Good-bye 2013, Hello 2014!

Can't believe another year has passed.  Seems like just yesterday I was still pregnant with Wyatt, who is 6 months old now.  2013 was a good year.  I started the year by turning 30 on January 1st.  I didn't celebrate much as I was pregnant and depressed to be turning 30.  I also began the year staying home with Rylee full-time.  She and I made a lot of good memories (well at least I will remember them) this year.  We took a trip to Georgia together, and had many, many Mommy-daughter dates!  She is such a little adult now with quite the personality and is so much fun to hang out with.  It's great that she can hold a conversation with me.

James and I got away for our 4th wedding anniversary this year.  As previously mentioned, we took a short trip to Pennsylvania, which I loved! 

The best part of the year was the addition of Wyatt to our family.  He hasn't been the easiest baby, but hopefully it will only get better from here on out.  As much as I never wanted a mama's boy/girl, I am really loving all of the cuddle time I get with Wyatt.  His smile lights up a room and melts my heart!  Rylee loves him so much too and is an amazing big sister and helper! 

Another fun thing I got to do in 2013 was a weekend long line-dance camp in Kansas City with some friends.  It was the hardest and most fun work-out I had all year!  I also got to meet and dance with my favorite choreographer.  I enjoyed the time away and being with good friends. 

Starting my blog was fun this year!  I have been enjoying sharing my thoughts with you all.  Thanks for reading; I average about 100 views per post!  I wish I had more time to write. 

I should definitely probably mention my mini-van too -- best purchase in 2013 -- or ever!!  ;)

2014 -- not sure what it will bring.  Hoping to sell our house in West Des Moines so we can purchase a camper and do some camping.  Wyatt will turn 1 and have lots of "firsts" this year.  Rylee may be starting 3 year old preschool in the fall.  James and I will celebrate our 5 year anniversary -- maybe a short trip somewhere. 

As for my new year's resolution, I never make one.  I know I would never stick to it, so I'd rather just not stress myself out making one.  In fact, I have decided to stop trying to change my habits, because I find it more stressful than anything.  I prefer to just take things one day at a time and enjoy myself.  If I want to eat 2 bowls of ice cream one day, I will.  If I want to let Rylee watch 6 movies in one day, I will.  If I want to get up at 5:30 to exercise, I will...but if I don't feel like it, I won't stress over it.  I'm finding my days much more enjoyable when I just do what I want and not worry about what I "should" be doing. 

I'm looking forward to the new year.  I made some new friends in 2013 and reconnected with old ones...hoping for more of the same in 2014. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OF MY READERS!!  I hope nothing but the best comes your way!!

Merry Christmas!

What a fun past couple of days we have had leading up to today.  On Monday we checked into a hotel so Rylee could go swimming.  What a little fish she is turning into!  I was so proud of her for being interested in learning how to kick her feet and float on her back.  Wyatt also got to play in the pool for the first time; he did very well.  We ordered take-out for supper and watched The Polar Express as we all sat in bed together.  Spending much needed quality time together was the perfect way to start Christmas week. 

Yesterday we had Christmas with my family.  I've always loved the tradition of going to my aunt's house on Christmas Eve.  Her house is always decorated with colorful whimsy decorations, smells like yummy food, and Christmas songs play in the background.  She always has a large, real tree that is full of bright ornaments....and of course, a mountain of presents underneath.  This year, the mountain overflowed!!  There were 3 more kids at our gathering this year than there has been in the past, due to the addition of Wyatt and my brother's family being back in Iowa.  It was so much fun to watch the kids open presents one by one.  Rylee was excited about her presents as soon as she tore the paper off and BEFORE she even knew what the gift was :)  I'm not sure that Santa Clause needed to come to our house after she and Wyatt got so many gifts at this Christmas gathering. 

However, Santa did come, and we saw his sleigh flying high in the air on our way home Christmas Eve (or was that just an airplane??).  I always saw Santa's sleigh in the air on our way home growing up, so I was pretty excited I got to point it out to Rylee this year!! 

We put our Christmas jammies on when we got home, watched a couple of Christmas shows and sat by the tree to read "The Night Before Christmas".  Right before bed we stopped in the kitchen to pick out a decorated sugar cookie to leave for Santa...only to discover the Mr. of the house ate them all!!! I almost panicked.  On Sunday night, I considered telling him not to eat them all, but I figured since there were so many left (8-10) and we would be gone the next couple of days, that it wouldn't be an issue....I was wrong.  Luckily, we had some fig newtons in the pantry and Rylee was okay with that.  She thought the fig newton's needed sprinkles though, so we did do a little cookie decorating.  We also left carrots outside for the reindeer. 

Fast forward to 5:55am this morning.... 
"Mom, wake up!  Let's go find Elfie and see if Santa came." 

We all got up and went out to the kitchen to see that Elfie had left us some donuts for breakfast, along with a note telling us thanks for letting her stay at our house and that we would see her again next year. 

Next, we went to the living room and saw that Santa had been there and left a few presents and filled our stockings!!  Rylee wanted to open them right away, but settled with eating our donuts first.  (Yes, I decided to wrap my Santa gifts...though mine were always unwrapped as a kid and I enjoyed that).

By 6:30 we had all of the presents opened and by 7:00 they had all been played with.  "Now what?", I thought to myself.  The Disney parade wouldn't be on for two more hours.  We watched a couple more Christmas shows and played some of Rylee's games she got.  We also looked out the window once the sun came up and saw that the reindeer had eaten all of the carrots and there were tracks from Santa's sleigh!! 

I'm so sad that all of the fun is nearly over.  We had 5 Christmas celebrations and it all went too fast. I'm already excited for next Christmas!!  The holidays become even more fun than they already were when kids are in the picture.  Hopefully next year Wyatt will be able to open his own presents and be a little bit excited about his gifts.  Maybe a trip to see Santa will even be possible next year.

Of all the fun things we did this month, my favorites were Disney on Ice and watching Rylee open presents.  There's no better feeling than seeing excitement in a child's eyes. 

I hope you all are having a very Merry Christmas!!! 

Present Presentation

"Six inch ribbon curls, honey.  Six. inches."  Name the movie...  

Yep, it's Elf.  The part when Jovie is wrapping presents in the make-shift North Pole in the department store.  I used to put ribbons on Christmas presents and spend lots of time making them look pretty.  I used to know someone who made the most beautiful bows and I never wanted to open the gift...it was just so pretty to look at.  I can't remember the last time I spent time making "accessories" for a present.  Instead, I find the beauty of the paper itself to be enough. 

I know it's silly to spend money on wrapping paper that will just get thrown away, but I think the paper is part of the present and I choose the paper wisely for each recipient.  I don't care how much it costs....if Rylee would love Minnie Mouse paper at $6/roll, you better believe I'm going to buy it (luckily Santa took care of the Minnie paper this year).  I've been to plenty of "grab bag" type of parties where you get to pick a random present --- everyone always chooses the pretty ones first and the less fortunate looking ones get picked last. 

There is so much cute wrapping paper out there today, I don't know how the "less cute" paper is even still around....except to provide a cheaper choice for those who are practical and realize that spending money on paper to be thrown away is wasteful (Scrooges!!  Just kidding.).  I have tons of wrapping paper in my basement right now and I'm tired of all of it.  I don't mind if I don't use an entire roll; I like buying new each year (though I've been using a couple of the same rolls for 3 years now).  I usually buy after the holidays though, when it is on sale.  Maybe I should start a wrapping paper exchange where we can all swap left over paper after the holiday....

Rylee helped me wrap all of the presents for her cousins this year and she too enjoyed selecting the perfect paper for each recipient.  She would say, "I think (insert name) would like this paper."  It was cute.  She also knows which gifts under the tree she wants to open based on the paper it's wrapped in....boy will she be disappointed when she opens Wyatt's bibs :) 

Sometimes it's hard to find the right size box to wrap gifts in, but I think the presentation looks so much nicer when gifts are in boxes.  There are definitely times that I don't worry about a box (Wyatt won't care what his gifts look like), but in my opinion, boxes are almost always a must for the perfect presentation....and to keep the gift from getting guessed before it's open. 

Did anyone who "likes" the Today show on Facebook happen to read the over 1,000 comments on their post yesterday about the number of gifts kids should get for Christmas?  No?  You mean, no one else spent an hour of the day reading nearly all of those comments besides me?  Weird. 

Anyway, I was quite entertained by the responses people gave to the posed question.  A lot of people follow the bible and give their children each 3 gifts.  That makes complete sense to me.  And then there were people on the other end of the spectrum who give each of their kids 20+ gifts and spend hundreds of dollars on each of their kids (one woman said she got her son a go-kart, 4wheeler and dirt bike --- seriously?!?!?!?).  I loved Christmas presents as much as the next kid, but I was just as happy with my few presents as I would have been with 20+.  What kid has more than 20 items on their wish list anyway??  How could you play with 20+ gifts in one day??  I couldn't even think of 20 items to get my kids. 

