Weekend Recap...100th Blog Post!

Did everyone have a nice weekend?  Ours definitely could have been better.  The hubs ended up with an extra 24 hours of mandatory overtime at work so we only saw him Saturday, the kids were a rare sort on Sunday, and this mama wasn’t feeling the best yesterday.  But, we made the best of it. 
 

Friday night the kiddos and I met up with the neighbors for a movie night.  They have an outdoor screen and projector that they use.  Seeing over fifteen little ones piled up on blankets in their pajamas to watch a movie together is one of the neatest things to witness…especially when they sit longer than thirty minutes!

 

 

 

"Go, Mowing."
This boy is fascinated with people mowing their lawns, especially our neighbor Tim.

David got home from work around 8am on Saturday.  We had to spend the morning getting house chores done but then we had some time to play.  Tess attended the most darling birthday party in the afternoon, had dinner as a family in the evening, and spent another great night outdoors with water fights and all.

As a side note; I just noticed as I was publishing this post that it is my 100th blog post!  I guess I should have made it something more interesting to read.  ;)  Anyway, thank you all for following along!  What have been your favorite posts?  Is there anything you would like to see more of? 

5 on Friday - A Little Get To Know Me

 

1. Are you named after anyone? Nope.  I just think my parents wanted me to have the longest name to write as a child.

2. When was the last time you cried? It's an extrememly rare occurence for me to shed some tears, but it's been one of those weeks...so this morning.

3. Do you have kids? Tessa Faith – Age 4   Brady Samuel – Age 1.83 ;)

4. If you were another person, would you be a friend of yourself? Gosh, I hope so but I probably wouldn’t talk to me until after I had my morning brew.

5. Do you use sarcasm a lot? Every day – but usually only with people I know well.

6. Will you ever bungee-jump? Absolutely never in my life will I consider this

7. What’s your favorite cereal? It’s a tie between Frosted Mini Wheats and Honey Bunches of Oats - H.B.O.O

8. What’s the first thing you notice about people? Their demeanor.  I think you can tell a lot about people within the first thirty seconds of meeting them by their body language.

9. What is your eye color? Hazel

10. Scary movie or happy endings? You will never see me watch a scary movie.

11. Favorite smells? The newborn baby scent, my kiddos freshly out of the bath, a brewed cup of coffee, and the smell of my house after it’s been cleaned.

12. Summer or winter? Summer

13. Computer or television? I have a love/hate relationship with both but I would have to choose the television.

14. What’s the furthest you’ve ever been from home?  I traveled Europe for three weeks when I was 17.  That’s the furthest and longest I have been away from home.

15. Do you have any special talents? Hmm…I used to be really good at playing the piano but haven’t for over ten years.  I guess I would have to say multi-tasking is my talent.  There are some nights I look back at the day just lived and think to myself “how the heck did I get all that done.”

16. Where were you born? Minnesota

17. What are your hobbies? Shopping would have to be number one on my list.  I also love anything that relates to being around the lake, walking/running, meeting for coffee, and of course anything that involves relaxing with my family.

18. Do you have any pets? Our Shih Tzu, Mason.  I admittedly say I want to give him away at least once a week but he is the best dog I have ever been around.

19. Favorite movie? Hands down…Steel Magnolias. 

20. Do you have any siblings? Yes…A big sister and big brother.  I love being the youngest.

21. What do you want to be when you grow up?  I ask myself this all the time and I hope I am getting closer to figuring it out.  More than anything, I don’t want to be a title.  I think we are all more than that.  I want to be a successful working woman, a mother my kids always look up to and respect, and someone who enjoys each day and doesn’t look back with regret (I’m working on this one).

With some new blog visitors, I thought this would be fun to do to change up my weekly 5 on Friday.  I hope you all have a great weekend and if you haven't checked out my post from earlier in the week, please look it up (There Is Power In Prayer).  Every little bit helps.

There Is Power In Prayer

I am an immense believer in the power of prayer and because of that I want to share a story.

 

My dear friend from high school is enduring some trying times.  Ten years ago, her husband was diagnosed with brain cancer.  He has partaken in yearly check-ups since his initial diagnosis; all which have come back clear.  This year’s appointment marked ten years since those initial days.  They looked forward to having an extraordinary celebration on behalf of this fete, but instead were given the news that the tumor is back.

Many can only conceive how difficult it would be to face a situation like this with your loved one.  But for them, they have to repeat the process, the emotions, the thoughts, etc., with the addition of three sweet children to their family.

