Valentine's Day: True love and Time-outs

How was your Valentine's Day? We had an interesting day at our house.

As far as Greg and I, it was great. We both got what we wanted. I woke up to discover thoughtful gifts from the hubby displayed on the kitchen table (including my favorite chocolates, a sweet hand-written letter, and a DVD). Later, Kensie and I made homemade cards, picked up Taco Bell and surprised Greg at work for a lunch visit.

Grandma Mulder even stopped by and gave Kensie a sweet Valentine doggie to add to her stuffed animal collection.

And that night we hung out with our college friends and their kids, all while laughing and taking pics of our growing families.....

The day finished after Kensie was put to bed, while sitting on the couch together, Greg pulled out a black box with a beautiful bracelet inside. This guy doesn't buy jewelry very often, so it was definitely a sweet surprise! We reminisced about past Valentine days and celebrated how far we've come. We were in love.



Kensie's day was a bit different.

Between all the "fun" activities and surprises, she just didn't seem like herself. Clingy. Fussy. Deliberately disobeying. Running after me as soon as I left the room, and grabbing both knees as she wedged her head between them. I couldn't even do my make-up without her throwing herself on the ground crying. At first I blamed her cold, her teeth, coming off a weekend away from "mama and dada". But, frankly....she just threw fits for no reason. There was no reasoning, or distractions, or ANYTHING I could do to make it stop. So frustrating.

I finally decided it was time to implement our first "time-out". At first, I picked her up from the bathroom floor where she was currently throwing a fit, and plopped her in the hallway on her bottom. I thought a firm, "Kensie, that is ENOUGH!" would do it.

NOPE.

So, I picked her up and plopped her in her bedroom on the middle of the rug and said, "Kensie, that is ENOUGH!" I shut the door until it clicked and stood outside listening to what she would do.

The fit increased for about a minute, and then she (finally!) started to calm down. I could hear her sucking her fingers and mumbling. After about 1 more minute, I opened the door to conclude the time-out. She was standing next to her crib--one hand in her mouth, and the other hand reaching through the slats of her crib stroking her stuffed animals on the other side. It seemed to work!

While we still battled a few more fits throughout the day, they got progressively better. And honestly, she has been an angel ever since. All week. Seriously. I don't know if it was the time-out...but it appears that way.

Do you give time-outs?

Current house projects...

{1} Tile the entryway and mudroom

We've had this lovely flooring in our entryway for the last...uh...2 years? Usually covered with rugs, but still. Yuck-o.

I'm really going to miss that lovely arrangement of quilt-like layers of the "L" word {linoleum} in those beautiful shades of  poop and puke gold and brown .

NOT.



We found some super cheap tile a few weeks ago from Home Depot (they are closing here in town...all sales final!), and now we are finally going to lay those bad boys! Yay! (babies-on-the-way make great deadlines for these kinds of projects, don't they?)

Thankfully we are hiring a friend from church to make sure the job is done right. We have zero experience with this stuff, and frankly...I don't have much patience for these kinds of things.

So, hopefully some after pics coming soon!!

{2} Finish the "new" nursery

It's painted (minus the window trim), it's empty (minus the futon), and ready to be moved in. Hoping those nesting instincts kick in here reeeeeal soon.

But, for your viewing pleasure....here's what Kensie thinks of baby Mason's room (sorry kinda long, but family and friends will enjoy seeing her in action):

{3} Organize closets (saving the best for last!)

I've said it once and I'll say it again. "I love organizing closets!" However, I'm also a procrastinator. Bad combo right? If you saw the video above...Greg's entire wardrobe currently takes up the "new" nursery closet. And MY entire wardrobe takes up the master bedroom closet (which is even smaller than Greg's). So we need to do some purging, rearranging, and organizing to make room for one more.

I just need to get started, and then I'll be off!

Weekly meals

One of my NY resolutions is to be better at meal planning and grocery shopping. I've always enjoyed cooking, but it sounds less fun these days being 34 weeks preggo with a teething, 17 month old hanging on your legs between 4-6pm every night.

Ultimately, I would be happy with two home-cooked meals a week. It makes cooking every single day seem less daunting. But, still leaves enough leftovers for the days in between.

This is one meal that didn't take much prep, but I'm still counting it as "one of the two meals a week".
Broccoli Cheese soup {fresh steamed broccoli mixed with a can of soup} paired with grilled Ham and Cheese sandwiches {extra sharp cheddar and honey ham lunch meat grilled on bakery fresh Cibatta bread}:

It's not every day that Greg makes it home by dinner time, so it's nice to have something for him on those nights when I just don't feel like cooking.

