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A Little About CJ

08 May

How old are you? 3

What is your favorite color? pink

What is your favorite animal? Piggie

What do you want to be when you grow up? Like Chloe

What is your favorite movie? Tangled

What makes you happy? Play with my dollhouse

What makes you sad? When Chloe be mean to me

What is your favorite food? Peanut Butter & Honey sandwich

What is your favorite song? Fences

What is your favorite game? Princess game on Chloe’s Innotab

What is your favorite snack? Fruit Snacks

What is your favorite drink? Apple Juice

What is your favorite ice cream? Vanilla with Chocolate

 
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A little information about C

07 May

How old are you? 7 1/2

What is your favorite color? pink

Who is your best friend? Ellie, Emma, Aubrey, Ella, Josie and Carly

What is your favorite animal? Penguin

What do you want to be when you grow up? Famous Singer or Teacher

What is your favorite movie? Tangled

What makes you happy? My friends and my family

What makes you sad? Not getting invited to a party

What is your favorite food? Strawberries and chocolate ice cream

What is your favorite song? Dynomite and You Belong To Me

What is your favorite game? Sorry Sliders

What is your favorite snack? Fruit

What is your favorite drink? Chocolate milk

What is your favorite restaurant? Bakers Square

What is your favorite school activity? Daily 5

What is your favorite flower? Tulip

What is your favorite bird? peacock

What is your favorite ice cream? Chocolate

 
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To be better

07 Feb

There are so many things I want to be better at. To be a better wife, a better friend and of course a better mom. Then there is the sister, daughter, employee, but I am finding that I need to be a better me first.

I had a shock lately that has put some things in perspective. My weight is not where it should be so I am working on taking control of that. I am watching what I eat, limiting the snacks. No donuts, bakery items, little to no ice cream. It is a work in progress, but I am working at it. I have an amazing support group in my WT moms as there are many of us working on this goal. I am just thankful that I have people to turn to when I need the extra “hey you can do this” and also the “great job!”

At this point I am down 2 pounds. Weigh in will happen Thursday night/Friday morning and I am hoping that my work this week will pay off. I am still not 100% so working out is tough as I start coughing pretty quick after starting. Guess I need to get at it again though. I know I can do this!

On a better note… the girls are both doing well. They are keeping us on our toes and helping cause as much trouble as they can. You would think with the lack of snow that we have we could be outside, but it actually isn’t that much warmer. However, that may just be what I need to take the girls outside as the sun is coming up earlier in the morning and staying up a little later (YEAH!). Guess I just need to suck it up and deal with the cold. For one being from Minnesota (yes I am even from Southwest MN) I still hate the cold weather. The snow is okay if I am not driving in it, but the cold just isn’t my thing. CJ has found a new love in the song “Fen.ces”. This kid can easily sing the song and I don’t even listen to it. Even found out Jon doesn’t really either. C has it on her Inn.otab and I guess CJ loves singing and dancing to it. She is really funny, especially when she is singing it as she is getting ready to fall asleep at night. C is loving her swimming lessons and I am so glad to hear it. She starts a soccer camp soon and right now hoping she continues to enjoy it. Seems a few of the girls on her team have decided they don’t want to play anymore so not sure she will want to continue where we have her. Just not ready to spend the money to put her in the “elite” league with her classmates as it is roughly $200 or so. A lot of money if you ask me to play a sport with volunteers as the coaches. Then again I didn’t play soccer so I can’t talk much about the money side of it. C continues to amaze us with her reading knowledge. I find it funny that she loves math and then dislikes it. I think sometimes it is too easy and others she just wants to play. To be honest I wish I could let her unwind after school but if I do that she wouldn’t do her homework so we have a plan in place that all homework needs to be done before tv or anything else. Maybe once she shows that she can handle it a fun time at the park will happen first and then homework or when she doesn’t have any homework.

All is going well here. We are keeping busy with life and what it has to offer.

