Glamazon is hosting Friday Confessoinals.  If you have that confession that is bugging ou to get out just click the button above and go see her confessions.  The sculpture she has on her deck is worth it.

I confess:
-My dishes are not done.  I only put the plates and cups and utensils in the dishwasher.  The rest I hand wash.

-I wash the tubs when I'm going to take a bath in one of them.

-Commercials confuse me.

-I like to walk on the ice just to see if I'll slip.

-Turbo is trying to drive us crazy.

-I hate my kitchen floor.  When I get a new one I will take better care of it.

-I procrastinate laundry.  I do the clothes every two weeks and do laundry all day.  It works for us.

Go see the other Friday confessions.  Confession is good for the soul or something like that.

Year one Is over now. Happy Birthday Bruiser!

Bruiser, you are now one (well actually tomorrow but who's counting). One year ago you were ready to meet the world, two whole weeks before your due date, just like your big brother. I was hoping you would wait until February, but you were determined to get on with things. After four short hours of labor there you were. You were one whole pound smaller than your big brother when he was born. (You have made up the size difference and then some.)(To explain the mask, Turbo has a nasty case of the flu when you were born.)

Your personality has come out as you grew. You hated to sleep on your back, you did not want to start solid food, and you really wanted to be big like your brother. You loved snuggling with mom and Grandma, you liked your nugs, and you happily picked up every fuzzy in sight to stick in your mouth. Once you started to get mobile nothing was safe. You started by scooting around on your butt and then figured if you were going backward, just turn around and you will get where you want to go. As soon as you learned to crawl forwards all bets were off. Man you are quick. You love to pull to a stand and see what interesting things might be in your reach—the remote, telephone, Turbo’s toys—all the good stuff you’re not supposed to play with.

Both Mommy and Daddy are happy you have finally figured out nights are for sleeping through, not endless entertainment. I’m happy you are finally eating solid food. Your preference for our food is noted. You are like a little bird at our knees whenever we are putting something in our mouths. You definitely demand your share—loudly! You are giving the dog a complex because we feed you and not him, he’s jealous. You like oatmeal in the morning, yogurt and fruit during the day and whatever you can eat off Mommy’s plate at dinner. We are trying to wean slowly. However you want nothing to do with cups, bottles or sippy cups. You also don’t know how to use a straw. We are working on this one.

Your first tooth did not come until you were seven months old and it was a top tooth.  Yep, you had to be different.  You have fought each and every tooth you have gotten-all seven of them. (I think you are working on number eight right now.)  Your smile is so cute with those pearly white teeth peeking out.

Mommy was thrilled that you waited to walk for the first time until she was home. You then obligingly repeated the performance for Daddy. Now you are taking shaky steps everywhere. Crawling is still your quickest form of transport but I’m sure walking will soon take its place.

You still look like a baby and I love when you snuggle, but the little boy is starting to make his way out of you. Keep growing, Bruiser and keep exploring. You keep Mommy and Daddy young that way. Give your big brother a run for his money, he adores you (and keep growing, something tells me you will need the defense from his affection).

Happy Birthday Bruiser (even if technically it's tomorrow). You are amazing and very loved by everyone.

Chief over at (Hiding from the kids) has this bloggy carnival to help get you through Wednesday.

What I meant to say lets you get all that annoying stuff off your chest.  You know when you sy the correct thing but want to say the snarky thing.  Anywho here mine for the week.

What I said:  At least the sun is shining.
What I meant to say:  Damn, why is it so cold!  Come on, just snow already!

What I said: Get moving Turbo!
What I meant to say:  Stop screwing around and get with it.  We do the morning thing every day and you should know by now that you need to get a move on so we don't leave you behind.  Move it kid!

What I said:  Don't be up too late, Nick!
What I meant:  Don't be up until God knows when then expect me to get your butt out of bed.

Spin Cycle--Happiness

Jen at Sprite's Keeper is spinning up some happiness this week.  She has asked what makes us happy.  Happiness is something I have to remind myself about sometimes.  It's not that I'm unhappy but I'm often not truly happy.
I tend toward being depressed (it runs in the family) and I have to really try to keep the blues away.  I have started thinking about the things that make me smile and that helps.

