New Year's Resolutions

So I've been trying to think of a good resolution for 2011.  I usually resolve to lose weight but I've already been doing that one (although the holidays have been very difficult for me on Weight Watchers).  This year I'm going to try out a different resolution.  Here are a few of my top choices:

1.  Travel - I would love to take a vacation this year. 
2.  Learn something new - like how not to worry about every little thing my kids do or don't do.
3.  Be more green - maybe start making my own cleaning supplies or something as equally crunchy.
4.  Make more time for myself - a girl can dream can't she.
5.  Try a new hair style - like making time to straighten my hair (now I'm really dreaming).

Who knows what 2011 will bring for us?  This past year has been an adventure so maybe 2011 will be calm.  Maybe 2011 will bring us pleasant surprises (starting 2010 with a newborn baby was definitely a pleasant surprise that doesn't need to be repeated!).  Maybe this will be the year I go back to school or work.  Whatever comes our way I'm going to try to take it in stride, something that I'm terrible at. 

Post-Christmas



Enjoying our White Christmas

 No matter how much fun I have on Christmas, I'm always so happy for it to be over.  I love watching the kids open presents, especially this year because Leo was so into it.  Last year, Nora was two weeks old and I was still recovering from a C-section so I really don't remember much.  This year I tried to keep the Christmas spirit but by the time the week of Christmas comes around I'm just ready for it to be over with.  No matter how low key I try to make the holidays, there is still that rush of craziness the few days before Christmas.  Don't get me wrong, I enjoy being with family and the joy of Christmas morning but there is just such a good feeling knowing that life will be getting back to normal soon.  I really enjoyed the Christmas decorations but I'm ready to take them all down.  Is this normal?  Who has this overwhelming feeling to get rid of everything Christmas on December 26th?  Maybe because I feel like Christmas is two months too long.  Since November 1st, the stores have been packed the Christmas trees, music and decorations.  By December 1st, I'm over it. 

The one thing that does lift my Christmas spirit is the Christmas Eve service at church.  There is something magical about it.  It is my favorite part of Christmas by far.  Being at church at midnight as Christmas Day begins helps me forget about the rush for last minute gifts and the crowds at Walmat. 

This Christmas was great but I'm ready to start 2011!  Wonder what wild adventures it will bring!

QVC

Hello, my name is Stephanie and I'm addicted to QVC.  I can't help myself, I just love to watch it.  I rarely ever order anything, so I'm not completely crazy but if there is nothing on TV then QVC is my first stop.  This has to be one of the signs of losing my mind, right?  I have tried to rationalize why I love it so but honestly there is not rational involved.  I get caught up in the madness of "only 100 remain" "Today's Special Value" and "we have sold over 2,000 already."  Before I know it I'm glue to the screen thinking maybe I need the product.  If there is only 100 remaining them I need to order one too.  Insane, right!  I once contemplated ordering a corkscrew.  I even started looking for the phone when it hit me that I don't even drink wine much less need a corkscrew! 

My days of watching QVC started way back when QVC started.  My mother is a QVC addict too.  I have fond memories of watching it with my mother and being so excited when she actually ordered something.  It was like Christmas when the packages would arrive.  Fast forward about 15 years to 2005.  When I was pregnant with Leo I was placed on bed rest and was in and out of the hospital for the last 7 weeks of my pregnancy.  When you are in a hospital or confined to your own bed, the TV is your best friend.  I was flipping through the channels and there is was like a long lost friend, QVC.  I would watch for hours as the hosts would tell the audience why they needed a neck massager or a high tech bread machine.  They were so excited about the jewelry and kitchen gadgets that before long I too was excited.  I would think about all the things I could do with an electric knife or where I would wear that bracelet.  Suddenly, I didn't feel so isolated and frightened.  QVC kept my mind off my high risk pregnancy and on more important things like how did I ever cook without all these different pots and pans.  When Leo was born and never slept, QVC was my entertainment at 3am.  As Leo got older and I went back to work full-time, I didn't have time to watch TV much.  But like a good friend, QVC was there again when I was pregnant with Nora.  Now, I find myself looking forward to afternoon rest time when I can check out what's on or Sunday afternoons when my favorite kitchen show comes on. 

I'm sure that one day I'll be that old lady who does all her shopping on QVC, but untill that time I'll just enjoy watching and waiting for a great deal to come along!

