I Love Being A Mom (In the Ninja Turtle Voice)

Today marked the first day or nice weather here in Northern Ohio. I would post some pictures, but haven't put them on the computer yet. It has been a productive day so far. 


But before I venture into all that we have done, I should mention my minor emotional breakdown earlier this week. I woke up Tuesday morning with my to-do list ready to go, which consisted of a staff meeting, other work for church, a ton of school work and of course the daily doings of having the two kiddos. Well half way through my first cup of coffee, my dry heaving spell began. And sadly, it didn't go away. I had to call out of my meeting and park myself on the couch with a temperamental infant and a demanding two-year old. Needless to say, I kind of lost it. I spent a lot of time crying and praying and came to a very difficult decision of withdrawing from school. Thankfully the director of the department was beyond understanding. I don't believe that I'm quitting, just rather post-poning. 


I wear a lot of hats and play many roles and sadly I think everything was suffering because of my anxiety over school. Right now, the most important thing I am is a wife and a mom and I'm totally ok with that. I know that even my work with the church was suffering and I just don't want that. There will be plenty of time for school. There's so much more I could say on this subject, but if you really want to know more, just ask :)


Because I really want to get into my day with the kids today. Klaeyton helped me clean the house. He wiped down walls and doors and even took stuff upstairs for me. We ran some errands and he was so good. We went to the park and tested out the sit-n-stand stroller I found at the resale....ummm totally awesome :) He talked my ear off the whole time and it was so nice to be outside. When we came back to the house I let him venture out back.  I busted out his power wheels jeep and attempted to pick up six months worth of dog poop, which was yeah uh totally disgusting. I wonder...can you hire someone to do that?


Anywho...it's been a fantastic day and a reminder to me of how much I absolutely love being a mom :)

A Leash?

Matt's in school for his STNA training all day during the week this month. Well yesterday I had errands to run and had to get Jules to the Dr. to be checked for thrush (yes we have it again) and I had to take both kids with me. This is the story of our day...


I was able to get lots done in the morning as far as getting my Bible read, I got to do some treadmill work and even got things done for church. It was a productive morning. Well I loaded up the kids...in the rain of course...and took off. We went to the bank drive through, then to the Dollar Store....Klaeyton was really good and helped pick out some things for Daddy's birthday bag, like a whoopie cushion :) He was even really good when we picked out the balloon and got it to the car. Next stop...Target...Once again K did awesome. We got birthday brownies and some other stuff for Matt and then took off to Burger King for lunch. I let Klaeyton play in the play place for a little while and he actually spent most of his time talking to his own reflection in the window. It was so funny even other people started to notice. 


Well then we left for the Dr's office. This was the part I was worried about. I packed all kinds of distractions and even reminded K of how we have to behave while there.  Of course K fell asleep on the way there, so he was cranky when I had to wake him up. He felt the need to run around the waiting room, talking to everyone he came in contact with. I kept trying to get him to go potty and he wouldn't. I could tell he needed to go, but I've found out that even if I take him to the potty, he's so stubborn on point that he still won't go until he wants to. So I just knew it was going to come at the worst possible moment. 


