Fess Up Friday

First and foremost, I fess up that I don't really care about it being new years eve. We had a fun family outing to the zoo this evening, and I'm already in my PJs, laundry running in the washing machine, and my bed calling my name as soon as I finish this!

Elijah and I had a mommy/son excursion the a few nights before Christmas (shopping!) It wasn't until we got home and I removed Elijah's boots did I realize that I had him out without socks on his feet! (now, if the temperature was as it is tonight-50 degrees!, wouldn't have been a big deal.) I guess I need to be proud of the fact that he can put his boots on all by himself. Plus, he never complained, so that definitely means that I need to give a great big shout out to Lands' End for keeping his bare feet toasty warm!

I came home one day from running errands to Charlotte informing me that Greg hit her finger with the hammer. They were hanging some wall decor in her room. I gave Greg the you-better-explain-quickly-to-me-how-you-could-have-done-that-look, and he said, "Well, she hit me on the finger with the hammer, so now we're even." I KID YOU NOT!!!!!
(Now, before anyone says that this is not me fessing up to anything. I admit I have been the primary author of this blog, it is about Greg and me raising our kids together, thus the inclusion of his confession. Plus, this story was too funny not to share.)

This week we were training Caleb not to get up in the middle of the night using the Ferber method of sleep training. (For those that don't know the Ferber method you go in after 5 minutes of crying, then after 10 minutes of wailing, then after 15 minutes of screaming, never picking up the child, but just assuring him that you haven't abandoned him, by rubbing his back or belly, and saying everything is OK.) On our first night, Caleb finally fell asleep after the 20 minute check-in (or so I thought). I felt bad about having him cry for so long, so I peeked in his room, and then walked right up to his crib, and very quietly whispered to Caleb who was turned away from me sleeping on his belly, that I was very sorry and that I loved him very much. Well, Caleb had me fooled, because as I finished whispering to him, he turned his head toward me, got up on his knees and started wailing again. I very quickly and quietly left the room, and profusely apologized to Greg for my stupid move and bunkered down to listen to his crying for another 25 minutes.

So, any final confessions of 2010? Happy New Year!

A conversation

Iowa Gramma: You're lovely, just lovely.
Charlotte: I'm not lovely-YOU'RE lovely.
Iowa Gramma: If I'm lovely, then what are you?
Charlotte: I'm jealous!

Fess Up Friday

This week after mopping the floors Greg mopped the floors, I flushed the water down the toilet, along with one of the rags! So, as you can guess this fess up post is two-fold, because I'm sure you can imagine how dirty the floors were so that I wasn't able to see the one rag in the water!

Why Disney Does It Best…and an Amazing Flite Stroller Contest!

Why Disney Does It Best…and an Amazing Flite Stroller Contest!

Fess Up Friday

Well, if you saw this post, you know I got really excited about an article about the Word Of Mouth programs I participate it. Well, if you were like me and ran out to get your Chicago Tribune and flipped right to the Money and Real Estate section to look for the aforementioned article, you would have NOT found it there! I guess God was humbling me a bit, by the article not being in the paper (at least not last week!) It did, however, get on frugalista's blog and you can find the link in my last post.

I got in a fender bender on the way to work on Wednesday. Fortunately no damage was done to either car. I do 'fess up though that at first I wasn't going to tell Greg, or at least save it for my blog post to tell him, which would have been an evil trick considering I know he doesn't read my blog and it would have been a test to see if he in fact does read my blog, which he doesn't. :)

So, what are you 'fessing up to this week?

My 15 Minutes

When I read on Money Saving Mom last week, that another of her readers, Carrie, was looking for a person to interview regarding sample programs and word-of-mouth marketing programs for this little newspaper, I just KNEW I needed to contact her. So, on Sunday evening I spent some time eagerly telling Carrie about the many programs I participate in and the free items I receive. Instead of telling you all that we discussed, I'll let you check it out for yourself.

http://www.chicagoshopping.com/deals/frugalista/sc-food-1119-frugalista-samples-20101111,0,3192801.story

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't super excited about my fame and fortune.* In fact, I won't let it get to my head that I am going to be in the Sunday edition of the city's largest paper, in the Money and Real Estate section. But, please, let me just have my 15 minutes!

*I received no fortune from being interviewed by Carrie, and will probably not receive any fame from being interviewed by her either.