 
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Too Much to Catch Up On

26 Nov

So, I know it has been far too long for me to blog. There has just been so much happening and by the evening rolls around and the girls are in bed I am either picking up; loading/unloading the dishwasher; putting clothes away; or just sitting and doing nothing.

First is my sweet friend lost her little boy. One of our special Wild Things has grown wings and is now sitting high up in Heaven on a beautiful puffy cloud with WT angel Izzie watching over their cousins and keeping them all safe. It has been really hard for me, though I will never say it is anything close to what my friend is dealing with. I went and saw this sweet little man 4 days before he passed away. If you didn’t believe in being directed you just may now. For the longest time I will have names keep coming up in my mind. I will be sitting there either working on something, playing a game or watching tv and a name will just keep popping into my head. Usually I will write the name down on a piece of paper and then continue on. If it continues to come through I will write that person a little card and send it. Sometimes I get a note saying thank you, how did you know I needed those words. Just makes my heart smile to know that there was a reason for the name. Well this little boy kept coming into my mind and heart. Since we were going to be out for C’s follow-up on her broken arm I convinced hubby to take me to the hospital that he was at. I spent some special time with my friend, her husband and watched her baby sleep. Just as I was getting ready to leave I was able to catch a glimpse of little man and touch him. As I was watching him and listening to my friend talk about what was going on, I said a silent prayer over him and asked the beautiful white light to cover him and the room keeping him safe. He passed away a few short days after that visit. It hurts to know that a mother is out there not holding her child, especially after having him for over 2 years. I will never question God’s decision, but I wonder why. Why did this child, or any for that matter, get cancer? Why do children get sick and leave this Earth so early? I believe that we all have a path that is planned for us. People come into our lives and stay for a short time and then leave. Sometimes we are so blessed that they stay for a really long time and we are able to learn and grow with each other. These friends help us through hard times and rejoice in the great times. I have a few of these “old” friends and I have quite a few friends that are WT moms. These ladies have seen me through the birth of CJ, my going back to work, C’s broken arm and cast, the death of my Grandma to cancer and everything else during these almost 3 years together. I don’t know where I would be without the support these ladies all show me in their own way.

Second, my Grandpa is really sick. How sick you ask? Well sick enough that they amputated his toes a few days ago and then decided that it wasn’t enough and he just today lost his leg. There is so much fluid in his body that it has to start coming off or he could risk having organs shut down. He has a virus in his body that they are trying to “vacuum” out of him with hopes that nothing else will need to be removed. My Grandma, his wife, passed away December 15 of last year. I cannot imagine how hard it has been for him during this past year not having his companion there. He took care of her when she got sick, they celebrated life when she went into remission, then took care of her as she started to pass away. They were married for over 50 years. I believe it was 54 or so. I am not ready to lose another family member, especially around the holiday’s not to mention my birthday. My Grandma passed away 2 days before my birthday. Last year was the first year I didn’t get a birthday card from them. Sounds silly, but to me it was that they remembered me. I am the oldest Grandchild on that side. I have three cousin and one cousin in Heaven that passed away when she was 5. My Grandma passed away in December, My cousin passed away at the age of 5 on December 31. How’s that for timing. Now nothing can happen to my Grandpa in December :(

In October, C broke her arm playing soccer. She found out the hard way you don’t stand on a soccer ball as it more than likely will fall out from underneath your foot and you have a good chance on landing wrong on your arm. She was in a cast for just over 5 weeks, which included the rest of her soccer season, Halloween and her birthday. C decided to not have a birthday party with friends this year which was really hard for her as she is our social butterfly. She just couldn’t do much so she didn’t want to have one. Thankfully her Grandma D made their costumes this year and they were Little House on the Prairie girls. So easy to fit over her hot pink cast. Not quite era right, but she looked beautiful as did CJ.

