My Life.

Before you have kids, you can't appreciate the humor that children provide. You just don't understand, it's impossible. That being said...it's been a rough week around here, mostly involving the kids. This week I feel like someone buried my body in the sand, and only my head is poking out with the tide about to roll in. The great thing about kids is they always sense tension and they try to break it. Maybe subconsciously, but however they do it...it works. I was roaming around online trying to look for a cheap Branson hotel for this week, when Addi runs into the room and says "mom you should probably come look at this!" So I bolt into Conner's room, only to find him STANDING UP on his diaper changing station...after my brain took 2 seconds to try and figure out how he got up there in the first place, I immediately scooped him up and placed him on the ground. Upon doing so, I didn't even notice that he was covered in diaper rash creme. I walked back to the kitchen, made a glass of apple juice and returned to Conner's room...Wondering what that strange smell is. I sat there for a second, noticed the diaper rash ointment was exactly where it was supposed to be, so that couldn't be it...right?! Looked around, finally looked at Conner...really looked at him. There is a strange smiley face painted on the left side of his face in diaper rash ointment. His hair has been partially spiked with the same paste, and Silas was apparently a victim of the ointment crime too....Poor boys. It was also all over Addi's shirt, covering Buzz Lightyear, wiped all over the diaper changing station, and had now made its way to the couch. Moments like these really make you appreciate the humor that children provide. Yes, it will be more work for me to clean up the mess, but ultimately the one hard laugh it provided me with is enough of a high, to make me forget about the clean up process. Oh, and if your wondering...I asked Addi why she covered the boys in the diaper rash cream and she said "I wanted them too look like they had bird poop on them." I really don't know where she gets this stuff?

As I type this right now, Silas is pelting me with fruit loops. I don't know why, (last time I checked, he liked them?) but I know that when he is done, he will stop...and for now it's strangely funny to have to type/dodge cheerios at the same time. I figure he is just trying to improve my hand/eye coordination. Maybe I've lost it. Oh well!

One bad mother.

This week I am feeling like a horrible mother! I don't know if my heads not in the game, or what?! Thursday Addi drank half a bottle of children's ibuprofen, Friday I double-dosed her Singular without knowing it, and Saturday I lost her in Root 03. Seriously?! What is wrong with me??? Thursday morning Conner was walking through the house with Addi's plastic sippy cup and he tripped and fell on it. He pushed his teeth backwards and tore the little piece of skin that is normally attached to your two upper teeth. Once I got the bleeding to stop, I gave him some ibuprofen then recapped the bottle and set it up on the kitchen island. At that point in time all I was worried about was cleaning up blood and trying to get Conner to let me see his teeth. Later that day I was making dinner and apparently Addi came up behind me and stole the half-full bottle of ibuprofen off the counter. It's amazing, she is the most clumsy child until it comes time to do something she isn't supposed to. Well, she figured out the 'child-proof' cap and drank what was left in the bottle. She came into the kitchen after she had done it and held up the bottle and said "mom, I drank all the medicine." I flipped out, called poison control and they said she would be fine. I got so lucky! That's actually the second time I have had to call poison control in 6 months...Conner ate part of a fireplace petroleum log a couple months prior...he was fine too, they said it was mostly saw dust...thank you Jesus! Poison control is going to start charging me a yearly fee...lol. j/k. Well then Friday night I went with Lauren to Walmart and Derrick kept the kids and started their bedtime routine. I got home and he went straight to sleep, so I asked Addi if dad had given her medicine to her...she said no, so I gave her the Singular. Derrick woke up right as I was putting her in her bed and he said "you didn't give her the Singular again did you?" UGH! Yes, yes I did. Because I thought I could trust my almost three year old to tell me the truth (stupid, I know!) and I would assume that if he gave her the Singular, he would've told me. He told me I should've asked him, and that he wouldn't have ever thought to tell me that before going to bed. Whatever...that's a battle I will never win. He is a Scorpio...he was born to argue. Then last night we were leaving dinner, and the 11 adults in the group had passed around the kids all night, and we all thought Addi was with uncle Will. Well no one had Addi, we all flipped out and started running around trying to find her...turns out she went back to look at the fish in the tanks without telling anyone. Some elderly people helped her up onto a chair and watched over her for the 2-4 minutes that she was with them. Ugh, who freaking loses their child?! Idk, whats going on. I feel like I have failed this week. Fail, with a capital 'F.' Nervous about what could happen today, so we are just going to hide out in the house, with no medicine, or fireplace logs, or super hard sippy cups.