Below is a new recipe I made yesterday. It was a bit of preparation, but SO WORTH IT. It was one of those freebie recipe cards you get in the mail. You know, the ones where they want to mail you the rest of the card set for "FREE" and then say you can "cancel" at any time. Yeah. Not falling for it. But, the ones they DID send looked like they were worth a try.

Hearty Chicken Pot Pie (with cheater crust):

Ingredients:
(serves 6)
1  can (10 oz.) chicken broth
1 1/3  cups water
4  medium carrots thinly sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)
3  medium red potatoes, scrubbed and diced (1 1/2 cups)
2  T. olive oil
2  cups quartered medium mushrooms--left them out
1  medium onion, coarsely chopped--didn't have any, left out
1  cup frozen peas--we also added 1 cup frozen corn
1/3  cups all-purpose flour
1  (15 oz.) package refrigerated pie crusts
2 1/2  cups chopped cooked chicken--used rotisserie chicken from store...such good flavor!

{1} Combine broth, 1 cup water, carrots and potatoes in a saucepan. Bring to boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer until tender, about 10 minutes.


{2} Preheat oven to 425*. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened. Stir in the broth mixture and peas (and corn if you added them). Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Whisk the remaining water into the flour until smooth. Whisk flour mixture into vegetable mixture. Boil, stirring frequently, until thickened. Remove from heat.


{3} Unroll 1 piecrust onto floured surface. Measure and roll, if necessary, to fit 1 inch larger than top of a shallow 2-quart baking dish. Line the baking dish with crust.


{4} Stir the cut-up chicken into the vegetable mixture and pour into the baking dish. Place the remaining crust over the filling; trim and flute the edge. Use favorite cookie cutter shape for decorations. Bake until filling is bubbly and crust is browned, about 20 minutes.

ENJOY!

{Happiness}

I've been so thankful for the simple things in life lately. Sometimes you just take things for granted, you know?

Pregnancy is a gift--it's time to stop complaining already. 

Marriage is worth it--even when it means running to the store late at night for chicken noodle soup and bread. Poor Greg has been insanely sick this week. I mean, did you see Parks and Rec (the show) this week?? You have to watch it--cuz yeah, he is that sick. But, he still works that hard regardless.

Friends are forever--no matter what stage of life we are in, they are there when we need them most.

Kids are priceless--and it's time to soak up those early years!

Matching game for kids {How-to}

Have any leftover bead board sitting around? Here's a fun way to make a simple matching game for your kids. I am part of a MOPS (Mom's of Preschoolers) group. We meet twice a month. Sometimes we listen to speakers, and other times we make a craft. This was our craft today...so easy, and so fun!

What you need:
~ Mod podge
~ Sponge brush
~ Scissors
~ 16-20 pre-cut 2 X 2 in. bead board (or any other wood-type material). Whatever you use, make sure it has smooth edges and won't give splinters...ouchie.
~ Scrapbook paper of various prints and colors
~ Symbols, letters, numbers or pictures printed from your computer (used to make the "matches")

I don't have step-by-step pics, but here's a quick how-to list:

1) Cut scrapbook paper the size of the bead board squares. Make sure you have 2 matching colors for each "pair". This will be the background. Your letter, symbol, or picture will go on top of the patterned paper. Make sense?

2) Using your sponge brush, spread a thin amount of Mod Podge on the back of the paper to glue it to the flat side of the bead board. Then spread another thin amount over the top to "seal" it on. Make sure you go over the edges so it won't peel off later on. Do the same thing with your letter, number, symbol or picture. Seal it with another thin layer on top.

3) Once all the squares a finished and dry, flip them over. Pick ONE pattern of paper to use for the bumpy side, and cut them out to fit without covering the grooves. Mod Podge the same as above, making sure to seal the edges. Let dry.

 4) Next, make a cute bag to hold your new game! I'm sure you can find plain ones at Hobby Lobby or Michael's. Not sure where these were purchased. But, once you find one....simply dress it up with some fabric markers! I went pretty basic. I'm sure you are all much more creative :)

 Happy crafting!

A much needed vacation

The trip started out with a few kinks--a four hour delay in GR forced us to spend one night in Cincinnati and trek the rest of the way to Charlotte the next day. Greg missed half of his business meetings as a result, and it shortened our time spent with his parents. But, we were just happy we made it. The weather wasn't much different than home. Icy, cold...we pretty much packed the same wardrobe that we wear here in MI during the winter.