Last, but not least, my boss of 1 year has decided to retire early.  She has been so stressed out about things at work that she has had enough. I will be going through the process of interviewing with a bunch of others a replacement for her. I may not have always agreed with her or liked her choices, but she is amazing to work for. She is very family first which is nice with two daughters, both in some sort of school that keep you busy. She has been great about not asking me to move my hours around and has given me the opportunity to attend a couple classes for free. So while we finish up our winter catalog together and she departs right as the Winter catalog classes are going and driving us crazy I will learn just how much I know at work. I still depend on her knowledge of so many things, especially being I am still new to the position. Just so much going on. Not to mention that by the time she leaves, we will need to start getting the Spring/Summer catalog letters out to start planning that catalog. Yup, not much down time that’s for sure. I think I need a little vacation!

So that is where I am right now. Things are stressful, but we are all doing well for the most part.

 
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First day with one at Grandma’s

16 Jul

So this is what our day looked only having one of our two children home with us. It seemed so odd not having the two of them running underneath all day, picking on each other, reading, you know the true day to day life.

CJ woke us up at 7:40 this morning and while Jon read to her the 5 books he promised her the night before. Mind you when she woke up that was the very first thing she asked for. Her books and daddy. Jon always jokes that the girls have minds like a steel trap, can’t say that I don’t agree as they both remember things that I have no idea how.

After story time was breakfast, which was simple oatmeal. Well CJ had her favorite, strawberries & cream.

We got dressed and then CJ and I went to the bank and Tar.get to get a few things that we would need later next week and a few other things. While we were out Jon cleaned out his car and cleaned the tub. I hate cleaning the tub and thankfully Jon doesn’t complain and does it.

After coming home and putting things away we had lunch. Again very simple today since it is so stinking hot and humid out. Mac & Cheese. After lunch was CJ’s naptime. She went down without much trouble and slept a good 3 hours. Yeah for naptime.

While she napped I was able to finish dishes, sort through a bunch of coloring books/notebooks/workbooks/etc that the girls have. Many of them were colored on all the way through so they got tossed. Sorted those and got them in piles to put away in the girls room once they got up. Got caught up on FB and my boards, which wasn’t as long as I needed, but I tried. Read some of the many blogs that I follow through my reader and then sat and read through my Family.Fun magazine that I love! So many fun ideas.

After naptime, CJ and I did some building with Leg.os. She loves making towers and then after a few minutes knocking them down. Played some more and talked to the other grandma on the phone about tomorrows get together.

Had dinner of peanut butter & grape jelly sandwiches. Now it is cartoons and then bedtime around 7:30.

CJ’s day may be done, but mine will consist of some additional cleaning/picking up. I want to finish the bathroom cleaning and then use my new vacuum thanks to my father (in-law). Gotta love connections to companies from time to time. I hope he is enjoying his time with his oldest grandchild!

After the bathroom, I am hoping to tackle the closet in our room, well more so my clothes. After two kids my body is not the same and nor will it ever be so clothes that don’t fit will be gone. I need to sort the girls clothes as well and get them ready for donation. I may put some up on ThreadUp and see if anyone wants any of them. Just tired of the two huge totes full of clothes taking up space in our room. Wonder if my niece who is a day younger than CJ, yet a full size behind her, needs any 2T clothes?

I am sure I will wait up for Jon to get home tonight like usual and then will go to bed almost immediately after he does. Yup, life is strange with only one. I would have been a thousand times more busy, but know that each girl is enjoying their time alone with whomever they are with.

 
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Happy 4th of July!

04 Jul

We celebrated the 4th yesterday as my wonderful hubby has to work today. We had a great time. Spent the afternoon in Bloomington at the Family Fest which had a bunch of inflatibles that the girls thought were just awesome. CJ has turned into a major jumper lately and I was hoping that all the jumping yesterday would help deflate the need, but that just isn’t the case. She was all about jumping more today.

Anyways, we ate dinner at Poor Richard’s and then walked back and picked up a bag of Kettle Corn and of Cotton Candy and then found our spot. While C and her daddy went to get our chairs from the car CJ and I sat and people watched. That was fun. We ended up watching a really great firework show and the girls had so much fun. We were blessed with two girls that love fireworks.