Surgery took place yesterday to remove the tumor.  My friend is apprising everyone on details via her blog.  I encourage you to read their story and send a prayer their way.

www.codyandholli.blogspot.com

5 on Friday

1.  June 16th

As you probably saw, little miss turned a whopping four years old this past Tuesday.  It was truly bittersweet.  The hubs had to work a 24 and I also had to go in to the clinic.  I attempted to wake Tess up before I left, even singing Happy Birthday to her, but she was out like a log.  I didn’t want her to be exhausted on her birthday so I left without being able to wish her a wonderful day.  I was hoping to leave the office around 2pm but one thing after another kept me there until 5:30.  I felt terrible and completely guilty.  I have never not been home to celebrate either child’s birthday so not only was it crushing that I had to be at work, but even more horrible to not get home until after 6!  I’m sure you other working mothers can relate to this tug-and-pull of sorts.

Anyway, when I got home Papa and I bundled up the kids, grabbed a quick dinner, and left for the fire station.  Unfortunately, David got a call shortly after we left the house.  I decided we’d just drive around the city until he got back to the station.  FOUR calls later, we were able to finally meet up.

David had gotten Tess an ice cream cake with a Mickey Mouse candle.  When I saw it, I knew she would love it!  However, the moment took a turn for the worst as she clung onto me with dear life and began to sob.  This was not the reaction we were going for.  She tried to pull me outside and kept telling me through her tears that she didn’t want a party at the fire station.  To make the whole situation worse, she refused to go to David.  No hugs, no sitting on his lap, she wouldn’t even look at him.  This debacle lasted ten minutes and we finally threw in the towel.  We took the cake away so she didn’t have to see it and packed up to go home. 

Naturally, once we were ready to leave, Tess asked about the Mickey candle.  David and I had a long talk with her and eventually she wanted to see the cake again.  However, she did not want us to light the candle, sing her happy birthday, and she refused to try her cake.  Naturally, the rest of us had to try it though and thankfully the hubs had purchased some candy treats for Mr. B that Tess could have.

Even days later I cannot decide what spurred this reaction from Tess.  I don’t know if she was tired from her day of play, if she was mad at us for not being home with her that day, or if it was just a flat out four year old crabby moment.  Either way, Tessa’s birthday was a complete bust.  Here’s hoping her party this weekend can make up for it (for my sake if nothing else).

2.  Rodan + Fields

Alright y’all, I had read and seen good results from ladies who utilize this skin care line.  As I’m getting older-ugh-I am trying to focus more attention on my skin.  I have always worn sunblock and I am religious about washing my face in the morning and at night.  But darn it, those dark spots, fine lines, and wrinkles are making their way in.  So, if you are a Rodan + Fields distributor and can make some recommendations, please contact me!

3.  Okoboji Blue

I have been lusting over blue shades for months now.  Every time I’m out shopping I hunt some down and try them on.  I always love them, and the hubs responds with the same answer…’nah.’  Fast forward to this week and I made the jump and got myself a pair.  I am over the moon about them.  Aren’t they fun?

4.  A Little Sparkle

Maybe this is a boring topic to write about, but oh well.  Tess and I are obsessed with sparkling water.  My girl will drink milk every morning, afternoon, and evening; she loves it.  Getting her to drink water has been such a task (completely opposite of her little brother).  We’ve tried ice, no ice, fun shaped ice, water bottles, character cups, straws, etc.  When we were in Maui, my mom had her try her flavored sparkling water and she loved it.  We were at Costco this past weekend and stocked up on a four-flavored pack.  Tess loves the lemon and black cherry.  Three cheers for getting my gal to drink her H2O.

5.  Loving Lately…Sandals

I love all the fun sandals that are in the stores right now.  I’m pretty boring and always wear my Sanuk flip-flops (so comfy), but her are some looks I would love to add to my closet.

Have a great weekend!

 

And Just Like That...She Was Four

Happy fourth birthday Tessa Faith!  You came into our lives on this special day in June just four short years ago and we have been truly blessed every moment since.  I am still attempting to wrap my head around the fact that I now have a little girl instead of a toddler. 

I know I’ve been telling you these last couple of weeks how I may be a little sad on your birthday; but it’s simply because the years are passing so quickly.   I love how you’ve been holding my cheeks, telling me how it will all be okay because you are always my little girl.  So true sweet girl, so true.  

Miss Tess, you are so full of life, energy, and love.  You never want to take a moment to slow down and prefer to hop or jump everywhere you go instead of walk.  You love being outdoors but if you have to be inside you want to be at gymnastics, helping mommy bake, or be snuggled in our bed with what has become your pillow (mommy’s old favorite).

