Stressing for the Sake of Kids

Once upon a time I had one child in elementary, one in preschool, and one that was lovingly attached to my leg most days. I got up in the morning, barely put myself together, got the two older ones around, and maybe found a pair of Uggs to walk to the garage and get into the van. I buckled the youngest one in, who may or may not have been in his pajamas still, from the night before. At our school drop off, we were impressing no one.

During that time in my life, we also lived in a home that was a bit outdated and in need of a Johanna Gaines-type overhaul, but was completely maintenance free. It was new enough to be clean and nice; but old enough to have peach grout and honey oak everything. I had done all that I felt I could with that home, and cleaned almost daily. Also, I was not involved on any local Boards or teaching online yet. So, my cleaning schedule was fairly easy to maintain. And, yes, I had a cleaning schedule... (I heart organization.)

Do you have a clear photo in your mind of what my days were like? I actually had plenty of time to do things. Time to enjoy my kids before they were involved with numerous things themselves.

So, when Red Ribbon Week came around back then, and the school released the themes of each day, we went all out. We busted out the markers, old t-shirts, tulle, ribbons, and glue gun, and we made costumes. I remember that Lucy loved it and even told me on one such day, "Today is going to be epic." Whew! What expectations, right? When is the last time you got your hair done and that was enough to make the rest of the day "epic?" It meant a lot to her.

Fast forward to now. I am teaching three courses online, involved with one Board officially, one unofficially, helping out with the kids' activities, and am in the middle of a complete home renovation (different house, which we took down to the studs). I'm not saying that I am any busier than any other Mom. I am probably less so than most. Nevertheless, compared to two years ago, I am swamped.

We received the Red Ribbon Week schedule again this year. They had cut down on theme days; I believe it to be the voice of parents who implemented such a change. Only three days this time, and they were fairly simple (or so it would seem).

Today, Tuesday, was superhero day. I am sure this day was chosen as an easy option, as most kids have superhero gear already. But, sadly, we do not. Heath and I liked the Batman movies when we were kids, and who didn't love Captain Planet, etc.?! But, we have not gotten much into the Marvel comic characters or superheros, as adults. We saw Deadpool and that's about it... Naturally, this translates to our children and they do not watch much of that stuff or have clothing representative of it either. That meant, to participate, I would have to be creative. Ugh! I love being crafty...when I have time. But, last night, was a busy night. I had a board meeting, and Lucy and I had practice. I still needed to complete a few items for the courses that I am teaching, and write a letter for another Board. It was a chaotic Monday, whether typical or not.

So, when Lucy asked about the "Superhero outfits" at approximately 9 PM, I didn't know what to say really. I wanted to say, "Nah, we aren't going to do it." It wasn't even that I had these spectacular ideas and didn't have the energy to execute them. I really didn't have a clue how I could "create" superheros from literally nothing. Cut t-shirts into capes? Glue an emblem on the front of an old shirt? No idea.

I did what any mom would do; I dismissed Lucy, told her to get to bed, and finished my to-do list with multiple huffs and swigs of caffeine. It wasn't until I poured myself into bed at midnight that I thought, "What am I going to do about super-hero day tomorrow?" I was kind of irritated with my younger self, for setting the bar so high, dammit. But, the kids loved it and I knew that I simply couldn't tell them to forget about it. Lucy would undoubtedly tell me that she was "the only one who wasn't dressed up." I know that it wouldn't be true, but the guilt would feel like it was.

I quickly searched Pinterest for a few ideas, came up with some possibilities and prayed (not literally) that I could find everything I needed in the morning. Zzzzz.....

When my alarm went off this morning, I wanted to hit snooze. I am a big fan of the snooze button. I start my alarm almost an hour before I need to get up, just so I can hit snooze multiple times (about six times, actually). The only thing that got me out of bed was Red Ribbon Week, Superhero Day...

Thankfully I found a Batman shirt that my mom bought Henry, and a mask that my sister bought him. Typical boy - he was set. Easy peasy. Then, the girls...By some miracle from God, they each had black pants, black shirts, and black shoes that FIT and were CLEAN. Hallelujah! I quickly threw on some cat ears for Olive, a random blue cape for Lucy, and we were well on our way to Cat Woman and a female Batman. Olive had no clue who Cat Woman was, but went along with it, as I knew she would.

After searching for face paint, I came up with just one little black pen. It had to work. I drew masks on the girls and held my breath, while they stood in front of the mirror.

"I love it," they said. And, I knew my status as "Awesome Momma" was safe.

