My Exciting Life

My to-do list is getting shorter. MY list is, Austin's list just keeps getting longer. Just so you're not confused.

My shower curtain is almost finished. YAY!!

My memo boards are ready to be hung in the office. So Pretty...

I have 4 baby blankets ready for the silent auction and another 4 ready to be sewn... I also have some burp rags washed and ready for some fabric but am undecided on weather or not to actually bag them as sets or forget about the burp rags...

My tomatoes are planted... Love me some fresh garden tomatoes!!

I have kept up with my 365 project. I have taken a photo everyday. I just haven't had time to get the last 2 weeks posted. I love to look and see where all my visitors are coming from that visit that site. All kinds of different countries... The USA only makes up about half of the visitors. I was really amazed. I think some of the search words are hilarious and wonder how they even ended up on my site because I am honestly like 4 pages back on google/yahoo/bing. Maybe tonight after the house settles down I will have time to update it... Maybe. As soon as I have time to breath I am going to order the photos from May 1st and 2nd on canvas. I just have to decide what size. I already know where they are going to go!

And now I'm off to sew up those 4 blankets hopefully before my babysitting kids get here and the chaos ensues. Can I just say I am so tired of the tattling!! They are learning quickly that tattling just gets you in time out. I can see with my own eyes what is instigated and what is lied about. Just a little forewarning... My afternoon is going to suck.

So that is what I've been up to and will be up to... I know exciting.

Oh and the cherry on top... Mason decided last night that he was no longer going to wear a diaper. SWEET!! I might have to move the sewing machine into the bathroom...

Sunday And My Best Friend Noxzema

Let me set the scene...

It is 60 outside and there is a breeze... it is cloudy... no hint of blue peeking out of the clouds at all...

I am mowing the yard at what could be considered slower than a snail...

I am wearing my normal yard mowing outfit... running shorts and a gray tank top...

I have goosebumps...

After the first acre I was finally able to mow at full speed... Finally!

3 hours later I am bright red and think I might even have a wind burn...

On a cloudy and cold day...

And that was my Sunday. The only redeeming point was that I got to kill a huge snake... I had to mess up the yard to do it because the direction I was going would have blown snake guts all over me but I got it...

I got the snake about 45 minutes into the mowing and the rest of the time I tried to get 'the song that never ends' out of my head and playing on facebook and the internet via my blackberry...

I know totally safe!!

After a pre-shower rubdown of Noxzema I am back to normal. Well, mostly anyways. I am a slight pink color but it doesn't hurt and I'm hoping it doesn't peel.

Mason

Sometimes it is hard to tell where Mason gets his sense of humor from.

He has the obvious two-year old sense of humor and then sometimes he will come up to you and just jabber. He will then look away for just a second and then laugh inappropriatly. You know the big booming fake laugh.

I love it!!

I don't know if he is telling a naughty joke or just making fun of whoever he does it to but it is great fun.

Then there are the times when you're getting ready to tell him not to do something and he will run up to you and do the muscle pose and start that grunting growl and strain the muscle pose. After the subsequent laughing it is hard to get after him for whatever he was doing.

Every night he has to introduce me to his dad when Austin gets home from work. Austin will walk in the house and he will go and welcome him home and then drag him to where ever I am and point to me in the tada way and say 'mom' like we have never met before. Then he has to drag Austin around and introduce him to the dogs and the rest of the house which he signifys by taking his arms in an arch over his head and saying 'howwwws'.

Mason has so many cute things he is doing eventually I will get it all wrote down on his calendar. My favorite right now is he will tell me that he luvs me and then go jump on the couch and he has this pirate patch we got at a b-day party, he puts it on and comes up to me and does the pirate growl...

I don't know where he learned the pirate growl. Maybe it is like the car noises and little boys are born knowing how to do it.

There are some things that he does that drive me nuts but they are the same things that drive me nuts about his father too so I know he comes by these things honestly. It doesn't mean I'm not trying to change his behavior though. Some day some lucky lady will owe me a lot. I mean A WHOLE BUNCH!!

No Argument

It was rather disappointing. Austin put up no fight whatsoever about the towels.
I ended up getting the Pink, Blue, Orange, and Green. That gives us 8 of each size. Next week I might stop in and pick up some more in different colors, I haven't decided, yet.

Busy Weekend

This weekend is going to be busy!

Starting today.

