So maybe, just maybe you were expecting three jots of randomness from my week. And yes, I will get to that. But not here.
I have a little bit of a confession to make. For months and months people have been encouraging me to start up a little etsy site selling my handmade stuff. What's etsy, you ask? It's basically a massive site dedicated to the sale and promotion of solely handmade goods. For a really long time I had my mind made up that I wasn't going to do it. Seriously...who would by my stuff? I would really need to perfect a few things before making it sell-able.
But a few months back I finally decided to go for it and give it a shot. Sort of a what-the-heck type attitude. I decided to keep it hush for several reasons. Partially because I didn't want to have to explain if I chickened out. Partially because I didn't want anyone to feel like they had to buy anything. (You don't. Really....it's all baby stuff anyway.) But mainly, I think, because I was afraid of it failing. I'm such a perfectionist, that I just really had this secret horrible self-doubt gut-feeling that it might fail and I'd be embarrassed. Which still may be true.
And for the first few weeks, it struggled. No sales, not much action. Of course, I hardly had anything in my shop so that didn't exactly help. But all of a sudden it took off. And in a big way. Tuesday, for example, I sold six items. Six! And two other websites have asked to review and feature my items on their sites in the month of October. Very cool.
And because most of the shops on etsy also have a blog that shoppers can access for more information...especially for when their items are featured on other sites..., I finally broke down and started a blog connected to my shop a few weeks ago. Let me first explain that had I known about this when I started the shop, I would have just somehow tied it in to this blog. But I didn't. And I couldn't think of a clever name for my shop so I just combined my two nicknames for the boys (Sweetheart and Sunshine) to make the name of the shop. Real original. I know.
I'm sure by now you're putting two and two together. The shop is called Sweetheart-n-Sunshine so the blog needs to be called that too. And this blog is not called that. And I'm not going to keep three blogs. Sorry. Just don't got it in me. So if you're up for it and not completely tired of my antics, join me for the move. I'll no longer be posting on this site anymore. Instead, the new blog http://www.sweetheartnsunshine.blogspot.com/ will be home to all my ramblings about my life at home with the boys along with bits and pieces related to the shop and my sewing endeavors.
Whew. No turning back now.
I know that quite a mouthful and I could have just said, "Hey, I'm moving this blog," and it would have sufficed, but I just had to put the whole thing out there. Every little detail of an explanation. You know me...never at a loss for words.
So click here for the new blog and the continuation of Three Thought Thursday. (Yes, I committed to doing TTT for an entire year and I'm not giving up now just because I'm moving! Not when I've got just three months left!)
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Three Thought Thursday: Episode 38
1. This week, it's kind of all about the new way of doing things around here. Yes, this week was the official kick-off to "school." Three days in and we're going strong! It's been both easier and harder than I expected it to be. Easier in the organization, planning, putting together aspect, and harder in the actual teaching part. I know, I know. I used to be a teacher! Like a public school one! But that was ninth graders. This is a two, almost three year old. Fifteen-year-olds know when to drop the sarcasm and silliness. (Usually.) Two-year-olds think it's funny to respond with "rooster!" every time I ask what a baby cow is called. I even left it alone for a day and returned to it the next, only to get the same answer. But all in all, it's been a great success so far. Kolbe loves when I ask, "Are you ready for school this morning?" And his learning board has become the perfect show-and-tell for when Dada gets home in the evening. And best of all, it has added some much needed structure to our days. Now instead of pulling my hair out when we reach a lull in our daily activities, I already have something planned. And if the activity I have planned doesn't take as long as I expected, I can always go back and review stuff we've learned so far. And each "school thing" we do really only takes about forty-five minutes. So the other things we used to do and still need to do (like the grocery store, for instance) still get done. It's nice. Really nice. I love structure! And so far, the boys do too. In fact, here's a quick pic of our learning board so far this week (number is today and rhyme is tomorrow...):
A few people have asked, so I'll dish: The "curriculum" we're following is the one found at http://www.letteroftheweek.com/. We are doing the Step One: Preparatory Curriculum. It's kind of like a pre-cursor to learning phonetics. So they're just learning what the letters and numbers look like...not the sounds and variations just yet. If all goes well, we'll be moving on to that in the spring. In case you're interested, the site offers various programs for children from birth up to elementary age. We're following this for now, with various living skills and Bible lessons added in.
