Spur of the Moment Easter Egg Hunt

I woke up at 6 in the morning today so that I could get ready to do some volunteer work at Carriage Hill with a friend of mine. By 8:30 a.m., the kids and I were ready to go, so we hopped in the car and headed off to our destination. Unfortunately, the event was not what we expected, and we weren't going to plant trees at all and we knew that the days tasks were not going to hold the attention of a 5 year old, a 6 year old, and certainly not a 14 month old.

To make a long story short, we decided to bail (I know, bailing on volunteer work is real nice--c'est la vie) and find something else to do.

Pasty skin, black hair, dark clothes, and what else? Volunteer work.
Er...at least I show up?

I was kind of bummed, because I had spent all day yesterday explaining to Carter how we were going to help the environment by planting trees after he'd expressed his dismay about our plans. Of course, that had to blow up in my face. Why don't people properly describe events anymore?

Meh. I digress.

We ended up back in our neighborhood, and lo and behold, an Easter egg hunt was going on. And as fate would have it, we were just in time!

Carter has participated in Easter egg hunts before, but when he was much younger. Ireland, on the other hand, got to enjoy her very first Easter egg hunt. She absolutely loved it. She gathered more eggs than the two older kids combined. She was focused.

 

 

Carter had a blast as well. In fact, he said that today was one of the greatest days he's had in a long time.

 

The temperature was a fantastic 71 degrees with a nice breeze, the sun was shining, and the grass is GREEN (no more yellow!). It was a beautiful day, and I'm thankful that I was able to spend it with the little loves of my life.

One part of me wishes that the volunteer work would have worked out--that the event was actually what it said it was going to be on the website, but the other part of me is happy the day went in the direction that it did. We all had a fantastic time!

I hope your day was equally as great.

Becoming an Adult: Lessons Learned

Back in December, I turned 25.

I realized that I'm halfway to 50, and that based on United States life expectancy rates, I've lived out nearly a quarter of my life.

Okay, so I'm still young. I get that. But life is so precious. Tomorrow is never guaranteed. Time flies.

Lately, I've been reflecting on my life, and how far I've come since I was a freedom-seeking, rebellious teen only 10 years ago.

I started thinking about what I've learned over the years and how I've changed as a result. There are many different life lessons that played a role in my "growing up."

You have to earn the "good stuff" in life.
Believe it or not, as a teen, I assumed that I could make $10 an hour, and with it get an apartment, buy a car, pay my bills, eat steak and potatoes every night, and still manage to save money to spontaneously move to California. I had big dreams, to say the least, but I thought that I could get there with little effort, and I soon learned that I was totally wrong.

Respect, wealth, fame--it doesn't matter what it is--you have to earn it. Even if you are a privileged child growing up with everything you want and need, it does not secure respect from others. In order to garner true, honest respect--which is more valuable than thousands of people who know your name--you must earn it with hard work and dedication. Even if you come from a prestigious family and receive a free scholarship to Harvard, you won't earn a degree without studying and working hard to earn it.

The life you want must be earned.

It doesn't matter what people think.
Okay, I suppose it does matter if a potential employer thinks you're good at what you do, but that's not what I'm talking about here. I'm talking about the general opinions of others.

From my preteen years and on, I was overweight. At school, I was often teased by other classmates, and even though no true harm was meant, it really hurt me. Everyone used to tell me, "Oh, don't worry about what everyone else thinks," but as a teenager and even in my early adult years, it just didn't register with me. I did care. Unfortunately, this led to many missed opportunities in my life.

Thankfully, as I grew older, I soon realized that opinions are everywhere and I no longer let them rule my life. What random people thought of me was totally irrelevant. Today, I wear what I want. I do what I want. I like what I like without regret. I don't care what you think, or what the next guy thinks. I am who I am and I accept myself wholeheartedly.

You can't control your relationships.
From family relationships to romantic relationships, and everything in between, you can not control any of them. You can try, of course, but it will only lead to frustration and possibly even heartache.

Throughout my relationship with my husband, I struggled with jealousy. I felt as if everyone was a threat to my relationship. This was partly due to my lack of acceptance and love for myself at the time. To remedy the situation, I tried to control it. I searched for evidence that I was being wronged. I tried to find out every little detail about my husband's day. I was miserable, and at the same time, I was making him miserable as well.