I guess looking at the big picture, my kids get over 20 combined with grandparents and aunts/uncles.  But from Mom and Dad and Santa....20+ seems a little overkill to me.  Just my opinion.  Some people said they don't buy their kids anything during the year and they save it all for Christmas...I guess I could see the large amount of gifts in that case.  I am a pushover and buy things for Rylee all year long, so Christmas isn't really a huge deal.  Some people give lots of necessary items, like clothing, as gifts and I can see where that would increase the number of gifts too.

Anyway, back to present wrapping....I'm about all wrapped out after 10 gifts, so I can't imagine having to wrap 20+ just for my own kids.  Thank goodness Santa and his elves help me with some of the wrapping!  Which reminds me...I don't think all of my gifts from Santa were wrapped growing up.  I remember running out to the living room with my brother in the morning and being able to see what Santa brought us.  I would think Santa would do the same thing for all kids, but I suppose he likes to keep everyone on their toes :)  One would also think Santa would give all kids very small gifts so he has room for them all in his sleigh.....

Anyway -- no matter how many gifts you give or what kind of paper you use....
HAPPY WRAPPING!! 

Dear Santa

I believe in Santa, but someone posted on facebook this week that Santa isn't real.  Scrooge!  Just to be sure, I have decided to send Santa a letter this year to test out his existence. 

Dear Santa,
It's been a very long time since I have written to you; I'm sorry about that.  I'm sure with the millions of letters you receive, you didn't miss mine.  Anyway, I know my daughter has already told you what she wants for Christmas, but I thought I better make sure you know what the rest of my family would like as well (and I will translate Rylee's request too, just in case you don't know what a "panyo" is).

Wyatt is just starting to sit on his own and would like some new toys that he can play with from a sitting position...preferably ones that make noise and aren't girly.  Other than that, he's not picky.

Rylee, as you know, wants a "panyo" (translate: piano) and a Doc McStuffins toy.  She also likes greeting cards and is probably expecting one from you, so please don't disappoint her.  I don't think you ever gave me one, but if you are able to stop at Walgreens quick to pick one up, that would be great.  They are open 24 hours I think. 

James would like our other house to sell.  Your elves don't even have to make anything for this one to happen.  And Santa, James is sort of questioning your existence this year, so this would be huge for us all if you could make it happen. 

Finally, my wish.  Judging by my recent Facebook news feeds, I think I am requesting the "hot item" of the year unfortunately.  I hope you have employed extra elf help this season for this one.  So, everyone is requesting "sleep" or "sleeping in for a day"....I would actually like an entire 24 hours in my house alone.  This would allow me to go to bed whenever I want, sleep as long as I want, read as much as I want, eat whatever I want and whenever I want, watch whatever I want and generally just help me recharge.  I know this is a lot to ask.  Maybe after Christmas (and maybe just a few days later so you and your elves can rest first) you and your elves can whisk my family away to the North Pole for a 24 hour tour.  In case this is too big of a request, my second choice is a trip to Disney World. 

Hopefully we haven't asked too much of you.  I think we have been fairly good this year.  We did our good deeds for the season and gave to less fortunate strangers.  We also made you a lot of cookies and have been taking good care of Elfie while she is a guest in our home.  If there is anything else you need (don't ask for a rail on our deck though), please have Elfie let us know and we will do what we can to make sure it's done.  I hope your final preparations for the big night are going smoothly.

Yours Truly,
Emily Schaack - Believer

O Christmas Tree

Real or artificial?  White lights or colored?  Themed ornaments or random?  Angel, star or other topper?  Ribbon, garland, tinsel??  There are so many types of Christmas trees and I love to see pictures of them on facebook (or in person)!!

I prefer an artificial tree because 1) you can put it up whenever you want, 2) you always know what it will look like, 3) ornaments are easier to hang on it, 4) you don't have to water it and vacuum needles and 5) it's the least expensive.  That being said, James and I have always had a real tree because he prefers them and his opinion trumps mine.  I'm fixin' to get me an artificial tree when they go on sale after the holiday though and starting next year we will just have two trees :) 

We do agree on the lights though -- definitely white!  I have a small pre-lit tree that has colored lights and it is pretty too, but the big tree must have white lights....that twinkle too of course.

Ornaments.  I really don't have that many and I don't even know where the ones I have came from.  I'm guessing gifts, but I couldn't tell you who they are from unfortunately.  Most are too big and heavy for my tree too.  I like a themed tree and have previously just done a certain color(s) of balls and ribbon, but this year I put all of our ornaments on it, along with a strand of burlap (that only wraps around a third of the tree -- must get more!). 

While visiting a relative this past weekend and listening to her tell me where all of her ornaments came from, I got to thinking about how a tree full of ornaments from family and friends truly represents what Christmas is all about -- being with loved ones.  It's a wonderful symbol. 

I think I will start a tradition of giving my kids ornaments each year....or maybe just every other year, with a family ornament for the in between years so they don't end up with so many ornaments to take with them when they leave the house. 

Yes, I will have 2 trees next year...and maybe even a 2nd small one too :)  I LOVE having my house all lit up by the twinkling lights in the evening when it's dark outside.  One thing we have never done is put up outdoor lights .... next year!!!  I'm so glad it snowed yesterday -- it looks so pretty and christmasy out :) 

Christmas FUN

I cannot believe how soon Christmas will be here...there's so much to do yet!!  Rylee is now at the age where she enjoys and is able to participate in many activities.  I am trying to start some traditions this year that we haven't done before to make sure we make the most of the season. 

So far we have put up our Christmas tree, which she was so excited to decorate!  Did anyone else decorate their tree in their undies??

 

I put out all of my other Christmas decorations Thanksgiving night while Rylee was sleeping off her turkey in the middle of the living room. 

Yesterday we wrapped all of our Christmas presents.  Rylee picked out the paper for each gift, taking careful consideration to the person receiving the gift.  She was also concerned that we didn't have presents for some people....gotta love her soft heart!! 

We also made a paper chain.  My thought was that we would take one link off each day until Christmas gets here.  She had fun running the glue stick!

Our Elf on the Shelf appeared this year, and oh boy is that fun!!  I don't know who is enjoying it more...Rylee or James and I.  Ry wasn't really interested in it the first day, but we are on day 4 now and she has taken a liking to Elfie.  Elfie appeared in our tree this morning and Rylee said to me very disapprovingly, "Mom! Elfie's in our tree!!"  She also left Ry a letter, which she wouldn't let me read to her...she told me she could read it herself. "It says, 'ABC, Santa is going to bring presents, Doc McStuffins.'"  Okay....well....I'm pretty sure that's not what it says, but whatever.  There was an Elf on the Shelf show on last week that we DVR'd and have watched several times already as well.  Kudos to the family who created this wonderful Christmas tradition! 

Later this week we will drop off our Toys for Tots items and the supplies we bought for the Ronald McDonald House.  We also sent a request to the local school to see if any families are in need of winter attire -- sounds like we may be doing some shopping for that soon as well. 

The rest of our Christmas "to do" list includes decorating our gingerbread house, driving around looking at Christmas lights and baking and decorating cookies.  I'm not really a fan of sugar cookies (except for the one's my SIL's family makes)....mostly just because they are a lot of work, but if Rylee enjoys decorating them this year, I will make it a tradition. 

I had planned to visit one of the Festival of Trees events as well, but didn't quite make it...will keep it on the list for next year. Another item we won't be doing is visiting Santa -- Rylee won't even look at him from afar at the mall.  I suppose I should take Wyatt though.  And speaking of Wyatt -- James still has to make him a stocking yet.  Yes, I said that right...James has made all of our stockings...the man can run a sewing machine in addition to chainsaws, tractors and skid loaders.

Oh, and there are so many great Christmas movies to watch yet and songs to listen to.  We have only seen Elf and Polar Express so far....Christmas Vacation, Home Alone and Santa Clause top my list of other movies to watch.  And I just downloaded a bunch of Christmas music this morning so I can listen to it as I go about my days.  My favs are as follows:

"Let it be Christmas" by Alan Jackson
"O Holy Night" by John Berry
"Santa Baby" by Kellie Pickler
"All I Want for Christmas is You" by Mariah Carey
And really, many more....I probably love them all!!!

Merry Christmas everyone!!  Enjoy the season, as it will be over before we know it!! 

Fun Through the Eyes of a Child

Wow, what a fun day we had yesterday!!  For Christmas, my dad took mine and my brother's family to see Disney on Ice.  I don't know who was more excited about the gift to begin with, me or....me?!?!?!  We had tickets for the 7:00 show and had planned to go to dinner together beforehand.  As any good Grandpa would, he suggested we eat at Chuck E. Cheese. 

We arrived in town a little bit early and needed to kill about 15 minutes of time.  Rylee has been asking to go to the animal shelter, and as luck would have it, there was one across the street from Chuck E Cheese.  I took her inside and we checked out the adorable furry animals, but what she was most enamored by were the fish!  We spent the most time in the fish room and walked past each tank (there are 50+ of them) twice.  It wasn't quite the experience I thought it would be, but she was happy and that's all that mattered.  I almost couldn't get her to leave to go to Chuck E Cheese (one of her favorite places)!

