Best Friend Ever

Hailey has really found her voice.
It's been so fun having conversations with her and watching her vocabulary grow.
I could sit and listen to her talk all day.  Her voice is adorable and the way she pronounces words will stop you in your tracks.

Tonight the girls took a bath.
After the bath they went into Hannah's room where Hannah proceeded to get Hailey dried off, got her dressed and then combed her hair. 
When they were done I overheard this...."Hannah, you best friend ever!"

Happy Birthday Kari!

31 Things | Days 10-13

I realize as I am posting all of these 31 Things posts that they are missing punctuation.  It's something that happens when I cut and paste from word to the website then from the website into blogger.  It's correct on the printouts in my album.  I am not worried about the punctuations here...

Our evening routine begins after supper.

Supper is typically hit or miss. Either the girls sit down, eat well, and finish in a reasonable time or Hailey is walking around, Hannah is making deals on how many more bites she has to finish and we have to call clock* on them.   *calling clock is what dad says before he points to the clock and shows them which number seals their fate. Eat before the hand touches that number or go without a treat

What happens behind this curtain either makes or breaks the night. The girls usually always take baths together- although Hannah has been in to taking showers lately. They like to play in the bath and they love to splash. Lots of bath toys + lots of splashing = lots of giggles or lots of cries. When the giggles are out I close the curtain to save the floor from water- I know that sounds ridiculous!  After bath its time to Jammie Up!

The next 90 minutes is filled with either crafts, playing house, playing dress up, playing outside, Barbies, babies, blocks, play-doh, snuggling, watching Modern Family or The Middle, playing restaurant, entertaining ourselves on the iPads and Pods, laundry, Cootie, Chutes and Ladders and/or any other activity that sounds like fun for the night. It is always followed by a treat.  We try to get the girls to bed around 8:00 pm. Sometimes we spill over to 8:30 and occasionally hit the 9:00 hour. Weekends the girls can stay up a little later.

Hannah used to got rocked in this chair each night and now Hannah does. Hailey goes down first- I sing Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, Jingle Bells (her pick) and Rock-a-Bye Baby
Hannah chooses Twinkle, Twinkle, Rock-a-Bye Baby and a Silly ABCs (just that- sung in a silly voice)

Post-bedtime is bittersweet. I am excited to finally have a moment to sit still without having to answer to the mommy-calls but at the same time I already miss them. Working full time I dont get to spend very much of their day with them. It kills me.  After the kids are in bed I usually treat myself to ice cream- either a bowl or a rootbeer float. This is a habit I NEED to break! But seriously, its like crack!
Soon I will be starting my 8:15 pm evening run. Its finally starting to get light out- my head is there but my body hasn't gotten the memo yet.


 

Like plants need water and cars need gas, I need Diet Coke.

I love this stuff. Way too much. I must have one in the morning during my commute and I like to know that I have one nearby- just in case I need it.
I dont even really drink that much of it- honestly. Its more of a security thing- I need to have it near. Sometimes when I take a drink I try to actually taste it and during those moments I think to myself You know, this really doesnt taste like much- whats your deal with this stuff?!

My other guilty pleasure is Ice Cream. I prefer basic flavors. Strawberry, Vanilla, Mint Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Chip, Pistachio. I am not a huge chocolate fan so I will never get a bowl of just plain chocolate. I dont mind add-ins but if an ice cream has too much goin on with it I am usually inclined to pass on it. Breyers brand is my favorite either the Neapolitan, Mint Chip or Natural Vanilla. I wish I could kick this habit- would be easy too if I just didnt buy it but walking out of the grocery store with a cart full of groceries and no ice cream?! Unheard of!

We grill a lot of meat in our house. We grill year round. Pork chops, ribs, chicken on the bone, steaks, hot dogs (ick not for me), and hamburgers. Most of the time Brian is using the Big Green Egg.

We eat out more than we should. These days our favorites include Chicken Wild (Buffalo Wild Wings- named by Hannah and has stuck ever since), Wendys, McDonalds, Acapulco, Pizza Hut, and Ming Tree (local Chinese place down the road).

We eat a lot of fruit in our house. I love to buy fruit and have it around. My kids love it so its nice to offer as a snack or quick breakfast in the mornings. When I come home from the store I typically like to cut and tupperware the fruit all at once so its grab and go ready.

We eat warm vegetables frequently. Mostly corn on the cob in the summer and can corn or peas in the winter. We eat a lot of potatoes (have that is it a veggie argument to yourself- it counts at my house). We all like raw vegetables however I find that I dont buy them very often. I dont really enjoy cleaning and cutting raw vegetables and most of the time it warrants dip which then dirties more dishes and make things more difficult for an easy snack. I have been trying to get better about having veggies on hand for the girls. If we have them they get eaten- just not as fast as the fruit so I end up throwing out the excess.

A lot of my friends are really into sandwiches. I will eat them but they are not my favorite. I am never disappointed when I eat one but when I am hungry I rarely think to myself that a sandwich would hit the spot.

