Happy 4th of July!!!

We had such a wonderful day yesterday celebrating the 4th of July!!

We went into Pequot Lakes for the annual parade and the kids had so much fun watching all the firetrucks and cars go by... and of course the yummy candy being tossed was a hit too. Brock was not as thrilled with the whole parade thing. He cried most of it because he was so hot and tired. Landon loved it and was pretty sad when it was over, but he was able to go and play on all the bouncies they had there and he thought that was AWESOME!!

We came back to the cabin and let the kids go swimming and then we had a yummy 4th dinner :-)

Everyone slept great after such a fun day!!

The Grim is out for ME!!!!

OMGosh!! I have almost been hit twice in the past two day by IDIOTS going through a red light... I mean inches of hitting me!! I might add, both of my babies were in the car at the time :-( After it happened, I was shaking so bad... and it eventually turned to anger!

Seriously, people wake up! My kid's lives are more important than you going through a light to get somewhere 3 min sooner.

On top of that, I fell down the stairs tonight!! I was okay, just twisted my ankle a little. Landon heard, and ran down the stairs from his bedroom and was like, "mommy, are you okay?? I will help you!" So cute, but I assured him that mommy was okay... it is nice to know that he is aware of what is going on, since Brady is out of town this week.

Tomorrow I am taking the kids and fur-kids up to the cabin... by myself... in the car... I am praying we make it there safely!!!

Summer Rules

The Witt Household is currently under Summer Rules during the week from now until Labor Day.

This includes:

~ Sleeping in until 9am

~ Hitting the beach at least twice a week

~ Spending weeks at a time at the cabin

~ Eating all lunches outside on the picnic table

~ Afternoon naps... for everyone, including mommy :-)

~ Staying up late watching movies

~ Work on tan daily (mommy of course)

~ PARK, PARK, PARK!!!!

~ Workout at Lifetime at least 3 times a week

~ Family walks at night

~ HAVE FUN and enjoy every minute with my babies :-D

Brock's New Shoes!!

We went out and got little Brockie a new pair of sandals today!! I have to say, I have NEVER seen a 16 month old boy soooooooo excited to get a new pair of shoes. He was so happy when we got home and put them on him, that he started running laps around the couch... too cute :-)

My Horoscope

I hardly ever check my Yahoo horoscope, but today while checking my email I took a look and WOW did it sound like our family or what??? Whether or not you believe in it, it still was dead on to how we are, including my parents and sister!! I truly believe that no matter what happens or how someone acts, you NEVER turn your back on them... family is forever :-)

Leo (7/23-8/22)

Back when people started throwing around the term 'dysfunctional family,' you understood that just about everyone's family is dysfunctional in one way or another. In your family's case, you probably have an unusual yet successful way of handling all the freaky problems that crop up: You agree to disagree, and keep on loving each other anyway. Keep that in mind now, no matter who pushes which button!

Quiche Lorraine

During our Girls Weekend my Mother-in-Law made a REALLY good quiche!!! There was not a bite left at the end of the meal... it was wonderful!!! Enjoy :-)

Quiche Lorraine

1/2 lb. bacon, fried crispy, crumbled
1 cup shredded swiss cheese
2 cups half and half
1/4 cup chopped onion
4 eggs, beaten
1/4 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt

Prepare pie pastry in pan. Sprinkle crumbled bacon, cheese and onion in pastry lined pie pan. Beat eggs slightly and gently beat in remaining ingredients, then pour into pie pan. Bake at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes. Let stand at least 5 minutes before cutting and serving.

Church & Faith

Is it true that you are more Christian if you do attend church every Sunday whether or not you act as a Christian in your everyday life? Or, if your heart, body and mind is full of Christ and you live your life as a servant of God and do not attend every Sunday make you less Christian?

This is something that has been debated probably since the beginning of Christianity. I feel it is important to be apart of a church and attend as much as you can. While I was growing up my family was very involved in our Methodist church and I knew everyone in the congregation and I LOVED being there... we did not show up every single Sunday and we were never made to feel like if we did not, God would not love us. Therefore, I know if you live a Christian life and are kind to people and pray to God, you are JUST as a good Christian as the person who shows up every Sunday to Church.

Cancer Update

I have attached below an email I was sent in regards to new information on Cancer. I am now completely paranoid about using plastic bottles... have I lost my mind or is it okay that I am worried about this????

Cancer Update from John Hopkins
This information is being circulated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center as well.

No plastic containers in microwave.

No water bottles in freezer.

No plastic wrap in microwave.

A dioxin chemical causes cancer,especially breast cancer.

Dioxins are highly poisonous to the cells of our bodies.Don't freeze your plastic bottles with water in them as this releases dioxins from the plastic.