Chuck E Cheese was fun.  I hadn't been there since I was a kid.  Rylee has been there though and as soon as she saw the building she told us, "There it is!"  She showed us around the place, starting with a ride on the carousel, which my mother told me previously, is her favorite thing there.  James and Rylee played lots of games and Rylee and her cousin rode several of the little rides.  She wasn't interested in dancing with the "band" though...too bad, because I would have been right there dancing with her!  I even got her to sit down and eat a piece of pizza, which I thought would be a huge feat.  

The highlight of our day though was definitely Disney on Ice.  What a fun family show!!  Thanks to my mom and myself, Rylee has over 20 Disney movies and we watch a couple of them each day.  She knows nearly all of the Disney characters and their stories.  In the days leading up to the show we talked about which characters she would see.  Minnie Mouse is her favorite, and while she was looking forward to seeing all of them, Minnie was at the top of her list.  On the way to the arena she talked about Minnie Mouse and that she was going to give her a "high five" when she saw her.  While walking to the arena from the car, Ry said, "I'm so excited!"  As soon as we walked in to the arena, she called out, "Minnie!  Where are you?"  It was quite adorable if you ask me.  We walked around a little bit, checking out the souvenirs and killing time.  When we ran into her aunt, Rylee asked "Have you seen Minnie?"  This girl was bound and determined to see the pretty mouse in high heels.  Ironically, she picked out a MICKEY Mouse souvenir though.

We finally went in and sat down in our seats.  To our surprise, Grandpa was sitting there wearing a Flounder hat, which came with his $12 bag of cotton candy (gotta love overpriced snacks).  As soon as the show started, out came Mickey, Minnie, Daisy and Donald.  The beautiful little blond sitting next to me in her Minnie Mouse outfit squealed and jumped up and down in her seat!!!  Oh my word she was excited!!!  She put her hand up to her mouth and giggled uncontrollably...she was shaking, she was so excited!!  I almost shed a tear at how excited she was.  I'm pretty sure I will never forget that moment. 

The Lion King, The Little Mermaid and Lilo and Stitch were the shows of the first half.  They were very beautifully choreographed with lots of bright colors and wonderful music.  Rylee loved all 3.  I think The Little Mermaid was our favorite -- it was the most colorful and had the best music.  Rylee loved all of the music.  She is my little dancer and rarely sat still in her seat.  She even claps along to the beat very well. 

After the short intermission was the final show, Peter Pan.  Rylee doesn't know the Peter Pan story, but she does know Tinkerbell and was very excited to see her!  When the show was over she didn't want to leave (never mind it was past her bedtime).  She talked about the show the whole way home and kept asking "Where's (insert any of the characters here)"?  The first thing she asked me this morning when she woke up was, "Have you seen Tinkerbell this morning?"  I may have to take her again :)  I should also mention that Wyatt loved the show too!!

THANK YOU, DAD, FOR THE SUPER FUN EXPERIENCE!!!!

Disney really knows how to bring the kid out in all of us.  I love watching the movies, going to the Disney stores, and now Disney on Ice will be a tradition for me I think.  I can't wait to go to Disney World some day!  I have never been and am so glad I will get to experience it with the children I love most!!

To continue this wonderful weekend and keep the Disney magic going, I am taking Rylee to her very first movie theater movie today.  We are going to see Disney's new animated movie, Frozen.  I have heard nothing but great things about the movie and am excited to see how Ry will do in the theater.  She has a grandma, aunt and uncle who are very frequent visitors to the theater and I have a feeling she will join their club:) 

Thankful

I think about things that I am thankful for quite often, but I'm not very good at making sure to give thanks where it's due.   I could probably write for an entire day to list all of the things and people that I am thankful for, but since I have limited time to write and you have limited time to read, I will just mention some things I have recently been thankful for......

1. My friend Renae for teaching me how to curl my hair
2. My grandma who took note in my "favorite things" post that I like to receive snail mail and sending me letters regularly.
3. Magic Eraser for cleaning my stove with ease
4. My sister-in-law for offering to watch Wyatt for me so I can participate in Rylee's tumbling class with her.
5. My mini-van for hauling all of our crap and being so easy to get my kids in and out of.
6. Target for providing free shipping on all of my online purchases. 
7. Authors for writing books to entertain, educate and make me think. 
8. Waste Management for agreeing to come clear out to our house to pick up our trash so James doesn't have to spend so much time burning it.
9. My daughter for being so willing to help me and using good manners. 
10. All of you who read my blog, and even more love for those who comment on it :)

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!! 

Never have I....

Previously, I shared with you some of my "firsts", so I thought it would be fitting to also share some things that I have never done.  So, here you are....happy reading!

Never have I...

1. Gone snow skiing or ice skating.  I even grew up in a town that had a ski hill.  I'm just not into doing things that appear dangerous...especially now, after having spent 3 months in a hospital with lots of broken bones.  I would attempt snow skiing though...I think.  Though I hate cold weather.

2. Been pulled over or in an accident where I was driving.  I would not say I'm a great driver though...just lucky.

3. Been to Okoboji.  I felt compelled to write this one, because I think everyone I know has been there at least once. 

4. Used an entire bottle of shampoo, conditioner, body soap, bottle of OTC medicine or scented lotion.  I am a pretty wasteful person.  I get tired of something after about a half bottle and move on to the next thing.  I wish all hygiene products came in travel sizes!  Regarding the OTC medicine, I just don't take enough of it before it expires.  I'm anti-medicine most of the time. 

5. Gone into Target and came out empty handed.  Has anyone??

6. Gone shopping before 5am on Black Friday.  In fact, I've only been Black Friday shopping twice that I can remember and once wasn't until mid-morning.   

7. Smoked a cigarette. Don't even get me started on how disgusting smoking is!!!  I could write an entire blog post on this topic -- ICK ICK ICK!!!  Really, why can't it be illegal???  Wish I didn't ever have to be exposed to 2nd hand smoke either!!  Someone sat right beside me and smoked when I was 9 months pregnant --- hello?!?!?!??  Gross.  End rant.  

8.  Ran a mile.  Nope, not even in gym class.  We always had the option to walk or run, and since I knew I wouldn't be able to run the whole thing, I always walked.  I can do a lot of cardio activities without any issue, but running has just never been something I could master.  I hate the feeling I get in my chest and legs...I'm sure I'm not doing something right, but I just can't get past the quarter mile mark...sad. 

9. Ridden the ye old mill at the State Fair.  I actually just rode the giant slide for the first time ever this year and I've been to the State Fair a lot!

10. Dove into the water.  Yes, this is exactly what you are thinking.  Like, head first diving.  If you weren't laughing at me for something before, I bet you are now!!  I was in competitive tumbling for 6 years and could make my body do all kinds of things.....but diving head first into the water just isn't something I can get my body to do.  I don't know why.  Feet first for this girl! 

11. Been over seas.  I do not like to fly (though I do it occasionally), so it would have to be somewhere that I really want to go.  I do think I will make an overseas trip sometime in my life.  Maybe Denmark and the Netherlands, where my family is from. 

12. Paid more than $14 for a clothing item for my kids.  Normally I don't even spend more than $5 on an item...it's just not worth it for the number of times they will wear it.  Too bad my little girl is probably going to be into style pretty soon :(  The other day she told her daddy, "I like your outfit!" as he came out of the bedroom dressed for the day. 

There you have it...12 things I've never done!  Call me crazy if you want.  My husband is flabbergasted (yes, I just used that word) by some of the things I've never done.  Oh well.  I have lots of life left to try them if I feel like it :) 

Give it to the other kids

I'm not quite sure why yet, but Rylee is always wanting to leave things behind for "the other kids".  She loves stickers and gets excited when somebody offers her one, but 30 seconds later she says, "lets leave it here for the other kids."  Same with her kids meal toy (this always makes me extra happy as I don't want the kids meal toys coming home with us anyway).  She even got to pick out a couple of toys at the doctor's office and we left them behind for "the other kids". 

As I have been purging my house to get rid of things we don't use, I hadn't touched many of the kids' things.  Every time I went to the basement to go through the toys, I kept hearing a familiar 2 year old voice in my head saying, "Mommy, where's my (insert donated toy here)?"  So, I decided to have her help me pick which toys we would donate.  This ended up being so much easier than I had anticipated.  She was more than happy to give up some of her toys.  She is still saying "I have a lot of toys!  Let's give some to the other kids." 

As the holidays are approaching and I am planning my annual charitable donations, I think I need to embrace Rylee's thoughtfulness and start teaching her about helping those less fortunate than us.  She and I could both also gain something from performing more random acts of kindness.  I'm not sure she will truly understand it this year, and possibly not next year either, but I figure it can't hurt to start early. 