Judgemental...

So, I ran out to DG yesterday to get some spray 'n wash and I ran into a 'crazy mom.' You know the mom that shouts things like "if you don't get your butt over here right now, I swear it will be straight to bed when we get home" at the top of her lungs. That mom, that says exactly what she means, but about 15 decibels louder than you would ever dream of. For a second I sat there judging her, but then I started envying her. Earlier in the day I had uttered that same statement to Addi. The only difference was my system of delivery. I bent down right next to her and whispered it in her ear, in hopes that none of the 5 people in the George Washington Carver park could hear that I was disciplining my child. That's crazy...why can we no longer discipline our children like we deem necessary?! I'm not saying abuse is any means of discipline, but people are so judgemental anymore. Addi will throw a huge fit in the middle of the store if she doesn't get what she wants, and it's incredibly frustrating. Everyone looks at you awkwardly for letting your child scream, but when you sit her down and tell her she will be 'making a trip to the bathroom if her attitude doesn't improve' the looks become more rude...like what you said to her was completely vulgar and out of line. My IQ is higher than our former president, I am not an idiot and I understand what is right and wrong. If I feel like I should be disciplining my child, I will do so. But anyways, that 'crazy mom' really isn't so crazy, she is just very forthright and unapologetic. That would technically make her more sane than crazy. Go figure. Time to stop judging people, you never know when you will land in their shoes.

Rants and Raves

I secretly created this blog to complain about life, and now your reading it...jokes on you! j/k. I will try and voice my complaint in an eloquent way, so that it may seem as if I'm not bitching...

One of my biggest pet peeves is when Derrick comes home from work and he says "how was your day?" My reply lately has usually been "well, i have been arguing with the kids all day long." His reply to that is "I hear ya, I have to argue with people all day long too."

That makes me so angry...his fellow employees can argue their point and effectively communicate what is bothering them...my fellow co-workers just cry and scream, and occasionally bring up a valid issue that we can discuss. Do his fellow employees tug at his pant leg and cry when they aren't being held, because he is having to load the dishwasher or start cooking dinner??? I think not. The guys at work don't start crying when Derrick has to explain to them why they shouldn't eat a bag of chips for breakfast or throw toys into the washing machine without his knowledge.

Addi can communicate quite effectively; however, she is still 2...and terribly dramatic. Conner has about 10 words in his vocabulary, thats it...thats all I have to work with...As a mom that can be so hard. When you don't have effective communication, you have absolutely no tools to solve problems. Conner has been screaming his head off for the last two days. I can not figure out what is bothering him, and after almost 36 hours of it, my patience has been all but exhausted.

So the last thing I want to hear about is how my husband argues with his coworkers, just like I have to argue with the kids...i'm calling b.s. on this one.

Staying at home with the kids is hard. There are no clock in, clock out times. There are no scheduled breaks, no scheduled lunch times, no paid time off, no weekends to run away, no sick days, and especially no personal days. I stay at home to ensure that my children are being well taken care of. I would love to be able to find a good daycare that I could trust, but you never know anymore...too many horror stories! As a mom, you have such a burden to carry around. You are expected to raise your children to be loving, nurturing, smart, and just well-rounded individuals...but there are some days that I am like...well we made it through another day alive, yep they had cupcakes for breakfast, and nope they haven't seen a hairbrush...but they are still here...happy and pretty much healthy...so that's good enough for me!

Tantrums

Ok, so OCCASIONALLY I throw a tantrum. Every once in a great while. About six years ago, I got so mad at Derrick, I threw the remote control at him. He ducked, and the remote hit the wall and busted into many tiny pieces. He made me get up and turn the channel and adjust the volume until we could afford to buy another t.v. (the universal remote, of course didn't work for that t.v.). That pretty much taught me not to throw things. lol. Well tonight, I got so irritated at Derrick I threw a closed-up dirty diaper at his head. Not like a 'i hate you' type of throw. Just an 'i'm so irritated with you, i have asked you to help me put the kids to bed 3 times now, get off the damn computer, your not buying a new truck off craigslist' type of throw. lol. I'm not a nagging wife, so when I do finally ask for Derricks help, I expect him to at least pretend to help me. I can't complain, the guy is pretty much perfect...but damn. Don't make me throw a dirty diaper at your head. If thats not redneck, i'm not quite sure what is. Ah, marriage...he gets to be with me for the rest of his life...what a lucky man!!!