Recently,Edward Fujimoto,Wellness Program Manager at Castle Hospital, was on a TV program to explain this health hazard.
He talked about dioxins and how bad they are for us. He said that we should not be heating our food in the microwave using plastic containers... this especially applies to foods that contain fat. He said that the combination of fat,high heat,and plastics releases dioxin into the food and ultimately into the cells of the body... instead,he recommends using glass,such as Corning Ware,Pyrex or ceramic containers for heating food...you get the same results,only without the dioxin.

So such things as TV dinners,instant ramen and soups,etc.,
Should be removed from the container and heated in something else. Paper isn't bad but you don't know what is in the paper.
It's just safer to use tempered glass,Corning Ware,etc.

He reminded us that a while ago some of the fast food restaurants moved away from the foam containers to paper.The dioxin problem is one of the reasons....

Also,he pointed out that plastic wrap,such as Saran,is just as dangerous when placed over foods to be cooked in the microwave.As the food is nuked,the high heat causes poisonous toxins to actually melt out of the plastic wrap and drip into the food. Cover food with a paper towel instead.

Dear Brady,

Today was Father's Day and we all celebrated you as a daddy and all the goodness you bring to our family. I do not think anyone really knows the love you have for all of us and how hard you work to make our lives better, especially for Landon and Brock. I appreciate it more than you will ever know.

There are days sometimes that I get mad at you when you are late getting home or are away on a business trip, but deep down I know you would rather be with us... I just MISS YOU when you are not here!! Know I LOVE YOU and that we wait everyday to hear the sound of the garage door opening so we can all run to you and give you hugs and kisses.

Life is going by too fast and the kids are growing up before our eyes, but I am so happy that I have you as my husband and my kids have you as their father during this wonderful journey called life.

We love you so much... Happy Father's Day :-)

LOVE:

Jen, Landon, Brock, Doggie Brie & Puppy Sky

Pillow Pet!!

It's a pillow, It's a Pet, It's a Pillow Pet!!!! hahahaha... when I first saw the commercial on Sprout I was totally turned off by the idea of a stupid pillow that folds into a pet. Then Landon saw it and of course he HAD to have one, so for Christmas this year I got one for him, Brock and my niece Victoria.

I have to say, they are actually super cute and really SOFT! Both Landon and Brock have slept on theirs every night since they got them, even when we travel they have to come with!! They are really easy to wash and feel like a regular pillow when flipped upside down... I am really happy that I got them, as they have been loved and used to the fullest! I would highly recommend them for a great gift for a child :-)

http://www.trypillowpets.com/Default.asp?tcode=asp3&bhcp=1

Landon's

Brock's

My Beautiful Baby Boy

There are days like today where I can not take my eyes off my beautiful baby Brock. He has the most heart warming smile and is always happy, loving and calm. I never thought in a MILLION years that I would have a blue eyed, blond haired, light complexion child being I am the complete opposite. When Landon was born, he was exactly what I always imagined my baby would look like and he really is a carbon copy of myself ;-)

As Brock grew his first year he went from brown hair, dark complexion to red hair, reddish complexion to blond hair, light complexion. I just love to look into his bright blue eyes and comb through his brilliant blond hair because he has something that I never had and never will... he down right takes my breath away not just with his outer beauty, but with his inner beauty. He is TRULY a gift from God, as is Landon and I thank him everyday for the two children that were given to me and for their differences that I will cherish for the rest of my life :-)

La Roux

When I first heard La Roux song on the radio, Bulletproof, I automatically LOVED it!! It has this awesome 80's vibe and anyone who knows me, knows I love everything 80's :-) I was also pleasently surprised when I saw her and the video... so different... in a good way!! It is very refreshing to see a singer who looks naturally beautiful and not blonde hair, ditzy, scanky... you get the point ;-)

Enjoy!!!

Confidence or Oblivious

Today I met my sister and my adorable niece at the beach by my house. We had a lot of fun and I ended up just buying season passes so we can go there throughout the summer. It was pretty busy when we got there at 10:30... you have your typical SAHMs with a ton of kids at that time, so it works out really well for us.

Something I noticed at the beach this time was the amount of mommies that were in bikinis... that should NOT have been probably sporting a two piece. My question is, are they confident of their bodies and they don't care if they are overweight or are they oblivious to how they look?? I know what it is like to have a couple kids and be hanging on to extra pounds... and that is why I DO NOT wear a bikini.

I know a lot of moms who look AMAZING after having kids and can wear a bikini like a no other. It is just uncomfortable when you see those where it is not working for them... you don't want to think it and be mean, but you also don't want to have to look at it either.