Fess Up Friday

Well, I confess that I no longer know how to make rice on the stove top since I have become so accustomed to making it in my handy dandy Pampered Chef Microwavable Rice Cooker. Because I no longer know how to make rice on the stove, I had to look up a "recipe" online. While I was looking up said "recipe" I left a plastic bowl on the stove top, which wouldn't have been a big deal had I not had the broiler on cooking our pork chops for dinner. So, yes, you guessed it, I melted a plastic bowl. And the really funny part? I had left the rice directions from the original packaging on the side of the Tupperware Modular Mate I keep the rice in. And I swear I checked there prior to going online!

Fess Up Friday

Lest anyone think I had a perfect week last week and had nothing to fess up to, I confess that I wrote down my faults and shortcomings last week so I could include them today, cause as it were, I was on my way to camp to scrapbook. First confession-I didn't really miss Greg and Charlotte and Elijah all that much. I was certainly glad to see them upon my return, but hardly thought about what they were up to, or what I would be missing out on at home. I know I definitely did NOT miss cleaning and cooking!

I do confess that I allowed the kids, me and Greg to wear our swimsuits at the end of October. I also confess that for a couple of hours I didn't care about how much energy we used in the house, as I kicked up the heat to 80 degrees. I also confess that I allowed the kids (and us adults) to hula hoop in the house. All this because I made Hawaiian Chicken for dinner and wanted to really create a Hawaiian theme. It was truly a blast!!!

I confess that I stood in the library for a good 10 minutes trying to figure out if I should return my library books or keep them and pay the fine. I had one I was still in the middle of, it was already late, and other people were requesting it. If I turned it in, I would of had to wait. So, yes, I was selfish, and not completely frugal, and decided to keep the book and pay the resulting larger fines. (I owed the library $2.80 today upon returning the book.) The other 2 books are new releases, and I seriously thought about keeping them, asking the librarian how many requests were out on each of the books, and even asking how many of each of these books are in the system so I could figure out when I might possibly get them in my hands again. I'm thinking 6 weeks at the most.

I also confess that I opened the garage door one night and could not for the life of me figure out why I did. It took a good 20 minutes to remember that I opened the garage so I could retrieve the hula hoops for our Hawaiian Night.

Geez, that was just last week!

This week our car broke down and was getting fixed up in Huntley by my grandparents house (that's where it was discovered it was broken). I didn't really need a car for any other reason but to take and pick up Charlotte from school, which isn't completely necessary because it is less than a 2 mile walk. I had every intention to walk on Monday, but I confess that I was too tired from my weekend of scrapbooking that I did take up my neighbor's offer of borrowing his car. I also confess that I decided not to pull out Charlotte's 2nd booster seat from the garage and was just going to buckle her straight into the seat. Well, as it happened, my neighbor's car did not have the car seat in it for Elijah to sit in (their son is just a year younger than Eli) and because time was tight I decided to drive to the school with my 2 oldest kids not properly restrained in car seats/booster seats, but just buckled into the car.

On Tuesday, as we were walking to school I realized that Charlotte did not brush her teeth at all that day. My solution? Winterfresh Mentos gum. Of course, I also need to confess that I forgot to have her spit it out before she got to school!

So, any confessions this week?

Fess Up Friday

On Sunday as Greg was driving our family home from church, I was reading the newspaper and Charlotte in the way back seat of the minivan was talking and talking and talking some more. I gave the occasional, ""Uh-huh" and "Oh, really." However, my very perceptive 4 year old, then asked, "Are you listening to me, mama?" And to be honest, I wasn't, at least not fully. However, I responded that I was and then spewed out everything she said. Sound familiar, Kimberly?

I guess that Caleb has still been getting up once a night in the middle of the night. I wouldn't really know, except for when I ask Greg in the morning, who tells me that he did, because I can not hear him in the middle of the night! I am now sleeping through my baby's cries! Now before thinking that maybe Greg is getting Caleb super quick and rushes to him at the sound of his very first whimpers, I know very well that's not the case, because Greg is not that light of a sleeper! Regardless, super rock star award to Greg for getting up with Caleb and never waking me up to ask me to give him his bottle!
*Take note, Mom and Kimberly for next weekend!

An Addendum to Fess Up Friday, Umm, I mean Saturday

Wow, Sara always gets me to add something to Fess Up Friday! Sara's comment to Fess Up Friday, Umm, I Mean Saturday, was "How did Greg feel about you using his toothbrush?"

Well...yeah...I haven't told him yet.

Fess Up Friday, or shall I say Saturday?

So, I have no qualms about dressing Elijah in pink for Halloween, but when Caleb's costume came with tights, I did question if it was OK for baby boys to wear tights-just briefly however. I did ask Greg if it was OK for Caleb to wear tights for Halloween, and his response was just perfect (and this is why I love him, since he could have said so many of the wrong things!) He said, "Superheros wear tights." Big smile! And no, Caleb is not going to be a superhero.