Your favorite character is still Mickey Mouse; four years now and going strong.  You show some fondness for Tinkerbell and The Little Mermaid but your heart will always belong to that little mouse. 

You are very much a girlie girl.  You pick out your outfits most mornings (which at times can be quite cutting edge in the world of fashion), you love choosing the bows for your hair, and you prefer to wear anything that twirls. 

You are the best big sister that we could have asked for.  You are always watching out for your little brother.  You hold his hand so he doesn’t fall, you help him up and down the stairs, and you are constantly watching what he does and eats so he doesn’t “get allergic.”  Don’t get me wrong, you have your moments when you try to push him off your big girl slide or away from mommy; but most of the time you want him near you.  You two really are best buds…for now.

Some of your other favorite things include:

*Going to the library for new books and movies

*Chocolate Milk & Licorice are your first choices for treats

*Swimming, swimming, swimming

*Watering flowers or pretty much anything that involves water…squirt guns too!

*You enjoy singing songs a lot but refuse to listen to music on the radio.

*Art projects; painting, coloring, play-do, etc.

Little nugget, I hope you know how much we all love you! I can’t wait to celebrate with you tonight and see you in your dress at your butterfly party this weekend.  You bring us so much joy and I will never forget how on June 16^th, 2011 you came into this world and made me a mommy…the most perfect moment of my life June Bug. 

Cheese...He Ate Cheese!

We had a huge milestone with Mr. Brady last week; he ate his first cheese sandwich!  I know it doesn’t sound that exciting to many of you out there, but to us it was a huge deal.  I really took for granted how easy it was to prepare meals for Tessa.  As many of you mommies know all too well, introducing foods to an infant or feeding a toddler has its own challenges.  Now take that battle and add on a whole new list of limitations and your world is thrown upside down.  Brady’s allergies have been an adjustment for all of us.  We do a lot of label reading and rely heavily on home cooked meals which is soooo hard with our schedules.  Gone are the days where we can pull freezer meals out for a quick bite to eat!  But I guess you could say it’s a bit of a blessing in disguise as it forces all of us to eat a lot cleaner.

Get It Boy!

Now, we weren’t fortunate enough for Brady to outgrow his whey allergy, but instead we were introduced to a cheese alternative.  The good Lord above must have heard enough of my prayers for some assistance in this whole food debacle and the next thing I knew a restaurant opened next door to the clinic that only serves natural meals.  They do not use any dairy, oils, meat, gluten, peanuts, etc. in anything they make.  They specialize in wheatgrass shots, smoothies, soups, some of your classic sandwiches (grilled cheese, veggie burgers, BLT), pastas, tacos, and a full selection of sweet treats.  Do not even get my started on their brownies; I have a serious addiction already.  The best part of it all is that the food tastes amazing and you know you are eating a healthy option. 

 

Because of this restaurant, Mr. Brady has had the opportunity to eat meals like other toddlers his age.  I tell the owner every time I visit that she has really opened a door for me.  I love that I can bring meals or ingredients home and make a dinner for the whole family.  I don’t think she truly understands how much I appreciate her stepping into our lives.  Bring on the cheese!

5 on Friday

I know I say this at the end of every week, but boy am I happy it’s Friday!  This has been a week for the books my friends. 

1.  Health Is A Blessing

I never gave the above statement much thought until I was carrying Brady and received the news that he was not going to be a typical pregnancy.  At that moment, when you hear those words, your life just sort of pauses.  Ever since then I live my life a bit differently than before.  I have a different outlook, I am much easier going, and one thing is for certain – I don’t take moments or time for granted.  I don’t dwell on each day and have a negative attitude and questions why, but I make darn sure to let the moments seep in and I have a lot more appreciation for time.  This week was an emotional roller coaster for a family member, a friend, and an acquaintance as they all heard news affecting their health.  It is just another reminder for everyone to appreciate each day, don’t hold grudges, be happy and thankful, and cherish your family and friends.

2.  Let’s Go Tishing!

Last weekend the hubs worked thee.entire.weekend so I packed up the kids and headed to the lake.  It was supposed to be yucky and rainy all weekend, which made me hesitant to make the trip, but it turned out to be a lovely couple of days.  We went for coffee on Saturday morning, sat outside and played with the kids, and just enjoyed a relaxing weekend.  One thing is for sure; my children love to fish!  Or should I say in my best Brady voice “tish!”  That boy asked, yelled “grandpa, go tishing” at least 100 times through the duration of the weekend. 

Luckily he has a grandpa and a sissy that love to fish as much as he does!  Needless to say we spent our mornings, afternoons, and evenings on the dock.