I spent years working on improving myself once I realized how bad things had become. I learned to let go. I learned that we cannot control how others feel about us. The only thing we can control are our own lives. Today, I no longer jeopardize my happiness or the happiness of others due to my inability to control a situation.


Children change everything.
The very first time I held my son in my arms, I fell in love. My perspective on the world changed within seconds. I learned more about the world in the first five years of my son's life than I learned in the first 15 of my own.

Once you have a child (and in my case, two children), time begins moving faster until you finally understand what Albert Einstein was talking about: time truly is a persistent illusion.

Date night turns into family night. Horror movie marathons turn into Disney movie marathons. A trip to your favorite restaurant turns into a trip to the McDonald's play place. And before you know it, elementary school turns to middle school. Middle school leads to high school. High school leads to college, and in the blink of an eye, your precious babies are full-grown adults, moving out of the home to start lives of their own.

You'll experience many joys and many frustrations on your journey as a parent, but the one thing that stays the same is your admiration for them. From the wrinkles in their toes to the squeak in the sound of their laughter, you will never love another the way you love your own children.

A six year difference.

 A one year difference.

 



The perfect man does not exist, but the perfect man for you does.
It took many negative relationships and flings before I realized that I was settling for companionship instead of love. I finally stopped searching for the perfect guy and sure enough, he ended up right in front of my face.

We've been together for 8 years.

I assure you, your prince charming is out there, albeit he may not be riding the beautiful, white horse in your dreams.

Stop looking for the guy with the biggest wallet or the one wearing the most expensive suit and tie. Stop caring about the fanciest car or the highest penthouse. Even if your "perfect guy" has some of those things, it's not who he is. Your "perfect man" is the one who makes you happy no matter how upset you are. He sees past your physical body, deeply into your soul. He loves you despite your faults, and loves you because of them as well.

Yes. He is out there, but to find him, you must recognize the beauty in yourself as well.



The most important lesson that I've learned is that life is short. I've lost many close family members over the past few years, and I've started to appreciate the little things in life. Spend quality time with your family whenever you can. Call off of work every now and then. Be spontaneous every once in awhile. And more importantly, always tell the ones you love that you love them.

Life would be very boring without kids

Today is the first time in months that the kids have been away for a few hours.

It's eerily quiet in my house. Usually, when the kids are home and it's quiet, I immediately go running to see what they're getting into.

But not right now. It's just me and Buddha. He's just lying by the door, probably waiting on the kids to come back.

It's oddly clean in here, too. The living room floor is free of LEGOs.There are no chocolate-y hand prints on the table.

Ah, peace.

Well, not exactly.

You know, as moms, we always long for this moment. But when it comes, we have no idea what to do with ourselves.

That "calm" that we long for never really comes. It only comes once the kids are back; safe and sound in the home.

Yet, we, as moms, need these breaks every now and then. I used to think that breaks were to unwind and relax, but truth is, I don't relax at all when they're gone. Instead, I think these moments are to make us appreciate our time with our children that much more.

 

The Mom Tag

I saw this on Owls & Monsters and thought I'd take some time to fill it out and share with you. It's actually part of a "mom tag" thing, where you're supposed to tag other mommy bloggers, but being that I'm new to the mommy blogger realm, I don't really have anyone to tag.

That being said, I'm simply going to answer the questions without tagging anyone.

Enjoy!

1. Are you a Stay at Home Mom, or a Working Mom?

I'm a full-time stay at home mom and housewife. 

2. Would you have it any other way?

I enjoy being a full-time mom, but there are days that I feel like working outside of the home would be a "break." All of you other stay-at-home moms know what I mean! Also, my husband works 14 hours a day, so if I could make enough money, I'd love to give him time to spend at home with the kids while I work.

3. Do you co-sleep?

Not currently, although I have before. My son slept with us for awhile when he was a baby--it took a long time to get him back into his own room. He is now 6-years-old and sleeps like a rock in his own bed. He has an awesome sleep schedule. Our daughter slept next to me in her bassinet and pack-and-play until she was 8 months old. She is now one, and sleeps in her own crib. Her sleep schedule is all over the place. She still wakes up twice a night.

4. What is your one must-have item for your baby?

Dr. Brown's bottles! Both of my children had feeding issues--gas, stomach upset, etc.--but when we switched to Dr. Brown's bottles, the problems seemed to disappear. I totally recommend them! We'll never use another brand of bottle.