I somehow managed to be successful today, with Red Ribbon Week - theme day number 1. But, it was not without shortness, and complaining, and irritation, and telling Olive the same thing five times. Or, saying, "Hold still!" to Lucy enough times to make me blue in the face. It was accompanied by "hurry up"s and "we are gonna be late!"s. It was a very grumpy, rushed, stressful morning.

I sit back now and wonder. Will they remember the "awesome" costumes and face paint that Momma helped them with for school? Or, will they remember that Momma was a freakin' psycho this morning, who wouldn't stop rolling her eyes, huffing, and asking, "Why aren't you doing what I said?!"

Of course, in those moments, we think the important thing is the day. The task at hand. If we can just get to school on time, dressed up, I will be successful. But, is that true? If I am a complete asshole in the process, is it really being successful? And, successful at what exactly? I'm praying that the joy of what today brings will erase the memories of their stressed out, jerk-of-a-Momma.

It's funny, right? You think you are doing something great for your kids, but in the process are not being a great example... I believe we do that a lot as parents. We stress out trying to create these amazing memories for our kids; but, we often run the risk of their memories being about our stress instead. Aren't several of your own memories about your parents, just them being completely fed up with you and your siblings on trips and vacations? Yeah. They were just trying to do something nice for us and it was incredibly stressful.

Tomorrow's theme is "orange day."

Friday is "red day."

I think I can handle those...

Christmas Dresses

I always remember having Christmas dresses when I was little. Perhaps this is an altered memory; because, I can really only recall a couple of dresses. However, I know that we always "dressed to the nines" for our annual Christmas program at school. Granted, my grandmother made most, if not all, of our dresses for us...even these beauties I have shared before:

I swear my memory wants to say that Nikki's bow was on the back of her dress, above her bum. It came off or something, so my mom put it on her head. Haha. Mom, correct me if my memory fails me. Sorry, Nikki; I just had to show it again. If it makes you feel any better, I will post my 4th grade photo on here sometime....awkward! Or, my freshman year photo.....oh boy...

Anyway, we had special occasion dresses when I was little. At Easter, we even had hats with our dresses. I loved it. So, naturally, since I am making my girls basically relive my childhood in the 21st century (ha!), I had to get Christmas dresses for them. Lucy has had them, so why would I treat Olive any different?

2010

Heath asked about this tradition, and especially about the expense involved. "How many times will they actually wear these?" I understand that. But, they will wear them three times. That's not too bad at their age. They barely wear outfits three times before they grow out of them! They need the dresses to see Santa, for Christmas card photos, and to wear to church on Christmas Eve - totally worth it! Nonetheless, I could tell Heath was a little skeptical....until...

the girls got their photo in the local newspaper.

When we went to see Santa, they weren't very many children dressed up. But, we wanted to have good photos, so the dresses came out. Since they were all dolled up, the newspaper photographer took their photo with Santa Claus. It was a proud moment for these parents; I tell you what...



Heath finally "drank the Christmas dress kool-aid."

It's a great idea. Hopefully my girls will carry on the tradition with their own children. Oh, and yes, if we decide to have a third, and it is a boy, he'll be in the photo too with a little sweater vest, khakis, and loafers.

Merry Christmas to all! And, happy dressing. :)

Slow Dance

It was a Friday night and the whole family, all three of us, were in the kitchen. I don't remember if I was cooking or cleaning, or just being idle. I was standing in the doorway, leaning up against the side, dishtowel in hand, watching Heath and Lucy run around.

I had changed the radio station to one of my favorite "oldies" station. Fleetwood Mac's "Dreams" came on - one of my favorites. I immediately began to sing the lyrics, or what I knew at least, aloud.

Heath picked Lucy up, setting her bottom on his forearm. With his free hand, he grabbed Lucy's hand. They began to dance. Heath swayed back and forth mouthing a word here and there. Lucy looked into her daddy's eyes and giggled in between smiles.

I loved that moment. Although I was just a somewhat emotionally involved bystander, I know how special it was. I thought to myself. In 20 years or so, I will probably be watching this again. But, instead of in our kitchen, they will be having their father/daughter dance at Lucy's wedding.

I closed my eyes tight and tried to file that moment into my memory bank. I wonder if I will think of it years from now...and if it will warm my heart just the same.

"Don't cry over the past; it's gone. Don't stress about the future; it hasn't arrived. Live in the present and make it beautiful."

The Gadgets Change...

but, apparently, that is it.

Oh, and maybe camera quality. :)

Here Comes Santa Claus

This is going to a positive and exciting Christmas-themed rant. So, if you are one of those people who refuse to acknowledge Christmas until after Thanksgiving, you may want to exit your browser.