One night this week, Caleb was having a tough night. He got up soon after Greg and I had fallen asleep, which is my opinion is the worst! He then got up another time (maybe an hour or 2 after the first time), talking in his crib, that got progressively louder and woke me up. So, I went to get Caleb, brought him into our room, and yelled at God "Why isn't he sleeping, Lord? Help him to sleep! I am so tired!" I then tried to rock him to sleep (and by try, I mean 5 minutes) and then handed him off to Greg who had been sleeping, and then crawled into bed myself. (Greg definitely gets the rock star award for this because he did stay awake with Caleb, not once complaining, AND he had to go to work the next day!)

On Thursday we had a sitter so I could do a market research focus group. Prior to her arrival I stripped Elijah down to his diaper and he was content without having clothes on. Greg got home to relieve the sitter, and when I got home later, Greg said, "Yeah, and when I came home Elijah wasn't wearing any clothes and was just in his diaper." Oh yes, I did consider leaving the blame to the sitter, but after a moment did say, "Well..."

My grandparents gave us one of their Netflix DVDs to watch on Monday, and I said we would watch it that evening and put it in the mailbox on Tuesday. It still sits unwatched on our living room floor. (I did inform my grandma of this, and fortunately she is cool with the fact that we haven't watched it yet!)


This morning neither of my toothbrushes were in the downstairs bathroom, and because I was too lazy to run upstairs to get one of my toothbrushes, I used Greg's instead.

So, what are you fessing up to this week?

An Addendum to Fess Up Friday

PLEASE READ PREVIOUS POST FIRST AS THIS WILL MAKE THIS POST MUCH MORE FUNNY!

A comment on my previous post, caused me to remember that there was something else I needed to fess up on.

The comment was "Guess you'll be checking his seat like 5 times now."

Well, not exactly.

After the Scarecrow Festival I put Caleb into the car half-buckled. I did realize it before I got home (actually only 10 minutes into the hour long drive home). And partially buckled IS better than not being buckled at all.

Fess Up Friday

Guess what? I'm not perfect! No, really, I'm not. Each week, I'll be posting a little bit about my imperfections as a mom and person, of course expecting you to laugh at these situations.

On Sunday, we had to stop 10 minutes after getting on the road from Champaign so Charlotte could go to the bathroom (and yes, she went to the bathroom before we left the pumpkin patch). While she and Greg were in Dairy Queen, I got into the back of the car to burp Caleb. My phone rang, so I placed Caleb back into his seat and reached over to grab my phone. It wasn't until we got home 2 hours and 30 minutes later that I discovered that I forgot to buckle him back into his seat! And this even after numerous times trying to calm him down by looking back to put his pacifier in his mouth! Praise God, he wasn't hurt!

After 6 years of marriage, it finally happened! I fell into the toilet. The thing is I can't even blame Greg for it. I had JUST finished up cleaning the toilet when I needed to pee. I guess I forgot that I was cleaning the toilet bowl rim and not the seat!

On Wednesday I bought a sweater for Caleb for our family photos (along with 3 sweaters for me and another outfit for him. I was pretty indecisive in Target.) On Thursday I discovered the sweater's zipper broke off. I went to Target to return the 2 sweaters and the one outfit Caleb didn't wear and planned on exchanging the sweater that was broken. The customer service lady asked me if I had the sweater for the exchange, and I didn't since I went right to CS. She offered to take everything back and then I could just repurchase the sweater after getting it from the floor. I had every intention to, but since I did have all 3 kids in tow, and my Target is a two-story one with infant/baby clothes on first floor and CS on 2nd floor, I just didn't have the energy. So, yes I returned a worn (and spit-upon), albeit broken zippered sweater. (That will also be documented on in our family photos!)

Wow, that was therapeutic!

My Kids Say the Darndest Things

Charlotte: Daddy, do you know what a fist bump is?
And even before Greg has the chance to answer (and let's not forget he was the one to teach her what a fist bump was in the first place) she says:
"It's with your elbow!"

At my grandparents house it seems as if Charlotte and Elijah are always hungry. Charlotte was complaining of hunger and we were offering her a number of healthy options, to which she said no to all of them and then she said, "My stomach is calling for sweets."

