PNO - KNI

{Preface: this post was written a week ago about last Friday night. It was forgotten and left as a draft for the past week. I almost deleted it but then I couldn't because I really want to know...am I the only mom that deals with this much poop and pee on a regular basis?!? Please say NO!}

Friday afternoon I found myself running around like a mad woman trying to keep order and peace in our house. Hannah had somehow managed to pee on her "baby" (her special blanket) during nap time. Instead of throwing in an entire load of laundry (the smart thing to do) I hand washed it in the sink and hung it over a heat vent to dry. Isaiah was begging for a) a snack and b) my phone (to watch YouTube videos of how-to build Hero Factory). I agreed to the snack. But before I could get the snack served Charlotte called out for me from the bathroom. She had had an "accident". And NOT the potty kind...the other one:( Quickly I wiped her down and put her in the tub. Then I returned to the kitchen to serve the other two a snack - crackers & cheese slices. Once they were settled at the table snacking, I returned to the bathroom to clean up the rest of the poopy mess. As I was washing out Charlotte's clothes I wondered to myself, "Am I the only one that deals with this much uncontained human excrement every day?" Am I?!? Please tell me I am not alone. I will accept half truths and blatant lies to make myself feel better at this point. Before I could complete my bleach-the-entire-bathroom mission Isaiah came rushing in to use the toilet! So I went out to check on Hannah. Much to my dismay I found her not eating her snack. Instead she had covered herself, her highchair and a three foot radius around her with pulverized crackers and cheese as only a toddler can do. While maddening, I couldn't really blame her...I had left her confined and bored. As I was madly cleaning Hannah and her surrounding mess, Isaiah returned and asked

for my phone again. To which I hastily responded, "No! Just go play. PLAY! You know that thing kids do. WITHOUT an iPhone! I survived my entire childhood playing without phones and how-to videos. And I think you will too!" Not my finest parenting moment. But sheesh! A phone is not necessary to play. He asked again. I ignored the question. He got the picture and went to play in his room. 

Eventually I got the bathroom cleaned up. Charlotte bathed and dressed. And the dining room returned to order. The reason for the rush and hurry was Friday night was our church's annual 'Parents Night Out - Kids Night In' event and I was not going to miss it (despite the fact that my date was still at the clinic). They watch the kids (and feed them dinner!) for 3 hours for FREE so parents can have an evening alone. Our church is the best! 

In the minutes before I needed to load the kids in the van to go, I found myself in the bathroom attempting to dry Hannah's "baby" with my travel sized (and very weak) blow dryer*. Seriously it as if my brain had quit working! After a few futile minutes it dawned on me that I could put it in the dryer! Such a novel concept. Well the "baby" never got completely dry (so close though!) but it allowed me to change yet another poopy diaper (her fourth for the day!) and get the kids to church only one minute late. Not bad considering the marathon it took to get us out the door...

I was a frazzled mess by the time I walked in the church doors. Friends tried to make conversation with me and I gave it my best shot but I was incapable of focusing and conversing at that point.  Sorry friends. It wasn't you, it was ME. Definitely me. Eventually I deposited each child in their respective rooms and in the capable hands of their babysitters and made my hasty exit. After a lengthy bath to decompress, I was finally ready for my date to begin and lucky for me Joe was home! We had a lovely UNINTERRUPTED dinner.

The silence was nearly deafening. But we found plenty to talk about and before we knew it it was time to go pick up our little barnacles...

same night. non-date outfit.

Tonight we are doing this...

...and don't be fooled by the smiles on our faces. We are NOT having fun. What we are trying to do is register Joe for (the majority of) his rotations for next year. But the system has crashed so instead of actually signing up for rotations (which would be lovely because then we would know where will be next year) we are hitting refresh every 20 seconds only to be denied access yet again! Frustrating. We may be up for awhile yet tonight...along with all 203 of Joe's classmates. Fun times. Fun times. I think it is time to pull out the chips and salsa.