Stress relief

My favorite way to relieve stress is to sing.  Well not just sing, I love to belt out musical numbers as if I'm on Broadway.  At night, when everyone is in the bed and I finally have a few minutes to myself, I like to search YouTube for musicals.  I know, dorky right.  I can't help myself, I just love to perform Broadway musicals in the comfort of my own bedroom.  The funny part is, I can't carry a tune in a bucket.  This has never stopped me from loving to sing.  Wicked, Les Mis, Rent - you name it, I love to sing along.  Of course, I watch Glee and have past this love of musicals onto Leo.  Every night I put on the Glee soundtrack as he falls to sleep.  If he sees something with the word Glee on it, he has to point it out to me.  He even started requesting to listen to Glee Christmas music.  Hopefully he has only inherited my passion for musicals and not my terrible singing voice. 

Leo on his way to becoming a star!  The cutest sheppard in the Christmas Pageant!

Little Miss Personality

Over the past few weeks, Nora has really developed a funny little personality.  It's like now that she is one, she has grown up overnight.  Nora's new favorite activity is to sit in her bouncy seat  (she sits in it like a big rocking chair) and talk on her toy phone.  She will climb up in her seat, starts rocking and talks forever.  Now every time the phone rings she tries to answer it by say "elo" like an old person.  She also loves stuffed animals or anything fuzzy for that matter.  I have a fuzzy robe that she loves.  If she sees in hanging in the closet, she points and cries for it.  Nora also loves to play with Leo's toys.  I should have saved my money and just let her play with Leo's stuff.  She prefers to be in his room throwing his Hotwheels.  Of course I think everything she does is super cute.  I can remember before I had kids, how silly I thought parents were talking about their children reaching developmental milestones like the kid just found a cure for cancer.  I would laugh and think I'll never be like that.  Well, here I am five years and two kids later, gushing over Nora talking or climbing up on stuff.  Something clicks in your brain the moment you see that goo covered baby that just came out of you.  You know longer can be objective about anything they do or don't do.  I truly believe that no other baby has ever looked so cute talking on a toy phone as Nora does.  I guess this total love of everything they do gets me through the hard times.  Honestly, Nora waking up at 4am this morning or refusing to drink out of a sippy cup is so not cute.  Whenever I get frustrated with her or so tired I think I could fall asleep while typing on the computer, I remember that sweet face holding the phone backwards to her ear. 

Christmas Break

No two words strike fear in the hearts of mamas like Christmas break.  Today was the day I have been dreading for weeks, the last day of school before Christmas break.  The last normal day for the next two weeks.  For some moms this may not be a big deal.  Heck, it may even been a fun time to spend the the kids.  Well, not for us.  My children are creatures of habit.  Neither one does well when their schedule are interrupted.  I blame myself for this, I don't do well with change either.  I like to do the same things, at the same time each week.  Now, for the next two weeks, I'm going to have to come up with a new schedule for us.  Christmas time is always crazy so this doesn't help.  Leo is so worked up about presents and Santa and all that jazz that I'm not sure he will be able to control himself until next Saturday.  Here's hoping that Santa has picked out some great toys that will keep the kids occupied.  Hmmm,  maybe this is the time for me to get all artsy, crafty and start make Christmas crafts and cookies with the kids.  Now I know I'm losing it because I'm so not crafty. Oh well here's to a fun filled Christmas break!

Nora waiting for Leo's Christmas party to begin



There is nothing better than party food, especially when the cupcakes turn your teeth green!



Nora was less than impressed with Santa



Leo and Santa!



Santa and other lies we tell

Christmas is the time for spending time with friends and family, for making cookies and for giving gifts.  Christmas is also the time when parents tell the most creative lies to their children.  Tonight, I found myself in the middle of a big one.  Earlier in the day, I got out my toolbox from the living room closet and forgot to close the door.  I got busy around the house and completely forgot about the closet.  So, I'm in the kitchen feeding Nora when Leo starts talking to me about something in the living room.  Honestly, I'm really only half listening, when it dawns on me what is talking about, our Santa presents are hidden in the closet that is wide open.  Thankfully, I have already wrapped them all.  I have no idea what I'm going to say to get out of this mess.  "Who are those presents for?" Leo asks.  I reply with the first thing that comes to mind, "they are for some other kids."  Needless to say this leads to more questions - "What other kids?, Why do you have them?, Can I have lots of presents like these?"  The questions are flying at me like bullets.  I respond again with the first thing that comes to mind "I'm helping out Santa."   Big mistake, why did I bring Santa into this.  We don't stress the Santa part of Christmas but Leo is really starting to pick up the idea from his friends.  He is totally into Santa and his helpers, the gnomes (for some reason Leo refuses to believe they are called elves, not gnomes like the one on the Travelocity commercial).  Now Leo is really concerned because I'm not a elf/gnome.  The lies are starting to grow.  I explain that he doesn't need to worry because he will have plenty of presents for Christmas.  I then suggest to Leo that we could call Santa later to check to make sure that Santa knows what he wants for Christmas, hoping I could put an end to this crazy conversation.  Leo informs me however that "Santa doesn't work like that and besides I don't have his number."  Great, now it's time to ignore him and hope he gets distracted quickly.  After thinking it over for a minute, Leo decides that my friend, Amy "probably has Santa's number."  How else can I respond to that one except, "lets give Amy a call and see."  Thankfully, this worked and Leo is no longer obsessing over the presents in the closet.  Mental note - Don't even think about opening that closet again until Christmas!