2. In addition to our new "school" routine, we've also started a new Wednesday morning activity: Bible Study. Actually, it's more of a women's prayer and study group that I was invited to join. Right now we're going through a book about praying for our husbands. The women in it are the women from our Feast and Friendship group at church, but from what I've been told, anyone who wants to come is invited. (In case anyone is interested, it's on Wednesday morning at 7:45am) When first invited, I definitely balked at the time, but since some of the women work, this was the best time available. And really, it's rough getting out of the house that early with the boys, but I keep reminding myself that most working moms do that every.single.day! (God bless you!) We've been two weeks in a row, and I must say that it has definitely been worth it. I love having the fellowship time with other women, and have really gotten a lot out of our discussions about praying and caring for our husbands. It's easy to feel alone some times, when in all actuality, all married people are going through similar situations. Sharing with others helps so much!
3. Mark made it through his first week of work and is knee deep in week two. Last week made for crazy hours due to him being on call. This week hasn't involved any middle of the night phone calls, but he has worked insane hours. Six-thirty am to seven pm pretty much every day. We keep having to remind ourselves that this, just like Midland, is only temporary. He's training right now. Of course they're going to want him to stay for every single case and watch every single surgery. It's the only way he'll learn. Down the road, he and the other P.A. he works with will be able to trade off and hopefully we'll see him a lot more! It's a sacrifice we have to make for now. In order to have the life we dream of having later. And oh yeah...tonight he's off on a trip to Vegas for a conference. Completely paid for by his job. Three nights, all expenses paid to the Bellagio. Lord knows I've never been privileged enough to go to Vegas, but from what I hear the Bellagio is like the nicest of the nicest on the Vegas strip. And yes, I looked in to going with him, but the flights were completely booked meaning I couldn't use a buddy pass, and to buy one was going to be about $600. I don't think so. Maybe next time. He also got a new iPhone from them as well as a new Sony laptop. Perks! Lucky dog! I wonder if he could convince them that his wife needs an iPad...
A few people have asked, so I'll dish: The "curriculum" we're following is the one found at http://www.letteroftheweek.com/. We are doing the Step One: Preparatory Curriculum. It's kind of like a pre-cursor to learning phonetics. So they're just learning what the letters and numbers look like...not the sounds and variations just yet. If all goes well, we'll be moving on to that in the spring. In case you're interested, the site offers various programs for children from birth up to elementary age. We're following this for now, with various living skills and Bible lessons added in.
2. In addition to our new "school" routine, we've also started a new Wednesday morning activity: Bible Study. Actually, it's more of a women's prayer and study group that I was invited to join. Right now we're going through a book about praying for our husbands. The women in it are the women from our Feast and Friendship group at church, but from what I've been told, anyone who wants to come is invited. (In case anyone is interested, it's on Wednesday morning at 7:45am) When first invited, I definitely balked at the time, but since some of the women work, this was the best time available. And really, it's rough getting out of the house that early with the boys, but I keep reminding myself that most working moms do that every.single.day! (God bless you!) We've been two weeks in a row, and I must say that it has definitely been worth it. I love having the fellowship time with other women, and have really gotten a lot out of our discussions about praying and caring for our husbands. It's easy to feel alone some times, when in all actuality, all married people are going through similar situations. Sharing with others helps so much!
3. Mark made it through his first week of work and is knee deep in week two. Last week made for crazy hours due to him being on call. This week hasn't involved any middle of the night phone calls, but he has worked insane hours. Six-thirty am to seven pm pretty much every day. We keep having to remind ourselves that this, just like Midland, is only temporary. He's training right now. Of course they're going to want him to stay for every single case and watch every single surgery. It's the only way he'll learn. Down the road, he and the other P.A. he works with will be able to trade off and hopefully we'll see him a lot more! It's a sacrifice we have to make for now. In order to have the life we dream of having later. And oh yeah...tonight he's off on a trip to Vegas for a conference. Completely paid for by his job. Three nights, all expenses paid to the Bellagio. Lord knows I've never been privileged enough to go to Vegas, but from what I hear the Bellagio is like the nicest of the nicest on the Vegas strip. And yes, I looked in to going with him, but the flights were completely booked meaning I couldn't use a buddy pass, and to buy one was going to be about $600. I don't think so. Maybe next time. He also got a new iPhone from them as well as a new Sony laptop. Perks! Lucky dog! I wonder if he could convince them that his wife needs an iPad...