Planning meals for the week, or more likely each day on the commute home, is my daily low. I dislike coming up with meal ideas and feel like I suggest the same things over and over. Brian usually cooks so its not like I can just make dinner and say if you are hungry you will eat what I have made. I need to get better at meal planning.

Day 10 and Day 11

Confession: When I first moved in with Brian I would watch as he was working out in the yard. I would watch him- with his backwards hat on- move the gutters and mow the lawn. I would watch as he patched the lawn in the spots the dog ruined over the winter. I would watch him as he worked in the garage and around the house. I still find myself watching him however these days I am not quite as secretive about it.

I watch as Hannah turns from my first born baby to a little girl who is wise beyond her years. Most days I am watching by choice but with a four year old little girl you have to expect that I hear Mommy, look at me! more times than I can count. Today I watched as Hannah ordered her own lunch at Wendys. I watched her as she told me to stand by the ketchup so she could go and get her Frosty all by herself. I watched as she ordered her Frosty, handed the lady her coupon from her kids meal, say Thank you and show herself back to our seat where daddy was waiting. I watched this weekend as she helped grandma cut the watermelon at the cabin. I watched her make her own bed- without being asked- and then proceed to wash the dishes in the sink- just because she wanted to be helpful. I watched her care for her mommy when I broke down crying when we thought there was something wrong with our unborn baby- Dont cry, momma.
I hope she never loses the sparkle in her eyes, her caring soul and bounce in her step.

I watched as Hailey walked with daddy out to the car this morning. She was happy to be going to Jackies all by herself (Hannah was sick so had to stay home). I watched her prance out to the car like a big girl enjoying her time alone with daddy. Ive watched her turn from toddler to little girl in the past few months and watched as she found her voice. I cant get enough of this little girl and cannot take my eyes off of her when she is around.

I watch as Hannah reminds Hailey to take a potty break. In the middle of whatever they are playing, Hannah will yell out Potty break time! and both of them trot off to the bathroom. I watch Hannah setting a good example for her sister and helping her to be successful.

I watch my girls in the rearview mirror as their favorite songs come on the radio. I watch them sitting in their seats singing and dancing along to the music.

I watch as my girls enjoy being sisters. Many days I hear Hailey ask Hannah Hannah, am I pretty? and Hannah answers Yes- of course you are! I watch them call each other best friend and I watch as they play together without mom and dad having to remind them to be nice to each other.

I watch as Hannah drives Hailey around the yard in the Barbie car. I watch Hailey content as can be sitting in the passenger seat with the wind blowing in her hair. They drive in circles around the yard talking as if they have somewhere to be.

I spend time watching when I would rather be doing. I want a few minutes to get stuff done and when I get it, I spend that time watching them instead.

I dont mind housework. I really dont.

I dont mind cleaning the bathroom. I dont mind vacuuming. I dont mind doing the dishes.

I love the way my house looks when its clean. I love the first few hours after the house is clean and I love the first time walking through the door into that clean house.

These days it gets harder and harder to clean.

The girls typically want to be everywhere I am so when I am trying to clean I have two little tornados following me around.

I love to clean when I can open the windows and turn the radio on. I start in the bathroom and then move into our room, then Hannahs room. I make my way to the living room and end in the kitchen. The floors are last.

We dont always clean the downstairs although it is the one place we are the most and probably needs to be picked up more often than the other spaces.

We have a dishwasher but dont use it. A few years ago we decided that since it never gets used we should make use of it and started storing pots, pans, and crock pots inside of it- gets quite the look from our company that try to help out by rinsing and loading up their dishes.

We wash dishes every night but usually leave them out to air dry. I love the nights that we decide to spend 5 more minutes drying them and putting them away instead of waiting for tomorrow.

I love washing mirrors but I hate cleaning the outside of the toilet. With 3 girls and a dog in the house there is never a shortage of hair on the bathroom floor.

The girls love to clean the toilet. One night Hannah actually asked Mom, if I eat all my supper can I clean the toilet? Now when Hailey sees her opening the cabinet for the supplies she comes running to help out too.

I dont mind doing the laundry but I dislike putting it away when the rest of the house isnt picked up. I despise standing in the middle of the girls room and tripping over toys and shoes on the way to the closet to put their clothes away.

I hang almost all of our clothes because I am not a fan of folding.

I would love to get a housekeeper although she wouldnt be much help to me. I dont mind the cleaning, its the picking up I cant stand.

Day 12 and  Day 13

You snooze, you lose

Sometimes you come home to find that your parking spot has been claimed.

ICE CREAM MAN!

We were just getting outside to play when Hannah heard the song of the ice cream man.  We have never gotten ice cream from the ice cream man so I am still pretty perplexed as to how she even knew what was going on but there she stood, in the driveway, watching him down the block serving treats to the other kids.

She asked me if her and Hailey could get some and since it was barely 10:30 in the morning, I think she was certain that I was going to say no.  When I nodded my head yes her and Hailey lost their minds for a few minutes.  Hannah stood on the driveway repeating "this is so exciting" to herself over and over.

