My Exercise Routine This Week

Call me crazy (or a little paranoid), but I decided not to go to the gym at all this week because I was worried about the kids and I getting sick before vacation... well, I got sick anyways, so I guess I was looking out for the kids. I put the kids in the childcare center while I workout and someone always comes home sick. So, I decided to walk the indoor track at the Brooklyn Park Community Center, while Landon was at preschool on T/TH (he attends preschool at the community center). Brock was so happy to be able to get a stroller ride for an hour and a half and I actually got a pretty good workout!! Of course I didn't get to lift weights like I do at the gym, but I feel as though lifting kids all day counts towards lifting weights ;-)

Tuesday, Brock was all smiles and loving the walk

Thursday, he fell asleep before I even made it one time around the track

OH, BANANAS!!!!!

I am so excited for the 4th Pirates of the Caribbean movie to come out this summer!!! Landon and I LOVE the Pirate movies and can not wait to see it... we will both be there opening day ;-)

Weather Report!!

I have been stocking the weather channel site all week checking over and over again to see what the weather is going to be like in Disney when we are there!! So, far... I am liking what I am seeing!! Being that last week it was -25 degrees in Minneapolis, it will be a wonderful change :-)

We are heading to St. Pete Beach on Wednesday for the rest of the week and it looks like it is going to be in the mid to upper 60's... I will take it!!

No NyQuil for Mommy :-(

I want to take NyQuil so bad right now... I have a crappy cold and haven't been sleeping good over the last couple days :-( Am I the only mommy that worries about taking meds like NyQuil at night?? I am so nervous that I am going to get in such a deep sleep, that I won't be able to wake up if something were to happen to the kids!!

I miss you NyQuil... someday you will be back in my life when I have a cold. For now I will take some other junky medication that does not make me feel as good as you do :-)

This is GROSS!!

I had the most horrifying/gross moment today...

We got home from preschool this morning and I opened the door from the garage and almost fell over from the smell!! I looked over at the dog in the kennel and got that "look" from him. He was guilty. It didn't take me too long to figure out what happened... he had pooped in his kennel and not just in the corner!! He pooped and stepped in it and I am guessing tried to cover it up. He has NEVER done this before and I was in shock!! The smell was unlike anything I have ever endured. I stood there for a brief moment and realized I am the one that is going to have to clean this up :-/

I grabbed the kids from the car and brought them to "safety" away from the entry way. Then, I brought the dog outside (he trailed poopy paws all over my floor). I know I am pretty dramatic sometimes, but I really was gagging from the smell!!! I threw away the blankets and used lysol three times to get the yuck and smell out of the kennel. Cleaned the carpet and went outside (in the freezing cold) and wiped down his paws.

Next, bath time!! Landon, Brock and I all went upstairs and gave Sky the biggest bath of his life! He never protested... I think he was completely uncomfortable and humiliated. He was clean and the the "mess" was clean... and the kids FINALLY got to eat lunch at 1:15 :-)

Seriously, this is my life people!! If it isn't kid poop, it's dog poop!! This is the real life of being a mom... it is not glamorous and it is not always "fun." Heck, at least there is never a dull moment around here ;-) lol

Landon FINALLY got a Haircut :-)

It has been a good 3 months since Landon has had a haircut and with how short we have it on him, that was way too long!! I was holding out until we went going to Florida, but looking back I should have just brought him in 6 weeks ago ;-p

BEFORE

AFTER

Disney Shirts I Made :-)

I love when my boys have personalized shirts for b-days and big events... So, I was thinking why not have a Disney shirt for our upcoming trip?? I usually purchase shirts online, as they always turn out good and I don't have to stress about it looking bad. Especially, after last year for Brock's 1st b-day, I made him a shirt... it looked a little strange, but who cared!? We were on vacation in South Padre, TX and no one cared!! lol I told myself I am NEVER going to attempt making a shirt again!

So, I went online and found a great site that lets you design your own shirt!! I was so excited and spent an hour designing the shirts... they were so cute! So, I went to check out and... waa-waa WHAT!!! $55???!!!! Oh, bananas! What was I going to do? Brady would flip a pancake if I bought the boys shirts that they were going to wear ONE time for $55... Oh, but now I really wanted them to have it... Eeehhh, fine! I will try to make them myself...

I went to Michael's and bought printable iron-on sheets (10 sheets for $9.99) and Landon a plain white T for $2.50!! They I ran to Wal-Mart and found a Garanimals turtle neck on clearance for $3 :-) So... my total for the shirts were around $16.00 to do it myself!!!!!