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Three Thought Thursday: Episode 37
1. I love that fall is partially here! And by partially, I mean that football has arrived!!! Fall is definitely my favorite season. I like to be warm but not hot. And fall is the transition from hot to cold. So it's warm with a tiny touch of cool. As opposed to spring which is cold with a tiny touch of warm. Totally different to me, though Mark thinks I'm crazy when I describe this difference. You know what I'm talking about, right!?! Anyhow, other than the slight change in temp, football is another favorite aspect of my favorite season. I'm a total guy in that I could literally sit and watch college football all day long on Saturday. Doesn't exactly happen, but I could. And used to. We all know what prohibits that now-a-days. But one exciting thing this year is that Kolbe is fully aware of what's going on when football is on TV. He doesn't exactly understand how the game is played but he knows that essentially, they are playing a game, they throw the ball, catch it, run, etc. Even Rudy is down with watching it for a bit. Kolbe wasn't interested at all at Rudy's age. But then again, Rudy is our little linebacker. I'm sure he's naturally drawn to it. (ha!) This past Friday night Mark let Kolbe stay up (way) late so that he could take him to the final quarter of the Frenship/Monterey game. We knew he'd never make it through the entire game, and since they let people in free for the last quarter, it was an easy choice. Mark hyped it up..."Kolbe! You get to go to the football game with Dada! Just you and me!" Reagan didn't know to protest since he can't bear to keep his eyes open much past 8:30. So off they went after Rudy went to bed. Kolbe fully decked out in his pajamas. They were only there for about twenty minutes, but it was definitely long enough to leave a lasting impression on Kolbe. Ever since then at random times he'll say "Mama, I go to football game with Dada this week too. Just Tolbe and Dada." He's hooked. Age two and he's already hooked. Not just on football, but on Dada too.
2. Mark started his new job on Monday! I think it was met with much fear and trepidation, but hey, all new beginnings are somewhat scary. I think Mark's biggest worry is that he's never worked directly in neurosurgery before. He had a general surgery rotation, but nothing directly related to the head and spine. After doctors leave med school, they choose their field and then proceed to do a roughly three to five year residency in that field. Three to five years of on the job training. For PAs, you walk out of school and can get a full on job in any field you want. Whether you've had direct training in it or not. Three days in and so far Mark is enjoying it, but still feels that there's a lot to learn. And by a lot, he means a lot. But I know my husband, and he'll get it done. He doesn't give up on anything. Ever. This will take some time, but just like every other obstacle he's been through, he'll make it.
I, on the other hand, am struggling through "back to reality." Mark has been home with us for about a month now, off and on, and I've gotten so spoiled! Now that he's back to working full time, I'm getting hit with parenting two little boys who have gotten extremely attached to their daddy. Everything for Kolbe is now "with Daddy." For example:
Me: Kolbe, do you want to go to the library later this week?
Kolbe: No, I want go with me's Daddy.
or
Me: Lay down, Kolbe. Do you want your quilt?
Kolbe: No, I not want me's quilt! I not want me's covers! I not want me's stars on me's ceiling! I want me's Daaaaaaaaaada!!!!
Sweet, but frustrating all at the same time. I'm sure it makes Mark happy though.
3. I made my fourth batch of our homemade laundry detergent this week. If I'm not mistaken, it's been almost a year since we started using homemade instead of store bought. And I must say, I don't know if I'll ever turn back. I think I've finally perfected my recipe...with the right amount of ingredients including lavender oil to give it a nice scent. Four batches in one year means I only have to make it ever three months or so. Which is far less often than I had to buy it. And I'm still on the same box of Borax and Washing Soda as when I started. Really, I don't think it costs more than $2-$3 to make an entire batch. Three months worth for $2-$3. And our clothes are clean! Even the boys'! I've yet to put something in the wash while using the homemade detergent where it didn't come out totally clean. (barring the incident with Mark's pen in the dryer....) Needless to say, I'm happy I started doing this and am loving how much it saves us each year.
2. Mark started his new job on Monday! I think it was met with much fear and trepidation, but hey, all new beginnings are somewhat scary. I think Mark's biggest worry is that he's never worked directly in neurosurgery before. He had a general surgery rotation, but nothing directly related to the head and spine. After doctors leave med school, they choose their field and then proceed to do a roughly three to five year residency in that field. Three to five years of on the job training. For PAs, you walk out of school and can get a full on job in any field you want. Whether you've had direct training in it or not. Three days in and so far Mark is enjoying it, but still feels that there's a lot to learn. And by a lot, he means a lot. But I know my husband, and he'll get it done. He doesn't give up on anything. Ever. This will take some time, but just like every other obstacle he's been through, he'll make it.
I, on the other hand, am struggling through "back to reality." Mark has been home with us for about a month now, off and on, and I've gotten so spoiled! Now that he's back to working full time, I'm getting hit with parenting two little boys who have gotten extremely attached to their daddy. Everything for Kolbe is now "with Daddy." For example:
Me: Kolbe, do you want to go to the library later this week?