BUT...I cannot tell you how great it was to have five whole days with the three of us. Kensie proved her ability to be flexible...eating, sleeping and traveling at all odd hours. Seeing her contentment in all situations was a good reminder to me that it's OK to be "off schedule" too.

dressed up for a fancy dinner compliments of Captive Insurance

If you know me at all, I am a stickler when it comes to nap times, bed times and eating schedules at home. I was a little worried how the adjustment would go once we got down there. But, it was a good lesson in "letting go a bit" and just going with the flow. I still plan on resuming our scheduled life, but it's nice to know you can make exceptions now and then.

pool time late at night with Dada...

I felt so relaxed knowing she would be fine regardless of what our schedules held for the day. Some nights she went to bed as late as 10:30. Some days she only took one 45 minute nap. Sometimes she ate just fries and cheese for dinner. But in the end she seemed happy with whatever.

No vacation is perfect ALL the time. There were little things that bothered me...like sleeping without the steady hum of our humidifier and fan. And the best place for the pack n' play was in the bathroom, making midnight trips to the toilet a bit tricky. As well as the total access to 72 channels on a huge flat screen placed right in front of the bed (I know sounds good right?)--but it leaves the temptation to watch WAY too much TV late into the night (one more reminder to only keep our local channels..and another reminder to NEVER put a TV in our bedroom!).

Oh yeah, and the fact that I had to step out into the hallway at 1am Friday night in my PJ's to politely....no nicely.....no.....ok basically tell-off a group of "not-so-nice-looking-men" to quiet down because some people have small children trying to sleep and some people are seven months pregnant trying to get any amount of sleep possible. Oiy. I think Greg was cringing under the covers out of embarrassment. This pregnancy has removed all my filters lately, and I'm not afraid to let anything fly.



I was also surprised at how much we were able to actually DO for very little money. Traveling with a 16 month old can be difficult in some ways but, it makes a "family" trip really pretty cheap. She was young enough to get into most places for free but, old enough to thoroughly enjoy the attractions---->

Discovery Place--$24 total (kids under 2 free)

 this awesome water table was a favorite...they even had little aprons the kids could wear!

ImaginOn Library--FREE

NASCAR Hall of Fame--FREE (during their open house hours 4-6pm)

NBA Charlotte Bobcats game--$32 total (kids under 2 free)

first NBA game for all three of us!

Mall carousel ride--$2

Billy Graham Library/Museum--FREE

If you are in Charlotte and have the time, GO SEE THIS! Very cool inside.



Our trip home was much smoother. Made all our connections without a hiccup and made it home by 8:30 last night. And despite all the laundry I'm STILL doing today, it was a rejuvenating trip that will have lasting memories for our family.

One last post before we leave

I know....we already said "adios" in the last post, but I wanted to sneak one more in before we leave today.

Here is a quick video of Kensie from yesterday afternoon. Besides the fact that she took an unusually long nap, and was therefore exceptionally perky--she was just plain funny. It started when she wanted nothing on but a diaper and her snow boots. Then she tried balancing random objects on her head as she marched around the house bumping into things on purpose.

Then she discovered this new game in the entryway, and that's when I pulled out the camera. Such a goof.

Ok this time for real....peace out until next week!

Family vacay!

We are busy over here packing up for a five day vacation! Yes, I'm 31 weeks pregnant. Yes, we are flying with a 16 month old. And yes, I'm sure we will be exhausted when we get back....

But, I CAN.NOT.WAIT.

This is only the second time flying with Kensie. The first experience was not so bad. And I'm proud to say I did it alone. But, I was also not this pregnant. Thankfully I will not be alone this time. My better half will be there to share in the lap-sitting, the song-singing, the book-flipping, and all the other creative ways to keep a 1 year old happy on a plane. THANK GOODNESS. Did I mention hauling the luggage and dragging carrying a child through the airport? Oh yeah, that too.

We will also have a chance to spend some one-on-one time with Greg's parents, which I am so looking forward to. All of us together, away from our routines and duties--just able to spend some quality time together. (Well, between the business meetings the men must endure...). Yes, this is a business trip that we are calling a vacation. We are staying a few extra days to make the most out of it. No big plans...just flying by the seat of our pants once we get down there.

So, I'm sure there will be lots of pics and stories to share upon our return!

Adios!

525,600 minutes

I love the random resources that help us to remember certain facts. Like how many minutes are in a year. Recognize it? Yes, from the musical RENT. Classic. But, it's really the only way I can ever remember it. And it kind of makes you think, doesn't it? Where DO all those minutes go??? Ok, other than peeing, pooping, and doing the "dirty"...you sickos!

Now, you are all waiting for me to tell you how I want to spend those minutes this year, right?

