Tuesday, July 23, 2013

RTT: The Royal Baby, Kindle Books and Funny Stuff

Yay! Monday is over and now it's Tuesday. One day closer to the weekend! Woo hoo!

The Royal Baby was born yesterday. It was a boy. Also, should royal and baby be capitalized? Like it is now a proper noun? I really didn't care that much other than a friend of mine was obsessed when the wedding happened and so I've been inundating her Facebook page with stupid posts about when it was supposed to be born, what they're going to name him, etc. It's been fun to interact with her since she lives in North Dakota now getting her master's degree.

Do you have a Kindle? I do and very rarely buy books because a) you don't technically own the books you buy and they can take them away at any given time and b) because I don't feel right when I can get almost any book for free from the library and am paying $10+ for a book. So when one of my friends told me about Pixel of Ink I wanted to check it out. You can like them on Facebook or just go to their website and sign up to get daily emails and they will send you information regarding a number of free e-books that you can get daily. Now these books aren't bestsellers by any means but there are usually 1 or 2 good books every day. I have been turned on to so many books that I would never have heard of. One I just finished on Friday was called The Do-Over by Kathy Dunnehoff. It was hilarious.

They are moving people around at work in the aspect of work space area. So today I got to move into a bigger area with a window that looks down on the road. I'm so excited! Now I'm not smack-facing a big, tall building. And I have enough space to hang up pictures. The one thing I'm most excited about though? The fact that my back isn't towards the aisle where people walk by. Now I'll be able to see people coming instead of them being able to sneak up on me and see what I'm doing! It's the little things!

Leo and I were watching the Royals game last night and there was a Dos Equis commercial and right at the right time he said the part "Stay Thirsty My Friend." It was hilarious. And of course then he started laughing and telling me it was his favorite part and how he thought that was so silly. He is such a clown!

I posted the other day about getting older. Mainly because I was talking to my friend the other day about turning 30 next year. She wants to plan a 30th birthday trip. I'm down with that. I don't see her near enough so that would be amazing! We're thinking Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri. I think that would be about half-way between Chicago and Wichita. Definitely do-able!

Ok that is enough random for today. Go see Stacy and all the other randomers and make sure you write up some random of your own!

Monday, July 22, 2013

Repost: Fun Parent vs. Non-fun parent

Spin Cycle this week is a repost of a previous post. I have been blogging for almost 5 years now (my first blog was in September of 2008!) and so I can only remember blog posts from here and there. So I just started going through my posts by title. This one really stuck out to me because I am feeling a lot of the same sentiments more than 2 years later. This was originally posted on January 13, 2011. Enjoy...

***Just be aware of this post. I am not complaining just stating my version of the truth for my family. Please don't be all judgy-judgy!***

I was having a conversation via email with the hubby yesterday asking how Leo was this morning and cracking up about the things that he does. I said something about how I was taking Leo to the library after I picked him up from school and then we would go home where I hoped he would wear himself out before Leonard got home from work (around 8:30). And he sent me an email back and kiddingly told me that I was being mean and how much he had enjoyed being with Leo lately and playing with him in the evenings since I've been working later. And I sat on this nugget all day. Wondering why I always feel super-stressed out at the end of my work day and just don't always feel like playing with Leo. I always let him play or watch movies or do pretty much whatever he wants but I don't always (read hardly ever) just sit down and play.

And so after thinking about this off and on for the better part of 6 hours I came to a conclusion that I could only blog about because if I expressed this to my hubby I would be looked upon with exasperation. I am the not-fun parent. I am the one that HAS to get stuff done. I'm not saying the hubby doesn't do anything because he does. He's a good helper but he a lot of times has to be asked to do something. Because when I got off work last night I went to the grocery store, picked up Leo, went to the library. Then we got home and I had to cook the chicken for our chicken and noodles along with the rest of the stuff that goes with it, get a different supper ready for Leo because he was just SO hungry he couldn't wait. Then I cleaned out the fridge, changed the sheets on our bed and threw them in the wash with a load of towels and re-dry Leo's clothes that Leonard had left in the dryer and hung them up. Then I took out the trash in the snow and brought the trash can and recycling bin back up to the house. All before 7. And I got off work around 4:15. And I was up at the gym by 5:45. Holy crap. I'm just tired thinking about all of that! And like I said I'm not (totally) complaining but I know why I don't always feel like playing.