For those of you who are still here, thank you for sharing in my Christmas madness! :)  Is it just me or is Christmas somewhat intoxicating? It really is. The way I feel at Christmas time easily surpasses any other time of year. Even going to work I am jolly.  Haha.....okay, maybe not AT work; but, you get the point. Everyone becomes a little less selfish. You wish, and hope, and pray a little harder. You believe in miracles a little more. Faith in mankind is at its all time high. Time slows. Reflection of your life no longer involves your house, your income, or your weight. You are just thankful...

Which brings me to another point that we probably shouldn't bypass like that old, high school acquaintance that you pretend not to see - Thanksgiving. Being thankful is a good thing. We try to teach our children about it; so, why not practice what we preach?

I am so thankful for the life I've been given. I am truly blessed. Thank you to all of my friends, family, and four-legged friends and family for taking part in it! :)

Now...what started this Christmas rant? Why, Santa Claus ofcourse! He is coming to our town tonight!  We are taking Lucy. She is going to freak! And when I say "freak," I don't mean the way I would react to an encounter with the gorgeous Matthew Lawrence. I mean the type of "freak" reaction I would have to a real-life Michael Meyers (that's the Halloween killer to those of you who aren't up on your pop-culture - tsk, tsk).

I expect a reaction similar to this:

Yep. That is a little Cori, clutching onto what we can only assume is some type of candy bribe to stand by this creepy stranger. Imagine the confusion in that tiny, blonde, mushroom hair covered head of mine...

"Don't talk to strangers? Unless they have a beard covering their entire face, they wear red, and give you candy? Sit on his lap? Whaaa?"

Just a shout out to my parents - those jeans are awesome. Thank you.

I lied. I think Lucy's "freak out" will be much, much worse than this. I expect the picture to be with her eyes closed, face red, limbs flailing, and doing the stiff leg. What is the stiff leg you ask? Oh, you know - when a child doesn't want to sit down, they stiffen their legs, and are no longer able to bend at the waist. It's very board like...and frustrating as hell.

I won't be upset tonight for a few reasons. 1) I've had time to mentally prepare for said "freak out". I deal better when it isn't in the middle of DSW and she flops on the floor. 2) I totally freaked out too. I don't want to be a hypocrite. 3) The pictures we will take will be hilarious when she is older. 4) If the picture is good enough, it could be Christmas card material. 5) I didn't properly prepare her for Santa.

I told myself that I would show her pictures and tell her how awesome he is. I planned to even give her candy whenever I introduced the picture of Santa - some real positive conditioning. I failed. Santa snuck up on me, to tell you the truth! Before I knew it, he was making his way to town.

So, tonight officially marks the beginning of the "festivities" and I couldn't be more pee-pants excited! Bring on Santa, bring on the fit, bring on the pre-Christmas (otherwise known as Thanksgiving)...haha..., and bring on Christmas!

Happy Thursday everyone! Be thinking about us at around 5:30 pm tonight, when we see Santa! Yippee!

Pre-Lucy Thoughts

Each child is different and each one may need different 'tactics'!

Of course all moms like to give advice and let me be the first mom to tell you that my way works best. haha. Just kidding. But, here you go...

1. What kind of diaper bag did you use? Purse-type? Diaper-bag type? Did your husband carry it? Did you use the straps to hold it on to the stroller? Did you also carry a purse?

First of all, wowsers! That is a lot of questions. That type of fast-firing of questions is how I imagine a chihuahua would talk, if it could. :)  Anyway - I had a larger, black diaper bag. I wanted one that didn't have pastels and animals on it. So, my husband researched for "the best" one he could. It was online and had the best reviews. It looked more like a luggage-type bag than a diaper bag or purse, or at least I think so. My husband did carry it, since it was so ambiguous. We did use the straps for the stroller; we also used the straps that hold it onto the shopping cart. It was really helpful! Most of the time I still carried a purse, unless we were just running to a family members house or something, then I just threw my stuff in the diaper bag.

2. When did you fit back into your pre-baby pants? Did you buy larger pants or stay in maternity pants after baby?

I think it is unrealistic to think you are going to just hop back into your pre-baby pants. However, you are talking to someone who gained 54 lbs while pregnant. :[ I know those types of "freaks-of-nature" exist (no offense to those of you out there); but, I was NOT one of them. I didn't get back into my pre-baby pants until, like, 6 months later. Before that I had to buy new, big clothes (boo!). Just remember that everyone is different and hopefully my story makes you feel a bit better about it! haha.

