Before:
And....after:
Isn't she pretty?
Saturday, November 20, 2010
I'm such a tease!
Okay...I have about 2 seconds to post this before I MUST get in the shower and get ready for the game [GO STATE] so it is only going to be a sneak preview. I'll post the entire story tomorrow!
Before:
And....after:
Isn't she pretty?
Before:
And....after:
Isn't she pretty?
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Need a little help from my friends!
Happy Saturday Peeps! Can you feel it? Winter is in the air!
You know, I thought I'd have all of this extra time on my hands now that I'm not working full time. Wrong-O Joe! This week was crazy busy and went by in a flash! By the end of the week it was cold and wet and I found myself not wanting to leave the house at all!
I had another one of those weeks where I felt like I got a lot done, yet my house looks like a tornado hit it! It didn't help that on Thursday Paul decided to clean our dryer by taking the vacuum/leaf blower to it. Here's this thing. I ADORE that my husband takes initiative on stuff like this because, well, frankly....I don't. But sometimes it backfires and this was one of those times. After some blood, sweat & tears (mostly by Paul) we decided that the dryer has died. The cause of death is unknown except that it was working fine pre-leaf blower treatment, but now doesn't so much as try to turn on. I'm sure someone out there knows how to fix it (and its probably a $2 part) but we decided to take the $100 to have someone come look at it and apply it to a new set. We got a great deal at Home Depot, so on Wednesday we will be the proud owners of a new washer and dryer! And...in accurate reflection of the nearly reverse roles in our home...Paul is MUCH more excited about it than I am! I do love that man!
But...our dryer saga is not what this blog is about. I know I have a lot of work from home/stay at home mommies thatread my blog are friends on Facebook where I will link this blog and I need some advice.
What do you do with a very active 3 year old boy for 8 hours/day?
Seriously. I don't know!
Here's the thing. I had the whole "working outside the home 8 hours a day, Mommy" thing down. We had schedules and rules and some rules we bent because we were too tired and didn't have enough time with the kids anyhow. I (sorta) knew what I was doing in that realm.
But, this staying home thing has me sputtering!
This was our first week home and I had decided to treat this one a bit like I would a vacation week. We hung out, watched some movies, ran some errands and had very little structure. Obviously, moving forward, I don't want him spending all day watching SpongeBob and Alvin & the Chipmunks while I clean/paint/organize, etc. I need to learn how to balance getting stuff done around the house and spending some QT with my little man. Now that I'm not working outside of the home I feel a lot more pressure for the house to be clean and organized and for Brock to be learning and doing creative things like he did at daycare.
Wow, this is really a rambling post, isn't it? Sorry for that! If any of you have any advice on schedules, activities, ideas on how to balance working from home with being a stay at home mom, I would LOVE it! I know we will find what works for us but I would love to hear what has worked for you!
For the record, I tried desperately to combine reading, art, creativity and computer lessons by having him spend yesterday morning reading DIY Blogs with me. Yeah. Didn't work!
Its going to be a cold, wet day and we are looking forward to a relaxing one! I have a 1 1/2 hour kickboxing class this morning (that I need desperately!) and Mikki's daughter Kaleigh is coming to spend the night with us (this kids are coming out of their skin with excitement...apparently she's cool and I'm not!) and Maycen has dance...but other than that it will be a day of movies, football, food and cuddling!
Have a great weekend everyone!
And...of course...GO CYCLONES! Big game today after the heart breaker last week (that I'm still not ready to talk about).
You know, I thought I'd have all of this extra time on my hands now that I'm not working full time. Wrong-O Joe! This week was crazy busy and went by in a flash! By the end of the week it was cold and wet and I found myself not wanting to leave the house at all!
I had another one of those weeks where I felt like I got a lot done, yet my house looks like a tornado hit it! It didn't help that on Thursday Paul decided to clean our dryer by taking the vacuum/leaf blower to it. Here's this thing. I ADORE that my husband takes initiative on stuff like this because, well, frankly....I don't. But sometimes it backfires and this was one of those times. After some blood, sweat & tears (mostly by Paul) we decided that the dryer has died. The cause of death is unknown except that it was working fine pre-leaf blower treatment, but now doesn't so much as try to turn on. I'm sure someone out there knows how to fix it (and its probably a $2 part) but we decided to take the $100 to have someone come look at it and apply it to a new set. We got a great deal at Home Depot, so on Wednesday we will be the proud owners of a new washer and dryer! And...in accurate reflection of the nearly reverse roles in our home...Paul is MUCH more excited about it than I am! I do love that man!
But...our dryer saga is not what this blog is about. I know I have a lot of work from home/stay at home mommies that
What do you do with a very active 3 year old boy for 8 hours/day?
Seriously. I don't know!
Here's the thing. I had the whole "working outside the home 8 hours a day, Mommy" thing down. We had schedules and rules and some rules we bent because we were too tired and didn't have enough time with the kids anyhow. I (sorta) knew what I was doing in that realm.
But, this staying home thing has me sputtering!
This was our first week home and I had decided to treat this one a bit like I would a vacation week. We hung out, watched some movies, ran some errands and had very little structure. Obviously, moving forward, I don't want him spending all day watching SpongeBob and Alvin & the Chipmunks while I clean/paint/organize, etc. I need to learn how to balance getting stuff done around the house and spending some QT with my little man. Now that I'm not working outside of the home I feel a lot more pressure for the house to be clean and organized and for Brock to be learning and doing creative things like he did at daycare.
Wow, this is really a rambling post, isn't it? Sorry for that! If any of you have any advice on schedules, activities, ideas on how to balance working from home with being a stay at home mom, I would LOVE it! I know we will find what works for us but I would love to hear what has worked for you!
For the record, I tried desperately to combine reading, art, creativity and computer lessons by having him spend yesterday morning reading DIY Blogs with me. Yeah. Didn't work!
Its going to be a cold, wet day and we are looking forward to a relaxing one! I have a 1 1/2 hour kickboxing class this morning (that I need desperately!) and Mikki's daughter Kaleigh is coming to spend the night with us (this kids are coming out of their skin with excitement...apparently she's cool and I'm not!) and Maycen has dance...but other than that it will be a day of movies, football, food and cuddling!
Have a great weekend everyone!
And...of course...GO CYCLONES! Big game today after the heart breaker last week (that I'm still not ready to talk about).
Monday, November 8, 2010
Week(end) Recap & Meal Planning Monday!
Wow. Its only been a week since my last blog, but it feels like much longer!
Last week was crazy with a capital 'C' around the Johnson house. It was my first week of unemployment but Paul was out of town Sunday through Friday and Brock was still in FT daycare, so it seemed more like a week of vacation! Do you ever have those days or weeks where you feel like you got a lot done yet, when you look around, it seems like NOTHING got done. Yeah...that's how it felt! I finished a big DIY project that I had been working on (pictures soon!) for a while, got myhome office corner of the basement set up to be more conducive to working from home and cleaned out the kids closets. BUT, the house didn't get a good cleaning, only half of the laundry got done and my car still looks like I live in it. Oh well, there's always this week, right? Right.
The kids and I were very happy to have Paul home on Friday afternoon! We even snuck in a little "date" of dinner & drinks with some good friends. It was much needed adult time for me after being home alone with the kids all week!
The weekend was a good one, if not heartbreaking. Paul decided to skip the ISU/NU game on Saturday to stay home with the kids, so I headed up to Ames with my dad & Jackie. I'm not ready to actually talk about the game yet...its still too painful. I will say that I am very excited about the things that are happening in Ames and think that the Cyclones football team is in good hands!
Paul had to go back to work on Sunday and apparently nobody informed my kiddos that when we 'fall' back in time, we get to sleep in an extra hour, so we were up bright and early! Maycen had dance and a birthday party in the afternoon so Brock and I ran some errands. When Paul got home from work we headed to Grandma & Grandpa Johnson's house for what may be the last "cookout" of the year before the snow flies! It was a nice way to end the weekend, and I'm pretty sure I ate my weight in Sally's potato bake!
This is the first week of Brock going to daycare only on Mondays and being home with me the rest of the week. It will be an interesting and exciting change! #1 on our To-Do list is potty training. Wish me luck!
Meal Planning Monday:
Monday: Not sure yet (this 'plan isn't off to a very good start). I teach KB at 5:30 so we might just wing it!
Tuesday: Steaks, veggies & potatoes on the grill.
Wednesday: Breakfast for dinner!
Thursday: Some kind of soup...not sure yet.
Friday: Homemade pizza.
Saturday: Sloppy Joe Casserole. Shell pasta, hamburger, spaghetti sauce, cottage cheese in a casserole w/ colby jack shredded cheese on top. Easy peasy!
Sunday: Beef & noodles.
I'm hoping to update you on all of my projects this week! Happy Monday folks! Enjoy these last 2 or 3 days of sunshine and nice temps...I hear there is a chance of flurries next week!
Last week was crazy with a capital 'C' around the Johnson house. It was my first week of unemployment but Paul was out of town Sunday through Friday and Brock was still in FT daycare, so it seemed more like a week of vacation! Do you ever have those days or weeks where you feel like you got a lot done yet, when you look around, it seems like NOTHING got done. Yeah...that's how it felt! I finished a big DIY project that I had been working on (pictures soon!) for a while, got my
The kids and I were very happy to have Paul home on Friday afternoon! We even snuck in a little "date" of dinner & drinks with some good friends. It was much needed adult time for me after being home alone with the kids all week!
The weekend was a good one, if not heartbreaking. Paul decided to skip the ISU/NU game on Saturday to stay home with the kids, so I headed up to Ames with my dad & Jackie. I'm not ready to actually talk about the game yet...its still too painful. I will say that I am very excited about the things that are happening in Ames and think that the Cyclones football team is in good hands!
