Significant Nothings

This is NOT a resolution!

2011-01-02T21:45:00.004-07:00

I'm not making any promises, goals, or resolutions this year.

I'm not trying to be difficult or deliberately go against the grain.

It's just that I've gotten to know myself over the past 31 years enough to know that I have yet to really follow through and complete a goal or resolution. We forget about them come February anyway, don't we?! So why set myself up for failure and disappointment!

I will, however, do my very best to put aside my apprehension about blogging and just do it. (I always loved that Nike slogan!)

I know that I'm not a Pulitzer Prize winning writer....hence the blog! So I will no longer feel pressure to be interesting, witty, or even have great grammar. (evidence that last sentence.) I will post my occasional thoughts (few and far between, trust me) and the little nothings that happen each day that make me immessurably happy! What is joy if we can't share it with those we love. And, if you are reading this then you have become a friend of mine somewhere along this earthly journey and I love you! PHEW! That was a lot of cosmic love coming out of my fingers, onto the keyboard and out into cyberspace.

ANYWAY...

All is well and I will make one resolution just for the fun of it. I resolve to start putting things in the same place (i.e. camera cord!!!) so I can utilize them as needed.

Wow...what a weight that has been lifted!

Adieu...Until my next random outburst...

Mostly smiles this summer

2010-09-19T22:48:00.001-06:00

The Blog...Revisited?

2010-09-19T22:44:00.002-06:00

I've been contemplating starting the blog back up. I took a bit of a break if you didn't notice!
Summer flew by and we are entering fall with more responsibilities than a year ago, but the kids are getting bigger and my mind continues to swim with silly thoughts that I feel compelled to share on the Internet.
Perhaps I'll go private so I don't feel so inhibited....
Regardless, I think its time to get back to the blog. I'll do it for my People! (ha!!!)

Baby steps

2010-04-14T16:02:00.002-06:00

I'm sitting here watching Berg take brave little steps around the porch. The walking skill seems to have really kicked in today. He's been taking steps since Easter when he spontaneously walked from me to his uncle Curtis, about 5 steps. Curtis, who loves to play with all the babies, was very proud to be the object of Berg's direction.

Since then the interest in walking has come and gone...until today. Today he has been taking off from the furniture toward other objects. At Silvi's school he launched from the picnic bench to where some kids were playing in the mud. Of course, nothing like some dirt and excitment to encourage the kid to go.

Silvi often calls to me to "Come see Berg walk" but its always been him walking hand in hand with her, which of course melts my heart, but not the sight I was planning on seeing when hearing the initial statement. Now I get to exclaim, "Come see Berg walk" as he sets out on the new adventure of Toddlerhood.

A mom can't help but be proud of her growing child!

Big ONE

2010-03-04T22:02:00.004-07:00

Being one is lots of fun.

Accept when its not!

Happy Birthday Bergren!

You are the sweetest mama's boy a girl could have!

One for good measure...

2010-02-16T23:29:00.003-07:00

I have not looked at a blog in about 2 months...mine included. My life has gone from wandering around trying to be productive to collapsing at the end of the night exhausted from all the days activities. It was hard for me to forsee the "busy" mom role, but its here now. I blame 4 days of preschool and 3 hour conference calls!

Anywhooo... I'll try to be back, if not for my blog nation but in an attempt to capture some sort of family history. In the meantime here are some pics for your viewing pleasure!

Check out those chompers!!!

Until next time.....

Santa Baby

2009-12-18T23:13:00.004-07:00

*Photo taken by our resident photog, Silvia

Good times here!

Happy Holidays!

Moving for the 8th and last time!

2009-12-01T21:52:00.002-07:00

Did you know that in my eight years of marriage I have moved eight times. Ridiculous, right?!
Well, we moved for what I am hoping is the eighth and last time. We bought a home in SLC and we are close to everything. So far I'm really loving it. The other day I locked myself and Berg out of the car and house so while I waited for my hubby to come save me I took a little stroll up to the coffee shop for some hot cocoa. It was awesome!
Anyway, thought I would put it out there that I am no longer in my grumpy place in Murray. (not that there is anything wrong with Murray per say...It just made me grumpy)

Salt Lake is having a pleasant effect on me thus far and I'm hoping it keeps working as I build a happy life here in my new abode!

So, now that I survived holding Thanksgiving in this place (4 days after we moved in!) I will now endevor to put a few pictures on the walls, hang some curtains, fix the bum plumbing, order some blinds, fix the stairwell overhang, rake leaves, sweep the spiderwebs off the side of the house, etc....need I continue. Lots to do now that I'm supposed to be a responsible homeowner! Responsible.... Ha....ha ha ha....