 

5. How many kids do you plan on having?

I have two, and to be honest, that's all I plan on having. One boy. One girl. The end.

6. Date night? How many nights per month?

What's that? Ha! Seriously. My husband works way too much and at the moment, we don't have a babysitter, so we don't do date night. And if we do go on a date, it's a family date. ;)

7. Your childs favorite show?

My son's favorite show changes a lot, but right now, it's Animal Mechanicals. He also likes Power Rangers, Monster Math Squad, Scooby-Doo, and The Magic School Bus. Ireland watches a few things on Netflix, but she mainly likes the intros. She likes Ruby Gloom, Monster Math Squad, Pingu, and Bonnie-Bear.

8. Name one thing you bought before you had your baby and never ended up using?

With Carter, we used almost everything. With Ireland, however, we used the Bumbo Seat maybe twice. She sat up well on her own pretty early, so I never really saw a use for it. Oh, there were also about 5 pairs of shoes that were given to us that we never used. She wasn't walking at the time, so I never saw a use for them. I'm practical.

9. Your child’s favorite food?

Carter likes noodles and popcorn shrimp. And anything sweet, of course! Ireland likes everything, but one of her favorite foods is yogurt.

10. How many cars does your family have?

We have one vehicle. Honda Accord. We get great gas mileage compared to our previous cars.

11. Weight gain before pregnancy, during and after and now?

Before Carter, I weighed 160. I gained 40 pounds. Afterward, I dropped down to 180. I continued to gain after that. Before Ireland was conceived, I weighed about 190. I topped out at about 228 during my pregnancy. I'm not sure what weight I'm at now, but I'd say near the 190-200 mark.

12. Dream holiday with your kids?

If we're talking about a place we've been before, I'd take them to Burr Oak Cabin to enjoy train rides, boating, and campfires. If we're talking about a place we've never been, I'd want to take them to Great Wolf Lodge! Indoor waterpark, for the win!

13. Dream holiday without your kids?

Ah, this is a hard one! I've never seen the ocean, so I would love to do that. I'd also love to travel to the mountains of Tennessee. My husband once mentioned going to the east coast to watch the sunrise, and in the same day, heading to the west coast to watch it set. Wouldn't that be something?

14. How has your life changed since your baby has been born?

When Carter was born, I changed a lot. I moved in with Justice, and I became more responsible, more serious, and I even lost a lot of friends. It didn't bother me very much, because people drift as their priorities change, but I was pretty lonely for awhile. After Ireland was born, my life became far more hectic. She's very attached to me, so it became hard to get things done, and even harder to get 5 hours of straight sleep!

15. Finish the sentence: 'It makes my heart melt to see … '

It makes my heart melt to see Carter playing with Ireland. I think back to when he was an only child--and then when he found out he was going to have a baby sister. He's grown up so much. It's crazy. They laugh together, dance together, and play together. Sometimes, they get mad at each other, though. It's actually pretty funny at times.

16. Where do you shop for your kids?

I like to check out thrift stores for clothes before spending a fortune anywhere else. If I can't find what I'm looking for, Walmart and Meijer are usually my go-to when it comes to clothes for them. We purchase most of the things we need from Walmart as well.

17. Favorite makeup and skincare products?

I don't have a favorite brand, but in my purse I typically have foundation, pressed powder, bronzer, mascara, chap-stick, and eyeliner. For my skin, I almost always have lotion on hand. If my hands get dry, I panic! In the shower, I always have an exfoliating body wash.

18. Huggies or Pampers?

Neither. I use Luvs. It's weird, because when Carter was a baby, Huggies were the only diapers that didn't leak, and Luvs were terrible for him. For Ireland, though, Huggies AND Pampers would leak, so we switched to Luvs and they're great for her. I swear, the brand of diapers you use depends on the baby.

19. Have you always wanted kids?

Surprisingly, no! My whole life plan was completely different than what it turned out to be. I wanted to be single--never marry--and move to California. Once I met Justice, I kind of changed my mind about kids. Next thing I know, Carter was born, and 6 years later, Ireland was born. Justice and I have been together for 8 years, married for two, and we live in a cozy little town in Ohio. Perfection.