So things that make me smile:
1.  Hearing my boys (both big and little) laughing.  Something about them playing and laughing makes my heart smile.

2.  Reading a great book (even if I have read it before--and the tub and a glass of wine make it even better).

3.  Seeing comments on my blog posts.

4.  Scrapbooking memories.  I have been slacking n this one but now that Bruiser is not as dependant on me I planning on getting back into it.  Now, I just need to decide where to start.

5.  Spontaneous hugs from Turbo and Nick.

6.  Cuddles with Bruiser.

7.  A full night's sleep (thank you Bruiser, lets keep it up!).

8.  A clean house.  I hate getting it clean but once it is clean I really like it.

9.  Planning trips--even if they are just road trips.  I love getting out of town.  Lots of tension just drains away when we get past the city limits sign.

10.  New Mythbusters shows.  Heck even reruns of Mythbusters are fun to watch.  It's a show that all of us like and there is no complaints or whining with Mythbusters.

11.  Cheesecake always makes me smile.  I only get it when we have dinner out but I really want to learn to make in myself.  I love cheesecake, all kinds.

Well there you have it.  these are thing that make me smile and can perk up my mood.  When I get down about things in general  I try to think of these things to make myself happier.

Post-It note Time

SupahMommy is hosting Post-it note Tuesday.  Go check her out and play along.

Well here goes:

Random Tuesday Thoughts

Hey, hey, hey, it's Tuesday again.  Head on over to Keely at The Unmom for some random fun.



I hate mornings.  They always come to early and go by to quick to get everything done.  I always feel so rushed getting everyone else up and moving.  Bruiser is easy but time intensive.  Turbo seems to think taking as long as possible to do everything is fun.  I mean really, how can it take him 15 minutes to put on clothes?  I like the mornings when Nick runs cause he gets himself up but the mornings when he doesn't he stays in bed 'til the last second.  Which requires that I bug him to get up repeatedly.  I love being an alarm clock. 

I hate figuring out what to have for dinner.  I don't mind cooking-mostly I enjoy it but figuring out what to have every night is tough.  Nick is often helpful but sometimes he has nothing for me and I'm on my own in the cooking department.  Standing in front of the freezer is not the best way to plan meals. 

In happier news, Bruiser is taking wobbly steps everywhere.  Both Nick and I were thrilled to be home when he took his first steps.  I think it would have killed me to have missed them.  It's not the same to hear about it from my mom.  And I would have never heard the end of it if he'd have walked first for my mom.  Love her to death but she never lets anything go.

Turbo is close to losing his other front tooth.  It's wobbling and wiggling in every direction.  It won't hang in there much longer.  Sigh, the Tooth Fairy is going to have to scrape up some more change soon.

And Bruiser turns one on friday.  No more baby, he is well on his way to toddlerhood.  He still looks like a baby and cuddles like one too so that helps.

Alright, enough random meandering.  Go see Keely and have a random Tuesday.

MEme Monday--Dealbreakers

SupahMommy and MommyBrain are hosting All About MEme Monday.  This week is all about dealbreakers.  You know, the one thing that just makes you say no to a relationship, family, friends, in-laws or co-workers.

I have five things that are sure dealbreakers in any situation:
1. Saying something about me behind my back that you wouldn't say to my face.
2. Not listening to my side of the story.  Or just plain not listening to me.
3. Being totally selfish.
4. One-upping me all the time.
5. Criticizing the way I do things, like work, raise my kids, keep my house or deal with family.

My most recent "break-up" was with a girl who had been a great friend but she crossed the line into complete selfishness.  She was single and lots of fun to hang around with.  But by the time of the "break-up" she had become sort of whiny and complaining.  When she accused me of not caring because she had not heard from me in a while I had had enough.  I had a two year old, I was in school and I had a home to keep up with as well.  The phone worked both ways, but she was a little to into herself so the freindship ended.

Back in the days of dating, pre-Nick, (eons ago, or about 17 years now--holy cow that's a long time!) I dated frequently.  Dealbreakers for me then were simple.
1. One guy I almost dated lost out because he couldn't kiss worth a darn.
2. Another guy always complained about being broke, so we never went anywhere but his room in the frat he belonged to.  Complaints about being broke broke the deal for me.
3. Then there was the guy who introduced me to his parents then told me he was not interested in meeting my parents at all--Dealbreaker.