 

*A couple weeks ago my trusty(?) old blow dryer died a dramatic spark flying death! I mean it quite literally, there were sparks flying from the handle as I was drying my hair one night. I was scared but unharmed. I was so startled I drug Joe out of bed to examine the dead blow dryer. He wasn't impressed:)

Addendum: After I hit publish, I realized that both of the tops and the dress (pictured above) are hand-me-downs from Joe's little sister! Thank you Chelsea for keeping my wardrobe fresh and in-style. I would be a lost cause without you:)

CONGRATULATIONS DAD!

Today is a much anticipated day for our family...

it is my dad's BIRTHDAY and first day of RETIREMENT! Actually it was supposed to be his last day of work, but when he and my mom showed up this morning at his UPS hub (to be honored) they sent him home to start his retirement early. And I bet my dad was more than happy to take his cake and run (with a silly grin on his face)! On a February day in Minnesota that began in the negative teens...yeah sounds like a great day for a UPS driver to retire:)

We wish we could be there with him to celebrate, but with two boys in school and living 400 miles away makes it a bit tricky. So we celebrated early (when my parents visited in January)!

If I know my dad at all, I bet his retirement looks a lot like this....

And he deserves a rest! I can not even imagine what it is like to deliver hundreds of packages for 10-12 hours a day five days week for over three decades! This man has worked HARD for UPS for 35+ years. And he enjoyed his work. He loved interacting with customers every day. He especially enjoyed building relationships with repeat customers. And despite physically demanding work in ridiculously gruesome weather conditions this man did not complain. Seriously. He once was hit by a car while delivering a package. What did he do? He stood up, gathered the package and carried on. He finished his route that day. And almost every other day for that matter. The only times I can remember him calling in sick were the two times he was hospitalized! The first time we was in the ICU for 2 weeks, underwent 4 surgeries and nearly died. (Mom correct me if I am wrong on any of these facts). Since all of his children are grown and gone, he often takes on extra deliveries and pick ups so other drivers with young families can get home to see their kids! The man is in his 60s and has arthritis in his hands and knees and takes on extra work?!! That's dedication and servanthood.

So here's to you DAD! Thank you for always working so hard to provide for our family. You have been an incredible example of hard work and dedication. Enjoy your cake! You deserve it. And I hope mom makes meatloaf tonight:)

Oh and this morning when I reminded Isaiah that today is your first day of retirement, he said, "YAY! Now we get to see Grandpa anytime we visit!" We are all excited to see a lot more of you. But you better watch out...you might just get sick of us....

Here are some oldies but goodies of little Isaiah and Grandpa Paul in his UPS truck:

Ironic

I wrote yesterday's post last week and scheduled it to be published in the future. When I picked the publish date it was chosen at random. 

And then yesterday happened. 

Joe had the unfortunate experience of suggesting a parenting book to me (via text) and me responding very unkindly. Lets just say on the spectrum of "barely surviving to thriving" I was a -2. Poor guy got a screenful of my less than welcoming thoughts on the book suggestion. And since I was in full on text attack mode I decided to tell him what I thought about his earlier hints that I should make crockpot meals as well! 

Ironic doesn't do yesterday justice. 

At one point during the day I remembered the post (and all it's cheer and yay us!) and I had the thought that I should delete it (or at least postpone it a bit). But that sounded like a lot of work. Which is how I realized...I didn't just hate my life...I was SICK. As in those random hot flashes and bodyaches I was experiencing all day were an actual FEVER. I wasn't just angry. I was run down and overwhelmed!  

[Do you know how hard it is to load up three uncooperative kids in a van when it is 10 degrees out and you have a fever and no energy? It ain't easy. And it might just result in a baditude. Trust me.]

At the clinic one of Joe's classmates asked Joe to text me - to request that I buy her some fruit snacks too - Joe politely declined. He didn't want to see me try to murder him through our phones. (That is a direct quote from him.)

Thankfully Joe got home early-ish and I got to rest (kinda...does fishing poop out of the tub count as rest?! Yep that happened.) Joe was extremely relieved to discover that I was sick and not just pure evil. Seriously my text messages were mean. 

As I was falling asleep last night I was startled awake by Joe's deep belly laugh. I rolled over to find him reading my blog post...

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Joe's book recommendation (which came from a pediatrician he is training under): SOS help for parents. 