I'm thinking about having her pick out a toy for Toys for Tots, helping put food in the barrels at the grocery store, and shopping for an Angel Tree family.  I am also contemplating buying some small gift cards to places like Starbucks and Dairy Queen to hand out randomly during the month of December -- my thought being, Rylee will help me hand them out and see how excited strangers get to receive an unexpected gift.  Perhaps I will have her help me make something to leave for the mailman as well. 

I am feeling overly generous this year as I have been realizing how wasteful I am.  Whether it is food or household items, I have thrown away all kids of perfectly good items.  I bought a sandwhich at the mall last weekend and only ate half of it.  I was so embarrassed to throw away the other half; I was hoping no one would see me.  I wish I could buy food in "petite" sizes at restaurants because I rarely eat it all and feel horrible throwing the rest away.  Anyway, realizing that I have enough things to be able to just throw stuff away, made me think of those who are much less fortunate and I am feeling the need to up the ante on my donations this year (and I will count donating a couple hundred items from my house to Goodwill this past month a huge increase already). 

If anyone has suggestions on charitable things I could with Rylee, I would love to hear them!!  In addition, as you are shopping on Thanksgiving, or very early on Black Friday, or seeing a movie on a holiday, remember that the employees working are missing time with their families (or sleep) and we should be overly appreciative of them!!  If you make a stop at Starbucks, maybe buy a $5 gift card for a working mall employee :)

Go AWAY Monsters!!

Do you have monsters in your house??  I do, and they keep me up all night!  They only reside in Rylee's room and don't seem to care if the light is on or off.  UGH!!!!!

For the past 9 months Rylee has been waking up at night at least 3 times per week, crying that there are monsters in her room.  We will sometimes spend over 2 hours trying to get her to go back to sleep.  Add that to an infant who still wakes up to eat at night and you get a couple of tired, crabby parents!! 

We have tried having 3 night lights on in Rylee's room to now having a lamp on in her room, and it's not helping.  I actually think the lights make it worse because then she sees shadows.  I have taken almost everything out of her room and I always shut her closet doors to limit the items she might interpret as monsters.  She takes really long 3 hour naps everyday and never has any problems with monsters then, even though her room is nearly as dark during the day as it is at night.  During the day though, she won't go into any room by herself as "there are monsters in there."  It's so annoying! 

She does watch tv, but mostly Disney movies and cartoons that don't even have a single scary character.  Most of the Disney movies have a "bad guy", but she has never said that any of them are scary and she always wants to keep watching them, so I can't imagine the movies are causing the issue???? 

We have had several people recommend the "monster spray" (water bottle and water), but we haven't wanted to try it yet because then we are acknowledging that the monsters might exist.  We always tell her there are no monsters.  Last night however, she almost made the monsters believable.  I asked where the monster was and she said, "on the wall", but then a few seconds later she said, "he's by my bed!!" and she got up and ran out of the room.  That was the first time that has happened and I followed right after her because I didn't want to get eaten by the monster either ;) 

After talking with several parents who have or have had a 2 year old, it sounds like this is a pretty common phase.  This has me thinking.....maybe monsters really are real!?!?!?!  Think about it....how many memories do you have as a 2 year old??  None?  I don't have any at all.....so maybe, there really are monsters, but they only bother 2 year olds as they know our brains won't remember them as we get older and thus, no one will believe a 2 year old when they are seeing monsters.  Makes sense, right??  Let's compare notes about the monsters.....Rylee always says her monster is "yellow" when I ask her what it looks like.  Anyone else have a yellow monster??

We tried having her sleep in the living room last night to see if it would help her, but she still woke up twice crying for us.  The living room is a much farther walk for us than her bedroom, so we won't try that idea again.  And I refuse to have her sleep in our room.  She's a smart girl and she will start crying "monster!" every night if she knows it will get her a free ticket to sleep in our room.  Plus, she rolls around and kicks too much at night and then I really don't get any sleep. 

Today I'm going to remove nearly everything from her room, not let her watch any tv from the time she wakes up from nap until she goes to bed and read her some fun upbeat books before bed so she has something positive on her mind as she goes to sleep....we will see if that works.  Her Daddy also talked to her about the monster spray this morning and she sounded excited about it, so I told her she could help me decorate the bottle.  Hopefully all or some of these items will help, because we can't take any more unnecessary sleepless nights!!

Oh What Fun....!

Tis the season.   The season of stress.  Prior to having kids, I loved Thanksgiving and Christmas….now, I’m not sure what I think of it. 

For starters there is trying to plan a time to get together with both sides of our families.  And within each side, there are mulitiple families to work around.  You know what I mean??  This year we all kind of decided to pick a day and stick to it each year.   I am hopeful that this will work out going forward and save the stress of choosing a day to get together.

The day really shouldn’t matter as long as you get together with family….but I’ve been alone on the actual holiday before, and it is kind of depressing.  And I feel like if you don’t get together on that exact holiday (mostly just regarding Thanksgiving), then what’s the point of even getting together, because then it’s just another day.   One year James and I were alone on Christmas so we went deer hunting – of course he shot a deer that day and I felt horrible, because I was just sure the deer was probably on his way to Grandma’s house for Christmas dinner L 

Then there is the gift exchange.  This has changed from year to year on both sides.  As our families keep growing and more kids are added, it gets harder and more expensive to buy gifts.  I remember how much fun Christmas was the first year that I had a child – I realized just how much joy little kids bring to Christmas! 

So, then do you buy for all of the kids, or just some, or none and just spend money on your own kids??  Do you decide you don’t want your kids to think Christmas is just about presents and decide to keep it simple or not do gifts at all??  Do you set a dollar limit, or just go crazy because you know how excited they will be to get everything on their list??  Phew, so many decisions!! 

Do you still buy for adults and how many and who and what’s an appropriate amount to spend??

How about this one… do you give a list of things you’d like (or your kids would like), or do you leave it all in the hands of the giver??  As the giver, would you prefer to have a list or do you like the thrill of shopping for that perfect gift?? 

Sometimes I think the gift giving is more about the giver…you know they spent lots of time searching for that perfect gift….and then…you really don’t need it/want it/like it and you end up taking it back or giving it away anyway.  A friend told me that a relative of hers has given a gift right back to her and said, “I won’t use this, you can have it back.”  Yikes huh?!?!  So maybe it would be better if we all gave lists…

But then, what’s the point of giving a gift if the recipient is basically asking for it??  I used to always give a “wish list”, but then my husband opened my eyes to how silly that is.  Every year I agree with him more and more.  If I want to get someone a gift, I want to pick it out on my own without a “wish list”…but then that goes back to “if the recipient doesn’t like it/need it/want it, then giving the gift was more about me than the recipient--- it’s a vicious circle I guess.   And gift receipts??  I am HORRIBLE at remembering to get a gift receipt…it’s just one more step in a process that already stresses me out.  A friend told me that her mother-in-law keeps all of the gift receipts and then if you need one to return an item, you have have to ask her for it.  I’m sure that’s her way of keeping tabs of whether or not someone liked the gift she got them.

So I guess we should ask ourselves, “what is the purpose of giving a gift?”  Are we doing it because we want to, or because “we have to because we drew their name” or because “we have to because it’s Christmas and we will look like a scrooge if we don’t”???  Oh jeesh, just thinking about all of this just makes me want to say “no gifts please, let’s just celebrate being together”. 

My husband prefers the “I’ll get you a gift whenever I feel like it and not just because it’s a holiday and I ‘have to’” method.  I’m liking this method more and more because it means so much more to me on a random day than “because he had to and only had 2 days left to find me something”.  I have been in a store numerous times and seen that perfect gift for someone, but instead of giving it to them right away I stash it away for a holiday so I’m not scrounging for something for them later…and by the time the holiday gets there I either forget I have it, or it doesn’t seem so exciting anymore.  Thus, maybe we should just give gifts randomly throughout the year instead of just on a holiday…maybe it will mean more to the recipient??  But then if you give a gift to one person on a random day, do you have to make sure to buy something for another member of that household  soon so they don’t feel left out?  Oh brother!  Can we just all agree to buy our own gifts? ;) 

Speaking of which, I know people who do buy their own gifts and then the “giver” just pays them back for it. To me, that falls under the “I am getting you a gift because I have to” category.  But at least the recipient gets what they want I guess. 

Miss Minimalist (the author of the book I referenced in a prior post) recommends opting out of gift exchanges and instead getting together for an experience – a movie, dinner, game, concert, etc.  Experiences create way more memories than gifts do.  I can’t tell you very many gifts my mom has given me, but I can name off a mile-long list of things we have done together.  I will buy myself whatever store item I want, but I might not buy myself an “experience” item,  like…I don’t know…say, tickets to the Jason Aldean/Florida Georgia Line concert on January 16 (tickets go on sale November 15…just sayin!) so that I could share that experience with someone.  Another experience I would love to receive as a gift is to wake up to a peacefully empty house and sit on the couch reading a book uninterrupted all day long. 