Too bad right now most of my dealbreakers would apply to family.  My mom is the worst one-upper around.  No matter what you say she can go one better.  It can be frustrating talking to her.  She is also good at getting her little digs in--you really should do such and such, or I always do it this way.  Drives me nuts.  However she's my mom and she watches Bruiser.  I bit my tongue and just deal.

Do you ahve any dealbreakers?  Do you have dealbreakers but have to put up with them because it's family? 

Toddler in the house

It is official. 
Bruiser walked last night. 
All by himself. 
He's now a toddler. 
How did this happen? 
He's not even a year old yet.
 He turns one next Friday. 
Where did my baby go?

Anyway, Bruiser walked!!

Bad day

You ever have a bad day?
I'm having one.  Tax stress strikes again.  There is so much that no one tells you.  I hate being a grown up.  There are times when I would love to curl up in bed and hide from everything.
At least for the moment we are all healthy.  Got to look at the bright side (I just hope the brightness is not an on coming train).
Hope everyone's weekend is good.

Spin Cycle--Everyone has an Opinion

THe spin cycle this week is all about opinions.  Go see Sprite's Keeper for more spins on everyone's opinion.

Opinions—everyone has one or fifty. It makes us interesting people. At least we have the freedom to voice those opinions. Religion, Politics, Abortion, Capital Punishment, Gay Marriage, Parenting styles, discipline styles, oh the list could go on and on about those topics that can set people on edge. I’ll admit I have my own opinion about these topics but that is another post all together.  My take on opinions is that they are necessary for a person to develope into a well rounded person.


Have you ever noticed that you tend to gravitate to those who hold opinions similar to your own? And how much good sense they seem to have because they think the same way you do? Discussions and debate are good for the mind and the soul but being around those who have the same opinions you do makes you far more comfortable. And maybe a tiny bit validated in your opinions.

Nick and I often have discussions (lots of times they happen after a glass of wine or three or four). We tend to agree on most everything so the conversations don’t get really heated. Nick likes to play devil’s advocate and take the opposing side when he gets into discussions with his friends, even if that is not what he truly believes. He says he learns a lot about people that way.

I want to teach my boys that having an opinion is not wrong. Changing that opinion just to fit in is. They need to stand firm on what they believe and knowing the facts behind what they believe will make them feel more comfortable in defending their opinions. In my own opinion, being poorly informed is worse than having opposing opinions.

I have learned that there are some arguments that are not worth having. Agreeing to disagree is not a bad way to keep the peace—especially if it’s with family. My mother is very opinionated and not afraid to let those opinions be heard. I think I learned to be quiet in reaction to the arguments she and my step-father used to have. We don’t bring up certain topics around Nick’s dad because he is also very opinionated. There is just no arguing with him, it’s his way or no way.


Opinions, everyone is entitled to their own. Just don’t go trying to win me over without hearing my side of things. I’ll listen to you if you listen to me. Yelling gets you nowhere and makes you look foolish to boot.

What makes me Happy-An Award!

MamaOtwins+1 of 3 Boys + Hubby = What's Next Gave me an award.



Happy 101 comes with a couple of rules. First I have to list ten things that make me happy. So here goes.
1. An uninterrupted night's sleep. Bruiser and I are still working on this one. We have our good nights and our bad nights. But good sleep makes me happy.
2. Reading a good book, or having the time to read a good trashy romance, which ever.
3. Clean dishes, especially if I had nothing to do with them becoming clean.
4. A long hot soaking bath.
5. A nap in the afternoon.
6. Shopping without small people around. Even more fun with friends.
7. Cooking yummy meals.
8. Hearing my boys, both big and little, laughing and having fun.
9. Scrapbooking memories.
10. Making those memories every day.

Now I have to name ten blogs to pass this award on to. Lets think about this one. OK here are ten blogs that I enjoy visiting.
Oscarelli
Leigh vs. Laundry
The Unmom
Sprite's Keeper
Speaking From the Crib
Out Numbered Two to One
The Locals Love It
Stacy's Random Thoughts
SupahMommy
Menopausal New Mom

I like visiting the above bloggers regularly. They are all funny and have great posts. Go check them out. And thanks again for the award.