Well here's a few:

~ Patience: Other than getting this baby out of me! a significant amount of time will go towards caring for a new baby and...uh...well...an "older" baby. Trust me, I have already started praying for patience. Everyone loves to scare you with horror stories of the transition from 1 to 2 kids....the tantrums, the jealousy from the oldest, the lack of time with your husband, the feelings of loneliness, the fatigue...I've heard it all. So, Lord give me patience.

~ Save more $$$: I want to be a more frugal grocery shopper for starters. I need to be more diligent about planning meals and really put my creative skills at work using what we already have. I can do it when it comes to decorating. But, in the kitchen I can be kind of a spender. We are saving up to buy a car come spring (or whenever we can afford it). I've been driving the same car since my junior year of high school! It will be sad to finally see it go, but a Ford Focus is not ideal for a family car, let's be honest.

~ Get back into shape: Currently I'm sporting the "round" shape...but once this baby comes out, I don't want to be sporting the flabby balloon either. It's hard to imagine running right now, but I would love to do a 5k by the end of next summer.

~ Let go a bit: It's hard for me to admit it, but I can tend to be kind of a control freak. What happens in the end? I wind up feeling exhausted because I have to do everything myself. I want to feel like there's a plan in place, but that it's ok to be flexible sometimes. I've seen progress in the year's past, but I feel like it's flared up again recently. I just want to feel more freedom knowing that things don't always have to be perfect.

~ Love my husband more: Knowing this year is going to bring new challenges, I want to love Greg in ways that he needs. I'm good at loving people the way I want to be loved. But, it's harder when it doesn't come naturally. I pray I can build him up this year through more words of affirmation and acts of service.

A very wise mentor of mine said this to me recently, "when your life gets squeezed, what comes out? Is it ugly? Or is it Jesus?"  I haven't been able to stop thinking about that. I have seen some ugliness in 2010, and I pray there will be more Jesus in 2011.

So, let the accountability begin!

Oh dear, what have I gotten myself into....

The snow is gone, the TV is on, and the sickies keep comin...

Yes, over the weekend ALL of our fluffy white snow melted into the earth. Gone. I'm ok with it only because I know it will be back. Ohhhhhh, will it ever be back....But, it was a nice way to wrap up the holidays and switch gears a bit. We took the tree down and decided to invest in a fake one for the years to come. I never thought I would give in, but after all the needles this year....we were both done with the tradition. And with all the after-Christmas sales, we found a very nice tree for half the price! Can't wait to put it up next year!

We've also been watching our share of TV. Well, I should say Kensie is watching a lot of PBS these days while I plop on the couch with my laptop. 

Ever since this third trimester set in, I've resumed my perpetually tired state. With 10 weeks left, I wish I could zap myself with extra energy...but it seems impossible. I look forward to her afternoon naps just so I can get some shut-eye myself. I have little energy left and the remote calls my name--even if it's only 10 local channels. She is old enough now that she will actually sit through a whole show without moving. The above picture is a pretty accurate shot of her "zoned out" look. At least they are educational shows right?? Ok ok...she looks like she's losing brain cells, I know. We'll play pretend kitchen after this one I promise.

And, remember those molars that were coming in last week?? They are here!! But, she simultaneously caught a nasty cold on New Year's Eve that's been taking a different toll on the poor girl. Yay for winter.

After hearing/ reading a number New Year's resolutions the last few days, I've made a few "vague" ones of my own. But, we'll save that for another day.

Happy New Year!

Rough morning

Thank goodness for naps!! I can't say it enough. Today has been one of THOSE days.

This morning we headed over to a friends house. Kensie was prepped and excited to play with their new puppy, while I was planning to help my friend make one of those frames I made over the holidays here. It was a win-win in my book. I could get some craft/adult time with a dear friend, and Kensie could play to her heart's content in a different environment with an adorable little dog named Toby Mac.

WRONG.

Kensie DID love the dog at first. She's always been a dog lover--any shape, any size. It doesn't matter. But, today she began crying every time that cute little pup yipped or would get too close to her. She would run to my heals and beg to be picked up. After enough times we tried moving to the living room where Kensie could play with Lego's. The dog was separated by a gate in the dining room at this point. But, as soon as I left the room she would come running and beg to be picked up. I was sure if she got distracted enough she would play independently like she always does.

Anyway, to make a long story short....

I realized after feeling her gums 2 hours later she has 2 huge molars squeezing through those puffy red gums! Poor girl!! No wonder she has been so clingy the last few days. And the funny thing is, I've been PRAYING this would happen. I know, crazy right? She's just had quite the slowwww teething process. Only getting one measly tooth at a time. I joke with Greg that by the time she's done teething, baby Mason will just be starting! Ugh. The joys of motherhood. Anyway, I know she will be miserable for another day or two, but it will be so worth it in the end.