20. Best part about being a mom?

Oh, there are so many! I love watching them grow, learn, and seeing them express themselves. Their personalities are amazing. There are so many things that we could learn from children.

If you liked this little "survey," go ahead and copy and paste it to your blog and fill it in!

Busy, busy, busy!

I. am. exhausted.

Life has been so busy lately.

The kids and I went to the Boonshoft Museum with my friend and her daughter. It was fantastic! I was surprised that Ireland enjoyed it (she just turned one) as much as she did. Clearly it's a place for kids of all ages. Score!

On Tuesday, I spent about 2 hours grocery shopping. Fortunately for me, the stores weren't busy at all. Double score!

I spent the middle of the week trying to plan with friends so that I could get out of the house while the weather was nice. That turned out to be a disaster. I should never plan because when I do, it always falls through! Seriously. Never fails.

On Saturday, we went to Carriage Hill for a Maple Sugaring event. The kids were totally not into it, so we just went back to the barn and let them play in the old schoolhouse. Again, no recent photographs. Although, here is one of Carter there a few years ago.

My mother and Carter.

I meant to spend today relaxing since I'm back on the e-schooling grind tomorrow, but of course, today ended up being a day that I just have to do something. I can't win.

I literally spent 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. prepping, cooking, and cleaning the kitchen afterward. I had no idea that learning to cook dinner rolls from scratch was so time consuming. Sheesh! They turned out beautifully, however. Shame on me for not taking a photo. -_-

I made chicken strips, mashed potatoes, green beans, macaroni and cheese, dinner rolls, and brownies. Of course on my one day to relax, I go all out.

Anyway, moving along, my lovely daughter turned one on the 13th.


Doesn't she look enthused?



Now she certainly does.

I can't believe it. Time is an illusion, for sure. Jeeeeez! I swear, I feel like just yesterday she was in her swing, sleeping all the time. Now, her swing can't even move her chunky butt and she runs around the house chasing her brother. Cherish these moments, people.

I also spent some time this week experimenting with food. Ever since I made that amazing lasagna using The Pioneer Woman's recipe, I've been a cooking machine.

I made a creamy chicken pasta (with bacon, might I add) and I also made enchiladas.



This was an interesting concoction that turned out to be amazing!
Recipe coming soon!

My enchiladas!
Recipe coming soon!

 I've also managed to try out some new nail art.

Those cuticles need cleaned up!

Unfortunately, being that I do dishes 56 times per day, the polish never lasts--even with a top coat. Any advice for this?

Finally, I was amazed when Carter showcased his art skills by drawing a picture of his daddy.

How awesome is that? His art courses are really paying off.

How has your week been?

Pregnancy Photos: Don't Be Ashamed.

When I became pregnant with my son many moons ago, I only took two photos of myself when I was pregnant. I wasn't happy with my "baby bump." I thought I was fat. I thought my stretch marks were disgusting. There were times that I told myself, "You don't even look pregnant--you just look fat." I was very, very hard on myself.

I stand at 5 feet, 8 inches, and I weighed 160 pounds when I found out I was pregnant. I had just recently lost about 30 pounds, and I just couldn't believe that I was about to gain most of it back (I actually gained 40 pounds). I loved the idea of having my son, but I hated the idea of looking like, what I deemed, as a "swollen balloon."

And then, I gave birth to my son.

And that's when I regretted not having taken more pictures of my pregnant self.

So, when I found out I was pregnant again 6 years later, I started taking photos of myself. I may not have added my face to the photos, but I took a photo of myself with my bra on showing off my baby bump in all of it's glory.

They may not be professional photos, but I have them!

All real. All beauty.

They're not stretch marks. I'm a tiger, and I earned these stripes!

 

Take it from me, mamas. You will regret it if you don't take maternity photos. Even if you don't want to share your face, even if you don't intend on showing anyone, please, take photos. These moments--these precious moments--are not about how you feel about yourself. It's about how you feel about what's growing inside of you. Your photos are not to please the world. They're about remembering that you, my friend, carried a living, breathing human being inside of your body for nine months.

And after you've taken those beautiful maternity pictures, learn to love that body of yours. It's beautiful. It's real. It's powerful. You created LIFE!

Sick. Of. Winter.

Winter, winter, go away.

Never come back again. Ever.

I'm so tired of it. Seriously.