What I Meant to Say Wednesday

Chief at Hiding From the Kids has a new game to play on Wednesdays. It's called what I Meant to Say. It works like this:
To Nick--when I said "Sure the basement arrangement is fine,"
What I meant to say was:
"Nope this so doesn't work for me, but if you like it OK."

Or:
To Turbo--"Give you brother some space!"
What I meant to say was:
"Back the heck away from your brother, he's not a doll you can pose or smother!"

Or:
To Mom--"Uh, sure we can help you with those repairs."

What I meant to say was:
"We barely have the time to do our own home repairs and if we help you it is a never ending litany of things that need doing at your house and why do you think we need to do those things for free when, if you find any charity case off the street, you gladly pay them to do the same things?"

Or:
To Turbo--"We'll See."
What I menat to say was:
"No."

It's a fun way to get those annoying things off your chest. So grab the button above and go play. Confession is good for the soul or something like that.

It's Tuesday, Random Time

It's time to play Random Tuesday Thoughts.

Man do three day weekends go by to fast. At least this one did. However today does not feel like Tuesday, it feels like Monday. I guess it will make for a short week but still, I'm not that fond of Mondays. I was hoping to skip Monday this week.

Yesterday while taking advantage of the grandparents love of spending time with their grandkids, Nick and I went Cross Country Skiing. The snow was fast and on one hill things(my skis) got away from me. I had a spectacular crash. The snow I landed in was soft. The rock that was hiding in said snow, not so much. My right knee met said rock and now hates me.

How come watching home improvement shows causes you to look at your own home and go yuck! I like HGTV but after a while I have to stop watching because I want to change everything about our house and I don't have that kind of money or time.

I hate the never ending aspect of house work. Get one thing finished and there are four more things to do. I think I'll just hide under the covers for a while. Oh. Wait. Those need cleaning too. Sigh.

Bright note--Bruiser is sleeping better! Now that I have said that tonight he won't sleep for crap. But he is doing better. I'm sleeping better, we are all sleeping better. Go us!

Well that's all the random I can cough up today. Go see Keely for more. You know you want to-go on, go!

Post it note Tuesday

Come and play with Post-It Note Tuesday hosted by SupahMommy

Meme Monday

It's All About MEme Monday time again with SupahMommy and .Mommybrain. This week the topic is something near and dear to my heart. Reading and books are among my favorite things.


Reading has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. My mom read aloud to me when I was little, picture books to start then she started with classics like Little Women and other Louisa May Alcott books, Black Beauty, Robinson Caruso, and Mary Poppins. She then introduced me to Nancy Drew books when I was about nine. She had first editions of the Nancy Drew books and she had some Bobbsey Twin books as well. That got me started, from there I was a regular at the library at school and also the county library.

I spent many happy hours finding books that caught my interest and then taking them home and devouring them. It was a form of escape cause I never really fit in so I avoid the issue by reading. I was known as a book worm in school. I always had a book with me as could usually be found with my nose in it if I had a spare minute.
I haven't changed much since then. I can still get lost in a book. It drives Nick crazy because he can talk to me and I won't hear him at all. He makes sure he has my attention now.

What are you currently reading?
I am trying to read the newest Dan Brown book, The Lost Symbol. It's slow going because of the interruptions from the rest of the family.

When do you find the time to read?
I usually read in the afternoon when Bruiser naps(unless I need the time to sleep as well). I also love to read during long soaking baths. I read aloud to Nick and now Turbo when we go on road trips. I've read about 20 books aloud to Nick (he's not one to read but loves to have me read out loud to him). Turbo has heard the first Harry Potter and half of the second one so far. I like reading out loud and it makes the miles go faster.

Where do you do most of your reading?
In the tub, car or living room.

How do you choose what you read?
I like new books from favorite authors. I have a hard time reading a book just because it is recommended by the critics. A book has to stand up to multiple readings to be a keeper. I have read good books but truly great books can be read again and again. I will spend time wandering the stacks of both new book stores and used book stores to find new selections.

From where do you get most of your books?
I shop Hastings (an entertainment store here, used bookstores and the library annual book sale. I also check the book aisle of Kmart and Walmart regularly. I do get some recommendations from my mom but her tastes are different from mine so we don't tend to overlap alot of book choices.