There is nothing wrong with the tanktini, I personally wear one and cover up my lingering baby belly fat and in fact I think it is more flattering on moms. I just feel bad that these moms may not know how they really look :-(

True Blood

It is my weakness... I am hooked on Showtime and HBO series!!! When the kids go to bed at night, I am popping in the DVDs and I am up sometimes until 2am because I can not stop watching them!

My latest addiction is True Blood... it is really good and much different than the last three series I have watch. It is about vampires and has a little mystery to it along with a romantic storyline... if you like Twilight, then you will most likely enjoy this series... though, it is not as serious as Twilight.

I am still on the first season, but as usual I am hooked!!

Crock Pot Pizza

This is hands down the best recipe that I have found and I make it all the time. Kids LOVE this stuff :-)

1 box of Rigatoni Noodles

2 jars of Spaghetti sauce (I usually only use 1 1/2 jars)

1 lb of ground beef or turkey

1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese

1 cup of pepperoni (cut in half or fours)

1 tbsp garlic powder (I use Mrs. Dash Garlic)

Ground meat in large skillet, once cooked add in 1 1/2 jars of spaghetti sauce, parmesan, pepperoni and garlic... cook together for about 5 min. Add cooked/drained noodles and mix well together. Add to crock pot and set in on low. Add cheese on top 5 min before serving.

You can also just add it to a 9x13 pan and bake at 350 degrees covered with foil for 30-40min and add cheese at end, uncovered for an additional 5 min.

My Oldest Son

Today was, well... a "hard day." Landon was very hard to deal with, which I know was partly because he has not been getting good sleep up at the cabin... but still, he was driving me crazy!!

Everything that he did today started and ended with whining, crying, yelling and just plain naughtiness!! I had enough to deal with by keeping an eye on him running in and out of the cabin, on the dock, up on the hill and chasing the dog and then I had Brock to tend to, making meals, watching dogs, cleaning up after the tornado that is constantly going through... I just can not take his behavior anymore! At one point tonight after dinner we were playing in the sand and I said "10 more minutes before bed" and he looked at me and said he was going to throw his shovel at me!! WWWHHHHHAATTTTTT??? I grabbed him and dragged him to his room for a timeout. I hate having the mood so negative... it is not good for any of us, especially Brock who has to watch all the drama unfold in front of him.

Who is this kid? He usually is my little sweetheart and helper... but, lately he has been making things so hard for me. I know it is just a phase and probably lack of sleep since we are so busy this summer.

I do have to say that he came up to me tonight and gave me a hug and said I was a good mommy... that was very nice of him, but he was only trying to stay up later!!

If this is how he is at 4, what is he going to be like at 14???

At the Cabin with My Boys

I decided to take the boys up to my parent's cabin for the week since Landon has t-ball starting next week and it goes through the month of July. It is just me, the boys and dogs. I was a little nervous about coming up alone, but now that I am up here, I LOVE it!!! It is so quiet being here during the week and I feel like I do not have to keep up on cleaning like I do at home, so in a sense it is like a mini vacation!!

Today it was raining pretty bad outside and the boys were getting super antsy, so I decided to take them to Zorbaz in Crosslake. I am so glad I took them there... they have a ton of arcades and it was empty, so they could run around and I did not have to worry about them disturbing anyone. They had fun and I had a tiny-little quiet moment while I ate and Brock and Landon were pretending to play a car racing game.

We ended the day with fishing down at the dock. I caught a fish and Brie took a chunk out of the poor thing as I was pulling it out of the water. Brock had fun watching us fish and Landon whined the whole time because of... well, just about everything!

Happy the night has come to an end and I am looking forward to a sunny day tomorrow with a high of 80 degrees :-)

Where Have I Been?????

It has been WAY too long since I last wrote, but now I am ready to get back to it!!

It has been a long 6 weeks with our new puppy, Sky. It was like bringing home a new baby. I was tired, frustrated and even felt like giving up most days. He was running me down and needed my attention all day. It was really hard, especially when I needed to take care of Landon and Brock too. I swear, I was taking him outside every 20 min and we would get inside and he would pee right on the floor!! Every night I thought to myself, "Can I do this? Will he ever be trained?"

I decided that I was going to give it my ALL and I was going to get this dog trained... because I loved him and Brady and the kids loved him... it was up to me to follow through with what I had promised when we bought him; to give him a wonderful life with our family and that meant getting him to the point where we could enjoy him.

He is now 14 weeks old and I am happy to say that he is pretty much 100% house trained and is sleeping through the night (without needing a midnight potty time). He is able to run around the main level of the house freely and I know he is not going to have an accident. When he needs to go, he runs to the door and sits by it. All the time and energy I put into him has paid off and I am happy I did not give up on him. Puppies are like kids; put love, attention and hard work into them and in return they will love you forever :-)

Aunt Flo...