3.  Green Thumb

I absolutely love plants and flowers but do not have a single ounce of a green thumb as part of my DNA.  I have always been awe struck by those women and men who can keep a beautifully landscaped yard or garden.  I mean really, how do they do it?

We’ve been in our house for 18 months now and we finally have one tree in our front yard as of a month ago.  We have been dragging our feet on doing any landscaping because quite frankly we do not know what we are doing!  My uncle, a former forestry teacher at the university, met with David and told him all the trees/shrubs that would work on different parts of the yard based on sunlight, etc.  That was soooo helpful!  With that information we had a rough idea of what we wanted in our yard.  Now came the interesting part of actually landscaping.

 

Our neighbor has a glorious looking yard.  She loves, loves, loves to do all things landscaping and gardening.  She had mentioned to me multiple times since last summer that she would like to help me when it came time to plant.  I happily agreed to have her help me when the time was right.  Well, three weeks ago I was playing in the yard with the kids and she finally had to get it off her chest and told me that our yard did not look good and we needed to start planting.  Ha, sweet little lady!  That was all it took and this week we pulled the trigger.  I wish I could say I helped even a little bit, but nope.  The hubs purchased the plants, Tess helped arrange them, and our neighbor did 100% of the digging, tilling, planting, etc while David ran to get mulch and I watched the kids.  This woman was amazing.  What would have easily been a day and a half project for David and me, she did in two hours.  Boy, do we owe her big time!

4. Balancing Act

So, we are in a new little “phase” with Mr. Brady.  It first began with only fruit (I don’t know why he discriminated) and now each meal he balances some choice of food on his head.  

Where Do You Put Your Pears?

He smiles with such pride and says “mommy, look – daddy, look.”  I do not know why this is so amusing to him but I am really ready to turn over a new leaf of entertainment.  No picture necessary, but last night we had spaghetti…

 

5.  She’s Turning Four

Holy, moly my baby girl is turning four!  I really can’t seem to wrap my head around this one.  Why do they have to grow up?  It is inevitable that this day will be upon us next week so I have been doing some party planning over here.  Per request of the little lady, we will be having a butterfly themed birthday bash.  We will be up at the lake house to celebrate that weekend and we have lots of family coming over so it should be a fun time.  Let’s just hope the weather cooperates!

Here are some fun things I have gathered up for the occasion.  I ordered this dress for her to wear.  Let’s be honest, it will only last for pictures and will be replaced with a swimsuit no doubt.  I have these coming in the mail today (mental note to remind the hubs to grab them from the mailbox).  I also have some butterfly cookies being made and a bunch of fun decorations picked up, including these in blue-purple-pink and last but not least, this but in her party colors..  Hobby Lobby never fails me.  But all in all, as long as Tess has people to see she will be completely content regardless of any decorations and goodies.  She is no fuss, no muss.  Sometimes I wonder why I even bother. ;)

The Rebel That I Am

Yesterday I had a full hour to myself before I met the hubs and kiddos for Tessa’s gymnastics class.  I contemplated how to spend these precious minutes; walk outside, head to the mall, sit somewhere quiet ;).  Then I looked down and saw my hideous nails.  My polish was ¾ of the way off and I had too many uneven nails to count.  Decision made – I headed to my favorite nail salon which just so happens to be about a half a mile from Tessa’s class.

I am very traditional with my style.  This goes for my make-up, wardrobe, home décor, everything.  Every once in a while I get brave and introduce some fun pops of color.  The same holds true for my nails.  You will usually see me sporting one of three options; cherry red, petal pink, or French tip.  I thought I would be a bit daring and pulled a couple shades of purple and a coral color. 

The lady who would be doing my nails met me by the wall holding all the color options and says “No good, that’s boring.”  I laughed and began to show her that the colors I chose were fun and actually quite daring.  She shakes her head again and says “uh-uh.”  So, I put the three I had in my hand back on the shelf and pick out a pungent fuchsia polish.  The woman tilts her head to the side, pauses for a moment and says “ok, that will be alright.” 

Whew, talk about pressure!  I giggled to myself and thought what the heck.  I can rock a fuchsia color.  After all it is summer and we all know that nail color doesn’t last forever.  It’s not as if I’m picking a sofa for my living room.  And quite frankly, it felt fun to be a little audacious.  Can I even use that term when talking about nail polish?  I’m such a rebel.

Well, the story goes one step further.  Not only did I take a leap with my hot fuchsia color, but I requested sparkle and my nail technician took it upon herself to do this!

Holy nails batman! 