Superheros

Leo loves to pretend that he is a superhero.  I'm sure most little boys got through this phase where they pretend to be Batman, Superman or some other popular superhero.  Not Leo.  His superhero is completely made up and changes everyday.  I never know who he is going to be when he wakes up.  At first it was cute.  He had a cape that he wears and would pretend he was fighting bad guys that somehow make it into our house everyday.  I thought it was a phase that he would soon get tired of and move onto something else.  Oh no, not Leo.  For the past 3 months, Leo's superheros have gotten more and more elaborate.  When he gets overly tired or doesn't feel well, Leo will cry because he doesn't have real super powers ( Leo tends to be a little dramatic to say the least).  No matter how I try to explain why he can't fly or be super strong or have some other super power, he doesn't believe me and cries even harder.  Recently, he has become obsessed with the cartoon, Ben 10 Alien Force on Cartoon Network.  Apparently this boy Ben 10 has a watch that he can use to turn into aliens.  Now Leo loves to pretend that he is Ben 10 and turns into crazy aliens like Humongasaur and Swampfire.   At first I tried to humor him like a good mama would, but now it's just plain crazy.  Really Leo, I'm not going to call you Swampfire or Ben 10 in public.  But of course I do.  Why you ask?  Sometimes it's just easier to go along with Ben 10 than to try and fight it.  I even find myself using it to my advantage.  Ben 10 always eats all his vegetables.  Humongasaur needs lots of rest so he can fight bad guys.  Swampfire listens to his teachers at school and follows the rules.  I even call regular old spaghetti, Superman pasta and tell Leo that it will help his superpowers grow.  Now who is the crazy one?!  Oh well, I figure he will outgrow this one day but until that day comes, I'm going to make the most of it.

Just how old am I?

It dawned on me Sunday night as I prayed for the snow to stop, that I'm getting old.  Since when did snow cause me so much nervousness.  I'm not worried about driving around in the snow or having to leave that house for that matter, what worries me about snow is that school will close.  No school means no break for mama.  Everyday Leo goes to preschool from 9-12 and Nora takes a morning nap from 9:30-11:30 or so.  This is my only alone time.  For 2 - 2 1/2 hours I do nothing productive.  I prop my feet up and play on the computer.  I listen to music and totally do whatever I want to.  However, as I saw the snow falling my heart sunk, no alone time for mama on Monday.  It really got me thinking, just how old am I?  Praying for no snow has to be the first sign of old age.  When snow no longer brings excitement, you are definitely old. 

Here are a few other things that make me feel old:
1.  Listening to the "classic rock" station and remembering every song like it was yesterday.
2.  Seeing my favorite 80's and 90's bands.  Instead of looking super hot like I remember, they just look old and out of shape.
3.  Saying things like "I remember when we didn't even have cell phones" to teenagers and seeing the look of shock on their faces.
4.  Remembering a time in college when I ate fast food almost everyday and didn't gain weight.  Now if I look at McDonald's I gain 3 pounds.


No matter how old I feel, here are a few things that keep me young at heart:
1.  Seeing Nora's toothy grin.
2.  Watching Leo get so excited when he puts the last piece in the puzzle.
3.  The excitement on Leo's face as we played in the snow yesterday.
4.  Watching Nora's face light up when she sees one of the cats.

Weight Watchers

Back in August,  I joined Weight Watchers.  I realized that I was out of reasons for being overweight.  Nora was 8 months old and I was continuing to gain weight.  The lack of sleep and stress of moving were adding more and more weight.  I decided that enough was enough. 

For the first week, I was starving.  I thought about food all the time.  I was use to just going in the kitchen and eating whatever I wanted, anytime day or night.  Now I was keeping track of all that I ate.  I also started walking at the park in the mornings when I would drop Leo off at pre-school.  The first week I lost 7 pounds.  That was the motivation I needed to keep going.