Halloween and other scary things

2009-11-01T21:29:00.004-07:00

Halloween was a success, not that a holiday/tradition filled with dressing up and loads of candy would be anything but, just saying. We all had a good time this year including Jon who is a self proclaimed Halloween Scrooge! After a fun birthday party in the afternoon we headed to the neighborhood Trunk or Treat (which turned out not to be "lame" like I was anticipating.) We had Silv's cousin's join us in begging for candy around the parking lot, enjoyed some chili, and headed to another gathering in the evening. All in all, very fun, very exhausting!

Now for the scary...

Fall is Fun

2009-10-15T23:10:00.002-06:00

I love October. I don't necessarily love Halloween, just all the fun activities, great weather, and of course the treats.

It's only half way through the month and we've already been to a pumpkin patch and to visit witches at Gardner Village.

Here's the best friend/auntie a kid could have!

The best part of fall thus far is seeing my sweet boy grow up.

Peace Out!

Confirmation

2009-10-07T23:19:00.003-06:00

It's amazing how every once in a while I find clarity in my life.

All too often I get so bogged down and am in the "thick of thin things."

I let life get away from me. I neglect. Myself. My hubby. My kids. My house. The list goes on.

I detach. I've been detached for a while now. Detachment is so much easier then facing life head on, or at least that is my coping mechanism of choice.

But then, as always, there is light...light and TRUTH. Truth about why I am here on this earth in the first place. Truth about where I am going.

Lately I have had confirmation of the truths that I have come to know. It's been coming in waves. Right now I'm a bit overwhelmed at the power of that wave. I wasn't looking for it but now it's pushing me a long. Carrying me into a different atmosphere.

Confirmation of truth brings CLARITY. I am lifted up, above the fog of the mundane and am seeing more clearly.

And I think I'm ready. Ready to move forward. To follow the light, the truth.

Ready to be a better person. Mom. Wife. Daughter. Sister. Friend.

Ready to think beyond myself. My pity party has lasted way too long! I can not stay in this holding pattern any longer. Where I live should have no baring on who I am and what I do.

It's time. I can't waste one more day. I've been given the opportunity to come to this earth to experience life. To serve. To learn. To GROW.

I have a little picture in my room with the saying "Sweet Assurance. The certainty that comes when you know lifes truths."

Sweet Assurance. That is what I'm feeling. I've been so scared, uncertain, apprehensive, but it was because I wasn't trusting myself and I had forgotten. Forgotten about those truths.

I've been reminded. Through a series of small events. Whisperings to my soul. I've been reminded and I remember now. Life does have a purpose. I have a purpose. It's confirmation of that knowledge that I will cling to as I start to live better. Be better.

I know what I need to do. That is half the battle right. Now I just have to get to doing.

Wowza. I felt so strongly that I had to put that out there. O.K. universe, there you go. Message received and passed on. Thank you for tapping on my shoulder! Thank you for not giving up on me.

With that said....I'm going to get to doing now...well not right now. Right now I'm going to bed.

Does sweet assurance translate into sweet dreams?

Little Boy Blue

2009-09-20T23:46:00.002-06:00

I can not get enough of this boy. Love him. He's grown so quick and just today had his second tooth break through.
He's sitting up, rolling around (everywhere! The other day I found him under Silvi's table) eating solid foods (like a champ) playing with his toys and by playing I mean banging things together. He's not the best sleeper but is pleasant all day long.

Did I mention I love him!

Happy Face

2009-09-20T23:36:00.001-06:00

"Mom, this is my Happy Face!"

Love the happy face.

Let the schooling begin

2009-09-20T23:17:00.004-06:00

I read a quote somewhere about a mom not putting her kid in preschool because she figured he'd be in school for the next 13 years of his life. What's the rush? That almost had me, except I knew Silvi would love it!

Here is her big first day.

Status

2009-09-18T21:27:00.003-06:00

Let me start with a little background. In my previous life, before motherhood that is, I worked...a lot! I had a great job traveling the country training volunteers and making presentations for Tread Lightly!. It was great. I loved the independence. I loved interacting with all walks of life, and loved the travel, from backwoods Alabama (and a fried food buffet!) to driving across Alaska (Amazing!!). And if ever asked when I would have kids I would give the inquirer a deadpan look to accompany my emphatic "never." It makes me so sad to think back on that now. I have to admit I was naive, prideful, selfish, and mostly afraid. The thought of having kids, from the pregnancy and birth right on through the teenage years, terrified me.

