Not Ready for Monday

And here it is Monday all over again.  I'm not really ready for it.  Oh, I rocked the house hold chores this weekend, and we got out of the house, but I really could use a day for nothing but reading and calorie free snacking.  I know, I know, I really dreaming it up there.
Anyway, The complaining laundry has been silenced, of the moment.  It got some very focused attention this weekend and I got everything done--even the towels are folded and put away. Feels pretty good, unitl I look at the hamper and see it starting to stack up again.  So I'm not looking that direction.
Saturday night Turbo had a sleepover and Bruiser spent some time with the grandparents and Nick and I attended some of the Iranian New Year celebration.  Music, dancing, snacks, but we couldn't stay for dinner.  But Nick and I did get dinner out anyway. We discovered a new way to make conversation--or Nick did.  He started asking me to name something he described.  We started off with anything, but it evolved into a name that movie game.  It was a fun walk down memory lane and we remembered some movies that we need to share with the boys.
Sunday the barometer crashed and I felt not so good. Crashes in the barometer bring on my migraines.  We took Bruiser out for breakfast.  He ate well and really enjoyed it.  I ran a quick errand to grab what had been forgotten at the store and then settled in to hopefully stave off the migraine, finish the laundry and get a nap in.  Big plans, but that's how we roll these days.
So really nothing exciting--we live a dull life 75% of the time. The 25% exciting needs to pop up around here soon.  However, I do get a girls night out this week--looking forward to that one!

And on that note-Ha!-It's time for MMMM.  Freebie week-so why not look at Girl's night out songs:

Shania Twain's Man, I feel Like a Woman:

Cyndi Lauper's Girl's Just Wanna Have Fun:

Katy Perry's Roar:

Just some fun girl music for a Monday morning.

And Friday!!!

Oh, so glad this week is just about over.  Friday took it's sweet time in getting here. However, our weekend looks more relaxed than last weekend, especially for Nick. But before we gett o the weekend, let's confess:

• I worked out twice this week.
• With the boys in swim lessons, we get 30 minutes or so of time at the rec center.
• Nick and I are taking advantage of it and exercising while they are occupied.
• I find I like using the machines.
• I do have to plan dinner rather carefully though.
• Crock pot or casseroles so we have food when we get home.
• That way we don't undo all the good of the workout with fast food.
• It does not help that we drive home past McDs and Burger King and Wendy's.
• I have been searching for shower gel that I can use without my skin freaking out.
• Burt's Bees seems to be working for the time being.
• Our phones have been slowly dying.  
• They are not so smart right now--they are almost two years old--practically ancient in electronic terms.
• We get to upgrade the end of April.
• I'm looking forward to it, but I'm not sure Nick is.
• He has less than favorable feelings toward his phone.
• My laundry pile has started whining again.
• Complaints of no attention, neglect and that I'm ingoring it are getting louder and louder.
• I will have to address it this weekend.
• Wish I could address it to Timbuktu, but shopping for a new wardrobe is not feasible.
• Meal planning has been going well.  
• This week we actually ate most of what was on the list--with few complaints from the peanut gallery.
• Next week I'm going to attempt lasagna in the crockpot.
• I also need a casserole for one night that can cook while we are at the rec center.
• Time to hunt through the copious recipes I have collected and see what sounds good.

So do you have any confessions?

Spin Cycle--Fixer Up!

I am extremely lucky.  Nick is very handy and we can do most home improvement projects ourselves.  No need to hire a contractor, we just decide what needs to be done and do it (when we have the funds).  We have done so much to our house since we moved in 16 years ago.
Some of the improvements have been minor--wallpaper removal and painting, other's have been far more significant. We have completely redone the main floor bathroom, the basement has been redone to include two bedrooms, a laundry room and master bath.  The kitchen has been completely remodeled as well.
Want to see some pictures?  Of course you do!
Our kitchen:

From this...

...to this.

The other side of the kitchen goes from ugly white cabinets to...

A functional, warm area.

the master bathroom:

Old laundry area...

To:

Now Master bath.