Just a thought...

So I think some people are more 'emotionally in-tune' with the world...that's the phrase I like to use, because 'psychic' just sounds creepy. Sometimes I wonder if the dreams and thoughts I have are 'normal.' I will let you decide for yourself...

Example 1: tonight, while I was loading my groceries into my trunk...I was thinking about Jamie Peterson and wondering how she was doing...and I turned around and she was there...at 9 o' clock at night, in the Wal-Mart parking lot. Coincidence...maybe.

Example 2: had a random dream about a friend coming up and introducing me to her new baby boy. hadn't seen or talked to her in years, e-mailed her and told her my silly dream...she responded and explained that she had just found out they were expecting and they hadn't told anyone yet...so I had to keep a secret for 2 more months. turns out the baby was a girl...so I was half right

Coincidence...maybe.

Example 3: had a dream derricks dad bought a dark green chevy avalanche, next day derricks dad called and told him about it, derrick got off the phone and said 'hey babe, guess what dad just bought' i said 'a dark green chevy avalanche'...after he picked up his jaw from the ground he called his dad to find out the color, turns out it was burgandy...again, only half right.

Coincidence...maybe.

Example 4: (creepy example) driving through the backwoods of pierce city one night, alone...saw a dark figure sitting by the side of the road...tall, slender man...just a dark figure...so no face or anything...but he was in a plaid shirt...(apparently my mind likes a little bit of detail). talked to derricks grandma about it a couple weeks later, turns out that same exact spot was where a man had commited suicide in his vehicle a couple of years prior, and derricks uncle was the one to first find his body.

Coincidence...maybe.

Just weird...I don't really know why I have these dreams, thoughts, etc. so I just assume that God is trying to tell me someone needs to talk, so I attempt to talk to the person that is weighing so heavily on my mind. Weird. Those are just a couple of examples I can think of. Do I freak you out a little now? lol.

Writers Block!

Memories last forever, so shouldn't one make them monumentous? If they are going to live in your brain for the rest of your life, (and take up much needed space...) they should be memories that count!
As a mom, sometimes I wish I could go back and relive some of the memories that were just about me. That's selfish, but it's true. I think your brain should have a quick cross-refrencing tool to sort out your memories...filed away as such:

Good memories

• Memories involving kids


• Memories involving spouse


• Memories involving self


• Memories when you felt truely appreciated


• Memories that are secret


• Memories specifically involving the 5 senses

Bad memories (inbox deleted after 7 days)

• just plain bad.

It would be crazy if your memory was a really long video that you could rewind and fast-forward through...but knowing myself, I would psycho-analyze every single detail when I watched it...so it's probably best that I just live in the moment! Carpe Diem, Quam Minimum Credula Postero!

Re-do.

Say I was given the opportunity to go back in time, and fall madly in love with someone else, someone who is exactly like me, someone who can finish my every thought...I wouldn't do it.

Marriage is not always a bed of roses. Marriage is about finding someone who will be able to tolerate you for the rest of your life. I found my 'someone.' I always tell Derrick he is 'stuck with me.' No one else would be able to put up with my stubborn self.

When it comes down to it, marry someone funny. Marry someone that always knows a good joke. Marry someone whose laugh makes you smile. Marry someone you want your children to imitate. Marry someone with crazy stories that you won't mind hearing for the next sixty years. Marry someone that you can't stand to stay mad at. Marry someone that knows how to communicate. Marry someone who doesn't mind change. Marry someone that can handle the truth. Marry someone that you have to say 'you really shouldn't do that in public' to. Marry someone that makes you venture outside of your comfort zone. Marry someone with their own opinions. Marry someone that you can't control. Marry someone that makes you explain yourself. Marry someone that tells you the truth, even if you don't like what they have to say.

I love my husband. He drives me crazy most of the time, but I wouldn't have it any other way! (I'm sure he would say the same about me!)

crazy?!