And this quote, which is completely inappropriate, but I still find it completely hilarious comes from Elijah. Once again at my grandparents house the kids were hungry (no surprise there) and I opened the fridge to offer them some things to eat. Elijah points to the bananas in the fruit drawer and says "penis!" (As a side note, Elijah completely knows what a banana is and it was probably one of his first food words.) So, I pull out a banana for him, and say, "You mean a banana," and he then responds, "penis," once again. Boy, oh boy!

Oh, and Charlotte said "Butthead" today. Where did that come from?!?

A product endorsement

*Please note I am not being compensated for sharing my opinion in this post (would be nice, but considering the company has no clue I'm doing this I doubt that would happen).*

Yesterday while grocery shopping with my kiddos (yes, on my birthday.) I tell you, momma never gets a day off! Anyway, I had a few things on my list, including Ore-Ida frozen potatoes, of which I had coupons for (of course!). As I scanned the frozen food aisle, I spotted a blue bag of Ore-Ida potatoes (random, since usually their bags are red), and they were Alphabet Tater Tots. How fun, I thought! (And educational, the teacher in me said), as I scooped up two bags (for 50 cents each, by the way) and plopped them in my cart.

Well, we had them with dinner tonight and they were in fact fun! Charlotte shared words which started with the letters as she ate them. She also made words (oat and coat were 2 of them). Elijah pointed out letters (he knows the letter B!) And lots of eating and smiling took place as we all crunched on them. (seriously, they were the best, most crunchy tater tots I ever had!) So, if you are looking for a way to make dinner a little more fun (and educational), grab yourself a bag or two of the Alphabet Tater Tots.

My Kids DO the Darndest Things

Elijah just put a glue stick on his lips, thinking it was lip gloss. It was open in his hand, which was the first clue, but then I looked at his lips and they were purple. Thank goodness for colored glue sticks.

My Kids Say the Darndest Things

As I was doing Charlotte's hair today, Elijah wanted his hair done too. He kept saying "ponytail, ponytail." I did his hair but in a faux-hawk. He continued saying, "ponytail, ponytail." So I told him "I did your hair. You got a faux-hawk." He continued requesting ponytails, and Charlotte then said, "Boys don't get ponytails, they get faux-hawks."

I was dressing Caleb into a two piece outfit, of which both pieces had a giraffe on them. Charlotte asked, "Why does he have 2 giraffes?" And I responded, "Because they go together." To which she responded, "Is it a puzzle?"

Last week we were going to go apple picking, but there was a threat of rain. As we were discussing this with Charlotte we said, "If it does rain, we'll have to come up with another plan." And Charlotte then piped up, "We'll bring umbrellas!"

Coincidental Misfortune

It was coincidental misfortune the time I was pooped on by a bird at the exact moment that I was telling coworkers that I hated birds because I had been pooped on by a pigeon previously.

It was coincidental misfortune the time Greg and I hit a deer while driving home from Minnesota late one night about 30 minutes after asking Greg if he had ever hit an animal while driving (which was no, up until that night!)

"I really don't like bananas," I said to Greg as I was chomping on a banana this morning on our way to the 5K I was running in.

So, after I completed the 5K, bananas were the first food items the volunteers handed out. I grabbed one, and then proceeded to open it and took my first bite, probably because it was so convenient to just open up and eat, rather than dealing with the wrapper from the granola bar, as my hands were full with a cup of Gatorade, a bottle of water, and the banana. I had my finisher photo taken, was on a runner's high, and anxious to find my family in the bustling post-race area. I bit down onto my 2nd bite on banana at which point, I feel a crunch and a sting. I thus spit out banana to find a huge bee on it! And yes, my first thought was an expletive. So, for a split second I think about finding Greg and the kids, but then decide to find medical and get there ASAP because I didn't know how I was going to react, especially in the oral area. I find the medical tent and walk in, which is just strange anyway, because most people after running a race need medical for very obvious external needs like dehydration or bodily injuries. I explained what happened with much embarrassment and close to tears because I was so embarrassed by it. I mean who doesn't look at their food before eating it?!? The paramedics at first didn't know how to treat me. I heard them saying, what do we do for a bee sting? Have you ever treated one before? I got the first questions-Do you feel shortness of breath? Is your airway closing? The answer to both being no. The doctor came over and recommended that I go to the hospital. Because I was stung in my mouth, the fear was that I would swell up and be unable to breathe, and they did not have the means to stop it if that did happen. At the hospital they would. I, of course, wanted to be safe than sorry, but I still wasn't convinced that would be the best thing. I hadn't connected with Greg and I did not swell up immediately. They kept me in the medical tent, with the doctor telling me that swelling could happen well after the fact. And as I was there the underside of my tongue did in fact swell a bit, they gave me Benadryl, and I was able to connect with Greg on one of the paramedic's cell phones. At this point, multiple personnel were encouraging the hospital for observation, so then we were off, in an ambulance to University of Chicago Hospital. Much waiting ensued during which time the swelling in my mouth decreased. I was seen by a doctor 2 hours after my arrival, who then gave the all clear for me to go home, not needing to wait the 3 or 4 more hours for the Benadryl to wear off, but giving me a prescription for Benadryl in case the swelling did go up again. So, what should have been a short run with good family time at home afterward turned into a very long ordeal at a hospital because of eating a food I don't even like, but apparently the bee did.