Kolbe: No, I want go with me's Daddy.
or
Me: Lay down, Kolbe. Do you want your quilt?
Kolbe: No, I not want me's quilt! I not want me's covers! I not want me's stars on me's ceiling! I want me's Daaaaaaaaaada!!!!
Sweet, but frustrating all at the same time. I'm sure it makes Mark happy though.
3. I made my fourth batch of our homemade laundry detergent this week. If I'm not mistaken, it's been almost a year since we started using homemade instead of store bought. And I must say, I don't know if I'll ever turn back. I think I've finally perfected my recipe...with the right amount of ingredients including lavender oil to give it a nice scent. Four batches in one year means I only have to make it ever three months or so. Which is far less often than I had to buy it. And I'm still on the same box of Borax and Washing Soda as when I started. Really, I don't think it costs more than $2-$3 to make an entire batch. Three months worth for $2-$3. And our clothes are clean! Even the boys'! I've yet to put something in the wash while using the homemade detergent where it didn't come out totally clean. (barring the incident with Mark's pen in the dryer....) Needless to say, I'm happy I started doing this and am loving how much it saves us each year.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Three Thought Thursday: Episode 36
1. I know, I know. I'm late. Real late, considering I usually have my three thought Thursday completed by the early morning hours of each Thursday. But today has been hectic and so here I am at 4:49pm just getting started. The boys are out eating "lunch" at the kitchen table. Their earlier "meal" consisted of gummi bears, goldfish, and pretzels on the airplane ride home from Houston. They then slept from 1pm until about 4:30pm. Seriously. Normally I would never allow that to happen, but we are all exhausted. And Mark and I were asleep too which meant since they weren't waking us up, we weren't waking them up. Our final leg of our travelling adventures is over and we're finally home for a long. long. while. That is, if I have anything to do with it. Of course, as soon as I say that, we'll have something pop up that requires our immediate travel. But really, I've had a blast on our adventures and would do all of them all over again, but I'm more than ready to just stay home and get back to normal life right now too.
2. This morning at about three minutes after eight while we were on our way to the airport, we received some wonderful news: Mark passed his board exam!!! (*choir of angels bursts into song.*....no, seriously. I know I say that one a lot about seemingly trivial things, but really. I think they probably did burst in to song at that moment. I know all of us in the car did.) We are officially, totally, completely...happily done! Yes, Mark is now Mark D. Asmussen, PA-C MPAS...meaning Mark D. Asmussen, Physician Assistant-Certified Master in Physician Assistant Studies. Thank God for abbreviations, right!?! I could instantly see a massive weight lifted off of his shoulders. He's been a hugely happy and laid-back guy since finishing his test last Thursday, but I can even see more peace in his demeanor since getting his results this morning. And I have to admit, it's a huge sigh of relief for me too! Our ship has finally come in.
3. School is soon to be in session at The Asmussen Household. As much as you'd never guess it from the looks of my often cluttered house, I'm a person who thrives on organization to not only things but time as well. Over the past many months, I've been feeling a need to develop some sort of organization to my days at home with the boys. I just don't like how on some days we do many things...lots of activities, lots of learning opportunities, etc. And on others we arrive at bed time and I have to wonder if we've read even one book that day. Other "things" seem to take over and raising the boys unfortunately takes a backseat from time to time. Just being honest. There are days like that. Where laundry, cleaning, cooking, packing, and errand-running seem to win. But I've always felt like if I developed some sort of organization to my days and my ideas of things to do with the boys, this would happen far less often. Granted, it sometimes may still happen. But maybe not as often. In my dream world it would be never. So my mom bought me the teacher planner of my choice at an educational store by their house in The Woodlands (I chose one designed for a pre-school teacher) and over the next week I plan on getting my act together and setting up goals for things I'd like to do with the boys each week. I also found a free pre-pre-school "curriculum" online that offers themes you can follow each week as well as activities, songs, poems, projects and more that accompany each theme. I'm not sure if we'll follow this exactly or not, but I'll definitely be getting lots of ideas from there. And I realize that the majority of our time will still just be the boys being boys and me being a mama. But at least I'll feel organized in my goals for them. Does that make sense? For me, an organized mama is a more peaceful mama. And for the boys, a more peaceful mama is a better mama. Which is what they deserve.
