Three Questions?

If I was playing along with Jo-Lynne's What I Learned Carnival today, I guess I would have to say that I learned nobody really wants to know about me. Or that I overshare, so no one feels the need to ask me anything.

Moving on.

T With Honey asks:

What have you found to be the best solution for organizing and storing toys in which the kids can somewhat manage themselves and also not forget about their toys?

Oh T, you are too much. You are so kind as to think I have any kind of organizational system. We are not lucky enough to have a playroom, so most of the toys stay in the kid rooms. We do have one canvas basket in the living room for baby toys. My boys have one of these, only in primary colors and not quite that pricey. It is by no means perfect, but it is serviceable. I used to be anal and want the toys organized in each bin, but I abandoned that when I decided the boys could put their own toys away. This works for us because they can reach everything and none of the bins is so deep that toys get lost. They also have a toy box for their big toys, which means they might not get played with as often, but having them clean up regularly reminds them of the toys they have. My girls have less organization going on. Their babies and dolls and doll accessories are in one storage bin, dress up stuff in another bin, and then little toys are in smaller bins. They do have a wire shelving organization system that can be configured in several ways, but I don't love it and wouldn't recommend it. My best advice is to be ruthless in cleaning out toys on a regular basis so that there is not a ton of stuff to begin with. And finally, you have kids, so make peace with the fact that your house will reflect that.

Kami asks:

If you could do anything, beside being a GREAT mommy, what would you do?

Assuming talent comes with this dream, I would be an anchor on SportsCenter. I'm a sports nerd. I love watching sports. I love talking about sports. I love reading about sports. And SportsCenter is kind of the holy grail of sports television.

And finally, Jeanne asks:

I know you're an avid book reader, but are there any magazines you enjoy reading & why?

What a nice follow-up to the previous question. The two magazines I subscribe to are Sports Illustrated and ESPN Magazine. I've subscribed to SI for over ten years, and ESPN for a couple of years. I like them because I like sports. SI used to have some really great, in-depth stories about things I would otherwise not know about. While I think their content quality has declined in recent years, I still enjoy reading it. Plus, knowing about sports makes for great conversation in mixed company. I used to subscribe to WonderTime, which is a nice parenting/family magazine. I liked the stories, the recipes, the crafts, and the overall presentation. It is better than your typical parenting magazine. But, I couldn't afford to keep the subscription. I like to pick up Real Simple magazine every so often as well, for inspiration.

Thanks for providing me with something to write about. Coming soon, a birthday wish list featuring Etsy shops that I spend too much time browsing.

Quick Takes Friday (a day late)

Yes, I realize it is not Friday. Time was not on my side yesterday so I'm here today instead.

1. I killed it this week at the gym! This challenge with my girlfriends is doing wonders for my motivation. Each week we weigh in and post our exercise from the previous week. Seeing how these women are pushing themselves inspired me. I hit the gym six times this week! Twice on Monday. I tried Pilates and Yoga too. I enjoyed both, although the Yoga was intense and I have a lot to learn there. It feels so good to be active, and I'm so glad I have a gym membership, because outside exercise would not happen. It is way too hot, even early in the morning.

2. I joined a women's faith sharing group, which is kind of like a Bible Study but with less structure. They meet at 6:00 a.m. on Tuesdays. I almost didn't go to my first meeting because Butterfly was up during the night. But much like exercise, I know that I won't regret getting up early and going, but I will surely regret not going, even when tired. I'm blessed with many friendships and groups to encourage my in my faith, but I was missing something and I think this group is it. And, I actually felt good all day, even though I got up so early.

3. We settled on a party plan. We have friends that have a great house for parties and just went ahead and asked if we could have the party there. And they said yes because they are awesome. So we're having a party with a baseball theme. Nachos, hot dogs, I'm making cupcakes that look like baseballs, and so on. I'm very excited.

4. I'm going to use my blog to give a shout out to Lance Green of AT&T Wireless. I called to have my bill explained to me, because it was a lot higher than I expected. He was very friendly in explaining it all. We made changes to the plan mid-cycle and then Husband also went over his minutes (again). Mr. Green was very patient and then generously worked something out to cut our bill significantly! Sometimes it pays off to be a loyal customer.

5. Did I mention it is hot? Like, in the 100s hot. And poor Husband has to mow sixteen yards this weekend. I worry about him in this heat, but he drinks a ton of water and gatorade, so all will be well, hopefully. I love living in Texas, and don't want to live anywhere else, but I do sometimes struggle with the heat. But as my MIL reminded me, the hot summers here are shorter than the long, cold winters in the north, and I couldn't take that for sure. So I'll survive the days of 100+ temps and remember that a hot summer is better than a cold winter.