Hannah picked a Firecracker Bom Pop

Hailey went with the more obvious choice, Dora

Later that day we enjoyed our first trip to the Parmley (Make-Shift) Water Park.

You comin' to the lake?

This weekend officially marks the start of the 'You comin' to the lake?" texts.
Everyone wants to go but nobody wants to be there alone so once Cabin season hits the calls and texts start.

Brian and I decided to leave Saturday afternoon, after the storm had hit and we planned to stay until early Sunday evening.  It was raining most of the day on Saturday so we spent most of the evening inside talking, playing cards and eating.

Sunday was a beautiful day so we were outside most of the day.

The girls got their suits on for their water balloon fight with Jennie and ended up swimming in the...errr..yard.  The water is so high right now.  Where Hannah is standing above is usually where the sandy beach begins.  You can see from the picture of Hailey below how she is standing in the yard.

I could have watched Bobby (Kristin's boyfriend) play with Hailey all afternoon.  In fact, that is exactly what I was doing when my mom's dog snuck up behind me and did the doggy-shake to get dry, soaking me in the process.

Kristin found a catepillar on the deck.  Hailey was very intrigued.  What a wonderful opportunity I was given today to watch my daughter share this experience with that scared little fella.

Date Night Take 1

Last night Brian and I sent the girls to Grandma Judy's while we went to our first Twins Game of the year.

It was a beautiful night.

They played the Detroit Tigers and lost- not a surprise since they have been horrible this year.

Brian and I were getting a kick out of our neighbors.

Two little ladies that brought their own supper.

Brat sandwiches

Peaches

Banana Bread for dessert

Day 9 | Purchase

I like shopping. I really like shopping.

I love a good sale and I love scoring a good deal. I love 40% off the most and also feel like I am getting a better deal when I have a coupon for $10 off a $50 purchase vs. 20% off a $50 purchase.

I dont shop as much as I used to because it is harder to get out without the girls and there isnt a mall nearby. I never have a lot of time to shop so when I do I purchase things I like and take them back if I change my mind or they dont fit since I wont try things on at the store- dont have that kind of time.

I spend way too much money at Target. I love my Target Debit card that saves me 5% each time I shop there but I dislike seeing my year to date savings with each trip. Its only May and so far this year my card has saved us $200. $200 which is only 5% of the total I have spent there this year = I must own a cart or two by now.

This year we went in with some friends on a season ticket package for the Minnesota Twins. Its exciting to have the stack of tickets. I love the anticipation leading up to the date night. At our first game we spent well over $40 on parking, drinks and a bag of peanuts.

My most recent purchases- outside of my almost daily trip to Target- have included:

Paper and Embellishments
Archivers has been having super good deals this month celebrating National Scrapbooking Month. My purchases altogether havent totaled much and the last time I was there I didnt even use my 41% off coupon but I at least like to go and check things out. Love that I can spend a few dollars and leave with a bag containing a few new sheets of paper.

Washi Tape
Didnt know much about this stuff until my sister was talking about it. She forwarded me a link to an Etsy shop (online craft-type store with multiple vendors) that was selling Washi Tape by the foot.

Fruit
There is a store named Aldi that has the best prices on fruit. Watermelons for $3.99 (everywhere this time of year they are $5.99), a bunch of bananas for $0.44 (typically $.57), 1 lb of strawberries for $0.99 ($2.50-$3.00 everywhere else), and $1.39 for a pineapple ($3.49 at Target).

Music
If I hear a good song on the radio, a commercial, part of a movie or show I will buy it. I buy most of my music on iTunes (as an MP3) but will still buy a CD every now and then.


 

Day 8: Transportation

I passed my drivers test the first time I took it. I was 16 years old.


During my high school days I either drove a Dodge Aries- that belonged to my grandparents, a Dodge Diplomat- that belonged to my greatgrandma, or a Mercury Topaz- that belonged to my older sister, Kari.

My first car was a green Plymouth Sundance. When I moved out I needed a reliable car that could get me to school and work. Lots of good times and road trips were had in that car. Tammy and I used to get off work from the Bingo Hall late at night and then go for a drive. There was a 24 hour Walmart in Coon Rapids that we would drive to and I remember when we were younger thinking that this place was super far away. That area used to be undeveloped. Walmart was one of the only things you could see for miles (well, there was a Dennys and a gas station near by). Now Tammy and I both live farther out from the cities than this Walmart and its the Walmart in our neighborhood that we go to when we need one.

My next car was a Honda Accord. It was silver with tan leather seats and a sunroof. I still remember going to pick it up from the dealer. My dad was with me and we were standing outside waiting for them to bring it to me. The service door opened and there it was sparkling in the sunlight. I loved this car.

On my 30th Birthday my husband surprised me with a new car! We went to the dealer to look around and a salesman greeted us. They had obviously met before and soon we took my new car for a test drive. Another Honda Accord. It was silver with black cloth interior. It had a 6 disc changer. This was the car that we would bring both of our girls home from the hospital in.

