Anyone who has a toddler knows how easy it is for them to make things exponentially harder for you. Little tasks, easy things, chores that used to take minutes.....now take all day. Why? Let's take a glimpse into the few things I accomplish in a day:
1. Loading/Unloading the Dishwasher: First of all, no one LIKES to do this. I personally loathe it. But...someone's gotta do it! Well, that is, if you want a dish to eat out of. Before Jaxen came along I could do this with great skill and make good time. It's an easy thing to do, right? Well...now that Jaxen is quicker than lightning and more curious than any cat known to man...it makes for an interesting chore. As I'm loading, he's unloading. As I'm unloading, he's loading....with toys. Who knew that a pot lid was sooooo interesting? Or a fork? Or a huge knife?? Jaxen thinks anything and everything in the dishwasher is his new favorite toy and he must have them. If you tell him 'NO!' as he goes to grab that breakable coffee mug...it does not hinder him. Rather, it's like the yellow light that we all try to speed through. He just goes for it even faster! So, now this chore that previously took 5-10 minutes can take up to 30 minutes.
2. Makeup/Hair: Ok, I just recently got to where I could do this in less than 10 minutes because you have a limited amount of time to spend on yourself when a toddler is running a muck. But now, he likes to spend this time in the bathroom with me. Good thing, right? Hmm....let me explain. While I'm trying to keep from getting mascara on my cheeks he's turning the bath water on and off, full blast, and placing his hands under the glorious flow of water and spritzing the floor. He's opening all the drawers and cabinets and taking out the rubbing alcohol, mouthwash, and dog shampoo and immediately putting them in his mouth. He's turning on and off the light since he can now reach the switches. He's looking curiously at the toilet...keep a close eye!! Oh and taking your make up from the counter top and wielding it at the glass shower door. Oh...how privacy IS such a luxury!! So...in short, this now takes close to an hour. And everyone who knows me, knows the end result is still always a ponytail.
3. Folding Laundry: Another one of our beloved household conquests. Jaxen loves to throw clothes in the washer. He LOVES to help start the washer and dryer by pushing the buttons. He loves to dip his fingers in the dog's water bowl housed in the laundry room....oh wait. Amidst guarding the mini vacuum, the steamer and the dog bowls....I somehow manage to throw the dry clothes in a hamper. Drag it into the living room and proceed to fold. Well Jaxen likes to 'help.' I fold and fold and stack and stack...and Jaxen comes and ransacks. That rhymed, just saying. He'll grab a pile of the newly folded clothes and run as fast as he can and drop them piece by piece on the floor....where all the dog hair resides. Yay, clean clothes!
4. Doing ANYthing on the Computer: Checking a quick email, putting in that highest bid on eBay, making sure nothing exciting has happened on Facebook without your knowledge...all things that take mere moments, right? Wrong!!! Dare I touch my computer in Jaxen's presence. One of a few things could happen immediately after my palm rests on the mouse:
A. He screams uncontrollably as he is no longer the complete and utter center of my attention.
B. He runs as fast as he can to his room to retrieve as many books as he can carry so that he can throw them at you while you type. Ouch!
C. He screams 'Mickey, Mickey, Mickey!' until you give in and go to DisneyJunior.com to play online episodes for him. My how young they learn!!
D. He grabs the newly installed window blinds and shakes them uncontrollably until you are forced to get up to raise them. He now uses this quick second to run back to your seat and climb up to bang on your keyboard. How he gets YouTube pulled up so quickly is a mystery!
E. He disappears and you hear nothing for an extended amount of time...and then it dawns on you that he is probably now sabotaging something sacred and valuable.
Moral of the story here: save your computer time for when he is contained in his crib and snoring, preferably.
5. Grocery Shopping: Ahh....the dreaded trip to the grocery store. My most hated past time. And that was before I took Jaxen with me. Now I have to come armed with treats, water cup, dog (his woobie, if you will), toy cars, and anything else that may suppress embarrassing screams that are loud enough to make the hair stand up on your neck...three aisles over! Heaven forbid that we get to the store and the 'race car' grocery cart is already taken...this is a tragedy, things of horror films I tell you! You will learn to list your needed grocery items according to how the aisles are arranged in the store to save time. You will practically run down the aisles and grab what you can as you fly by and NEVER, no matter what you do...go down the toddler snack aisle! The rest of your trip will be haunted by loud 'SNACK!!!!' chants as you go down the remainder of the aisles. Don't say I didn't warn you!
