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?!?

My Little Sweetheart

Today I had a moment where I realized we must be doing something right as parents.  Rylee said something to me that I was just sure her daddy must have told her to say, but turns out he was as surprised by her comment as I was. 

A few weeks ago I made Rylee a new hooded towel, complete with Minnie Mouse ribbon (her favorite character).  She has been using it after every bath since then.  Tonight when she came out of the bathroom wearing her towel after Daddy gave her a bath I said, "I like your towel!".  She replied, "Thanks.  And thank you for making it for me!"  I was blown away!!  If it would have just been today that I made it and gave it to her I might not have been so shocked, but it's 3 weeks later. 

She can be a normal stubborn 2 year old, but she really has amazed us by how big of heart she has.  She shows compassion and empathy way more than a 2 year old probably should.  I really hope this characteristic is permanent and I can't wait to see what she does for a living when she is an adult. 

On Thursday this past week, we were at my mom's house when she came home for her lunch break.  Rylee and her cousin were sitting at the little kids table eating and Rylee said, "Grandma, I want you to sit by me."  I told her that Grandma couldn't sit there because there weren't any more chairs.  Then, without saying a word, Rylee got up and walked into another room.  She came out of the room carrying a chair (that's almost too heavy for her) and sat it at the table and said, "There you go Grandma."  MELTED MY HEART!!!! 

This afternoon she and I were playing outside, tossing balls into buckets.  Showing my true non-athletic abilities, I kept missing (the buckets were only 2 feet away from me).  Rylee told me, "It's okay, keep trying Mommy."

When we are riding in the car and Wyatt cries (he hates his carseat), Rylee says to him, "I know buddy, we're almost there. You will be okay."  It's the sweetest thing ever!  She says it in her soft sincere voice. 

I have been writing in a journal to give to Rylee when she's older.  Whenever she says or does something funny, sweet, etc. I always make sure to tell her about it in her journal.  I hope she appreciates it some day!

One more quick story...this one regarding her amazing memory that I still can't believe.  One day last week we left home in the morning and I told her we needed to get milk on our way back home and not to let me forget.  We were on our way home about 10 hours later and for some strange reason I decided to take a different exit than I normally take.  As we got off the interstate Rylee saw the gas station (I wouldn't have passed any stores that sell milk if I took the normal exit) and said, "we need milk."  I had completely forgotten and was so impressed that she remembered!!!!  Kids are a-ma-zing!!!!! 

There's a First for Everything

Yesterday was a fun day in our house.  Little Wyatt turned 3 months last week and is proving to be "not so little" anymore.  Yesterday he went for his first ride in the stroller sans car seat and then he got to ditch his baby bathtub to bathe in the real tub with Sissy.  What a big day!! Oh, and he went to his first pumpkin farm too :)

                                             

As I watch my kiddos do things for the first time, it makes me think of all the firsts they have to come.  Then I started thinking of some of the firsts that I remember.  Obviously, there are tons, but I will share those that came to my mind.  Attempting to put them in chronological order, here they are:

First time I got in trouble at school and had to put my name on the board (it only happened twice) - First grade...I ran across the street at the end of recess to get a ball.  I asked the teacher if I could and I swear she said "yes"...but apparently she didn't.  I cried.

First time I rode a bike without training wheels - Second grade...All of my friends were riding their bikes so I figured I better learn how.  I used my brother's bike because it looked easier for some reason.  I stayed outside trying until I got it.

First time I won 1st place in a tumbling meet - not sure how old I was, but I remember it was the state meet and the trophy was huge!  I cried (happy tears).

First time I interviewed for a job -  age 15, Hy-Vee.  I was nervous, but really excited to have a job and my own money!

First time I drove a car all by myself - age 16.  I drove from my mom's work to my house -- in the snow. 

First Kiss.  Just kidding, I don't remember this at all.  Movies and books make the first kiss seem like something to remember, but mine was apparently not that memorable.  I do remember the first time James kissed me though (as well as the first time he tried to and I was too shy and turned my cheek).

First time I drank alcohol -- haha, this story makes me laugh (and embarrassed) -- I'm not even going to share it.  I will just say that it was about 1/4 of a beer and it had been sitting in a ditch for several days.   I didn't really drink much again until, well, rarely ever (except my final semester of college).

First cell phone- 17.  Yep, the Nokia with the "snake" game.  I remember the entire store was full of cases for the phone, because it was pretty much the only phone at the time and to personalize it you just got a different case than someone else.  My, how technology has advanced in such a short time.

First (and only) time I tried water skiing - 18.  I was too weak to hold myself up in the water with skis on my feet so someone had to hold me upright in the water until the boat pulled me out.  I don't think I lasted long.

First time I tried a strawberry - 22.  Yep, that's right.  I know - I missed out on 22 years of goodness!  I have no idea why I turned them down all those years.  I finally gave in when they were on a fruit pizza at a bridal shower I attended and I didn't want to look ridiculous picking them off.

First time I went snorkeling - 25.  In Hawaii.  It was just okay.  Very cool to feel like you are swimming with the fish and seeing all of the bright beautiful colored fish, but I felt a little too claustrophic and hated that I couldn't just stand up to catch my breath and calm down.

First time I tried coffee - last week.  Uh huh.  I swore I would NEVER drink coffee because I see what it does to all of you crazies when you don't have any.  I don't know if you can actually call it a coffee drink, because it's more of a dessert, but I had the chocolate chip frappe from McDonald's --- YUMMY!!!!  Now, I'm willing and ready to try some coffee drinks, but I don't think I will ever drink it straight.  (As we speak, I am drinking an iced caramel chocolate coffee drink that I made myself -- not too bad at all!)

What are some memorable firsts of yours??