6. Speaking of summer, we are in peak swim season and things are actually going well. I'm pretty terrified of something happening to the kids while swimming, but it looks like change is finally on the horizon. While I still have to keep an eye on everyone, I can relax a bit with the girls. They know their limits and seem to be pretty comfortable in the water. Butterfly is a challenge though. She wants nothing to do with any flotation device, and seems to prefer climbing in and out of the pool to anything else. I get very tired following her around. The boys start lessons next week and I think Buddy is finally going to conquer his fears and take to swimming for real. He definitely likes the water more now, which is good because he has had the hardest time with swimming. Of course I'm still not at the point where I can lounge by the pool with a book and a cool drink, but that's okay. It is too hot to stay out of the water anyway.

7. To finish off this random, I've lately been watching/listening to a lot of country music. Weird.

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Way Too Much Information

Shoot me in the head now, please. Go ahead, I don't mind. Really.

We have a problem in our house. One that I have never encountered in my years of parenting. One that might not seem like such a big deal, but really is making me insane. It is oversharing. Excessive confessing. Verbal torture.

Buddy (5 yo, 6 in October) is consumed with this desire to tell us every. stinkin'. thing. "Mom, I picked my nose." "Mom, I bit my nail."

Just now, "Mom, I really did eat too much chocolate at Easter."

Or this one, "Mom, I know you told me not to suck my thumb, but I was sucking my thumb, but I'm not gonna do it ever again."

Five minutes later, "Mom, I sucked my thumb again."

So you can see why I might want to go ahead and die. Seriously, if you want to get secrets out of our enemies, just put them in a room with Buddy. They'll willingly surrender any and all information if they do not have to listen to one more thing.

I am glad that Buddy is aware that he is making choices and that some of them are not good choices. But he needs some perspective here. Picking his nose is gross, but is not something I need to know. I've tried telling him I only need to know if someone is hurt, sick, or lost. He doesn't get it.

Where is this coming from and how do I make it stop? Because if it doesn't stop soon, there will be no one in this house going by "Mom" any longer.

What I Learned: Gloria Estefan Got it Wrong

Hello! A new post two days in a row! Don't get all excited though, you know it is bound to slow down around here soon.

Gloria promises that "the rhythm is gonna get you" in one of her songs. Alas, her promise is broken.

I tried Zumba at the gym last week. I went in knowing I had no rhythm. Turns out that is still absolutely true. Last night, we had a substitute for the Zumba class (because my lack of rhythm was not going to stop me) who prefers hip-hop. Oh sweet mercy, there is nothing funnier than my whiter-than-white self trying to "shake it." To begin with, I have nothing to shake. Secondly, I posses no ability to shake said nothing anyway.

But that's not really what I learned. What I learned is that it doesn't matter. No one is looking at me to see how well I can do this. The instructor probably notices me flailing about in an uncoordinated manner, but she doesn't care. I need to forget about the other people and just have fun. And I did.

I'll be back next week, giving the rhythm another chance to "get me." But I'm not holding my breath.

P.S. The "Hey Ya" video may be explicit, I don't know.

P.P.S. I also learned that no one wants to ask me any questions. But I'm still holding out hope for a few more good ones.

Visit Musings of a Housewife for more carnival fun.

If a Tree Falls . . .

Can you call yourself a blogger if you don't actually post and have potentially lost all readers?

If I have any readers left, I apologize for my unannounced and extended absence. I gave fair warning in my last post, but did not plan to be quiet for quite so long. I came to the blog more than once with every intention of posting my usual blather, but was having technical difficulties. It was not until today that I decided to try a different way to get to the draft page. So here I am, finally.

I wish I could regale you with great stories. Alas, this is still me, and great stories are rare. We had a fun week of VBS. Although I was not exactly looking forward to it, I ended up enjoying myself. And I'm already thinking that I will help next year, even though I said I was taking a break. Our theme next year is "High Seas" and well, I can't resist the chance to act like a pirate.

The summer of being a "Yes Mom" is moving along. I'm far from perfect, but I think I have made progress. There have been times when I have said no to something, only to remember my pledge, and say yes. My kids have been pleasantly surprised I think. We are reading a lot more stories, which makes me very happy. I'm still working on letting go of my issues with making a mess. And trying to brave the heat a little bit. We are headed to 100+ degree temps this week, so I'm pretty sure even the kids will want to stay indoors when not swimming.