Don't get me wrong. I LOVE having Jaxen with me all day. He's my traveling companion and pretty much my bestie. He loves me when I have no makeup on, when my crazy hair is down, when the dishes are dirty and piled in the sink, when we share books while I'm on the computer, when he shows me how to really fold laundry and especially when I buy him snacks from the store. You know how I know? He says 'I love you!' And that makes the long day of chores totally worth it!
Friday, June 24, 2011
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Dealing with the Dirt...
As many of you know...we were recently tasked with the huge project of getting our front yard ready for new sod. Those of you who have done this before, realize it's a daunting task. I now realize why people pay others to do this for them! It was absolutely brutal! And to top it off...we had to do it with a toddler on the prowl. This is our hideous yard from before:
He wants to be in the thick of things, you know. If you are raking, he thinks 'I want to rake.' If you are bagging dead grass, he thinks 'I want to bag dead grass.' If you are covered in dirt, he thinks ' I want to be covered in dirt.' Oh wait...he already is!
The bad thing about tilling up your front yard is...you and everything you own is now covered in dirt. Dirty dirt. The kind that you have to shower to get off. And even then....it is embedded in your nails and you still look dirty! It sticks to you like it's part of your skin! Well Jaxen didn't seem to mind this at all. Here's our dirt galaxy...after bagging over 20 bags of crud and leveling it out a million times:
Jaxen LOVES...L.O.V.E.S....double heart...thump thump thump...being outside. So if you are outside working in the yard...Jaxen is in heaven! Especially since you are trying to get something done and can't chase after his every move. Well when you have to work in the front yard...it's a harder task since the street and passing cars are now a factor. Jaxen thinks its real fun to run fast as he can toward the street as you barrel toward him yelling his name. This is a treat!
He also loves to frolic through the huge piles of dirt and grass you have gathered in multiple spots. Let's see how much we can cram in our mouth before mommy or daddy get wind of it!
Jaxen likes to stand right in front of or hand on top of the sprinkler head while it sprays away. Giggles in delight even.
He likes to pick up the newly laid lava rocks and throw them into the dirt abyss as he yells 'ROCK!' Trying to explain the difference of lava rocks from ordinary rocks is not as easy as it sounds when the person on the receiving end doesn't yet understand what 'those cost money' means yet.
Enclosed in a play pin on the driveway, with no dirt nearby and clean toys to play with.....even then, Jaxen can manage to get filthy. And wet??
Long story short...yes, we got the yard done. We see all of our neighbors with out kids get theirs done in a week or so...but yes, ours took a month or so. But in toddler time, that's a week. Now our yard is a work of art. Beautiful!
So....now the task at hand is trying to explain to your almost two year old why he can't run on this new grass yet! Good luck to all the parents who have yard work to do. I feel...err...felt your pain! Glad it's over!
He wants to be in the thick of things, you know. If you are raking, he thinks 'I want to rake.' If you are bagging dead grass, he thinks 'I want to bag dead grass.' If you are covered in dirt, he thinks ' I want to be covered in dirt.' Oh wait...he already is! The bad thing about tilling up your front yard is...you and everything you own is now covered in dirt. Dirty dirt. The kind that you have to shower to get off. And even then....it is embedded in your nails and you still look dirty! It sticks to you like it's part of your skin! Well Jaxen didn't seem to mind this at all. Here's our dirt galaxy...after bagging over 20 bags of crud and leveling it out a million times:
Jaxen LOVES...L.O.V.E.S....double heart...thump thump thump...being outside. So if you are outside working in the yard...Jaxen is in heaven! Especially since you are trying to get something done and can't chase after his every move. Well when you have to work in the front yard...it's a harder task since the street and passing cars are now a factor. Jaxen thinks its real fun to run fast as he can toward the street as you barrel toward him yelling his name. This is a treat! He also loves to frolic through the huge piles of dirt and grass you have gathered in multiple spots. Let's see how much we can cram in our mouth before mommy or daddy get wind of it!
Jaxen likes to stand right in front of or hand on top of the sprinkler head while it sprays away. Giggles in delight even.
He likes to pick up the newly laid lava rocks and throw them into the dirt abyss as he yells 'ROCK!' Trying to explain the difference of lava rocks from ordinary rocks is not as easy as it sounds when the person on the receiving end doesn't yet understand what 'those cost money' means yet.
Enclosed in a play pin on the driveway, with no dirt nearby and clean toys to play with.....even then, Jaxen can manage to get filthy. And wet??