 

#ikindoffeellikeashowgirl
#ithinkisecretlylovethem
 #myhusbandhadnocomment
 #youonlyliveonce

5 On Friday...Summer Bucket List

I have seen the idea for a Summer Bucket List a few times now in Blogger World and thought it was a cute idea. So, in no particular order; here is a list of activities I want to do before September comes along.

 

 

1.       Spend a day like a tourist at Arnold’s Park: Take the kids on the rides, walk through the mirror maze and tipsy house, and finish the afternoon with a Nutty Bar.

2.       Make pizzas on the grill.

3.       Take the kids for snow cones or shaved ice (I’m trying to eliminate ice cream from our diet for B-man now that he’s getting old enough to know better).

4.       Go to the zoo.

5.       Participate in an evening of swimming and outdoor movies at our aquatic center.

6.       Wakeboard and go for a sunset sailing cruise.

7.       Take Tess on the jet ski without her being afraid.

8.       Host a neighborhood get-together.

9.       Introduce the kids to the world of s’mores over a campfire.

10.   Go to the lodge overlooking the water where we had our wedding reception to celebrate our 5^th anniversary.

11.   Watch the Fourth of July fireworks in the boat with both kiddos.

12.   Visit the Farmer’s Market.

13.   Take the kids to the summer theatre.

14.    Watch David & Tess camp out in the backyard.

15.   Sit on the back deck of my parent’s lake house with my family; sharing stories, playing cards, and having cocktails.

I’m sure my list could go on and on.  My main goal from all of this is to spend as much time with family and friends as we can to make some new memories and let the kids be kids.

What’s on your bucket list?

My Wish For June

I wrote this yesterday and could have sworn I posted it last night, oops!

 

It’s the first day of the month; time for a fresh start and a new beginning.  May was an exciting month for us because of our trip, but it was also a very trying one.  Both children experienced trips to the emergency room.  My wish for June is to spend these next 30 days doctor, ambulance, and E.R. free.

As I wrote about in an earlier post, we had a big scare with Miss Tess the weekend before we left for Maui.  This little accident resulted in an ambulance ride and an evening in the Emergency Room.  It seems as if little brother wanted to compete with his sister and he ended up there as well.

It was late on Saturday night when we arrived in Okoboji from our vacation.  My siblings and their families were there celebrating the Memorial Day holiday as well.  It was so great to see everyone and it was nice for all the cousins to have some play time together too.  On Sunday morning my mom and I were cleaning up a breakfast.  Some of the adults were getting ready for the day, the grandkids were playing in the living room, and my dad came at sat on a stool at the bar to join us in our conversation.  As we were deciding what to do that afternoon, my mother suddenly yells my name.  I look at her and then over to my dad who had just moments before picked up Brady.  There I see my little man on grandpa’s lap, itching his face as little welts begin to appear everywhere.  I shouted for David to come down and we immediately tag-teamed getting him into the bath and administering the Benadryl.  As we were bathing him, his breathing became difficult.  We removed him from the tub, threw him in the car, and drove to the Emergency Room (luckily my parents’ house is just moments from there).  They triaged him and administered the Epinephrine right away.  The team worked well with him even though he was not a happy camper.  This boy is all too familiar with these types of settings and ultimately becomes hard to handle once he figures out where he is.

While we were in the ER, my sister-in-law called to let me know that she and my mom were cleaning the kitchen and eating area top to bottom in an attempt to find what may have caused Brady’s most recent attack.  While doing so they found some remnants of peanut butter on the side and bottom of one of the barstools that we think may have been left by one of the grandchildren from their breakfast.  Unfortunately, this just so happened to be the stool that my dad was sitting on.  As he was picking up Brady to hold, Brady’s hand and/or body must have come in contact with the peanut butter causing his anaphylactic reaction.  What a nice welcome home that was….vacation over.  

What I learned:

1.       This incidence wasn’t anyone’s fault.  My parents and siblings are very accommodating and mindful of Brady’s allergies.  Yet, with this many people in the house it is simply impossible to monitor everyone 24/7. 

2.       Based on the above comment, we need to take strides to eliminate all allergy foods from the house when there is a large group of us.

3.       We do have two Epinephrine pens and should have used one on Brady prior to our ER visit.  His O₂ levels were not ideal and his throat was too swollen by the time we arrived, despite the Benadryl we administered.  Either way we would have ended up in the ER (required after the use of the epi pen).

4.       It pains me that my son has been to the ER/doctor more in his 22 months than I have in my 30+ years of life. I pray that he will outgrow these allergies for fear of losing all sanity and hair on my head.  Aren’t the kidney concerns enough for this kid?

5.       I hate peanuts.