Merriam-Webster defines crazy as such:

Crazy: full of cracks or flaws; being out of the ordinary; distracted with desire or excitement.

I believe that makes us all a little crazy, right?! Merriam-Webster...thank you for making crazy so approachable.

Derrick said I was crazy yesterday, because I had forgotten to brush my teeth and eat lunch. Typical for me. I spent the first 20 years of my life, waking up, eating breakfast, brushing my teeth, going to school, eating lunch, going back to school, eating dinner, taking a shower and going to sleep. After Addi was born, the first 20 years of scheduling went out the window. I no longer had a chance to do necessary things when I needed to do them, it was when Addi would allow! For the first year after you have your child, you are on their schedule. It happened again after Conner was born. I was a little less anal about spending every second with him, so I allowed myself to break away and shower and eat, and basically function as a human being. It is hard. Thats another thing no one told me before becoming a mother: "don't forget to eat, shower, brush your teeth..." You take the couple of minutes that it takes to do these tasks for granted, until you have someone pulling down your pants while you are face first in the sink trying to brush your teeth. Moments of calm are now gone! Sometimes I have to put Conner in the kitchen, just so I can bolt across the house and make it into the bathroom and shut the door before he finds me! When it is time to eat at our house, it is like a virtual 'crazy' house. Everyone is having a mini meltdown because they are hungry and dinner can't be cranked out fast enough. Crackers can only hold them over for so long, and if you give them too many, you have just ruined their dinner. By the time the kids are fed, the last thing I am worried about is eating. So I find myself eating breakfast, and lunch now during the kids' nap time; however, if the house is completely destroyed then I am picking up during nap time. So go figure, being a mom is hard. The entire day is filled with priorities, schedules, boo-boos, tears, smiles, and chuckles. When done correctly, parenting is not for the faint of heart! You give up your 'life' for your kids, so that you can give them life. It is truely amazing. I've learned so much about myself through my kids. I have found my sense of humor, I have learned my level of patience, I have learned that singing out loud is not silly, I have learned that I can help create another amazing generation of cherished adults, I have learned that no matter how angry or overwhelmed I am...a single giggle can make me feel refreshed and renewed. I live everyday for the giggles and the silly dance parties, and I adapt to all of the necessary tasks that have to be done in-between the giggles and dance parties! My definition of a mother: full of cracks and flaws; being out of the ordinary; distracted with desire or excitement. (your right babe...I am a bit crazy!)

Relationships...

The past year has been an absolute whirlwind for me. It has been incredibly amazing and sometimes a bit tumultuous. Everything seems to have changed...between going from one child to two, at work to stay at home, one niece and nephew to eight nieces and nephews, health issues, more communication in my marriage (on my part), and an increased self-awareness. I feel like I haven't taken a deep breath in over a year! Being a mom is very, very hard...being a wife is very, very hard...being a sister is very, very hard...being a daughter is very, very hard. Life is hard. I have to admit, I always thought it would be easier. I thought that I had it all figured out. I am very capable of adapting (Thank GOD!!!), but it is still intense! I always joke that one of these days I am going to nap, it is only a joke because I can't nap. I can't seem to settle down enough in the middle of the day to rest. I agree it would be very helpful, but I am so constantly wound up, I just can't figure out how to relax! LOL! Derrick naps every single day he has off, and I just don't understand how he does it?! There is so much to be done, and what if one of the kids wakes up just as I am getting to sleep...that would be aggrevating...so it's just easier not to try.

On a completly seperate issue, over the last year I have began to understand the importance of taking better care of myself. Mom, is a very important job title around our house, so I have been taking better care of myself to ensure that I am sane enough to fulfill the job! After Addi was born, I completly let myself go. I figured Derrick was stuck with me now, so whats the use in putting something other than sweats on everyday. (and make-up...I had no idea what that was at the time!) About a month after Conner was born I was watching a Dr. Phil episode featuring 'the other woman.' You know, the type of woman that the cheating husbands would run to, when their marriages were suffering. Towards the end of the episode Dr. Phil said to one of the wives that their husband fell in love with them when they looked a certain way, and that if the husband comes home to their wife with her sweats and ponytail everyday it could get kind of boring. At first I was completely flabergasted that he would even say such a thing...but then reality set in and I had a 'duh' moment. If my husband comes home and whitnesses the exact same thing everyday, it kind of makes sense that something out of the ordinary (out of the ordinary, meaning anything other than black sweat pants and a wife beater...classy I know!) would get his attention. So why don't I get his attention, before someone else does. Since then I have been trying to take better care of myself. Honestly, it has given me a complete confidence boost too! After you have a child, you no longer feel like a wife, g/f, lover (lmao...it was hard for me to type that) you feel like a mom. For so long I felt if I was taking time for myself, I was taking time away from my kids. I now understand that the occasional 'me' time, leaves me more refreshed and a better and more carefree mother. I am still not able to completely relax, but this is a good start. I figure I can have lots of 'me' time and naps when the kids move out! Only 6,212 days left!