Long story short...yes, we got the yard done. We see all of our neighbors with out kids get theirs done in a week or so...but yes, ours took a month or so. But in toddler time, that's a week. Now our yard is a work of art. Beautiful!So....now the task at hand is trying to explain to your almost two year old why he can't run on this new grass yet! Good luck to all the parents who have yard work to do. I feel...err...felt your pain! Glad it's over!
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Potty Training 101
Since I'm home all day and am 
still changing 3+ diapers a day...I thought I'd look into potty training a bit. I remember before I had a kid I used to tell myself "When my kid turns 1, he's getting on the pot, and that's it." Well apparently it's not that easy!
So I decided to look up 'How to know when your kid is ready to potty train.' And my favorite site babycenter.com gave me some handy dandy tips on how to know when this marvelous way of life would be upon us. Well as it turns out....Jaxen is not ready. So sayeth the babycenter potty training checklist.
What's on this 'how you know' checklist, you ask? Well here we go:
PHYSICAL SIGNS
1. Is coordinated enough to walk, and even run, steadily. Yes, yes and yes. Jaxen sprints most everywhere in the 'you can't catch me' fashion, but it's not real coordinated.
2. Urinates a fair amount at one time. I'm sure he does. However I've never made him pee in a cup and measured it. How would one know the real answer to this???
3. Has regular, well-formed bowel movements at relatively predictable times.
Hmm...I would say a big fat NO to this one. Constipation has plagued Jaxen since day one. Laxatives, prune juice, suppositories...nothing supersedes this kids bowels. The poo does NOT know the password to get out. So when it does manage to 'break free' it's not regular, it's not well-formed and it's never predictable...unless you call a blowout of epic proportions at 6 am every 3-4 months predictable.
4. Has "dry" periods of at least three or four hours, which shows that his bladder muscles are developed enough to hold urine. If I wait 4 hours to change this kids diaper...he'll give new definition of the 'soggy bottom boys' we all loved from O Brother, Where Art Thou?
BEHAVIORAL SIGNS
1. Can sit down quietly in one position for two to five minutes. Hahahahhahahah. Is this a joke???
2. Can pull his pants up and down. Well after I read this...I decided I'd see if Jaxen was able to do this. The short answer is no. The long answer is....after pulling my pants up and down 15 times to demonstrate to Jaxen how it's done...no. He does know how to give himself a wedgie though. Does that count?
3. Dislikes the feeling of wearing a wet or dirty diaper. He dislikes getting his diaper changed...so I'd say he quite enjoys wearing a wet or dirty diaper.
4. Shows interest in others' bathroom habits (wants to watch you go to the bathroom or wear underwear). When he first paid attention to us doing this...he was interested. Now it's old hat and 'nothing to see here.' I think he thinks of it as a mini-moment of freedom. We can't get up to catch him!
5. Gives a physical or verbal sign when he's having a bowel movement such as grunting, squatting, or telling you. How about shaping his body in such a way that only a contortionist could and turning red to only produce a poo-poo pellet as I like to call it?
6. Demonstrates a desire for independence. Only when in public. When we're home he's more like a leach, who has attached himself to my leg for the duration.
7. Takes pride in his accomplishments. Look what I can do Mommy! I can eat the dog food!
8. Isn't resistant to learning to use the toilet. Well if you let him hold a ball while he sits on it, he's good. But what happens when he's 16? Will he still have to hold a ball?
9. Is in a generally cooperative stage, not a negative or contrary one. I don't know ANY 'cooperative' toddlers. I do, however, know some contrary ones!
COGNITIVE SIGNS
1. Can follow simple instructions, such as "go get the toy." He understands them....but does he follow them? Sometimes. And when he gets tired of doing that...he just picks 'the toy' up and wields it at the fireplace. Ahh....love him!
2. Understands the value of putting things where they belong. Value? No. Things 'belong' somewhere?
3. Has words for urine and stool. He doesn't flinch when he pees. Not even when you've just taken off his diaper and are about to put him in the tub...and then he wizzes all along the side of the tub. None the wiser, I tell you. But when he poops...and you're changing him, he usually yells 'Yuck' or 'Fpoo, Fpoo.' So that's progress, right?
4. Understands the physical signals that mean he has to go and can tell you before it happens or even hold it until he has time to get to the potty. Jaxen can't even tell me where he hid my keys...doubt he'll share the deep dark secret of when the poo is coming.