I planned ahead for mistakes this time and had two "practice" shirts... I still kind of screwed up Landon's shirt. When I did the back, I didn't put something in-between the shirt and lost some of the front color onto the pillowcase I was ironing on, but you can barely tell. I had to just put them away when they were done because I was nitpicking them... I know if I would have ordered them online they would have turned out better...

What do you think??

After Ironing- about to pull off... ignore my hand, I have no idea why my hand looks so red.

Front of Shirts

Back of Shirts- I thought it would be cute to put their name & age

My model!! I actually pulled him out of bed to try it on... he was happy to help ;-)

Sky Zone!!

We needed to get the boys out of the house today... we needed a plan. They were bouncing off the walls and fighting over everything!! Brady did some research and found a place 15 mins away called Sky Zone, which is a indoor trampoline center. We had no idea what to expect when we got there and to our amazement, there was a child's play haven just down the road and we never knew about it!! The boys (and Brady) had so much fun!! I was a little nervous about having Brock out there, even though he was in the 5 and under area because older kids kept coming over to jump. They were super anal about parents going out either, unless you paid the $12 fee.

Brady eventually just went out with Brock after a little girl beat him up... literally!! I am not one to get upset when there is confrontation between kids, because I know they are KIDS, but this little girl went after Brock!! She pushed him down and then jumped on top of him and started hitting him!! Brock was crying/screaming bloody murder and I freaked out because I couldn't go out there nor could I find her parents anywhere. Finally, the lady working there ran out and saved our little guy... the mom came over "shocked" that her little girl would do such a thing and made her apologize... Brock wanted nothing to do with her!! lol Even as the little girl was leaving 20min later, she ran over one more time and shoved him over... maybe she liked him ;-)

Anywho, overall it was a super fun afternoon!! We are going to go back next time during Toddler Time in the morning where parent's are able to go out with the kids for free :-)

Video Clip of Brady & Boys jumping

Busy Friday!!

What a day today!! We started the day off with breakfast & bath time and then took off to the library. Landon loves the library!! He doesn't like the "kids" area anymore though, he prefers to get his books from the "pre-teen" area... he can't even read, but most of the books still have a lot of pictures. He has always been ahead of his time, I think it is because he LOVES his uncles (who are close in age) and wants to be just like them :-) Brock picked out some cute puppy books and two kid's movies. After paying off my $11.00 fine for late fees (lol), Landon did the checkout and we were on our way.

Next we stopped at Cici's Pizza Buffet for lunch... this was our first time there!! The boys LOVED everything and I was on my feet the entire time retrieving them food. I think I sat down for 5 min and chowed down a couple pieces of pizza!! The great thing was, kids 3 and under eat FREE!!! So, between the three of us, I only spent $12 for lunch... that was awesome. We will definitely be frequenting there again :-)

Landon & Brock eating pizza & pasta for lunch... Brock is in the middle of eating and saying, "cheese!"

When we got home (around 1pm) I tried putting Brock down for a nap and he was all hyped up from the fun afternoon... so, lucky him got to skip nap time and help me clean the house ;-) Brock helped me clean the bathrooms, do laundry, vacuum all three levels, do the dishes and clean his bedroom. He fell right to sleep tonight and is totally out! We know this because brother Landon had a tantrum right outside his room and Brock never even budged!! lol

Brock helping me vacuum!!

Landon's job is to take the garbages out... he is starting to think this job is not very fun!! lol

Special Day at Landon's Preschool

Today, Landon's preschool held a special event with a comedian/magician and I was so excited to be apart of the festivities!! I volunteered in his classroom, as did many other mothers, fathers & grandparents... it was such a fun time!! There was three classes of 4 & 5 year olds that met at the same time today to watch. Since the performer was only the last 45 min of the 2 hour class, they did 3 different stations to pass the time. They did the parachute, story/song time, craft & science and then ended with the magician.

I love when I can be apart of Landon's classroom and he loves when his mom is there. This is his last year in preschool and I am so happy that I am able to be there to experience these great memories with him :-)

Short Clip of the entertainer today

Landon at the special event & in the classroom

My Boys

It is amazing what two little boys have done to me... I love them so much, that I can't even describe it. Being home with them full-time, I really feel as though there is a bond between the three of us that will last a lifetime. They make me laugh, entertain me, drive me crazy, keep me on my toes, hug me, kiss me and most of all, they tell me they love me over and over again throughout the day.

In return, I listen to them, help them, teach them, discipline them, fall to the floor laughing with them and most of all take the time to love each one of them up. They are each so special in their own way.