So I guess it's ok if I don't always want to play but I also need to look at myself and realize that I don't always have to do EVERYTHING. Maybe I can delegate more. Maybe I can just do some more on the weekends. Who knows. But one thing I know. I don't always want to be the non-fun parent!

Sunday, July 21, 2013

Time Marches On

The Bobby Bones Show has a segment sometimes called Time Marches On. It is basically a time when the people on the show or people who call in have stories about things that happen to them that makes them know they are getting older. And after a girls night last night and just things in general in life lately I have 10 reasons that I know I'm getting older and that "time is marching on."

1) I got real excited when I saw a commercial for a holder for a Magic Eraser. You clip it on to the Magic Eraser and it gives you a better grip on it. I definitely need one of those!

2) I spent more money on Leo to play football than I've spent on myself in the past two years. I'm not even exaggerating.

3) We had a parents meeting for said football at the high school and I realized it has been 11 years since I've been in high school. Where did that time go?

4) At girls night we went to my friends house and her daughter was being the hostess with the mostess. While we were eating dinner I reminisced about how I remembered when she was starting Kindergarten and how we were all so excited. Now she is getting ready to be in 7th grade.

5) I spent Friday night cleaning the house. That is definitely not something I would do if I was still in my youth!

6) One of our conversations at girls night centered around the best medicine for constipation. Who does that?!

7) Another one of our conversations was about who had better produce and meat, Wal-Mart or Dillons? We all agreed that Dillons has it better than Wal-Mart.

8) While watching any form of professional sports I now realize I am older than a lot of these players. Not to mention making sooo much less money than they are!

9) On a lovely Sunday afternoon I spend it on Pinterest trying to find awesome gift ideas for the first day of school for Leo's teacher.

10) And last but not least...my bestie and I are trying to plan a trip for our 30th birthdays next year. Not that 30 is anywhere near old (30 is the new 20!) but I just don't know where the last 9 years of my life have gone! When did I become an adult?

Thursday, July 18, 2013

Summers Past


 
 Spin cycle this week is how you used to spend your summers. My summers were spent with friends, at the pool, fighting with my brother and just all around having fun! Here are just a few pictures I found floating around my house from years ago. Please ignore the poor quality because I took a picture of a picture and uploaded it. I'm so tech savvy!

 
My birthday is in June so it was always hit or miss with birthdays. Friends were always on vacation so parties were small (usually) but fun. Here are a few.
 
See my excitement of opening Grease on VHS

Blowing out the candles on my delicious ice cream cake (also note that I am rocking a giant scrunci on my short hair!)

Rocking my pink bikini at my best birthday ever (at the local pool!)
 As I got older summers were more about pool parties with friends. Cannonball!
 And in high school I spent a lot of summers at cheerleading camp and cheering on the boys baseball team.
I'm on the left rocking my awesome zebra print bow and top!
State baseball 2001. Our boys brought home the championship. Probably because we traveled out of town to support them!
 And of course the summer means weddings. In about a month we will be celebrating 9 glorious years of wedded misery. I mean matrimony! :)
 

 

 
Lots of fun had by me in summers long gone. Make sure to head to Gretchen's to see other past summer memories!
 

 

 

Ticking Clock

I mentioned yesterday that my grandma and grandpa moved into a nursing home last weekend. And it makes my heart very heavy. Not because they are now living under 24-hour care (that situation was much needed) but because it means that I am getting older.

I was blessed to grow up with 4 great-grandparents. My last living great-grandparent passed away earlier this year. I am 29 years old. That is almost unheard of. So when I think of grandparents I think of how lucky I was to know so many of mine. I still even have 3 living grandparents. Again, that is so uncommon it seems. But as my clock keeps ticking it makes me think more and more of death. Not of my own mortality but that of those around me. I have had multiple people I know my age and younger lose parents the past few years. That just breaks my heart. I have a total of 3 weeks of vacation and I know I would get 3 days of bereavement but that would not be enough time to pick up the pieces. My mom was so tough when her dad passed away and continued to go to work AND work on things for my upcoming wedding. I do not know how she did it but I do not think I would have the grace that she did to still handle things. I am pretty sure I would need to curl up in a ball and black out the curtains and make someone else deal with it.

I had already been thinking about this but yesterday on Facebook I saw a girl I went to high school with said that her mom had had a stroke and today she said that her mom had gotten worse and that they were taking her off the ventilators. So when you say your prayers tonight say a prayer for my friend and make sure you kiss your loved ones because you never know when their clock runs out.

