Sunday, June 2, 2013

$5 and a challenge

I started this challenge yesterday. Not spending a $5 bill. Seems easy enough. But is it really? I'm already up to $20. Not that I go out shopping a lot anyway, but when I do, I can not spend that bill. Curious to see if 1) I can do this and 2) how much I will have at the end of the month.

In addition to this, I am also doing the Orange Rhino 30 days of no yelling challenge.

And this challenge




Can you tell, I like challenges? Mainly cause my follow through sucks. It takes 21 days to make a new habit. I got this!

Friday, April 19, 2013

Temporary Break

Dealing with some major family issues, will be back soon... hopefully

Monday, April 8, 2013

Busy Crunchy Mom

These last 7 weeks have flown by! We are finally settling into a routine, and I feel like I have a bit more time as a mom to three busy little boys.

I've started a few different challenges to better myself. As a mom, a wife and a person. After some deep thought I realized I put a lot of time and effort into the birth of my last child. So why not apply that same determination to my everyday life? Well, cause I am lazy. We are working to change that.

Challenge #1 - Stop yelling. Thanks to the orange rhino, I am doing better at this. I even took a 6 hour road trip with all three kids. We survived, and mommy only yelled once. It was at the very end. An improvement is an improvement.

Challenge #2 - commit to doing something for 30 days. This is my weight loss challenge. I am doing the 30 day Shred. Day 1 is complete!

I've started making my own laundry soap, cloth diapering full time and made the decision over the weekend to homeschool my boys. I am trying to spend less time online, and more time loving on my little boys.

My kid brother with my little guys

Monday, February 18, 2013

My unassisted birth

Thats right... an unassisted birth. After two c sections. Say what?? Yeah. After being told with my first that I had a "small pelvis" and "too big" of a baby, I did it. I gave birth naturally. And honestly, I would never put myself though that again. There won't be a next time, but if there were, I would have drugs... and lots of them!


I went into labor at 3:30 on Sat morning. Contractions, were 20 mins apart for about 22 hours. Around 2am on Sunday I woke Jesse up. I had gone from early labor to active, contractions were still only about 10 mins apart. Around 6am my water broke, nice and clear. We had been planning an unassisted birth, but knew we could come in to the hospital and still get a vaginal delivery (side note, I've had two caesarean births and could not find a provider that would straight up tell me I could have a trial of labor). By this point my body was pushing for me. And I was screaming every time. My throat is a bit sore. We figured out I had a bit of a cervical lip and so Jesse started helping me. We tried several different positions in the birth pool, then moved to our shower, then moved to the boys shower. When we ran out of warm water while I was on hands and knees, I was going to get out. I moved into a squatting position and started screaming at Jesse that he was coming. Holy ring of fire!!! Two good pushes and his head was out, two more and out came the rest of his body. He did have the cord around his neck, and instantly pooped on me. The big boys slept through EVERYTHING until they heard the baby cry at 7:25am.

Things did get a bit scary afterwards. Went into the hospital about 3 hours after he was born and on the way in I passed out in the car. Jesse even pulled over and called 911. The reason we didn't call the paramedics from our house, is we wanted to go to the hospital my dr is with, and not the local one. Got to the hospital and I get out of the car and just gush blood everywhere. I had a post partum hemorrhage, just like with Levi, but not as bad. Baby checked out fine, after a dose of pitocin, I am doing fine. I am the proud owner of a pair of hospital scrubs. :-) I did also tear, but not where I thought I would have. I tore on the right side up to my labia. So I am sporting some stitches too.

Caleb Leroy, born at home, into his daddy's hands at 7:25am on Feb 17th. 7lbs 9oz and 20 inches long. 28hrs of labor from start to finish.


Monday, February 4, 2013

Horrible Haircut

-2 days down, 9 to go

All it took was me cutting my 4yr old's hair to end up red faced yelling at him. He's gotten hair cuts, usually does just fine. I even gave him a lollipop to sit in the chair. And sit he did. But here is what set me off....

He was crying that it hurt. Even after I showed him that it didn't. He kept being so dramatic about it! And he is this way about SO many things. Things that have never bothered him before. And I found myself screaming at him. If he had said, "the noise scares me" or something else, we would have talked about it. But he said it hurt.

When the haircut was all over (since once you start, you really can't just stop) I asked him if it hurt. "No mommy, it didn't." UGH!! Then why were you CRYING that it did???

It doesn't help that he has had an attitude all day. Enough so that he had to stay home from preschool. Not more than 10 mins before we started cutting his hair, he shoved his little brother. When asked why, his response was "He was in my way". Oh man, if that is not enough to just set you off... The baby was just standing there, he walked up and shoved him.