I might have already requested it from the library:)

This Year

A little over a year ago I wrote a post about next year. Which would now be this year:) [To clarify, I was referring to school years NOT calendar years.] I was anxious about all the unknowns. The uncharted territory (i.e. third year) for our family. I sensed change was coming but I didn't know what it would look like. And being that I really don't like change, I worried. The original post can be read HERE.

So a year later, here is my take on it. This third year of medical school. What I know now but didn't know then. What I wish I had known then, I suppose. 

This year IS drastically different. Joe's schedule IS erratic and demanding. And the kids (and me for that matter) DO see a lot less of Joe. All of which has been hard on us, individually and as family. 

But...and this is significant...we are doing it. One day. One week. One month at a time. Some rotations have been absolute drudgery for everyone. There have been days...nearly full weeks when the kids do not see their dad awake. I have been a pseudo-single parent at times. And then there are times when Joe's schedule is lighter than it was during his first two years of school. And we get extra family time...when we can pull daddy away from his studying. [Because in med school world, free time = study time! They are an odd bunch these doctors-in-training.] There have been times when I feel confident and proud of myself, of Joe, of our kids. Our family.

 

There also have been times when I wonder if I am going to make it. If I really can keep this family afloat for one more day. Or even one more hour. Joe has received more than his fair share of SOS texts (which he can do nothing about as he has no control over his schedule) this year.  

It has been a wild ride. The highs have been really HIGH and the lows have been really low. But we are hanging on. 

I have learned that we can do hard things. I can do hard things. Even if that hard thing is just everyday life with kids without my husband's help. Another morning of Cheerios and cartoons and a mad rush out the door. Another afternoon of snacks and breaking up sibling brawls while trying to make dinner. Another evening of jammies, bedtime stories, brushing teeth and prayers. More tedious than hard, really.

 

There are a few things I didn't anticipate about this year. Things I didn't expect and therefore didn't mention last year. Things that I wish I knew were coming because they have been so good. So sweet. I would have looked forward to them with excitement and not dread. But I guess that's why they say hindsight is 20/20. And maybe if I had known about it earlier it would have taken away some of the joy?! Maybe. Despite all my fears there have been some really good experiences during this third year of medical school. 

For starters, this year I have had the privilege of watching my husband discover what he wants to be when he grows up:) To learn which specialty of medicine is his niche. Where he fits in the world of doctoring. It has been so fun watching this unfold from the sidelines. Admittedly, there were a few times I was a bit nervous. Mainly when he discovered his love for surgery. Ok. Ok. Nervous is an understatement. I was terrified. The thought of a FIVE YEAR surgical residency with gruesome hours left me shaking in my boots. Not to mention the fellowship after the residency he was considering! But I knew if that was what he was meant to do, then we would walk that path together. Thankfully it looks as though we will be going down a different path. At this point my husband is planning to pursue a career in emergency medicine. Which has a three year residency. Can I get an AMEN and a HALLELUJAH? More importantly, I (we) think it is a perfect fit for him. He likes to be hands on. He likes to be busy. And he performs well under pressure. I wouldn't say he is an adrenaline junky, he's just calm and collected ALL THE TIME regardless of his surrounding circumstances. It takes a lot to phase him. Plus he likes to find the humor in every day life. And while there is a lot of sad and tragedy in the emergency department, there is also a lot of humor there as well. People do stupid things and need doctors to put then back together:) Joe will gladly be that doctor. 

*As I write this we still have four months (and 3.5 rotations) to complete this year (but who is counting?!). So nothing is written in stone. I am well aware of the fact that Joe could still fall in love with a different medical specialty. This is just where we are at right now.

 

Lastly, I now believe the cheesy and cliche saying "absence makes the heart grow fonder" is true. Thank you third year for allowing me to have some absence from my husband. Though I never would have chosen it, it has been good for our relationship. We have been together for 14 years (married ten of those). It's good to have a little separation. To have time to really miss and appreciate your spouse. To want to spend time together. Admittedly, third year has changed Joe (and not always for the better...he's more tired and serious...) but I still love him and look forward to being with him. Even if that means watching him study in the evenings while I blog:) And it has made me appreciate the little things he does for me. Like filling up my van's gas tank. Because there is nothing I enjoy less than standing in the freezing cold at the gas station while all three children scream at me through the window. Thank you dear husband for finding the time to spare me that particular misery. You are the best!