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Summer Loving

It's been awhile since I've linked up with Jamie for What I Love Wednesday but thought that this is what my week needs. Because who doesn't get happier thinking about what they love?!

A few things that I love that aren't picture related...

I love how selfless my aunt and uncle have been for the past 20ish years to have my grandma and grandpa live with them. Last weekend marked a bittersweet time for them (or so I assume) because my grandparents moved into a nursing home. So yeah. They're pretty much awesome.

I love the show Big Brother. This season has been FULL of drama but that is a whole post within itself that I am trying to find the right words to post. But right now all I have to say is I love it. I do NOT love the fact that it seems like everyone in the house is gunning for a showmance. They've known each other for a few short weeks and they just L-O-V-E each other. Sick.

I also have gotten hooked on Under the Dome. I now want to read the book but it makes me wonder if it's scary like his other books. Some of them are not so scary but others...freak me out!

I love my Target brand Bomb Pops. Nom nom!

Jacoby's ridiculous "cheese" face. He literally says cheese when I ask to take his picture.

Leo the Muscleman

 


Tuesday, July 16, 2013

RTT: Some Real Random Rebellion

Hallo! It's Tuesday. Time for some Random!!

I went tanning last night and I came up with some really random stuff so it works perfect for this. See...random already!
If you follow me on Twitter you may notice that I like to put businesses on blast if they do something that annoys me. But they have to do something totally awesome for me to tweet good things about them. Maybe that's a really bad way to go about things but I'm not going to be like, Yay Target. I'm so glad you had what I was looking for. It's much easier to find the negative. Yeah. That's definitely a bad way to look at things. I doubt I'll change anything anytime soon though.

I saw that Orange is the New Black is now a show on Netflix. I would really like to watch it. I downloaded it on my Kindle awhile ago but never got a chance to read it. I feel like I should before I watch the show.

On the subject of Netflix...they never seem to have any of the movies I want to watch available for instant viewing. But they have pretty much every TV in the history of TV available. Don't they realize I do not have time to just binge watch? I have a very limited amount of time to watch anything that is not relatively kid-friendly so it would take me ages to watch all the shows that I want.

We have had some slight (ok...that is the understatement of the year but that's a different post for a different day) behavioral issues with Leo lately and it is killing me for two reasons. One-because I know he is better than he is acting and two-because Jacoby is watching him and picking up these bad habits. Like hitting, throwing things, etc. I need to find a way to curb both of their problems and fast!

Megan over at Mackey Madness wrote a post yesterday about the mom she never thought she would be. It really struck a cord with me because having kids changes everything you ever thought your life would be. She writes a lot of really good posts and if you don't follow her you should.

I have really been in a food cooking rut. We haven't been going out to eat but no one wants to eat what I cook. So in turn in makes me want to cook less. So last night I didn't eat dinner and just ate some cereal. I'm so healthy.

Mmkay. That is enough random for now. Go visit Stacy and show some love to the randomers and write your post and link up as well!

Friday, July 12, 2013

Thin Line Between Love and Hate

Oh summer latchkey. I have a love-hate relationship with you. Yes, I love that you hours of operation fit so nicely into my work schedule and allows me not to worry about if I’m going to make it on time to pick Leo up. And yes, you have a lavish array of field trips (daily) that the kiddos get to go on. But Leo? He is not a fan. He does not like going in the mornings. Once we come get him in the afternoon he has had a fun time. But the mornings? They are a bear. And in the past week I have two incidents that stick out that make me feel for him a little more. And it shows me how horrible/stupid some kids can be.

 

Let me preface this by saying that my child is no angel. That he never does anything wrong. But I’m not sure that either of these situations would be warranted regardless.

 

1)      About a  week ago Leo told us that some kid put a rock in his ear. I looked at him kind of funny but asked some questions. Who was it? (He didn’t know his name) Was he the same age? (No, he was older) Was the rock still in his ear? (Yep, he said it was still there). Did it hurt? (Nope) Well, I kind of looked in his ear and didn’t see anything. I asked him if he was serious and he said yes. I just kind of let it go because I didn’t really know if he was telling the truth or if it really had happened. Also, I figured rocks probably wouldn’t stay in your ear. Especially when they swim two times a week and he showers almost daily. But then on Monday or Tuesday morning we were cuddling in bed and he says, “hey, the rock just came out of my ear.” And he proceeds to hand me a tiny little rock. That was living in his ear. So strange. Thankfully he never complained of a headache and/or ear pain or else I would have felt like a total jerk for overlooking the situation. Next time I will definitely be more vigilant but who does that? What kind of kid puts rocks in other kids ears?