So of course they call us back and he does surprisingly well...until the doctor came in. While examining Jules, Klaeyton informs me that he needs to go potty...of course. Well the doctor tells me she's done and she'll write the scripts while I take them to the bathroom. I grab my naked baby (only in a diaper), a blanket and rush a toddler holding himself to the bathroom. In all the rush I don't even notice Klaeyton pull the emergency switch in the bathroom as I'm setting Jules on the changing table so I can help him onto the potty. The next thing I know a nurse is knocking on the door to check on us as this insistent buzzing keeps going off. I have to reassure her that we're fine and flip the switch back up. I'm trying to keep K away from the pull string and get his pants back up when Jules starts screaming. I then make our way back into the office so that I can get Jules dressed and ready to go. While doing so Klaeyton takes everything out of the diaper bag in search for his dinosaur that is under his leg. After shoving everything back in the bag, buckling Jules in her seat, we start to exit the exam room. Well...Klaeyton has done so well all day staying put and waiting for my hand (since I'm carrying a diaper bag and a huge baby carrier on one arm and I have to open the door with the other)...except for that moment. He just took off...running....at full speed....around the entire building. As soon as I say his name he runs faster. I drop the baby (not literally) by the reception desk and start briskly walking through the hallways to capture the blonde headed bullet racing through the buildings. I hear him laughing and even heard doctors and nurses laughing....I was so embarrassed. I'm pretty sure I turned beat red. A nurse blocked his way (after we made a complete circle around the building) and smiled as she gave me his hand. All I could say was that I'm sorry, he's never done that before. She just laughed and said it wasn't the first time she had to wrangle a toddler. She was commented on how fast he is...I know that will be a great compliment when he starts track :)


I think I'm going to invest in a leash. I never thought I'd say that...but after this...I can see why  they were invented. 




Oh the joy of being an ordinary mom. 

A Weekend List

It's been a great weekend :)


1. I'm officially an Avon lady again :) well almost officially. Hopefully my contract will be done being processed tomorrow. Once I get my website link I'll post it :)


2. My sister came to stay with us. I love when she's here. 


3. We hit up some resales Saturday and I am sooooo stoked that I found a sit-n-stand stroller in fantastic condition for only $55. I know they retail starting at $140 so I was pretty darn excited. I wanted to post a picture but it's still in my trunk....


4.....because what do you know we got more snow last night. Oh Ohio how I'm beginning to loathe you. Wait...I do loathe you. 


5. We got K some wooden train tracks and trains and I think we have found his new obsession. 


6. We had an awesome Kidstuf Live service this morning at church. It was pretty much da bomb. 


7. We got our HDMI cable and adapter and are now watching netflix on the tv :)


8. We went out to Red Lobster for lunch today and I was able to see Molly...who I really do miss. 


Oh the joys of being an ordinary mom :)

Assembly Required

In this past week I've grown to have more appreciation for things that need to be put together before using.  But let me tell you, I think companies are awful about their assembly instructions. It makes me wonder if the people who write the manual actually ever put anything together. How does one get that job anyhow? Do you walk in and say excuse me I've put countless things together in my lifetime, can I write your assembly instruction manuals? Well that would mean that the manuals are helpful. These people are probably not  that experienced in putting things together. 


Between the treadmill and our new entertainment stand I could have pulled my hair out. Not to mention the couple blonde moments I had that resulted in needed assistance from Matt and me kicking myself in the behind. 


And on a side note I appreciate Matt so much more for putting the crib together...I know that thing is one giant huge pain in the butt. 


I just wanted to rant for a minute. I do believe that baby and children's things are the worst things to put together. But this week I experienced the terrors of putting other household things together. 


Oh the joy of being and ordinary mom.

My New Best Friend Bertha

Moms need friends too. And well thanks to Uncle Sam, this is my new one :) If you read my post on my Goals for 2011, you read that I was going to make myself start running. Now, I am by no means a runner. In fact I hated it...until this morning. 

Let me back up a bit. I made the decision to start running initially because of peer pressure. All my friends run and even my husband runs. I know it's good for your body and frankly I know that I need to exercise more. So that's how it made the goal list for this year. But I also know that I have two small children, a husband who works outside of the home, I work from home and we're both in school, oh and I live in the dreadful state of Ohio where one day we get 3 ft of snow and the next it's sunny and warm. So needless to say I knew it would be hard to run outside all the time, especially when I'm at home with the kids or even just in the winter. So I invested in Bertha up there and knew that if I paid money for something I would at least force myself to use it, even if I didn't like it. 

Well after much hassle and frustration getting the thing together and started last night, I actually looked forward to trying it out this morning. I downloaded this application for my iphone since like I said before, I am not a runner. I knew I'd have to start small and work my way up and this app came highly recommended. 