Food, how I love thee...

I am a self-professed 'foodie.' I love food! I love looking at food, cooking food, and eating food!!! I can be absolutely exhausted, but still want to go into the kitchen to whip something up.

Earlier this year, I was diagnosed with very high cholesterol, I was devistated! I did the whole eat nothing you like, go to the gym 6 days a week 'thing.' Only to find that my cholesterol had only dropped 10 points at the end of three months. It was a horrible blow, because I then had to go on cholesterol medication. So I lost all hope at fixing the problem. I stopped going to the gym and I started eating whatever I wanted. I also did not take my cholesterol medication...It is hard for me at 23 to have to take medication for my thyroid, medication for my vitamin D levels, medication to try and stop my heart palpitations, and medication for my cholesterol...It is so disheartning for me. Anyways, I went back to the endocrinologist on Thursday and she reported that my cholesterol had went down an additional 10 points since the last time I saw her, 3 months ago. The last three months has been filled with lazy days, lots of ice cream, and a little (wink, wink) bit of fried food. I honestly don't get it. She increased my dosage even though it was going down. Thats life...you never really understand anything?! Oh well...but during the last 6 months I have stopped eating a lot of processed food. I figure if my family is going to eat processed carbohydrates, they might as well be processed carbohydrates that are coming out of MY oven. I have been baking bread, dinner rolls, lots of pizza dough, pretzels, biscuits...the list goes on. I figure, at least this way the 'baked goods' are free of nasty preservitives. And they are delicious...that doesn't hurt anything! My great-grandparents grew up eating what they could make or grow, or what their neighbors could make or grow...now we are eating things that someone in Seattle, Washington made for us last year to enjoy today. It's kind of gross when you think about it. I'm not saying I eat things that are only made by me, but at least I am making a concious effort to try. If I want to eat a cookie, I have to make some. If I want a piece of cake, I have to make the entire thing...(healthy in more ways than one, if your lazy like me). It has been an interesting process...Derrick likes my recipe experimenting...he has gained 12-14 lbs in the last 6-7 months...but luckily I have only gained 3 lbs! The kids are so excited, they will sit infront of the oven an watch the bread bake! Now if only I could find someone that will come in after me and clean up my messy kitchen!!!

And another thing...Derrick and I have started chosing 'unfranchised' restaurants when we go out to eat dinner. Someone owns a restaurant, because they love food; someone else owns a franchise, because they love the revenue generated. If you go out and eat at Applebees today, you are shown the same menu that someone in a Connecticut Applebees would be shown. Locally owned restaurants pride themselves on local products. Nationally operated franchises are not able to supply local products, because that would be too costly and require more effort. Just a thought...support local businesses whenever possible.

A little bit of everything...

Todays top reasons why Addi can't clean her room:

1. I just don't want to.
2. I'm too busy.
3. My heart hurts.
4. My whole body hurts, but now I think my heart is ok.
5. You do it better

Ridiculous! Dramatic! Addi!

Chances are, if your a mom your currently doing at least one of the following things...

1. planning an elaborate party that your child will never remember.
2. wearing a piece of clothing covered in or or more of your childrens bodily fluids.
3. wearing underwear that contain more than 3% spandex.
4. reading this during 'nap time.'
5. already thawing a protein for dinner, because your frugal and you buy in bulk! ; )
6. wondering why your child is being so quiet.
7. contemplating what you ever did before you had kids?...whatever it was, it couldn't have been that much fun!
8. humming a tune off the latest episode of Dora, Diego or the backyardigans.
9. watching Nick Jr. for 10 minutes before your realize there are no kids in the room with you.
10. wondering what that strange, sticky, nectarine-smelling spot is on the television screen.
    