Tonight, my husband and I, are dropping Mason at his grandparents house for a little sleepover. We are headed into town for a little date night of sorts.

To start off we are stopping at Walmart for my towels. Austin has promised not to rush me or get too annoyed. It is my mother's day present after all. Well that and he knows if he rushes me and I feel as though I've made a bad decision that he will never hear the end of it...

Then we are going to dinner. We haven't decided where yet. My guess is that we will end up at The Mandarin. Just The BEST Chinese place ever...

After dinner I will try to talk him into going to a movie... or maybe just grabbing a bottle of wine and going home (wink wink). It's amazing, when you stop trying for that elusive child how much more fun 'wink, wink' can be... I know TMI!!

Saturday morning we are sleeping in. Actually sleeping in!! We don't have to be over to get Mason until early afternoon. We will be picking him up on our way to a friends house for our monthly get together. I am taking cinnamon rolls and punch. I made peach and raspberry punch. Maybe someday I'll post the recipe but don't hold your breath. It is that good.

Sunday, Mother's Day, I am sleeping in and then we are going to Austin's parent's house for a cookout. Should be fun... Seriously, I'm not joking this time, I have a whole list of new one liners to use on his sister when she starts complaining!! I can't wait.

I know I will be exhausted on Monday. Just how a great weekend should end up.

Now I better go check on those yummy cinnamon rolls and make a little lunch.

Hope everyone has a good weekend Mother's Day weekend!!

I Have A New LOVE!!

It's true I have a new love.

This Alexander Henry print is no longer my favorite...

This Michael Miller print has taken it's spot.

It is so gorgeous!! That little picture does not do it justice!!

The green in it matches my bathroom to perfection...

The turquoise in it matches my office to a T...

I have no clue what I am going to end up using it on... I already have my fabric for the bathroom and I already have some fabric for the office curtains. I'll think of something though...



I had seriously considered using it for all the curtains in my bathroom but then I found the towels I want at Walmart.

Huge, bright, pretty towels...

Orange, Turquoise, Hot Pink, Bright Green, Light Blue, Bright Turquoise, Grass Green...

Now to decide on what colors I want... Or I could get a set of each... Really how many towels are too many? Right now we have six bath towels, six hand towels (which I use for my hair), six wash cloths. It feels like I am always washing towels!! BUT if we had more would they sit in the hamper longer before I washed them? See that is the question.

My husband says if I ask him anymore questions about towels and showers curtains he is going to stop talking to me. I may have a quiet weekend ahead of me... You'll notice I'm not complaining about that prospect...

He knows I love him!!

I Wish

I wish I had the energy of my two-year old...

This Week

This week has been a good week.

We'll start this little post at last Saturday.

I woke up early because the 2-year old decided it was time to get up. Mason watched cartoons while I got caught up on the news. Then I followed my ritual of actually being home on a Saturday morning, I checked the JoAnn Fabric and Crafts sale flyer online. Good news 40% off the Calico Keepsakes fabric I like. I go upstairs and inform my husband I am headed to town ALONE. Gotta say I found some awesome deals!!
The ladies at my local store know me and were surprised to see me put some plain white fabric on the table. I was too!! However, I really don't want to pick new fabric for my shower curtain so I had to buy some white so that I can piece work my shower curtain in the fabric I want. And Austin thought he was being so clever...

When I got home from town it was time to head north to a 3-year old birthday party. Only problem was my husband and child were not home. They had gone over to my husband's parents house and had gotten roped into a project.

Good new... They both had to have clean clothes and bath/showers before we could leave. I know how AWESOME!!

So we were late in arriving to the party but we weren't the only ones so it was okay. We enjoyed the evening with friends and played cards way way waaaay too late. I think it was around 1 by the time we got home.

Sunday morning came way too early. Mason having had a whole nights sleep got up early again around 7. I opened my sandpaper coated eyes and headed downstairs. I decided that breakfast in the highchair was in order so that I could shower. Alone.

After getting ready Mason and I headed to another birthday party in Elk Horn. A torturous one hundred and twenty-one miles from home. A drive in the morning that Mason was awake for and grumpy. I gave in a put on a childrens CD. He lasted over an hour whereas I promptly turned off his CD and put on some more likable music in the form of a country station that went to static between hills. Anything is better than his CD!!