It has looked like this outside since November.

It makes my stomach sick. Bleh.

Last night, we had another snowstorm which I was kind of excited about. I thought maybe we would get enough snow so that my husband would be able to stay home from work. And the next morning, when I woke up, it looked exactly the same outside. We may have gotten six inches, but it looked the same. I don't know if I expected a beautiful, sparkly snow scene or what, but I damn sure didn't get that.

Okay. Maybe I'm just upset that my husband did have to work. I prefer it when he's home and as usual, I got my hopes up.

I'll never get excited about another snowstorm again...unless it's Christmas.

 

I miss this...



I can't wait until spring.

Lasagna and a Snow Storm

Today has flown by. I woke up at about 7 a.m. and laid around until 9 a.m. By 9:30 a.m., I was heading out to the store to get groceries before the snowstorm (that still hasn't hit yet, by the way--was supposed to be here at 4 p.m.). I came home, and started cooking The Pioneer Woman's Best Lasagna. Ever. My friend sent me the recipe last night, and based on the reviews, I just had to have it.

Success. My husband loves it. And I love it. I almost cried when I tasted it, it was that good. I'm not even exaggerating. Of course, I think maybe next time I'll make more, and maybe even go all out and use buffalo mozzarella, freshly grated parmesan, and fresh herbs, as suggested in the comments. Authentic Italian. Mmmm...

Deliciosa lasaña!

So, now that I'm home and finished, I'm finishing up school with Carter. I love the flexibility, especially since my husband only has two full days off each week, so I have to run errands and grocery shop on weekdays...but if we have to do school at 4 a.m., then we can! Love, love, love it!

Well, it's starting to get darker outside. I think the weather is about to change up. Ready to be snowed in, Ohio?! I am...but only because my husband doesn't have to work tomorrow if it's too bad.

Letters, numbers, treble clefs: Oh my!

I'm mentally exhausted.

There are letters, numbers, and a giant treble clef floating around in my brain.

I took it upon myself to review all of Carter's previous music lessons with him to refresh his memory. He has learned beat, rhythm, high & low notes, and "The Music House" (the staff with "so" and "mi" as the characters in the story). He is grasping it pretty well. The next few lessons will teach him about the instrument families.

It took us 2 hours to review music. On top of that, he completed three phonics assessments, four lessons in handwriting & writing skills, and all of his normal daily lessons.

He amazes me with his intelligence. He started reading when he was three years old. I read to him often over the years, and one day, I sat a book in front of him, and asked if he knew any of the words. He started reading as if it were second nature. Since that day, he's been an avid reader.

This right here? An oxymoron.

As mentioned in a previous post, he is reading 120+ words per minute. By the end of first grade, the goal is 60-70. By the end of second grade, the goal is 105. He has already surpassed both goals and he is only halfway through the first grade.

Thankfully, we only have four phonics assessments left, and 20% of the lessons in handwriting until we can order second grade work.

Whew!

We're getting there!

E-schooling Adventures

For those of you who don't know, I e-school my son from home.

It's somewhat different from homeschooling, as I do not create the curriculum or daily plan. I use the provided curriculum. Now, while my son does attend school at home and I do many of the things that a teacher does (oversee his work, score assessments, help him when he has questions, teach the lesson, etc.), e-schooling is not homeschooling.

Anyway, my son is an advanced reader. He is reading 120 words per minute, while the goal for his class is 60 words per minute by the end of first grade. In second grade, the child is expected to reach 105 words per minute. Carter is reading at a third-grade level.

In order to get Carter up to speed with his own reading level, his teacher suggested that we assess in literature and comprehension instead of going through each and every individual lesson (since it's things that he already knows). She wants us to be able to order second grade coursework before March (the deadline).

It seems simple enough, right? Well, literature and comprehension consist of reading, vocabulary, handwriting, and phonics. That means that we have to assess in all of those subjects and have them completed by the deadline. If we don't? Well, if we don't, that means that he'll be left with no literature & comprehension coursework from the provided curriculum for the rest of the year once it's completed.

I'm pretty stressed out over this. These assessments are long, especially in reading. It takes us an hour and a half to complete one reading assessment, and we're trying to complete two per day, plus two assessments in every other sub-category of literature and comprehension, and finally our "everyday" lessons, like math, science, and history.