So all in all, I've decided we'll have to wait. But the thought of changing a 3 year old's dirty diaper frightens the heck out of me. This is how life will pay me back for all my 'dirty deeds.' Oh...the irony!!!
still changing 3+ diapers a day...I thought I'd look into potty training a bit. I remember before I had a kid I used to tell myself "When my kid turns 1, he's getting on the pot, and that's it." Well apparently it's not that easy!So I decided to look up 'How to know when your kid is ready to potty train.' And my favorite site babycenter.com gave me some handy dandy tips on how to know when this marvelous way of life would be upon us. Well as it turns out....Jaxen is not ready. So sayeth the babycenter potty training checklist.
What's on this 'how you know' checklist, you ask? Well here we go:
PHYSICAL SIGNS
1. Is coordinated enough to walk, and even run, steadily. Yes, yes and yes. Jaxen sprints most everywhere in the 'you can't catch me' fashion, but it's not real coordinated.
2. Urinates a fair amount at one time. I'm sure he does. However I've never made him pee in a cup and measured it. How would one know the real answer to this???
3. Has regular, well-formed bowel movements at relatively predictable times.
Hmm...I would say a big fat NO to this one. Constipation has plagued Jaxen since day one. Laxatives, prune juice, suppositories...nothing supersedes this kids bowels. The poo does NOT know the password to get out. So when it does manage to 'break free' it's not regular, it's not well-formed and it's never predictable...unless you call a blowout of epic proportions at 6 am every 3-4 months predictable.
4. Has "dry" periods of at least three or four hours, which shows that his bladder muscles are developed enough to hold urine. If I wait 4 hours to change this kids diaper...he'll give new definition of the 'soggy bottom boys' we all loved from O Brother, Where Art Thou?
BEHAVIORAL SIGNS
1. Can sit down quietly in one position for two to five minutes. Hahahahhahahah. Is this a joke???
2. Can pull his pants up and down. Well after I read this...I decided I'd see if Jaxen was able to do this. The short answer is no. The long answer is....after pulling my pants up and down 15 times to demonstrate to Jaxen how it's done...no. He does know how to give himself a wedgie though. Does that count?
3. Dislikes the feeling of wearing a wet or dirty diaper. He dislikes getting his diaper changed...so I'd say he quite enjoys wearing a wet or dirty diaper.
4. Shows interest in others' bathroom habits (wants to watch you go to the bathroom or wear underwear). When he first paid attention to us doing this...he was interested. Now it's old hat and 'nothing to see here.' I think he thinks of it as a mini-moment of freedom. We can't get up to catch him!
5. Gives a physical or verbal sign when he's having a bowel movement such as grunting, squatting, or telling you. How about shaping his body in such a way that only a contortionist could and turning red to only produce a poo-poo pellet as I like to call it?
6. Demonstrates a desire for independence. Only when in public. When we're home he's more like a leach, who has attached himself to my leg for the duration.
7. Takes pride in his accomplishments. Look what I can do Mommy! I can eat the dog food!
8. Isn't resistant to learning to use the toilet. Well if you let him hold a ball while he sits on it, he's good. But what happens when he's 16? Will he still have to hold a ball?
9. Is in a generally cooperative stage, not a negative or contrary one. I don't know ANY 'cooperative' toddlers. I do, however, know some contrary ones!
COGNITIVE SIGNS
1. Can follow simple instructions, such as "go get the toy." He understands them....but does he follow them? Sometimes. And when he gets tired of doing that...he just picks 'the toy' up and wields it at the fireplace. Ahh....love him!
2. Understands the value of putting things where they belong. Value? No. Things 'belong' somewhere?
3. Has words for urine and stool. He doesn't flinch when he pees. Not even when you've just taken off his diaper and are about to put him in the tub...and then he wizzes all along the side of the tub. None the wiser, I tell you. But when he poops...and you're changing him, he usually yells 'Yuck' or 'Fpoo, Fpoo.' So that's progress, right?
4. Understands the physical signals that mean he has to go and can tell you before it happens or even hold it until he has time to get to the potty. Jaxen can't even tell me where he hid my keys...doubt he'll share the deep dark secret of when the poo is coming.
So all in all, I've decided we'll have to wait. But the thought of changing a 3 year old's dirty diaper frightens the heck out of me. This is how life will pay me back for all my 'dirty deeds.' Oh...the irony!!!
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
It's Make Your Own Art Time!