I hate her so much... I wish she did not come to visit me every month... she ruins everything for a whole week straight!!

The one thing I hate the most is the cravings I get when she is here. I swear I eat like I did when I was pregnant... everything that stay clear from the other 3 weeks of the month, I am like a magnate to during that time. Like tonight, I picked up Applebee's for us... I got what I have been craving all day, boneless chicken wings with sweet BBQ sauce!! It tasted wonderful, but now I feel so bad and keep thinking that I need to go to the gym to try to burn off at least 1/4 of what I just ate :-( Yesterday we had pizza for lunch and I am not going to lie, I ate most of it!! At this rate, I am going to gain 10 pounds over the next week!!! :-o

As soon as she is gone, I am back to normal eating yummy salads and high protein meals... I just do not know how to get through this time not having these crazy cravings, caving into them and then feeling super bad about it after... uggggg

The Scream!!

Today has been very rough! Brock has been screaming and crying all day... which would not be that be of a deal, but today Landon had his preschool field trip so we were all the way over in BP this morning. I had a ton of errands to run while Landon was gone and Brock was an absolute nightmare... he was trying to get out of the cart, tried throwing everything out of the cart and screamed like I have never heard before.

I would consider myself a pretty patient parent, especially when I am out with the kids shopping... I have learned over the years to not over react when out in public because the kids will feed off of of your reaction and will be 10 times worse if you freak out. I was able to keep my cool on the outside, but on the inside I was so mad. I can't complain because Brock has always been my good little boy, especially when out shopping. He is getting his molars in right now and I am sure that is a good part of way he was having such a hard time... that scream is just like no other and it has started to escalate up an octave over the last couple weeks!! Ugg

Boy, my ears are still ringing and I am so happy we are home now and he is fast asleep in his crib :-)

This is the face that I saw all morning!!!

I feel kind of bad...

Landon has his first preschool field trip tomorrow and they are going to the Fire Museum in Minneapolis... he is very excited to say the least. I could have gone to be a chaperon and chose not to and now I feel super bad about it because I am going to miss out on this experience he is going to have :-( I am really just living out my own past and fears through him.

When I was growing up, my mom was a SAHM and we did everything together... I was so dependant on her and she was happy to do almost anything for me. When I started school (Kindergarten/1st grade) I really struggled adjusting being away from her. I just wanted to go home and be with my mommy... she fed into it, which did not help. Anywho, whenever we had field trips at school, my mom HAD to go or I would have a panic attack. I could not go without her.

Well, I got over that stage pretty quickly and by 2nd grade I was completely embarrassed when my mom even showed up to school!! lol

So, that is what is bringing me to Landon and his field trip... I am so afraid that he is going to get dependant on me always being there and I do not want him to go through what I did. I want him to be at school and feel confident, independent and happy being with other children... I can honestly say, he is all of those things and I am beyond proud of him! He is going to have so much fun and I can not wait to hear all about it... maybe I will go on the next field trip ;-)

Pet Peeve of the Day: Hold the Door

I seriously can not stand when people do not hold the door open for you... especially for a mom with kids! I just do not understand what has happened to our society when you can let a door slam shut on a mother with a stroller, kid in tow and two bags in hand!! This happens to me ALL the time... I do not believe people need to stop the world because we are coming, but really?? I find that the only people who are more than happy to help are other mothers, because they know what it feels like!

I think the world would be a better place if everyone just held the door open for someone, with kids or not, once a day... because random acts of kindness are few and far between these days.

Oh, and if anyone ever sees a mom with a stroller walking up to a door, hold it open for her... you might just make her day :-)

DIRT & WORMS

This is one of the most popular dishes that I bring to gatherings... if there are kids there, this is a must!! I have seen people trying to scrap the last little bit out of the bowl with their own spoon before :-)

1 pkg. Oreo cookies, finely crushed
1/2 stick butter
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
1 c. powdered sugar
3 1/2 c. milk
2 sm. pkgs. instant pudding (vanilla or banana cream)
12 oz. Cool Whip
Gummy worms

Cream together butter, cream cheese and powdered sugar. Combine milk, pudding mix and Cool Whip in separate bowl. Add cream cheese mixture to pudding mixture. The original recipe calls for you to alternate layering the pudding mixture and cookies, but I personally like to mix it all together. Cut gummy worms on half and press onto the top for decoration. Chill 3 to 4 hours. Use a plastic sand bucket or I like to just put it in a large bowl for family events.

PUPPY!!

