lies i told my kids recently

yes...that's right...i lie to my kids....and i'm NOT afraid to admit it! sometimes lying to my kids makes life a little easier on all of us...ok, well maybe just on me...but hey, what they don't know won't might not hurt them!

***please note....no children were harmed in the telling of these lies***

1... i told andrew i didn't have any money with me, so we wouldn't have to go to the concession stand after his tball game today

2... i told jacob that the "bike room" at school was closed for cleaning, so i could get him home for a nap, rather than staying to play after school

3... i told jacob that we didn't have a particular movie anymore, just because i simply could not stand to watch it or even hear it in the background again

4... i told andrew the iphone was charging, because i didn't want to have to argue with him about not playing a game on it

so....there you have it....just a few i can remember as i'm sitting here. trust me....there are many more....i guess i fib so much i can't even remember them all!!!

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check it out....i'm on someone else's blog!!!

can you tell i'm just a tad bit excited?!?!?! i LOVE writing and am honored to have my words on a blog other than my own :)

enjoy and let me know your feedback....

click here to view

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headache from hell...

last wednesday evening i completed a great 5.2 mile run on the treadmill...and was SO excited about it, i decided to celebrate with a glass of wine after putting the kiddos to bed. can we say...backfire! i ended up with the most horrible migraine ALL NIGHT and was still feeling bad in the morning...bad enough to have to miss work. i figured the headache(s) had to be from the combination of dehydration and wine...makes sense, right?!?!

while the migraine has subsided, i've continued to have headaches pretty much every day since then...so now we're talking over a week. so as not to become concerned with the headaches, i've been coming up with a few reasons i might be getting them...not drinking enough water, tired, the weather (is that even an excuse?), etc.

this morning, it HIT ME...like a load of bricks (oh wait...that would probably result in another bad headache)...i have these headaches because i have two totally crazy wild boys, who have decided the BEST way to bond, is to have screaming contests! while i LOVE to see them "bonding", i can think of 100, probably more, ways they could do it, rather than loud shrieks! i'm not exaggerating either...this is how it will play out...

andrew will say, "jacob scream"...jacob will the scream...andrew will then scream louder...jacob will then scream even louder...on and on until one of them decides he doesn't want to play anymore (usually jacob) or until i scream that they need to stop screaming :)

and i thought the headache was from the wine...NAH...pour me another glass...i need it!

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and the answer is...

during a recent trip to target, i encountered one of those "um..." moments, which a mother faces with her son (of which i am sure there are MANY more to come!). we were in the "feminine product" isle when andrew started asking, "mom, what are you looking at?" now of course, most moms would grab their "stuff" and continue on their shopping. not me though...i was busy price checking to make sure i was getting the best deal on pons & pads. after all, you end up buying a lot of these items over the years! as i stood there, calculating on my iphone which deal was the best, the following conversation ensued between my 5 year old son and me...

"mom, i said what is that?"

"nothing honey"

"it's not nothing. what is it? what are you buying?"

"it's something for mommies honey."

"like what mom? just tell me. it's not a big deal. what is it?"

at this point, i figured i was reaching the "grab-n-go" point in which i'd better either grab my shit and head out...or...face this discussion with my 5 year old son.

luckily my iphone revealed the math to me, showing me which product to buy. i grabbed the products and quickly pushed the cart down the other end of the isle. i was wondering how long andrew would let the silence last between us, before asking yet again, what i had been buying. he proved me right that the silence did not last long...he proved me wrong with the topic...

he must have known i was flustered, because the next question out of his mouth...

"mom, can we go get some legos for me?"

SMART KID...he knows how to strike when the iron is hot!!!

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junk it 2010...the kitchen

as you know from reading my earlier post, the kitchen portion of junk it 2010 is to be completed tomorrow. i am happy to report that this should be achieved! the kitchen is pretty much

de-junktified and i only have a few minor areas remaining to be organized. i gave away many items on freecycle and i am still holding out for a few items that will hopefully make us some money on craigslist. i am feeling very good about all that i have accomplished this week...did i mention that i completed ANOTHER 4+ mile run today!!! GO ME!!! i'm thinking the next room on my list should be the play room...that one might take more than a week. i am SO excited to declutter that room...say bye-bye to your toys, boys!!! stay tuned and i'll let you know what assignment i choose!

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positive power

it is amazing what we can do when we set our mind to it and tell ourselves we can accomplish the task(s) at hand. as many of you know, i am a member of a special book club, which is all based on the power of positive thinking and supporting one another on our journey through life. a great friend of mine started the club after noticing how many of her friends and family (including herself) were impacted after reading "the secret." our group is comprised of 6 amazing women, only 2 of whom i knew prior to this group forming. the group is different than your typical "book club"...for one, we don't read an entire book and then meet to discuss the book (or to just drink wine!). while we do enjoy each other's company over wine and dinner, our focus is on the betterment of each other and helping each other in reaching our personal goals. we do read a book...but only portions at a time. below are some of the books we've read since reading "the secret", if you're interested in checking them out at all...