So I hopped on this morning with my app ready and my kindle where I could see it. I hear about people reading while they run all the time so I figured, hey it's worth a try. Umm so yeah I loved it. And I felt so good afterwards. The natural high of exercise is awesome and I know it's something I've been missing out on for awhile now. Sadly, according to the program I'm not supposed to run again until Friday, but I might just have to be a rebel and do it again tomorrow ;)

Oh the joys of being an ordinary mom.

10 Things Two-Year Olds Do

Two-year olds do some awfully funny things:


1. They enter this independent stage...I hear "Kayton do it!" at least a million times a day...before vacuuming, before meals, before getting dressed, before watching a movie oh and even when Jules is crying. I now know why it takes twice as long to do things with toddlers. 


2. They wear your name out. When Klaeyton wants my attention (mainly in the car), I hear "Mommy...mommy...mommy" about a gazillion times :)


3. They get obsessed with certain things. For instance...cheese. Klaeyton wants it on everything and literally picks the shredded or grated cheese off of things and eats it. 


4. They repeat everything they hear and tell you over and over again. Klaeyton's words of wisdom these days is "we don't kill dragons" since his new movie obsession is How to Train Your Dragon.

5. I don't think all two-year olds do this, but mine does...

He's kind of particular about his toys. 

6. They spill things. And they do it on purpose just to see what comes out :)

7. They pick up on your habits. When K makes a mess, I hear... "I made a mess" in this awe shucks kind of voice. 

8. Even two-year old boys are picky about which kind of underwear they wear. It would be awful to be caught in boring undies. It's gotta be cars or buzz and woody or dinosaurs or robots or something. 

9. They have likes and dislikes. Klaeyton loves when Daddy plays the guitar, however Mommy is never allowed to sing or dance :)

10. They still snuggle you...but only when they really want to. 

Klaeyton's Manners

I have to share this conversation that I had with Klaeyton recently but first let me set the scene for you...Klaeyton and I are on the couch. He's all dolled up in his undies and t-shirt and he farts...(yes I used the word farts, you don't teach your two-year old the term 'passed gas' that's just ridiculous)

K "I farted"

Mom "what do you say?"

K "thank you"

Mom laughs hysterically

Oh the joy of being an ordinary mom. 

Dress Up?

A forewarning before I get to this post...I've been making notes to myself when a blogging moment arises and I have a whole list of stuff I want to blog about and since remembering my ideas are one of the hardest part I think you can expect more from me on a regular basis :)


We had Jules dedicated this past Sunday. And I have to say she looked so darn cute. 

But speaking of looking cute...it's a pain. I don't understand why people dress their kids like this on a regular basis. It's obnoxious. And I know that it can't be comfortable. I can only imagine what she was thinking when I took this picture... "Really mom? You're going to put me in this frumpy flowery dress with an itchy layer of fish netting underneath? You're crazy" But no worries I didn't pay money for this dress, it was given to me along with about three others that I'll have to find occasions for. 

Oh the joy of being an ordinary mom. 

The First Video Attempt..."I'm Batman!"

I wrote this post about four days ago but for some reason have been struggling to get the video to upload. I've tried leaving it up for hours and it still won't upload. Anyone know how to fix this?

So instead I'm re-routing you here so that you can watch it (if you haven't already)

Back now? Ok. So here is the rest of the post I wrote four days ago :)

Klaeyton's vocabulary is through the roof now as he will pretty much repeat anything you say. I had to post this video because I still laugh every time I watch it. And by laugh, I mean actually laugh out loud even if I'm the only one in the room. I can't help it. It's hilarious. I bet you laughed when you watched it...didn't you?