Paul had to go back to work on Sunday and apparently nobody informed my kiddos that when we 'fall' back in time, we get to sleep in an extra hour, so we were up bright and early! Maycen had dance and a birthday party in the afternoon so Brock and I ran some errands. When Paul got home from work we headed to Grandma & Grandpa Johnson's house for what may be the last "cookout" of the year before the snow flies! It was a nice way to end the weekend, and I'm pretty sure I ate my weight in Sally's potato bake!
This is the first week of Brock going to daycare only on Mondays and being home with me the rest of the week. It will be an interesting and exciting change! #1 on our To-Do list is potty training. Wish me luck!
Meal Planning Monday:
Monday: Not sure yet (this 'plan isn't off to a very good start). I teach KB at 5:30 so we might just wing it!
Tuesday: Steaks, veggies & potatoes on the grill.
Wednesday: Breakfast for dinner!
Thursday: Some kind of soup...not sure yet.
Friday: Homemade pizza.
Saturday: Sloppy Joe Casserole. Shell pasta, hamburger, spaghetti sauce, cottage cheese in a casserole w/ colby jack shredded cheese on top. Easy peasy!
Sunday: Beef & noodles.
I'm hoping to update you on all of my projects this week! Happy Monday folks! Enjoy these last 2 or 3 days of sunshine and nice temps...I hear there is a chance of flurries next week!
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Big changes
I am overcome with the strangest feeling this afternoon because, beginning tomorrow there are some big changes happening in the Johnson house and I'm not quite sure how I feel about them.
Effective tomorrow, I am officially unemployed.
I don't want to go into all of the details of the last 6 months, but lets just say that it really comes as no surprise. As a matter of fact, I sort of recommended it. Weird, right? I'm confident that everything will work out exactly as it should, but after having a full time job since I was 18 years old, the fact that I don't have to get up and go to work tomorrow morning, and its not a vacation day, or a holiday, is strange! To add to the surreal feeling, Paul is out of town this week. This is a complete 180 from the norm for us. Usually I am the one traveling for work. This time it was me packing up my hubby and kissing him on the way out the door! It seems odd, but I'm actually looking forward to a week with just me and the kiddos!
This week Brock will still go to day care full time, which gives me a few days to get some things done around the house and ready to have a home office. I will be doing contract marketing work here and there...and Paul's current set-up is anything but creativity inspiring! The week after that I'll officially be a stay at home/work from home mommy!
Effective tomorrow, I am officially unemployed.
I don't want to go into all of the details of the last 6 months, but lets just say that it really comes as no surprise. As a matter of fact, I sort of recommended it. Weird, right? I'm confident that everything will work out exactly as it should, but after having a full time job since I was 18 years old, the fact that I don't have to get up and go to work tomorrow morning, and its not a vacation day, or a holiday, is strange! To add to the surreal feeling, Paul is out of town this week. This is a complete 180 from the norm for us. Usually I am the one traveling for work. This time it was me packing up my hubby and kissing him on the way out the door! It seems odd, but I'm actually looking forward to a week with just me and the kiddos!
This week Brock will still go to day care full time, which gives me a few days to get some things done around the house and ready to have a home office. I will be doing contract marketing work here and there...and Paul's current set-up is anything but creativity inspiring! The week after that I'll officially be a stay at home/work from home mommy!
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Bobbies & the Big Cheese
Since I blogged about my stress over getting rid of Brock's "bobbies" (wow, one little typo could make this post a whole lot more entertaining!) I thought I would update everyone on the progress!
Last Saturday night the Bobby Fairy came to our house. I wish I had taken pictures, but then, our camera stinks so they probably wouldn't have turned out anyway! Just before bedtime, we took his 2 bobbies and tied them with some string and hung them from his bedroom door. He understood that the fairy was coming, but still kept asking for them! After a few short minutes, and surprisingly no tears, he gave in and settled to sleep!
The next morning he came in and woke me up showing me the Spiderman figure the Bobby Fairy left him! He was excited about it at first, but like most other toys, after 10 minutes he was over it (I'm so glad the Bobby fairy was smart enough to get the $5 Spiderman instead of the $20 one that her guilt tried to get her to buy!).
It has surprised me how well he has done! He does ask for them every night, and we remind him that the bobby fairy took them and gave them to other babies that need them. He usually responds with something like "and gave me Spiderman" or "because I'm a big boy"...it makes my heart melt!
I'm wondering if the same thing might work with Maycen. Is there such thing as the Thumb Sucking Fairy? Hmmm....might have to think on that some more!
In other news...we have a celebrity in our house this week!
Yesterday Maycen was selected as "The Big Cheese" for her class. It is an award that is given to a child who made good choices, did their homework and all around had a good week the previous one. After struggling a little with talking when she shouldn't be no idea where she gets THAT Maycen worked really hard last week to listen to her teacher and not have to bring any 'oops' slips home. It was nice to see her rewarded for her good behavior! She does understand that each student only gets to be the Big Cheese once, and there is a lot of school year left...hopefully the good behavior continues!
Last Saturday night the Bobby Fairy came to our house. I wish I had taken pictures, but then, our camera stinks so they probably wouldn't have turned out anyway! Just before bedtime, we took his 2 bobbies and tied them with some string and hung them from his bedroom door. He understood that the fairy was coming, but still kept asking for them! After a few short minutes, and surprisingly no tears, he gave in and settled to sleep!
The next morning he came in and woke me up showing me the Spiderman figure the Bobby Fairy left him! He was excited about it at first, but like most other toys, after 10 minutes he was over it (I'm so glad the Bobby fairy was smart enough to get the $5 Spiderman instead of the $20 one that her guilt tried to get her to buy!).
It has surprised me how well he has done! He does ask for them every night, and we remind him that the bobby fairy took them and gave them to other babies that need them. He usually responds with something like "and gave me Spiderman" or "because I'm a big boy"...it makes my heart melt!
I'm wondering if the same thing might work with Maycen. Is there such thing as the Thumb Sucking Fairy? Hmmm....might have to think on that some more!
In other news...we have a celebrity in our house this week!
Yesterday Maycen was selected as "The Big Cheese" for her class. It is an award that is given to a child who made good choices, did their homework and all around had a good week the previous one. After struggling a little with talking when she shouldn't be no idea where she gets THAT Maycen worked really hard last week to listen to her teacher and not have to bring any 'oops' slips home. It was nice to see her rewarded for her good behavior! She does understand that each student only gets to be the Big Cheese once, and there is a lot of school year left...hopefully the good behavior continues!
Monday, October 25, 2010
Meal Planning Monday
Wow, what a weekend! Or more appropriately, what a football game! I can't lie, I'm still basking in the glory of victory. As a Cyclone fan these sorts of wins have been few and far between. To enjoy them in consecutive seasons, well, it really feels like the program is finally moving in the right direction!
Of course, there were another 46 hours and 10 minutes this weekend that did not involve Iowa State beating Texas! That time was spent relaxing, cleaning, playing outside and grocery shopping. My kind of laid back weekend. Good thing too, because the one coming up will be a doozy, packed full of fun events! More on that later in the week!
On this week's menu:
Monday: Left-over chili. We might throw it over some hot dogs or baked potatoes - haven't decided for sure yet.
Tuesday: I'm headed to a reunion dinner with my friends that I graduated with last year, so daddy is on his own. I'm guessing he's headed to Grandma & Grandpa's...or maybe they are coming to our house!
Wednesday: Breakfast for dinner! French toast this week!
Thursday: Cheese-Stuffed Meatloaf. I have been dieing (dying? diing?) to try this recipe from my friend Ananda at The Home Diva. Its finally going to be cold enough!
Friday: Paul & I are going to a friend's annual Halloween party Friday night, so the kiddos will either be at a grandparents house or with a sitter!
Saturday: Papa Murphy's Jack-O-Lantern pizza that I will grab on my way back into town from Ames (Go STATE!) and we will pop in the oven after Trick or Treating! I've never had Papa Murphy's before, but here its good!
Sunday: Paul will be leaving us for a week on Sunday afternoon, so it will be just the kiddos and I. Not sure yet what we'll do. I don't think I can get away with breakfast for dinner every night for a week!
Make it a great Monday friends! After today the weather is going to be drastically cooler and fall is definitely in the air!
Of course, there were another 46 hours and 10 minutes this weekend that did not involve Iowa State beating Texas! That time was spent relaxing, cleaning, playing outside and grocery shopping. My kind of laid back weekend. Good thing too, because the one coming up will be a doozy, packed full of fun events! More on that later in the week!
On this week's menu:
Monday: Left-over chili. We might throw it over some hot dogs or baked potatoes - haven't decided for sure yet.
Tuesday: I'm headed to a reunion dinner with my friends that I graduated with last year, so daddy is on his own. I'm guessing he's headed to Grandma & Grandpa's...or maybe they are coming to our house!
Wednesday: Breakfast for dinner! French toast this week!
Thursday: Cheese-Stuffed Meatloaf. I have been dieing (dying? diing?) to try this recipe from my friend Ananda at The Home Diva. Its finally going to be cold enough!
Friday: Paul & I are going to a friend's annual Halloween party Friday night, so the kiddos will either be at a grandparents house or with a sitter!
Saturday: Papa Murphy's Jack-O-Lantern pizza that I will grab on my way back into town from Ames (Go STATE!) and we will pop in the oven after Trick or Treating! I've never had Papa Murphy's before, but here its good!
Sunday: Paul will be leaving us for a week on Sunday afternoon, so it will be just the kiddos and I. Not sure yet what we'll do. I don't think I can get away with breakfast for dinner every night for a week!
Make it a great Monday friends! After today the weather is going to be drastically cooler and fall is definitely in the air!
Saturday, October 23, 2010
You're Welcome!