We spent the day with my family and had a good time. Mason loves playing with his cousins. They are all boys and love to rough house. This poses a couple problems though because he just doesn't understand why our friends' kids don't like to rough house. Mason and I left Elk Horn a little later than I had planned but that happens alot so it was nothing new. We got home around 9:30 and after saying good night Mason headed upstairs to bed. I followed shortly thereafter and we both slept until 8:30 the next morning.

Monday was spent doing a little laundry and editing photos from the previous weekend. I took photos of my best-friend Dawn and her family at Big Lake park in Council Bluffs. Good thing she loves me because I have been so busy I haven't been able to give them my full attention for more than 15 minutes at a time since that weekend. Even now I've got her photos pulled up on the screen next to me. Which is why I absolutely love dual screens!!

Tuesday (yesterday) I babysat in the afternoon and let me tell you everyone of the kids was crabby and telling on each other over petty stuff so they all sat in time out. Even the one year-old. She told on her older sister for touching her doll. Yes just for touching. I think they understand now that that behavior isn't tolerated in this house because the rest of the afternoon was blissfully quiet. I know, I'm a hardass but tattling is something I can't stand I don't care how old or young or what your brother did to you or someone else... I was in the same room with all of them so it wasn't like I wasn't actually watching them. I know what happened.

After watching 3 extra little kids for a couple days it is cemented that I am having no more kids. One is more than enough.

And that brings us to today.

I am working on Dawn's photos, when my eyes get square I work on my shower curtain. Next up is lunch and nap time. I'm really hoping to be able to finish the photos during nap time... That is my main goal for the week!! To have those in the mail to her by Friday...

This next weekend I am home the entire weekend and it will take a lot to get me out of the house. A LOT!!

What A Week

I am back to normal!!

All it took was a little time a loving husband and box of tampons.

Can't say as that I'm a huge fan of that crazy lady... Thankfully she won't be making an appearance for another couple of months!

I'm Late, I'm Late, I'm Very Very Late

No not pregnant...

I guess I'm just feeling impatient.

About what I don't know.

I have a couple of things I'm waiting on. Well, more like waiting on to fall into place, I knew it would take awhile to fall into place. It is nothing that I would be impatient to get started on anyways so I don't think that is it.

I just have this feeling that I'm late. Late for what I don't know but it is kinda that feeling. Almost like an anxiety attack all the time. I wake up in a cold sweat, with leg cramps, and I've almost totally undressed myself in my sleep already. The dogs don't even want to be near me. My son comes up to me and says 'ok mommy?'.

I've just been irritated on top of all of that. Everything is making me irrational.

Okay maybe not irrational but it is making me feel as though I'm being irrational.

Does that make sense?

O'well I'm sure it will pass.

Watching Other Peoples Kids

I have been and will be babysitting my friend Jess's 3 little kids twice a week for 4-5 hours. Tuesdays and Thursdays.

So an overview of how today went...

One word... HORRIBLE...

I was threw up on and had to clean up smeared poo off my bathroom wall. One child, E, wouldn't stop crying. The oldest, R, wouldn't stop tattling. The middle, a boy around Mason's age, V, was sick.

I'll let you guys guess who threw up on me and who smeared the poo. I will tell you it was the same little person both times. I know he didn't feel good though.

The poo was total accident. You know the sick poo, didn't quite make it to the potty and then tried to clean himself up. Got it on his hand and then my wall trying to brace himself...

A quick bath and fresh clothes and I thought we were good to go...

We were all standing in the kitchen getting ready to play a game. When all of a sudden V just erupts. All over my legs, chunks of banana and milk. You read that right. Chunks of milk. AWESOME.

I can handle throw up. It doesn't affect it.

I look over and see that R is dry heaving, Mason is a faint green color, and E is reaching down to play in it.

Sweet

Just frickin SWEET...

So I say all kids to the living room. Play hide and seek...

I sit on the edge of the tub just wash my legs off... Oh so totally gross!!

Then I had to find V some more clothes because he had already had the poo accident and gone through his clean undies and jeans and socks and shirt.

Thankfully it didn't take long.

After that things calmed down considerably. V laid around on the couch and watch cars. Mason played quietly with his cars on the table and R and E played with some blocks in the kitchen on the freshly mopped floor.

It was then that I looked at the clock and realized it was only 3:15 and their mom wouldn't be here to pick them up until around 5:30.

I'm really hoping Thursday goes better.

I've Been Thinking

So, I have this camera and I use it everyday. I read the photography blogs. Some inspire me, some that annoy me but have some good educational material (most fall into this category), some that I've just watched blossom, and then several 365 blogs.