On my 35th Birthday my husband surprised me again with another new car! This time he called me to meet him at the dealer. The girls and I were on our way to the mall. He called to tell me I should come to the Nissan dealer to get my Birthday present. We took a quick detour to meet Brian at the Nissan dealer and after a quick lunch to talk it over, the white Nissan with black leather interior, Bose Stereo, sunroof and keyless entry was mine!

I commute around 60 miles each day and spend lots of time in my car. I love driving down the road, windows and sunroof open with the music turned up loud.

Day 7 | WORK

Going to college was what I was supposed to do. Its what everyone was doing.

The question wasnt Are you going to school? it was What school are you going to?.
I went to Hamline University for 1 ½ years. My major fluctuated between Business and Psychology. Both things that I had some type of interest in and things I could see myself doing. No real passion for either but on the list of majors available- they won. When I stopped going to class it was obvious to me that there wasnt a future in either of these areas for me.
I was still working at the Bingo Hall in the evenings which meant I had hours and hours of daytime television during the day. Daytime TV in the late 90s was filled with commercials for tech schools. (Tech schools are 2 year schools which offered degrees in very focused areas) After a few weeks there were two commercials that started to speak to me. One for The Medical Institute of Minnesota (MIM) and the other for Sister Rosalinds School of Massage. MIM offered degrees in Surgical Tech, Vet Tech, Radiology Tech and Medical Assisting (the one that most interested me) to name a few. How to decide?!
I called to request an information packet for each of the programs. At that time email hardly existed and a website was out of the question- we did things by phone then.
A few days later the packets arrived. I filled out the registration packets and mailed them both in. I decided that whichever school called me first would be the school that I would attend. Within a few days I heard from MIM- that was it, decision made!

Within a few months I had found passion that I didnt know existed. I was getting straight As and looked forward to the hour long commute each day to get to school. After the classes were completed I would be required to complete a 320 hour externship. In 1997 my externship began at Pediatricians for Health. It was a HealthEast clinic located in Maplewood.
Within a few weeks I was offered a full time position. Of course I had to finish my 320 hours first but was very excited to be guaranteed a job at the end of the externship.
Within the first few years I was promoted to the clinical lead and stayed in that position for 8 years.

In 2003 the clinics decided to pursue an EHR (Electronic Health Record). I was asked to sit on a selection committee and in 2005 I left the clinic to work on the EHR Team. I would be building, training, and implementing the EHR for all of the Clinics.
Within a few years my role changed from EHR Implementation and Training Specialist to Application Administrator.
Currently I manage the EHR Team and have been in this role for the past few years.

In December I will be celebrating 15 years at HealthEast.
And to think it all started with a commercial.

Snuffys Malt Shop:   Maltmaker, cleaned tables, hostess, waitress. Most of my friends worked here. I loved this job. Loved the people, loved the hours, loved the paychecks.

Pot O Gold Bingo:  Concession Stand worker. My dad owned the concession stand at Pot O Gold. Eventually that branched out to Knights of Columbus in Roseville and a Bingo Hall in Newport. Patrons could still smoke indoors so the room was always filled with smoke- we sure did stink each day when we got home. It was amazing to see the same people there all of the time. This job provided hours and hours of entertainment- people watching and other stories regarding their good luck charms and rituals.


Walgreens :  Cashier. I mostly worked in cosmetics which looking back makes me giggle since I dont know much about make up. Good thing most people knew what they were looking for and didnt have many questions. At the end of every shift we had to face the aisles. This meant walking through the aisles and making sure all of the products were facing the same way and pulled to the edge of the shelf. .

HealthEast :  1997-2005 CMA, Certified Medical Assistant. Roomed patients, took patients vital signs (Blood pressure, height, weight, pulse), ran lab tests (strep tests, urine tests, blood tests), drew blood, performed urine cath procedures, assisted with sutures, suture removals, gave injections, managed staff schedules, responded to patient complaints, and much more.
2005-current EHR Implementation and Training Specialist, Application Administrator, IT Manager- EHR Clinics. Design workflows, system design, build dictionaries, set up users, manage security, respond to operational/users needs.  Train end users on the application, implement new functionality, consult with operations on how to maximize use and what modules to implement to improve patient care.   Working in HealthCare has been inspiring.  Seeing how lives are changed because of the work that we do is breathtaking. I have found my passion and although it has come with many different job roles, I don’t see myself ever working outside of healthcare.

Day 6 | You (or really, me)

Age: 36


Favorite part of my day: Watching Brian and the girls play together. Walking in the door and being showered with hugs and kisses and greeted with a Mommy!. Rubbing noses with my girls and kissing the spot on the side of their face near their eyes.

Loving: Being a mommy. When we spend family time together. Washi Tape and the new lines out in the stores right now. My summer schedule FULL of concerts: James Morrison, American Idol, Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers, Big Time Rush, Jason Mraz, and Justin Bieber. (can you tell I have a 4 yr old that loves music)

Longing for: A sense of self again. Once you become a mom your whole life is suspended. I feel as though I have lost myself sometimes. I hope to get that back but I am not in the biggest hurry as I LOVE these times in our lives right now. Lets be serious- I would take skinner thighs too!