As I don’t have many people to buy for this year (just the way I like it), I am already about 80% done with my shopping.  I used to love to shop a little bit at a time throughout the Christmas season, but having kids makes that so hard.  It’s easier for me now to shop online or pick a day to shop without kids and get it all done.  As the giver, I prefer to shop without a list.  I usually start thinking of things to get people a few months early and I write down my ideas to reference later.  The hardest part for me has been knowing where to cut off the gifts for my daughter.  She is at a fun age where she is into so many things that I am constantly seeing items that I know she would love.  Some I have been able talk myself out of and others go straight into my cart.  I wouldn’t even buy anything for my infant, as he is too little to understand, but I don’t want the 2 year old to notice, so he got a couple of presents too. 

Now that I’m nearly done shopping and the get-together dates have all been planned, I think I can relax and take in the sights and sounds of the holidays.  I'm even contemplating buying cable for the month of December (we can do that easily with our small local cable company) just so I can watch all of the holiday movies (and DVR lots of Disney movies that are going to be on).

What is your biggest stressor when it comes to the holidays?  Do you have any gift giving tips or horror stories to share?

Clean my house with just water??

Earlier this year I had posted on Facebook how much I dislike mopping.  Someone commented that I should look into the Norwex mop, as it makes mopping so much quicker and easier.  This was about the 5th time I've heard someone tell me how much they love their Norwex products, so I decided to research it. 

If you haven't heard of Norwex, basically they make cloths and mops that claim to clean your house using only water.  They make other products too, but I'm just discussing the craziness of using only a cloth and water in this blog.  You can read more about their products and how they work at www.norwex.com. 

I was very skeptical, so I did a Google search for something like "Is Norwex worth the money?" and "Does Norwex really work?"  The majority of answers were "yes" and "yes". 

As I am purging my house to get rid of LOTS of items (this is going wonderfully by the way), I am drawn to the thought of getting rid of most of my cleaning supplies and just having some cloths to clean with.  As luck would have it, my sister-in-law recently started selling Norwex, so I have easy access to ordering their products. 

I am kind of a germaphobe sometimes and I want to make sure that when I'm cleaning, the germs are being washed away as well as any dirt.  Too many times I've had someone leave my house and call me the next day to tell me they have the stomach flu, bronchitis and even shingles.  So now every time someone leaves my house I immediately get out the Colorox wipes and clean every handle, light switch, remote, drawer pull, hand railing, microwave buttons, etc. to rid my house of germs that they may have brought in with them.  I like the clean "bleachy" smell of the wipes -- they make me feel like my house is truly clean.

So, can I clean with just a cloth and water and feel good about the cleanliness of my house??  I am leaning towards "yes".  I have just started using my cloths and mop.  I do LOVE dusting and washing windows with just a cloth and water.  I am pretty amazed at how well the cloths work for those two items.  I was also able to get all of the hand prints off of our t.v. with just the cloths and water.  I had tried several other methods to get the prints off and none of them worked, so I am sold on the cloths for handprint removal! 

I have wiped down my kitchen and bathroom counters with the cloths as well.  They did clean them very nicely and picked up lots of dirt/crumbs/etc, but as far as getting rid of the germs, I will just have to trust that they are working.  I think for everyday use I am comfortable using them.  If someone in my house is sick though, I will probably double up with the Clorox wipes. 

I did read about a couple different lab experiments to test the validity of the cloths removing germs and I was surprised with the results.  Not only did these cloths remove 99% of the germs, but a paper towel and general purpose cleaner removed 0% of germs!!! 

The mop is amazing too as it eliminates a lot of time spent cleaning my floors!!  It's almost fun to mop now ....almost. 

Norwex also makes body cloths that claim to clean your body with......you guessed it, just water!  I wasn't even considering getting these, but my brother recently tried them out and posted on Facebook that he actually felt cleaner using just the cloth in the shower than he does when he showers with soap.  I'm still skeptical, but plan to give it a try.... I promise to do it on a day when no one has to smell me :)  I would LOVE to get rid of some bottles in my shower! 

So as I'm moving as close as I can to minimalist living, I am super excited about cleaning with just cloths and water and eliminating the need for so many of my cleaning products -- not to mention spending less money on them -- I'm all for fewer items on my grocery list!! 

Do you use Norwex??  If so, what product(s) do you recommend I try out?? 
Want to try Norwex??  Here is my SIL's website  www.GraciaAbrahamsen.norwex.biz

Halloween and Surgery - "Frightful" week

What an eventful week!  Let's start with Halloween.

I wasn't going to take Rylee trick-or-treating this year, because 1) we had a Halloween party and she got to wear her costume there, 2) it was going to be chilly out and 3) she really doesn't need a bucket full of candy, let alone the night before surgery (more on that later).  When I found out that the mall was having trick-or-treating on Tuesday night (the 29th) and it would of course be indoors, I decided to go ahead and take her there.  I was looking forward to a fun evening, just she and I.  On the way to the mall she asked, "Mommy, where's your costume?"  Hmmm.... I hadn't even thought about wearing a costume.  I felt really bad -- of course it would have been more exciting for her if we were BOTH wearing a costume -- what was I thinking?!?!  And then on Halloween evening when I saw so many pictures on facebook of parents dressed up with their kids, I felt like the worst parent ever!!  I like Halloween -- why not dress up with my kids?!?!?  So, I am going to start planning my costume for next year now so I'm not scurrying for something last minute and I am going to be one of those awesome parents who takes part with their kiddos :) 

Okay, on to surgery.  Rylee had a small cyst right above her eye that we have been monitoring for about 2 years.  As it was slightly growing and the opthamologist didn't think it would ever go away on its own, we decided to go ahead and have it removed. 

I have no problems watching my children get shots, and handled Wyatt's tongue clipping at 2 weeks old with no problem.  I really wasn't even worried about Rylee's surgery.  It was a little hard watching her go back to the surgery room crying because she was scared and we couldn't go back with her (the nurse pretty much grabbed her and whisked her away because she was hanging on to Daddy begging him to come with her).  But what was really really hard and I wasn't prepared for at all was watching her come out of anesthesia after surgery.  Wow! 

A nurse came to get us and as we walked back towards the recovery room I could hear a child crying, but it didn't sound like mine.  I also saw a nurse cradling the crying child, but she didn't look like mine.  I was wrong - that child WAS mine.  It was the strangest thing and I can't even begin to describe it, but basically she was still pretty "out of it" and was scared.  I could tell she was trying to say "mommy" and "daddy", but to anyone else it just sounded like a lot of random letters coming out of her mouth as she was crying and trying to breathe.  I sat in the recliner and the nurse handed her to me.  I just couldn't believe this was the same child I just left an hour ago.  Her face was puffy from the surgery too.  James and I talked to her to assure her we were right there (she barely had her eyes open).  It took her a very long time to calm down and be able to talk and breathe normally.  I was scared -- what was wrong with my child?!?!?!  The nurses assured me this was a very normal thing for a toddler as they are very disoriented and don't know what's going on or what has just happened.  They assured me also that the child I'm used to would return after a post-surgery nap.  Good thing they were right, because that was the worst thing I ever experienced with Rylee so far.  She slept on the way home and was ready to sit on the couch in her spot (she is very Sheldon Cooper-like when it comes to her spot on the couch) and watch a movie.  I brought out a mirror for her to see her bandaged eye -- she got up and looked at it about every 20 minutes for awhile. 

After a few hours at home and a little food in her tummy she is starting to return to normal.  I'm hopeful that a long afternoon nap will help as well.  The best part of this experience has been all of the cuddle time we are getting with her :) 

Our 4th Anniversary

Today is mine and James' 4th wedding anniversary.  I already told you how we met, so I thought I would share the proposal story.  Remember when I said that I love surprises and am hard to surprise?  This was one of those "totally caught me off guard" surprises :)  I didn't think he would ever be able to surprise me with a proposal...I was just sure I would know if one was ever coming.

It was a Sunday in February and I had just returned home from visiting a friend all weekend.  After unpacking my bag and sitting down to relax, James brought out a shopping bag and told me he went shopping over the weekend (my jaw dropped) and that he bought me something (I nearly fell over -- he's not one for gift giving)!! 

He then pulled out a Yankee Candle from a Yankee Candle bag -- holy crap!!!-- not only did he go shopping, but he went into a girly candle store -- WOW!!!  I was impressed right there.  I smelled the candle -- I liked it -- he did good!!  He then pulled out another candle -- I know, right?!?!  TWO candles?!?!?!?!  I thought, "Who the heck are you and what did you do to my boyfriend?!?!" 

I smelled the candle, said it smelled good and put the lid back on. He told me to "smell it again", so I did and gave the same response, "yes, it smells good".  He then urged me to "smell it again", so this time I looked at it and saw a ring around the wick of the candle :)  I forget what all he said, but I don't think it was much other than "will you marry me?"  (Sorry Buddy, I was still getting over the shock, so that part is a little foggy).  And of course I said, "Yes".

