Big news and a video {totally unrelated}

I'm NOT (I repeat) NOT pregnant. Heaven's no.....

But, can you guess the big news from this pic???

It's blue. It's spacious. It holds 7 people. It's got brand new wheels. And yes, even a DVD player....

Yup.

(This is the only pic I have right now. More coming soon...)

We had to drive 2.5 hours one way to go pick it up. But, we wheeled and dealed and paid an awesome price. So so SO worth it.

***

And if you like giggling babies, giggling daddies, and a funny ending...

WATCH. THIS. VIDEO.

Random updates...

Life seems to be a blur lately yet, I find myself not really wanting to blog about any of it. Nothing very inspirational to share. Just life. So here's a quick update for those that are interested:

• Mason's been teething (or at least I think so). There has to be SOME reason he's not been napping well, waking up early in the mornings, fussy, drooling, wanting to chew on anything, pooping like crazy (sorry TMI), and just not himself.
• Our house has not made any progress. Just look at the picture from the last post and it's identical to what's there today. Nothings changed. If anything it's only gotten messier. Piles of tools on the counter, stacked paint cans on the floor, piles of papers that you never know where to put, laundry covering the couch. Just messy. And I don't care.
• I'm DONE nursing! Have been for a while now. But, it sure took a couple of weeks of feeling crappy before I felt normal again. As in...I thought I was pregnant there for a minute I was feeling that bad. (Which I'm NOT just to clarify). And the day I finally did feel good again was the day my cycle started. Awesome.
• Greg's been working like crazy. Nuff said.
• We have several events this weekend. I should be looking forward to them...all fun times with friends, potlucks and parties. But, being a mom of two kids under the age of two it just means shuttling the kids all over the place, figuring out child-care, etc. I will be fine once I get there...it just gives me a headache sometimes.
• We are seriously looking a purchasing a vehicle and it has been very stressful. I've been the work-horse behind it (which I happily volunteered for!). But, just like buying a house it takes time and patience.
• My Mom came out last week and did a front yard make-over for me! She helped me find some plants I love and basically re-did the entire planter area. Love it! Now I just have to keep up with weeding. Pics soon...

We have been loving the weather lately--Indian summers in the Midwest are the BEST!

Baseboards

Check out the centerpiece that is gracing our dining table this morning..... 

Freshly painted baseboards by the Mr. over the weekend.

And they will probably be there all week.

And there's about a magillion more.

Our home has not had baseboards for about 3 years. We ripped the suckers off as soon as we started painting one room at a time until the entire house was baseboardless (yes, that's a word I just made up).

They're nothing fancy. Super cheap. Not even real wood. But they are nice and wide and that's all I wanted. Plus, add to the fact that we are amateurs at EVERYTHING. So we are going for simple lines to make installation a bit easier.

***

And just for fun, I'm LOVING these new shoes I got over the weekend!

In order to relate this to the post...it's also been 3 years since I've had a new pair of running shoes. So in celebration of getting new baseboards I got some new kicks as well.

How's that for wrapping up a post??

Cutest video to date...

This is the video I will show to my kids down the road when they never seem to stop fighting.

(Probably sooner than I think).

"Kensie! Mason! Stop bickering. Come here and sit down and watch this video!"

And then I will say, "Just look how cute you used to be in the good 'ol days..."

I love those two.

***

PS- I'm heading down to the basement RIGHT NOW to do the workout I missed yesterday! Sometimes, just writing it down is all the motivation I need...

Peace!

Basement dreamin'

It's Thursday and my kids are napping.

I'm supposed to be doing my weight lifting routine in the basement on Thursdays.

But, today I'm zapped and don't feel like it.

It might have something to do with staying up WAY TOO LATE the past few nights in a row.

Why you ask? Oh, no reason really.

Other than coveting my time alone with the hubs while the kids sleep--watching movies, dumb TV shows, looking at cars on craigslist....really no good reason. And we are both paying for it. Dragging our feet. Suffering from headaches. Guzzling coffee and Mt. Dew. Yeah. We're smart like that.

So instead of getting fit in the basement I'm dreaming up ideas for that dungeon down there...

Like this basement laundry room:




BHG

  

I especially love the curtains covering the walls and the exposed white painted ceiling with the hanging lights. And that table covering the washer and dryer is awesome! So bright and cheery. Pretty much everything our basement is NOT right now.

***

And I would LOVE a larger playroom in the basement like this:




HGTV



Fun colors, nice built in shelves to stay organized, and LOTS of room to play.

***

And maybe if I had a workout room that looked like this I would be down there even on those blah days:



Source



Yes, I think I could easily lose track of time while looking at that mural. Simply stunning.

*YAWN*

Man, I gotta go to bed early tonight....

Mr. Mason Man and Miss Kensie Girl {new stages}

This boy has a smile that can light up a room. Seriously. And those big blue eyes--just like his big sister. He melts me from the inside out with that sweet face. He's 5 months today and just gets cuter by the second.

I never thought boy babies could be cuter than girl babies. You know what I mean? Not that girls are cuter than boys...I just always had it in my head that baby girls would ALWAYS beat out baby boys (in the "cute" department anyway). But, now I bite my lip. I tell Greg almost every night before bed, "I really never thought a boy could be cuter than Kensie but, I think Mason just might have passed her up!"

I've said it before but he has SO much more personality than Kensie did at this stage.

Who knows how that will translate once HE turns 2. Speaking of turning 2.....someone is crossing over to her second year of life in a month.