What do you do with a book after you've finished reading it?
It depends on whether I will read the book again. If it is good enough to read again it goes on my shelves. If it is not good enough for me to read again then I pass it on to my mother and after she is done with it she passes it on to other friends of hers or takes it to the library to donate to the annual book sale.

What are your book (reading) quirks?
I nibble on sunflower seeds while I read to keep myself from tying knots in my hair. I also won't read a book if it doesn't catch my attention in the first couple of pages.

Well there you have it. Some of the things about me and books. I love books and my tastes span from trashy romance to action thriller to non fiction WWII books. I would define my self as an avid reader (when I get the time now). Books have been my friend since I started reading more than picture books at age nine. I am trying to instill that love of books in my boys. This may explain why the books are slowly taking over Turbo's room.

VGNO-First timer

Ann at Ann Again and Again hosts Virtual Girl's Night Out. So head on over and check her out.


Hi, I thought I'd join in for the VGNO.
I would like to thank:
1. My husband, Nick. You are great because you really have my back with the kids.
2. My job. I'm glad I get to work in the field I went back to school for.
3. My mom. Thank you for spending your mornings with Bruiser. We really appreciate the time you spend. (And the money you save us.)

Happy VGNO!

Spiders, creepy crawlies, and large groups, oh my!

The Spin Cycle this week is fears. I don’t have many but spiders and bugs freak me out. I don’t like anything with more than four legs. The way they move and the way they just appear out of seemingly nowhere. Yuck.

And why do bugs always appear in the tub? It never fails that I go to take a bath and there is a bug or spider big as life in the tub. Full body shake. Ewww!

Nick is a great bug and spider slayer. He knows that when he hears a squawk there is a spider or buggy to get. They get lovely burials at sea (flushed) or fiery ends (if we have the fire going). When he is gone I have to buck up and get rid of them myself. I wield a mean shoe and I’m pretty good with toilet paper mash maneuvers. But I still wince and sometimes scream at the sight of something with more than four legs.

Outside, I’m better but the flying, buzzing bugs make me freak out sometime when they get close to me. It’s awful to see a grown woman shying and running for the house because of a bee or hornet. Even worse when they get inside. Once I was trapped upstairs because there was a hornet in the satirwell. I say better to avoid them than get stung.

I could never live in a part of the country where the bugs get big. Here in Wyoming they don’t have the chance to get really big before they are killed by the cold weather.

I also have a fear of large unfamiliar groups. I don’t do well in public settings where I don’t know people. I’m somewhat shy and, I guess, afraid of making a fool of myself. Also, what if they make fun of me, or just don’t like me? Leftovers from high school I think. I was never popular but really wanted to fit in. I don’t put myself out there where I can get hurt very often. Doing unfamiliar things can bring out the feeling of fear as well. They usually go well but you never know how it’s going to turn out. I’m trying to get better.

I don’t want to let these fears infect my boys. I might have failed on the spider front with Turbo. He dislikes spiders as much as I do. But he likes bugs and caterpillars like any normal boy. My hope is to raise boys that have a healthy respect for the dangers the world holds but that they do not actively fear going out into that world. They have a great role model in Nick. He can walk into any situation and make friends with anyone. It is a skill I envy.

Letters to Someone

Shortmama at Family of Shorts hosts letters to Someone. It's fun so head on over and link your letters to someone.

Here are my Letters to Someone:

Dear Bruiser,
Mommy is really liking the 10:00pm to 5:00am block of sleep you are letting her get. Let’s keep it up. More sleep makes Mommy sane. Crazy Mommy is no fun for anyone.
Thanks,
Mommy

Dear Turbo,
You are doing better in school when you know someone is watching. Now you need to act that way all the time ‘cause you never know when you are being watched. Keep in mind other people’s personal space and no more peeking in the girl’s bathroom. (You are only six, that’s not supposed to be on your radar for a few more years.) You have been improving but let’s keep it up.
Love Mommy

Dear Mom,
I really appreciate that you watch Bruiser but you don’t need to keep the empty containers of food you feed him to prove to me that you fed him. I’ll believe you if you just tell me, promise.
Your Daughter