For the second Saturday in a row, the kids and I made Cinnamon Bun Pancakes for breakfast. Seriously people. Cinnamon. Bun. Pancakes. FROM SCRATCH! The only thing I started with in my bowl was flour. No Bisquick, nothing from the freezer...just flour! And, much like last weekend, the kids devoured them! Brock ate 2!!! That might not seem like a big deal to most people, but this is a kid who typically takes one bite of a meal and says "I'm donnnnne" so to see him eat, no inhale, two pancakes is unheard of!
So this morning, as I stood at my electric skillet (they are THE BEST for making pancakes), I wondered to myself "should I share this recipe with thehundreds dozens five people that read my blog"? My first thought was, of course I should! They're my peeps! I love them and want them to enjoy this cinnamonny, mapley goodness. But then the little devil on the other shoulder said "but you know how you like to have a few things in your arsenal cute little recipe box that are your secret recipes that you impress and dazzle with everytime you make them." This went on for hours! Okay, I'm being dramatic. It lasted about 45 seconds until it occurred to me its unlikely any of the hundreds dozens five of you will ever actually be at my house for breakfast. Oh yeah, I also got it from another blog so technically I can't claim it as my own miraculous creation anyway!
So, without further delay, I present to you Cinnamon Bun Pancakes! And the best part...since I did find it on one of my favorite blogs How Does She? I can simply provide all of you with a handy little linky. How cool is that? I don't even have to retype the recipe! I love finding recipes on blogs that I can share with my peeps but can just link to and don't have to retype or rewrite, I'm always afraid I'll mistype one little measurement and the whole thing will be off and you'll think "ewww, why does she think this was so great" and...what's that? Oh right. I promised no further delay! Cinnamon Bun Pancakes & Maple Icing Syrup! You're welcome! (Trust me, you WILL thank me)!
Happy Saturday everyone! Go STATE!!!
So this morning, as I stood at my electric skillet (they are THE BEST for making pancakes), I wondered to myself "should I share this recipe with the
So, without further delay, I present to you Cinnamon Bun Pancakes! And the best part...since I did find it on one of my favorite blogs How Does She? I can simply provide all of you with a handy little linky. How cool is that? I don't even have to retype the recipe! I love finding recipes on blogs that I can share with my peeps but can just link to and don't have to retype or rewrite, I'm always afraid I'll mistype one little measurement and the whole thing will be off and you'll think "ewww, why does she think this was so great" and...what's that? Oh right. I promised no further delay! Cinnamon Bun Pancakes & Maple Icing Syrup! You're welcome! (Trust me, you WILL thank me)!
Happy Saturday everyone! Go STATE!!!
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Guess I'll have to make world peace next week.
Well, this week has certainly not gone as planned!
After a wonderfully low-key weekend (that I'd love to tell you about, but just don't have the energy) I had BIG plans for this week. Those plans included:
* Making Halloween costumes for myself, Paul & Maycen (She wants to be a ghost princess. I think I can handle that)
* Really getting going on my dresser, soon to be a buffet for my kitchen, DIY project.
* Cleaning closets and putting away summer clothes for the winter.
* Hitting Goodwill/Salvation Army/garage sales looking for a specific item needed for my next DIY project.
* Picking new paint color options for Maycen's bedroom.
* Take pictures of my finished and beautifully repainted kitchen table, chairs & bar stools to share with thehundreds dozens five of you that read my blog.
* Yummy dinners every night.
* Getting organized at home.
* Getting engaged at work (in my work, not to a person!).
* Fixing the economy.
* Facilitate world peace.
Okay...maybe not those last few...but I did have a lot that I wanted to do this week.
Unfortunately my body had different plans. Monday morning during kickboxing class I hurt my neck.
Thanks to Dr. Mike mywitch doctor chiropractor, I've known for a few months that I have a bad neck. He told me that we would start working on it soon but needed to strengthen my lower back first. Bad neck beat us to the punch! I really thought that if I was going to be hurt this bad I would have some great story about doing back flips or cliff diving or being shot out of a cannon. Nope, I simply turned my head. That's right. I looked to my left, looked straight and POP. I have never been in so. much. pain. (Yes, including labor, though I had an epidural...but it wore off...so does that even count as having one?) I gave in Monday night and had my mommy take me Urgent Care (I couldn't drive and Paul was putting the kids to bed)...she even went into the room with me! Nothing is obviously broken or otherwise out of place. He gave me the good stuff and sent me on my way with instructions to follow up with my regular doc if it wasn't better in a few days. So, for the last 3 days I've done nothing but lay in the recliner and visit the witch doctor chiropractor. I am getting better, but certainly won't be teaching any kickboxing classes (or doing back flips or cliff diving or being shot out of a cannon) in the next few days.
I'm hoping to be off the good stuff today and be able to really assess where I'm at and how I'm feeling without being in a drug induced stupor! In the meantime Paul has been dad & husband of the year, making dinner every night (I'm SO tired of chicken noodle soup!), getting kids ready for bed and school and bringing me ice packs oncommand request. My mom was also a huge help and took Brocky to daycare for me Tuesday morning. Of course, he thinks that should happen every day since they stopped and got donuts on the way!
Have a great rest of the week!
After a wonderfully low-key weekend (that I'd love to tell you about, but just don't have the energy) I had BIG plans for this week. Those plans included:
* Making Halloween costumes for myself, Paul & Maycen (She wants to be a ghost princess. I think I can handle that)
* Really getting going on my dresser, soon to be a buffet for my kitchen, DIY project.
* Cleaning closets and putting away summer clothes for the winter.
* Hitting Goodwill/Salvation Army/garage sales looking for a specific item needed for my next DIY project.
* Picking new paint color options for Maycen's bedroom.
* Take pictures of my finished and beautifully repainted kitchen table, chairs & bar stools to share with the
* Yummy dinners every night.
* Getting organized at home.
* Getting engaged at work (in my work, not to a person!).
* Fixing the economy.
* Facilitate world peace.
Okay...maybe not those last few...but I did have a lot that I wanted to do this week.
Unfortunately my body had different plans. Monday morning during kickboxing class I hurt my neck.
Thanks to Dr. Mike my
I'm hoping to be off the good stuff today and be able to really assess where I'm at and how I'm feeling without being in a drug induced stupor! In the meantime Paul has been dad & husband of the year, making dinner every night (I'm SO tired of chicken noodle soup!), getting kids ready for bed and school and bringing me ice packs on
Have a great rest of the week!
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Meal Planning Monday...on a Tuesday!
Well, yesterday certainly got away from me! I was home with Maycen. Is it just me or do "kids these days" seem like they have the day off from school a TON! Unfortunately Mayce was fighting a tummy ache and, despite trying desperately to play outside with some friends, ended up in bed for much of the afternoon and evening. She woke up this morning and very convincingly told me that her tummy was "feeling better...and I'm not just saying that because its music day"...I'm crossing my fingers I don't get a call from the school nurse!
We had a fantastic weekend that I'll tell you all about tomorrow!
Monday: I tried a new recipe. It wasn't good. I won't even bother telling you about it!
Tuesday: I don't know. Really. I haven't even thought about it until this moment. Any suggestions?
Wednesday: Breakfast for dinner! This is becoming a little tradition and the kids love it. Most weeks Paul is working so its just me and the munchkins but Paul has tomorrow night off so he'll get to take part! I'm thinking chocolate chip pancakes this week!
Thursday: Steaks on the grill, pasta salad, asparagus! I am getting a little tired of the grill, but I know before too long I'll be wishing we could get to it through all of the snow...so I'm taking advantage of it!
Friday: Free for all since I teach kickboxing at 6:30
Saturday: Beefburgers (ground beef & chicken gumbo) & french fries
Sunday: Spaghetti
Happy Tuesday!
We had a fantastic weekend that I'll tell you all about tomorrow!
Monday: I tried a new recipe. It wasn't good. I won't even bother telling you about it!
Tuesday: I don't know. Really. I haven't even thought about it until this moment. Any suggestions?
Wednesday: Breakfast for dinner! This is becoming a little tradition and the kids love it. Most weeks Paul is working so its just me and the munchkins but Paul has tomorrow night off so he'll get to take part! I'm thinking chocolate chip pancakes this week!
Thursday: Steaks on the grill, pasta salad, asparagus! I am getting a little tired of the grill, but I know before too long I'll be wishing we could get to it through all of the snow...so I'm taking advantage of it!
Friday: Free for all since I teach kickboxing at 6:30
Saturday: Beefburgers (ground beef & chicken gumbo) & french fries
Sunday: Spaghetti
Happy Tuesday!
Friday, October 8, 2010
From Pier 1 to Pottery Barn
So, I've been stalking Blogland. I can't lie. I spend too many hours a week reading the blogs of very talented frugal decorators. And...I've been inspired.
I don't know if our home has a "style". I asked my mom this morning what she thought it was. Her response was "temporary". You mean contemporary? "No, temporary...because you change it so much!" Obviously I get my sense of humor from her...haha. What-ev!
Anywhoo...between the blog-stalking, a trip into Pottery Barn (I only rubbed the Fisherman's Knit blanket on my face for a second...I SWEAR), and the PB catalog that I perused this morning at thewitch doctor chiropractor, I have decided that I want to makeover my house. Right now it is very Pier 1. There is nothing wrong with Pier 1. I love Pier 1 as evidenced by the fact that several of them know my name when I walk in! But I'm ready for the warm, rustic, sort of country, sort of modern feel of Pottery Barn.
The problem is my budget, or lack thereof.
So....what's a girl to do? Live with her temporary style, or take on a house full of frugal DIY projects? Why, the latter of course!