I have to admit I have it pretty good right now as a parent. Klaeyton's old enough to carry a conversation on with (even if he does repeat himself eight million times) and he still gives me kisses and hugs (of course when he wants to), yet he's independent and likes time to himself. I can't even describe what it's like to watch him grow and to watch this little personality blossom. I know I'm totally a mom when I tear up when watching him sing the whole itsy bitsy spider song by himself.
Jules is two and a half months old and is still in the sleeping a lot stage, so I get to snuggle her whenever I want, well almost. Sometimes I feel like I'll never accomplish all the things on my list of things to do, but I do make sure to take time out to snuggle both those kiddos. I'm still working on not feeling so overwhelmed and trying not to be a perfectionist with everything. I have good days and not so good days. Anyways, back to Jules. I pierced her ears. Bring on the criticism! I had her pediatrician do them and I won't lie, I felt awful because she got her shots the same day. They gave her tylenol but I still felt like the most wretched mom ever. She was such a trooper though. Check out her bling...

Hopefully I can figure out why the videos won't post. I'd love to post them on here as well as facebook. 

A Post That Doesn't Have Much To Do With Valentine's Day

I'm not big on Valentine's Day. The whole idea and concept is nice, except that it gets turned into a massive hallmark holiday that puts entirely too much pressure on the male gender to out do what they did the previous year. Besides, I have a fantastic hubby who does nice things for me throughout the entire year. :)


I figured I should open this new post with a tid bit on Valentine's Day since that is in fact what today is. Whew, it's the middle of February already. Time is flying by. But I guess that's what happens when you have two children, are working and go to school. I'm just trying really hard not to miss anything. 

They're growing so fast. Klaeyton is pretty much fully potty trained and his speech is awesome! Everyday he does something to make me laugh, smile, and sometimes want to cry because he's not my little baby boy anymore. Jules is awake and alert a lot and Klaeyton just loves her. He's always talking to her and wanting to know where she is. In this picture he was telling her about Jungle Book and she was just cooing away at him. 

She already looks so big :) She's now 10 lbs 6 oz and 21 1/2 inches long. She has short legs. She can still wear newborn pants :) And if you look closely you can see her earrings. I pierced her ears (insert debate here :)

One of my favorite pictures :) she is always go cross-eyed and in this pic it's just the one eye but it's enough to make that smile look a little crazy.














School is going well. A little rough at times. I think I let myself get discouraged and I shouldn't. I'm just as capable as anyone even if my undergrad degree is in something completely unrelated.  If anything I have already learned to plan better (and I didn't think I could get any better at that) just so that I can get everything done that needs to be done. Speaking of school work...that's what I have to get to :)

MiscKalaneous :) No that is not a real word...

I should be doing homework. I've been saying that since yesterday. And granted it isn't due until Monday, I've been determined not to wait until the last minute... which I have to say isn't working so well. What can I say? I work so much better under a deadline. It will get done. I'm not worried. 


On that note, I've also been determined to blog more...see how that has turned out? The truth is I'm busy. Especially since school started :) Here's what's been going on...

I took my trip to Anderson, Indiana for school...
and it was a great trip, with just a few setbacks. I took Jules with me since I'm nursing and well, we ended up with thrush and Jules had an awful cold. It was quite the adventure getting her pediatrician to call in prescriptions out of state and for me to play phone tag with both the midwives and the bfsg warm line at emh. She did really well in class though and overall I had a great time. 

Then I drove back, picked up Matt and K and took off to Kentucky. I wish we could go there more. It's always as if we never left and it's always such a great time.

 While we were there we got to attend Big Hill Church for service and I got to witness the musical talents of the Harden family :) It's a beautiful thing to see them together :)

Now we're back in Ohio. Boo. With the massive amount of snow that we're still getting. It's obnoxious. But on a good note...we started the whole potty training thing with Klaeyton and it's going sooo well. So far today we have had no accidents :) I do worry about nap time and bed time but I know eventually it will all work out. Tomorrow will be a true test since we have church all day, so I'll be packing lots of extra clothes but I'm hoping for the best :)
I know I already posted this picture, but it's just so darn cute and I'm sure one day he'll hate me for it.