I notice on their 'about me' or 'what's in the bag' section they show a photo of their camera and they always seem to have their lens hood on.

I don't use my lens hood.

I don't even know what the lens hood is used for.

Should I be using my lens hood?

I have no clue.

I can't see as how it would effect my photos. My style of photography.

Just 'thinking out loud' per say.

Nap Time

I enjoyed my weekend away. I slept like crap and was constantly busy. I missed my little boy. I might have even missed my husband a little. You know in the middle of the night, when it got chilly in the room, and I couldn't sleep because of cramps...
Yep... I Am A MOMMY! I am not meant to be away from my child for that long...
You know come to think of it I just need a little a practice...
I am sure that is it.


I got home Sunday night about 9:30 or so. When I was coming up on Boone I called home to see if I needed to stop at the store. My husband sounded a little groggy.

I was not concerned at this point...

He said he didn't know if I needed to stop or not. I ask him if Mason is in bed yet, mind you the time is 8:30. My husband says, "Shhhuurrre... He's been there for awhile..."

At this point I get a little suspicious.

I ask, "How long is awhile?"

He says, with no inflection whatsoever, "I put him down for nap at around 3:30 and he hasn't gotten up yet."

I took a couple of deep breaths and said, "Whenever he gets up you are getting up with him then with no complaint."

Without skipping a beat he asks, "So do you want me to wake him up now?"

I yell, "No you crazy bastard, I wanted you to take care of our child and not let him sleep all afternoon and evening. Maybe feed him a little supper and make sure his butt stayed clean."

No wait that is just what I was thinking...

What I actually said was, "No just let him sleep and don't complain when he gets up really early."

He got lucky though and Mason slept until 6:30.

I rolled my butt out of bed when he yelled up the stairs that he was leaving for work. I believe it was around 7:15. Mason has been crabby though. I would think after getting around 15 hours of sleep that he would be well rested... I was wrong.

Conceited

Let me set the scene...

Last night Austin and I are laying in bed...

I am checking Facebook on my laptop...

Austin is surfing the web on his phone...

I know you totally thought this was going to be dirty but I'll over look that and go on...

All of a sudden I hear, "What no comments? Do they think I'm that ugly?"

It takes me a second to come out of my own thoughts to realize he is talking... Well not just talking but actually talking to me.

He looks at me like I've grown another head and a couple of ears or something and shows me his phone.

I bust up laughing because he is showing me this.

It took me awhile to explain to him that I just don't get that many comments. I get request for EXIF data via email every once in a while but that is about it.

I think he was hurt so I told him that I would post him a comment myself just so he could feel better.

He told me not to bother because I would be lying...

I am still chuckling about it because he really is the least vain person I know. Seriously he has very high self esteem and yet was acting this way about this photo is just funny to me.

And he wonders why I call him cute all the time.

I cloned out his beard for a photo and showed it to him and he was rather upset... The beard has been with us for 2 years, 3 months, and 28 days... not that I'm keeping track or anything... I am used to it and rather like it when WHEN he keeps it trimmed. He doesn't believe me though and thinks he is keeping it just to annoy me.

I really wonder how we could be married for 66 days shy of 10 years and he truly knows me so little. I guess that is why we get along so well. He is always learning something new about me!!

Felt Good

I went to Walmart last night and walked out having spent only 6.92.

I think this is a record...

Then again, it is the first time in 3 years that I walked into a Walmart and didn't buy diapers...

WooHoo

I have updated my Picture My Everyday site again... I know so updating so close together can really set up a bad precedence...

But I am trying to do better!!

Oh, and I'm all caught up on sewing projects for other people so now I can work on my own stuff... First on the list is two camera strap covers... I found some fabric I just couldn't resist.

Even though it will be awhile before I get to use them I will feel better just knowing I have them.

Then I might even make the curtains for my office... I just have to decide if I am really that in-love with the fabric I have for them. When I picked out the fabric there weren't too many choices in the brown and turquoise section. Now there are tons...

And now I'm off for a weekend alone. You read that correctly. Alone in the car by myself for over 7 hours total. Totally SWEET!! I cannot wait...

Benefit

We are planning a benefit for my sister's husband Jesse.

Last week he underwent stem cell transplant and insurance isn't covering everything. Then on top of that he won't be able to work the whole summer...

I don't know all the details yet but be sure they will be posted here when I find them out...