* the key to living the law of attraction

* happy for no reason

* eat, pray, love

* the shack

we are currently reading another jack canfield book (LOVE HIM!!!), "the success principles." i've read this book before, but this time around it seems to be speaking to me more. one of the first points made in the book is that in order to be successful in life we need to do one important thing...take 100% responsibility for ourselves and our lives! while this sounds like an easy concept, i'll ask you this...in the past 24 hours, have you complained about something or blamed someone else for something??? for most people, including myself, the answer would be YES...well, this means we are not taking 100% responsibility for ourselves and our actions. i am really trying hard to live up to this, so i too can reach my personal successes in life!

ok...so you may be wondering why i'm babbling about this book club, the amazing women i've connected with, the books we've read, etc...

well, it all goes back to my last post. i want to report that i have been doing VERY well sticking to my plan...all without stressing about it! i honestly believe that i'm not stressing about getting it all (running, dejunking, being mom/wife, etc) done, because i know and believe i can do it.

on that note...the kitchen is almost dejunked...and i ran 4 miles today!!! that is by far, the most i've run in years!!! i was SO proud of myself when the treadmill reached the 4 mile mark today...you would've thought i'd just completed a marathon...not only by my excitement, but by the redness in my cheeks and the amount of sweat dripping from my face!

it is such a great feeling when we accomplish our goals! and together...with the power of positive thinking, we can all be successful in whatever it is we choose to do!!!

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privacy act

in my previous life, as a corporate working woman, i would sometimes retreat to the bathroom in search of some silence. don't sigh, you know you've done it too. the boss (typically a man) gets on your nerves and you just need to get away for a few minutes...you head for the ladies room...afterall, it's the best place to hide, right?!?!

i believe that the bathroom should be a place where one should have peace and quiet while they do their "business." it IS called the "rest"room for a reason, don't you think!?!?! well, apparently this is another one of those definitions that only exists until you have kids. now i wonder...will i EVER be able to go to the bathroom ALONE again?!?!

maybe this should go on this list of reasons to go back to work???

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mother of all days...

once again, my boys have amazed me! mother's day started off with andrew presenting a breakfast in bed menu to me. i made my selections and he brought the menu back down to derek.

the two of them were then off in search of what they needed to make breakfast. one glitch to the whole breakfast in bed plan though...jacob woke up and needed to be fed (while A & D were out). so...when they got home, J and I were already downstairs...ready for breakfast :)

i relaxed while breakfast was prepared...SO NICE! A & D also surprised me with a vase full of flowers cut fresh from our yard!

once J was in for his nap, i headed out for some time to myself...aka shopping :) when i returned, i was greeted with street art that made me blush. not only did my boys want to tell me how much they love me...they told the whole neighborhood! in case you can't see...it says "UR A SUPERMOM" and has a picture of flying superhero...

in the afternoon, we went out for a nice lunch with my family to wrap up this awesome day.

thank you derek for making my day so special! you 3 boyz are the GREATEST and i love you!!!

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year in preview

i always find this time of year quite invigorating. when i was a little girl, i used to write down my resolutions, seal them in an envelope and address the envelope to god (with an actual address). i would then tuck the envelope in the back of my dresser and not open it until the following new years eve. thinking back, i'm not quite sure why i addressed it to anyone...i knew exactly where it was going?!?!? (side note: mom and dad...did you ever know that i did that?) while i still love the chance to look ahead to a new year...a clean slate...a fresh start...i'm not so much into making resolutions. did you know that on average people break their resolutions within 30 days of making them! so much for sticktuitiveness!!!

while many people are thinking about what happened in 2008 (somewhat of a year in review)...and many are blogging about it...i've decided to focus this post on the future and what's to come in 2009! don't get me wrong, 2008 was definitely an exciting year...we added jacob to our family & andrew has continued to amaze me more and more with each passing day...but for tonight i just want to focus on the future...it brings me excitement and energy to do so...ok?

so...in no particular order...i bring you a list of things i'm looking forward to in the coming year...

living in the present...i know, kind of a funny thing to say, after just preaching that i'm going to focus on the future! what i mean though, is living each day to its fullest. yes, it sounds very "hallmark greeting cardish", but it's true. i find that my days are much better (and more fun) when i don't stress about what needs to get done, and i just focus on these boys and watching them grow and learn! so, i vow to live each day to the fullest...and i'm not talking about my eating habits when i say that!

cultivating my passion for writing...if you are reading this blog, which hey, you are...then you know how much i love to write. it is something i've always enjoyed (i was the dork who loved creative writing class!) and i'm so glad that blogging has given me an outlet to release my sometimes creative juices. i'm also glad that so many of you have emailed or posted comments on this blog about how much you enjoy reading it. i really get so much joy out of knowing that my words brought a smile and maybe even some laughter into your day! so...i vow to continue to write...both on this blog and hopefully on an even greater level. if you know anyone who wants to hire me...please be sure to let me know :)

doing what i know is best for me...i am currently reading a great book which has encouraged me to look inside myself and truly think about what makes me happy. all too often, we forget to take care of ourselves...especially those of us who have the job of taking care of others! i vow to eat right, exercise and do things for me that bring peace to my days (ie...vegging out on the couch, writing, reading a good book, or simply hanging out with friends and family) i vow to find love again...a love for myself that is.

helping others...i want to help more women as they enter the world of motherhood. this is something i am passionate about and would love to do more of. so many women, including myself, enter the world of motherhood with quite unrealistic expectations. we read books that tell us how often to feed our baby...how much they should poop each day...how our lives will be so blissful once our baby enters the world...but no one tells us how difficult being a mother really can be...that your baby might cry for hours on end...that you will most likely feel lonely as a new mom...no one prepares us for those things. i want to help women adjust to the real world of being a mommy!

so...as i sit here at 8:45 on new years eve...in pajamas, with 2 kids asleep and a husband on the couch watching tv...i can feel only excitement and positive energy for the year 2009! i thank all of you for reading this blog and encouraging me to ignite my passion for writing...and i leave you with a picture from our trip to st louis...yes, we are lighting the menorah while sitting in front of a christmas tree...a true blended family :)

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