One of the paramedics/nurse at the medical tent was filling out my paperwork and asked if I saw the bee (and this after I explained what happened). Seriously?!? "Umm," I said, "If I had seen the bee I wouldn't have put the banana in my mouth."

Kids Say the Darndest Things

Each week, I am going to compile the funny things my kids say and then post them on my blog with this title.

Caleb had been crying in the swing while I went to go get duct tape (not to stop his crying by the way), but to fix a board game box and when I returned, Charlotte said, "Caleb's a tent now." What she really meant is Caleb's content now.

I was helping Charlotte with something and she was telling me something that made complete sense, but I obviously can't remember at the moment what it was, but I did say, "I can't argue with that," to which Charlotte said, "But mom, I'm not arguing with you!"

Really, did I hear that correctly?

I just walked into the family room where Caleb was laying on the floor previously asleep and Charlotte was sitting on the couch eating my oranges. I go straight to the swing to look for Caleb's pacifier and Charlotte says, "He's right there!" as she points down to Caleb in the middle of the family room where I had laid him not even 5 minutes prior! I know I've had mommy moments of forgetfulness before, but I don't think I would have forgotten where I put Caleb, never mind the fact I had to step over him to get to the swing!

I'm Back

Here is the first post as a mommy of three! Contrary to popular belief I didn't neglect my blog because of being too busy or adjusting to life with 3, it was just that I was not very motivated to continue it. I was convinced I only had 2 readers (Kimberly and Kim). However, that all changed today, when I got a card from a dear friend in California who said she's been checking my blog! So, for her, and my other friends who live far away, I resume the blog!
Now, with the restarting of my blog, please know that I am extrinsically motivated, so please comment and let me know you are reading. Because to be honest, I hate blogging. I feel like my words are never witty enough and my pictures aren't sharp or clear enough (and that's when I do get pics up, since I hate uploading pics onto our super slow computer.) So, we'll see how this goes!

Boy!

When you show Elijah a picture of me, and you ask him who it is, he says, "Mommy!"
When you show Elijah a picture of Greg, and you ask him who it is, he says, "Daddy!"
When you show Elijah a picture of Charlotte, and you ask him who it is, he says, "Charlotte!"
And when you show Elijah a picture of himself, and you ask him who it is, he says "Boy!"
And we have no idea where he got it from, since we know he knows his name. Regardless it's cute and I don't want to forget!

The Emotions of a Practically 4 Year Old

This weekend Charlotte and I headed to Village Creek Bible Camp for the Women and Girls retreat. And although we had a wonderful, relaxing time this post isn't really about that! We didn't get to camp until 8:30 pm on Friday night, and by the time the hay rack ride, session, snack, and setting up our room were done and taken care of, and Charlotte was in bed, it was 11 pm! Yikes! That is about 3 hours later than she usually goes to bed!
She did take a nap on Saturday and woke up really tired (still) and cranky. I decided to lay with her and ask her what she wanted to do, throwing out the option of even staying in bed. To everything I said, she said "no." Did she want to see the bunny? Did she want to paint? Did she want to lay in the bigger bed? She wanted to go home and see daddy, but I said we couldn't as we had one more day there, but that we could call him on the phone. Even that she didn't want to do. And then a couple of minutes later she said she didn't want to go home. She wanted to stay at camp. She complained of being cold, but then she also complained when she was in her slumber party (sleeping bag). She was absolutely and completely indecisive! More sniffles and crying ensued, so I gently and lovingly asked Charlotte why she was crying, to which she responded, "I'm angry at myself because I don't know what I want to do."

And I couldn't have been prouder! An almost 4 year old expressed her emotions better than some adults I know (myself included!)

Yum, yum, yum, yum!

