We are Pull-Up Free!!!

Natalie acheived a HUGE milestone this past week and went 7 nights in a row without wearing a pull-up to bed.  Whooo Hooo!!

To celebrate we got her a demonic Disney movie.

Okay, so let me just say that I had no idea that Disney was THAT bad, but The Princess and the Frog just creeped me out.  Demons, tarot cards, palm readings!

WHAT?!?!?

Princess Tiana was nice, but they could have left out all of the Shadow Man and his accomplices and still would have had a decent movie.  I was truly disappointed with it and fortunately we were able to take it back.

After evaluating all of the Disney movies Natalie owns, I'm thinking that perhaps we'll try to go another route with future movie purchases.  Snow White deals with murder, attempted murder and death.  There's a line in Sleeping Beauty where Queen Maleficent calls on "all the powers of hell!" and there's a lot of the use of "idiot" and "stupid" in several of the Pixar movies.  That might all be okay when she gets a little older and we can talk through all this stuff, but I'm uncomfortable letting Disney dictate what's okay for my kid to be privy to right now.  I'm in the process of trying to find some VeggieTale movies to feature more often at home and may well be getting rid of some of the more offensive Disney flicks we have.  So disappointing, really, as the stories, themselves, are so good.

Ahh... and so it's starting.  I can already see us fighting about short skirts and bikinis!!

Snow Day

This was our first foray into the snow this winter.  I can attest that it *might* be our last.  Anyone out there ever try to dress a 1 year old and 3 year old in winter gear all by oneself?  I can tell you it took almost 45 minutes (well that included me as well).  Ridiculous!

Okay, so that DOES seem a bit of a downer, but we DID have a good time playing in the white stuff.  Well, Liam was a bit tentative and not particularly interested.  Hmmm... I seem to remember a certain someone feeling quite the same way when they were his age...

We are not amused.

Yes, his pants are pink.  Perhaps that's what he was so unhappy about!

I had to bribe with a treat to get Natalie to look at me for this photo!  We ended up doing hot chocolate when we came inside which she announced she didnt much care for.  Must run in the family because I've never been a fan either!

Natalie was sledding down our tiny hill right into the neighbors fence and thought it was the most hilarious thing ever.  Hopefully next year Liam will be a good enough sport to try a better hill.

Standing in our picture window admiring the snow.  I love this photo because you can kind of see pictures of her on the window sill when she was 14 months old.  Sniff... they grow up so fast!

Thats all for now folks!

A State of Chaos

I keep reminding myself that my house will be clean... one day. 

Granted I can clean it, but the kids and I spend one day at home and the house could be mistaken for a burglary scene.  Couch cushions are on the floor, clothes drawers are emptied, bookshelves completely swept of all their books, refrigerator magnets littering the floor.  Natalie can definitely be to blame for her fair share of messes, but really it's Liam who's the prime culprit.

Just today, I cleaned his room three times.  He's climbing the steps to his room all the time now and loves to go in and close the door to his room and turn on his music. 

Funny... I have a feeling he'll be doing this in about 13 years too. 

This morning, while I was stealing a few moments to apply my makeup, he went into his room and shut the door and redecorated his pad with the bag of wet diapers hanging off of his changing table.

Let's hope THAT isn't being repeated in 13 years.

The kids are playing together a lot more - and that's fun to see.  However, one unfortunate side effect is that we hear a lot of screaming coming from Liam these days.  Usually it's in response to Natalie "mothering" him by trying to pick him up or shuttle him into the position she wants him in.  Sometimes it's indignation that he doesn't have the toy he wants or she's taken it away from him.  I can imagine it will just be replaced by "No!" and "Back you evil fiend!" in no time.

Just the other day I walked past the playroom door and did a double take.  Both kids are in a little drawer enclosure we use to store the play food.  The drawers have been cast aside and the whole thing is upside down.  Not sure what the faces are saying but they definitely look guilty!

Recently, to my amusement Liam's taken quite a liking for Dora and her map.  Well, okay, its really just the map.  Cartography in his future?  Not sure, but he'll go ballistic for the map when it comes on TV and listened rather intently to me read a Dora book Natalie had brought home from the library, insisting that we turn back to the "MA!" (map).  This is the first book of any length he's listened to.   What hold does Dora and her triangle-shaped head have on kids?   Seriously, what do the creators of the Dora empire understand about kids that I don't?

While I've never been fond of introducing my kids to TV, I DO see a need for Liam to be able to sit in one spot for an extended period of time so that we can travel to Kansas City to see my parents this spring.  Maybe Dora will help forge the way!  My last plane trip with him in August was a living nightmare and I'm determined not to repeat it.  So we'll see...

I walked into the living room in the middle of preparing dinner the other night to see this...

 

Notice the couch cushion missing?  I think my husband removed it this time.  Geez I can't win!!!

Realizing he's caught looking so grown up.  Now I just need to put him to work so he can pay for a maid.

Holy Stuffed Peppers, Batman!!

I love stuffed peppers!  But it had been forever since I'd made them.  I recently resurrected this recipe from the tried and true family favorites cookbook (a 3 ring binder of all our favorite recipes) and realized I need to make these on a more regular basis.  Can I just say... YUM!

Notes: I changed a few things...I substituted tomato sauce in lieu of tomato soup/water.  I seasoned my ground beef with all sorts of things (steak seasoning, SeasonAll, pepper).  I also halved my peppers and used red peppers instead of green.  If you do this, you'll need to increase the meat mixture so you dont run out.

Knock Knock

We have entered the world of knock knock jokes.  "Poopy" and "Pee Pee" have been struck from the acceptable list of punchlines and we've recently had to strike "toots" as well.  Toots, it seems, is the funniest thing in the world to a three year old.

For instance...

Knock knock!

Who's There?

A bunch of toots under the bed!!!

Something tells me that's always going to be funny.

Take Two

Started diet yesterday.  Bypassed chocolate cupcakes on our counter and went straight for the All Bran.  Tried to overlook souring milk but caved halfway through bowl and opted for 2 cheese sticks and a diet soda instead.

For lunch had tuna fish (only a little mayo) and half a sheath of saltine crackers.  Not QUITE a diet at half a sheath but a step in the right direction.

Opted not to workout since I'd been to the chiro that day, but resolved it was going to happen tomorrow.

Kevin called to say he would be home late.  Call happened to coincide with kids crying, dinner being late to go in the oven and sinus headache.  Instantly shoved fistfuls of sugared almonds and chocolate covered pretzels in my face.  Followed by the kid's macaroni and cheese, chicken, some ribs, the rest of a box of Nilla Wafers, and two hard ciders.

Um... apparently I'm an emotional eater.

Today is Tuesday.  Take two.

Old

So last week I was sitting at my desk minding my own business when I noticed a strange neck stiffness all of the sudden.  Turning my head was so painful, in fact, that I was unable to fully move my head from side to side (envision someone with a neck brace that requires turning the entire torso to look side). Figuring it would just "go away" as it easily as it had come I carried on as usual.  Granted my neck has gotten a bit "better" but the whole thing has kinda migrated down my back and I wake up in a good deal of pain in the morning now.  Yesterday I caved and went to the chiropractor and, while it helped some, I'll be back again tomorrow.

If this is the way that 2011 is starting I'd like to call a timeout.  When did 31 become old?  I at least thought I had a decade or so more before I got strange pains from sitting in an office chair.

This might be retribution from my body for taking a month off of working out and then stuffing my face through the holidays.  You just watch out, body, because when I get back to it I am SO going to kick you in the butt.

Off to take some ibuprofen now...