And the laundry room (which is on the other side from the masterbath:

Has a new floor.
There is not a room in the house we have not changed something in.  HTRe most recent project that really changed things was the closet Nick put in for me for Christmas 2012.

Nick is wonderful!  Without his know how, our house would be not nearly so functional.  Thank you Nick!!

Got a spin on Fixer Upper? Spin it up and link it up with Gretchen and Ginny Marie, they would love to have you!

On potty and Bruiser

As anyone who has followed me for any length of time knows, we have had a rough go of it with Bruiser and pooping.  It is a battle that we have fought for the last two years. There have been many bumps on the road.  It all came to a head with his five year check up.
The boy has never had a consistent pooping routine--not even as a baby.  It was always a little here and a little there. On occasion he would have a big poop, but then go back to next to nothing.
At preschool, they have been trying to work on it too.  Consistent times to go to the bathroom and try, regular eating, trying to keep track of what he eats and if/when he goes.
At home we have tried just about everything we could and nothing worked.  In discussing it with the doctor, he was concerned by the fact that Bruiser rarely goes a large poop and goes a little several times.
Our first move after the doctor visit was an x-ray that showed that Bruiser was very backed up.  So a course of Miralax was prescribed.  It was slow to show any change. We called the doctor and upped his dosage and finally, things started moving.
We had an epic week of poo.  It was messy and icky, but he cleared out.  Now we have settled into a routine of Miralax in the morning and it's amazing what his "magic water" has done for him.  We fianlly have clean unders, no fights about going, loud announcements that "I Pooped!!"  It's wonderful.
Bruiser eats more now, is taking swimming lessons, has bounds more energy, and I think he's having a growth spurt. He gets to have sleep overs, and we can leave the house without taking extra unders and wipes. I'm so thrilled that the "magic water" worked.
Now all we have to do is wean him off rewards for going poop. there's always a cloud in the silver lining.  For so long we offered rewards or incentives to get him to go, now he expects a reward when ever he goes.  This is going to take a bit of rethinking and reteaching.  But this is a good problem to have.  At least it's better than the alternative.

He's so cute, and so happy now.

I'm joining in with Shell over at Things I Can't Say for Pour Your Heart Out Wednesday.

Mug O' Comfort Swap Goodies

I participated in the Mug O' Comfort Swap adn got paired up with Jennifer from Innerworkings of the Female Mind. She was great fun to get to know and we had a lot in common. 
Saturday I shipped my package to her and Yesterday I got her package to me.  She sent some great stuff:

There was a great mug that came with a lid, two pencil puzzle books, one sudoku and one word search, a box of Chai tea, and a package of pencils.  The pencils were immediately claimed by Turbo and I had to swipe them back for the picture.
I love everything I got and since our weather here is terribly unpredictable, I'm sure I will be able to enjoy a mug of Chai and watch it snow again.
Thank you so much Jennifer, you did a great job!

Tuesday Randoms

Woo!  Made it through Monday. And since it's normal operations here, it's time to random things up.  Let's see what random we have this week:

• I hate kidney stones.  I have been passing stones off and on for the last 6-7 years.  Since the great Kidney Stone Event of 2007.  Not as big as the first ones I passed but unpleasant none the less.
• Kind of really wanting to institute nap time at work.  I have a great spot under my desk where I could curl up and catch a few winks. 

• Tonight I will start running.  The boys are in swim lessons for half an hour at the rec center, so Nick and I are going to take advantage of it.  I can run on the track and Nick is thinking about swimming.  We could get 20 minutes of activity in and we need to start somewhere.

• And Facebook has changed the interface again.  I'm sort of ehh about it.  
• Turbo gave up some stuffed animals yesterday.  I had to salvage a couple of them, sentimental reasons. He's growing up so fast.
• Strawberries and cream are a preferred dessert at the Jones house.
• We are tossing around the idea of getting Turbo his own laptop for school next year.  However, I think it will not be one to play games on.  He has a Kindle Fire for that.
• I'm feeling quite accomplished this morning, I got the dishes done, and soup in the crock pot this morning.  I didn't get Bruiser's laundry folded, but there's only so much time in the morning before I have to get the guys rolling. Yes, I am the alarm clock for most of the guys in the house--Nick got up on his own this AM, so that helped.
• My glass of white Zinfandel tasted very good last night.
• And somewhere in Wyoming:

•  I really need to do this:

• Yeah, that about sums me up!