I'll preface this post by saying that I am not a very confident cook. For a long time I wouldn't bring meals to new moms at church because I was afraid that the family wouldn't like it. Or when we have people come over I make recipes that I know other people I know and trust have made and enjoyed. I'm very hesitant in the kitchen to make up my own recipes, or to deviate from a written recipe. And to be honest, very often I do not try to cook with new ingredients (until recently that is!) Last week it was Eggplant Parmesan, a recipe from my all time favorite magazine cookbook, Everyday Food (best gift ever 2 years ago which keeps coming every month!) And it was delish! Even Greg liked it, who was very hesitant after my mom bought it, saying "Is she planning for US to eat that thing?"

I was very excited when last week, I received my Bzz Agent kit for President Cheese. As a Bzz Agent, I get to try products for FREE and give my honest opinion (no pay for doing so.) So I eagerly looked through my Bzz Kit, and then went through my tried and true cookbooks, and discovered this recipe for Chicken with Feta Cheese. And if you can't already tell from my post title, it was delish, and.....wait for it, wait for it...

Greg even liked it, no, loved it! And this from the man who does not like, or more accurately, hates white food and creamy food. Well, he got both in the meal and devoured 2 big chicken breasts. The President Feta Cheese made the chicken moist, and boy, oh boy, was it packed with flavor! Oh and the aroma while I was cooking the chicken, fabulous! And the best part, I felt like a confident cook! I used an ingredient I normally wouldn't (I LOVE feta cheese, but the extent of my using it has been on salads!), and the result was perfect. Not the same old, same old chicken, I've been known to make.

As I said before, I get to try products for free as a Bzz Agent, and as part of the marketing, pass out coupons for others to try the product. I have 5 $1 off coupons to give away. So, if you want one, leave me a message with a recipe you would like to try using President Cheese and the first 5 people to do so, will get a coupon!

An Easter Hunt

As I was flipping through Family Fun magazine at my chiropractor's office, I discovered an awesome alternative to the Easter Egg Hunt. This year we have been to 2 Easter Egg Hunts, where the kids have received tons of candy, plus we are still making our way through the Valentine's candy, so I loved the idea of having kids search for puzzle pieces in eggs. This way, the kids still have the hunt minus all of the sugar and candy! And lo and behold, I had already bought a puzzle on clearance from Target that I was going to include with Charlotte's Easter basket. However, the puzzle I bought was a floor size puzzle with giant pieces, that would not fit in plastic eggs, so I found some colorful ribbon in my scrapbooking supplies, tied a ribbon around each puzzle piece, "hid" the pieces, and gave Charlotte a basket to let her at 'em.

The result: a big hit! ((At least for Charlotte. Elijah was too busy running around the backyard and tumbling down the hill to participate!) And this hunt came in two parts, because after finding all of the pieces, Charlotte then had a puzzle to put together!

Still Learning!

Apparently I need a good lesson or two in patience! And to keep trusting that the Lord will provide! I am doing a clear out the clutter challenge, based on Money Saving Mom's blog, and cleaned out our linen closet on Tuesday. As I did I realized Charlotte's hair accessories are just OUT OF CONTROL! So, I wanted a Caboodle box for her (surely you gals of the 70s and 80s remember the Caboodle box?) Now, instead of running out to the store ASAP (which I really do not do), I went to freecycle and posted a wanted for a Caboodle box. At the same time I offered a bunch of items, which go figure were taken right away, but anyway I digress! So, today I went to Target (had to get the oil changed in the car and Target is right across the street.) Lo and behold, there were Caboodle boxes! So, I bought one! I come home and check email and I have not one, but TWO responses from people letting me know they have Caboodle boxes I can have (for FREE, hence the name of Freecycle.) Oh boy, if only I had waited to get the Caboodle box I now need to return. If only I trusted that the Lord knows the desires of our hearts (and yes, He even cares about getting something for free rather than paying $12.99 to help with my sanity and organizing!) So, yes, I'm still learning!

Monthly Financial Checkup

Ugh, I so didn't want to write this post, but I figured we need to be honest in our paying down the debt goal-good or bad. In March, we put 0% towards paying off my school loans. Are we disappointed? Are we discouraged? Nope. At least not anymore (since like I said, full disclosure here!)

However, I think March (well, April, when we went over everything) was our biggest learning month.

And you want to know want our biggest mistake was?





Not trusting God enough, or shall I say not allowing Him to do the work in our financial situation. Nor giving Him credit where credit is due.
Here's what I think, OK, know.

I know that we didn't pray and ask God when He wants us to pay off our debt. It was all me, and I figured, God says debt is bad, so why wouldn't He honor MY plan, however, I KNOW God's plan and timing and ways are perfect. Does this mean, we are going to stop from trying to attain OUR goal? No way! Why?