Miss Kensie has had a few more spanks and time-outs this week. Oh my dear Kensie girl. She has run out of teething excuses, up-too-late-last-night excuses, etc. As one friend put it, she's just growing up. Testing to see which buttons are best to push. I see her frustration when she can't communicate, or can't finish whatever task she's trying so desperately to finish. And I see her wanting to make her own choices. Not just the ones I give her. *Sigh*. And I'm trying to stay calm. Make lots of eye-contact. Talk calmly repeating the SAME thing for the ten thousandth time. Many of my friends have kids between ages 2 and 3....and well, I think I'm next. Should be an interesting year to say the least.

I'll be honest, I'm not looking forward to potty training, moving to her big-girl bed, and being in the front lines of parenting. Consistency is key but patience is fleeting. So pray for me if you think of it.

Mr. Noodle

I love our town. It reminds me so much of the town I grew up in. Cute little downtown with unique shops and boutiques. Farmer's Market every Wednesday and Saturday. Just minutes from the beach. Small enough to run into people you know. A place where "college-town" meets "family-friendly". A perfect place to raise your kids.

It's definitely what gets me through those tough mid-west winters sometimes.
That's for sure. 

Every Thursday night {during the summer} is Street Performers Night!

It's basically an outdoor talent show featuring a variety of live performances throughout downtown. They close off the street for easy walking and performers litter the sidewalks in every nook and cranny.

Singers

Hip-hop dancers

Juggling acts

Belly-dancers

Magicians

and Kensie's favorite.....

Mr. Noodle

Well, that's what we call him anyway.

Big shoes. Red nose. A hat full of tricks. Silly suspenders and white gloves. The quintessential clown.

He never says a word but, has the ability to capture an audience {especially kids}.

What a fun and rewarding gift he has!

Unfortunately, he wasn't there last night. We walked up and down the street while Kensie repeated, "Noonle...Noonle...Noonle".

Even the "juggling-fire-while-riding-a-unicycle" act didn't impress her.

Let's hope Mr. Noodle is there next week, or I'm gonna have some serious explaining to do.

My motto

My new motto lately {one of many by the way} has been this:

"Mommies think about mommy things and Daddies think about Daddy things"

It's silly, but I say it ALL the time.

It has recently helped avoid many a conflict between Greg and I.

All in all, it keeps me sane.

Here's some {purely hypothetical of course} examples:

• When packing the diaper bag...
• Mommies remember everything for baby--plus some extras.
• Daddies remember everything accept the most important thing (ie: got the formula, but forgot the bottle...got the wipes, but forgot the diapers).

• When eating a snack...
• Mommies eat the same thing as their toddler to avoid a scene--or sneak it in the kitchen when the child is not looking.
• Daddies eat what sounds the best at the moment (like cheetos, or cookies of some kind)--in the living room, with an open can of Mt. Dew on the floor between munching, IN FRONT OF THE CHILD.

• When putting the kids to bed...
• Mommies (1) brush the toddlers teeth (2) get them in pj's (3) turn on the fan [for noise] and (4) shut the door.
• Daddies do 2 out of the 4.

• When doing "man-required" projects around the house...
• Mommies don't do "man-required" projects but, if they DID (and some of you mommies may) tools would be color coded and hanging in alphebetical order with labeled bins for scraps high up on shelves AWAY from kids. Am I right?
• Daddies leave every possible tool and scrap piece out in plain sight until whenever they get around to working on it next--usually on the floor. Perfect kid magnets.

• When coming into the house...
• Mommies take their shoes off and line them up against the wall.
• Daddies drop their shoes (and socks!) wherever they feel like it--usually in high traffic areas.

• When sitting down for dinner...
• Mommies only put the food out that will be consumed.
• Daddies leave ALL food and preparations out 'cuz they "might" eat some more later. And it ends up staying out until bedtime rolls around.

So, while we still have "discussions" about these everyday things....I am TRYING my hardest to plaster my motto across my brain and let go a bit. It's not worth fighting over petty things. And honestly, there are a LOT of things Greg thinks about that hardly ever cross my mind.

Like:

• How to financially plan for our future and our kids' futures. Remember, yours truly is Spender McSpendsalot.
• In what order to do house projects. I often just want the end result, and don't care how we get there.
• Coming up with more efficient driving routes when we take family trips (his super-power).
• Being adventurous and willing to let the kids try new things. I have a comfort zone so big that it needs it's own zip code. Really. Truly.
• Taking the kids outside with him while he works around the house. I would just do it during naps, but he takes the time to work along side them. Precious to watch.

Who knows what next week's motto will be but for now, I'm thankful for both of our roles. We need each other.

Toothpaste {a friendly competition}

Every couple months we go through another tube of toothpaste.

(Usually Crest, 'cuz I'm high-maintenance when it comes to my teeth and I'm a spender. Greg would brush with baking soda if he had to, 'cuz all he thinks about is how much that tube of Crest is costing us....aren't we such a good balance for each other?)

Anyway, every time we near the end of yet another tube something ignites in Greg and I. Well, it ignites in Mr. Penny-pincher first ('cuz he wants to get every last dime outta that thing) and I follow along ('cuz I'm oober competitive).

A battle of the wills.

Who will be the one to finally throw it away and start a new one?

Oh, it's onnnnn.

Who usually wins?

mmm not me.
(guys have stronger thumbs okay?)

Am I bitter about it?

usually.

Do I cheat?

sometimes.

Who's keeping track?

both of us.

Is it childish?

probably.

***

Competitive much??

Just a little.