3. Favorite brands of diapers? Wipes?

We quickly became Pampers fans. We tried Huggies once when Lucy was a newborn and didn't like them. We never tried any other kind after that. For wipes, we prefer Huggies. That is weird; I know. We buy both though. Huggies are just a bit thicker and don't rip as easily when you pull them out. An argument for Pampers: Children's hospital uses Pampers - must be good! :)

4. Where did baby sleep those first few weeks (or longer)? Your bed? Bassinet? Crib? In your room or his/her own?

Lucy was our first, and it's me we're talking about here. So, the paranoia was through the roof! SIDS scares the poop out of me! I didn't want Lucy sleeping away from me for at least a month. It ended up, she slept in our room for 2 months before moving to her own room. She slept in a pack-n-play, in the shallow insert they have...hard to describe. The next one may move to his or her room faster; who knows? Lucy had a hard time soothing herself. Or, we had a hard time letting her soothe herself, something like that...

5. How long until baby made a public appearance? Where was baby's first public appearance?

Our family visited a lot immediately; so, we didn't really need to leave the house a lot. Since Lucy was born in the middle of winter, we were also encouraged to not let her be around a lot of people (flu!). I think her first real public appearance was to the doctor and back. I think we made a trip shopping all day when she was 6 weeks and that was a big deal - and tough! I honestly didn't feel like getting out too much; I was still really self-conscious and sleep deprived!

6. Most useful baby item? I ran into a girl shopping for a baby gift in Target & she was looking at hooded towels. I said they were useful but should have thought of more useful items!

It is really tough to say what was the most useful. We have had a lot of items that we really needed to get by. The most would probably have to be the boppy. It helped me support Lucy when I breastfed and she was able to nap in it. It comforted her; she felt like she was still being held. It was our infant savior!

7. Did you find out the baby's gender beforehand?

Yes. I wanted to be able to plan out clothing and colors and a name. I like to plan and be organized. Experiencing birth and seeing Lucy's face was enough excitement for one day. We wanted to have something revealed throughout the pregnancy. :)

8. How long was your hospital stay? Did your hospital provide any cool services (special meal, spa treatment, etc)?

We were there technically three nights, since I went in at 9 pm and was in labor all night. It seemed to be the perfect number of days for our first baby. The hospital had a special menu for the parents, where Heath was able to eat too. It was nice. :) No spa treatments though. :(

9. Were you induced? Have a c-section? Use drugs? Epidural? Or au natural the whole way?

I went into labor naturally, a couple of days before she was due. I was lucky. I was also able to have her vaginally, which is what we wanted. The labor was long and slow - 36 hours; however, Lucy did really well and they never felt the need to rush it or do a C-Section. My doctor actually claimed, "Lucy [was] loving the birthing process." I was offered something to "take the edge off" while I waited for the epidural. I said yes; I would take anything they thought I could have at that point. It really did help a little. Then, I got an epidural at 4 cm and about 26 hours in. I wouldn't have changed a thing.

10. Do you like when friends come to the hospital to congratulate you or would you prefer that time just for your family (extended or immediate?)?

I really liked everyone being there for Lucy's birth. However, it was a little overwhelming. I felt at my absolute most vulnerable. I just wanted to shower and cuddle my baby. However, two hours after and a shower later, I was ready to show her off. Most visitors respected our exhaustion though and kept their visits somewhat brief. But, I think I preferred the visits in the hospital to the ones when we got home. Visitors during the first couple of weeks at home really made it tough to get into a routine or to take naps. :[ Everyone is different though.  Perhaps adjusting with a second child is easier - ?

Have a good Tuesday! And, please mothers out there chime in all you want! :)

Ten Years

Ten years is a long time? No?

When I look at what has all happened to me in the last ten years, it's easier to understand. However, when I think about ten years being almost half of my life, thus far, it seems like a very long time.

Today, Heath and I have been together for ten years. Holy cow.

First year together

Still learning about one another and our crazy quirks

He would visit from college to support me :)

We were blessed with a God-son

Goofing off, in college together

Learning to be "adults" ;)

Husband and wife

Praying to become "Mommy" and "Daddy"

Thanking the Lord for our Blessings

Continuing on with this crazy life!

Proms, graduations, college, a house, chihuahuas, new cars, a wedding, remodeling, and a baby Lucy later...and, we are still so happy together.

Here is to the next ten years, hunny! Let's hope it brings us more blessing (babies!) and maybe even a winning lottery ticket. I can dream can't I? :)

I love you Heath.

I Wear Lipstick Now

Are there ever times in your life, where you just take a moment to just step back for a second? To just halt your mind and look at where you are, what you are doing, and what got you here?

I do that a lot.