So, here is my list of to-dos. I'd like to have everything done byChristmas Easter:
* Paint table, chairs & barstools black. Check! Well, sort of. I need to finish the barstools, so we'll call it a chec without the 'k' for now!
* Paint/repurpose Salvation Army dresser ($20 SCORE) into buffet for kitchen. I'm SO excited about this project!
* Paint bedroom furniture. Paul is actually on board (well, he said "I can't stop you, can I?" so I'm counting that as an all-in). I'm thinking a mocha color!
* Paint bedroom walls.
* Find cheap coffee table to turn into ottoman for living room. I actually think I saw one at Salvation Army...hoping its still there!
* Paint living room sofa table, end table & shelves a cream/off white color??? I'm not for sure on this one. I love the blue we recently painted the living room, and I don't think I want to change it, but I'd like to lighten up the room. We'll see.
* Paint the basement and give it an overall "warmer" feel. Right now it is a poor excuse for a sports theme...I think I'll stick with the theme but try to take it a little further!
Along the way I will watch CL, Goodwill, Salvation Army, garage sales, etc for chotchkies (chatchkies?) I can pick up to add to the feel. I'm really excited to take this on and can't wait to see how it all comes together!
Have a great weekend! Go State! I predict the Cyclones surprise Utah and win by 10! That's right, you heard it hear first folks!
Of course, I'll edit this post first thing Sunday morning if they lose!
[Totally unrelated]PS.: Have you heard Carrie Underwood's new song "Mamas Song" (I think that's what its called). Its on right now. I can't begin to tell you how much I love this song. It makes me think of my hubby and smile every time. He is good!
I don't know if our home has a "style". I asked my mom this morning what she thought it was. Her response was "temporary". You mean contemporary? "No, temporary...because you change it so much!" Obviously I get my sense of humor from her...haha. What-ev!
Anywhoo...between the blog-stalking, a trip into Pottery Barn (I only rubbed the Fisherman's Knit blanket on my face for a second...I SWEAR), and the PB catalog that I perused this morning at the
The problem is my budget, or lack thereof.
So....what's a girl to do? Live with her temporary style, or take on a house full of frugal DIY projects? Why, the latter of course!
So, here is my list of to-dos. I'd like to have everything done by
* Paint table, chairs & barstools black. Check! Well, sort of. I need to finish the barstools, so we'll call it a chec without the 'k' for now!
* Paint/repurpose Salvation Army dresser ($20 SCORE) into buffet for kitchen. I'm SO excited about this project!
* Paint bedroom furniture. Paul is actually on board (well, he said "I can't stop you, can I?" so I'm counting that as an all-in). I'm thinking a mocha color!
* Paint bedroom walls.
* Find cheap coffee table to turn into ottoman for living room. I actually think I saw one at Salvation Army...hoping its still there!
* Paint living room sofa table, end table & shelves a cream/off white color??? I'm not for sure on this one. I love the blue we recently painted the living room, and I don't think I want to change it, but I'd like to lighten up the room. We'll see.
* Paint the basement and give it an overall "warmer" feel. Right now it is a poor excuse for a sports theme...I think I'll stick with the theme but try to take it a little further!
Along the way I will watch CL, Goodwill, Salvation Army, garage sales, etc for chotchkies (chatchkies?) I can pick up to add to the feel. I'm really excited to take this on and can't wait to see how it all comes together!
Have a great weekend! Go State! I predict the Cyclones surprise Utah and win by 10! That's right, you heard it hear first folks!
Of course, I'll edit this post first thing Sunday morning if they lose!
[Totally unrelated]PS.: Have you heard Carrie Underwood's new song "Mamas Song" (I think that's what its called). Its on right now. I can't begin to tell you how much I love this song. It makes me think of my hubby and smile every time. He is good!
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Pitter patter of little feet
NO. I am NOT pregnant. Don't freak out (talking to you mom!).
No, the little feet doing the pittering pattering is Brock. Before dawn. This morning. And yesterday. And Monday...
Most people who know me know that I get upevery day most days at around 3:45 to workout. I'm usually home by around 5:30ish. One of the reasons that I do this, even on days when it isn't necessary for our schedule, is because I really, really, really enjoy my morning quiet time. Sometimes I doze off in the chair or go soak in a hot bath, but most mornings I just sit under a blanket with the fireplace on (and the window open, because it makes sense), cup of coffee in hand and catch up on my DVRed shows. Its quiet. Its peaceful. Its my time.
So, why am I telling you this?
About 3 months ago we changed Brock's crib to a toddler bed. We worried that he wouldn't stay put, or would be up and running around the house all hours of the night. So, we were pleasantly surprised to find that, not only did he still go to bed (and stay there) like a dream, but in the mornings it was like it never occurred to him that he could get out of his bed/room on his own. When he woke up he would call for me to come and get him. I always assumed that he probably woke up really early and maybe even called for me to come get him, but when he got no response and realized the rest of the house was still quiet, he would doze back off until 7:00 or so.
I was right.
Last week he realized that, not only could he get out of his own bed in the morning, he could open his door, leave his room, wake the entire house up...all before 6:30am! For the last few mornings I've heard from him sometime between 6:15 and 6:45. Not too bad really, especially since its weekdays and we need to leave by 7 anyhow. But this morning...as I was tip-toeing around the kitchen, brewing coffee and poaching my eggs....I heard the very recognizable 'thud' of him jumping out of his bed. Then the doorknob turned. I heard his little feet run into our bedroom where he obviously found my side of the bed empty. I listened as he sputtered down the hallway, making a brief pause at his sister's door. Finding Sissy still sleeping, he continued on to the stairs and down he came. He came running into the kitchen, clearly very proud of himself!
"Mommy, why is it dark outside"
"Because its very early Buddy, you should probably still be in bed, you are going to be very tired later."
"But mommy.....I want to cuddle you...."
As we settled into the chair, under a blanket, fireplace on, coffee in hand (for me, not Brock!) all I could think was...I will give up my morning quiet time every. single. day. if this is what I trade it for!
No, the little feet doing the pittering pattering is Brock. Before dawn. This morning. And yesterday. And Monday...
Most people who know me know that I get up
So, why am I telling you this?
About 3 months ago we changed Brock's crib to a toddler bed. We worried that he wouldn't stay put, or would be up and running around the house all hours of the night. So, we were pleasantly surprised to find that, not only did he still go to bed (and stay there) like a dream, but in the mornings it was like it never occurred to him that he could get out of his bed/room on his own. When he woke up he would call for me to come and get him. I always assumed that he probably woke up really early and maybe even called for me to come get him, but when he got no response and realized the rest of the house was still quiet, he would doze back off until 7:00 or so.
I was right.
Last week he realized that, not only could he get out of his own bed in the morning, he could open his door, leave his room, wake the entire house up...all before 6:30am! For the last few mornings I've heard from him sometime between 6:15 and 6:45. Not too bad really, especially since its weekdays and we need to leave by 7 anyhow. But this morning...as I was tip-toeing around the kitchen, brewing coffee and poaching my eggs....I heard the very recognizable 'thud' of him jumping out of his bed. Then the doorknob turned. I heard his little feet run into our bedroom where he obviously found my side of the bed empty. I listened as he sputtered down the hallway, making a brief pause at his sister's door. Finding Sissy still sleeping, he continued on to the stairs and down he came. He came running into the kitchen, clearly very proud of himself!
"Mommy, why is it dark outside"
"Because its very early Buddy, you should probably still be in bed, you are going to be very tired later."
"But mommy.....I want to cuddle you...."
As we settled into the chair, under a blanket, fireplace on, coffee in hand (for me, not Brock!) all I could think was...I will give up my morning quiet time every. single. day. if this is what I trade it for!
Monday, October 4, 2010
Weekend Wrap-Up & Meal Planning Monday
Every Sunday evening since I started writing this, my intentions have been to log on and write a weekend wrap-up. Instead, I have put the kiddos to bed, put on my comfy pants, turned on the fireplace....and fallen asleep at about 8:45! Last night was no exception, so another combo blog will have to do!
Happy Birthday Paul!
Thursday was Paul's 38th birthday! I know. I don't think I'm old enough to be married to someone who is almost 40 either! He enjoyed the day at a golf outing for work, and that night his mom and dad treated us to Old Chicago pizza!
Friday.
Paul and I both had the day off so we got Mayc off to school and Brocky to daycare for the day. We went shopping and had lunch together. It was a nice day and I enjoyed the alone time with my hubby...especially since it wasn't spent painting or cleaning! [Side note: if you have any old gold you want to sell/get rid of, go see The Gold Guys at Jordan Creek Mall. I took a few things in, thought I might get $40/$50 (based on previous experience)...I was wrong. $278 later I walked out of the mall with more money than I entered with. That NEVER happens! If you go see them, let them know I sent you!]
Saturday.
Paul had the day off and, bless his heart, he got to spend the entire day with the kids practically by himself! I had about 3 hours worth of kickboxing training in the morning and came home just long enough to shower and get ready to head up to Ames for the Cyclones game. I think they had a good day...Grandma & Grandpa Johnson came over for the night to help/make dinner! I had a GREAT time at the football game, and the 52-38 victory didn't hurt...best game I've seen at Jack Trice since the 2005 Iowa game!
Sunday.
Brock and I headed down to Rathbun for Grandma's 84th birthday party! It was a beautiful day for a drive and Brocky had a great time playing with his cousins and Grandpa Peanut. Maycen and Paul stayed home so she could go to dance - it was a big day - they were getting their trampolines!!! Brock and I got home around 5:45 and after a quick dinner of mac n cheese, both kids were in bed by 7:30. As previously mentioned, I was asleep shortly after!
It was a wonderful weekend with glorious weather! Its always nice to have Paul home for the weekends, even if we don't really spend them together!
Meal Planning Monday!