2. This morning at about three minutes after eight while we were on our way to the airport, we received some wonderful news: Mark passed his board exam!!! (*choir of angels bursts into song.*....no, seriously. I know I say that one a lot about seemingly trivial things, but really. I think they probably did burst in to song at that moment. I know all of us in the car did.) We are officially, totally, completely...happily done! Yes, Mark is now Mark D. Asmussen, PA-C MPAS...meaning Mark D. Asmussen, Physician Assistant-Certified Master in Physician Assistant Studies. Thank God for abbreviations, right!?! I could instantly see a massive weight lifted off of his shoulders. He's been a hugely happy and laid-back guy since finishing his test last Thursday, but I can even see more peace in his demeanor since getting his results this morning. And I have to admit, it's a huge sigh of relief for me too! Our ship has finally come in.
3. School is soon to be in session at The Asmussen Household. As much as you'd never guess it from the looks of my often cluttered house, I'm a person who thrives on organization to not only things but time as well. Over the past many months, I've been feeling a need to develop some sort of organization to my days at home with the boys. I just don't like how on some days we do many things...lots of activities, lots of learning opportunities, etc. And on others we arrive at bed time and I have to wonder if we've read even one book that day. Other "things" seem to take over and raising the boys unfortunately takes a backseat from time to time. Just being honest. There are days like that. Where laundry, cleaning, cooking, packing, and errand-running seem to win. But I've always felt like if I developed some sort of organization to my days and my ideas of things to do with the boys, this would happen far less often. Granted, it sometimes may still happen. But maybe not as often. In my dream world it would be never. So my mom bought me the teacher planner of my choice at an educational store by their house in The Woodlands (I chose one designed for a pre-school teacher) and over the next week I plan on getting my act together and setting up goals for things I'd like to do with the boys each week. I also found a free pre-pre-school "curriculum" online that offers themes you can follow each week as well as activities, songs, poems, projects and more that accompany each theme. I'm not sure if we'll follow this exactly or not, but I'll definitely be getting lots of ideas from there. And I realize that the majority of our time will still just be the boys being boys and me being a mama. But at least I'll feel organized in my goals for them. Does that make sense? For me, an organized mama is a more peaceful mama. And for the boys, a more peaceful mama is a better mama. Which is what they deserve.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Three Thought Thursday: Episode 35
1. Since I wrote about poo last week, I'll write about it again this week. But in a good way! An oh-so-hard-to-believe-could-it-be-true kind of way. Rudy, my little eighteen month old dumpling, Rudy, went poops on the potty! Seriously!!! For a long time he has been curious about the toilet since he sees his big brother go in there all the time and watches me follow behind to either wipe or make sure no peepee got all over the floor or toilet. Every now and then he'll gesture that he wants to sit on the seat and so I'll put him up there for as long as he likes. Usually it's about 10 seconds. But in the past month or so, the kid as done his duty in the tub about three times. Sick, I know. And totally un-cool for me to have to clean up. But it got me thinking that maybe, just maybe, he had finally figured out his control of the matter. Literally...the matter. Why was he waiting till his diaper was off and he was in the bathroom to go? So a few days ago he came running up to me while I was in the laundry room switching a load over. He grabbed on to my leg and started making his little baby sounds. Brushing it off as just an attempt to get attention, I continued on with my task, until I saw him go grab the door frame, squat down, and start to do his business. I quickly rushed him to the bathroom, pulled off his diaper, and got him situated. A few minutes later, we had success! Kolbe and I cheered and clapped for him, though he acted as if nothing out of the ordinary was going on. Don't get me wrong; in no way do I think this event means that he's ready to potty train. I think we still have a little ways to go for that. But at least he's got the idea and knows that he can go potty on the toilet instead of in his diaper. I have a feeling he'll potty train much sooner than Kolbe which I'm certainly not complaining about!
2. Nothing quite says "I'm out of shape" like party hardying at a wedding and waking up the next morning feeling like I got hit by a bus. And no, I didn't have too much to drink. Saturday evening, the boys and I attended my cousin, Tim's wedding (to one of my former students, nonetheless) and had a blast dancing the night away at the reception. Mark was in Chicago and couldn't attend, so my dance partners for the evening were limited to Kolbe on one hip and Rudy on the other. They had so much fun! And it really was a fantastic reception. Sunday morning, though, I woke up and debated whether or not I should make a mad dash for the Motrin or attempt to find the nearest hot tub. This ol' bag of bones isn't quite used to so much aerobic activity in one day! Primarily it was my hips that were killing me...probably from toting the boys and dancing while wearing heals. Regardless, I took it as a sign that I need to start making at least some effort to keep my joints and muscles mobile. Who wants to have the mom that's crumpled up and looking like she's eighty-five when she's only forty-five!?! Right now, that's where I'm headed.