I said "Yes" for lots of reasons, but to name a few...... 
He is a very genuine, honest, hard working person who is constantly making me want to be a better person.  He teaches me a lot -- both in the educational sense and about myself.  He is my favorite person to be around and I look so forward to seeing him again when he is gone.  I knew he would be an amazing father for my kids -- I didn't realize just how amazing at the time.  He may be a nearly non existent gift giver when it comes to special holidays, but the kind of gifts he does give to me are everlasting and much more precious than anything he could buy in a store!

Why did we get married on Halloween??  It was only 1 of 2 days the venue that we liked had available for the rest of the year.  It took us awhile to find a venue.  We knew we wanted to have the ceremony and reception in one location and we didn't want anything formal.  We also wanted a place that would let us bring in our own caterer (to save money).   After some searching, we found a barn that could be rented out for events -- we went and looked at it and it was perfect and exactly what we were looking for.  We could have used a slightly bigger venue, but we knew we could make it work.  After we decided this was "it", the next thing to do was choose a date.  We wanted a fall wedding and the only 2 choices available were Halloween and a Saturday in August -- the hottest month of the year -- and this barn did not have A/C.  So, Halloween it was :) 

We decorated with pumpkins and hay bales, mason jars and floating candles, and fall colored Hershey kisses.  Instead of cake we had pumpkin bars and brownies (our favorite dessert).  It was a very informal event and we enjoyed every minute of it....we wouldn't change a thing! 

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY BABE, LOVE YOU!!!! 

 

 

I might use that someday.

How many items do you have in your house that you haven't used in over a year (or ever), but can't bring yourself to get rid of, because "you might use it someday"?  I'm on a mission right now to get rid of all of those items in my house....it's going to take awhile.

While driving around Amish Country in Pennsylvania last week I was thinking about how amazing it is that the Amish live so simply and without "stuff" to hold them down.  Their lives have so much meaning and they value more than just their "stuff". 

While in Pennsylvania I also thought about how we can go on vacation with just the items in our suitcase (and I only bring what can fit into a carry-on size suitcase) and be perfectly content with just those items for the length of time we are on vacation.

These thoughts (along with the gut-wrenching realization of how much shopping I've done in the past few months) prompted me to read a book called "Miss Minimalist: Inspiration to Downsize, Declutter and Simplify".  This book did inspire me to do just that!  The author is an extreme minimalist with no kids, so her idea of living with "just what you need to survive" and mine are slightly different, but she does mention several times that each person's needs are different. 

Most of us are fortunate to be able to obtain nearly anything we want, and yes, we do realize the difference between wants and needs.  90% of the items in my house are "wants", and I do plan to keep most of my "wants", but there are just way too many items in my house that are not current "wants" and I don't see the point in keeping them around for "someday", which will probably never come. 

I spend so much of my time in my house and having it as neat and tidy as possible helps keep me sane.  I used to be okay with just having things neatly organized, and possibly even out of sight too.  But, I have come to realize that just organizing my things or putting them out of sight doesn't actually make me feel better, because I know that all of the items are still there....sitting...serving no purpose to me.

The author of the mentioned book stresses that our things tie us down and keep us from enjoying life.  From worrying about our things getting stolen while we are on vacation, to turning down guests because our house is too messy, to spending time dusting items when we'd rather be out enjoying a nice day.  As I was dusting a couple of days ago to prepare for a Halloween Party we were hosting, I realized just how much sense the author makes.  I hate dusting and there wasn't a single thing I picked up to dust that really means that much to me....in fact, I started to very much dislike the items for sucking up my time.  I'm bottling up that feeling for the next time I see some random decoration that I think I need...hopefully remembering how much care every item I bring into the house requires, I will put it back down and let someone else "enjoy" dusting it instead. 

Last week while I was in the mood to get rid of everything and before I could change my mind, I purged every closet, drawer and cupboard on the main floor of my house.  I loaded my van FULL of things that were of no value to me and just taking up space.  Anything that prompted me to say any of the following statements received a free trip to the van.:

"I forgot I had this."
"I don't remember the last time I used this."
"I have no idea what I would use this for."
"I can't think of any reason I will need this in the next year."

Another ticket for a free ride in the van was answering "no" to this question:  "If I were to lose this in a house fire, would I replace it?"

There were quite a few items that were hard to get rid of, but my goal in doing this was to be real and not hold onto things (even if it had emotional sentiment) if they weren't being used and I had no plans of using them in the near future.  The items that held emotional attachment were asked the following question:  What purpose did you originally serve to me and is that still a current need of mine?

For example, I had 2 cat pictures that my grandmother cross-stitched for me when I was young.  They are very cute and I wasn't sure I should get rid of them.  But then I realized that she made those for the young Emily who wanted a cat so bad and couldn't have one.  I'm not that Emily anymore, but they served their purpose when I was that girl.  Thinking of some other little girl (or crazy cat lady) finding them at the thrift store and being overjoyed to have them made me smile, and into the van they went. 

I also had a pretty glass jar that I originally kept because it reminded me of growing up, as it was always sitting out on a counter somewhere.  But, I'm not using it; it's just sitting in a cupboard.  I have no plans to use it, because 1) I don't like things sitting out on my counters and 2) I would have to dust it.  So -- into the van it went for someone else to enjoy.

I'm also not one to save things for my kids to have someday.  I am writing journals for my kids, and there is nothing I'd rather they have more than my written words.  I don't have anything of my mom's from when she was little, nor would I want it....so I can't imagine my kids wanting anything of mine when they are older.  My mom saved my baby blanket for me, but I'm not using it and neither are my kids, so I see no point in keeping it around to take up space.

It's not that I don't have the space to store all of these items, but I don't see purpose in keeping things that sit in a box on a shelf and don't get used.  Even sentimental items -- they aren't doing anything for me if I can't see them. 

One set of items I'm torn about is my crystal dishes.  We got about 4 bowls and 2 platters for  weddings gifts 4 years ago.  For all 4 years they have remained in their boxes in a cupboard.  I have no plans to use them because 1)I'm not a fancy person and don't host fancy events 2)If I use them, I have to wash them and I'm afraid they will be spotty from the water.  I also don't want to display them, because 1) I have to worry about them getting broken and 2) I have to dust them.  I have pretty much talked myself into getting rid of all but 1 of them, but my husband thinks I should keep them all because they were wedding gifts.  I have gotten rid of plenty of gift items over the years and have no regrets.  I could care less if someone got rid of a gift I gave them.  If you feel strongly that I should keep my crystal, please leave a comment on my facebook page and tell me why.

Thinking of displaying my crystal dishes reminds me of another great point the author of the book mentions about how our stuff crowds our lives.  Because one has crystal dishes to display, they might go out and buy a curio cabinet...which wouldn't be a necessary item if you didn't have the dishes to begin with.  Buying a curio cabinet means one more thing to bring into your house to take up space and be cleaned and maintained.  Thus...another reason I do not want my crystal dishes....I do not want another piece of furniture in my house that I have to maintain.

And keeping things because they might be worth money some day???  Unless it is worth enough to make someone very rich, I say sell it now and put the money in your kids' college fund. 

Overall, this purging of my things is about having a more calm and serene space to live in.  I get very anxious when there is stuff sitting out on my counters, or a drawer gets so full that I can't find anything.  I love walking into a room or opening a closet door and seeing lots of empty space; it's very calming.  I used to think I needed a piece of furniture in every corner of a room or something hanging on every wall, but as I am getting rid of things and opening up space, I'm realizing how much more fulfilling and desirable it is to have open space.  It also makes me happy to think of someone else enjoying my things now (as opposed to when I'm dead). 

For those of you who are thinking, "Wow.  She's crazy."....don't worry, my greatest ideas usually only have about a 30 day lifespan :)  But really though, I think this one will last.  The author of the book recommends getting rid of 1 thing each day for a year so you will be 365 items freer...I plan to give that a try.  In addition to it creating more space and making my life feel less cluttered, I am also hoping that by getting rid of something each day it will keep me from impulse buying things I don't need (which I do frequently and am paying for it now as I get rid of it all).  Don't get me wrong...I will always enjoy shopping and buying things, but hopefully going forward I will buy things more purposefully.  I also plan to institute the "1 in 1 out rule" where if I buy a new shirt for example, then an old one has to be donated (I have successfully done this before). 

Even if you have no desire to get rid of your stuff, but need a reminder about seeing the beauty in life rather than "stuff", I recommend reading the book.  Think about the most peaceful time in your life...I bet you weren't surrounded by stuff.  As much as my 3 months in a hospital stunk, James and I always talk about how peaceful our life was at that time.  He pretty much lived in that little room with me and neither of us had a care in the world...we just enjoyed each other's company every day.  I think James (who would be happy living in a tent in the woods for the rest of his life) and I would both agree that once we became homeowners, life got crazy (and expensive).  Remember when you lived in a 10x10 room in college and survived all 9 months with just the things that fit in your room????  You had plenty of time to get out and enjoy life, didn't you?!?!?!?