There are so many things I hate about yelling at them. The tears from all parties, even those not involved. The intense anger I feel at even having to yell.







I have to say though... even with the odds stacked against me, my first haircut didn't turn out too bad. Now to just convince the hubby to let me do his.

39 weeks and counting

I can not believe that I am 39 weeks pregnant. I thought for sure baby would have been here last weekend. Nope. The full moon in Dec did more for me than the one in Jan.

Just my luck, I'll have the baby the week my brother is visiting. And yes, this is a problem.

Overall, I am feeling good though. I'm up about 37lbs, so far, less than both my previous pregnancies.

Sleep is for the weak

Day 3 down, 4 more to go

Or something like that. I usually go to bed somewhere between 11 and midnight.

Last night I managed to make it into bed at 8:30. Just to be joined by a cute little 18 month old. He snores. A lot.

And of course I was up every 2hrs to pee. My night looked like this
  • asleep around 9pm
  • awake at 11:30 to pee
  • asleep around midnight
  • awake at 1:30 to pee
  • asleep around 2
  • awake at 3:30 to pee
  • asleep around 4:30 after sending the preschooler back to bed
  • awake at 6:30 to pee
  • asleep around 7
  • awake at 8 cause my alarm was going off and the preschooler was up
This does not reflect the small bouts of crying done by the toddler, or him snoring himself awake and thus scaring himself. Or the head in my back from said toddler.

Then the preschooler starts off the morning by lying to us. Mommy is short on sleep, and you want to act up? Really dude?

Thankfully mommy had errands to run in town and was able to escape. The preschooler was kept home from school because of his poor attitude, which has only continued through the day.  Lunch time is almost over, and then its quite time for the household. Believe me, it can not come soon enough.

Sunday, February 3, 2013

Throwing in the Towel

2 days down, 5 more to go to goal #2

No, I'm not quitting the Orange Rhino Challenge.

But lets talk about throwing things.

An almost sure fire way to get mom to yell at you? Throw things at your little brother. Or throw your fork at mommy. Both of these happened this morning. And you know what? I didn't yell. Oh, boy, I wanted to.

While eating pancakes this morning, Levi was not getting more fast enough. When I told him to calm down. he threw his fork at me. Oh boy.

For whatever reason, Jacob has begun to think that throwing toys is the way to go. Not in this house its not. Whats even worse, is when he throws them AT Levi.

But mommy has kept her cool. Not easy though. Even Jesse has noticed this and told me to step away and he would take care of it. This is an entirely different battle. I have to let go of the control and let him do his job as daddy. Not an easy task.


Saturday, February 2, 2013

Mommy is really close to yelling

 Day one done. On to the week goal (Feb 1-7)


When I feel myself getting to the point where I just want to yell at my kids, I've started telling them "Mommy is really close to yelling, I need...." and then its either for my 4yr old to zip his mouth, or for them to go to the playroom, or for them to listen.

Things that make me want to yell
  • My 4yr old just talking and talking and talking. Its not his fault, he comes by this trait honestly... but it still drives me to want to yell at him to just SHUT UP.
  • Either child not listening or following the rules
  • Things not getting done around the house (no one said everything had to be because of the kids)
  • No coffee (even though Jesse put me on decaf for the remainder of my pregnancy)
  • Not getting enough sleep. This is one that makes me really cranky. Everyone knows it. I have to make a habit to get to bed at a decent time. Plus, it helps that Jesse has been getting up with Levi.

I told my husband I made it a whole day without yelling.  He said I seemed happier. Sure, I guess. I have naturally low blood pressure, I'm sure not yelling just makes it that much better :-P





Once you start yelling/screaming you just can't stop



Friday, February 1, 2013

Maintaing my cool - Day 1

The day is not all the way over, but I've made progress! I told my 4yr old this morning on the way to school that mommy is going to try really hard to not yell. But I do need his help. He needs to try and listen better.

I did raise my voice slightly at the 18month old when for the upteenth time, he got into the dvds. Why oh why do they have to be shinny and so cool to play with??

My boys love playing together, but with a 2.5yr age difference, sometimes its hard. And the baby doesn't communicate as well as the 4yr old did at this age. So they fight. And when they fight, I yell. Except so far, there has been no yelling. Mommy has calmly reminded them they need to play nicely. No taking toys from each other, and no throwing of toys. Said calmly, no yelling.

This morning my husband told me he read yesterday's post. He then goes on to tell me, he didn't realize that yelling was such an issue for me because I do it all the time. What a wake up call. I yell enough that its just considered "normal" around here. Well not anymore!

Thursday, January 31, 2013

The Orange Rhino Challenge

This is not an easy post to write. Its never easy to admit to faults that you try so hard to hide.