What were once five and a half hour school days have turned into eight hours or more.

We're burnt out.

We'll get through it though. No worries. I'm just frazzled!

Moms: We're Superheroes

Nothing prepares you for a career as a secret agent like sneaking away from your baby's bedroom right after she falls asleep. I'm serious. I could work for the FBI with all this expertise.

Seriously.

My daughter will sleep through a tornado, but as soon as she hears even the lightest footsteps leaving her room, BAM! She's wide awake and ready to play peek-a-boo.

It can be frustrating, you know? And sometimes, we as moms get down on ourselves. We take comments about our mothering skills to heart--even if we pretend it doesn't bother us. We tell ourselves that we could do better. We often forget about taking care of ourselves, because we're too busy pushing ourselves to the limit.

But the fact still remains: We're moms. We're superheroes. We have magic rituals. We do more in 7 minutes than most people do in a day.

Sure, we're imperfect, but who the hell isn't? And just because that childless lady up the street told you that you're parenting skills are less than stellar doesn't mean it's the truth. You're fantastic. You love your kids like no one else. You have their best interest at heart like no one else. Screw the people who try to bring you down. Who carried your children for 9 months? Who popped them out and was back at home to care for them within 5 days? That's right. It was YOU.

My reasons.

Look, there is absolutely nothing that can prepare you for motherhood. Nothing. Not manuals. Not classes on parenting. Not babysitting.

Nope. It's one of those things that you have to learn as you go. You develop "tricks" to make your life a little easier. You know, like how to wash your face, hair, and body in less than two minutes, or how to put makeup on, bathe two kids, and have them dressed and out the door in 10 minutes or less.

And while we as moms may not love every second of the work we do (because no one likes catching vomit with their hands), we love every second with our kids.

You're a mother. There is no job in the world that is more difficult, and there is no job in the world that is more rewarding. We are superheroes.

Sólo vives una vez!

For once, I sat around for most of the day in my pajamas and robe.

It felt damn good, too. I regret nothing.

Unfortunately, I'll pay for it tomorrow considering that I have a sink full of (thankfully rinsed) dishes, a living room full of toys, a desk full of papers, and a 5 1/2 hour school day tomorrow starting at 8 in the morning.

I'm living it up right now. And in my case, "living it up" means hanging out with my kids and having an all-day pajama party, watching cartoons, and eating whatever we want.

Sólo vives una vez!

The Repetitive Life of Motherhood

I swear, I feel like it's been winter for years. We've been cooped up in this house like chickens forever. Sometimes the kids run around like chickens, making strange sounds and trying to eat random things off of the floor. Eh. The dry air makes our skin itchy. The lack of sun makes us moody. We're not a very happy bunch. Even Buddha (our dog) does nothing but lie around anymore, grunting.



"Just leave me alone." - Buddha

Anyway, while I watched the snowflakes pile onto my driveway, I started thinking about how repetitive my life is in the winter. Cook. Clean. Guide Carter through his lessons. Cook. Clean. Play with the kids. Cook. Clean. Bathe the kids. Clean. Wash clothes. Bedtime. Repeat. We rarely get out of the house, especially since the temps have been below zero for what feels like a month.

There are times that I've asked myself, What's on the agenda tomorrow? knowing damn good and well that the answer is always the same. Stay inside. Cook. Clean. Guide Carter through his lessons. Eh, you get the rest. I think I do that just so that it'll seem like I have a life, at least.

Yeah right.

I haven't had a babysitter in a year. My husband and I haven't had a night out alone in even longer.

I barely remember what life was once like outside of my kids...

...Can you tell that I'm in a winter funk?

The more I thought, the more I realized that if those moments before my kids were so important, then I'd damn sure remember them, because it's been 7 years since my first child was born and I remember every smile, every laugh, every coo, every hug, every kiss. Everything.

And sure, I have days when I count down the minutes to when they'll turn 18, and I've had nights that I've just wanted to pull out my hair and cry, but guess what? Every single second has been worth it.

I love my job as a mama, even if it is a bit repetitive.

I love my little weirdos.

My children are my life. They are my little pals, my fountains of youth, my entire heart and soul. They are my PURPOSE. Being a mother is exhausting, yes. But it's because every single ounce of my energy is spilled into my children.

I don't regret that a bit.

#teammom