Did I already say lastly? Because that wasn't the last one. This is the last one. I promise. This year I have discovered the joy of cooking, but not really cooking. My kids rarely appreciate my home cooked meals. In fact most the time they BALK at them. So this year I have given myself a little slack. A cooking break of sorts. When daddy isn't home I don't cook dinner unless I want to. Instead we eat kid food. Pancakes and eggs for dinner? Absolutely! Don't mind if we do...twice in a week. Chicken nuggets and (instant) mashed potatoes? Yep. Totally counts as dinner when daddy is away. Maybe I am just being a total slacker. Maybe. I call it giving myself a little grace and a peaceful evening with the kids.

This year. The third year of medical school. It ain't so bad....says the girl that drove off into the sunset crying after the first 8 weeks because she just couldn't do it for one more minute....

(But I came back! And we are making it.)

 

Pretties

The other day at lunch I decided to touch up Charlotte's finger nail polish. It was chipped and looking quite sad. Hannah watched with great interest. It didn't take her long to decide she too wanted a manicure. And after a few loud and persistent "eeh, eeh, eehs" along with her little fingers shoved in my face I gave in. Hannah got her first manicure. And by manicure I actually mean the smallest amount of polish slathered on the ends of her fingers hoping the nails were covered. Painting a one year old's nails is not easy! Taking pictures of the one year old's "manicured" finger nails WITH big sister...

proved to be quite challenging as well!

 

I think this next picture does a good job of capturing the whole experience.

I said "show me your pretties" and this is what I got...

 

It's a good thing I took those pictures right away because my work was in vain. After picking Isaiah from school the kids and I spent the afternoon playing outside in the snow because it was FINALLY above freezing! 40 degrees and sunny!!! And wouldn't you know it, when we came inside Hannah's nails were chipped and sad looking. Apparently sitting on a tricycle and in the stroller with fleece mittens on reeks havoc on manicured toddler fingers!!! Who knew? (Seriously the girl never actually played in the snow. Don't be fooled by the shovel in her mitted hand. She watched her siblings play.)

 

And truth be told, I didn't actually play in the snow either. Bad mom! I know. But my van really, really needed some attention. As in a date with the shop vac. So I supervised the play while I cleaned the van. Want to know how bad it was? Last month while my parents were here my mom (a fellow mom of 3 and longtime van driver) suggested that it was time to clean my van. But it was too cold out so I let it simmer a bit longer and added a new layer of crumbs and spills to the already existing filth. (It's my own fault, I feed the kids - meals & snacks - on the go.) All that to say I was appalled (but not surprised) when I discovered a layer of debris a half inch thick under Hannah's carseat! Yuck. Yuck. Yuck!

 

Wednesday morning while I was unloading the girls from the van (at MOPS) Charlotte whined, "Mommy it's too hot! I want the cold back."  It was a balmy 37. Too hot?! Oh my!

The year of the looms.

2014 is shaping up to be the year of the looms. The rainbow looms that is. And this kid is quite the loomer...

A master loomer according to his gym teacher. And I couldn't agree more. But the proof is in the pudding so here are just a few of his creations (thanks to many, many YouTube videos)...

I was going to get all fancy and add the words to the picture but I didn't. So starting at the top left is a turtle key chain (made for Joe's birthday), next is a penguin, then an American flag (for the Olympics of course), continuing clockwise are three ice cream sundaes, next is some sort of creature and a spider, then Thor (with his hammer), next an orange seahorse and last (and certainly least) a bow.  This is just a sampling. The kid is a wizard with his loom kit. It is crazy! His classmates are constantly putting in orders for rainbow loom creations for Isaiah to make. And most of the time he is more that willing to learn to make whatever they want:)

 

 

And I realize that declaring this the YEAR of the looms is ridiculously optimistic. This was THE gift Isaiah really, really wanted for Christmas (and received obviously). And so far he is quite enthralled with it. But likely this fad will not truly last all year long. By next Christmas this whole looming craze will probably be long over and the kit forgotten and lost. But until then I am going to enjoy the rainbow loom masterpieces this kid creates (and the hours of peace and quiet it brings to our home)!