We hope that you have a wonderful 4th of July and that you remember to thank those serving (or did serve) our country so we can have that freedom!

 
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Changes

18 Jun

I have been so blessed in my life to stumble upon amazing groups just when I need them. In December of 2008, I knew I was going to be laid off and 7 months pregnant. Knowing that not a single place would hire me because of the upcoming birth of CJ it was decided I would take a few months off and enjoy the time with C. So we took her out of daycare and she was home with me and attended preschool. Well I craved that adult mom time and found an online group of women all due the same month I was. These women talked openly and freely about what they were going through in their pregnancies and the births of their children and accepted me in the group even though I “lurked” until the board turned from the March Shooting Stars Expecting Club to the March Wild Things Play Group. I became active in the group after the first month had finally calmed down with having two girls to care for. Changes in our family dynamic had happened, C struggled a little with this little person always there. It really wasn’t jealousy, but trying to figure out where she fit since she had been an only child for 4 years and now this baby is sleeping in her parents room, her mom needed to feed, change diapers and hold this baby and when her grandparents came to see her it wasn’t just her that got picked up.

Back to the group, since joining the group as more than a lurker, these women have become amazing friends to me. We do still talk on a daily basis about anything and everything. Yes the kids do still get talked about, but so do the births of any siblings and our own personal issues. I love that these women have become close friends of mine and look forward to talking to them. In January CJ and I flew to Texas and stayed with one of the moms from this group that had her daughter the same day. The two C’s were always so close in size and doing things pretty close to the same time. It was amazing to see these two girls together and there was never real issue between them and I think they enjoyed spending time together. CJ will see pictures from when we were there and she will point and blow kisses to her friend. There have been other get togethers and I love meeting the moms and their Wild Things. I will be seeing a few of them in a month and am really looking forward to it. I think C is more excited than I am since she is meeting her friend J from Florida.

These women have saved me more times than they realize. They have been a sounding board when I needed one, allowed me to be a part of their lives and watch as their kids have grown up alongside mine. I have been given the opportunity to “help” them through times and we have seen eachother through pregnancies, miscarriages, divorce, seperations, anixety, depression and love.

While knowing I was going to need adult interaction outside of the computer, I found Moms ROCK. The group of ladies have been wonderful at allowing me to be there for the first few months and then I joined the Planning Team to be involved. I sat there for two years before needing to get a job that would take me away from the group. I wouldn’t change the two years that I had with that amazing group for anything. I learned so much from the speakers and from the ladies. I made a few friends along the way.

Watching my girls tonight play together reminded me that people come and go. Some stay and some leave but they all leave a print on my life. I learned something from that person. It may have been good, it may have been bad, but I took along with me a lesson. I have a friend on FB that I don’t talk to a whole lot, but she has been my friend since we were little girls. I think I was in 3rd or 4th grade when we met and are still friends to this day. She was my maid of honor and we have been through long seperations and even longer times when we didn’t speak at all. Yet we could call eachother and feel like it hasn’t been any time since we talked last. She has taught me that friendship is amazing. I have walked away from friendships because they were too much for me or too stressful. I have put others on the back burner because I couldn’t deal with something. Yet my friends are there for me when I need them, just like my girls. They will always be there when the other one needs her (at least I hope and pray they will). C and CJ have an amazing bond that I hope will follow them through the rest of their lives. I couldn’t imagine not having the people in my life that I do, even if I don’t speak to them daily, weekly or monthly.

So, to my friends, both old and new, thank you for making my life better!