Okay, this was probably the most boring post ever. I will hopefully be back to consistent posting, with the occasional entertaining post included, this week. If you are still here, that is.

And, because I know I am going to run out of ideas, I'm stealing the old blogger trick. Ask me anything and I will answer it, or at least try to answer it. So fill the comments with your burning questions. Otherwise, I'll probably lose posting steam by Wednesday.

Quick Takes Friday

1. I've gone and joined another weight loss contest. My best girls, my WOWO ladies, have all joined together to get healthy. Some of us have a few pounds to lose while others have bigger goals. I joined not so much to win, as to stay accountable and to encourage my girls. I would have to work really hard to lose more than five pounds, and we all know that is not likely. I wanted to make the prize sweeter for the winner. We have all pledged a dollar amount to give to the winner, to be determined by percentage of weight lost, ending on the Friday before Labor Day. We're wrapping up week one and it has been fantastic to talk to each other about our struggles and successes. We will weigh in on Mondays, which is great because it helps us keep our weekends in check.

2. We'll continue with the exercise talk. My "two weeks hotter" challenge ended for me today. I worked out four times last week and four times this week. I drank one regular soda the whole time, and didn't finish it because I realized it was too much sweet for me. I did have a few diet sodas, but just a few. I'm rediscovering a love for unsweet iced tea. This happens to me every summer, as I remember that tea is so much more refreshing in this crazy weather. Due to the contest I mentioned, I actually weighed myself Monday and today. On Monday I was down 1.2 pounds from the previous Monday! Today I had gained a pound back. Whatever. I don't ever weigh myself twice in one week because I know it could make me crazy. I know I did the exercise I needed to do and I feel a lot better than I did two weeks ago. That's all that matters to me.

3. I'm turning 30 in August! Yikes! I still feel like I'm pretending to be a grownup a lot of the time. I know that makes no sense, but that's how I feel. I can't decide how I want to celebrate. I'm still a kid when it comes to birthdays. I want the day to be all about me. I want attention and presents. Remember I said I was faking the whole grownup thing? There's the proof. Husband has made it clear that if I want something to happen I will need to come up with some kind of plan. We have several groups of friends and I don't know how to bring them together. Our house could not comfortably accommodate a crowd if there was one, not to mention limited entertainment. I've considered bowling, a Rangers game, just meeting at a restaurant, and I can't decide on anything. I don't want to burden anyone with an expensive night or long drive. Any suggestions?

4. Let me join the world in saying go see "UP!" It is a great movie. One thing that often frustrates me about kid movies is dialogue and jokes intended to amuse the adults who take the kids to the movies. I don't like innuendo and sarcasm in my kid movies. "UP" is refreshingly light on this. It is genuinely funny for adults and kids without being insulting. My kids did not pick up on some of the story that was told at the beginning with no words, but I explained it to them. Go see this movie, you won't regret it.

5. Last night's FPU session was about being smart buyers. Dave talked about the ways companies market their products to consumers. We all like to think we are immune to that, but it gets us somehow. He also talked about major purchases and how to handle them. For us, major purchases have not been the problem. It is the little things that add up that put us behind in our financial goals. Those times when we are lazy and get take out for dinner. When I run to the store for three things and come home with ten. We're making our way toward financial freedom, but it takes time and discipline and we are definitely still working on that last part.

6. Butterfly is still working on walking. She has times where all she wants to do is walk back and forth. Other times she wants to crawl. She is still not standing up on her own, but I think she is getting close. It is still such a joy to see her face light up as she takes those steps. She loves, loves, loves the excitement she gets from all of us when she walks.

7. Cheerios winner is Amy P.! Yea! Send me an email with your address and MyBlogSpark will send your prize. Enjoy!


Visit Conversion Diary for more quick takes.

Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories **Giveaway**

Submit your story here.

Thanks to Myblogspark.com and Cheerios, I recently had the opportunity to read and review four children's books. As a Mom, I'm always looking for more books to read to my kids and I was not disappointed. This promotion and giveaway is all about exposing families to new children's authors writing good books.

Here is what Cheerios says about their program:

Over the past seven years, Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories has given away more than 35 million children´s books by distributing them free inside cereal boxes and has donated nearly $3 million to First Book, their non-profit partner, which provides books to children from low-income families.