The other day, I was listening to music on my iPhone and had my entire library on shuffle. It ranges from Dolly Parton, to The Beatles, Motley Crue, JaRule, New Kids on the Block, Bruno Mars, and even to Alanis Morissette (to name just a few) - pretty much a ridiculous mix. Needless to say, I wasn't shocked when "I Need You Tonight" by Backstreet Boys came on. I was, however, pleasantly surprised. It had been a while since I've heard and listened to the song. It immediately took me back to a time when life was "simple".

I had just finished 7th grade and the summer had just begun.



First, let's all take a moment to appreciate that rockin' skort, with matching butterfly top. Then, I'm going to take a moment and be sad that I was once that blonde and am not any more. :( And, finally, I will close with some thoughts about how large my head/facial features seem in regard to my body. haha. Not my best moment...

Anyway, on with the story -

It was early in the morning and I was somehow already awake and around at 7:30. (It was probably because I had stayed up half the night before!) My parents had already left for work and my sister wasn't home. So, I did what any thirteen year old girl would do. I stuck a CD in the player and cranked it. At that particular time, I chose the Millennium CD by Backstreet Boys, (before they had the cool acronym, BSB). I think it was track number 5...

"Oooopen uuuup....your heart to me...mmmm....."

I remember folding clothes, cleaning up my room, belting out lyrics alongside Nick Carter. I of course was obsessed with a boy too.  Want to know who? This punk...

This was taken while we were in high school. Yes - I was blinking.

I know you probably don't believe it; but, I was crushing on Heath back when I was 13. We even "dated" or whatever that means at that age, for like three months.

What can I say? I guess we just couldn't keep away from each other and after love and marriage, God blessed us with this bundle of beautiful, sweet, awesomeness -

Anyway, I remember thinking how boring and lame my life was. I didn't have enough 'cool' clothes and I didn't live near any of my friends. I had to help with laundry and dishes. I had it rough...

Not!   <----- Was that reminiscent of the late 1990's enough for you? haha.

I didn't worry about my weight and think about every single piece of food I put in my mouth. I didn't stress about the house not being clean or unorganized. I wasn't thinking about how important it was to spend time with the family. Money wasn't even something I considered. I took sleeping-in for granted, as I did with all of my free time. I was too busy making a "Girls I Don't Like" list on my closet wall to worry about that stuff.

Isn't it crazy? Those days are long, long gone. I have "big people" problems now. Heck, I'm an adult, a wife, a mother.....I wear lipstick now. No more Bon-Bon lip gloss for this gal...

Changes happen too fast. If you blink, you'll miss them.

Serious Side-Note: I barely made it through writing this post because of the news coverage of the tornadoes. I have such a heavy heart. I complain about the stupidest things and there are people out there who are really hurting, aching, and unsure of how to go on. My heart sinks when I think about the Hamil family from Piedmont, OK. I am so very, very blessed. I just want to hug my family and never let go. Please, God bless those affected by these storms...

"Back in My Day..."

Almost every time I use or see a home phone, I think of my nephew Alex.

Let me explain.

Alex is five years old. He is exposed to lots of technology and pop culture. Unfortunately, he doesn't understand 'the home phone.'

We were at my grandparent's house and they, of course, still have a home line. After dinner, we were all sitting around visiting, when the phone rang. The phone is super old school, so it sounded like an actual bell ringing. The thing is practically deafening for anyone within a few feet.

My grandpa got up and moved toward the phone. Alex ran over to it, pointed at it, and said, "Open this one."

We all laughed at his choice of words. He was used to his little, play cell phone that opened.

Throughout the conversation with the telemarketer, my grandpa had asked "What?" and "Could you repeat that?"

Alex insisted a 'bad signal' must be causing the issues (apparently not the 71 year old ear drum).

This all being said, I realized a few things: 1) I'm feeling old, and 2) Lucy is going to be the same way!

In my sadness, I decided to look back at a few things that I will appreciate for years to come, even if Lucy won't understand. These things may be gone, but they'll live on in my heart forever...

The Original Nintendo

An Innocent Britney Spears

TalkBoy (or a TalkGirl, in my case)

The Original Oregon Trail

  



Watch Rings

Polaroid Cameras

And, of course, Pluto...as our 9th planet

What do you miss, that is or will be long gone before your children can enjoy it?

Keepsake? or Trash?

With the new basement renovation, we have been going through our totes with a tough heart. We've been asking ourselves some hard questions: Do we really need this? Will we use this again? Although it is of sentimental value to us, will it mean anything to anyone else? Basically, will Lucy want it?