Sorry for the looonnggg delay between posts. Who knew being at home all day means you will be busier than ever?? Yes, so as many of you know...we are still trying to decorate our house. Well with one less income...it makes this a hard task. Art costs so much money! So...do like I do. Steal ideas and replicate!
We had this ghastly blank wall (hallway) that needed SOMETHING. I mean, it practically mocked me. Here I am supposed to be a creative person...and my walls are bare, naked, so alone! Something had to be done. So...I found this lovely idea online and decided to give it a whirl. So, here's my take:
1. Start by getting your fantastic father to cut up some of his free wood that is taking up space in his garage. He will say yes because he loves you! I got my dad to cut me 12" x 12" boards. And some 8" x 8" ones also (for another project which I finish up with here).
2. Take said wood and sand the edges so that your Palmolive hands won't get any splinters. Yes, those are gardening gloves. Don't hate! Be sure to clean off any sawdusty stuff left on the boards from sanding.
3. Paint the edges of all the boards black (or whatever color you choose). I let this paint dry until the next day's nap time. Besides, I spend time with the hubby at night. And what's the rush? The wall has been bare for this long!
4. I chose some neutralish scrapbook papers that were 12 x 12 to use on some of my boards as well as got some photos printed to 12 x 12. I was only able to get those printed at a scrapbook store. Go figure!
5. Take those lovely papers and photos you've chosen to grace the walls of your home and Mod Podge those puppies. If you are like me when I first starting ripping off ideas...err....finding inspiration from other crafty folks' blogs, you're probably wondering what the heck Mod Podge is! Well, it's a glue and a sealer. All wrapped into one lovely package. You can buy a big jug of it from Michael's for about $8. If you have their trusty 40% off coupon...then you are doing even better! I applied a generous coat of Mod Podge to the board and to the back of my paper using some foam brushes. Then I pressed it down onto the board and positioned it as square as possible...and smoothed it out. No bubbles. Voila!
6. No, you're not done yet. Day 3 naptime: I applied a coat of Mod Podge to the top of the papers to seal them. Once that was dry....(day 4 naptime) I applied another coat of the Mod Podge. Trust me. Wait. Don't glob it all on at once. Do nice even coats.
Now...back to that little mention I made earlier about the 8" x 8" boards that my father also cut for me. I decided to do something similar for our master bedroom. So you have your 8" x 8" boards...and you have lots of scrapbook papers that coordinate well together, right? Well, what do you do next?
8. Once that dried...we decided to group all these boards together as one piece but was afraid that it'd be too flat. So we glued on some small cuts of wood (also compliments of dad) to the back of random pieces that had varying thicknesses.
9. After those dried...we glued all the boards to one thin piece of MDF, essentially connecting them all together! Note: We were a little afraid of 8 x 8 wood panels falling on our heads as we blissfully sleep...so we decided to use an air staple gun adhering the boards to the MDF as well. Added security, you know.
10. Again...have the hubbs hang it up and you got a beaut!
We had this ghastly blank wall (hallway) that needed SOMETHING. I mean, it practically mocked me. Here I am supposed to be a creative person...and my walls are bare, naked, so alone! Something had to be done. So...I found this lovely idea online and decided to give it a whirl. So, here's my take:
1. Start by getting your fantastic father to cut up some of his free wood that is taking up space in his garage. He will say yes because he loves you! I got my dad to cut me 12" x 12" boards. And some 8" x 8" ones also (for another project which I finish up with here).
2. Take said wood and sand the edges so that your Palmolive hands won't get any splinters. Yes, those are gardening gloves. Don't hate! Be sure to clean off any sawdusty stuff left on the boards from sanding.
3. Paint the edges of all the boards black (or whatever color you choose). I let this paint dry until the next day's nap time. Besides, I spend time with the hubby at night. And what's the rush? The wall has been bare for this long!
4. I chose some neutralish scrapbook papers that were 12 x 12 to use on some of my boards as well as got some photos printed to 12 x 12. I was only able to get those printed at a scrapbook store. Go figure!
5. Take those lovely papers and photos you've chosen to grace the walls of your home and Mod Podge those puppies. If you are like me when I first starting ripping off ideas...err....finding inspiration from other crafty folks' blogs, you're probably wondering what the heck Mod Podge is! Well, it's a glue and a sealer. All wrapped into one lovely package. You can buy a big jug of it from Michael's for about $8. If you have their trusty 40% off coupon...then you are doing even better! I applied a generous coat of Mod Podge to the board and to the back of my paper using some foam brushes. Then I pressed it down onto the board and positioned it as square as possible...and smoothed it out. No bubbles. Voila!