We are going to be adding a new member to our family in 2 1/2 weeks and we are all soooo excited!! We are getting a little Weimaraner and he is so cute :-) He is currently only 6 weeks old, so we need to wait another couple weeks before we can bring him home. I feel like we are nesting for a new baby around here... puppy proofing the house, buying all of his essentials and reading everything we can about the breed! I think Breezy (Brie) will love him too, she is in serious need of a new doggie friend! Every time we are outside with her or out walking, she goes crazy when she sees another dog, she just wants to go over and play so bad :-D

Here is a super cute picture of the dog and boys... he is the one in Landon's lap with the baby blue collar on! We are thinking of naming him Sky :-)

Our Spring Project!!

I have been trying to think of a good Spring project to do with Landon this year. Last year we planted flower seeds, but since it was so cold out it took forever for them to grow and Landon was pretty bored with it.

So, this year I am going to get and keep his attention with... BUTTERFLIES!!! I thought it would be good for him to see how they start off as caterpillars and metamorph into beautiful butterflies. I am hoping after they become butterflies, we can bring them up north to my parents cabin and set them free!

I am very excited to get them to start the process... Landon and Brock are going to love it :-)

Here is the website: http://www.nature-gifts.com/1402-butterfly-kits-garden.html

Easter

We were blessed yet again with a wonderful Easter! The boys had fun with their Easter baskets in the morning. Brady made his famous french toast and then we attended St. Anne's Catholic Church for mass. From there, we went to my Grandparent's house for lunch and on to Brady's parent's house for dinner. Somewhere in that chaos, we did get home for Brock to have a 2 hour nap, which did not seem to make a difference for him... he was still in a crabby mood when he woke up ;-)

Wonderful food, wonderful family, wonderful day!! Thanks be to God!!!

WEIGHT WATCHERS LASAGNA

Here is another one of my favorite recipes and of course it is Weight Watchers!! My Mom always cooked WW recipes while I was growing up, so that is what most of my recipes consist of :-) I will only make this lasagna, because it is the best and I know it is not full of extra fat and calories!

1 lb. ground turkey Italian sausage

1 lg. onion, chopped
1 (14 1/2 oz.) can stewed tomatoes

1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste

1 c. water

2 tbsp. parsley flakes

1 tsp. basil

2 2/3 c. low-fat cottage cheese

4 oz. Parmesan cheese

1 tbsp. parsley flakes

1 tsp. oregano

8 oz. lasagna noodles, uncooked

8 oz. Mozzarella cheese

Brown and drain turkey and onion. Mix together stewed tomatoes, tomato paste, water, parsley flakes and basil. Mix together 2 2/3 cup cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, parsley flakes and oregano.

In 9x13 inch pan sprayed with Pam, layer: 1/2 sauce/meat mixture, 1/2 noodles, all of the cheese, 1/2 noodles, remaining sauce. Top with Mozzarella cheese and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour covered, 15 minutes uncovered. Let set before cutting. Each serving: 1 bread, 4 protein, 1 vegetable, 35 optional calories.

KEENS!!

Brady has had a pair of Keen sandals for about two years and loves them! So, when we asked Landon what kind of sandals he wanted this year, he said ones like daddy :-) We went to Dick's Sporting Goods tonight and let him pick out a pair and they look so cute on him. He is very excited!!

After Landon had found his pair, Brady looks at me and tells me to pick out a pair too... I was thinking this is definitely not my style of sandal, but they do look comfortable and I really have no need for too many pairs of dressy sandals when I am home all day. I tried a pair on (of course the purple ones) and LOVED it! I was so surprised how comfortable they are and they actually do look cute. The most important thing is, Brady likes them on me ;-) He really likes the sporty look on girls and I am trying to be better at dressing "sporty chic."

I am really excited to try them out tomorrow :-D

Here is the pair I got.

Clothes... it's a Love-Hate Relationship!

I am so frustrated right now!! I just went through my closet and threw away5 pairs of jeans that are too big for me... that is a good thing, but now I only have one pair that fits :-( I am so happy that I have lost over 25lbs since having Brock, but now my closet is no use to me at all!