Dear Mother Nature,
The wild temperature swings are driving me crazy. It seems you are a tad unsure what the weather is supposed to be doing. It is winter. Snow is OK, cold is OK, but the -30°F stuff you can keep. I’m also not so sure hitting 50°F was a good idea yesterday. Now we have vast areas of slippery ice everywhere. Thanks so much.
Me

Dear Mailman,
Could you screen the mail and bring only the happy mail. Bills are not so happy. I would prefer the letters, magazines and such that I know are coming from someone over those pesky bills you insist on bringing month after month. If you could help with this it would make my day.
Thanks
The occupants

Dear Nick,
I love you and all you do. Thanks.
Boober

Winter Sports

This weekend Nick arranged for his parents to come and watch both boys so he and I could go cross country skiing. We spent a lovely morning skiing without any small people around. No having to encourage or yell at a small person. It was wonderful.

I have been skiing cross country since I was about 12, off and on. Nick skied in high school for the ski team. We enjoy getting out to the mountains to get fresh air and have fun. We are lucky because great skiing is only 30 minutes or less from town.

Sunday afternoon Nick took Turbo back up to the area we had gone skiing in the morning. They covered almost as much distance as Nick and I had in the morning. Turbo had a sore tush from falling on it so much but he had a ball. Nick said that he did quite well and he hardly complained the whole three hours they were out. Turbo loves to go fast down the hills. He looks so cute on his skis. We are thrilled he enjoys cross country skiing. This is the second year we have rented skis for him and he loves it.

We are holding off showing him downhill skiing cause I don’t think he would like cross country after the thrill of downhill. We are going to set up a snowboard for him but there is a hill he can go down but has to climb first. We want him to work for the thrill (and it’s cheaper to hike the hill.)(Oh a rhyme, go me.)

Anyway we love outdoor sports in the winter. This year we have had enough snow to make skiing fun and easy. We can practically ski in the park a block form our house. Makes getting out there easier. I can’t wait until we can get Bruiser on skis. Family fun that is healthy for all of us. What’s better than that?

We are also looking forward to the Winter Olympics. Watching skiing and snowboarding and skating is fun and Turbo is old enough to root for the Americans so we have fun watching them. Anyone else like their winter sports?

Post-It note Tuesday

SupahMommy hosts Post-It Note Tuesday so I thought I'd give it a whirl.





Grab the button at the top and head over to SupahMommy's and play with your own Post-It notes.

Home imporvement and other stuff

It's Random Tuesday time again! And my mind is just stuffed with thoughts. I need more room in there so here is where I dump them for all to see. Well, here goes.

I got a haircut on Friday. Mostly just a trim, but I got more bangs cut and I think I like it. I'm trying to grow the rest out so I can braid it and get it out of the way when we are camping this summer. The bangs change the look a bit, but I don't look like a twelve year old girl either so I think they work.

Just when I think Bruiser will never sleep the night through with out some serious CIO he gives me a night like last night. He slept from 10:00pm to 5:00am. The kid is seriously messing with me. He does it just to tease me--see Mommy I can do it but just don't want to. Seeing crazy Mommy all night is so much more fun. Night weaning is coming soon, like this weekend. It's gonna be rough but needs to be done.

Oh and any ideas on how to get an eleven month old to drink out of a sippy cup or straw or bottle would be appreciated. After I was home for the Christmas break, Bruiser would not drink out of the bottle anymore. I was pumping but he won't touch the bottle now. He will play with cups but not actually drink out of them. Frustrating much.

Now to the home improvement part of our show. Our kitchen is sort of half remodeled. We put in a concrete counter ourselves and new cabinets in part of the kitchen and the part with the sink is still the original cabinets from when the house was built in 1924. We have modified them some but mostly they are the same. The sink is stainless steel and the faucet is about the third one we have had since moving in.

About six months ago the most recent faucet developed a leak that has steadily gotten worse. I get a shower or the counter gets sprayed all over when I do dishes. So we have been saving for a new faucet and since we want to redo that side of the kitchen we wanted a really nice faucet because we would be reusing it. We mentioned this fact to Nicks folks and they said they had one from when they had built their house 6 years ago. They gave it to us and last night Nick put it in. It worked perfectly. I no longer need rain gear to do dishes. Yeah Nick for being handy around the house like that.