Monday: Lasagna Soup w/ garlic bread (YUMMO!)
Tuesday: Grilled sausage or bratwurst w/ bacon, cabbage & noodles.
I have no idea what this is called. My mother in law made it several years ago and I LOVED it! It is one of those things that I've thought about making a hundred times, but always forgot to ask her for the recipe..until the other night.
Wednesday: Left-overs from Tuesday!
Thursday: Bierocks (using left over cabbage from Tuesday!)
Friday: Tomato Soup, grilled cheese.
Saturday: Daddy is on his own again as I'll be headed to Ames. For the record, I DO invite him to come to games with me...he opts out!
Sunday: Homemade chicken & noodles (since we didn't have it this week!)
It is going to be another picture perfect week! Make it a great one!
Oooohhhh....the "Bobbie Fairy" will probably be visiting tonight to take away the paci. Wish us luck!
Happy Birthday Paul!
Thursday was Paul's 38th birthday! I know. I don't think I'm old enough to be married to someone who is almost 40 either! He enjoyed the day at a golf outing for work, and that night his mom and dad treated us to Old Chicago pizza!
Friday.
Paul and I both had the day off so we got Mayc off to school and Brocky to daycare for the day. We went shopping and had lunch together. It was a nice day and I enjoyed the alone time with my hubby...especially since it wasn't spent painting or cleaning! [Side note: if you have any old gold you want to sell/get rid of, go see The Gold Guys at Jordan Creek Mall. I took a few things in, thought I might get $40/$50 (based on previous experience)...I was wrong. $278 later I walked out of the mall with more money than I entered with. That NEVER happens! If you go see them, let them know I sent you!]
Saturday.
Paul had the day off and, bless his heart, he got to spend the entire day with the kids practically by himself! I had about 3 hours worth of kickboxing training in the morning and came home just long enough to shower and get ready to head up to Ames for the Cyclones game. I think they had a good day...Grandma & Grandpa Johnson came over for the night to help/make dinner! I had a GREAT time at the football game, and the 52-38 victory didn't hurt...best game I've seen at Jack Trice since the 2005 Iowa game!
Sunday.
Brock and I headed down to Rathbun for Grandma's 84th birthday party! It was a beautiful day for a drive and Brocky had a great time playing with his cousins and Grandpa Peanut. Maycen and Paul stayed home so she could go to dance - it was a big day - they were getting their trampolines!!! Brock and I got home around 5:45 and after a quick dinner of mac n cheese, both kids were in bed by 7:30. As previously mentioned, I was asleep shortly after!
It was a wonderful weekend with glorious weather! Its always nice to have Paul home for the weekends, even if we don't really spend them together!
Meal Planning Monday!
Monday: Lasagna Soup w/ garlic bread (YUMMO!)
Tuesday: Grilled sausage or bratwurst w/ bacon, cabbage & noodles.
I have no idea what this is called. My mother in law made it several years ago and I LOVED it! It is one of those things that I've thought about making a hundred times, but always forgot to ask her for the recipe..until the other night.
Wednesday: Left-overs from Tuesday!
Thursday: Bierocks (using left over cabbage from Tuesday!)
Friday: Tomato Soup, grilled cheese.
Saturday: Daddy is on his own again as I'll be headed to Ames. For the record, I DO invite him to come to games with me...he opts out!
Sunday: Homemade chicken & noodles (since we didn't have it this week!)
It is going to be another picture perfect week! Make it a great one!
Oooohhhh....the "Bobbie Fairy" will probably be visiting tonight to take away the paci. Wish us luck!
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Bye Bye "Bobbies"
I'm about to share a secret that happens every night in our home. With the exception of a few people, nobody knows about this secret, but I feel like the only way we can fix this is if we talk about it. You can't fix what you don't acknowledge (said in my best Dr. Phil voice) right?
Brock is a pacifier man.
There. I said it. My 3 year old son still uses a pacifier every night.
I know. I know. This is bad. We need to stop him. We need to break this habit. He CAN'T GO ON LIKE THIS. We tried doing it slowly. For about a year he has only used his "bobby" (as he calls it) at night. We kept saying "One of these days we'll get rid of it. One of these days, we'll just 'lose' it". But sadly, we continue to enable him. And in the last few weeks its gotten worse. Now he asks for it in the morning. He asks for it when he gets home from daycare. He has actually stacked chairs on top of toys on top of pillows to climb and get it off of his dresser while playing in his room. He is out. of. control.
This morning I told him that "bobby" was going to have to go bye-bye. He asked me in his cute little 3 year old boice (that would be a 'boy voice'...it started as a typo, but I kind of like it) "but wwwwwwhyyyyyy mommy". I thought quick "because the baby bunnies out back need them". He very quickly and clearly told me that they did NOT need HIS bobby..."they...can get...their own"!!!! Apparently we also need to work on sharing.
Since Maycen is a thumb-sucker I don't know how to do this. Obviously I can't cut her thumb off (right? right.) so we are just constantly trying to remind her, but I don't think that is going to work with Brock. Is it best to go cold turkey? Do we have aintervention bye-bye bobby party? Cut them down until there is nothing left? I need help people!!!!
Brock is a pacifier man.
There. I said it. My 3 year old son still uses a pacifier every night.
I know. I know. This is bad. We need to stop him. We need to break this habit. He CAN'T GO ON LIKE THIS. We tried doing it slowly. For about a year he has only used his "bobby" (as he calls it) at night. We kept saying "One of these days we'll get rid of it. One of these days, we'll just 'lose' it". But sadly, we continue to enable him. And in the last few weeks its gotten worse. Now he asks for it in the morning. He asks for it when he gets home from daycare. He has actually stacked chairs on top of toys on top of pillows to climb and get it off of his dresser while playing in his room. He is out. of. control.
This morning I told him that "bobby" was going to have to go bye-bye. He asked me in his cute little 3 year old boice (that would be a 'boy voice'...it started as a typo, but I kind of like it) "but wwwwwwhyyyyyy mommy". I thought quick "because the baby bunnies out back need them". He very quickly and clearly told me that they did NOT need HIS bobby..."they...can get...their own"!!!! Apparently we also need to work on sharing.
Since Maycen is a thumb-sucker I don't know how to do this. Obviously I can't cut her thumb off (right? right.) so we are just constantly trying to remind her, but I don't think that is going to work with Brock. Is it best to go cold turkey? Do we have a
Monday, September 27, 2010
Meal Planning Monday!
Happy Monday everyone!
I had a big long "Weekend Wrap-Up & Meal Planning Monday" blog written...then my computer went nutso! So, here is the short version of the weekend wrap-up:
We love love LOVE this cooler weather. The kids ate doughnuts. Iowa State won! Maycen thinks because mom & maid both start with an 'M' they are interchangable. And....yesterday I let Brock eat nearly an entire box of Lucky Charms so that I could clean the laundry room, pantry, junk drawer and cupboards. Whew...
Meal Planning Monday:
Monday: Left-over lasagna! Its better the second day, right?
Tuesday: Grilled steaks & asparagus, pasta salad.
Wednesday: Paul will be home! I'm thinking the Chicken, ranch & rice soup I've been trying to make for 2 weeks now!
Thursday: Paul's birthday so his choice!
Friday: Tacos
Saturday: I'll be at the ISU vs. Texas Tech football game, so daddyis on his own again will call Grandma Sally and she'll fix something!
Sunday: Homemade Chicken & Noodles
I am SO excited! We are getting family pictures taken tonight. I found Allison through my friend Missy and I am beyond thrilled to have her take some pictures of us tonight! That reminds me...I need to stop by the store forbribes treats for the kids!
I had a big long "Weekend Wrap-Up & Meal Planning Monday" blog written...then my computer went nutso! So, here is the short version of the weekend wrap-up:
We love love LOVE this cooler weather. The kids ate doughnuts. Iowa State won! Maycen thinks because mom & maid both start with an 'M' they are interchangable. And....yesterday I let Brock eat nearly an entire box of Lucky Charms so that I could clean the laundry room, pantry, junk drawer and cupboards. Whew...
Meal Planning Monday:
Monday: Left-over lasagna! Its better the second day, right?
Tuesday: Grilled steaks & asparagus, pasta salad.
Wednesday: Paul will be home! I'm thinking the Chicken, ranch & rice soup I've been trying to make for 2 weeks now!
Thursday: Paul's birthday so his choice!
Friday: Tacos
Saturday: I'll be at the ISU vs. Texas Tech football game, so daddy
Sunday: Homemade Chicken & Noodles
I am SO excited! We are getting family pictures taken tonight. I found Allison through my friend Missy and I am beyond thrilled to have her take some pictures of us tonight! That reminds me...I need to stop by the store for
Thursday, September 23, 2010
I Want My EEEEESSSSSSSPPPPPPPPNNNNNNN
Before you read any further, please re-read the title...but this time, read it to the tune of the 80's song "I want my Mtv". Did you do it? I'll wait! There. Now you may proceed!
Paul and I have debt. We have more debt than we'd like. We haven't significantly added to it in a few years, which I'm proud of. While I'd like to whine about how everything is so expensive (nearly $1,000/month on daycare...yeesh!) really the bottom line is that for a long time we wanted stuff. Admittedly I am the main offender in the house. I promise you that I could find a way to justify buying a 3rd car, boat, condo, pet tiger (seriously, doesn't every little boy want a pet tiger?), backyard cage for the pet tiger...you get the idea.
A few years ago I stumbled across this man and his Total Money Makeover. I was inspired and got very gung-ho about getting rid of our debt. For about a week. Actually, it was longer than that...but like anything else, if you only do it halfway, eventually you are going to NOT be doing it halfway. Off and on over the last 2-3 years I get very strict with our spending, then get lapse, then get strict again...which brings me to the point of this post. I know, its about time, right?!