3. Today, right now today, right this very moment today, Mark is taking is board exam. Eek!!! I'm nervous and I'm not even the one taking the test! It's that last hurdle...that very last one that he has to jump over to make it to the finish line. Once this is over, he's done. For good! Like for.ev.er!!! No more school! No more stressing over exams! No more panicking over whether he'll make it or not! (Of course, I always knew he would...) He...I guess I should say "we"...cheerleaders get to be included, right???....finally did it! It reminds me a lot of when I was a cross country runner back in high school. There was this one course that we had to run every year in Aberdeen, MS. The very last fifty or so yards were straight up hill. As if we weren't tired and beat down enough, in order to prove that we could hang, we had to complete our sprint up a forty-five degree angle. Ok, maybe that's a slight exaggeration. But after two miles of trucking it, it sure felt pretty ridiculously steep! I imagine that's what Mark is feeling like right now. But he'll make it up the hill. Even if he has to crawl. At this point, who cares as long as he makes it to the finish line. He'll definitely be the first place finisher in my books.
2. Nothing quite says "I'm out of shape" like party hardying at a wedding and waking up the next morning feeling like I got hit by a bus. And no, I didn't have too much to drink. Saturday evening, the boys and I attended my cousin, Tim's wedding (to one of my former students, nonetheless) and had a blast dancing the night away at the reception. Mark was in Chicago and couldn't attend, so my dance partners for the evening were limited to Kolbe on one hip and Rudy on the other. They had so much fun! And it really was a fantastic reception. Sunday morning, though, I woke up and debated whether or not I should make a mad dash for the Motrin or attempt to find the nearest hot tub. This ol' bag of bones isn't quite used to so much aerobic activity in one day! Primarily it was my hips that were killing me...probably from toting the boys and dancing while wearing heals. Regardless, I took it as a sign that I need to start making at least some effort to keep my joints and muscles mobile. Who wants to have the mom that's crumpled up and looking like she's eighty-five when she's only forty-five!?! Right now, that's where I'm headed.
3. Today, right now today, right this very moment today, Mark is taking is board exam. Eek!!! I'm nervous and I'm not even the one taking the test! It's that last hurdle...that very last one that he has to jump over to make it to the finish line. Once this is over, he's done. For good! Like for.ev.er!!! No more school! No more stressing over exams! No more panicking over whether he'll make it or not! (Of course, I always knew he would...) He...I guess I should say "we"...cheerleaders get to be included, right???....finally did it! It reminds me a lot of when I was a cross country runner back in high school. There was this one course that we had to run every year in Aberdeen, MS. The very last fifty or so yards were straight up hill. As if we weren't tired and beat down enough, in order to prove that we could hang, we had to complete our sprint up a forty-five degree angle. Ok, maybe that's a slight exaggeration. But after two miles of trucking it, it sure felt pretty ridiculously steep! I imagine that's what Mark is feeling like right now. But he'll make it up the hill. Even if he has to crawl. At this point, who cares as long as he makes it to the finish line. He'll definitely be the first place finisher in my books.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Three Thought Thursday: Episode 34
1. We survived the Colorado trip! And I must say that it was actually far better than Mark and I had anticipated. Call us pessimists, but going in to the trip something told us it might just be a nightmare. We were probably just tired from the previous two trips. And even after twelve hours travelling there, we were wondering if we should just turn back. But now we're so glad that we didn't! It was gor.geous! And we had so much fun with our family, too. It was different from our typical beach trips where we sit around and do nothing. On this trip, there was always something going on. Heck, I probably got more exercise there than I have in a long time! As for the boys, I'll give them an A- considering all we put them through. They really were great...most of the time! The only major set back was their rising at roughly 5:30 every morning. Partially because of the time difference (it was 6:30 in their little minds), and partially because they were sleeping in the room with both us and Pat and the curtains didn't completely block out the rising sun. They're used to their little nests of soft blankies, utter darkness, and white noise from the humidifier. Otherwise, I really can't complain much. I'd love to go back. And actually, we're going to get the chance sooner than later because our family reunion is being hosted very near to where we stayed next summer! Can't wait!