 

he's been teaching me a thing or two...

February 17, 2014

Last night while preparing a birthday dinner for our birthday boy, Hannah came to me begging to go outside. First she brought her mittens and hat. Then her winter coat and finally her boots.  Apparently she was tired of being cooped up inside watching the snow fall all.day.long. 

Since our birthday boy was no where near joining us for dinner, I decided to oblige her and left dinner simmering. We went out to get the mail. 

Only to realize there was no mail. Because it was President's Day. Oops. But there was plenty of snow so I shoveled while Hannah watched and smiled. 

She was so pleased with herself. Eventually she toddled over to me to get a closer look at my work. She then wanted her picture taken on both sides of the driveway and with me. I of course obliged. 

I think the shoveling may have been the best gift I gave Joe this year. (He really dislikes winter!) Although he says he likes both the shirts I picked out for him as well. Hopefully the shoveling and shirts make up for the fact that he had to serve himself his birthday dinner (because I had lost all motivation by the time he made his appearance) and I made my favorite cake for his birthday. We didn't even sing "Happy Birthday" to him. 

But I am getting ahead of myself here...

On our way in from shoveling, I had a moment of inspiration. I took the window picture of the kids. So that I could recreate a 'pin' I had seen recently. So really it was a pinspiration! Too cheesy? Yes. Sorry. 

Aah! They are trapped in my phone!!!

I love it. It makes me smile every time I see it. What doesn't make me smile is the fact that once Hannah & I came inside I discovered the big kids had eaten the entire top off the angel food cake I left cooling on the counter! 

This is going no where. Sorry. But LOOK eventually we ate the cake (with the kids in bed calling out because they needed us!) and watched the US free dance skate team win the Olympic Gold medal. 

Not sure why I just pounded all of that out here. No real point or purpose. Somehow it seemed more noteworthy while it was unfolding. Not so much now.  It was the day that never wanted to end...including Isaiah in our room at 11pm because he "couldn't fall asleep"...so of course I had to record it. For prosperity?! To remember the birthday that was a flop?! I'm not sure. To motivate me to do better next year for Joe's birthday?! Either way, it's done. Over. No going back. Goodbye February 17, 2014. I won't miss you. 

I really shouldn't hit 'publish' but I will anyway. It would be such a shame to waste all those fabulous collages:)

Slooooow going

I don't know why and I don't know how, but this morning time stood still. Or at the very least moved very, very slooooooowly. It was 9:15 and we had all eaten breakfast, watched cartoons, gotten dressed (multiple times for a certain little miss needs THE perfect outfit), completed our first art project of the day (wrapping & decorating daddy's birthday gifts), had a snack (plain sliced bread per their request), washed the dishes and I had thrown in one load of laundry. I had no idea how we were going to fill the rest of the day! So I did what I always do. I sent Joe a text (telling him that time had stopped). He agreed. Which took all of 30 seconds. Soooooo I scrubbed the oven and microwave. 

And then because its Joe's birthday, I started ironing his new (from his mom) dress shirt. [I really hate ironing, but I love my husband.] It was then that Charlotte started playing "doggy" with Hannah. Hannah was the dog and Charlotte was throwing peanuts (second course snack) for her to fetch. Basically Charlotte threw a peanut and called out "fetch doggy" and Hannah would run over and eat the peanut from the floor. I debated stopping this game as it somehow felt wrong to allow the three year old to feed the one year old like a dog. But it was good cheap entertainment. So I just watched and chuckled (inside). 

Once all the peanuts were tossed and consumed Charlotte wandered down the hall towards Isaiah. I didn't hear the beginning of their conversation, but my ears perked up when I heard Charlotte declare "I do know what OB-GYN is!"  

The debate went a little something like this...

Charlotte: I do know what OB-GYN is. 

Isaiah: No you don't. Charlotte what is OB-GYN?

Charlotte: I know OB-GYN.