 Not a whole lot of exciting going on at the Jones place this week.  Go see Stacy, she had a disaster at here house.
So what's your random?  Link it up with the lovely Stacy--she's back!

Aww, Monday

Here we are at another Monday.  Poor Monday, so disliked, so inevitable.  After the weekend I had, I'm almost glad for Monday--although I'd have taken another day off, especially if it came with beach time. Beach time is not much of a possibility, but we did get a bit of sunshine this weekend.
Due to spring break, Nick and I took Friday off to spend with the boys.  There was some swimming done, some banana bread made adn then we introduced the boys to Wayne's World.  They both enjoyed it.
Saturday Nick and Turbo had an archery shoot that they had to be at early. It was a 3D indoor shoot at a local roping arena. Turbo came in 3rd in his group, Nick was 8th in his group. Turbo had fun and the shoot went off well. Bruiser spent the morning with Papa and Nana.  I got to grocery shop on my own and get my swap package in the mail. It snowed off and on all day Saturday.  Just enough to make going outside not so fun. Turbo did have some fun with Thullee though:

Sunday Nick had to go clean up from the shoot, so it was the boy and me at home.  I cleaned the aquarium, changed sheets on both boys' beds, vacuumed, cleaned the upstairs bathroom and got ribs ready for the grill.
The guys hung out outside enjoying the chilly sunshine.

Even the dogs got to enjoy some time outside, although since Thullee is still a flight risk, he gets to be on a lease or in the back yard.

All in all, I feel like I accomplished a lot this weekend.  Nick did say he appreciates all I do--that was really nice.  I appreciate all he does too.

MMMM is a freebie week, so here are few I have been enjoying recently:

Thompson Square, Everything I shouldn't Be Thinking About:

Kacey Musgraves, Follow Your Arrow:

Miranda Lambert, Mama's Broken Heart:

So what are you listening to?

Sping Cycle--Sping--Not Yet

What does spring mean to you?  What does spring mean to me?  Spring is buds on the trees, tulips and daffodils, and warm sunshine.  However, spring won't appear in these parts for at least another month.
We live at 7200 ft elevation. Winter is slow to leave, even in good years, this year winter looks to be really slow in leaving. Today our temps are supposed to reach 49F.  This is quite warm for us.  It does have the effect of the oh, so fashionable shorts and sweatshirt look on campus--when there are students here. 
There is snow in our forecast for tomorrow night.  Also again on Sunday.  The first flowers won't poke their heads out until close to the end of April, unless they want to get frozen. Spring is usually quite short here.  And it comes with wild weather swings. We can go from 60 degrees and sunshine in the morning to 6 inches of wet blowing snow by afternoon, and back again.  The saying "If you don't like the weather, wait five minutes" is truly Wyoming in the spring.
I'd love to see this for srping:

We won't see that for another month.  What we will get is more of this:

Winter will let go eventually, but we know not to hold our breath.

Do you have a cheerier view of spring?  Spin it up and link it up with Gretchen and Ginny Marie, they would love to have you!

Why...

Time for another why post:

• Why does my skin think it's 15?
• Why do some books feel they are so important that they don't need a descritpion?
• Why are boy games so loud?
• Why is it that I can have great aspirations for dinner planning and then burn out about Wednesday on the execution?
• Why is the last five minutes before getting out of bed my best sleep of the night?
• Why is it, when I look at my closet full of clothes, none of them appeal to me?
• Why do all the carbs sound so delicious right now?
• Why is my five year old so dramatic?
• Why is sleep so elusive?
• Why does my hair look the best just before a hair cut?
• Why is nap time so appreciated by adults and so hated by children?
• Why do I freeze in movie theaters?
• Why do spring storms trigger my migraines?
• Why do three day weeeknds make the week so much easier to deal with?