2. Of course, no vacation with kids would be complete without at least one little "mommy's nightmare." We ate the majority of our meals at my aunt and uncle's condo throughout the week. They make very elaborate breakfasts and each morning there was a large bowl of fresh fruit to accompany the various other dishes. Kolbe has always been a fruit lover and everyone kept going on and on about how much he was eating or how he loved the fruit. I repetitively jumped in and explained that he couldn't eat too much or he'd have bathroom problems. Sure enough, on Saturday afternoon, our last day, Kolbe came running over to me, frantic. "Mama, Mama! Me need go poops. Me need go POOPS!!!" Total panic had set in and he was crying. I rushed him as fast as I could to the bathroom only to discover that it was too late. Way too late. To make matters worse, I glanced back down the hall to see the whole family peeking in and one or two of them cleaning up "something" on the floor. I was mortified. Sure enough, that something had made its way all the way down his pants legs and left little droppings along the path. It was beyond the point of wiping him up. He went straight to the tub and got a massive rinsing followed by a full on shower and scrub down. Then I got to go at the tub with the Ajax and a scrubber. Poor kid. I felt bad for him. And for me. Just about the only good thing that came out the whole situation was that it forced me to go ahead and do the laundry at the condo instead of doing it once we got home. It sure was nice to open suitcases of clean clothes!
3. While we were in Colorado, I got to spend a lot of time with my Aunt Mara (Dad's sister), my Uncle Jeff, my cousin Sarah (their daughter), and my cousin Reed (also a Hefferly cousin from another of my dad's sisters...he is a junior at the Air Force Academy). Since returning home, I've thought a lot about them. Growing up Air Force, we were never really close to any of our cousins. Sure, we'd come to Lubbock roughly once a year and see family. And every now and then we'd some how connect with my dad's family that is spread all over the States. But never the live-on-the-same-street-go-to-the-same-schools kind of closeness that some cousins have. After moving to Lubbock to go to Tech, I naturally got very close to my mom's family here in Lubbock. I could probably tell you about each and every aunt, uncle, or cousin and what's going on in their life. And that's saying a lot, considering my mom is one of eight kids and there's something like twenty-seven grandkids. But it's not that way with my Hefferly cousins. I've seen Sarah twice since she was born. Once when she was three and they drove down for my wedding. Another time when she was four and they drove down for Andy's wedding. She's now seven. As for Reed, we used to see him every Thanksgiving when we were stationed in Mississippi. We would drive to his family's home in Georgia to share the holiday. But the last time that happened, I was eighteen and he was ten. Flash forward ten years and I'm now a married mom of two and he's a grown man pursuing his dreams of becoming a pilot. It really was a delight to catch up with these family members. To see who they are now. To see how much, despite so much time, we are so alike. To know that despite the distance, we are still family. And always will be. And it just makes me wonder about my other cousins. Reed's sisters Kristen and Madison. And entire separate family of Hefferlys with Fleming, Clancy, Mary Kendall, and Luke. I wish there was some way to bring us all back together. It's so hard once "life" begins to keep the ties with everyone else. Yet still so important all at the same time.
2. Of course, no vacation with kids would be complete without at least one little "mommy's nightmare." We ate the majority of our meals at my aunt and uncle's condo throughout the week. They make very elaborate breakfasts and each morning there was a large bowl of fresh fruit to accompany the various other dishes. Kolbe has always been a fruit lover and everyone kept going on and on about how much he was eating or how he loved the fruit. I repetitively jumped in and explained that he couldn't eat too much or he'd have bathroom problems. Sure enough, on Saturday afternoon, our last day, Kolbe came running over to me, frantic. "Mama, Mama! Me need go poops. Me need go POOPS!!!" Total panic had set in and he was crying. I rushed him as fast as I could to the bathroom only to discover that it was too late. Way too late. To make matters worse, I glanced back down the hall to see the whole family peeking in and one or two of them cleaning up "something" on the floor. I was mortified. Sure enough, that something had made its way all the way down his pants legs and left little droppings along the path. It was beyond the point of wiping him up. He went straight to the tub and got a massive rinsing followed by a full on shower and scrub down. Then I got to go at the tub with the Ajax and a scrubber. Poor kid. I felt bad for him. And for me. Just about the only good thing that came out the whole situation was that it forced me to go ahead and do the laundry at the condo instead of doing it once we got home. It sure was nice to open suitcases of clean clothes!