I gained 50lbs while pregnant with Landon and was able to shed off about 10lb after... I was overweight for about 2 years and then I got pregnant with Brock and ate sooooo healthy and only gained 25lbs the entire pregnancy... was able to shed that weight pretty quickly. My clothes are ALL too big now and everything that fits from before Landon is so outdated and ugly. Everything from after Landon is huge! I love to go shopping but I hate how things look on me, because even though I am about 10lbs from my pre-kids weight, my body does not look the same and things definitely do not fit the same :-(

I am just in a crappy place right now because I would like to loose another 15-20lbs to get back down to my college weight and this transitional period is killing me! Brady and I went to Macy's a month ago because he wanted me to get a nice pair of jeans and cute shirts... needless to say, we left with nothing but underwear for Landon. I am sure there was plenty of things there that would have worked, but nothing made me "feel" cute like I did before kids. I just have to accept that my body will never be the "same" and no matter how much weight I loose and things will never "fit" the same. I love to shop for clothes, but I don't have that same excitement that I used to have about it :-(

One of my favorite pictures of my sister and I the summer before I got married... my goal weight!! Hey, it gives me motivation ;-)

Church

Yesterday the boys and I went to check out a Catholic church just up the road from our house. Neither Brady or I even knew it was there since it is up on a hill in the old downtown of Hamel. So, we went and LOVED it! The people working the office were so nice and inviting and showed us around. We even got to see the Sunday School room for Landon. The total parishioners is 400 families, which is super small for a Catholic church... I think this might be the church that we haven been looking for!!

This has been quite the journey finding a church that fits us. I was brought up Methodist and was pretty active in the church growing up. Brady is Catholic... so, after we got married and I became pregnant we decided it was best for us to be apart of one church. I decided to become Catholic. I went through the 9 month long class and was re-confirmed as a Catholic. It was a great experience and the church we were going to at the time made it much easier for me because they said to take my Methodist upbringing along with me during my new journey with Christ.

We have been off and on going to church over the past 3 years because we have not found "the" church. I am having a real hard time adjusting the largeness of the Catholic churches... there is just too many people and I just do not like that atmosphere. The Methodist church I was brought up in was big for Methodist standards, it had around 200 families. I want to feel like a member, I want to feel like I can make a difference, I want to know all the people in the church and I don't want to feel like 1 in 5,000.

We will be attending Mass on Easter Sunday there and we will see how it works... though we will need to try a couple Sundays being Easter Sunday is CRAZY!! I can not wait for Landon and Brock to feel apart of a church the way I did when I was little... wish us luck :-)

St. Anne's in Hamel, MN

Little Yellow Man

Tomorrow I am going to go out and buy what I like to call the "Little Yellow Man." He is a plastic little man that stands up holding a red flag... the point of him is to call caution to drivers who are driving down your street that there are kids playing so SLOW DOWN!! We don't live off of a "busy" street per se, but it is the main streeting heading into our development and people drive so fast! I get so mad because Landon is riding his bike, scooter and trike on the sidewalk in front of our house and I get so nervous he will fall or something and get hit by one of these speeding cars.

Landon is now 4 1/2 years old and knows not to go in the street and I trust him now. He so far this Spring, he has not let me down and has been a very responsible outside player. It is the other people that I am worried about. Unfortunately, I am not able to follow him around anymore outside since I have Brock to take care of and I usually keep him up more by the house and driveway and Landon wants to be a big boy and ride his bike without mommy following his every move.

So, the tacky Little Yellow Man is going to have a home at the end of our driveway while we are outside playing. I am not sure what our neighbors will think of it, but I don't care! My kids safety is more important than what people think of the crazy red flag guy. Now, I just hope nobody runs over my LYM!!!

The Little Boy who Never Walked!!

Yes, I am talking about Mr. Brock Daniel!! He will NOT walk no matter what we do to encourage or help him. The thing is, he CAN walk, he just chooses not to. Tonight over at my parents house, he was taking little steps between my mom and dad. He did it like 3 times and then was like Mr. Jello Legs and started to scream. During the day all he wants to do is crawls and if I try to walk him he just gets mad at me and falls to the floor.

I guess why I am getting so frustrated is Landon started walking at 9 months. He was a GREAT walker and did not do anything to get him to walk... one day he just took off across the room. Now, little B just wants to be carried!! He acts like it is too much work to walk and frankly, I am super nervous that he is not going to walk for awhile. I just want him to reach that next milestone and he is not ready.

I know that most parents worry about these things and in the end the kid walks and it was no big deal. Still, I wonder if it my fault that he is not walking yet...

The Love Story Between Landon & McDonald's

All I can say is, whoever is in charge of marketing for McDonald's is a down right genius!!

Before this last fall, going to McDonald's was a VERY rare occasion because Brady and I think it is greasy and bad for you. Well, that all changed when Landon started preschool last fall. He was having a real hard time being left at school, so one day I told him if he sat down nice in circle and didn't cry when I left him, I would get him McDonald's after school. It worked like a charm!! .

I have got in the bad habit of once a week picking it up after school as a "treat." Now, he wants it all the time and throws the biggest fit every time we go by one! When we run errands in the morning or we are leaving Lifetime Fitness he asks if we can go and I always say "no, not today" and he start screaming and crying... really? It is only McDonald's kid. What MD has figured out though is, the kids don't really care about the food, they want the stupid toy that comes in the cute little box.