On Monday of this week Paul and I made one of the best decisions we have ever made for our financial health. I won't get into what it was, lets just say it was a very adult (gasp!) thing to do! That lit the fire. I've jumped back into the Total Money Makeover pool, and I am swimming for dear life! I've spent a lot of time this week figuring out what bills we can trim down ($165 cell phone bill for 2 people? Ridic!) and where we can squeeze extra pennies to put toward paying off our debt! Paul is very supportive in a "you just tell me if I need to do something" sort of way. After analyzing our bills, the first one that I must get rid of is our $200 cable/inet/phone bundle. That is just crazy...we don't watch THAT much TV! I had, what I thought, was a stroke of genius. This stroke of genius prompted several calls to my dear husband yesterday, they went a little something like this:
S: "Honey, I called Qwest. We can get phone/inet/DirectTV for $130 for first 6 months."
P: "Hmmm, what is their internet speed?"
S: "I don't know, does it matter?"
P: "Yeah, I need the higher speed for 'gaming'."
S: "I am NOT going to pay $70 more per month just so you can have a better experience playing your video games."
P: "But...."
S: "Can you still play if the internet is a little slower?"
P: "Yes, but...."
S: "That's all that matters. We'll talk about it more tonight. Goodbye."
That went pretty well, might as well push my luck!
(later in the afternoon)
S: "So, honey, I have an idea that will allow us to save even more on our cable bill."
P: "What's that?"
S: "Lets completely get rid of cable and sign up for Netflix. Its only $8.99/month."
P: "Huh?"
S: "Seriously. We'll still get 5, 8, 11, 13, Fox. We can watch our "shows" on the computer and stream our HBO shows through Netflix after they come out on DVD."
P: "Huh?"
S: "We'd still have a home phone and internet."
P: "Are you serious?"
S: "Very."
P: "But...what about ESPN?"
That's when it hit me how completely absurd I was being. Its a good thing for Paul that his wife loves football as much as he does!
Paul and I have debt. We have more debt than we'd like. We haven't significantly added to it in a few years, which I'm proud of. While I'd like to whine about how everything is so expensive (nearly $1,000/month on daycare...yeesh!) really the bottom line is that for a long time we wanted stuff. Admittedly I am the main offender in the house. I promise you that I could find a way to justify buying a 3rd car, boat, condo, pet tiger (seriously, doesn't every little boy want a pet tiger?), backyard cage for the pet tiger...you get the idea.
A few years ago I stumbled across this man and his Total Money Makeover. I was inspired and got very gung-ho about getting rid of our debt. For about a week. Actually, it was longer than that...but like anything else, if you only do it halfway, eventually you are going to NOT be doing it halfway. Off and on over the last 2-3 years I get very strict with our spending, then get lapse, then get strict again...which brings me to the point of this post. I know, its about time, right?!
On Monday of this week Paul and I made one of the best decisions we have ever made for our financial health. I won't get into what it was, lets just say it was a very adult (gasp!) thing to do! That lit the fire. I've jumped back into the Total Money Makeover pool, and I am swimming for dear life! I've spent a lot of time this week figuring out what bills we can trim down ($165 cell phone bill for 2 people? Ridic!) and where we can squeeze extra pennies to put toward paying off our debt! Paul is very supportive in a "you just tell me if I need to do something" sort of way. After analyzing our bills, the first one that I must get rid of is our $200 cable/inet/phone bundle. That is just crazy...we don't watch THAT much TV! I had, what I thought, was a stroke of genius. This stroke of genius prompted several calls to my dear husband yesterday, they went a little something like this:
S: "Honey, I called Qwest. We can get phone/inet/DirectTV for $130 for first 6 months."
P: "Hmmm, what is their internet speed?"
S: "I don't know, does it matter?"
P: "Yeah, I need the higher speed for 'gaming'."
S: "I am NOT going to pay $70 more per month just so you can have a better experience playing your video games."
P: "But...."
S: "Can you still play if the internet is a little slower?"
P: "Yes, but...."
S: "That's all that matters. We'll talk about it more tonight. Goodbye."
That went pretty well, might as well push my luck!
(later in the afternoon)
S: "So, honey, I have an idea that will allow us to save even more on our cable bill."
P: "What's that?"
S: "Lets completely get rid of cable and sign up for Netflix. Its only $8.99/month."
P: "Huh?"
S: "Seriously. We'll still get 5, 8, 11, 13, Fox. We can watch our "shows" on the computer and stream our HBO shows through Netflix after they come out on DVD."
P: "Huh?"
S: "We'd still have a home phone and internet."
P: "Are you serious?"
S: "Very."
P: "But...what about ESPN?"
That's when it hit me how completely absurd I was being. Its a good thing for Paul that his wife loves football as much as he does!
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Happy 7th Birthday Maycen Ann!
Seven years ago today, at 2:43am, God blessed us with the most beautifully spirited little girl in the world.
Happy Birthday Baby!
Happy Birthday Baby!
Monday, September 20, 2010
Meal Planning Monday...with bonus coverage!
What a great weekend! After everything settled down from this little incident, the rest of the weekend went off beautifully!
Saturday morning while daddy worked, the kids and I went to Wells Fargo to open savings accounts for each of them. I couldn't remember if I told Kyle that we would be there at 9 or 10:00...so at a little after 9 we showed up. He wasn't expecting us until 10! We waited. At first, all was calm. Then Brock became a little more comfortable with his surroundings. He became a little more brave. He became a little more loud. He is now terrified of the monster in the vault who takes little kids that are being too loud in the bank. Don't judge me! The rest of the time we were there he sat like an angel. Almost.
We hit the store quick after that and spent the rest of the afternoon watching football and hanging out at home. It was a fantastically chilly day so I had the windows open and the fireplace on. Yes, that makes perfect sense! I watched the Cyclones lose to K-State at Arrowhead. Again. Then I worked on this:
I had seen a few fall wreaths that I really liked, but they ranged anywhere from $50 - $80. The old me would have taken that, divided it over the years of enjoyment, somehow made the wreath really only cost $1.29, snatched it up and moved on. BUT, the new, thriftier me, could NOT justify spending that much on a wreath. So, with some inspiration from Thrifty Decor Chick, and a little help at Michaels from Mikki, I decided to make my own.
Foam circle (yes, that is the technical name): $5.99
Packages of leaves: 5 @ $.99 each
Package of hot glue sticks: $2.99 (that package will last me months, if not years and I've already used it to fix a broken picture frame!)
Total cost = $13.93
For my first time I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. Someday I might be brave enough to make a bigger one! But for now, this cute little guy fits his home in our living room just perfectly!
Sunday was a big day! Maycen's 7th birthday party with the family was to start at 3:00. Before that we just had to:
Bake a cake
Clean the house
Eat Breakfast
Eat lunch
Go to the store
Find Brock shoes (he wears an 8 1/2...I'm convinced the entire state of Iowa is out of that size. We are no longer looking for cute shoes...any will do!)
Oh, and Maycen had dance from 11:30 - 12:30....
...and Paul had to work until 2:00!
No problem! We got everything done (thanks Grandma for picking up some shoes) and I was braiding my still wet hair when our first guests arrived! Of course Maycen was excited and Brock was bouncing off the walls! She opened gifts and got everything she wanted and more including: a new bike, the new FurReal pet dog (she wants a real one, daddy says NO!), Zhu Zhu Pets DS game, clothes and more. She is a very lucky little girl! Then we had cake and ice cream:
The last guests left just before 6. After a quick supper and baths both kiddos collapsed into bed around 7:30 and Paul and I spent the rest of the night relaxing on the couch. With the windows open and the fireplace on (because it makes perfect sense)!
Now for "Meal Planning Monday":
Monday: Turkey sloppy joes (that we didn't have Friday night) and pasta salad
Tuesday: Birthday girl's choice! Right now she is leaning toward Chicken Parmesan. I keep hoping she'll change her mind and want to order out!
Wednesday: Breakfast for dinner! Pancakes & eggs!
Thursday: Hamburgers on the grill
Friday: Homemade pizza
Saturday: I'll be at the ISU/UNI game so daddy is on his own!
Sunday: Lasagna
This weather makes meal planning tough. I'm craving some "cold weather foods" that I just can't get myself to make when it is hot (88 degrees today????). I'm ready for fall to be here and stay!
What cold weather foods are you anxious to make?
Saturday morning while daddy worked, the kids and I went to Wells Fargo to open savings accounts for each of them. I couldn't remember if I told Kyle that we would be there at 9 or 10:00...so at a little after 9 we showed up. He wasn't expecting us until 10! We waited. At first, all was calm. Then Brock became a little more comfortable with his surroundings. He became a little more brave. He became a little more loud. He is now terrified of the monster in the vault who takes little kids that are being too loud in the bank. Don't judge me! The rest of the time we were there he sat like an angel. Almost.
We hit the store quick after that and spent the rest of the afternoon watching football and hanging out at home. It was a fantastically chilly day so I had the windows open and the fireplace on. Yes, that makes perfect sense! I watched the Cyclones lose to K-State at Arrowhead. Again. Then I worked on this:
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| Fall Wreath |
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| Fall wreath up close |
Foam circle (yes, that is the technical name): $5.99
Packages of leaves: 5 @ $.99 each
Package of hot glue sticks: $2.99 (that package will last me months, if not years and I've already used it to fix a broken picture frame!)
Total cost = $13.93
For my first time I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. Someday I might be brave enough to make a bigger one! But for now, this cute little guy fits his home in our living room just perfectly!
Sunday was a big day! Maycen's 7th birthday party with the family was to start at 3:00. Before that we just had to:
Bake a cake
Clean the house
Eat Breakfast
Eat lunch
Go to the store
Find Brock shoes (he wears an 8 1/2...I'm convinced the entire state of Iowa is out of that size. We are no longer looking for cute shoes...any will do!)