Oh the joy of being an ordinary mom. 

My Little Jules

Jules is now 9 1/2 pounds! Wow! And she's 21 1/2 inches long! And today she is six weeks old. And I can't even begin to tell you how fast it has gone by. Definitely faster than it did with Klaeyton. I attribute it to a couple of things. 1. She's a second child and with K I couldn't wait to see how he would grow, with Jules I know what to expect and I just want her to stay little. 2. I have about 8 million things going on and am so busy that sometimes it's easy to forget to savor the moment. 


My baby girl is eating well and taking a bottle. She smiles a lot and is beginning to coo and ahh at us. She loves tummy time and her head is constantly drenched in Klaeyton spit from all the kisses he gives her :)

Oh the joy of being an ordinary mom :)

My OCD and Klaeyton :)

Change is a good thing. Spontaneity isn't evil. It's ok if things aren't perfect. I have to keep telling myself these things. That things can't always stay the same, that it's ok that everything isn't planned out to the last second, that a sock on the floor isn't the end of the world. I've always been a little obsessive compulsive, but sadly I think it's gotten worse since I became a mom. Now how much sense does that make?


So the last two weeks have been both eventful and stressful because of this character trait I can't seem to shake. It seems like the more I have to do, the more I fret about getting things done. I keep praying. And I keep telling myself, "Alli slow down." I know things will settle. 

On a lighter note, I have to share this picture. 

This is what happens when Klaeyton refuses to take a nap :) He falls asleep eating m&m's. Yes that's m&m on his back. I'm not really sure how it got there. 

And I wanted to share this one too

I think this is the picture I'll blow up at his graduation party. :)

Ok one more of Klaeyton

and Matt...Oh aren't they cute?

And while we're sharing pictures and happy moments I have realized that I haven't hardly posted or written about Jules very much...so my next post will be dedicated to her :)

Oh the joy of being an ordinary mom. 

Intellectual Brain Usage

What a crazy week we've had. Katie is home safe from the hospital and is making a good recovery. :) I started school Wednesday...which is mostly what this post is about. 


I graduated from Berea in May 2008. So I've been out of school for 2 1/2 years. I thought my brain was turning to mush. Don't get me wrong, being a mom requires plenty of brain usage. But it's a certain kind of brain usage. I can whip up a grocery list while nursing an infant and scolding a two year old for climbing on the table, all without breaking a mental sweat. I can remember what to pack for a whole day for both kids, myself and Matt. I can sing and snuggle my little man, all while prioritizing my to-do list in my head for the next day. Trust me, you def use your brain as a mom. 


But after listening to two lectures and studying notes for my quiz (which I got 100% on :), I felt like I was using my brain again. In a more intellectual way of course. It felt amazing. And it felt right. Like I was doing exactly what I'm supposed to be doing. And I know this totally makes me a nerd, but I actually look forward to school work each day. 


I think being out of school for awhile and becoming a wife and mother have given me more of an appreciation for using your brain in an intellectual way. Who would have thought?


Oh the joy of being a nerdy mom :)

Cheesy Chicken Skillet and Cinnamon Scones :)

The sad part is...I really want to blog every day, I just don't have the time anymore. Go figure. 


Anywho, as part of a new year's resolution, we've been trying new recipes out and I've been cooking more. Here's another one we've decided to add to our recipe box :) I have to say it's one of my favorites now :) I found it online on the Kraft website. You can view it here.

Cheesy Chicken Skillet

What you need:

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

1   green pepper, chopped

1 small onion, cut into thin wedges

1 can  (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained

1 cup water

1 pkg.  (14 oz.) KRAFT Deluxe Macaroni & Cheese Dinner

What you do:

* cook the chicken in a large skillet, then throw in the green pepper and onion and cook for a few minutes. I threw in a bunch of different seasonings. Don't let the veggies get soft though.

* Throw in tomatoes with juice, water and macaroni.