Isaiah: No you don't! What is OB-GYN?

Charlotte: I know OB-GYN!!

Isaiah: No you don't. OB-GYN is a made up word. 

Charlotte: OB-GYN is not a made up word! OB-GYN is...OB-GYN is....OB-GYN is...

Isaiah: What is it Charlotte? You don't know. 

Charlotte: I do know OB-GYN! It's God's playground. 

It's at this point I nearly died laughing. But first I grabbed the video camera! And then once the discussion was recorded for prosperity, I explained that OB-GYN is not a made up word. It is a shortened version of obstetrics & gynecology, which is a specialty of medicine. 

Time still went slow. But the laughs made it seem not so painful. And Joe's shirt looks great. 

my.little.loves.

The kids woke up to "Love Notes" from Joe and I this morning. Well kind of. Actually they completely bypassed them for cartoons. I had to tell them they had Valentines waiting for them. And then only after the mention of candy did they actually move away from the TV. It's the thought that counts, right? 

Isaiah willingly put on the red & white polo for a picture with his sisters. But he was NOT going to wear it to school. Even after I told him lots of people would be wearing red & pink for the Valentine's party today. He wasn't buying it. Last week I asked him if he would wear his heart bow tie to school for Valentine's day. His response...UMmmm. No Mom! He sounded (and looked) just like an annoyed teenager! Oh boy. 

Instead he wore jeans and a t-shirt to school. Just like any other day. And just like any other day I was still in my blue pajama/sweat pants at the school drop off. Just keeping it classy!

After returning home the girls and I packed Valentine's treats (homemade fudge) for our friends and lunch for us and headed out the door to meet up for a playdate (at the mall play area)!

Guess who ate the scraps for lunch? Yours truly. Now that's true love. Eating someone else's sandwich crust. 

Maybe tonight I will snap a picture with my most favorite love. Maybe. I should probably shower and make myself presentable first:)

Snippets

Random snippets of life:

I found the lost red diaper! To clarify, the soiled red diaper that had been unaccounted for for at least 5 days. Found it and my sanity. In the lid of the diaper pail:)

The girls and I went to the post office the other day. As I drove up I realized it was my FIRST time going to the post office in this town...and we have lived here for 2 years! Briefly I wondered why I avoid this place, then our 12 minute but felt-like-a-lifetime wait reminded me. Only so much fun can be had by the toddler/preschool crowd when forced to look at but NOT touch an entire card display and stand quietly in line! I thought we were going to make it out of there completely unscathed, but then as I was paying to mail my package I noticed Hannah was almost out the door! I wish I was exaggerating.  

 

The other night while completely exasperated with Isaiah beckoning me into his room after bedtime for the 100th time (for NO good reason!), I jokingly asked him if he had called me in just so he could gaze upon my beauty and tell me I am the prettiest girl in the world. He got a big grin on his face and informed me that I am the second prettiest girl in the world. I told him GOOD NIGHT!

 

Our washer and/or dryer is eating our clothes! And I am beyond frustrated. It seems that with every wash at least one article of clothing comes out with a dozen tiny bite marks (i.e. holes). I then spend waaaaay too much time sewing all the holes closed. While I love sewing, mending is not my forte. But replacing the clothes isn't in the budget. Someday I will be able toss torn and worn clothes. Someday. Until then I will mend and make do. 

mended & adorable!

 

Tonight Charlotte asked daddy why he was wearing his "doctor pants" (aka scrubs). I love all the random references she makes about medical school. She is constantly talking about daddy "learning to doctor" and practicing "doctor stuff". He's in "doctor school" don't ya know?!

the mug cracks me up.

Speaking of doctor school, this week Joe started pediatrics. So far so good. Currently he is doing inpatient newborns. (Sounds like a blast to me!) I laughed at his story about counseling a patient's (brand new) mom about breastfeeding. The man knows a thing or two about breastfeeding:) He even impressed the residents he is working with. They are all in awe of him because he has THREE kids! That's like pediatric gold. Next he will do two weeks of peds clinic and then three weeks inpatient. If I were a betting person, I would bet he will be bored in the clinic but like inpatient. I personally think he would make a fabulous pediatrician. But I don't get to choose his specialty! Darn. 