I am a sucker for sentimental items. My family history and background mean so much to me. I love having items from years before. There is just something about holding the same items that your great, great grandmother held, and imagining what she was doing, wearing, or thinking. So, I want to pass down things to my great, great granddaughter too!  This is where the trouble starts...

There are some items that I have deemed priceless and will never let go of. For my college graduation, my grandma gave me a brush set. This wasn't just any old brush set, it was my great grandmother's. It included a brush, hand mirror, and nail set. My great-grandma got it for her high school graduation in 1929. The set is beautiful. My grandma said that when she was a little girl, she'd go into her mother's room and look at them, and wish that she too had a set. It warms my heart just thinking about it.


My Great-Grandmother's Brush Set - 82 years old

I decided to put the set into a shadow box, to keep it preserved and to enjoy it. I love seeing it in my dining room every day. These are items that I could most certainly pass down to Lucy. Hopefully, she cares as much about her family history as I do. I sure hope to pass that on...

My great-grandmother kept this set, then my grandmother kept it, and it eventually made it to me. So, that makes me think...what will I pass down?  Will it be a journal? Check. Will it be photos? Check. Will it be my treasured jewelry? Check.  What else does there need to be?  I'm not sure.

Heath, being the uber geek that he is, has kept all of his cell phones from the past. He even kept most of the boxes and directions. He thinks it will be hilarious to Lucy and her siblings, years to come. I just wish we had a bag phone to go along with them. haha.  I don't really argue too much on these; because, they are small and don't take up a lot of room. Here are just a couple of the 6 or so that we have:


The white phone's antenna cracks me up! haha.

Up until the moment when Lucy was born, Heath's and my stuff seemed so much more important. Now that we have Lucy it puts it into perspective of what would she would think was 'valuable' and what would she think was, basically, crap.

The mirror that hung on the back of Heath's door in high school? The one that I wrote on and kissed, at just 15 years old, so he'd always think of me? 



The makeup has lasted 10 years! Wish I could remember the brand name! :)

We kept it this long; but, now it's heading to the trash.

What about these?


Two of a LOT of puffy, Disney VHSs!

Who even keeps VHSs anymore?  I guess we should probably get these on DVD and throw these out...

Or, what about these autographs? I simply cannot throw them out. But, will Lucy even know who these people are?

Dennis Haskins, Mr. Belding, from 'Saved By the Bell' -
 

He even personalized it! To Cori - :)

I can tell that you are a skeptic. I did meet him though, look:

Here are two more "autographs."  Or, scribbles...whichever you prefer. These scribbles were made by Benji Madden and Billy Martin, from Good Charlotte. Heath and I waited out by their tour bus one night after a concert, a long time ago.  No such luck on Joel.....:(



This was way back, before Nicole Richie...

I guess it is all in the eye of the beholder. I will give some of these items to Lucy and her siblings, or whoever else wants them. If they don't want them and they toss them? Well, then at least I gave them the option of keeping it...

Do you have anything that you've kept, even though you know you probably shouldn't have? What is it? Where did you get it? Do you and your partner agree on keeping it?

Basement to Playroom Transition

This last weekend it began....begun? had begun? Anyway, you know what I mean...we started thee transition.

 When we moved into our home, it was obvious that the basement had been a playroom.  There were still tiny, dirty hand prints lining the wall down the stairs.  And, who would ever choose bright red carpet for any room other than a playroom? Yes - the carpet is bright red!

Immediately, we envisioned it as our children's playroom too.  That was back in 2007 though...before we were even married...before we filled that room with more junk than you can imagine...before it became the room where items go to die be stored.

I was going to take a before picture, and I do mean before picture. A picture showing the worst state the 'Red Room', as I call it, had ever been in.  Imagine this: totes stacked 4 high and 2 wide over in the corner, extra blankets, sleeping bags, and an air mattress shoved on the shelf in the other corner, DVDs and my beloved, puffy-cased Disney VHSs packed on not one, but two shelves, in the third corner, and in the fourth? Holiday totes and open boxes with random decorations protruding out the top. Lucy's baby clothes had officially taken over 4+ totes and we couldn't even get the lid on one of them. Her baby bottles, bouncy chair, and swing, in which she completely outgrew, were stacked on a recliner. The recliner still somehow faced the TV, not that we could actually use it.

You see...it didn't start this way. Things didn't start all strewn about.

There was once a Lucy-less time when the 'Red Room' was a workout area, a place to sort the laundry, and storage place for all of our keepsakes, in nice, organized totes in the corner. We had an entertainment center, a TV (it was old; but, it worked), a DVD Player, a treadmill, and even a table next to a neatly organized 'arts and crafts' area. Recently though? Mayhem.