He is too far gone to go back now. Even if we never went back, he would still cry for his chickie nuggets, fries and toy... it will forever be on his mind. Ugggg, those darn golden arches!!!

Great Recipe!! Weight Watchers Chocolate Chip Blondies

These are a yummy low-cal treat that I love oh, so much!! They are not only good, but they are super easy to make and there are not too many ingredients :-)

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 1/2 cups unpacked brown sugar
6 tablespoons light butter
2 large egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup mini chocolate chip
1/3 cup water

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt.
2. In a large bowl, beat brown sugar and butter until fluffy. Add egg whites and vanilla. Gradually beat in flour mixture alternating with water. Stir in chips.

3. Spread into a foil-lined 9- x 13-inch baking pan. Bake until golden, about 20 to 25 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Remove foil and cut into 24 two-inch squares.

Lock on Our Door...

We have had a problem with Landon sleeping in our bed since... well, he was born!! We have tried everything to break him from the habit, but it has got to the point where he now sleepwalks into our room, jumps in our bed and falls asleep in the middle of the night! He is definitely sleeping because the other night he came in around midnight and Brady tried to talk to him and there was nothing... so strange.

So, we decided that it is time to try our last resort, a lock on our door. I have not wanted to do this because my parent ALWAYS locked their door at night and I hated it. I hated it because I was worried something might happen and I would not be able to get to them for help. Well, nothing ever happened and I turned out okay, so tomorrow we are going to buy a new lock for our door so he will not be able to come in.

We have no idea if this will solve the problem, but it is worth a shot. It may even make it worse, because now he may start screaming and crying outside our door and then we will HAVE to get up and deal with him. I am hoping eventually he will be too embarrassed to sleep with his parents, but as of right now, he would not have it any other way... did I also mentioned that we just spent a large sum of money redoing his room because he told us that he would stay in his bed at night if we did?? Yeah, well he now sleeps in his bed for half the night.

To be continued...

My New Favorite Thing!!

So, after years of spending a ton of money on expensive face creams, I took a gamble last weekend at the store and bought a $5 moisturizer. Seriously, I am so happy with it and it works better than any of the other creams I had been using. I have already seen a huge difference in my skin's texture and it is not oily when I put it on. LOVE IT :-) I feel like a commercial right now, but it really is awesome!!

"Do Teachers Sleep at School?"

Landon saids the funniest things, like most 4 year olds do... but one of the funniest topics that has been on his mind lately is wondering what his teachers do outside of school. Here are a few things that he has said in the past couple weeks:

- Do teachers have kids?
- Do teachers live at school?
- What does teachers eat for breakfast/lunch/dinner?
- Do teachers have a house?
- Do teachers drive?

It goes on and on!! I remember when I was little and in school, I thought that the teacher lived at school and had no life beyond the classroom. Just cracks me up what little minds think about during the day :-)

Out with the old, in with the new!

Wow, it has been awhile since I last posted... I haven't even check this poor blog in 2 months!!

Anywho, we are in the midst of re-decorating the boy's room. I thought I would be super sad that the baby decor was coming down and the walls were going to be repainted, but I am not! I am soooooo excited :-) Their room was the first room we painted 5 years ago when we bought our house and I was pregnant with Lands and it the first to be repainted. We went out and bought a full size bed for Landon (and when Brock gets old enough, he will sleep in the bed too)! We were going to get a bunk bed, but Landon insisted at the store that he WOULD NOT sleep in it, and we believe him... he said he just wants to sleep with his Brockie. He likes sleeping with "someone" so this will work out great :-)

We also bought a super cute Pottery Barn bedding set, soooo adorable. It is going to be a big boy room for my two big boys!!!

I Still Have it in Me

I would have to say one of the hardest things that I am dealing with now one year into being a stay at home mom is missing the competitiveness of work.
Brady recently received a promotion and I was soooooo happy and excited for him because he is so good at what he does and deserves everything he got. After all the emotions of being happy for him went down, I started feeling jealous and wished it was me getting a promotion. I miss having that high of competitiveness in an office, whether it is on a project, position status or a promotion... being honest, I sometimes miss being in the "working" mix.

I also miss being apart of a team at work and all of my co-workers... I am not going to lie, it is hard to drive by my old office sometimes. I know all of this will be waiting for me in 5 years when Brock starts school full-time, but I am really realizing who I am and what is important to me as a person and what I will look for in a job when I go back. I miss the drive that I once had when I first was working and before I had Landon and someday I want to feel that again.

For now, I am extremely happy to be at home to raise my boys and get to experience their childhood with them, as I feel it is meant to be between a mother and child. This is what I wanted more then anything in the world, just be home with my babies... but, there will always be that competitiveness lingering in the back of my head, waiting to come back out...

