Shopaholic's Confession

Does anyone else like shopping without their kids in tow?  I discovered I like it so much, which is why I went out at 11:30 last night to "see" if we needed anything.  I ended up buying incessantly more than I needed and will therefore spend the majority of today returning such items...with kids in tow, thus putting myself in the very scenario I was trying to avoid.   Hmmmm...

Did I save time?  

I got home at 1:07 (am).

Did I get everything I needed?  

Heavens, no.  I didn't want to spoil this free time with mundane to-do tasks like buying Goldfish, diapers, and laundry detergent.

Did I save money?  

Uhhh...let's just say I stuck to my list :)  Perhaps my list should have been more specific than "Food.  Toys.  DVDs.  Camping Stuff"...camping stuff?  How'd that get on there? Oh well.

Ahh..but I did experience the solice that comes from standing in the hair section pondering such critical matters like wondering if my hair was thin enough that I should be using the little girl hair ties.  Uninterrupted by "don't touch him", "pick that up", "peekaboo", and "put that back".  Yes, it was pure bliss.

Swim Diapers. A Must.

Why didn't anyone tell me?

disposable

vs.

reusable 

Swim diapers.

We agree, they are necessary.

Effectiveness is questionable, (see here)

but it's better than nothing.

But does anyone cringe when they spend close to $1 per diaper?  Consider me wierd, I kind of have a "no-playing-on-my-couch-in-a-wet-and-not-leak-proof-diaper" rule. So that means when we're playing in the water outside, we go through so many per day b/c of the kids "in and out" nature with the pool and playing inside.  It adds up.

Sometimes I catch myself saying "No" to swimming b/c I don't want to "waste" the swim diapers.

That sounds backwards. I know.
Stingy? Most likely.

Mean? According to the kids.

Then my sister showed me these.

They're cloth (like a swimsuit type material) with soft fleece inside.

Totally effective.

Stylish, too, if you get the colors that match your swiumsuits

(rather the kids' suits. Please don't YOU wear one of these).

They snap off so easily,

and often have adjustable snaps on the size as they grow bigger.

Wish I'd known.

So I'm ordering some. Do you want some too? We could share shipping cost.

And, while on the subject of water play,
does this count as "Playing IN the sprinkler?"

101 Road Trip Tips...

What?  You thought you'd GET the 101 Road Trip Tips on my blog?  No, no, you have it all wrong...I'm SEEKING 101 Road Trip Tips! 

11-ish days until our first official cross country road trip.  I thought I could do this, based on my growing up years, but now that I'm the Captain Packer/Planner of it all...I'm not so sure.  How did my mom do it?  We had so much fun that the trip was just as fun as getting to wherever we were going.  That's what I want this to be for our family.  Dare I say, bonding.

So, the 101 Road Trip tips.   That's a big goal; you'd better get started submitting your suggestions for us. 
What advise do you have to make our road trip a fun success?
("staying home" does not count as advise)

Here are the numbers:  2 parents, a 4 yr old, 2 yr old, and a 1 yr old. 

Total driving: 46 hours. 

See all the smiles on their faces?  Looks like fun!

Tips, anyone?  Tips?

Comment as many times as ideas pop into your mind...please!  Feel free to make this the longest comment--or the most comments--you've ever left on my blog.

And I have to give a shout-out to Katie E!  She made this drive 3 weeks ago with her 2 1/2-yr old twins. 

While being Super Mom, she created a scavenger hunt for Carter and wrote down exciting things to look for on the way, including a Smiley Face Water Tower and "Stockyards...you'll smell them first!".  Unfortunately, I think the turtle-shaped cloud will have moved on by then...j/k. 

Thank you, Katie!  You are a giving and thoughtful friend!

{enter subliminal vote-for-Kai message here.  Just by clicking, it counts as a vote}

New goal...

I made a goal to go to bed at 10:00 this week.  It has made such a difference!  I wake up feeling good, happy, and I sincerely feel great for the rest of the day.  It is invigorating!  Just thought you should know...

...as I write this at 12:22 AM.  I made those cool jewelry pendants tonight though, so well worth it!

Early Retirement

You may not have known, but I've had a stay-at-home part time job since Carter was born.  I'm not talking about the nurse, chef, maid, referee, chaufer, pyschiatrist, jungle-gym titles we all share.  For 4 years, I've been doing some Data-Entry work for my brothers' Real Estate company in Denver.  Let's be honest, though...In that time he got it streamlined so much that by the end I was really doing only 1/2 hour work per week, which was really just pushing buttons and letting his software do all the work.  Can I really call that a job?  Apparently, yes, since Carter made this sign and put it on the door last week:

No Goeeing In the study

When I asked him why not, he let me know it had to do with the fact that I'm always working and never playing.