Lastly, I made myself a camera case. Wait. That is worth repeating. I MADE MYSELF A CAMERA CASE!! As in I took some fabric and foam and sewed a camera case from scratch. And yes I am ridiculously proud of myself. Just might type up a little how-to so I can ramble on about it some more. Stay tuned...or not:) I will never know.

 

Snippets? Ha! More like a novella. Oops. 

And then she peed on the floor.

I sent this braggy text to Joe this morning...

...and then a freshly bathed Hannah peed ALL OVER my newly cleaned bathroom!

And that is life with kids. Or at least it is my life with kids. 

The work is never really done. 

(Do I have to admit to the fact that I didn't immediately put a diaper on Hannah?! Instead I let her bare bottom roam while I cleaned the bathroom floor (again). I mean she had just peed! Moments into my bathroom cleaning, Chatlotte informed me Hannah had peed on her pillow. Apparently she had not emptied her bladder completely because Charlotte's favorite pillow was indeed urine soaked!)

my five {current} favorites

In no particular order here are my current five favorite "things". Ok. They are in a particular order. The order in which I photographed them. But that order has no significance. Speaking of significance, this post has very little as well. It is frivolous and silly. But my first edition was so popular (and I enjoy looking back at it) that I thought it was time to do it again!

 

 

[#1]

 

I love this stuff! My mom gave it to me for Christmas and it seriously was one of my favorite gifts. Basically it is a concentrated dish soap that is dispensed in a foam. Why do I love it so much? Because I am lazy with a capital L and pretty much never wash an entire sink full of dishes. I just wash a few at a time and this stuff works perfect for that. Be warned, it smells a tad funny. Chemical-ish. But it works wonderfully.

[#2]

 

Detangler. My sister introduced me to this stuff right before we had family pictures taken. Which were scheduled for immediately post-nap. And that is not exactly an ideal time in the hair department for little girls. Major wild bed head! I was attempting to tame Charlotte's hair with water when my sister offered me a squirt of her detangler.  It worked like a charm and I have been a believer ever since! So much so I was willing to buy the $1.99 bottle at the grocery store (vs waiting to buy the cheaper but equally effective dollar store version). We use it daily if not multiple times a day. But it is not a good substitute for washing hair...eventually it just doesn't do the trick anymore and a bath is necessary to tame those wild hairs:)

The wild bed head in the above picture was a result of the nap Charlotte took while helping daddy study! A NAP! All she needed was a good snuggle and a little back rub and this girl is back to napping!!!!! Which means she is no longer a terror in the evenings. And I am napping most afternoons with her. Win-win! However that means I have spent far less time around here:(

 

 

[#3]

 

Chores & this kid. This past week Isaiah has decided he wants to earn and save money for a Lego set. Which Lego set? I don't know and I don't really care. What I do care about is the fact that for a QUARTER I get a clean floor or a clean bathroom. Can't beat that! Much to his chagrin, he does not get paid for his regular chores...making his bed, putting away his clean clothes, getting the mail and bringing the recycling out. 

 

 

  [#4]

 

  Peanut butter popcorn! It's AMAZING. I don't have a recipe exactly. But this is what I do to make it.  First I take a big glob of peanut butter (1/4-1/2 cup) and a bit of honey (1-2 Tablespoons) and I microwave them in a big bowl until soft (30ish seconds) and mix them together. Then I pop my popcorn directly into the bowl with the peanut butter-honey mixture (with my air popper). Finally I mix the popcorn into the peanut butter & honey and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. And then I try not to eat the entire bowl in one sitting. 

 

 

  [#5]

 

I created this completely unnecessary, but equally fun picture using my new favorite and FREE picture editing program picmonkey. I am a bit obsessed with this program. It is super easy and fast to use and you don't have to download anything. Just upload the pictures you want to edit onto their website. Like I said its fast, unless of course you spend all afternoon editing a bunch of pictures for no good reason...then of course it takes a lot of time:) Or so I have heard. But seriously, so fun! It's how {the archives} got a little face lift last weekend.