After changing the side of the kitchen that needs it we will be redoing the floor and I can not tell you how excited I will be when the floor that is currently in that kitchen is gone. I hate that floor. I cannot make it look clean no matter how much I mop, scrub or clean it. I have given up on making it look good. I clean it when it needs it but making it look nice is a lost cause. Of course we have not yet decided what we are going to put down for a floor. Nick wants tile but I'm not sure if I want tile or if I want wood. We shall see what the budget will allow.

Well head on over to Keely at the The Unmom and join in the random fun. It'll be a blast I promise.

Something new to try

SupahMommy hosts the All About MEme MOnday. I thought I'd give it a whirl. This weeks topic is your most memorable birthday.

I've had lots of birthdays(well not that many but enough) and not all of them were memorable for anything other than another year had passed. Having a birthday in August sort of wrecked the party idea when I was growing up, so my birthday was always just family. After I got together with Nick there was still no reason to do much for my birthday beyond spend it together if we could. Nick worked construction and was out of town lots on my birthday and when he started the Geology thing, summer was prime field time, so he was often out of town in August. So for years a big party for my birthday just didn't happen. I didn't even really celebrate turning 30. So when it came time to turn 35 I was a bit down cause, I mean 35 is old, I'm not that old yet-no way not me!

Little did I know 35 would be one of my best birthdays ever. Nick organized a surprise birthday for me and had all kinds of people over to celebrate. I knew we were having a couple of friends over but Nick got way more pizza than we needed for the four of us and had a whole cooler of beer as well. The beer was definitely not for me as I was three months pregnant with Bruiser. I began to have suspicions at that point.

Then people began to show up. I was thrilled that he had gone to so much trouble for my birthday. It made turning 35 easier to deal with. I mean it really is just another year, right? This birthday there were lots of people around and it was great fun.

I have a fabulous husband. Sometimes he does the sweetest things. 35 rocked: we got Bruiser, I got a new job and I got to have some great times with friends. So grab the button above and head on over to SupahMommy's and tell all about your best birthday ever.

Cleaning always not just for spring.

Well this Spin Cycle is a hard one. It’s hard to think of spring when it is 30 below out. I think more of hibernating than cleaning up. Cleaning happens when we have people coming over. I don’t do major spring cleaning as such. We attack the piles that grow with regularity but cleaning happens as needed. When it is warm out (May here) we wash the windows inside and out but that covers the spring cleaning around here.

I’m more of a clean as it needs it kind of girl. I’m getting better—dishes get washed almost daily, vacuuming happens weekly, laundry is done every two weeks, and the bathrooms get cleaned when they need it. I’m awful at doing the cleaning thing. It never made sense to me when my mom made me clean my room, until I had a whole house to keep clean.

I’m lucky that Nick pitches in and helps. I can’t watch him cleaning but he will clean bathrooms, do dishes and do yard work. I don’t take any credit that he does; it was all the work of his mom. He even puts the toilet seat down. How lucky am I?

Every two months or so we wade through Turbo’s room and clean it out, discarding the numerous kid’s meal toys that have accumulated, putting sets back together and generally straightening up. We do have him pick up but that is him piling stuff out of his way mostly. We are working on it.

So, for us, as long as we have people over regularly, the house gets cleaned. Truly, our house looks best when we have company. But we always say that we live in our house so it is never perfect. Good enough for government work is our motto. We aren’t living in a pig sty but we also don’t live in a Martha Stewart picture perfect house either.

As for spring cleaning the closets in our house, well since I have been sporting maternity or nursing shirts for the last year and a half, the clothes in my closet are getting very little use. I am hoping to wean Bruiser soon and get back to that closet of clothes just to see what fits and not terribly out dated.

Nick doesn’t give up clothes until they fall apart, like a typical guy. Going through his closet happens when I am putting away laundry. That’s when I check for wear and tear on his clothes. I throw away the cleanest holey socks.

So, no huge monumental cleaning spree here, just continual chipping away at the accumulating messes and piles of stuff. It works for us.

Baby, it's cold outside.

OK so its cold here. Seriously cold, like 31 below zero. Neither one of our cars would start this morning. We get an unexpected day off. If you can't get anywhere then you stay home.

Nick and Turbo are building with Lincoln Logs and Bruiser is crawling all over me. We are spending the day keeping warm and I hope all of you do to.