* Bring to a boil, then cover and cook until macaroni is tender and most of the juice is gone. 

* Mix cheese in!

Voila :) I loved that this recipe was super easy. Matt and Klaeyton both loved it. 

I also made cinnamon scones yesterday morning, but didn't take any pictures or anything. I found the recipe on Money Saving Mom and I didn't really deviate from it at all. They were awesome and she should get all the credit. So you can view that recipe here. 

Oh the joys of being a mom :)

Some Of The Things I Love About My Sister :)

The last couple days have been crazy, which is why I haven't posted. Here's a small jist of what's going on. 


Katie (my beautiful awesome little sister) went into the ER on Saturday night at EMH and spent a good four hours before taking a really rough ambulance ride to Rainbow Babies and Children's hospital in Cleveland for emergency surgery to remove an extremely infected part of her intestines. She stayed in ICU until yesterday afternoon and is now recovering in a regular room. They're still using a tube to suck out infection and until it's gone she can't have anything to eat or drink, so she's rightfully cranky. We're praying for a quick recovery, both physically and emotionally. I wanted to dedicate this post to her, not this ordeal, so here we go :)

Things I Love About My Sister:


1. She's the only one I got :) so that makes her super special.
2. She has forgiven me for dropping her on her head when she was a baby...and yes it was really an accident.
3. She and I are ten years apart in age but we have the best relationship ever. 
4. She has gorgeous hair (that I don't have, so I secretly hate her for it :)
5. She has a big heart.
6. She is a fantastic pini to my two children. Klaeyton absolutely loves spending time with her. 
7. She uses a mac (thanks to me :)
8. She's unbelievably strong willed :) 
9. Only my sister could handle this whole ordeal and not go completely crazy :)
10. She's pretty much the designated church babysitter and she's great at it. 
11. She's a wonderful dancer. Every time I see her dance, I cry. 
12. She shares my love for fat kid food, and honestly I look forward to learning to love other kinds of food with her :)
13. She's OCD about color coding her planner, keeping her room clean and being organized with school, just like me :) At least I know I'm not alone :)

Oh the joy of having a sister :)

Snow Days!

Matt and I really do hate Ohio...we don't care for the sports teams, we absolutely hate the weather and the roads are terrible. We do love the people here though, which is probably why we've stuck around ;) and of course because we know this is where God wants us to be. 


I'm getting way off track here. This post is about the weather. Yes, like I said, we hate the weather here. The seasons in our part of Ohio consist of winter, really winter, more winter and construction season. 


I used to love snow... as a kid. I think that's because I didn't have to drive in it. I didn't have to clean it up in my house and I certainly didn't have to drag two small children out in it. Now...I pretty much hate snow. If it could just snow on Christmas and that's it, I'd be so happy. But... this is Ohio so with that being said I'm sure you can guess what the weather was like today. Yep. We got snow. And since it's Saturday and we didn't have a whole lot of pressing things to get done, Matt took Klaeyton out in it. This is the first big time he's gotten to play in the snow this year.

 Getting ready to go out :)

 Throwing snow balls :)

 Getting ready to make a snow angel. This is where K made a really funny face because he got snow down his pants :)

Yay for Snow Days!


Oh the joy of being an ordinary mom :)

Tomato Bean and Noodle Soup

Tomato Bean and Noodle Soup

I found this recipe in my All You magazine, but I tweaked it a tad bit by adding meat and changing the noodle type, and I added more pasta. I named it Bean and Noodle Tomato Soup because Klaeyton kept asking for more beans and then more noodles. I was weary but it came out tasting fantastic!

Here's the recipe:

* 2 Tbsp Olive Oil

* 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

* 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

* 2 15 oz cans diced tomatoes (I used one can that had basil and oregano in it)

* 28 oz chicken broth

* 1/2 cup pasta (I used almost a cup and a half because we love pasta :)

* 1 15 oz can white kidney beans

* salt and pepper

* 1 1lb hamburger meat

* I cooked the hamburger meat first and just set it aside

* Warm oil in large saucepan, add the garlic and cook for a couple minutes; add oregano and stir. 