 Do you have any why questions?

And Random!

Well, after a long weekend, we are back at work.  The kids are hanging at home, cause it's Spring Break and all.  We also don't have big plans for this years Spring Break.  Since we woke up to snow, having my mom take the boys to visit family will get to wait, at least til the weather clears off and the roads open.
Shall we got on to the random:

• Thullee is the strangest dog.  Case in point, he often lies on the floor like this:

Frog dog

Definitely a frog dog pose.

•  He really is getting big.  At almost 9 months old, we are hoping he doesn't get much bigger.
• Our weekend was sort of strange.  Nick went to an archery shoot on Saturday, so it was the boys and me for the day.  I took the easy route and let them play video games most of the day. I made a successful Chicken Lo Mein.  Turbo loved it and even Bruiser ate the noodles and chicken with minimal protest.
• Sunday was strange.  I felt off all day.  I finished the laundry--all except the towels which await folding. Turbo had a friend over which turned into a sleep over.  I reclused to the basement so my snappy mood and not feeling good wouldn't rub off too much on everyone else.
• Some minor drama over a certain child wanting to go home at midnight (we tucked him into bed and made him comfortable and he finally slept.) Monday morning came with pancakes, bacon and hash browns.  Then we took Turbo's friend home and went to the walk path with the dogs.  It was good to get out in the sun and fresh air.
• I had gotten a volcano activity thing when I did the 12 Days of Christmas swap.  Yesterday I got it out and the boys and I added water to it.

• I now have a growing dinosaur on my counter.  There was a dinosaur that was inside the volcano. It was the add water adn it grows kind.  So, it's currently growing. Bruiser is in love.
• Our celebration of St. Patrick's Day was low key.  I made corned beef in the crock pot.  We watched Finian's Rainbow (such a weird movie) and that was about it.  No green beer, no Guinness.  We just weren't feeling it this year.

So what's your random?  Link it up with the lovely Stacy--she's back!

Confessions for Friday

I need the confession today.  It's been a long, long week.  Most of which has been unbloggable.  When things clear up some, then I can share.  For now let's confess:

• Just exactly when did I get on the roller coaster again?
• Life has been throwing curves at us this last week.
• I keep having to remember our mantra--it all works out in the end.
• I just wish that getting there wasn't so up and down.
• I'm being featured at Life Without Pink.
• As a mom of boys.
• Kind of cool!
• Bruiser has been hitting the bathroom like a champ.
• It's funny, Turbo's call for help in the bathroom was "Wipe my butt!!"
• Bruiser's is an exuberant "I POOPED!!"
• Still means the same thing. 
• The end of my intimate involvement in little boy butts is in sight!
• Hip, hip hooray!!
• We have spring break next week.
• Nick and I took Monday and Friday off. 
• Two long weekends in a row.
• My mom is taking the boys out of town Tuesday through Thursday.
• Nick and I get two nights completely kid free.
• We won't know what to do with the quiet.
• Or maybe we will...
• I really need a nap today. 
• I don't think it's going to happen.
• But I can dream.

Oh to be able to nap like this.

Or even better in a sunbeam...

Are you looking forward to the weekend?  Going home time can't come soon enough.  Got anything to confess?  Do share!

Spin Cycle--St. Paddy's Day

So, are you feeling just a bit Irish?  Doesn't everyone feel a bit Irish for the 17 of March? Nick has just a smidgen of Irish in his background, somewhere back in the mists.  We don't do St. Patrick's Day huge, but we try to have Corned Beef and Cabbage, maybe, if I'm feeling all bakery, Irish Soda Bread. This meal was met with protests from the kiddos when they were little, but they are beginning to appreciate it. 
Nick and I have had some memorable St. Patrick's Days. There was last year on Fremont St. in Las Vegas, where poor Bruiser tossed his cookies.

Pre Cookie tossing.