That was my last day working for my brother.

Thank you Early Retirement!

Of course, one can't be too certain he was referring to the Data Entry job completely, and not to my compulsive blogging...but for now, the sign is up as a reminder :)

It made me laugh...

Today Carter was taking me on an imaginary train ride.  He was the conductor.   I got in and found my seat (on the couch).  He ran to the front the "train", looked out the imaginary windows making sure everyone had cleared away from the train and pushed a button to close the imaginary doors.  Wow, I was thinking,  He's being really thorough.  And it made me think When was the last time he took a train ride, since it's not something we do every day.  Think think think...ah yes, it was June 28th; he took the "L" downtown with my Mom. 

Chuckling  a little, I nodded my head in recognition now to how Carter was mimicking the exact motions of the "L" conductors, peaking out their little window to assure the passengers are clear before leaving.  He {and all children} really amazes me at how much he picks up without me knowing!!!!!  But he really took the cake when he announced,

Next stop will be Davis--

A REAL HONEST TO GOODNESS STOP ON THE LINE HE TOOK 18 DAYS AGO, and he said it EXACTLY like the recorded voice says it on the train.  How did he remember that?  But that wasn't the real kicker.  He then followed up with, in the EXACT intonation as heard on the real train: 

Doors open on the LEFT at Davis. 

I couldn't believe it...and was cracking up so hard inside!  He then continued to take me to Howard and Central, real stops, and Kedzie and Damon--both real streets downtown,!  How does he remember this!!!  Of course, there were some made up stops in between, proving he can still imagine.  And then I became the hat lady, passing out hats to everyone and that's when I knew we were back to make-believe....or were we?  You sure meet STRANGE people on that train.

Back to Life. Back to Reality.

How do you combine your favorite people on earth

+ your favorite place on earth  

+ your favorite holiday ever?

Carter with Aunt Emily and our Blueberry Flag Cake

You throw naptimes, schedules, and bedtimes to the wind for a crazy weekend of fun!

You also find as many chances as you can to do it OVER and OVER and OVER again!

Over the past 7 days, We celebrated the 4th of July twice, have been to the beach twice, went to my Mom's house twice, Steve's Mom's house twice, and made Bedtime--once...maybe twice, if you count Addison crashing at Gma's at 4:00.

 

The Fourth IS my favorite holiday and I LOVE fireworks!  The big ones!  The feel-the-boom-in-your-chest ones!  The avoid-if-you-wear-a-pacemaker ones!  But not the illegal ones...really, neighbors.  And I LOVE sharing this holiday with these little kids!  The fireworks are just as amazing to them as they are for me!  And I LOVE watching the fireworks at the beach, where we can watch them fall right into the water, like falling stars...this was Addison's favorite part as he still is talking about "Fall...Water!"

 

I love the beach.  Just seeing the glorious HUGE Beautiful Lake Michigan calms me into believing I'm far away from all worries.  This could be why this past Saturday felt like the best non-holiday day so far this summer!   We left all our housework, yard work, {and anything else that felt like work} behind and spent an entire carefree day at the shore side.  We had a fantastic picnic at my parents' house {affectionately referred to as "The Beach House" on occasions like this}, then headed down to the beach. We were so surprised when Steve's Mom & Sisters decided to go to the beach the same day (an almost 2 hour drive for them!)  We loved being with them and especially the playtime they had with the boys...and for me, I LOVED the chance to go swim and play in the water with Steve knowing the kids were well taken care of!

Now, we all know I LOVE my baby girl, but nothing says "I LOVE YOU" back as this hug did!

I could even carry her all the way out in the water!  She was probably just being smart not to touch the freezing water, but I'll take a sign of love if I can see it!

We also discovered Alana loves cherries...and would look good in lipstick!

 After hours of sand and water play, we ordered pizza and ate it right at the beach...including the mishap of moving the *heavy* picnic table under an awning as a flash storm came in.  Nothing that the buff Steve and Brian couldn't handle!  {Why don't we have a pic?  Oh yeah, because we were herding 5 children and a bizillion bags and sand toys out of the rain!}

After showers at the said Beach House, amazing Blueberry Apple Crisp {Thanks Cheri for the life-saving, friend-getting recipe!} and bidding adieu to our dear friends who came with us, My parents joined us as we went to see "The Sound of Music" at the outdoor theater right there on the beach!  It was so much fun; Almost magical!  Carter was enthralled with it all, Addison just wanted to dance, and Alana was clapping the whole time! 

