maisie and I at Crocker Park in Marblehead, Mass. This is looking into Marblehead Harbor. Bob and Calan are  down on the dock behind us. 

Maisie being introduced to a lobster head. I wish we could get good seafood in Michigan. Bob and I could live off of  lobster and crab, though our bank account wouldn't be happy about it. 

Flying with kids totally not easy, but totally possible. Even with just a few days notice, we survived just fine traveling with both of the kids. We were pretty lucky that every flight we took had extra seats available, so we were able to spread out and Calan was able to have his own seat once we were in the air. It also was a huge help that my sister borrowed pack-and-plays and car seats from friends, so we did not have to worry about those items either. It was a huge relief.

The highlight by far was when Calan was able to sit in the cockpit. On our flight from Philadelphia to Boston, Calan had easily won over the flight attendant with his smiles and giggles. When we landed, everyone stood up and the flight attendant asked if Calan want to come up to the cockpit. With out hesitation, he walked right up there, but we were stuck where we were because of people in the aisle. So for the most part, he was just up there with the pilots and flight attendant. He had a ball and loved all the buttons, of course, and did not want to leave when it was time to go. 

We had a great time hanging out with my sister, brother-in-law, and nieces. The girls absolutely love the kids. 

Now we are back and I am trying to motivate myself to get the house organized and laundry started. It is just so nice out. We were meant to be outside today and not doing laundry. Responsibilities just stink sometimes. 

This week we have a few things planned:

• Monday: I had my annual mammogram this morning and then we played at our neighborhood park. This afternoon, I think I am going to take the kids to Home Depot to get some flowers and wood chips to get my flowerbeds in order. 
• Tuesday: Going to the zoo in the morning and then hanging out at home and grocery shopping in the afternoon.
• Wednesday: Cleaning day. Must get the house clean. 
• Thursday: Laundry and getting things in order for my weekend away. 
• Friday: Picking up my team's packets for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in the morning and then packing for my weekend away. Leaving around 3 p.m. for a camping retreat with women from my church. 
• Saturday: Not sure what Bob and the kids are going to be doing, but I am going to be rejuvenating.
• Sunday: Bob will probably take the kids to church and I will be home mid-afternoon. My mom and step-dad will be spending the night Sunday night and heading back to the UP Monday afternoon. 

Pretty busy week for us. Life is just not slowing down, but to be honest, I am grateful that we get to do so much. Our life with 2 kids is not always easy, but it is fun most of the time. 

As for meals: We are having chicken and vegetables tonight and I am grocery shopping tomorrow, so I'll post my meal plan tomorrow. 

Have a good week everyone!

I want to blog, but we just have been busy

I promise a full update soon and regular blogging when I can. Life somehow has really gotten a bit crazy. But here are some pictures over the last two weeks to show some of the things we have been up to.

Maisie is pulling herself up and ...

Standing all the time. 

Our double stroller has finally arrived. I LOVE IT. This is our first walk. 

And this is what happens when you tell a toddler we are going for a walk only to discover it is raining and we actually can't go for a walk. Oh the glories of toddler-hood. 

Calan helping "hammer" chicken for dinner. He wasn't too happy when I made  him stop so I could actually cook the chicken.

We have not been doing a lot of crafts lately. However, Calan is getting better at following instructions and scribbling. (Although, after this picture was taken, I went to go check on dinner that was cooking, and came back to him eating the paint brush and his mouth all blue. You win some and you lose some.)

Enjoying lunch at the zoo with a couple of buddies. I forgot how packed May is with field trips at the zoo. It was crazy. 

Maisie enjoying her lunch at the zoo too. 

Calan has become so concerned about Maisie lately. He likes to make sure that she is wherever we are. He probably repeats her name 100 times a day. 

What better way to slide than in pjs? Calan would live outside if I let him. He is one happy energetic toddler. 

I am now in the process of packing us for a weekend in Boston. We are flying for the first time with the kids to go visit my sister. Bob has some work to do in Boston, so we are using the opportunity to head out there early Thursday morning. It should be fun and a little nuts. Praying that it all goes well and isn't stressful.