The before, before picture would have been so awful that I am sure you all would have reported me to 'Hoarders' on A & E. Luckily, I forgot to take a picture though; so, I'm not even tempted to show you the mess. You will just have to imagine.

After we spent our Saturday morning cleaning out said basement, Heath did take some photos of the empty room. I will share those with the big reveal! :)

We took all of the stuff out, except for the big items (entertainment center, a twin bed, the treadmill, and a desk). Wow - listing these things makes this room sound huge. It's not...or it's about to not be...one of the two. You see here is the current lay out, minus all the junk:

I did the artwork myself....haha. It is totally to scale too. Not really. I am hoping that you can recognize the stairs and the window (especially with the tag: "window"), without too much explanation. However, the random squares and circles may require some explanation. I am not sure what each is or does; but, I know that they include the Heater/A.C., water heater, and water softener. What is the fourth one? No idea....I just know that two are rectangular and two are circular....haha. I am a stereotypical woman when it comes to that stuff. I could point out the heating/cooling unit though! I know that is the one on the far left.

These were exposed! Yes - this room was used as a playroom, with carpet, and these were, just, out there!

Our first priority was to cover them, safely. Our second priority was to make more storage and cover up those totes.  This is what we came up with:

I don't want to cover the window, as small as it is; nonetheless, we will be making a sort of 'cubby' type area there (where it says 'landing'). It will have a door, so we can put totes inside, and will be about 6 foot tall; but, the teeny tiny window won't be blocked and that's all that I care.

The construction begins this weekend and it is a chance for me to get my organization/decor in order. I have told you before: I love organizing!  I love putting things away! :) I am pumped about the thought of putting all of our stuff back! I literally want to yell "yay" right now.

So, I will be sure to share all of the things that I am looking at to help organize the room for Lucy. All I know right now is that the entertainment center is staying, the treadmill is moving to the 'den', and her toy box will be moving in.  I am looking into buying some more shelves or canvas totes though....more on that later.

Wish us luck; we'll need it!

My Valentine

 

Happy Valentines Day to all of you lovers out there! :)  I like V-Day, if you will.  I always enjoyed making my Valentines Box, getting cute notes and candy, and picking out the perfect Lisa Frank valentine for my elementary crush, Jed.

I would read my valentines at school and then read through them again, a couple of times, at home. I took the words so literally. "Yay! Bridget thinks I'm Bee-utiful!" :)

Today, it is wonderful to still be able to take Valentines' words so literally.

Heath makes the sweetest notes.  He always calls me his Sweetheart. And, he never fails to tell me that I mean the world to him. I can't do anything, but thank him. I try to thank him everyday, for picking me to spend the rest of his life with.

So, for Valentines Day, I thought I would share a bit more about me and my forever Valentine, Heath.

• We have been together for 1 decade, this year. Wow! 10 years! It doesn't seem like that long at all.
• We started dating in high school at just 15 and 17 years old.
• Our first date was spent cruising around town. haha.
• He was my softball coach when we first started dating. In fact, I felt like he was always a little tougher on me because of it.  Talk about pressure!
• The night before he asked me to be his girlfriend, I was ready to bail; I thought he was just yanking me around.
• The first time I told Heath I loved him, we were arguing and I yelled it at him. haha.
• We were moving into a house together when he asked me to marry him.
• When he asked, he was wearing a suit and I was wearing gym shorts, a t-shirt, and was in need of a shower!
• We claim that he 'adopted' my chihuahuas.  Their names are hyphenated, with both of our last names.
• I let Heath pick out our wedding date, It's okay; he let me pick out the honeymoon.......and everything else practically! :)
• We are that corny couple who dances to slow music, on the weekend, in our living room.
• We are also those parents who have random dance breaks to Usher while cooking supper and feeding Lucy.

I thought I would leave you with some pictures of Heath and me. First, as kids - yes, we were just kids then!  I was 16 and he was 18.  Aww.......the prom. :)  And, then, 6 years later, at our wedding.

Again, Happy Valentines Day to everyone, and especially to my Hunny! :) I hope it is wonderful for you all.

 

High  School Prom

 

Our Wedding Day

Life’s Little Blessings – Babies!

One of my good friends just had her baby yesterday! And, ah, the feelings it brings up for me. I am immediately taken back to Lucy’s birth and how it seems like so long ago. I know – it sounds ridiculous. She is only 16 weeks old. However, it was such a whirlwind of emotions that I have a hard time remembering one specific moment. The moments that do stick in my mind are odd. It is funny how the mind works.