Pennsylvania

To celebrate our upcoming 4th wedding anniversary, James and I took a quick trip out east to Pennsylvania.  I don't mean to be un-loyal to the great state of Iowa, but PA is my new favorite place....what a BEAUTIFUL state!!!  Wow!!  Of course it helped that we were there in prime time to see the colorful leaves.

We stayed near the town of Hershey - "the sweetest place on Earth".  The first day we visited Chocolate World - YUM!!  We went on a ride that explained the entire process from harvesting the cacao plant to packaging the chocolates.  We purchased a few chocolates we have never seen in the stores, along with the yummiest cookies n cream cappuccino ever!!  Hershey did a great job of putting together such an educational and fun family attraction.  Oh, and I'm positive they mentioned that chocolate is nutritional! 

Once we were finished at Chocolate World we headed south to Gettysburg to tour the battlefield and National Cemetery.  This was my favorite part of the trip.  I'm not a huge history buff, but it was amazing to stand on the ground where such an important part of history took place.  I could almost see the soldiers fighting as I learned what happened at each stop of the tour.  I expected just a large field that would take 10 minutes to view, but we spent 2 hours driving to each tour stop and getting out for a closer look.  The background in this picture is the Valley of the Shadow of Death. 



The following day we drove through Amish Country, which is a part of the state with a large population of Amish communities.  It was so neat to see them out working in the fields, their clothes hanging out on the clothes line and their roadside stands full of handmade items.  We passed many horse drawn buggies and stopped in one Amish town to do a little shopping....where my husband bought more than I did (in fact, I didn't buy a single thing -- that is so unlike me)!  We did go into a furniture store where all of the tables, hutches, etc were made from barn wood and we both fell in love!!  James has been planning to make a dining table out of our barn wood and this little shop was just the motivation he needed!!  I can't wait to see how it turns out! 

After our visit to Amish country, we decided to drive towards and up into the Pocono Mountains.  What a beautiful drive this was!!!  We stopped to hike into the woods a little bit and view a pretty waterfall.  James could have walked further into the woods and gotten lost on purpose (that's how much he loves the woods), but I was ready to head back as it was starting to get dark.  It was raining lightly too, but being under nature's umbrella we barely got wet -- it was a very neat experience! 



For most of our trip we drove on the back roads; this was the best way to see Pennsylvania in my opinion.  It wasn't like Iowa where you can drive for miles and see nothing but fields.  Driving the back roads in PA, we were constantly in a new town without even realizing we ever left the previous town.  Their fields are part of their towns (as opposed to being "out in the country")...or rather, their towns were part of the "country".  It's hard to explain.  I didn't see any typical cities and businesses were located inside of houses within residential areas.  So many of the houses and barns were made of beautiful stones and very well taken care of.   The roads were so curvy too, as the terrain there is definitely not flat like Iowa.  It was just beautiful!

The people were very friendly too.  I felt at home everywhere we went.  I told James I could live there if it weren't for leaving my family behind (though my mom would just follow us, so that would be nice).  Speaking of my wonderful mama -- HUGE Thank You to her for suggesting that James and I get away for our anniversary this year and offering to watch my kids.  Getting to spend 3 days with 2 of her favorite little people was just as much a treat for her as getting a break from them was for us. 

Yeah, so we were supposed to be spending our trip enjoying each other and getting a break from our kiddos......but we were constantly talking about them and quoting Rylee quite frequently.  We love those little boogers so much that no matter how many miles are between us, they are still right there with us.  It was very nice to get away though and we did enjoy being together. 

This was the first trip I have ever taken where I wasn't super organized and had a down-to-the-minute agenda.  In fact, I was so relaxed about this trip that I had no idea which airline I was on when I got to the airport (James was already in PA for work, so I flew solo on the way out there).  Of course I couldn't find my itinerary email either, but instead of panicking like the normal Emily would have, I didn't have an ounce of concern.  And when I got to PA and James asked what all I wanted to do, I had a few suggestions of things I wanted to see, but didn't care when I saw them or what kind of schedule we were on.  It was so nice to sleep as long as I wanted to in the morning (which was never past 7 of course), and just get in the car and drive and decide "on the fly" what we wanted to do.  It was very relaxing and just what I needed! 

What do I do all day?!?!?!?!

I read a blog yesterday by a man who's wife is a stay-at-home mother.  The man was so tired of hearing "what does she do all day?" by women who work outside of the house that he decided to write about it.  This is a paragraph from his blog:

Yes, my wife is JUST a mother. JUST. She JUST brings forth life into the universe, and she JUST shapes and molds and raises those lives. She JUST manages, directs and maintains the workings of the household, while caring for children who JUST rely on her for everything. She JUST teaches our twins how to be human beings, and, as they grow, she will JUST train them in all things, from morals, to manners, to the ABC’s, to hygiene, etc. She is JUST my spiritual foundation and the rock on which our family is built. She is JUST everything to everyone. And society would JUST fall apart at the seams if she, and her fellow moms, failed in any of the tasks I outlined.
Here is the link for the rest of his blog http://themattwalshblog.com/2013/10/09/youre-a-stay-at-home-mom-what-do-you-do-all-day/

This inspired me to write about my daily life.

First of all, let's get one thing straight.  I'm not a stay-at-home mom.  Nope.  I am a Chief Household Officer (CHO).  For one, it has a much nicer ring to it, and for two, I do so much more than take care of my kids all day. 

When James and I discussed me quitting my job to stay home once I found out I was pregnant with baby #2, we agreed that I would do more than just take care of the kids.  James requested that I be in charge of all household chores and never ask him to help with anything (for the record, he does help).  I thought about all of the things I don't like to do at my job and decided this deal sounded like a much better option than the things I had to do at work. 

It's funny because I remember when I would have a bad day at work and I would think to myself, "at least I'm not running a daycare right now and changing diapers all day and dealing with crying kids."  As usual with most things, I am now eating those words.  Life is funny that way.

Let me also state, for the record, that I do NOT look down upon mothers who work outside of the home.  In fact, I say to you, YOU ARE SUPER WOMAN!!!  I worked part-time after I had Rylee so I do sort of know what it's like to be a working mom.  If I would have been in a career that I loved, I would have stayed in the work force, but since I wasn't, staying home with my kids sounded like something I wanted to try out.  Plus, with my commute, I was gone 12 hours a day and making supper when I got home at 6:30 was just not the most ideal since we wouldn't eat until 7, have to clean after that, then give baths, etc.  It was just going to make for too late of nights for all of us.

Just as Matt Walsh (author of the blog I mentioned) discussed, being a mom is not a job.  I hate when my husband says "that's your job" if I complain about having to do something.  I know what he means, but I still hate when he says that.  It's more of a lifestyle.  It's tough to figure out how to balance giving my kids quality time and making sure the house is in order.  I've been trying to focus more on the kids lately, knowing that winter is upon us and we won't be able to go outside much, and not worrying so much about the house.  We have been out of the house every day this week taking advantage of the nice weather and I feel like a cluttered mess because we have been so out of routine and things haven't gotten done around the house.

I still make time every day to do laundry (the folded clothes tend to sit in the basket for a couple days though), wash dishes and empty the dish washer, clean the kitchen counters and table, clean the bathrooms every week, and change out all of my hand towels every few days.   "They" say you should change your hand towels out every day -- who has that many towels or wants to do that much laundry?!?!?  I think every 2-4 days is plenty.  I actually read in a magazine yesterday (and yes, magazines should be taken as facts), that every member in the house should have their own hand towel to help from spreading germs.  That makes sense, but really?!?!?! 

What I haven't been keeping up on are vacuuming and dusting, my two least favorite things to do.  I will clean the bathrooms any day over vacuuming!!  My theory about the bathrooms is the more often you clean them, the less dirty they are and thus, not so gross to clean.  I used to vacuum every few days when we had cats, but after they went bye-bye and I felt comfortable that we had gotten all of the cat hair out of the house, my vacuum and I just haven't had the same relationship.  Sorry Dyson, you're just not doing much for me these days --- maybe this will change once Wyatt is crawling.  I do vacuum the entry/dining/kitchen floors more frequently though because they are always covered in Rylee's snack crumbs and gravel dust from our shoes.   I did slightly beg a friend to come over tomorrow though so I have a reason to vacuum -- we've all been there, right!?! 

I'm contemplating skipping dance tonight just to do house work, but I know I need to make time for myself too (especially since my husband got home so late 2 nights in a row this week). Finding time for yourself is so much harder when you are with kids for 12 hours straight Monday-Friday. At least when you work outside of the house you get a lunch break, some "chit chat with co-workers" time and possibly some time after work.  I'm lucky if I can get both of my kids to nap at the same time so I can have a little "me" time (which usually is a nap, so I don't actually get anything done).

So anyway, here is what a day could look like for me:

5:30 - My "alarm" goes off...it sounds much like my 2 year old daughter knocking on her door saying "Mommy, I'm done taking my nap!".  Bummer! It IS my daughter.  Dang!  That means no "snooze" or laying for a few minutes trying to wake up.