 
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A Few of My Favorites

17 Jun

So a few of my favorites lately for the girls…

They love applesauce and in January while on vacation in the Wisconsin Dells (another fav!) my Mother-in-law had these GoGo Squeeze Applesauce and my girls were hooked. Since then I have been able to find them at a couple of stores (Um, Target, could you PLEASE add this to your stock?!). There are 4 pouches in a box and they have a few selections to pick from. Apple/Strawberry; Apple/Cinnamon; Apple/Banana; Apple/Peach and Apple/Apple. We haven’t tried the peach one, as my girls aren’t big peach kids, but the rest are a huge success with the girls. I love that they are a pouch with a top that can be screwed back on to save for later (which never happens). Even better… One pouch equals one serving of fruit. A quick an easy snack and even easier to send with C when she needed a snack at school.

WI Dells. Man we went there in Janauary and we are already hoping to make a return trip there. We stayed at Great Wolf Lodge and I highly recommend it! GWL only allows guests staying at the hotel in the waterpark, which is nice as there weren’t a ton of people there and the kids had a great time. The girls loved going down the waterslides and playing in the wave pool. Even more, C was able to go on mayn of the big slides which she loved immensely! She has been measuring herself, with daddy’s help, monthly in hopes to being 48 inches so when we go next time. Well as of right now she is just barely under 48 inches. She will hit that mark before we leave for the trip. To be honest she has grown an inch in a month. Darn growth spurts! Good thing she likes to shop.

Cardio Kickboxing. Okay this one is for me. I have taken three classes and am hooked! The instructor tells us that we burn between 600 and 800 calories a class. Man I feel it, but it is so wonderful. The girls get the love of playing in the kid area and having fun while I work out. Now to find one more class that I love as much as this one to make me want to be there two nights a week and then on Saturday with the whole family.

Summer. I love summer. I hate hot and humid, but it is a fact that it comes along with summer. I am going to enjoy this summer with the girls and Jon as best as I can. C is keeping busy with all her school challenges and now a program through the YMCA that includes field trips , water safety, art, library time and so much more. She is one busy girl and I can only hope it wears her out!

 
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Camping

15 Jun

We haven’t been camping in 11 years. Yup, you read that right… 11 years. After moving to Minnesota we just never made time for it or found a campsite that we loved as much as our camping place in Michigan.

When we had C we wanted her to experience camping. Well her not so great sleeping held that off for quite some time as we didn’t want her crying to wake everyone else around us up. As she got older she let us know that she had an immense fear of bugs. Yeah, try telling a 2 year old that the bug really wasn’t after her when it would crawl up her leg/arm/foot/etc. Well as we got to the point that we could take her, I was pregnant and just didn’t want to camp pregnant, not my thing sorry. Then we had CJ and I just wasn’t ready to brave the outdoors with two kids, one being a baby since we own two cars that don’t have big trunks to hold everything we would need for two girls.

Last weekend we went to my parents house and set the tent up. So thankful that it is in great condition after being stored for 11 years. Enough that we are going to take the plunge next weekend for one day to see how it goes. If all goes well, we will try it again and then maybe schedule a little weekend.

Now the question is, what the heck do we pack?!

 
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My little teacher

14 Jun

School is out for our cute six and a half year old, yet you would never know that by talking with her.  She has taken on the Principal’s Challenge which requires reading, working on math and writing stories. There is a Kindergarten going into First Grade and then the rest of the grades level. And my little smartie pants is taking on the big kids level. So 1500 reading minutes, 5 minutes a day of math for a total of 50 days and writing 6 stories. So far so good, just got to work on the reading, which is funny as she loves to read. So tv will be turned off for an hour each day, which is usually is until around 3:30, so that she will read and not get distracted.

On top of the school challenge, C has taken it upon herself to teach her sister her ABC’s and her numbers. CJ can count to 20 with a little help and can sing her ABC’s, but she doesn’t know her letters or numbers. So today she started school. It was a little difficult for C as she wanted CJ’s attention when she just didn’t have it. So with her daddy’s help a new plan is in place and we will see how the whole things goes for a few weeks. The day after July 4th C will be in a program that Monday and Friday is an afternoon program and Tuesday-Thursday is a full day program. Should keep her busy, at least we hope so. More on that later.

 
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