Because I know my God is a very big God and can do GREAT things. He knows the desire of my heart and knows how much I want to pay off the debt. I also know I need to ask for His help, and that's where we faltered in March. I also know that no matter what happens, I still need to praise God and thank Him for putting us on the road to debt free living.

I also know that since we had a good February which we did give God the glory for, but only once, and we neglected to invite Him into our March finances. We felt February was easy, and hoped that all the other months would be easy. And because it was "easy" we then forgot to ask God to make our other months easy. It became easy to forget that God was the reason February was an awesome month! I do know that it's often in the difficult times we turn to God, so that may be why March was a difficult month. We are completely giving God April!

I am studying the book of Genesis in Bible Study right now, and currently the life of Joseph. Here's a verse that really stuck out to me and that I want to remember through this process. Joseph had been in prison for 2 years after he interpreted the dream of the cupbearer. The cupbearer remembered Joseph and told Pharaoh about him after Pharaoh's 2 very disturbing dreams. After Pharaoh asked Joseph to interpret the dreams, Joseph said in Genesis 41:16, "I cannot do it," Joseph replied to Pharaoh, "but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires." This just serves as another reminder that we (Greg and I) can't pay down my school loans, but God can!

Quotes of the Day

As we were getting ready this morning, Charlotte was sitting on our bed, and Elijah was walking across it. I picked up Elijah, gave him a kiss and then tossed him back onto the bed (this is something we have done with both kids before) to which Charlotte says, "Don't throw Eli, he's not a ball."

Umm, OK, not really a throw, but rather a playful flop.

Me: I'm just playing with him.
Charlotte: You're our mom, you're not supposed to play.

I'm guessing this is because Greg is usually the rough and tumble player, especially now as I am pregnant!

This morning at Bible Study the kids learned about how Jesus loves the little children, which I knew was the lesson because they always tell us parents what the kids learned about before we go pick them up.
I go down to meet Charlotte and she says, "Mom, we learned about the children today."
Me: Oh, yeah, and who loved the children?
Charlotte: Jesus didn't.

Oh my! What are they teaching her?

Just kidding, I know she is getting sound biblical teaching. Charlotte does have a difficult time with language when it comes to "not," as she usually says, "Why not?" as opposed to just why, and I'm guessing this is similar!

I'll Take It

Charlotte: Mommy, what does 5 start with?
Me: Well, what does five start with?
Charlotte:, fffffffffffff, F!
Me: Yes, that's right! Good job, you are SO smart!
Charlotte: Thank you!
Me: Who made you so smart?
Charlotte: Mommy!

Disclaimer: As I asked the question, "Who made you so smart?" I was really hoping she would say, "God," but I'll take it!

An argument

We're about to head out to run some errands, and here is a conversation that just took place.

Me: Charlotte, please put your shoes on.
Charlotte: Can I wear these shoes, mom? (As she holds up her black patent leather shoes that are too small.)
Me: Charlotte, those shoes are too small. They hurt your feet.
Charlotte: No, mom they do fit. Stop arguing with me mom.
Greg (from kitchen): Are you kidding me? (Under his breath, but I could still hear him from the living room.)
Me: ???????? (I am just too dumbfounded to speak as I walk into the kitchen!)
Greg: Well, you're going to have to address this.
Me to Charlotte: Charlotte, I am not arguing with you.
Charlotte: Yes, you are mom.
Me: When I ask you to do something and you don't obey by not picking out new shoes, that is not arguing. You need to obey mommy and daddy right away when we ask you to do something. You wore those shoes on Sunday and took them off. Do you remember why?
Charlotte: They hurt my feet.
Me: Yes, that's right. They hurt your feet because they are too small. Please put on these other shoes.

Which she did.

And just for the record, Charlotte's 3 1/2, not 10, 14, or 16! What will we have to look forward to at those ages?!?