Oh, and Maycen had dance from 11:30 - 12:30....
...and Paul had to work until 2:00!
No problem! We got everything done (thanks Grandma for picking up some shoes) and I was braiding my still wet hair when our first guests arrived! Of course Maycen was excited and Brock was bouncing off the walls! She opened gifts and got everything she wanted and more including: a new bike, the new FurReal pet dog (she wants a real one, daddy says NO!), Zhu Zhu Pets DS game, clothes and more. She is a very lucky little girl! Then we had cake and ice cream:
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| My beautiful "baby" girl |
Now for "Meal Planning Monday":
Monday: Turkey sloppy joes (that we didn't have Friday night) and pasta salad
Tuesday: Birthday girl's choice! Right now she is leaning toward Chicken Parmesan. I keep hoping she'll change her mind and want to order out!
Wednesday: Breakfast for dinner! Pancakes & eggs!
Thursday: Hamburgers on the grill
Friday: Homemade pizza
Saturday: I'll be at the ISU/UNI game so daddy is on his own!
Sunday: Lasagna
This weather makes meal planning tough. I'm craving some "cold weather foods" that I just can't get myself to make when it is hot (88 degrees today????). I'm ready for fall to be here and stay!
What cold weather foods are you anxious to make?
Sunday, September 19, 2010
No more monkeys jumping on the bed!
Its one of the things I adore about her, but have absolutely no idea how to deal with. At her age I was outside playing "kill the pill" with the boys, not princesses and dress-up. Every time I hear one of those commercials about talent scouts from (fill in the blank) modeling and talent agency being at Valley West Mall, I consider, for a millisecond, taking her. But, I digress.
Due to her ummmmmm, expressive nature, when something happens that she doesn't like or she gets hurt, or a list of the million other things that make little girls upset, she doesn't so much cry as squeal. And I mean SQUEAL. Loudly. Some days I ignore it. Some days I tell her she needs to get control over her emotions. Some days it makes me crazy!
Yesterday morning as I was downstairs enjoying coffee and the morning news, the kids were upstairs playing. Now, all moms know how this goes. It was quiet at first and I was patting myself on the back for how well my kids were playing together. Every few minutes I would mute the TV just to enjoy listening to them playing so nicely. A little louder. Oh, they'll settle down. A little louder. Hmmmm, sounds like they might be jumping on our bed. "KIDS, don't jump on the bed"....they aren't fighting, they are still playing nicely. They'll settle down. Holy Cow! Did they just drop a bomb up there?
And....cue the squealing.
I go racing upstairs and into the bedroom to find all of the pillows (there are 9 total, I like pillows) on the floor laid out a little like a mattress. I see Maycen laying in the middle of them in the fetal position, and Brock, up on the bed ready to spring. Again.
As soon as she saw me the squealing multiplied by a bazillion (yes, its a real number) and she started rattling off "I WAS JUST LAYING HERE WATCHING TV AND BROCKY JUMPED OFF THE BED AND LANDED RIGHT ON MY STOMACH AND I THINK HE BROOOOOOOOKE IIIIIIIITTTTTTTTT" You think he broke what? "MY STOOOOOOMMMMMMAAAAAAAACCCCHHHHHHHH".
You know that mothers instinct that lets us know when our children are really hurt, it wasn't kicking in. I could clearly see that she was okay, which made this scene all the funnier when it played out in my head. It went a little something like this.
Maycen jumping off the bed, diving board style, landing on the pillows. TV catches her attention for a millisecond and she forgets to get back in line to take her next turn. In the meantime, Brock is coiled and ready to spring. He probably isn't as graceful as Maycen. I'm thinking a little more like a WWE wrestler launching himself off the top ropes. Maycen is in the exact wrong spot and a collision happens.
She looked at me, waiting, hoping, knowing that Brock was in SO. MUCH. TROUBLE.
Imagine her surprise when I looked at both of them and said "no jumping on the bed" and walked out.
Sometimes I just need my cup of coffee!
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Sticks & Stones
Remember that saying, "sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me". Who the heck came up with that and what were they thinking?
As a mother, I try very hard not to shield my kids, especially Maycen (being older, and a girl) from everything. When someone is mean to her at school, or her BFF doesn't want to play with her, I try to use it as on opportunity to teach her that things don't always go as we want, not everyone will be nice all of the time and the only thing we can control is our actions and reactions. That's why I'm a bit surprised with my fierce reaction to something that recently happened with Maycen. I can't stop thinking about it...so maybewriting it down typing it out, will help.
Last Friday was picture day at school. As we straightened Maycen's hair (she has her mama's waves...and they aren't the pretty flowing kind!) she practiced her "picture smile" in the mirror. I was telling her how beautiful I thought she was to which she quickly responded, "No I'm not". Of course this caught me off guard and I said again how pretty she is and asked her why she would ever think she anything different. Her response FLOORED me. She said
"because I have this" pointing to a mole, or really more of a large freckle, that is just above her top lip and making 'this' sound like I dirty word. You can see it in this picture from the ketchup fight.
At first I kind of giggled and said "Oh honey, that's a beauty mark...it just makes you more beautiful," but she wasn't having it. She asked me if she could have hers removed like I did with mine. After I finished explaining to her that the moles I've had removed were because they might have made me sick, I asked her again why she doesn't like it. She broke down in tears and told me that {girl who shall remain nameless} told her that it was ugly and made her ugly. BLOOD. INSTANTLY. BOILING!
After I finally calmed myself down enough to respond Itold her to tell {girl who shall remain nameless} to stick it up her had a long talk with Maycen about how it is part of her, and it makes her who she is. I also told her that there are women who have been considered some of the most beautiful in the world who have had "beauty marks" in the exact same spot. That seemed to satisfy her and she wiped the tears, practiced her picture smile a few more times, and off she went! I smiled, quite proud of myself for handling our first real "mean girls" moment with poise and grace, when what I really wanted to do was call up {girl who shall remain nameless}'s mom, and tell her to have a talk with her daughter!
Ahhhh...see...I do feel better havingjournaled blogged about it! Have a fantastic Tuesday. I'm off to print pictures of Cindy Crawford and Marilyn Monroe...just in case!
Stephanie
As a mother, I try very hard not to shield my kids, especially Maycen (being older, and a girl) from everything. When someone is mean to her at school, or her BFF doesn't want to play with her, I try to use it as on opportunity to teach her that things don't always go as we want, not everyone will be nice all of the time and the only thing we can control is our actions and reactions. That's why I'm a bit surprised with my fierce reaction to something that recently happened with Maycen. I can't stop thinking about it...so maybe
Last Friday was picture day at school. As we straightened Maycen's hair (she has her mama's waves...and they aren't the pretty flowing kind!) she practiced her "picture smile" in the mirror. I was telling her how beautiful I thought she was to which she quickly responded, "No I'm not". Of course this caught me off guard and I said again how pretty she is and asked her why she would ever think she anything different. Her response FLOORED me. She said
"because I have this" pointing to a mole, or really more of a large freckle, that is just above her top lip and making 'this' sound like I dirty word. You can see it in this picture from the ketchup fight.
At first I kind of giggled and said "Oh honey, that's a beauty mark...it just makes you more beautiful," but she wasn't having it. She asked me if she could have hers removed like I did with mine. After I finished explaining to her that the moles I've had removed were because they might have made me sick, I asked her again why she doesn't like it. She broke down in tears and told me that {girl who shall remain nameless} told her that it was ugly and made her ugly. BLOOD. INSTANTLY. BOILING!
After I finally calmed myself down enough to respond I
Ahhhh...see...I do feel better having
Stephanie
Monday, September 13, 2010
My VERY FIRST Meal Planning Monday!
As you all know, I'm new to this whole blogging thing. However, I have read several blogs for quite some time, and there are a few ideas that I really like. One of them is posting a "Meal Planning Monday" blog. I like this when other people do it because I have seen some yummy recipes and get ideas. I like the idea of doing it for myself because I've said for years (notice how often I say "I've said for years"...apparently I've procrastinated A LOT!) how much easier my life would be if I planned out meals every week...and I'm hoping this will help me finally do just that! So, here we go:
Monday: I teach KB at 5:30 tonight so convenience food it is. Stouffer's Rigatoni w/ Chicken is a family favorite and not the worst frozen dinner out there.
Tuesday: Campbell's Beef & Pasta only probably made with turkey instead of beef.
Wednesday: Wednesdays are usually a bit of a free for all since Paul is working and its just the kids and I. Probably leftovers from Tuesday!
Thursday: I've been anxious to try the Chicken, Ranch & Rice soup that I saw on here a few weeks ago. With a high of only 66 degrees being forecast, I think this will be a good day for it!
Friday: Turkey Sloppy Joes. These are DELISH and a family favorite!
1lb ground turkey
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 red onion, chopped
8 oz tomato sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup bbq sauce
1 tsp chili powder
Brown turkey with pepper & onion (I often skip the onion b/c the kiddos don't like it). Add tomato sauce, ketchup, bbq sauce & chili powder. Simmer for about 10 minutes over low heat or until thickened. Serve on a bun w/ homemade fries. YUMMO!
Saturday: Homemade Cheeseburger Calzones
Sunday: Spaghetti w/ turkey meatballs.
Can you tell by this menu that I'm a little tired of the grill! I'm certain in 4 months I'll be sending Paul out in the sub-zero temps for grilled chicken!
Of course, I can't forget to mention the big game from the weekend. Unfortunately the game itself was a total letdown (or maybe that was just for me?), but Paul and I had a great time tailgating with friends & family. It was my first trip to Kinnick in 14 years and overall it was a great experience!