 The one where we got to go out with friends.  We got much bling that night. Budweiser bling, but getting free t shirts and beads is always fun.  Green beer was consumed and adult fun was had.
I have on occasion produced green scrambled eggs.  Turbo made a leprechaun trap one year.
This year, we are on Spring Break again.  Nick and I took Monday off and will be home for St. Paddy's Day.  We will be making our traditional Corned Beef and Cabbage, I'm going to make a stab at Soda Bread, We may get all crazy and make green eggs, the milk may get dyed green, Who knows, some luck may fall on the boys and something else fun may happen.  We just don't know yet.

Do you have a more interesting St. Patrick's Day story? Spin it up and link it up with Gretchen and Ginny Marie, they would love to have you!

Writer's Workshop--Snacking

The prompt is the 10 favorite snacks you had growing up.  Here goes:

1. Teddy Graham--I loved these in high school.I would have boxes to snack on in the back seat of my car.  The back seat that was a sea of discarded things.

2.Slurpees from 7-Eleven--I could make these last forever--loved the spoon/straw (spraw? Stroon?) that came with them.

3. Whatchamacallit candy bars.  My favorite as a kid--not so much now, they are really sweet.

3. Hostess Chocolate Donuts--a staple on bus trips for swimming or speech team. I loved the slightly waxy feel they left on the roof of my mouth.

4. But the above only went with Cheeto puffs.  I had to have the salty to balance the sweet.

5. Sunflower seeds. Fisher brand. Later it was David, however once the kidney stone adventure was over, I had to give up my favorite reading snack. I started nibbling on these when I was about 13.  They were the perfect snack to nibble on while reading.

6. Oreos.  Who doesn't love Oreos?

7. Pickled Polish sausages.  So bad for me, but oh, so tasty to nibble on. These would come in large jars and I could nibble on them and read.  You didn't really want to take large bites.

Not exactly this brand, but closest I could find.

8.Fruit roll ups.  My mom was a sort of granola crunchy type.  She fed us as heathily as she could manage.  We really didn't get a lot of junk food.  Fruit roll ups were sweet, but still had fruit, so she would on occasion, get them for us.

9. Zingers.  These were cakes with frosting that mom would get for us.  I loved the chocolate ones the best.  Didn't care for the coconut ones at all.

10.Pop Rocks of course--I was an 80s kid.  Pop rocks were awesome and annoying.

So there, the sncaks I remember enjoying when I was a kid. 

Tuesday Random

Survived Monday and all it threw at us--migraine, work, crazy kids, time change adjustments--and here we are at Tuesday and that means tie to get all random:

• I have my second test today.  I'm a bit nervous, but some last minute cramming and I should be able to manage just fine.
• Our spring break is next week.  We have nothing major planned. My mom is taking the boys out of town to see family.  Nick and I are taking a couple days off to make long weekends. Nick has some archery stuff going on, but mostly it's pretty low key this year.
• We have both boys in swim lessons after spring break.  Yep, Bruiser finally can take swim lessons.  I so love that his potty issues are resolving. The day is coming when I'm no longer invovled intimately in my kids bathroom habits.  Hip, hip, hooray!
• The general consensus is the time change stinks.  Turbo was rather confused yesterday morning when I got him up.  I had forgotten to change his clocks.  He has an alarm clock and a wall clock.  He was less than impressed when he thought I had gotten him up at 5:45, and was even less impressed when I told him I forgot to change his clocks and no, he really had to get up. My mom ran late yesterday, she's messed up by the time change. Time change sucks.
• And, no it does not mean more sunshine. It means the sunshine is reallocated.  The change of the seasons means more sun, not the stinking time change.
• Bitter about the time change, no not me.  
• I colored my hair again.

Here I am straightened after my hair cut.

Here I am with the color.

• I think my skin tone improves with the darker color. Nick likes the color too. So win!
• My meal planning is going better.  I just have to keep the motivation up.
• Nick and I are planning on doing some exercising while the boys are in lessons.  We are at the rec center anyway.
• I need to start doing something.  Summer is coming and it's not good to go full on coverup baggy clothes mode.  Not only does it look strange, but the heat would kill me.

So what's your random?  Link it up with the lovely Stacy--she's back!