Why can't they just get them ALL at the same time??

I will say, I do enjoy feeling so needed by her. Nobody can console her these days, not even Dada (which is sad for him)...but hopefully she'll be back to her happy self soon. In the meantime, I will take all the cuddles I can get.

A berry quiet Christmas Eve...

After a busy week, and expecting another busy day tomorrow...I'm definitely enjoying today. A restful Christmas Eve. No plans. No schedule. Just some light cleaning and prep work, waiting for the hubby to get off work tonight and ready to enjoy some much needed family time. Just the three of us.

And even though this year the tree is not by the fireplace, I found a way to still make it just as festive.

Do you see a berry theme going??

I love the pops of red next to my favorite color green.

Hope you are all finding time to rest in the midst of the holidays! Merry Christmas!

Feelin' it...

...the stress of the holidays that is.

I love Christmas. Really, I do. Decorating. Shopping. Christmas music. Celebrating our Savior's birth. The one day I know for sure my hubby doesn't have to work. I could sit at home all month with my husband and daughter with the tree lit, the fire a blazin' and a yummy homemade meal and watch in excitement as they open their presents. I also love having great friends for get togethers with no expectations other than enjoying good company.

But, unfortunately....it's the family parties that have been stressing me out. You've been there right? Good. Didn't think I was the only one. Well, am I ever there.



It started last year when Kensie was only 3 months old. As a new mom with the "first" grandkid, it was a BIT overwhelming. I couldn't have my baby sleep when I wanted or where I wanted. There was nowhere comfortable to nurse at any of the parties. And I felt so alone. Greg's schedule was absolutely nuts last year. And it just got to be too much too soon. (That's the short version). This year, I'm 6 months pregnant with a 15 month old....feeling like all I want to do is stay home in my candy cane PJ's, wrestle with my 1 year old and watch Christmas movies with my hubby.

When it comes to parties, Greg and I have very different views. Not bad, not wrong, just different. If there were 5 family parties on five different days in a row, he would go. He would be excited to go. For me...not so much. I look at the holiday season as a whole. One too many parties scheduled on the calender and I start to flip out a little -- namely extended family parties.

Anyway.....last night I think I cried for 30 minutes after going to bed. So bad in fact, that I came out into the living room and just sat there in the dark. Pitiful I know. Maybe pregnancy. Maybe stress. Maybe both. Or, maybe I just need to suck it up...

But, I would love to hear what your families do for the holidays. Do you go to BOTH extended sides? Do you reserve Christmas Day only for you and your kids? Do you rotate every other year? What has worked well, and what hasn't??? Any comments are welcome.

Christmas cookie cutters!

Yesterday, I spent the morning baking 2 dozen classic sugar cookies {with frosting and sprinkles of course} for my first ever Christmas cookie exchange!

Yes, there's a first time for everything.

I would rather cook than bake--any day of the week. It's not my best skill.

Anyhoooo....this morning I came home with two plastic containers packed with all kinds of yummy treats ready to offer guests between now and the big day. Well worth it.

So, what did I do with the $5 bucket of cookie cutters from Aldi?

The same thing any "anti-baker who wants to look like she's Susie homemaker" would do....

I hung them in my kitchen!

These jumbo-sized guys are with the rest of the cookie cutter clan but, they made their debute on the side of the cupboard instead of the garland. It was getting a bit heavy.

So, even though it appears as though I unclip those darling cut-outs from that silky ribbon and bake all day and night throughout the holidays....

Really, I just think they are cute and festive...and why not appreciate them everyday instead of them lurking in the back of my cupbaord all season next to that ugly vase I can't seem to get rid of?

Do you like to bake during the holidays? If so, come over anytime.

Please and Thank you.

Cheese please...

The BAD NEWS is...

I am having a CHEESE fetish lately.

Sliced cheese

Mac 'n Cheese

Cheddar flavored chips

Melted cheese on tortillas, eggs, soups, sandwiches, pretty much anything

and...

Cheezits

Notice how the last one ends in "zits"...also happening these days. Awesome.

The GOOD NEWS is...

I am a few days away from officially being in the third trimester! YES!!

This second trimester has gone by much faster than the first. Praise.the.Lord.

I am so thankful for the ability to carry another healthy baby, but I have to be honest:

I don't love the pregnancy stage.

My legs hurt. My back hurts. My brain is...uh...gone. I can't remember yesterday, what I just ate, where my phone is, if I shut the garage door, how old my daughter is or where she is......ugh!

3 more months....3 more months....3 more months....