2)      Tuesday evening I run in to pick up Leo from latchkey. I am supposed to grab a card with his name on it so he can be released. But there is no card. So I ask and a teacher walks up and has this weird look on her face. Then she proceeds to tell me that some kid flushed Leo’s shoe in the urinal. His brand new shoes. I had to be taken to a separate room because I was being “too loud”. But seriously?! Again, what kind of kid does that? I asked Leo what happened and he said he was in the bathroom stall changing after swimming and his shoes were towards the front of the stall and apparently some kid (who was his age this time) grabbed one of his shoes and put it in the urinal and flushed. I felt so bad for him because he told me he walked out and could “clearly see his shoe in the urinal.” Poor kid. Thankfully they came back from swimming around 4:30 so he didn’t have to be shoeless for too long. I’m not sure how much trouble this kid did or didn’t get into but I think it would be necessary to have a teacher in the restroom while Kindergarten age kids are changing. I made sure that if the stank of a urinal wouldn’t come out of his shoes I would be reimbursed by the other parents to be able to get him new, clean shoes and went home and washed the suckers out. The next day I put them in the sun to see if the heat would bring out any stink and they didn’t so I deemed them fit to wear again but I made sure Leo knew to keep a close eye on his stuff.

 

So after those incidents I can see how he might not always want to go and so I’m trying to be more understanding and compassionate. On the other hand, there are only 3 more weeks left of summer latchkey before a 2-week break before school starts. Thankfully we have family who is willing to watch him during that time otherwise our vacation time from work would be stuck during that time. So I guess between now and next summer I will have a task to decide if we want to stick with summer latchkey for another year or so or try to find a willing teenager who would want to watch Leo for 10 hours a day for 12 weeks. It could be a daunting task to find someone up for that challenge!!

Saturday, July 6, 2013

Bloglovin

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Summa Summa Summa Time

Spin Cycle this week is what summer means to me. While my summers are much different these days than those from my younger years (how old am I?!) I still try to do some things like I did then. Here are a few ways I like to spend my summers...

Fireworks at the K

Grilling. Yummm!

T-ball

Water fun

4th of July with family!

More 4th fun with family

At the Drive-in hanging out the sun roof. Leo thought he was soooo cool! :)

Family time at the drive in with my mom

There are definitely things that I would like to do more of such as more ice cream and sno-cone runs, going to the lake and spending time at the pool. This summer has been filled to the brim with lots of things but there's always time for a little more fun! Make sure you stop by Gretchen's on Friday and see the links of all the other summer spinners!

Friday, July 5, 2013

Half-way Goal Check Up

July. The half-way mark of the year. So let's see where I stand on my 5 missions for the year.

1) Maintain my weight loss. I am happy/proud to say that I am still maintaining my weight loss. I went to my now-monthly Weight Watchers meeting and I am still within 2 pounds of my goal so I am still a life-time member. I am pretty sure this is the longest I have deliberately stayed at a weight that I am happy with. Woo hoo!

2) Complete a 5k. Complete! I actually did 2 so far this year and there are 2 more that I am interested in doing before the end of the year. Who would've thunk it?! Well technically I didn't run either one completely but I finished. And the weather has been gorgeous lately so maybe I'll get off my lazy bum and start training again to see if I can compete better at the next one.

3) Keep the house in order. Who am I kidding? Why would I have made this a goal?! Some days are better than others and there are definitely things that I have done better than others but it has definitely been put on the backburner. I need to be more deliberate about this but some days I just want to come home and crash hard.

4) Read one book per month. I have read 6 books this year but it hasn't been 1 per month. I've actually already got a jump on July and finished a book already this month. It helped that I read all four of Dan Brown's Robert Langdon series because the latest book "Inferno" just came out. They were so good. And definitely make me want to travel. So if anyone wants to fund a vacation account for me feel free!

5) Blog more about more meaningful things. Yes and no I've done this. There have definitely been some things that I should blog about but I just don't have the right words for them. But when important things have happened with the boys I've blogged about that. So this is halfway completed. Which works since it's halfway through the year. I will again try to be more deliberate about my blogging. I really miss writing and so hopefully I will make the time to blog more frequently.

Did you make any goals for this year? What were they and how have you done with them? Let me know!