    

So it's time again that I give you something from my kitchen...this is one of my absolute favorite meals. I 'stole' this recipe from Derricks grandma Gus, and I believe she got it from her daughter. I slightly re-worked the recipe, and made it a little easier for a busy mom. The recipe is for Chili Verde, and with the fall season approaching here in the next couple of months, it's the perfect replacement for your typical red chili. This recipe is a little labor intensive, but it is worth every minute.

Chili Verde

• 2-3 lbs of 1'' cubed pork shoulder, or pork roast if you want a little less work.
• 2 small cans of diced green chiles
• 1 large onion
• 2 green bell peppers
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 1/2 tsp salt (start with this amount of salt, and then salt to taste towards the end of the cooking time)
• 2 tbsp vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves or 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 can pinto beans (smashed completely or pureed into a smooth paste)
• 1 cup of water

Start by heating up a large stock pot (or my personal fave-a dutch oven) with 1-2 tsp cooking oil.

While your oil is heating start cubing up your pork roast into 1 inch cubes. (I like buying a picnic roast or picnic ham, but there is a lot of waste and it is more labor intensive. I have also tried it with ground pork meat, and pork steak, but in the end it is just not as good.)

When your oil begins to ripple it is ready for the pork. Throw it in your cooking vessel in small batches, so that the meat begins to brown, but not burn. If you throw too much pork in at a time, the meat will release a lot of liquid and start to boil instead of brown. (If this happens don't worry about it, you didn't mess it up)

When all the meat has became golden-brown in color, add the other diced ingredients and seasoning to the pot.

The recipe calls for a can of smashed pinto beans for a thickening agent. I like to take my can of pinto beans and throw it in my blender (with the can liquid) and the 1 cup of water the recipe calls for, and puree it until it is a smooth paste. Then I add it to the pot, directly after the meat browns.

You don't really want to boil this recipe, beacause the beans will stick to the bottom of the pot. I like to simmer it for 4-6 hrs, until the meat shreds completely and the chili has changed from bright green, to a slightly darker color.

Now this is where I completely change the recipe...Derricks entire family frys flour tortillas and serves the chili verde on top of the tortilla shell, with sour cream, cheese, lettuce, tomato, and onion. I dislike the tortilla all together. I like to eat mine in a bowl, with a little cheese, sour cream, and another splash of vinegar. So which-ever way you prefer to eat it, it is delicious. Take your time with it, it took me 3-4 times of making it, to get it the way I liked it.

Hope you enjoyed the blog today! : )

A little excessive?

So if you know me too well, you now that I am terribly afraid of being unprepared when it come to my kids. I have been that way since Addi was born. The diaper bad (for the last three years) has been packed like I was preparing for some sort of apocalyptic event! Seriously, it is a little bit excessive, even for me!
Today we are heading up to Springfield so I can go to my endocrinologist. There will be approximately five Wal-Mart stores along the way, but yet I still deem it necessary to pack two bags for the kids.
Bag 1. (small backpack) bag of chips, two extra sets of clothing for addi, six extra pairs of underwear, a pair of flip-flops, a pad of drawing paper, a pen, childrens tylenol mini-melts and a childrens fork and spoon.
Bag 2. (large diaper bag) two bottles of water, three clean bottles, three servings of formula, ten diapers, an extra set of clothes, five different plastic toys, one small baby doll, motrin, animal crackers, ritz crackers, peanut butter and chocolate crackers, wipees, sunscreen, a small radio (with fully charged batteries), a onesie, a spoon, two extra bottles of apple juice...and probably more stuff than that...
I should've been a girl scout...I'm always prepared! I do envy those moms that just go out with a diaper and a couple of wipees and hope for the best...apparently I am too anal for that!

Numero Dos

Day two of blogging, and I already forgot my password...typical Magen.

I remember when I was much younger, my mother would get incredibly frustrated with us and go to a different room and scream. She didn't scream at us, or scream any words...she would just scream out of sheer frustration. I was never scared by these sudden outbursts since Lauren and I usually caused them...but I never quite understood them. Now, I completely understand why she was venting! Children are so incredibly frustrating. You love them as much as you are angered by them, and you experience such a crazy mix of emotions.