It was so much easier to just work and play. In 2006, after a particularly busy few months of travel, that I awoke one morning to realize I was pregnant....that is a whole other story. I had no idea what I was going to do. Immediately I started calculating a plan on how I was going to balance work and baby. I liked the idea of being a stay at home mom but I wasn't sure if it was really for me. I knew my baby would need me, but I was sure I needed work. That validation. Accomplishment. And what do you do all day with a baby anyway!? (ha....ha ha ha.....so naive!)
Then things started to change. My body. My hormones. My perspective. Maybe it was the books that I had started to read (gotta love all the pregnancy books) Maybe it was thinking about something other than "me." Maybe it was the grace of God. Whatever it was life started leading me down a path that only a few months prior I would have had disdain for. (I was such a brat! Kicking myself still.)

Soon, much to the astonishment of those closest too me I was talking about natural birth (when I used tear up at the thought of labor), breastfeeding till my baby was 18 months, making my own baby food, and my hope to be a full time, stay at home mom.

I did try to continue working. But in the end I walked away from that job that I had invested so much time and parts of myself in. It was a torturous decision at the time. Jon got many a tearful call from me when I faltered in my resolve. But, as we all know now it worked out for the best. It wasn't the end of the world! Who knew! And who knew that I would find so much joy in being a mom? Seriously! I had no idea it would be as fulfilling and challenging, fun and exhausting.

Don't get me wrong, there were many a time when I pictured my life as it once was and longed for the escape and challenge that came along with a 9 to 5 job. When Jon and I found our way back to Utah and Silv was about 18 months old I was ready for a little more structure to my day. I did a little bit of nannying but that ended when I found out I was pregnant with baby Berg. Managing one kid along with four charges was one thing but I was sure I wouldn't be able to handle two (Six total, yikes!)

Then a month or so ago my old work friend Monica was visiting with her new baby. She was working part time from home. For some reason I mentioned that I was looking for some work too. One thing led to another and suddenly I was working for Tread Lightly! again. Not the same exact work but its something that is familiar, that I enjoy and a new challenge. Most challenging (other than formulating sentences that didn't sound like a 5th grader wrote them) has been disciplining myself to stick to a schedule and utilize my down time.

So, short story really long....my life has come full circle, in a sense. I know there are many more twists and turns down this life path. Though right now I'm enjoying dabbling a bit in my former life. Enough about me... more about my sweet kiddos to come.

------

Post edit:
I didn't clarify the moral to the story very well. The whole point in my long winded explaination was to say that I feel like I kinda have the best of both worlds (although we all know that can't last forever.) I feel pretty blessed to be able to stay home with my kids while taking a few hours a week to dabble in the working world. That's all. The End....or To Be Continued.... (time will tell.)

I just can't

2009-09-15T23:35:00.002-06:00

I'm pretty sure its been over a month since I posted anything. I really want to post. Life has been bringing all sorts of new and fun experiences. But alas, there is no time. One of life's newest changes is part time, at home work. It just happened. And, since it happened I can no longer justify goofing off online when every spare moment not holding a baby or playing princesses should now be directed toward said work.

Someday soon I hope to figure out how to better appropriate my time and then will share cute pic's of my big baby boy, my girl and her pre-school adventures, and my hubby's travels all over the place. Until then I take comfort in the fact that not that many people read this blog. Of my five readers I didn't want to let YOU down.

The art and innocence of compliments

2009-08-16T22:00:00.005-06:00

This evening we were taking a stroll around the neighbor"hood" when two little girls ran out on their driveway. Both about Silvi's age, one had some Dora the Explorer pj's on and the other had a Disney Princess nightgown on.
Upon seeing her fashionable peers Silvia says,

"Hi. I like your shirts."

Without missing a beat.

The girls just stared and didn't say anything. Unphazed she just continued on her stroll, pushing her pink stroller with her dolly in it.

Very cute and innocent.

Sad that the same situation will likely continue to play out and 9 times out of 10 the only response will be a blank stare.

Three going on Sixteen

2009-08-07T15:38:00.002-06:00

Again, Mindy at sweetimages did a fantastic job.

Baby Blue Eyes

2009-08-07T14:48:00.001-06:00

Nostalgia

2009-08-03T23:28:00.004-06:00

Had a few moments of nostalgia today.
First, there's this kid who is growing so fast. I'm already sad about the day when I'll look back and find it hard to remember him as a baby.

Then there is this girl.
She is so full of life. Everything is a role play these days. From Cinderella, to scary monsters, to crawling around pretending to be a puppy for a whole afternoon. She just keeps me totally entertained, and wears me out all at the same time.

Today I thought it would be fun to introduce her to "Annie." I wasn't sure if she would sit through it, especially because it's not animated, but she did. Funny enough, half way through the movie she wanted to be the "mom" and for me to be her "kids." Then she started throwing a ribbon around her neck. I finally figured out she was Miss Hanagen. What?! Since when do little girls love Miss Hanagen.
Oh wait. Her speach is slurd. She wears wacky outfits. And she's got some crazy dance moves. What three year old wouldn't relate?!