3. While we were in Colorado, I got to spend a lot of time with my Aunt Mara (Dad's sister), my Uncle Jeff, my cousin Sarah (their daughter), and my cousin Reed (also a Hefferly cousin from another of my dad's sisters...he is a junior at the Air Force Academy). Since returning home, I've thought a lot about them. Growing up Air Force, we were never really close to any of our cousins. Sure, we'd come to Lubbock roughly once a year and see family. And every now and then we'd some how connect with my dad's family that is spread all over the States. But never the live-on-the-same-street-go-to-the-same-schools kind of closeness that some cousins have. After moving to Lubbock to go to Tech, I naturally got very close to my mom's family here in Lubbock. I could probably tell you about each and every aunt, uncle, or cousin and what's going on in their life. And that's saying a lot, considering my mom is one of eight kids and there's something like twenty-seven grandkids. But it's not that way with my Hefferly cousins. I've seen Sarah twice since she was born. Once when she was three and they drove down for my wedding. Another time when she was four and they drove down for Andy's wedding. She's now seven. As for Reed, we used to see him every Thanksgiving when we were stationed in Mississippi. We would drive to his family's home in Georgia to share the holiday. But the last time that happened, I was eighteen and he was ten. Flash forward ten years and I'm now a married mom of two and he's a grown man pursuing his dreams of becoming a pilot. It really was a delight to catch up with these family members. To see who they are now. To see how much, despite so much time, we are so alike. To know that despite the distance, we are still family. And always will be. And it just makes me wonder about my other cousins. Reed's sisters Kristen and Madison. And entire separate family of Hefferlys with Fleming, Clancy, Mary Kendall, and Luke. I wish there was some way to bring us all back together. It's so hard once "life" begins to keep the ties with everyone else. Yet still so important all at the same time.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Three Thought Thursday: Episode 33
1. I'll be real honest; I'm not writing this on Thursday. In fact, I'm writing it on Tuesday. But as you read it, on Thursday, I'm enjoying a Colorado vacation and celebrating my anniversary with my husband and family. We returned home from the second leg of our travelling extravaganza late Sunday evening...I think technically it was Monday morning...spent all day Monday unpacking, doing laundry, and recovering. Today we're back to packing again. Total craziness, I tell you. Dallas was a blast though. We had so much fun visiting Brian and Cristi and just enjoyed the time away from Lubbock. Brian called us about an hour after he left and said that he and Cristi were sitting back in their apartment and feeling sad over how quiet it was. I suppose it was kind of like when the circus comes to town for them! I don't think Mark and I can even fathom what it would be like to live in a quiet house. In our world, quiet means someone is probably getting in to some form of trouble.
2. While in Dallas, I finally got to visit one of the meccas I've had on my list for quite some time: Ikea. When I have time to stalk random blogs I usually end up on ones that have something to do with crafts, sewing, or home decorating. Almost all of them mention items they found at Ikea time and time again. We all went on Sunday (kids included) and spent a few hours meandering around. Mostly I was just trying to take everything in. Next time I go, I'm sure I'll have a list of things to look for. It was overwhelming! I did walk away with a few purchases but nothing major. Among other things, I saw an adorable red dresser that I would love to have in the boys' room to replace their current 20+ year old one that nearly collapses every time I pull a drawer out. I also saw countless options of furniture that Mark and I could put in our room. Bedroom furniture for us has always been on our "someday" list. Currently we have a conglomeration of mis-matched what-ever-we-could-find type items. Like both of us have end tables for night stands--mine, a nice cherry color, and his more of a blond wood. And both dressers are of the particle board variety. But someday...someday we'll get nice matching dressers and nightstands. And maybe even the mirror that goes over the dresser!
Hopefully they'll be just right when we get back from Colorado and we can finally make the batch of salsa we've been planning!
2. While in Dallas, I finally got to visit one of the meccas I've had on my list for quite some time: Ikea. When I have time to stalk random blogs I usually end up on ones that have something to do with crafts, sewing, or home decorating. Almost all of them mention items they found at Ikea time and time again. We all went on Sunday (kids included) and spent a few hours meandering around. Mostly I was just trying to take everything in. Next time I go, I'm sure I'll have a list of things to look for. It was overwhelming! I did walk away with a few purchases but nothing major. Among other things, I saw an adorable red dresser that I would love to have in the boys' room to replace their current 20+ year old one that nearly collapses every time I pull a drawer out. I also saw countless options of furniture that Mark and I could put in our room. Bedroom furniture for us has always been on our "someday" list. Currently we have a conglomeration of mis-matched what-ever-we-could-find type items. Like both of us have end tables for night stands--mine, a nice cherry color, and his more of a blond wood. And both dressers are of the particle board variety. But someday...someday we'll get nice matching dressers and nightstands. And maybe even the mirror that goes over the dresser!
3. The Asmussen Garden has still continued to flourish though it's been painstaking waiting for the tomatoes to ripen! How do you explain to a two-year-old that "we can pick them in just a few more days..." when a few more days turns in to weeks!?! The jalapenos have been doing great, or so Mark says. The boys and I pick them for him and he blackens them and eats them whole. No thank you. My stomach is way to sensitive! But as of today we have several jalapenos that are ripe for the pickin' and the largest of our tomatoes look like this:
Hopefully they'll be just right when we get back from Colorado and we can finally make the batch of salsa we've been planning!
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