Inspired by: My daughters and my husband. Music. Scrapbooking. Quotes. Pinterest. Seeing what I and others are capable of.

Dreaming of: A new house. I would miss our current home like crazy but ready for more space. Taking a family vacation.

Needing: To get out and run more. To start that diet Ive been thinking about. To accept myself the way I am and being happy and proud of that. To find more time to dedicate to my scrapbooking.

Navigating: A balance between being a good mother, wife, daughter, sister, and friend.

Struggling with: Feeling like there is enough time in the day/week/year to do everything I want to do or even just the things that I need to do. Getting anything done because I cant stop staring at my kids. Feeling like I am anything other than a mother.

Knowing: I am where I am suppose to be.

Day 5 | Conversation

I talk all day.

I talk to my husband, my kids, the dog, my coworkers, people in the elevator, people at the store, I talk to the radio, I talk to myself. I will talk to anyone and everyone. If there is a moment of silence- I will find a way to fill it.

I don’t necessarily like that about myself but it’s a natural part of who I am.

My daily conversations happen in many forms.

Spoken word
Text Messages
Emails
Instant Messaging
Skype- more like monthly if I am lucky
Facebook
Messaging through Words with Friends or Scramble with Friends
Over the phone (however as time goes by this is by far my least favorite)

My mom loves to talk. I love to talk. My daughter, Hannah, loves to talk. Makes you wonder if it could be a genetic trait that was passed down.

My most favorite form of communication is through my daily blog.
It started as a challenge between my sister and I. “Let’s start a daily POD (picture of the day) blog!” Post a picture and tell a story everyday. She lives in Ecuador and this would give us a chance to stay connected. I was convinced that there was no way that I could accomplish this but it never hurts to try. 890 posts later I am still going strong.

This blog means so much to me. It gives me a creative outlet. It allows me to express myself through journaling and even though I don’t consider myself the best writer, it doesn’t matter. I have so many things that I don’t want to leave unsaid. I have this crazy need inside of me to tell my children how I feel about them. I wanted them to grow up and see their life through my eyes. I wanted to document the things we did, ways we felt and conversations we had.

This blog is filled with those moments and those memories.

I found a website that allows me to print my blog in the form of a hardcover book. I love sitting down and re-reading these stories with my daughters.

By far the best communications of my day.

 

Thanks for reading my blog and for all of the kind words you have all said about how special this will be someday!

31 Things | Day 4 | Spirit

Finally feeling the stress from this class.  I am trying really hard to keep up but miss one day and it all starts to feel overwhelming.  But looking at the galleries and forums, lots of people are just posting when they get to it.


It changed me.


The moment I laid eyes on our first child it all made sense.
Some people seek comfort in prayer, some choose meditation. Before my children were born I would choose music. Once I became a mother I found comfort in my children.
Until that time in my life I knew what love felt like but I had never experienced this kind of love. The kind that transforms you from who you are to the person that was waiting to get out.
When I was younger I wasn’t really sure that I wanted kids. I really enjoyed kids and loved other people’s kids but never really thought that it was something that I knew for sure that I wanted to do. There came a time in my relationship with Brian when I could start to see what the future would look like and kids had to be a part of it. I knew that I wanted to start a family but still at that time had no idea what this would do to me.
It wasn’t easy getting pregnant. In fact the task seemed next to impossible. After three long years of doctor appointments, tests, medications we finally were ready to meet our little miracle.
A few years later we were pregnant again. A few weeks into my pregnancy we were alerted by the OB/GYN that they saw something on the ultrasound that they were concerned about. They thought our child would be born with a deformity. There was a good chance that this baby wouldn’t even make it.
Silly for us to think that since our pregnancy happened naturally that it would be normal. Once again we spent the next nine months going to appts and having ultrasounds as we watched this little human inside of me develop.
Around 22 weeks we were finally informed that we were in the clear.

I like to think that I would have appreciated my children as much as I do even if we would have started our family three years earlier, even if we would have never had a scare of having a child born with special needs. However I guess I will never know for sure.
During those times I would listen to ‘You Make it Real’ by James Morrison. Something about that particular statement in the song- it made me feel better.

There’s so much craziness surrounding me,

There’s so much going on it gets hard to breathe

When all my faith has gone, you bring it back to me,

You make it real for me

When I’m not sure of my priorities,

When I’ve lost sight of where I’m meant to be

And like holy water washing over me,

You make it real for me



Day 3 | READ

I have never been a reader.