5:32 - Pouring a glass of milk and standing in the pantry waiting for Rylee to decide what she wants to eat.

5:35-6:00 - sit in the recliner reading email and facebook posts to wake up. 

6:00 - Second "alarm" goes off -- sounding much like my 3 month old son crying.  Dang!!  Back at it. I also hear my husband's alarm go off, him get up and hit the snooze and then go back to bed.  This makes me super annoyed (that he gets to go back to sleep or at least lay in bed waking up). Then I remember how thankful I am that I'm not running around trying to get 3 people ready to go and hoping my work clothes don't get puked on. 

6:02 - change Wyatt's diaper and possibly his clothes and sheets too if he peed through his diaper in the night.

6:10-6:30 - Here James' 2nd alarm go off and him hit snooze and go back to bed...again.  Ugh. Feed Wyatt a bottle.

6:30 - 6:35 - Tell James good-bye. Check Facebook again to see if I missed anything uber important in the last 30 minutes. 

6:35-7:00 - eat breakfast

7:00-7:30 - Argue with Rylee about changing her diaper that she has been wearing for 12 hours, throw a load of laundry in the wash, empty dishwasher, think about what we are going to have for supper in case I need to set out some meat.

7:30 - 8:00 - Finally change Rylee's diaper.  Play with Wyatt and Rylee

8:00- 8:10 - check Facebook and email again.  And answer texts from my SIL who is also home with her kids and still trying to wake up :) 

8:10- 8:30 - move laundry from washer to dryer and throw another load in the washer.  Clean bathrooms (minus tub/shower -- that's James' job because his arms are longer, thus much easier for him to clean)

8:30 - 9:00 - play with Wyatt and Rylee. Get Rylee a snack and second cup of milk.

9:00 - 9:30 - change Wyatt's diaper, feed him another bottle

9:30 - 9:45 - Figure out why Wyatt's crying (he just ate for crying out loud).  Rock him until he falls asleep.

9:45-10:00 - fold dry clothes and move load #2 into the dryer.  think about putting away folded clothes, but decide I don't really feel like it right now.

10:00 - 10:30 - check Facebook and email, answer some texts, look up random stuff on the internet (okay, for those of you who sit at a desk all day, you do these things too....and I know that because you are emailing and texting me and I see your posts on FB)

10:30 - 10:40 - argue with Rylee about changing her diaper again.  Refuse to get her a cup of juice until we can change her diaper.  Change said diaper.

10:40 - 10:50 - Wyatt wakes up, needs diaper changed.

10:50-11:20 - Play with Wyatt and Rylee

11:20 - 11:25 - My stomach is growling, Rylee is asking for lunch and Wyatt is crying because he is hungry too.  Think about who to feed first. 

11:25- 11:30 - Make Rylee and I a quick lunch

11:30- 11:35 - Rylee wants to eat lunch on the deck, but she needs pants (because she didn't want to wear any after the first diaper change this morning) and she wants her "sunnies" too because it's bright out.  Search for "sunnies" and grab a pair of pants.

11:35-11:50 - Eat lunch on the deck, remind Rylee 50 times to keep eating, please.

11:50 - 11:55 - Bring all of our stuff back in the house.

11:55-12:15 - Feed Wyatt a bottle and hope he goes to sleep - he does.

12:15-12:20 - Put both kids to bed for naps (including a diaper change for Rylee)

12:20-12:45 - Clean up lunch, pay a couple of bills, remember there is laundry sitting in the dryer, but decide not to fold it right now because I'm too tired (there's a reason dryer's have a de-wrinkle button)

12:45-12:50 - check facebook and email real quick.

12:50-1:00 - lay down to take a nap and almost fall asleep...

1:00 - Wyatt is awake -- and crying.  Ugh!  So much for the nap.

1:00 - 1:10 - Try really hard to get Wyatt to go back to sleep, but give up when he starts giggling at me.

1:10 - 1:25 - play with Wyatt.

1:25 - 1:45 - write a blog post (or part of one anyway)

1:45 - 2:00 - read

2:00 - 2:15 - Wyatt is crying again.  Change his diaper and give him a small bottle until he falls asleep. 

2:15 - 2:30 - walk out to the road to get the mail. clean out the van.

2:30 - 3:00 - pack diaper bag for tomorrow's adventures, pick up some of Rylee's toys. sit down to relax for a few minutes, while looking at Pinterest.

3:00 - 3:20 - Rylee awake, change her diaper, get her a drink and a snack.  Eat snack with her.

3:20 - 3:45 - Play with Rylee

3:45- 4:15 - decide we better go outside and play before the day gets away from us. 

4:15 - 4:30 - Make smoothies for me and Rylee and sit and drink it with her.

4:30-5:00 - Turn a show on for Rylee to watch while I finish my blog or read.

5:00 - 5:25 - Wyatt wakes up, needs changed and fed a bottle.

5:25 - 5:30 - Go to the kitchen to start supper, only to realize I forgot to get the meat out of the freezer (which was the whole purpose of planning supper so early in the morning).  Vow to get more organized in the meal department and plan further ahead (but do nothing with this vow like always)

5:30 - 5:40 - Take clothes out of dryer and fold while waiting for meat to thaw in the microwave.

5:40-6:00 - Make supper.

6:00-6:15 - Clean any dishes, pans that I'm done with. Sweep Rylee's snack crumbs.

6:15-6:40 - James comes home.  We all sit down and eat.

6:40-6:50 - Clean up supper.

6:50-7:20 - go for a walk alone, or take a family Gator ride (yes my 2 year old and 3 month old ride on the Gator -- don't judge us.  They will probably be driving the thing down the road when they are 5 too). 

7:20-7:30 - baths (yes, it's only 10 minutes -- I can't sit there any longer than that -- Rylee doesn't know she is missing out on 30 minute baths like most of her friends anyway)

7:30 - 8:00 - jammies, hair combed, read a couple books, feed Wyatt a bottle.

8:00-8:05 - Put both kiddos to bed.

8:05 - 8:20 - Eat a bowl of ice cream (I literally walk straight from Rylee's room to the freezer -- I don't even wait for her to be asleep -- whatever she may cry out wanting, can wait until I'm done eating my ice cream-- and she will probably have fallen asleep by then anyway).

8:20-9:00 - Check the DVR to see which show we are missing.  Watch it as fast as possible.

9:00 - go to bed. 

I'm sure I missed some diaper changes, feedings (snacks or bottles) or other items....but did you notice I did NOT take a shower (and am probably still in the clothes I slept in)?!?!?!  Ugh!  I know I could have chosen the shower over a few other things, but this day, I didn't.  Vow to take shower right away in the morning after everyone is fed and happy....even think about getting up before Rylee to work out and shower (this is occasionally accomplished). 

Nothing I did during the day was hard, but I am always drained by the end of the day.  Listening to a crying baby and arguing with a toddler are both emotionally draining.  Running around all day making sure I get everything crossed off my list is mentally and physically draining (some days my feet hurt).  I had plenty of mentally draining days when I worked outside of the home, but at least when I left the job for the day I magically felt refreshed.  Now, I am only refreshed after a night of sleep (if I even get a whole night of straight sleep), because my "job" follows me everywhere I go. 

However, I am very thankful that I have the opportunity to have all of these draining moments.  One of the best parts to being home with my kids is the flexibility we have to go do whatever we want, whenever we want.  If we want to tag along with Daddy to Ames and have lunch with Grandma, we can do that.  If we want to go see friends far away and stay the night, we can (I promise we will come to KC,  R.S.).   There are so many fun free kids activities during the day too that, unfortunately, only kids who have parents home during the day can attend.  I have been trying to make sure my kids (mostly just Rylee for now) are getting lots of experiences each week, as well as time with other kids.  As Rylee was in daycare part-time for 19 months, I do see the value in play-time with her peers and learning to take direction from other adults. 

Another great thing about being home during the day is that I don't have to do housework once James is home or on the weekends, so we can just spend time together doing family things (except for the all of the house/farm chores that James still has to do when he is home - ugh!). 

I don't think it is right or wrong to stay home with your kids; each family has to do what works for them.  I do know of a few fathers who stay home while their wives go to work each day -- THAT, I think, is amazing!!  Good for them!!!  Those mommy's have the best world, in my opinion...just to have supper on the table when they get home and not have to go grocery shopping (I hate grocery shopping).

Anyway, enough rambling.  I just wanted to say, don't ever ask someone who stays home with their kids "what do you do all day?", because we do the same things you do at your job, just on a different level, and we are SUPER jealous of the breaks you get during your measily 8 hour shift.  Oh, and your "sick days"...you know the ones...when you lay in bed all day while your kids are at daycare, trying to get rid of your pounding headache, body aches, sore throat, runny nose, vomiting, etc...yeah, stay at home parents don't get those and are MEGA jealous!!!!  We still have to tend to all of our duties and get little to no rest time...But, it comes with the "job".   You always have to take the bad with the good, right?!?