* Add tomatoes with juice and chicken broth and bring to a boil (I think it would be good to add the meat here, I waited though)

* Add pasta and stir. Cook until pasta is cooked and then stir in the beans (after you drain and rinse them) and this is where I stirred in the meat. 

* Heat until everything is warm through and then season with salt and pepper. I also used Lawry's seasoning salt. 

Klaeyton loved it and Matt said it was pretty good too and he's not a tomato soup fan so I'll count this one a success :)

A Nine List for Tuesday :)

1. Klaeyton took a nap today! Woo Hoo! He has been fighting them for almost two weeks now and I was starting to get super worried that he may really be trying to give it up. I felt like I got about a million more things accomplished today than yesterday :)


2. I bought an All You magazine at Wal Mart today...um...where has this been my whole life? It's perfect for me. It's a magazine devoted to coupons, saving money and organizing. It's a whole whopping $2.50 and you'll get that back in just a fraction of the coupons offered. Not to mention I noticed that in their fashion section, the models are wearing clothes that are actually affordable. Example: not $500 shoes :) 


3. We start Life Groups back up again tomorrow night and I'm super excited. Especially since we're doing A Case For A Creator by Lee Strobel. 


4. Strep throat and yucky sicknesses are spreading around like wildfire this winter and thankfully, up until now we haven't been hit too bad. Now, I sound like a man and Jules is still really stuffy. Klaeyton sounds a little better and Matt is still going through like a box of tissues a day. Hot tea is my new best friend. 


5. I totally won the superbowl for my fantasy football league. And yes I was the only female :) point for us! :)


6. Jules is starting to pop out of her newborn clothes so that's all I've been putting her in so that she can at least get some wear out of them. I'll take her in on Monday for a weight check. 


7. I start school next Wednesday. Honestly, I am kind of terrified. I've been praying about it a lot. 


8. I found a case for my Kindle at Target that I really like, but I'm having trouble paying 30 bucks for it. I mean really? And I want an elight for it too, but they're just as expensive. I think that's kind of ridiculous. 


9. I'm pretty stoked that Amazon has started lending books for the Kindle. And recently I found some really awesome free promotional books :)


Oh the joy of being an ordinary mom.

My House Plan for 2011

So I really want to work on the house this year, but I know I need a plan. So this is it, my plan for the house :) Each month we'll be focusing on a different part which will include organizing, getting rid of things we don't need and obtaining things we do (i.e. bookshelves, storage totes). Plus I want to use these opportunities to do things like put new fabric on our dining room chairs. 


January- This month we aren't focusing on anything major because we are about to take a trip (me for school, and then we're going to Ky to see the other Hardens :) plus we have to do some things with the cars. 
February/March- These two months will be devoted to the upstairs. I started this project months ago but have been slacking. I'm setting a deadline. :)
April- The bathroom :) I'm excited about this one. I need to re-caulk our bathtub and put shelves up for sure. 
May- The back yard, oh yeah gotta get it ready for the kiddos :) 
June- The front yard, it kind of looks like a jungle, and maybe this year we'll mow our grass more than three times ;)
July- The basement, oh boy does it need cleaned out. The good news is that most of the stuff down there will head straight to the trash. 
August- The kitchen. I really do want some more cabinets. 
September- The living room/dining room. hmm. it would be nice to paint ;)
October- Klaeyton's room. I just purged his room but I figure about birthday time it will need it again. 
November- Jules' room. She'll be getting ready to turn one and I'll be ready to get her room ready for toddlerhood :)
December- Month off! :) We'll be celebrating our success :)


Before each month starts I'll be making more in depth plans for each room, probably setting a goal for each week. 


Oh the joy of being an ordinary mom...and homemaker :)