Monday: I teach KB at 5:30 tonight so convenience food it is. Stouffer's Rigatoni w/ Chicken is a family favorite and not the worst frozen dinner out there.
Tuesday: Campbell's Beef & Pasta only probably made with turkey instead of beef.
Wednesday: Wednesdays are usually a bit of a free for all since Paul is working and its just the kids and I. Probably leftovers from Tuesday!
Thursday: I've been anxious to try the Chicken, Ranch & Rice soup that I saw on here a few weeks ago. With a high of only 66 degrees being forecast, I think this will be a good day for it!
Friday: Turkey Sloppy Joes. These are DELISH and a family favorite!
1lb ground turkey
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 red onion, chopped
8 oz tomato sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup bbq sauce
1 tsp chili powder
Brown turkey with pepper & onion (I often skip the onion b/c the kiddos don't like it). Add tomato sauce, ketchup, bbq sauce & chili powder. Simmer for about 10 minutes over low heat or until thickened. Serve on a bun w/ homemade fries. YUMMO!
Saturday: Homemade Cheeseburger Calzones
Sunday: Spaghetti w/ turkey meatballs.
Can you tell by this menu that I'm a little tired of the grill! I'm certain in 4 months I'll be sending Paul out in the sub-zero temps for grilled chicken!
Of course, I can't forget to mention the big game from the weekend. Unfortunately the game itself was a total letdown (or maybe that was just for me?), but Paul and I had a great time tailgating with friends & family. It was my first trip to Kinnick in 14 years and overall it was a great experience!
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{House Divided} |
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
The "Un"official End of Summer
What a weekend! Can you believe Labor Day has already come and gone? Unbelievable!
We had a special treat this holiday weekend. Typically Paul has to work on holidays, unless of course the store is closed. Every so often we'll be lucky to get him for a full day on Memorial Day or the 4th of July, but usually he has to work the day before or the day after, so our plans are limited. This year my extended family had loosely planned a camping trip for this weekend. As soon as I knew this was a possibility, I made sure that Paul requested these 3 days off so that he could go with us. Unfortunately the camping trip fell through (my aunt said it just didn't work...I'm convinced its because they all went to the Iowa game!) but...fortunately this meant that both Paul and I had three full days off with absolutely NOTHING to do! And I mean nothing, zilch, ZERO! No wedding, no football game, no family reunion! I can't remember the last time that happened.
So, Thursday night Paul indulged me and tagged along for the Iowa State/Northern Illinois game (Go STATE!) and Friday we both headed to work with an excitement I recall as being vaguley reminscent of the last few days before summer break! Finally 5:00 on Friday came and we were FREE! Okay...I know I'm being a little dramatic, but this really doesn't happen often!
Saturday morning I was able to get up and go work out without getting a babysitter! We spent the afternoon lounging around, watching football and doing a little cleaning. We ended the day with brats on the grill, and made the mistake of leaving the kids alone in the kitchen for a few minutes. You know that panicked feeling you get when you realize your kids are being too quiet...yeah, we had that right before we found this:
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KETCHUP FIGHT!!!! I bet you can't tell who won! I was actually quite proud of Paul and I. We just laughed with them and took some pictures and video. We are both trying very hard not to worry so much about the mess, noise, injuries, or clean-up that these little events cause. Everything can be cleaned up and if it makes us laugh, its probably not that serious!
Sunday morning was Paul's turn to head to the gym. I'm guessing looking back he is a little regretful that he left me home alone, with my Pottery Barn catalog, knowing he still had 2 days off! By the time he got home I had so many ideas I could hardly stand it!
First on the list, paint the bathroom. I loved the color of our bathroom. It was called Mustang and was a beautiful dark raisin color. Paul thought it was too dark, so I finally gave in and changed the color. It is now a beautiful green called Artichoke. I figured since I went through the work of picking out the color and going to the store, it was only fair to let Paul do the painting...I would hate for him to feel left out!
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| Doesn't he look happy about it! |
The second item on the list of my brilliant ideas was a little bit more time consuming and labor intensive. Shortly after Paul and I got married my father gave us a beautiful oak table with matching chairs and bartsools. I have loved this set but over the years my taste/style has changed. I have kicked around the idea of selling the set and buying new, but just couldn't quite get myself to 1. get rid of such a fantastically made table and 2. sell something that was given to me by my father. So, I have been trying to figure out the best way to refinish our table so that it better suites our taste. That's when I saw this post on my friend Missy's blog. [Side note: it was Missy's blog that inspired me to start one of my own!] That was it! I would have my super handy brother whip up a new top for the table, paint it and voila! The only problem is I have no patience and didn't want to wait for my brother to build one my brother is a newlywed and I would hate to ask him to take time away from his family to work on this for me. So, I decided to go ahead and do the painting and can add the new top down the road.
So, I spent all day Sunday and Monday sanding, painting, painting, painting and polyeurathaning my "new" table and chairs. The barstools aren't quite done, but so far I couldn't be happier with how they have turned out. They need a little more drying time before I can decorate them and make them pretty we can use them, but I promise to post pics as soon as I can!
We ended this great weekend with a barbeque at Paul's parents house. Everyone was there! Matt & Mikki with Kaleigh, Cameron & Kalista and Travis & Lisa with Justin & Emily. The kids had a great time playing outside while us girls sat around the table and talked. Its fun to watch Emily and Kaleigh as they navigate their way through the beginning of the teen years. They are both so much more level-headed than I was at that age! Of course, this is a realization that I didn't have until I was in my very late 20's and the mother of two!
I hope you all enjoyed your Labor Day weekend as much as we did!
Stephanie
We ended this great weekend with a barbeque at Paul's parents house. Everyone was there! Matt & Mikki with Kaleigh, Cameron & Kalista and Travis & Lisa with Justin & Emily. The kids had a great time playing outside while us girls sat around the table and talked. Its fun to watch Emily and Kaleigh as they navigate their way through the beginning of the teen years. They are both so much more level-headed than I was at that age! Of course, this is a realization that I didn't have until I was in my very late 20's and the mother of two!
I hope you all enjoyed your Labor Day weekend as much as we did!
Stephanie
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Reality blog!
I am always saying that if cameras were to come into our home, we would have a bigger hit than Jon & Kate Plus 8! As in most homes with children, there is never a dull moment. At the very least, I figure someday I'll write a hilariously engaging book that everyone in the world my kids will read!
So, with my future best seller in mind, I thought it was time to start really documenting some of the crazy antics that go on in the Johnson household. And - what better way to do that than a blog, where I can simultaneously share these funny stories with all of you! Before we get started I'll update you on our family.
Off we go...
Paul is the Store Manager at the Dahls Foods store in Ankeny. He loves being at this store because itgives him the chance to connect to the community he lives in is a five minute drive from our house! I tease! He really does enjoy working in Ankeny and seeing familiar faces in his store on a regular basis. It is our hope that he will stay there for a long time to come! He is a great dad and is always very busy chasing the kiddos around.
I (Stephanie) am the Director of Marketing for NationJob.com in downtown Des Moines. It is a small company and I've worked here since my early teens. I get to work with my mom, which has it challenges, but I can't imagine not seeing her every day!
Maycen is almost 7 and just started 1st grade. She loves school! She is very excited for dance to start in a couple of weeks. This will be her fifth year in dance and her fourth year on the competition team. After 2 years of begging (her, not me!), she will be doing a solo this year. I'mscared to death a little nervous that my baby girl will be on stage all by herself, but I know she will do great! She is a lovely young lady with the softest heart!
Brock. Brock, Brock, Brock. What can we say about him? From the moment he wakes up in the morning, to the moment he lays down at night, he is moving! He is so busy that most nights after we give kisses, "I loves you's" and shut his bedroom door, Paul and I just look at each other and sigh! He is very stubborn and definitely has a temper that hegets from his mom learned from the kids at daycare! He is so funny and has a laugh that is completely contagious!
Every year at this time I say the same thing, "I can't believe is already September"! It seems like with every season we look forward to the next one when things will slow down, yet the next season comes and goes and we are busier than ever! Realizing this, I feel its more important than ever to cherish every minute of every day, because life really is too short! Hopefully, through this blog, we will be able to connect a little more to our loved ones and keep you all more up to date on the happenings of our life.
At least until we sign the contract...then you can just watch us on TV!
So, with my future best seller in mind, I thought it was time to start really documenting some of the crazy antics that go on in the Johnson household. And - what better way to do that than a blog, where I can simultaneously share these funny stories with all of you! Before we get started I'll update you on our family.
Off we go...
Paul is the Store Manager at the Dahls Foods store in Ankeny. He loves being at this store because it
I (Stephanie) am the Director of Marketing for NationJob.com in downtown Des Moines. It is a small company and I've worked here since my early teens. I get to work with my mom, which has it challenges, but I can't imagine not seeing her every day!
Maycen is almost 7 and just started 1st grade. She loves school! She is very excited for dance to start in a couple of weeks. This will be her fifth year in dance and her fourth year on the competition team. After 2 years of begging (her, not me!), she will be doing a solo this year. I'm
Brock. Brock, Brock, Brock. What can we say about him? From the moment he wakes up in the morning, to the moment he lays down at night, he is moving! He is so busy that most nights after we give kisses, "I loves you's" and shut his bedroom door, Paul and I just look at each other and sigh! He is very stubborn and definitely has a temper that he
Every year at this time I say the same thing, "I can't believe is already September"! It seems like with every season we look forward to the next one when things will slow down, yet the next season comes and goes and we are busier than ever! Realizing this, I feel its more important than ever to cherish every minute of every day, because life really is too short! Hopefully, through this blog, we will be able to connect a little more to our loved ones and keep you all more up to date on the happenings of our life.
At least until we sign the contract...then you can just watch us on TV!
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