I yell. A lot. At everyone. Not publicly. My kids get the worse of it. My husband gets his fair share. And I hate myself for it. I hate the look on my boys' faces. I hate the way it makes me feel. I hate the mess it leaves behind. Thats a lot of hate.

Starting tonight (Jan 31st) I am enrolling myself in the Orange Rhino Challenge (you can read about it here).

Goals
  1. Do not yell at all tomorrow (Feb 1st)
  2. Walk away when the feeling to yell happens
  3. Do not yell for a week (Feb 1-Feb7)
  4. Write down triggers that make me feel like yelling
  5. Do not yell for a month (Feb 1-Feb 28)
  6. Count to 10 before speaking
  7. Do not yell for 365 days (Feb 1-Jan 31, 2014)

I don't want to be that mom. The mom that is always yelling. With soon to be 3 kids in the house, this needs to stop.

I want to be the mom I see myself being, right now, I am not her.


June Cleaver, Here I come!!






Friday, January 25, 2013

Hands On Childrens Museum

At almost 38 weeks pregnant, nothing sounds more fun then spending the morning at an interactive children's museum with 10 preschoolers, their parents and siblings. What? Thats not your idea of fun?? Well it was a BLAST! Including going down the slide, losing my phone, my son pushing someone around and only two tantrums.

The new Children's Museum in Olympia


You step into a little kids dream play area. A "garden", with a "store", your kid can make you a meal and serve it to you, there is a kitchen in a little house, an old farm truck. Then you move on and find a negative water pressure thing. Just past that is a ship with a crane, a place to build your own boat and then send it down a "river" and a climbing structure with a slide.








Past this there is a really cool rescue workers area that my child had NO interest in really checking out (bummer for mom!).


Upstairs is more coolness to discover. I hung out mostly in the under 4yr old area. It was quiet, peaceful, and Levi had a blast running around and not getting ran over.

Beyond the "baby" area, there is a stage where you can put on a performance, a cool air thing, and a construction site.









Levi and I eventually moved out of the infant area and went to explore the rest of the upstairs. When we were done there, I had the bright idea to go down a twisty slide. I did make it down, and thus discovered that 1) 38w is NOT the time to do this 2) feet in your ribs with another child on your lap really hurts and 3) I had lost my phone. Back upstairs I go, where I happen to find someone who works there. I asked if anyone had found a phone, and he said no, and asked if I checked the slide. Dude... I am NOT going back down it!! Sorry. He was kind enough to take a ride. Alas, no phone. *it was turned into the front desk and I have it back*

Oh the tantrums. I honestly expected more than two, and they came from the same child. Levi. Poor kid had played hard, was tired and hungry. I can't say that I blame him.

I know I mentioned my son pushing another kid. I do not promote bullying but if you push my kid, I do want him to stand up for himself. And he did! Sad to say, I did not witness this event, so its a second hand story.

While waiting to play with the negative water pressure thing, Jacob was standing patiently, waiting his turn (big thing for a 4yr old). Once it was his turn, he started to play with it. Another kid (bigger than him) came over and started to shove him out of the way. My spirited little boy pushed him back and essentially told him he needed to wait his turn. Dad was there watching the whole time, making sure it wasn't getting out of hand, but letting our little man learn a valuable lesson.

It was a long, exhausting and FUN day. I can not wait to go back and do it again.



Tuesday, January 8, 2013

A Challenge

I would like to issue a challenge. Can you go a week without going to the grocery store EXCEPT for three things. 1) Milk 2) Bread 3) Fresh fruits and/or veggies. Thats it. Nothing else, no last minute pizza, no soda at check out. During this week, no eating out as well.

If you think that challenge is too easy, then do it for TWO weeks.

Simple make what you have in your pantry and freezer.

Here is what our meal plan for the week will look like

Tonight - Breakfast burritos with green peppers and tomato (already have)

Wednesday -
Breakfast - overnight apple and cinnamon oatmeal
Lunch - sandwiches
Dinner - SOS

Thursday -
Breakfast - leftover oatmeal
Lunch - sandwiches
Dinner - Stuffed peppers

Friday -
Breakfast - cereal
Lunch - sandwiches
Dinner - Beef enchiladas

Saturday -
Breakfast - waffles with strawberries
Lunch - sandwiches
Dinner - potato soup

Sunday -
Breakfast - cereal
Lunch - sandwiches
Dinner - Chicken and Rice bake

Monday -
Breakfast - cereal
Lunch - sandwiches
Dinner - Hot dogs



See, one week. And I have the ingredients to make all of that. Its not super exciting or anything, but it saves me from going to the store for a week. And it uses up food I already have in the pantry and freezer.

What will your week look like??