That's all for me.

Christmas Recap

In case you were wondering what the lights were like at my FIL's house here is just a taste. They made the local newspaper this year. Well done Papa.



Can you see the anticipation on his face? The wait was killing him.


Bruiser's favorite part was watching Turbo and eating the wrapping paper and a bow or two.


Let me out!!


Well that is a taste of our Christmas celebration. It's out of my system now. I will move on the Wintry stuff now.

Oh it's Tuesday again

Right, so it's Tuesday and that means it's time to clean the random thoughts from last year up and get started on the new ones. Keely hosts this random extravaganza so head on over to see her for more random fun.

Well for my first thought I will share that our tree still stands in our living room. It is naked-just the prelit lights remain on it. Taking ornaments off of it was as far as I made it yesterday. Nick is doing training and got home late and had a new TV to hook up so the tree still stands-naked- in our living room. It's kind of sad really.

New Year's Eve was tons of fun and a huge gorge fest that started at 3:00pm and finished up at 9:30 pm. We then watched the ball drop in New York and said Happy New Year to each other and promptly went to bed. I know, we have the corner on excitement here. The next day, we did next to nothing and it was great.

We have enough snow that Nick and Turbo went skiing in the park about a block from our house. They both came back cold, but happy.

Turbo finally got to check out his new sled(we got it for him two years ago-bad parents) last week. He sure can cruise down the hill on it. The kid was a trouper about going up the hill, no complaints about the hike or requests for help up. We took Bruiser to watch and he really wanted to play in the snow but since he's not walking yet he would have gotten wet and cold pretty fast if we had let him. Still we had a great day.


Well have a great Tuesday and be thankful it's not Monday.

Ch-ch-ch-anges

Turbo lost his left front tooth New Year's Eve day. The Tooth Fairy had to work New Year's Eve. He has a slight whistle when he talks now. The other front tooth is loose and will probably be gone by Valentine's Day. We had to help it come out because the grown up tooth was coming in behind it. Thank goodness for oragel. Nick pulled it out and when it was done Turbo was really excited. The Tooth Fairy was pretty generous with him, cause he was so brave getting it out and all. Started the year off right for Turbo.

Turbo than raided his bank and took his loot and went to the store to get himself a toy. You know, cause the Christmas stuff was old news by now. He got some more Bakugon thingies. I'm not real sure what Bakugon is--I think it a game of some sort but I'm fuzzy on the details. It's really cool for first graders though. He's happy and they keep him occupied.

Turbo is being more helpful around the house and with Nick. He is also a cross country skiing fool. He looks so cute when he skis. We have also turned a corner when it come to board games. Turbo has graciously lost some games recently. No crying, getting mad or yelling because he didn't win. Guys, this is major. This kid hated to lose. Now I'm wondering who swapped him when I wasn't looking. It does make playing games more fun, and makes playing them easier.

Well on to Bruiser. He can stand on his own for up to 30 seconds now. He's letting go and standing all the time, anywhere he happens to be. He waves at us when he feels like it. He is playing with his toys more. He really likes his piano. He gives me mini concerts all the time.

Bruiser is pretty good at feeding himself and prefers our food over baby food. He will taste any food held up to his lips before opening his mouth just to make sure he wants to eat it. It's challenging to make meals with at least one thing he can eat. If we don't, it gets very loud because he yells for his share and he knows if the food comes from us or not. He's also good at spitting out food he doesn't want to eat.

Bruiser can really cover the ground too. Man that kid can crawl. He has radar for the remotes too. He likes to push the buttons then see what the TV does. And he like to attempt to call Timbuktu on the phone(at least you can't call long distance on our land line). And nothing gets in the way of Bruiser when he is on a mission. He will scale us, the dog or any pillows or laundry baskets in his way. He just puts his head down and goes. My shins should be all bruised from his head hitting them when he gets to me. Then he will sit and close his eyes so I will pick him up.

For the whole family we got a 32 inch flat screen TV(should come today-Woot). Ebay is the best. We were down a TV and this gives us back our movie watching ares in our basement. Because of this Nick completely rearranged the family room in our basement. I'm not sure I like it but he is pleased with it and since he spends more time there than I do I'll just let it go.

And so the changes continue around our house. What's changing for all of you?