6. No, you're not done yet. Day 3 naptime: I applied a coat of Mod Podge to the top of the papers to seal them. Once that was dry....(day 4 naptime) I applied another coat of the Mod Podge. Trust me. Wait. Don't glob it all on at once. Do nice even coats.
7. Once that is done and completely dry...you enlist the help of your handy hubby. Have him hang them on the wall since this is not your strong point. LOL And then you get something that looks like this!
Now...back to that little mention I made earlier about the 8" x 8" boards that my father also cut for me. I decided to do something similar for our master bedroom. So you have your 8" x 8" boards...and you have lots of scrapbook papers that coordinate well together, right? Well, what do you do next?
Follow steps 1 - 6 above, but obviously you'll have to cut your 12 x 12 papers down to 8 x 8 using an Xacto Knife and ruler.
7. 
Now that all of your 8 x 8 boards are Mod Podged, sealed and dry...we are going to take the advice of our 'lovely idea' blog from above and grunge them up. I used some brown acrylic paint...raw umber I think it was. Took an old rag and dabbed some of that brown paint on the corner of it and then rubbed it around on the edges of all the boards. I just kept rubbing it around and taking some off until it looked like something I could live with. Towards the last board or two...I could live with a lot less perfection than when I started. Hah
7. 
Now that all of your 8 x 8 boards are Mod Podged, sealed and dry...we are going to take the advice of our 'lovely idea' blog from above and grunge them up. I used some brown acrylic paint...raw umber I think it was. Took an old rag and dabbed some of that brown paint on the corner of it and then rubbed it around on the edges of all the boards. I just kept rubbing it around and taking some off until it looked like something I could live with. Towards the last board or two...I could live with a lot less perfection than when I started. Hah
8. Once that dried...we decided to group all these boards together as one piece but was afraid that it'd be too flat. So we glued on some small cuts of wood (also compliments of dad) to the back of random pieces that had varying thicknesses.
9. After those dried...we glued all the boards to one thin piece of MDF, essentially connecting them all together! Note: We were a little afraid of 8 x 8 wood panels falling on our heads as we blissfully sleep...so we decided to use an air staple gun adhering the boards to the MDF as well. Added security, you know.
10. Again...have the hubbs hang it up and you got a beaut!
Friday, February 4, 2011
A Real Man
I know from personal experience that it's rather hard to come by a 'real man.' We all had to kiss a few frogs before we found our own prince...and not the high-heel wearing, purple loving kind of prince. Now, I know that 'real man' means alot of different things for different people...but still they are usually few and far between. Sometimes a few of us lucky ladies are able to snag one and permanently take him off the market so no other heffer can steal him away. That in itself is a great feat! Especially if you're eying a one Jeff Brewer. It took me over 15 years to get him down the aisle. Not that I was trying for all 15 years, but toward the end...I was pushing the 'I do' discussion pretty heavily. Besides, I'd liked him since 7th grade...and that kind of commitment deserves a reward. Haha!
But even then, I didn't really know how much of a 'real man' he was. I knew he was a great guy, sure...that was easy to see. How was it so easy to see, you ask? Well, he was responsible to a fault, handsome, funny (yay!), honest, smart (also to a fault), loyal, and he had great taste...after all, he was with me! I knew someday he would make a great father and role model for another 'real man' in the making.
I certainly hope that Jaxen does take on some of his father's traits. Of course, I hope he inherits my dazzling personality, wit and charm. But he hopefully will get Jeff's ankles (dern cankle curse must end here), knack for responsibility, smarts, geography know how...err where, and most importantly - how to treat his wife.
Don't get me wrong...Jeff and I have our moments where we think 'you better not go to sleep tonight...'. But for the most part, he's wonderful. And I know...I need to get on with my point...I tend to ramble. Right....Real man.
I feel like Jeff has become a 'real man' more so lately than ever before. Since I've started staying home....I've realized how fortunate I am. Fortunate to have a husband who loves his family so much that he's willing to handle all things bill & household so that his wife can care for his child all day. He works long hours...comes home tired...and still takes time to play with Jaxen, feed him his dinner (even though Jaxen is kicking and screaming the whole time), give him a bath, read him a book and say his night time prayers with him. Does he complain about it? No.
Real men take care of their family and love doing it. Jeff is taking care of me and Jaxen more than ever. We appreciate him being a 'real man' and I hope Jaxen is taking notes!