Landon has a dark complexion and a little hottie!! He has more energy than any other child I know and rarely sleeps. He is in-tuned to what is going on around him and is very sharp... I sometimes forget I am talking to a 5 year old because he understands so much, maybe too much. His preschool teachers all say he is the most popular child in class and is a leader... I love hearing that he is liked among his peers :-) Landon is also sensitive and has no problem expressing his emotions and how he feels. He has the most amazing imagination and I love to hear the stories that he comes up with and acts out. He is my first born and we have a deep and unexplainable bond... he is my little buddy during the day and I love him so much :-)

Brock is my little blonde hair, blue eyed sweetie pie!! He is calm and loves to curl up on the couch or snuggle up in my arms during the day. He is a wonderful sleeper (besides waking up at 6:30am lol) and takes nice long naps everyday. Brock is the comedian of the family and will do anything for a laugh and you will most likely see him with a big smile on his face. He is a good friend and likes to play with his cousin Victoria & with the kids at the Lifetime Fitness Childcare Center. My heart melts when he runs to my arms and when he says, "mommy." He is my second & last child and there is no doubt that he and I are inseparable... literally!! You will still find me "wearing" him around the house while doing chores... I love this kid :-)

Public Service Announcement:

This is a friendly public service announcement: Now that the holiday season is over, please take down your Christmas lights and Santa junk in your front yard. Yes, I totally understand it is freezing outside, but take 10 min every day and get it done. Valentine's Day is in a couple weeks, which means a new holiday. I want to be able to think that warmth is in the near future and I can't do that when you have your red & green lights blinking on your house reminding me of the cold winter!!

To the family kitty-corner to us: During the holidays, your house is beautiful and festive... but please, please take your decorations down earlier than Easter this year!! Seriously, Christ has Risen by then!!!!

If you still have your Christmas stuff up, you may not be lazy, but it comes across as though you are. Also, please do not take this personal as it is suppose to be a "friendly" reminder ;-)

Thank you and have a wonderful day :-)

11 Days!!

Oh, my Lord!! Get me out of Minnesota... this has been the worst winter I can remember!! Freezing temps, snow storms every other day... I am loosing my mind :-/

The good thing is.... FLORIDA in 11 DAYS!!!!!!! I found some adorable pics of the last time we went with Landon (he was 2). That was such a fun time, with so many amazing memories. I just can not wait to be in warmer temps with my hubby & kiddos... 11 days, 11 days, 11 days :-)

My Strange Addiction

I just started watching the new show on TLC, My Strange Addiction. I find that it is super hard to watch sometimes because some of the addictions are gross and scary. It is not easy to understand why these people do what they do, like eat laundry detergent, sleep with a blow dryer, eat soap, obsessed with working out and next weeks episode shows a woman who eats the inside of a sofa cushion. I cringe the entire show... but I can't stop watching it!!

I started to think, what are my strange addictions?? I don't have very many addictions, but I do have some obsessions. Obviously, nothing I do is too strange or crazy... because if I did, I would be on the show ;-) Here are my top three addictions/obsessions:

~ I am addicted to my childhood blanket... I sleep with it every night, I bring it with me when I travel & whenever I need a break or need to calm down, I grab my blanket. I know I am a grown woman with a husband and children, but I need my "security" blanket still!!

~ I am obsessed with my looks and the fear of "looking" older... I spend long periods of time in front of the mirror at night when everyone goes to bed. I obsess over every wrinkle, blemish, my hair and weight. I am constantly washing my face, giving myself facial scrubs, I put under eye cream & facial lotion on 2-3 times a day and I try to figure out how I am going to do my hair the next day before I go to bed.

~ I am addicted/obsessed with keeping rugs alined... I can not walk by a rug in my house without stopping and making it "straight." With two boys and a dog, I spend a lot of my day straightening the living room area rug... it drives me crazy!! Unfortunately, both of my boys have caught on to this, especially Landon. He always makes sure the area rug is straight when I am busy around the house. I have straightened other people's rugs at their houses before and on more than one occasion, I have stopped and straightened rugs at stores.

Cute New Bath Towels!!

My parent's got the boys these cute new bath towels for Christmas and they are so cute, I can't stand it!!! The boys LOVE them and like knowing what towel is theirs now. I think I need to go and pick up a couple more at the store :-)

http://www.kohls.com/kohlsStore/bedandbath/kids/towels/wraps/PRD~582161/Jumping+Beans+Lion+Bath+Wrap.jsp

Date Night!!

Brady and I having a "cheers" to a night out, just the two of us :-)

Brady and I FINALLY were able to get away tonight for a date!! We were determined to get out for this date, snow storm or not!! My parents were nice enough to watch the boys for us. So, we took on the snow storm and unplowed roads to drop them off at their house.