In addition to encouraging children to read, Cheerios is looking for anyone interested in writing children´s books. Now in its third year, the Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories New Author Contest is a way to encourage previously unpublished, up-and-coming children´s book authors and to continue to nurture a love of reading. Entries are being accepted March 16 through July 15, 2009 and will be judged on appropriate story and content for children ages 3-8, emotional connection, writing quality, uniqueness, and read-aloud potential. More details on the contest can be found at www.spoonfulsofstoriescontest.com.

Shellie Braeuner, the first year´s winner, won for her book "The Great Dog Wash". This nanny from Nashville won a $5,000 cash prize and the opportunity to have her book reviewed by Simon and Schuster Children´s Publishing. Simon & Schuster offered Shellie a book deal - and will publish her book, illustrated by Robert Neubecker, in hardcover this summer. In addition, Cheerios will be featuring "The Great Dog Wash" free inside 1.5 million boxes of Cheerios. The book has been specially printed in paperback in both English and Spanish and will be available free inside boxes of Cheerios this spring.


We got to read When Dinosaurs Came With Everything by Elise Broach, The Great Dog Wash by Shellie Braeuner, Duck for President by Doreen Cronin, and Monkey and Me by Emily Gravett. The books span a range of easy reading, with lots of repetition, to a longer story for slightly older kids. We especially liked the dinosaur book (the boys are all about the dinos lately) and the Cronin book. We have enjoyed every one of her books and Duck for President does not disappoint. Monkey and Me is a story of imagination told in a simple way for small kids who like to repeat the words as you read. The Great Dog Wash, in addition to Monkey and Me, includes a spanish translation. All of the books are illustrated in a way that goes with the story, from very simple to bright and colorful.

For a chance to win your own pack of books, leave a comment by Thursday June 11 at 9:00 p.m. I'll draw a winner and announce it on Friday in my Quick Takes post. Tell us what your favorite book was as a child.

I loved Amelia Bedelia myself.

Still Exciting

Butterfly hit a new milestone Sunday.

She walked! A lot!

She has been on the verge of walking for a while, but just wouldn't trust herself to take off and move. We went swimming with family yesterday, and the neighborhood pool we were at has a large area that is only five inches deep, perfect for little ones to sit and splash and play. Butterfly was playing with me, and I did my usual, where I pulled her up and then let go. Usually she just sits herself down right away. But this time, she decided to stay standing and move toward me! Oh my gosh, it was so great to see. She absolutely knew she was doing something new, and she was eager to do it again. She would take a few steps and then fall into me, which she thought was the funniest thing ever. She is still not pushing herself to a stand on her own, but I'm sure that will happen very soon. She is very proud of her new skill. And so are we.

If you have only one child, you might wonder if the big milestones are as exciting the second (or third, fourth, fifth) time around. I mean, you've already seen your first child take their first steps, speak their first word, eat their first solids. Let me tell you, they are. Every child is doing it for their first time, and they know it, and they respond to our excitement too. Butterfly just lit up when we all clapped for her and praised her. My heart was bursting with excitement for her.

There are times when Butterfly is more difficult to handle than the other kids were at this age. She is not as easy-going as they were. She knows what she likes and what she wants, and she lets us know when she does not get it. Lately I could tell that is frustrated by her limitations. But to see her take those first steps, to see her face light up with realization that she was doing it, made all of that fade. She did it! And she wanted to do it again (and again, and again, and so on) and I was happy to oblige. Identifying her needs and wants can sometimes be difficult, but seeing her satisfaction and sense of purpose makes me want to help her reach more milestones.

Next up, words!

Quick Takes Friday

Can I just tell you that I love Jen for creating this fabulous carnival. It is like having permission to be random. Thanks Jen!

1. Week one of the "two weeks hotter" challenge has been good so far. I did miss a day of exercise, but still feel good. I will go to the gym or Shred today (probably Shred) which will make four days of exercise and no soda, except one Diet Coke. I am rediscovering the joys of unsweet iced tea, the perfect summer beverage. One large iced tea from Sonic can last me hours, as I don't mind the taste as the ice melts and waters the tea down.

2. We might have a washing machine problem. We've noticed a foul smell when we do laundry, especially when drying clothes. Our speculation is that the washing machine is not draining properly, so our clothes go in the dryer with stinky water, and the heat magnifies the smell. We'll probably be calling in a repairman, as Husband is not well versed in appliance repair. And two years ago, we would have stressed about paying for it. But, because we have seen the light and gotten organized, we have an emergency fund for precisely this kind of thing, so the financial impact is minimal.