When I was younger I despised it. As I got older I didn’t mind reading but I had never wanted to read for pleasure.
One summer I decided that I was going to try to ‘get into reading’. My mom, sister, and grandma have always been obsessed with reading. I remember going to the Book Mobile when we were younger and I was lucky if I could find 3-4 books that interested me- I was young so these were not the chapter books you might be thinking, these were kids books. My sister Kari would have stacks. More than an armful and more than one bag could carry. “Ummm, aren’t we coming back in two weeks?!”
July 2006 and everyone at work was giving me book suggestions. I went home, logged onto Amazon and purchased 5 of the 6 books that were recommended by my friends.
By that October I had read 10 books and remember actually feeling nervous when I only had 1-2 unread books in the house.
I like to read books that contain ‘real life’ circumstances. I do not like to read romance and I do not like to read fantasy. Jodi Picoult is my favorite.
I am not one that likes to read to escape real life. I like to read to connect with real life. I like to read about things that could possibly happen and relate to the characters. Because of this I will never be able to read the Twilight series, any of the Harry Potter books or the Hunger Games. I don’t doubt that they are great books that are wonderfully written but those types of stories are for the movies- not for reading.
In 2007 my first daughter, Hannah, was born. Since then my reading list has consisted of ‘Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb’ by Al Perkins, ‘Put Me in the Zoo’ by Robert Lopshire, ‘I Love You Through and Through’ by Bernadette Rossetti-Shustak, and ‘Guess How Much I Love You?” by Sam McBratney.
After we settled into our routine, I was able to read a few more books.
Then #2 came along. Since Hailey arrived I have not had much time to read.
I actually miss it sometimes. Now that the girls are older, I hope to get back into the habit.
My 86 year old grandmother wrote a book. Actually she has written four books in the past few years. For her birthday this year we got her book professionally bound. This will be my next read- Sara by Doris Bauer.

You can see the book coming together Day 2 & Day 3 on one 12 x 12 spread

Day 2 | Mornings

4:30 am   Clickety clack, clickety clack

“Nash go lay down”

4:40 am  Clickety clack, clickety clack
“What time is it?”

4:45 am  Clickety clack, clickety clack- whimper- nose whistle
“Shhhhhhh”

4:56 am  Clickety clack, clickety clack- whimper- nose whistle- radio alarm
“Can we do a snooze?”

5:05 am  Clickety clack, clickety clack- whimper- nose whistle- radio alarm
And I’m up.

Not sure why we even have an alarm clock since the dog has been waking us up every morning for the past 12 years.  He paces the hardwood floors most of the night but it is loudest in the morning. Most people ask why we just don’t cover the floor with rugs so that we can’t hear him and my answer is the same every time. Our wood floors are beautiful. They deserve to be admired. Brian installed the hardwood floors himself. We started just in the living room and soon added each of the bedrooms. I love these floors.

5:06 am  Feed the dog
Unlock the door and while it’s opening and I hear the squeak of the hinges- reminder that we need to put some WD40 on the door- that noise will surely wake the girls. Nash gets sent out to do his morning business while I scoop one cup of Iams dog food and fill his water dish ¼ - ½ of the way full. By the time I have closed the door and turned my back to grab his dish he has already made his way back to the deck and has started the whimpering to get back in the house. He’s not fooling anyone, I know he didn’t pee.

5:09 am   Grab iPhone, close bedroom door so Brian can get some dog-tap-dancing free time , head to the bathroom to shower

5:10 am   iPhone
I spend the next 20-30 minutes on my phone. Its pretty ridiculous. I got into this habit one week when we were super busy at work and it has been a bad habit that has stuck with me every day since.
I check my emails. I have two. One for work and one for play- although the two accounts do mix a little of both work and play depending on the sender.
I check Facebook and catch up with all of the gossip and drama that went down since the last time I looked.
I catch up on my Words with Friends and Scramble with Friends games- which used to be fun until it started feeling like a second job. Current count of WWF games: 9 and SWF games: 14
I check my schedule to see what my day looks like and start to get an idea of what I should wear- dressy work clothes or going more casual with jeans.
I check my blog and the other blogs I follow.
I then finish up by emailing myself the daily morning brain dump- things I must do at work, things I need to stop at the store for, things I dont want to forget to do or research, etc.

5:38 am   Shower
I like my showers HOT. I love taking showers and love washing my hair. I fully wash and conditioner my hair every day and each of these days I remind myself that I read online that you really shouldnt wash your hair with shampoo every day and I should remember that for tomorrow. Tomorrow I will just rinse it with water but no shampoo. I forget tomorrow and tell myself to remember for tomorrow. I dont remember.

5:50 am   Process of getting ready
By far one of my least favorite tasks is drying hair. My hair never dries like it does when I am at the salon. When I am home drying my hair it frizzes up like those expanding Rice noodles. I cant figure out the drying with a round brush thing so every day I use my flat iron.

6:15 am    Chaos begins
When I am done getting ready I make my way to the bedroom to get dressed. This can either go very smoothly or it can be a horrible experience. I already have an idea of what to wear but when it goes on and I look in the mirror I make a decision within 10 seconds if this is going to work for me today or not. Fifty percent of the time it aint workin so I am back to the closet to fight the internal battle of what to wear.
By this time Hannah is either a) already sitting on the couch eating breakfast (that I made her during the 5:30 am time) b) in her room awake on her bed trying to surprise me by coming out of her room already dressed c) still sleeping in her room and not thrilled with my time-to-get-up-back-rub

6:25 am   Haileys turn
I usually have to wake Hailey each morning. Shes still in a crib so its easier to contain her however, she typically isnt awake yet. Most days she is happy when she wakes and jumps right up to meet the day.