Before I had Addi, no one told me "hey, there are some days your are going to want to lock yourself in the bathroom and hope your kids don't find you." Don't get me wrong, I love my kids to death. I believe everyone knows that by now, but there are days when I don't know why God decided to test my patience like he has.

I have also learned that the more intellegent your child is, the more frustrating it can be to parent them. I made it a stead-fast rule that no one was allowed to use 'baby-talk' around Addi. Everyone was to speak to her as they would any other adult; therefore, Addi now speaks as an adult would speak. It is so hard to lie to her, or to make things up just to not have to deal with 'why, why, why,' because she will call me out every single time.

Typical Addi/Mommy conversation:

(sitting at the bank drive-through, trying to avoid getting a sucker because suckers=unecessary sugar)

Addi: ''mom, is she going to give me a sucker?''

Me: "no i don't think so, they don't have any today.''

Addi: ''why not?''

Me: ''uhm, well, the easter bunny took them all.''

Addi: ''no he didn't, it was already Easter.''

Me: ''he is preparing for next year.''

Addi: ''oh, hmmm...mom i don't think so.''

I always feel like I am being outsmarted by my two-year old! The worst is when I want to punish her, but I can't because what she did or said was so funny. I am too busy giggling or trying to hide my smile to actually consider a punishment.

Example:

Addi: ''where is freakin' Conner''

Me: (trying not to giggle) ''what did you just say''

Addi: ''i didn't say nothing''

Me: ''that was a double-negative, and you did in fact say something''

Addi: ''i said friggin' mom, i said friggin''

I'm apparently not stern enough to punish her in all needed circumstances. That is hard, but worse when I am trying not to laugh and I see Derrick trying not to laugh...that gets me everytime.

Kids are crazy, and they make their parents crazy. Parenthood is a wild ride. Maybe i'm just bi-polar, but i'm just speaking from personal experience. You never know what to expect from day to day, and that makes waking up every morning a tad bit scary and a little bit refreshing.

Oh, and a side note. I tell Addi every single day that she is either "so beautiful, talented, smart, or all three." Right before she went down for her nap today she came up to me nose-to-nose and whispered "mom, YOUR so beautiful." It literally made me squeal when she said that. She is wonderful!

I am raising two amazing children, who will grow up to be two amazing adults. I take my job very seriously!

Humble Beginnings

So, I am beginning this blog as a way to put a voice to all of the thoughts in my head...

It's 2:45 a.m. and I am still awake, beginning a blog? Strange, to say the least...but I am beginning to wonder what part of me is normal anymore. I have so much going through my head lately, and I just can't seem to rest. The original title of my blog was going to be ''the tired ramblings of another over-worked housewife''...but, apparently blogger.com thought that was too excessive and I had to shorten it...so now it is ''simply genius.'' Not quite sure where that came from, but it is very late/early and something strange was bound to come out of my head at this time of night.

So many people have told me that I needed to start a blog, so that they could further read my various incoherent posts. So you got your wish. This blog will be full of overly-dramatic depictions of my life with a three year old and a one year old, and too many tips and tricks in the kitchen. All of the things I love to talk about!

Random thoughts:

• always start bacon in a cold pan, if you are an individual that likes to pan-fry.


• if your not a pan-frier, try the oven out for a change. lay a sheet of parchment paper on your cookie sheet, and place your bacon on top of the parchment. bake at 350 at least 15 minutes. watch it very closely, as oven times will vary.


• i don't really love bacon...random.


• a couple of weeks ago i wanted to make a pizza and realized i didn't have any refrigerated dough. i then realized that i could make my own, duh...it hasn't always came out of a can.

Random Favorite Quote:

Warren Buffett is quoted as saying "should you find yourself in a chronically leaking boat, energy devoted to changing vessels is likely to be more productive than energy devoted to patching leaks.'' I understand he was talking about stocks and bonds, but I think this is such a wise quote. Sometimes the simplest solutions in life are overlooked, sometimes we need to change vessels and stop trying to fix various leaks.

I am currently wondering how I am still awake...so I think it's time to drift off to sleep (so that I can be awoken by Derricks alarm clock in 2 hrs and 15 minutes). Yay.

Until Next Time...