I am not sure why, but once I realized that the pain I was feeling were actual contractions, I was weirdly calm. I was excited about Lucy making her way into this world! But, the amount of pain I would soon be feeling never really dawned on me. Yes, the contractions at home were painful, but not that bad in comparison to what I would later feel. That is something I remember well – the first really painful contraction. Once checked into the hospital and into my stylish gown, I went to the bathroom to splash water on my face. I had been walking up and down the stairs trying to progress labor and the radiators had the temperature at least 100 degrees; I’m sure of it! During my attempt to cool down,…bam. For some reason I thought that if I wiggled around enough I could relieve the ‘cramp.’ So, immediately I started hunching over, squatting, and ended up grasping the handicap assistance bar and thinking I was going to rip it out of the wall.

The next things I remember include being annoyed by Heath standing in front of my ‘focus picture’ during a horrible contraction, watching the scene from Sweet Home Alabama when she shows up at Jake’s house(while trying to sleep), then next thing I knew I was holding my baby girl.

The feeling of looking at that tiny baby that you carried around for so long, knowing that they already love you with all of their little heart, and trying to talk your brain into understanding that you actually created this miracle is amazing.

So, when I heard that my friend’s water broke, I was ecstatic for her. I knew that she was about to experience one of the most wonderful things that she will ever experience. But, it was 7 weeks early. I was terrified for her and sad about how she must have felt. I immediately felt blessed and silly for begging Lucy to come early. I didn’t want to bother her, so I compulsively checked Facebook and texts for updates…nothing. Then, an update - she had to get an emergency C-Section. My heart raced for her and I did some serious praying.

On May 25th, 2010 at 4:56 pm, her son was born. A healthy, almost 6 pound baby boy made his parents’ life complete! A later update claimed he was eating and didn’t need to be on oxygen. It was a true miracle for a 7 week premature baby, truly a miracle.

I thought a lot about it. Her experience was so much different than mine. I felt oddly reassured, and annoyed with Heath and the pain. She had to be scared and willing to feel any pain to guarantee well-being for her baby boy. But, it doesn’t matter now. Two different experiences; but, one wonderful outcome, life’s blessing – a baby.

Living for Tomorrow

I was holding Lucy earlier this week and started to daydream. I thought about that two-story Barbie house my dad built me when I was 8 years old. It was the most creative and crafty thing a young girl could imagine and even looking back on it today, I appreciate the time it took him. It had stained, wood floors, beige wallpaper with maroon hearts, a second-level patio, and tongue depressors cut in half for shingles. The master bedroom was fit for a Barbie queen! The light pink canopy bed, matching sofa and love seat were decoratively organized across from the patio door. My sister and I played with that house until all hours of the evening (probably ten o’clock or so, but as a child it seemed late!).

I then quickly listed, in my mind, all the wonderful toys that meant so much to me as a child: the pink Barbie Cadillac, my hunter-green convertible, dodge viper matchbox car, my pink Polly Pocket mansion with a swimming pool, and even my Murray bicycle. Ahhh…..childhood and the summer off of school! It makes me smile just thinking about it. I cannot wait until Lucy gets old enough to play with those toys.

Unfortunately, my dad threw my old, hand-made Barbie house out. I wasn’t present of course. However, I did win the fight to keep the pink Cadillac. It is a little worn, but I am sure Lucy won’t mind. I imagine my dad making Lucy her own Barbie house someday, one that’s as big as she is tall! :) We’ll see…

In the middle of all these wonderful thoughts of my childhood, I realized…I am living for tomorrow. Every day I go to work and imagine all the things that my future holds. I hope and sometimes pray for what tomorrow will hold for me and my family. Why? Why do I have such a hard time living in the now?

During work, all I can think about is the evening. During the week, all I can think about is the weekend. During the year, all I can think about is Christmas season…then it all starts over after the New Year.

So, I have decided to try to stop. I need to stop. Lucy is 3 months and 2 weeks old already! Whoa, I know. I am going to miss out on so much of her childhood if I keep dreaming about all the things we WILL do. I need to realize that I am living a dream! Through the entire nine months of my pregnancy I dreamt about the day I got to hold my little girl. Now, I am; I am living the very role that I played with my Barbies, just 16 years ago. The names have changed of course; I will never be a ‘Michelle,’ nor will Heath ever be a ‘Derek.’ But, the loving home is the same – minus the lovely patio. ;)

Today, May 20th, is just a very small portion of my life on this earth. But, I will try to remember it as a day that I worked to provide for my little family and spent the evening doing exactly what I wanted – spending it with family. Today is great and tomorrow, well, it’ll come soon enough.