6:27 am   Wet toast time
If Hannah is already up she is already eating. In those cases I can try to distract Hailey from the thought of food and move quickly to get kids dressed and get out of the house. If that doesnt work I am making "Wet Toast no stack" which I soon learned to be white toast, lots of butter, not folded or stacked together- these girls wanna see and taste the butter- ick!

6:45 am   Kisses, Hugs, Bones, Songs
Time to kiss and hug daddy goodbye. The dog gets a bone and the girls make their way down the deck stairs to the car. They can buckle themselves now which starts to make life a little bit easier for me. They insist on listening to tunes on the way to Jackie's. Lately the requests have been for 'I'm Sexy and I Know it', 'Fine by Me', 'What Makes you Beautiful' and 'Payphone'. Quite a taste of music for a 2 and 4 year old.

7:07 am   Start my commute
We live in Champlin but I work in St Paul. It is 29 miles from our house to my work. Somedays it takes 33 mintues and others it can take up to 60+ minutes. I worked with HealthEast before Brian and I met so this was a job I already had when I moved out here. I love my job and before we had kids the commute didn't bother me.
I am a salaried employee so there is not a scheduled time I need to arrive to work. Helps with the stressful feeling of 'need to get there on time' and as long as I am on my way I feel better- even if i feel as though we are running late. I will get there when I get there. There are about 4-5 days per month that I do have early morning meetings- 7:00, 7:30, or 8:00 am starts and on those days I am like a lunatic trying to get the kids out of the house earlier and those days that they know I wanna get out so they start moving in slow motion. Or so it seems.
Days I dont have anywhere to be are typically just what I need to start my day. More so in the spring, summer and fall when the sun roof can be open and stereo can be loud. I used to listen to talk radio- KQRS but lately I find that the people on that show are much more crabby and snippy than they used to be and I it was affecting my mood so they are gone. I listen to KFAN some mornings but its heart breaking to hear what their take is on why these Minnesota teams just can't seem to win so I have been steering clear from them as well and stick to the tunes.
My commute MUST include a cold can of Diet Coke. Can. Not bottle. And it needs to be really cold or it just doesn't taste as good.
I drive through Downtown Minneapolis on my way into work each day. For a good ten minutes I can see the downtown skyline, I pass by Target Field, the Basilica, the Sculpture Garden (you know, that cherry on the spoon youve seen), the Metrodome, the low income housing with the red, blue, yellow, and white blocks of color all over the building. I pass by the U of M campus looking over the Mississippi River. The time of morning I come is the same time the sun decides to appear lighting up this city with colors and lighting that are short of perfect. I can assure you that not a day goes by that I dont appreciate that scenery. Its breathtaking and even though my morning may have been chaotic, even though I may have acted like a lunatic, even though I can still hear the clickety, clack of the dogs nails on the hardwood and shutter at the thought- I still notice the view. Every morning.

 



Day One | Jewelry

My Big Picture Class started today.  The topic: Jewelry
Here goes nothin'

I have a jewelry box full of jewelry.


Necklaces, bracelets, earrings and even a few rings.

You can see my taste in jewelry and how it has changed over the years. You can also see the things that have stayed consistent in my style. I love big bold pieces. Pieces that can be paired with a t-shirt and change the look of the outfit.

Most of my jewelry is fashion jewelry. I own very few pieces of valuable jewelry. I have a few rings I received from boys I dated in high school and a diamond necklace that Brian bought me. Of course I have my wedding ring and of course it goes without saying that it is the one piece that I am wearing all of the time. It’s also fair to say that it’s the only thing that can make me feel naked when I am not wearing it- even if I am fully clothed.

But this….this is my necklace. I love this necklace. A circle charm handstamped with my daughter’s names on it. It reads Hannah Elizabeth and Hailey Renee. I saw a woman wearing a necklace similar to this one and that day I started my online search. I eventually found this one on vintagepearl.com.

I absolutely love this necklace.

I get compliments on this necklace all the time. Although, usually not until the other party dives in close to see what it says.

I still wear my other necklaces occasionally but this is typically my go-to piece.

WISH LIST ITEM #1
I would love to have a ring for my right hand middle finger. There are two different styles that I have been interested in. I have seen handstamped rings that stack on top of each other- would probably have it say either You Make It Real or once again the girls names or maybe even just each of our initials (B, A, H, H). I also think that it would be nice to get some type of band that has a sapphire since that is the girls birthstone. I have seen some thick bands that have sapphires and diamonds but I haven’t done much research yet.

WISH LIST ITEM #2
There is a bracelet on the Vintage Pearl website that matches my necklace. I need to own that someday. It will say You Make It Real.

WISH LIST ITEM #3
I have a bracelet with Hannah’s name strung with beads. It’s a little big for my wrist but that isn’t why I don’t wear it much anymore. Since Hailey was born I haven’t sent it in yet to have her name added. Until then it’s just not right to wear it.