House Party My Party

I am so, so, so, so, excited! I was chosen to host a DiGiornio Pizza House party! And of, course, since we love board games in our house, we are having a game night to go along with the pizzas! This is my first House Party, so I am a little nervous, but it was easy to plan, and it should be fun. For details about the party click on this link below!
House Party My Party

Monthly Financial Checkup

So, who else is in disbelief March is here already? I just wish spring would come! I'm anxious to get started on our garden (hopefully another way to save money), and get out and about more on our feet (to save gas money and of course, get exercise!)
I am totally seeing how God is honoring our debt snowball, and trust me, February was a difficult month! I just hope paying off my school loans remains this easy. I think as long as we stay focused on our goals and continue to ask God for His provision, He will provide! We put 35% of our monthly income towards my school loans! What a huge blessing! We were able to do this because we earmarked our tax refund specifically for our debt snowball. However, right after we got our refund we had a very costly repair to our car. Yes, at first I was so bummed that we couldn't put all of of refund towards the snowball. I got discouraged thinking about how we could have been "this much closer" to our goal. However, God's timing is perfect. The car's repairs came after we got our refund, so we decided we should use part of our refund for the car. It's amazing we didn't have to tap into our savings (which we would of, if we had to of course because that's what our emergency savings is for.) But we are so thankful, we had this "extra" money. And in the end, we still put way more towards our debt than we would have thought (part of it was do to the excess we had in January). Regardless of where it came from, we are giving God the glory and thanking Him for helping us in this journey!

It's Not a Porsche

Actually it is quite the lemon.


It does come equipped with a steering wheel though.


However, no ignition (much to Charlotte's dismay.)



And it is very clean...

...coming equipped with its very own garbage bag. (And yes, we keep a garbage bag in our car!)

My Little Guy

I feel like I don't write very much about my Elijah on this blog and figured I better start! There are just so many cute things he does that I don't want to forget, so here goes.

Almost always calls for daddy when he wakes up in the morning, except it usually sounds like "Daaaaaaddyyyyyyyyy." (This I don't mind!)

When I do get him up (and yes, it's usually me, since Greg is getting ready for work), if there are any blankets left in his crib, he will gather them all up and I'll have to pick him and all the blankets up (which then end up downstairs, disbursed throughout the house)

After dinner, when he's all done eating, and if he's tired, he'll run laps around the dining room. (It is the cutest thing ever!)

Thought he was advanced for walking/running on his toes, until it was brought to my attention at his 18 month appointment that he really shouldn't be doing that, and is now set to get assessed by a physical therapist.

Will give Charlotte a hug whenever she asks for one (I mean, he'll give any of us a hug when we ask for one, but there is just something very cute about two siblings hugging!) Unfortunately no pictures of this since I never seem to have my camera handy for those moments.

Loves water and will do anything to get his hands washed.

Loves brushing his teeth, which makes getting him ready for bed very easy, because all we have to say is "Want to brush your teeth?" and he'll cooperate.

Loves bath time, especially if we get the jets going on the tub. (Charlotte doesn't like it so much since it is "too loud" but Eli always asks, for "Bubbles!")

Can say lots of words, but sorry folks, I haven't kept track with how many he does actually say. His first string of words though is "I don't know."

Can sing Old McDonald Had a Farm as evidenced here:

Monthly Financial Checkup

It's the end of the month, and a long month at that, so I wanted to report how we did on our debt snowball. We paid 10% of our income to my school loans! Yes, 10%! And that's not it (yet)! First of all, we were able to do this because this was a 3 paycheck month. Because we are so used to living on 2 paychecks a month, the plan was to use the third paycheck for the debt snowball, which we were able to do. However, because it was a third paycheck month the last paycheck came near the end of January and we needed to keep some money out for February bills and budget. (We're still working on the whole cash flow thing.) So, when the next paycheck comes we'll be able to put another big chunk toward our debt snowball! (And we're keeping track of how much we are "lending" to February).
I must say, at first I was bummed, because I really wanted it to be more, but Greg really put it into perspective for me, telling me we should celebrate because we put in X amount of money, and X amount of money really is a lot, and he's right. It is a lot of money AND (I just had to figure this part out now) the 10% of our debt snowball pays off 11% of my school loan, so that is happy news.
So, how did you do this month?

Monthly Financial Checkup Addendum

Already God is honoring our debt snowball! Greg got a check in the mail from one of our health care providers because he overpaid a bill! When does that ever happen?!? And since this is extra money, right away it's going into the checkbook, only to be taken right out to pay off more of my school loan. Isn't that awesome? Isn't God awesome? Woo hoo!

Monthly Financial Checkup

It's a new month and a new year, and if you remember from this post each month we are going to report on how well we did on paying off my school loans. I am happy to report that in December we put 2% of our income towards our debt snowball! Now, before you gawk at 2% thinking that just sounds measly, to put in in perspective it is more than a date night out would cost us. Plus, 2% is better than nothing! I doubled checked my school loans (I have 2 of them) and we believe we can pay the one off by June, so we are working towards that! And of course, we know that nothing is too difficult for God, and we trust He is going to help us along the way get to that goal!