We ate dinner at Red Lobster and then we went to the movie, The Black Swan... OMGosh!!! That movie was sooooo good!! I am still thinking about it right now...

It was so nice to be able to actually talk to Brady without being interrupted every two seconds by the kiddos... oh, and don't forget that I was able to eat, enjoy & FINISH my dinner!!! That never happens anymore when we take the kids out. Overall, it was an awesome night with my hunny... I can't wait to do it again... SOON :-)

Note to Self:

Do not leave the cereal out at Brock's reach!!! God made him WAY too cute to be mad ;-)

HAPPY FRIDAY!!!!!

My Little Brock Talking

Brock has been talking for awhile now, sometimes one/two words at a time. He has just started trying to talk in full sentences. We can't understand most of it, but it is still super cute to hear!!

I was trying to get him to say, "I love you," but of course when the camera starts going, kids never do what you want!! lol I am trying to be better at capturing little moments via video camera with Brock since I was terrible with Landon :-/ So, here is just a little glimpse of Brock saying a few words :-)

The BIG Question!!

This is how most conversations start out, when the BIG questions is asked...

Me: "Hi! I haven't seen you for so long!! How have you been?"

Other Person: "Great! How about you?"

Me: "Oh, I keep super busy with my two little boys, and you."

Other Person: "Busy with work & family... so where are you working now?"

Me: "Well, I am a stay at home mom right now and really love being home with the kids."

Other Person: "Oh... really... (Here comes the "question") sooooo, what does your husband do for a living?"

LOL... that is the FIRST thing everyone asks me when I tell them I am a stay at home mom!! Brady and I laugh because we know people always want to know what he does for work and they ask with with the most concerned/inquisitive look on their face... like either he must have the most wonderful job in the world, or we are struggling on welfare!!

When I tell them what he does, they always seem pretty satisfied and move on. I wonder if other SAHM's get that question a lot? I mean, what your husband/wife does for a living can be a deciding factor in either one staying home full-time with the kids, but I find it funny everyone is so interested.

So, what Brady does is he works for a national pharmaceutical company... he works on the healthy living side in the Sales department. He LOVES what he does and the products that he sells... I am so proud of him and all of his accomplishments. He has worked really hard to get to the point where I can stay home and we can live a comfortable life :-)

What is a "normal" night sleep???

Brock & Landon made their way into our bed one night... ready to party!!

I swear that ever since Landon was born over 5 years ago, I have not had a "normal" night sleep!! I know that every parent goes through this in some form or another... but I am so TIRED!!!

Landon loves to stay up late and sleep in until 10am and Brock has to be to bed by 7:30pm and wakes up at 7am. I stay up late with one and get up early with the other one. I am partly to blame for this, since I tend to go to bed late (1-2am) because it is my only "quiet" time during the day.

Last night, Landon was ready for bed around midnight. Jumped in bed and woke up Brock... then Brock was awake and screamed until I brought him in bed with Brady and I. I didn't get to sleep until 1:30am :-( I attempted to go to sleep at midnight!! Brady and laugh that bed/bedrooms/sleep mean nothing in our house since Brady and I (sometimes Landon) fall asleep on the couch at night, no one sleeps normal & we play musical beds at night.

My goal for the next week is to be IN bed by midnight and see if there is any improvement overall with the family's sleep schedule...

Life with a Weimaraner

Life with our dog Sky, is... well, eventful! He has more energy than both of my boys combined and just as needed. He has to be in the same room as us at every moment of the day and can ONLY sleep in bed with Brady and I. I love him to death, but he is one BIG boy!! He is nearing one year old now and has simmer down a lot... he is starting to act like a "normal" dog, but I know having a Weimaraner, my dog will never be normal! lol

The reason I love this breed so much is that they are so loving, loyal, protective and quirky!! There are times he drives me crazy, but at the end of the day when he cuddles up to Brady and I on the couch or when the kids start to cry and he is the first one to run to them to lick their tears, it is hard not to love this crazy big ball of fur :-)

Taco Dip Recipe

I just found this recipe online and it looks soooooo delish!!!! I am going to make it this weekend for the fam :-)

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Cook Time: 30 Minutes

Ready In: 45 Minutes

Servings: 8

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound ground beef

1 (16 ounce) can refried beans

1/2 cup hot taco sauce

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 cup sour cream

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup chopped tomatoes

1/4 cup black olives, sliced

1/4 cup jalapeno pepper rings

1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. In a large skillet, brown ground beef and drain. Add refried beans, spicy taco sauce, chili powder and cumin. Spread this mixture into a 9x13-inch baking dish. Spread sour cream over meat mixture. Layer onions, tomatoes, olives, and hot pepper cheese over the sour cream. Top with the cheese.

3. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes.

Keeping Up

This is another day, O Lord. I know not what it will bring forth, but make me ready, Lord, for whatever it may be. If I am to stand up, help me to stand bravely. If I am to sit still, help me to sit quietly. If I am to lie low, help me to do it patiently. And if I am to do nothing, let me do it gallantly. Make these words more than words, and give me the Spirit of Jesus. Amen.

I have to admit, I am struggling to keep up with my daily chores now that Brock is nearing 2 years old and is a busy little bee!! Along with tending to my clingy Landon, feeding them breakfast, snacks, Lunch, nap time, snack & dinner and then cleaning up after each feeding, I am having trouble finding the time to squeeze in the million household chores :-( Oh, and lets not forget my little fury child, Sky, who I need to take out every hour for a potty break.

I make sure everyday that the dishes are done, the floors are vacuumed & the bathrooms stay clean... but there is so many other things that need to be done!! When I was thinking about becoming a stay at home mom, I figured I would have all the time in the world to get everything done and my house would be sparking clean everyday... not so much :-/

Laundry day is a killer for me because I spend a lot of the morning in the laundry room... then in the afternoon, I have to find a time when I can actually fold the clothes. Sounds like an easy task, but not when the kids are not bombarding me with issues or interrupting me with broken toys... or grabbing the CLEAN clothes and throwing them all over.

Am I the only one that has this problem??? I want to actually spend time with my kids during the day, by playing with them or taking them to a fun event... I don't want to just stay in the house all day just cleaning, but that is part of my job of staying home and my "boss" is a clean freak and has high expectations of what should be done during the day and how the house should look...

I guess there is not enough time in the day to be perfect ;-)

My Grandma Olson

Since I am so behind on posting, I wanted to make sure I posted about my Grandma Olson who passed away on December 28th 2010.

I was very close to my Grandma O, I was my whole life. She was my Mother's Mom and we spent a lot of time over at her house, going on vacations & were together every holiday & birthday. Before my Grandpa died 10 years ago, we would frequently go over for Sunday lunch.

My favorite memories are of me spending the night at her house when I was little. She would let me put on her jewelry and perfume and eat lot of ice cream!! I will also always remember the trip to Arizona with both my Grandma & Grandpa... on one occasion, we had to keep stopping in the car on the way up a mountain because she was so scared!! We made it and we had so much fun shopping in the town on the top.

There are so many memories of her, that I can't begin to write them all. The one thing that I can say for her was that she was always there for us. Until this last summer when she started to fade, she was there for every single one of my birthdays, every holiday & and both births of my babies :-) I will truly miss her, but I know in my heart that she is with God & Grandpa now and is at peace.

Here are two pictures of her from Christmas this year, 3 days before she passed away.

Florida/Disney Countdown Begins!!!

I am starting my Florida countdown because I frankly can not stand this cold, frigid weather anymore and I need something to look forward to :-/

This will officially be my 11th time to Disney World... Brady's 5th, Landon's 2nd and Brock's 1st!! We are staying in Disney at the Coronado Springs Resort for the for the first part of the week and they we are heading down to St. Pete beach for the rest of the week. We are staying in a full kitchen suite right off the beach :-) We have NOTHING planned while we are at the beach, just relax, swim & sleep... okay, knowing me, we will have a list of places to visit, but that is our plan as of right now! lol

20 DAYS until we leave for FL/Disney!!!

Disney's Coronado Springs Resort

Bilmar Beach Resort

Brock's New Baby Boy!!

This week when we were over visiting my Mom at her house, I went downstairs in the storage and brought up a bunch of my old toys for the kids to play with... I brought up trolls, trucks, stuffed animals and a couple dolls. I was guessing the boys would be repulsed at the site of a baby doll and Landon was, but Brock LOVED them!! He was so gentle with the babies and wrapped them up in blankets, put their paci in so nice and pushed them around the house in the shopping cart.

When it was time to leave, Brock cried for the babies. He wanted to take them home. I figured he would be over them 10 min after we left my parent's house, so I told he they have to stay at Grandma's. For the rest of the day he cried for babies :-(

Being a mom of only boys, I was elated at the idea of going out at buying a doll!!! So, yesterday after we dropped Landon off at my MIL's for an overnight, Brock and I went to the store and I let him pick one out. I think I had just as much fun as he did :-) He picked out a cute "boy" baby with a pacifier just like his. Since yesterday, he has made sure baby is always near!! I am enjoying this brief moment in time where one of my boys loves dolls, pretty soon he will probably be pulling its arms off and dragging it behind his power wheel truck ;-)