It reminded me of ME when I was 2 and was watching Annie in this same theater--singing EVERY word to the songs at the top of my lungs!  {Not that I remember, but my Mom tells me about it.  And Cheri, Taryn would have been doing the same thing during "Do, Re, Mi!"}. 

Now let's remember that it is 10 o'clock by the time we leave (still during the first act).  No joke, my kids have stayed up later in the last 7 days than EVER in their lives.  They are normal 7-7:30 bedtimers, but falling asleep has found record times since the 4th, being:

July 2nd-9PM family dinner date,

3rd-11PM Fireworks,

4th-2AM Fireworks (and something about running out of gas on the tollway, we don't have to talk about it),

5th-9PM BBQ with friends,

6th-well, thank goodness for the 6th when they fell asleep so easy at Gma's house--out by 7!,

7th-9PM , Gpa M, Steve's brother+sis.in.law, and 2 cousins came to visit

8th-I don't know, I was at Girls Night *hooray* and Steve won't say

9th-for obvious reasons the parents fell asleep WITH the kids by 8pm

10th-10PM, Beach and Theater

 This might be why they've been falling asleep everywhere.  Strangers were even taking a picture of this:  Carter and Alana sharing pillow space on the bus!

Adorable and Fun as this has all been, I think my ship has landed and we will return to normal life.

Welcome back. Thank you.

The Strategy of a Reader...

Chips

Homemade Salsa

3 Jars of Babyfood

Garden Veggie Sticks (sounds healthier that it really is...kind of chip-like things, similar to the veggie rainbow pasta...can you really count that as veggie?)

Ice Cream

This was essential ammunition for me this evening.  I had a mission...I HAD to finish my book.  Not HAD to in a "this-book-is-way-overdue-and-at-this-rate-I-may-as-well-buy-a-brick-with-my-name-engraved-as-a-high-library-donor-if-I don't-turn-it-in-today" kind of way but in the "let's-face-it-I'm-addicted-so-let's-rush-to-the-end-to-get-back-to-life" kind of way.  Fess up.  You've been there too.  With Twilight.  Anyway, so there I was, at the end.  The climax.  I couldn't put it down.   Kids wanted me.  What was I to do?  I said, "You want a snack?"  Which was probably intended more as a declaration than a question.  So out came the chips and salsa.  It occupied them (even Alana could pick up the chunky parts by herself).  What?  You're making a sound?  Here, have this...enter the next thing.  And then the next.  Then the next.  Anything to keep them occupied!  And when they want to go play again, I bring out the big guns.  Ice cream.  Seconds on ice cream.  Sure, kids.  We're having ice cream for dinner.  Oh, the shame.  But oh, the joy of finishing the book! I guess we'll get our lives back tomorrow.

My book group meets every 2 months or so...and it's necessarily that far apart because the way I read, I can't put a book down for about 5 days--I zoom through it, serve ice cream to my kids for dinner, don't clean, barely entertain the kids, for the sake of reading the book...can you picture it now?  So, the books HAVE to be spread out that much for the sake of the happiness of my family!

Steve Trumped Me!

I was all prepared to come home and post all about my fantastic Sisters Weekend in Minnesota.  I thought everything had gone perfectly and according to plan: Me and Alana in MN, my kids at Grandma's, Steve at work during the day.

But when I got home, something told me things had gone perfectly, but not according to plan.

This was clue #1:

And when I walked in, all I could do was drop my bags...

and my jaw....

Steve had the WHOLE house painted while I was gone.

*He turned the Great Room green, 

*The Family Room, Kitchen, and Hallways khaki,

*Alana's room lavender,

*The main bathroom pale yellow,

*The upstairs bathroom dark green,

*And our bathroom periwinkle.

The only room left with builder's paint white is the study, the laundry room, and the linen closet...

They'll stay that way.

WHAT A SURPRISE!!! WHO DOES THAT?

Steve does!

Did you know that for Christmas 2 years ago, he surprised me by painting our bedroom one day.  I was banned from the room (of course) and was greeted with a similar bow on that doorknob on Christmas morning.  THAT project he did all on his own.  This time he hired a team of 8 painters who had it done in one day and did a FANTASTIC job!

What a sweet guy!

And I know what you are wondering, and the answer is:  No, we hadn't even talked about colors or anything.  He chose them ALL on his own.  Incredible job, Honey!  Pictures don't show the true colors at all (sorry if you're too far to come see it on your own!)

So, bottom line:

The MN post will have to wait.

I've been trumped.