Weight Watchers is super easy to follow.  Now with the new points program, it's even easier.  I love that it is not a diet.  I eat whatever I want to.  All food has a points value and I just keep up the the points I eat each day.  You are also giving extra weekly points to use however you want to.  (Ha ha I could totally be the Weight Watcher's spokesperson huh?) 

So far, I have lost almost 31 pounds and my BMI has dropped 5 points.  I went from being able to walk 1 mile to walking 2.5 miles.  My clothing size has also dropped 2 sizes.  I now am able to wear the same size I wore before I had Leo.  Basically, I'm one hot and healthier mama now! 

O Christmas Tree

When I look at our Christmas tree, I immediately know two things about our family.  First, we have pets and young children (hence, no ornaments on the bottom branches).  Second, a 5 year old helped to decorate the tree (some branches have 3 ornaments and some have none).  A few days after putting up the tree, I began to notice that the branches seem bent in some areas and the spaces between the branches were getting bigger.  I thought that it was the children, Nora loves to try to pull up on the tree.  It wasn't until one night I was up with Nora (she still doesn't always sleep through the night) that I heard the clinking of ornaments on the tree.  I walk into the living room to investigate and see our small cat, Bea, sitting inside the tree.  She just climbs out of the tree like I'm the one bothering her.  For a couple of days I was on the lookout for the cats.  If they got anywhere near the tree I would scare them away.  It didn't take long to realize that I was fighting a losing battle.  So now, a little over a week later, I gave up and just hope and pray the cats don't break any ornaments.  As I look at the tree today with it's misshapen branches and crazy cat sitting in the it, I realize that we couldn't have a more perfect Christmas tree.

For some reason, Leo thinks when I say smile, I want him to make crazy faces! 

The Adventures of Big Boy Leo



Big Boy Leo 

Lately, Leo wants me to tell him a story at bedtime instead of reading him one.  Each night, I tell him two stories, The Adventures of Big Boy Leo and Tales of Fat Chuck, a story about our slightly overweight cat.  Last night Leo told me he wanted to tell the story of "Big Boy Leo."  Leo has a wild imagination so I brace myself for whatever my come next.  He starts out the story with Big Boy Leo taking a helicopter ride up the mountain (our new hometown is surrounded by mountains and Leo is fascinated with them).  Big Boy Leo stops to eat his picnic lunch of PB&J and a Capri-sun then, continues up the mountain.  When Big Boy Leo gets up to the top of the mountain he looks around.  Of course, I try to keep the story going by asking what he sees on top of the mountain.  Leo tells me that Big Boy Leo sees the North Pole where Santa lives.  The story continues with details of Santa, his elves and other Christmas things.  Then, Leo says that Santa asked Big Boy Leo if he was good this year.  Big Boy Leo replied "Not so much, but a little."  Wow, unfortunately so true.  Here's hoping that Santa values honesty and is willing to overlook a few things!



Fat Chuck







Tacky Christmas

My favorite part of Christmas is seeing all the tacky Christmas items.  I love large, glittery ornaments, huge light displays in front of small trailers, and crazy Christmas sweaters.  The tackier the better.  We usually don't do a lot of Christmas decorating at my house, but this year I dusted off some of our decorations that haven't seen a Christmas since Leo was born.  I put up a large tree (the past few years we haven't had room for anything other than a small tree in Leo's room).  Our bookshelves and table are filled with snowmen, angels and Christmas picture frames.  Again, the tackier the better, right. 

No tacky Christmas is complete without the traditional driving around town looking for Christmas lights.  Ok, I'll admit it, I love it more than the children do. Nothing says Merry Christmas like the glow of a well lit house.  Some of my favorite childhood memories are of my parents, my sister and myself driving around oooing and awwwing over Christmas lights.  Thankfully, I have pasted this love of everything tacky down to Leo and Nora.  May the tacky Christmas live on in our family for many generations to come!

Guilty Pleasure

One of my latest guilty pleasures in life is disposable plates and silverware.  I try to live a "green" life .  I try to reduce, reuse, and recycle as much as possible but we had paper plates and plastic spoons and forks leftover from Nora's birthday party.  This week, I have been using them instead of our regular dishes.  I guess I should mention the fact that we do not have a dishwasher.  On any given day, I wash two sink loads of dishes or more depending on what I cook for dinner.  It is the worst chore.  You just stand there and wash, rinse, repeat.  This week, however, I've only had to wash one sink load of dishes each night or less.  It's so nice to just eat and throw away.  Today, we used the last of the plates and most of the forks and spoons.  I guess it's back to dishpan hands tomorrow.  I'll try to remind myself that with each dish I wash I am saving the environment for my children.  Huh, or better yet, I'm saving money for a fabulous trip to an exotic location.  Now that is definitely something to dream about!