Check in from an old friend

The girls came home to find that a visitor had been here.

As soon as Hannah opened the letter and saw the picture her face lit up.

"LULA!!"

"What?!  Mom- I can't even believe this."

When I read Hannah the letter she put her hand up to her chest, titled her head and said "Awww...that is so sweet of her.  She looks so adorable in her pictures."

We went to dinner at Wendy's tonight.

Before we left the house Hailey went running into Hannah's room and came out carrying a backpack.  

One of the days that I was just going with the flow....why bother getting into a discussion about it.  The bag isn't coming into Wendy's but the car- fine, whatever.

We got home and I opened the back door to get Hailey out.

I found this....

Guess the backpack was smuggling these fancy shoes.  You see the flip flops there- that's what she was wearing when we left the house tonight.  Lil' stinker :-)

Didn't think this would happen until you were 12

Saturday afternoon around 3:30 pm I went into Hailey's room to wake her up from her nap.

I rubbed her back and said something along the lines of "Hi my sweetie- you ready to wake up?"

She rolled over, took one look at me and shouted "NO!  Me want daddy get me!"

*gasp*

I tried again "Come on honey.  It's time to get up."

This time she looked me right in the eyes and with a deep growling voice yelled "NO!"

One more shot to break her from this mood "Hailey honey- you don't like me?"

I shouldn't have asked....

This time she made sure I wouldn't be bothering her anymore "NO, ME HATE YOU!"

I couldn't help myself.  I swatted her a little on her bottom and then left the room to get daddy.

Daddy walked in to a pouting little girl "Mommy spanked me butt."

They had a talk about what she said and she made her way upstairs to say she was sorry.

Monday morning around 6:15 am I went into Hailey's room to wake her up to get ready to go to Jackie's.  

"Hi honey, good morning."

She popped right up in her crib "Me no hate you.  Me yike you!"

This has been her response for the last few days as I wake her up in the am.

I must say this is much better than the welcome I got Saturday.

Fun at the Park

Hannah:  "Mom, I know how to swing all by myself now.  You should take me to the park so I can show you."

Can't lie. I did not want to go to the park tonight. I was just not in the mood.  But something about those little faces looking up at me with the 'I just had the best idea ever' look- gets me everytime.

So off we went.  The girls rode their bikes and I walked behind them.

Get a load outta Hannah in the background- I guess this is how she really feels about her mom

Here she goes.  She's got it!

Happy Mudder's Day!

My morning started with sleeping in.

I was woken by my little angels.

Hannah made me a card and the girls each gave me a DSW gift card!

As you could see from an earlier post- I am in desperate need of new shoes for work.

When I asked Hannah if she had given the idea to daddy she replied with "Nope.  Daddy knew to go to that shoe store because he is so smart.  He's not always right but he is always smart!"

 Then off to a Tea Party, inspired by Pinterest, at Jennie's.

These girls did a great job!

Cute decorations.  Good food.  Great company.

Of course Emmy and Emerson got to join us.  

A few minutes after we got home, Jennifer, Tom and the kids pulled up and a little while later Grandma Judy and Grandpa arrived as well.

Brian out did himself again with the ribs- everything was delicious and the weather could NOT have been better today. 

Four Generations of mothers with their daughters

Have a mentioned that this mom business is the best job ever ?!

These two belong to me!  

31 Things

It started with an email from Kari- "Hey I signed up for this class, you should think about it."

This is what I read online...

31 Things is an invitation to "see into the life of things."

31 Things is an invitation to document your everyday life in a way that includes descriptions and reflections.

31 Things is about capturing life right now but will be much more in-depth on a single daily subject than the documentation you might be used to with projects like Week in the Life or Project Life. This is an opportunity to get more specific pieces of your story told with the goal of going more in-depth; get those pieces of your life documented with words.

Writing these 31 stories will be the heart of what we do over the 31 days, but our words will be supported and inspired by a single daily photo and a bit of crafty decoration.

My commitment to you is help for getting those words onto the page, an environment of support on the message board and through the daily prompts, and an attitude of celebration for all of the different ways we experience life.

Over the course of 31 days in May and June you'll receive a daily email that prompts you to document one story from your everyday life. Each email will include a specific word/theme for the day, a detailed writing prompt with suggestions on how to tell the story, and a photo prompt.

Some people will use the month to gather content and then put the project together at the end of the month. Others will create their layouts as they go each day. My hope is that you take this opportunity to really get down to the business of writing some of these special stories of your everyday life. 

So.  I signed up too.

Class starts this coming Thursday- here goes nothin'!

The changing of the bling

It's been 5 weeks since Hannah got her ears pierced- technically we weren't suppose to change them for 6 weeks but they look so good and Hannah has done so good with them that I decided to let her change them early.  Afterall, she's so its-cited!

Hannah wanted to make videos tonight to tell everyone about her newly updated bling

I have watched these videos about 25 times each- she cracks me up

These faces pretty much sum up my little buddy!