So...with alot more time together and alot less money - we'll eat in a little more, won't have as many date nights, spend all our little bit of extra money on grass, paint, and other boring stuff....and is it worth it?? YES! Besides, it ain't so bad when you have a handsome hubby sittin' by your side and a snoring Biddle. Life is grand!
But even then, I didn't really know how much of a 'real man' he was. I knew he was a great guy, sure...that was easy to see. How was it so easy to see, you ask? Well, he was responsible to a fault, handsome, funny (yay!), honest, smart (also to a fault), loyal, and he had great taste...after all, he was with me! I knew someday he would make a great father and role model for another 'real man' in the making.
I certainly hope that Jaxen does take on some of his father's traits. Of course, I hope he inherits my dazzling personality, wit and charm. But he hopefully will get Jeff's ankles (dern cankle curse must end here), knack for responsibility, smarts, geography know how...err where, and most importantly - how to treat his wife.
Don't get me wrong...Jeff and I have our moments where we think 'you better not go to sleep tonight...'. But for the most part, he's wonderful. And I know...I need to get on with my point...I tend to ramble. Right....Real man.
I feel like Jeff has become a 'real man' more so lately than ever before. Since I've started staying home....I've realized how fortunate I am. Fortunate to have a husband who loves his family so much that he's willing to handle all things bill & household so that his wife can care for his child all day. He works long hours...comes home tired...and still takes time to play with Jaxen, feed him his dinner (even though Jaxen is kicking and screaming the whole time), give him a bath, read him a book and say his night time prayers with him. Does he complain about it? No.
Real men take care of their family and love doing it. Jeff is taking care of me and Jaxen more than ever. We appreciate him being a 'real man' and I hope Jaxen is taking notes!
So...with alot more time together and alot less money - we'll eat in a little more, won't have as many date nights, spend all our little bit of extra money on grass, paint, and other boring stuff....and is it worth it?? YES! Besides, it ain't so bad when you have a handsome hubby sittin' by your side and a snoring Biddle. Life is grand!
Friday, January 28, 2011
Roses are Red....
So today I decided to post on a project I completed just a few minutes ago! I've had the supplies taking up space in our unofficial guest bedroom for months....and finally had the time to do it! This did take me several nap times to complete, blah! But I think it came out beautifully!
I currently have a tall vase with fake roses on my dining room table and wanted to do something a little more fun....pretty, but fun! So I found this idea online and decided to give it a whirl. Note: I really wanted to put an exclamation mark after that last sentence but decided to restrain myself since there is one at the end of all the other sentences.
For details on how to make these roses, visit the original blog that I stole my idea from.
I found two little glass jar/vases at Michael's a while back but didn't want to leave them clear...since you'd see the wizard behind the curtain that way. So I painted the inside of the jars with gold acrylic paint. Then I hot glued in random spots some twine around the outside of the jars. And then the hard part began...cutting felt.
I originally bought 80 sheets of 8.5 x 11 felt. I cut out 40 8" circles and 40 6" circles. Then I cut a spiral from the outer edge of the circle to the center. This is rather tedious and felt is not the easiest fabric to work with. But it's thick...and it does its job. Then I rolled those puppies up from the outside in and hot glued randomly along the way. And bam....a felt rose.
I glued the roses on the foam ball that sat right on top of the jar opening and I quickly realized I didn't make enough roses for both of my vases. So I only completed one. Guess that's a project for next week. I only had 8 felt roses left out of 80. So I used most of them filling in the first one fully.
To make sure my roses didn't fall off by some freak accident or by a toddler grabbing at them, I secured a straight pin in the center of each rose adhering it to the foam ball, even though it's hot glued...I wanted some extra attaching!
Once that was done, I dabbed a bit of hot glue on a pearl (found in the beading section of Michael's) and popped that bad boy right in the middle. Voila! B-E-A-U-tiful roses.
Hope you like!!
I currently have a tall vase with fake roses on my dining room table and wanted to do something a little more fun....pretty, but fun! So I found this idea online and decided to give it a whirl. Note: I really wanted to put an exclamation mark after that last sentence but decided to restrain myself since there is one at the end of all the other sentences.
For details on how to make these roses, visit the original blog that I stole my idea from.