Billy the Exterminator

So I hate to admit this but Leo is obsessed with the A&E show "Billy the Exterminator."  He watches it every Tuesday evening.  He will sit there and not move a muscle, which is a big deal for my hyperactive 5 year old.  Not only is he fascinated with all the bugs and rodents and strange animals in people's homes and yards, he wants me to be fascinated too.  I'll admit, I was the one who turned the show on for him one afternoon.  He loves bugs and all things gross so I thought he might like this show.  Little did I know that I was creating a monster.  The show is strange, to say the least, but definately entertaining.  It is hard for me to get excited about roaches and spiders, though.  Last night, Leo was watching his show while I was washing the dishes .  He came running into the kitchen talking 90 miles an hour about some furry animal in a person's yard.  I just smile and nod, like a good mama.  Then, of course, he ends his story with "come see mama."  I can tolerate some things but thinking about what creepy, crawly bugs/rodents could be lurking in my house is hard to stomach.  Thankfully, I just repeat in my head, this could never happen in my house or yard and watch Leo get super excited as Billy traps some kind of furry rodent.  Who knows, maybe Leo has found a career path already.

Birthdays

Wow, what a crazy two weeks it has been!  Last Monday, Leo turned 5 years old.  It doesn't seem right for him to be 5 already.  For his birthday, we took cookies to his preschool for snack and took him to Chuck E Cheese.  I really am mother of the year for that one.  I'm pretty sure that my version of Hell is a crowded Chuck E Cheese!  Thankfully, it was a Monday afternoon so we had the place to ourselves.  Leo had a blast, of course and even Nora got in on the fun.  She loved dancing to the music and crawling around.  We also took Leo to Toys R Us (or Toys That R Us as Leo calls it) to pick out any toy he wanted for his birthday.  It was a fun but long day (the Chuck E Cheese and Toys R Us were an hour away from our house).

Today is Nora's first birthday.  It's even stranger to think of her as a toddler now.  For Nora's birthday, we had the traditional birthday party at Nana's house.  She loved being the center of attention and eating her cupcake.  It was a lot of fun to see friends and family from Birmingham.  Tonight for dinner we are having all of Nora's favorite foods, mac and cheese, oranges, and peas.

I'm both relieved that we survived Nora's first year (and the adjustment of having two kids) and a little sad.  Honestly, I'm not sure if I will miss the baby times.  It is a lot of fun now that Nora has a little personality and can actually play with Leo.  Since we are not going to have anymore children, it's time to say bye-bye baby and hello toddler!

Pulling Up

Over the past couple of weeks, Nora has started pulling up on everything.  Last night she pulled up and holding on to the couch tried to take a step.  I panicked.  I'm so not ready for Nora to walk.  It's funny how with Leo I just couldn't wait for him to pull up and take his first steps.  I would watch him so closely just hoping I wouldn't miss it.  Now with the second baby, I find myself wishing for a few more weeks (dare I hope for a month) before cruising around the furniture begins.  Don't get me wrong, I'm so happy and thankful to have a healthy baby.  I get as much enjoyment watching Nora figure out how to do things as she does.  However, having been through the toddler stage before I know what is coming next.  Taking a few steps while holding on to the furniture leads to walking, which leads to running, and before I know it I'll be chasing after a wild toddler with mind all her own!  It is totally selfish but please Nora give your mom a little more time to get use to the idea that her baby girl is growing up.

Questions

Today, like most days lately, Leo started the day with his never ending stream of questions.  "How do you make cars?"  "How did God make cats?"  "Where does that road go?"  "Why does it get cold in the morning?"  I really try to answer the questions as honestly as possible.  I'm proud that Leo is inquisitive but sometimes it drives me crazy!  How do you really answer some of these questions?  I don't know how God made dogs.  I could not begin to explain why Leo can't really turn into Superman and fly.  No matter how I try to answer these wild questions, it is never good enough.  My answer turns into more questions.  After a morning of questions followed my an afternoon of more questions, I snapped.  I turned to Leo and told him that I was all out of answers today and he would have to wait till tomorrow to ask any more questions.  I cross my fingers and hold my breath, hoping Leo will believe me.  Hallelujah, it worked.  He simply turned around and said "OK mama."  Wow I'm definitely Mother of the Year today.  I just lied to my 4 year old for a few minutes of peace.  Oh well, sometimes a mama has to do what a mama has to do in order to save her sanity!