Please keep them in your prayers.

Finally

I was finally able to get my PictureMyEveryday site updated...

I didn't realize that today is day 100... I know, how exciting...

Happy? Unhappy?

So, I have this friend that if I say anything negative about my life will ask me if I'm happy...

How in the world am I to respond to that?

Would anyone really ever say "No. No I'm not."

I'm not extremely happy at the moment but that is because my washer is giving me fits again. Am I overall unhappy? Hell no. I have a good life. A husband who loves me and would do anything for me. A son who might aggravate me but makes up for it when at bedtime he wants me to kiss his cheek like a million times. A family who is there and loving (well most of the time). I'm healthy. Sure I'd like to be thinner but I'm happy with what I am.

So how am I to respond when asked this question? Especially when I know he is thinking "why couldn't she be happy with me?"

So far I've just decided to ignore the question. I think this might be the best route... but how do I change how I feel about the question? Every time he asks it my first thought is "Why was I such a chicken?" and then "What was I really scared of anyways..."

I can answer that.

I was scared of me.

I'm still scared of me...

Life

Life in general has just gotten the better of me this week...

Everyday we have had something going on... I'm ready for a day that I don't have to do anything.

Easter was good. We drove down to Grandpa's on Friday after Austin got home from work. I was not awake very long. The night before I had stayed up all night. Totally unintentionally! I started working on a baby blanket after Mason went to bed and got in a good grove around 1. I looked at the clock at around 2 and thought to myself that I only had about 30 minutes of stuff left and that I would go to bed after that... That was the kiss of death!! The next time I looked at the clock it was 5:27.

At that point I knew better than to go to bed so I made some coffee instead.

I did awesome on not be grouchy or overly tired all day. Once we got in the truck and the heater was just barely blowing with the road noise and repetitive movements I was out like a light.

Saturday morning I got up early and went to Omaha with my mom and dad to go see my brother in law, Jesse, at hospital. Jesse was in the middle of his 6 days of double chemo. He had his stem cell transplant on Tuesday and is doing good. After that we went to Walmart... That was fun... We got home around 7 and I went over to rescue get Mason from his dad. We visited with my family for a while and then headed back over to grandpa's for bed.

Sunday we got up early and got our stuff around to leave. We were actually the first to arrive at my grandma's for Easter dinner. I was shocked because we are usually the last to arrive. We had a nice day with my family and after we had had all we could handle we headed home. I was excited we got home around 7:30. Well, we got to Boone around 7:30 anyways. As always a stop at the grocery store was in order before we could actually head home.

Monday was spent finishing up some shower gifts. Now I am just waiting on my washer to get here so that I can wash them before wrapping or bagging the gifts.

Tuesday was spent on the phone... I hate talking on the phone!! I have better things to do but when I call and cancel something aka the garbage service and they mess it up and I still get billed, it requires a call or two to a couple of supervisors... Good news though is that I got my bill expunged and they are sending me a check for my troubles!!

Wednesday I got my washer back and so that involved some cleaning. Some major cleaning where the washer/dryer stack... It is amazing how dirty that little area gets with just the washer/dryer scum. Compare able to where the fridge or stove sit in the kitchen. Although I am able to move the fridge and stove on a regular basis and clean underneath them. I think my OCD rears its head more in the kitchen though than the bathroom. Well except for the toilet... tub... shower... sink... floor... Okay so I might have OCD in both the bathroom and the kitchen... Anyways...

Today was spent catching up on laundry and this afternoon will be spent in Webster City watching three of the cutest little kids I know. I'm really hoping Mason doesn't come with any new bad habits...

Tomorrow is Friday and I'm not near ready for the weekend. I don't know where my week has gone. I didn't even stay up all night any night this week... Well so far anyways. I guess that is always an option for tonight.

I have gotten an order for another baby blanket/bib/burp clothe baby gift. My neighbors sewing machine is on the fritz and while I offered her the use of mine she says she likes how I do it better. The only bad thing is the shower she is going to is on Sunday. Today is Thursday. I should be able to get it done though if I can get 45 minutes to an hour of quite time. I already have the fabric cut and pinned together. My husband has asked if I want to start a little side business of sewing but I don't think so... That would make it a job and I am just a little job phobic... I like being able to do things at my own speed and not having to worry about pleasing anyone else...

So that is life.

Sunday I have plans to do nothing but update my various photography business endeavours