I found two little glass jar/vases at Michael's a while back but didn't want to leave them clear...since you'd see the wizard behind the curtain that way. So I painted the inside of the jars with gold acrylic paint. Then I hot glued in random spots some twine around the outside of the jars. And then the hard part began...cutting felt.I originally bought 80 sheets of 8.5 x 11 felt. I cut out 40 8" circles and 40 6" circles. Then I cut a spiral from the outer edge of the circle to the center. This is rather tedious and felt is not the easiest fabric to work with. But it's thick...and it does its job. Then I rolled those puppies up from the outside in and hot glued randomly along the way. And bam....a felt rose.
I glued the roses on the foam ball that sat right on top of the jar opening and I quickly realized I didn't make enough roses for both of my vases. So I only completed one. Guess that's a project for next week. I only had 8 felt roses left out of 80. So I used most of them filling in the first one fully.
To make sure my roses didn't fall off by some freak accident or by a toddler grabbing at them, I secured a straight pin in the center of each rose adhering it to the foam ball, even though it's hot glued...I wanted some extra attaching!Once that was done, I dabbed a bit of hot glue on a pearl (found in the beading section of Michael's) and popped that bad boy right in the middle. Voila! B-E-A-U-tiful roses.
Hope you like!!
Friday, January 21, 2011
Things I've Noticed...
Ok....Here are some things I've noticed since I've started this staying at home adventure:
1. You'd be amazed how easy it is to 'overlook' the importance of dental hygiene. You wake up and it's go go go. Before you know it, it's 2pm and you realize...'I haven't brushed my teeth!' Yes, I know...this is quite disturbing. But when you have no place to be it's easy to forget. Then 4pm rolls around and you realize...you still haven't brushed them.
2. Remember when going to the potty was an oh so secretive thing? Well then you get married and ultimately become brave enough to leave the door cracked while tinkling...maybe even so bold as to carry on a conversation with hubby. Well, when you have a kid....kiss privacy goodbye! Days of shutting the door and a shout of 'I'm in the loo..' are over. You have an audience...every time you go. And they will be very curious as to what you are doing.
3. When you are teaching your kids what things are....they start to notice those things every where and recognize them proudly by pointing them out. Well when your kid loves 'balls' then all things round are now balls. Pointing and saying 'ball' is very common around this house. And when your kid points to your boob and calls it a 'ball'...just go with it.
4. Pets. You wonder what they do all day while you are at work. Well, wonder no more. I am here to tell you they do nothing. Unless you consider constant nagging to throw the toy as something...then they do nothing.
5. Cleaning the house never ends. It never ends. It never ends. You'd think now that you are home you could get away with wearing the same outfit multiple days and you'd have much less laundry to wash. How is this not true????
6. When naptime comes and you finally have a few minutes to watch TV. Nothing is on. Trust me...nothing. Unless of course you like the 'I didn't know I was pregnant' shows. At least this confirms that you are smarter than some other people, because YOU knew!
7. Lastly, you realize that you have become one of those people who always talk about their kids. Case in point....Biddle Brilliance.
1. You'd be amazed how easy it is to 'overlook' the importance of dental hygiene. You wake up and it's go go go. Before you know it, it's 2pm and you realize...'I haven't brushed my teeth!' Yes, I know...this is quite disturbing. But when you have no place to be it's easy to forget. Then 4pm rolls around and you realize...you still haven't brushed them.
2. Remember when going to the potty was an oh so secretive thing? Well then you get married and ultimately become brave enough to leave the door cracked while tinkling...maybe even so bold as to carry on a conversation with hubby. Well, when you have a kid....kiss privacy goodbye! Days of shutting the door and a shout of 'I'm in the loo..' are over. You have an audience...every time you go. And they will be very curious as to what you are doing.
3. When you are teaching your kids what things are....they start to notice those things every where and recognize them proudly by pointing them out. Well when your kid loves 'balls' then all things round are now balls. Pointing and saying 'ball' is very common around this house. And when your kid points to your boob and calls it a 'ball'...just go with it.
4. Pets. You wonder what they do all day while you are at work. Well, wonder no more. I am here to tell you they do nothing. Unless you consider constant nagging to throw the toy as something...then they do nothing.
5. Cleaning the house never ends. It never ends. It never ends. You'd think now that you are home you could get away with wearing the same outfit multiple days and you'd have much less laundry to wash. How is this not true????
6. When naptime comes and you finally have a few minutes to watch TV. Nothing is on. Trust me...nothing. Unless of course you like the 'I didn't know I was pregnant' shows. At least this confirms that you are smarter than some other people, because YOU knew!
7. Lastly, you realize that you have become one of those people who always talk about their kids. Case in point....Biddle Brilliance.
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