Whatever Happened to being a Guest??

All I want to know is, whatever happened to being a guest? I am talking about being invited over to someone's house, whether for birthday party or get together, and actually FEEL like a guest. I am starting to feel like the old fashion being host/hostess has gone done the drain.
When people come over to our house, I rarely ask anyone to bring any food and if they ask, I will say chips or something that is not going to take time to make or bake as I want them to come over and enjoy themselves. I NEVER ask anyone to do the dishes, I NEVER ask anyone to clean up their spot at the table and I try to be as attentive as possible so people never have to feel uncomfortable making their way through my kitchen. I am always exhausted at the end of a get together and that is the way it is suppose to be.
What I have been noticing of late, is that it is MUCH more work for us to go to someone else's house for dinner, then it is just to stay at home and me make a 3 course meal!  First, I always have to bring a dish (which I love to bake & cook and have no problem sharing, BUT it is a lot of work making it before hand), I have to bring all of Brock's stuff (including chair, food, bib, sippy, etc.)... plus, everyone now days expects you to get into the kitchen afterwards and start filling up their dishwasher and wiping down their table.
I am seriously not talking about one person in particular, it is EVERYONE... and I have to say how incredibly uncomfortable it is, no matter how close you are to someone, to be in someones kitchen cleaning up! On top of that, I have to clean up my own kids, the highchair, the floor where Brock threw all his food, which to me is a given and I am going to do it no matter what.  So, I have enough to do just taking care of my own kids after dinner and then to feel the pressure to run into the kitchen and start cleaning... man, I am just ready to go home at that point because I am doing more work eating at your house, then it would have been at my own!  It really should not be that way.
So, I guess what I am saying is, next time one has a get together, don't just try to come up with the easiest and cheapest way to get by, but make it a treat for guests... make them feel like guests.  I just want  to have a fun time out with my friends and family and not deal with all the uncomfortableness!!
I mean seriously, do you think June Cleaver would have made her guests get in the kitchen after dinner?? NO WAY!

No more Babies :-(

Well, we finished gathering all of Brock's baby clothes that he does not fit into anymore and brought it all to Goodwill... that means that there will not be anymore Witt babies from our house :-( I have such mixed emotions about it.

On one hand, I am happy with my beautiful boys and love the wonderful balance of having two kids. Also, Brady comes from a large family (14 kids) and he has always said he only wants 2 kids so he can give them everything they need from birth until they finish college, including love, support, attention and financial help. I come from a family of 4, with just me and my sister... I always wondered what it would have been to just have one more kid in our family and sometimes wish my parents would have had more.

On the other hand, I am sad that I will never be able to carry another baby in my belly again and hold a newborn in my arms... and of course, adding another beautiful child to our family!! I really am not worried or feel the need to have a girl... I am one and I know how they are!! hehehehe

Brady is right though, we need to move on now and start to live our life with our family as it is... complete :-)

I was so Shocked!!

I did not start a "diet" today, but I am changing up my food a little so I can get rid of the last lingering pounds. So, of course I had to weight myself today so I knew what my start weight was and I was not looking forward to it... I have even ignored the scale all together for the past 4 months because I did not want to see the truth! To my amazement, I was actually down 17 POUNDS from the last time I weighed myself 4 months ago and I didn't even know it!!! I did start working out 3 days a week in September and we always eat pretty healthy because of Brady's weight lifter's diet, but I honestly did not know that I had lost almost 20 pounds :-)

The best part of this whole thing is that I have less to get rid of then I thought!! Now I only have 13 pounds left to reach my pre-having kids weight!!!!!!! My goal is to try to get down that, plus more by end of March-April before we go on vacation :-)

Christmas is the time for... an ATHEIST?

I am pretty upset about something I just read on Facebook... I was looking at one of my friend's pictures from Christmas. They had a beautiful tree up, tons of gifts, her daughter was in a beautiful red dress and their was a wonderful fest of food! Wow, looks like a typical Christmas at most people's houses... so, I went on to read her profile and under religion, it said, ATHEIST! What? You don't believe in God? Then why in the heck are you celebrating Christ's birthday?

No one has a right to celebrate Christmas if they do not believe in Christ... do not use Christmas as a fun day to exchange gifts and eat a bunch of food! How dare she or anyone else use a sacred day in the Christian Religion for their day of fun!

I am not even going to tackle my feelings on Atheists, because I do not have that kind of time right now and that is not the point of this post.... but I will confront anyone who takes the Lord's name in vein and or mocks his existence... those who do not believe will not be saved and if you feel that he is not real, don't waste your time celebrating the birth of our savior!!