3. Today is the first day of summer break. My kids were up before 7:00! Running! Coloring! I could not believe it. I realize that they won't really be sleeping in, but it is criminal that they were up even earlier than usual. I mean really, running before 7:00 a.m.? Whose kids are they? With the beginning of summer comes the usual rush to do everything at once. Go to the library, swim, playdates, and so on. We will go to the library today, and join the Summer Reading Club, and thanks to an unexpected visit from my brother, we will swim too. The rest will wait.

4. I won something! Beth at I Should be Folding Laundry hosted a giveaway for a Land's End gift card and I won! I was so surprised. I think I will be buying a bathing suit, or at least a new top. The one I want is on order, but I don't mind waiting. I can't decide if I want to order a matching swim skirt too, or just wear it with the brown and black ones I already have. It looks like the swim minis are a little longer than I would like. What do you think?

5. Our parish's Vacation Bible School is in about ten days. I always help lead the opening and closing program, where we sing songs and do motions to the words. I have had a video to learn the motions for a couple of months, but I have only watched it once. Eek! I need to watch it twice a day now, just to be prepared. I think I might take a year off next year, and just drop off the kids and enjoy three hours with just Butterfly hanging out with me. I should let someone else share their gifts.

6. I am working on being a "Yes Mom." It seems as though I spend a lot of time saying "no" or "just a minute" or "later" and that is not fun for anyone. I want to push myself to do the things that might be boring to me, or not my favorite thing, but that my kids enjoy. I'm trying to make this summer one that I look back on and see that I finally took some steps to do what I should be doing, instead of just talking about it.

7. Has anyone noticed that food prices have gone up again? Hard to miss, especially since fuel prices are up too. Just when we are trying to trim our budget even further, I have to make fewer dollars stretch farther with less affordable options. Thankfully, my kids love black beans, which are cheap and can be used in a variety of dishes. I'm scouring the internet for affordable recipes using simple ingredients. With the kids home for the summer I know we will be going through more snacks, but I'm trying to keep more fruit and yogurt in the house. These kids eat six times a day some days! What are you doing to stretch the budget these days?

How Do I Love Thee?

Oh Internet, what words are there to describe your greatness?

You open my eyes to gastronomic delights.

You provide the means to avoid that particular level of hell that is known as tired baby in quiet library with your delivery of an online catalog, hold requests, and online renewal. No library wing will be erected in our name now. Thanks to your wonders, the fines have come to a stop.

If so inclined, I can while away hours watching the absurd, thanks to your bounty.

Internet, you bring me something new every single day.

Thanks to you, no question has to go unanswered.

Sure, I could blame you for my lack of focus. I could lament the overexposure of the world thanks to the constant connectivity you offer.

But I won't.

I *heart* you, sweet, sweet, internet.



P.S. Okay, a poorly disguised link fest. Husband says my random brain dumps are boring and people would rather read my posts where I "write." What say you, Internet?

Confronting the Hard Truth

Reality reared it's ugly head today. I had been feeling sluggish and squishy and generally blah lately. I decided to step on the scale today and confirm my suspicions. I've gained about three pounds in the last few weeks. I know that does not seem like much. And I guess it is not. But I could feel it. I do feel it. A few things fit a little differently. Like I said, my energy levels have been nonexistent.

What to do about it?

I gave myself a personal challenge. Husband and I are (finally) taking our winnings from the Biggest Loser contest we won last September. In two weeks we will get one night in a hotel, dinner, and free babysitting. So I told Husband I was going to get "two weeks hotter" for the date. That means no soda (unless it is diet, which I don't really like). And hitting the gym or Shredding every week day between now and then. Ten days of exercise and one modest change in my diet will hopefully be enough to knock those pounds out.

It may seem silly or vain to be worried over such a small weight gain. But three pounds can turn into five, then ten. I've never been overweight in my life. With each pregnancy I have gained less weight than the one before (I know! Crazy!). I don't want to start my thirties feeling bad about myself. I want to start the next decade of my life feeling better than I've ever felt before. So this two week challenge is my kick-start to getting back on track. For real this time.

How many other areas of our life are like this? We let things slide once or twice and promise to get back to Mass. We spend that extra ten dollars we should really be saving. We put off that phone call to a friend one more day. Before we know it, Sundays are days for being selfish with our time, we have no money in our savings account, and we've forgotten our friend's phone number. Extreme? Maybe, but we all know it could happen.

I'll let you know how my personal challenge goes. Do you need to take a two week challenge?