Silver Lake

2009-08-03T23:04:00.003-06:00

Jon's sister came to town for a visit so those that could went to Silver Lake for a nice afternoon Silvi with the "Pick a Poop" game that I used to watch the kids play with oh so long ago. Never imagined I'd watch my own kid get the same enjoyment out of it.

.

Hauling the babe around. Pretty stylin'!

Big Boy

2009-07-29T07:23:00.005-06:00

Berg is getting so big. I know that is what everyone thinks when they see their wirey infant turn into a plump, smiley baby, right?

This kid is such a sweetheart. He has the biggest smile and his whole face lights up when he smiles.

His laugh is pretty funny because it comes right from his gut but his face hardly moves.

He has been rolling around on the ground and loves the toys that dangle over him.

He seems completely enthralled with his sister. He watches her every move and she can get him to laugh and smile the easiest out of all of us.

He continues to be so patient with me and is so quiet sometimes I tend to forget where he is. (Terrible, I know.)

These past five months have flown by and have been amazing. I'm still shocked at how much I love being a mom and the amount of love I have for these two sweet children.

Blog Marketing Works!

2009-07-27T09:38:00.002-06:00

This is the second time I've come across the Shabby Apple on a blog. Man, these guys are smart. What more cost effective way is there to peddle your wares than give one or two away to some mommy bloggers. That just opens the flood gates. In this growing world of blogging, especially for stay at home moms, access to the world comes through the blogs you read. Now I am posting about this company in an attempt to win a give away. Seriously! I don't usually do this stuff but these marketer's know that I'm desperate, don't get out much, and a bit bored. What better way to take advantage than to dangle the hope of winning a stylish dress (1 in 300 chance of winning at best) only to not win (because I have to admit that I have entered one or two giveaways before) and have the image of said dress continue to cross your mind as the only way you'll ever be happy, which at that point you say forget the pledge to keep the budget and you promptly order the dress and a few other accessories while your at it...........

breath Dianne, breath....

I've only just entered the contest, so if you want to as well (even though you'll decrease my chances of winning) go here.

The big Three

2009-07-20T23:09:00.003-06:00

A retraction, A trip, A chatter box

2009-06-15T23:30:00.007-06:00

First, obviously I'm back online. My attempt to leave internet behind was promptly dismissed by hubby since he needs internet to work from home. I guess I'll just have to grow up and start regulating my online time.

Next, I enjoyed a beautiful trip to Las Vegas this last weekend with my longtime girlfriends (plus two babies). We did a little of thisA little of this...

And a lot of this...

The best part, other than all the girl time, was that I didn't step into one casino or wander along the strip at all. That is my kind of Vegas!

After coming home to a hubby and daughter that not only survived the weekend together but enjoyed their time I was feeling pretty good about things. Even my little Berg seemed to benefit from the trip. He came home and couldn't stop talking!

Going Offline

2009-06-09T12:35:00.002-06:00

As you can see my life is full of washing diapers...so I no longer have extra time to spend online. he he he...
Not really, I've just read one too many articles about being "addicted" to the internet and feel that if I'm not already there I'm teetering dangerously on the edge. So, because I have no self control I'm removing my temptations. I'm turning off the cable and internet. Yep. Going to return the stuff today. Cold Turkey! No more internet. Yikes!
So, now I'll have to resort to my old ways of sitting in the starbucks parking lot or will be imposing on my in-laws to use theirs.
Either way, I see my posts as becoming a bit less frequent. More importantly, I'll not be wasting my life looking at everyones profile on Facebook anymore.

TTFN!

Diaper Dootie

2009-06-09T09:27:00.004-06:00

It's amazing how diapers can be such a conversation starter. Everyone has an opinion. Who new! Since my decision to use cloth diapers with baby Berg I've received a wide array of comments/opinions ranging from:

"Well now I'm really not changing a diaper" (guess who!)

"Why? Why!"

"Your crazy"

"Your such a hippie!" (which of course I took as a huge compliment.)

"Awe, I used to use cloth diapers on my kids." (usually coming from the 60 and up club)

Actually, now that I think about it most everyone thinks I'm crazy. I don't know why. Cloth diapering has made a huge resurgence in a reasonable way to take care of your little ones biznass.

My take: I really love it. Pretty much everytime I change a diaper I muse on how cute my baby looks with the wealth of fabric wrapped around his behind. Changing the dooties isn't so much a chore these days.

Now there are some definate trade offs to using cloth as opposed to disposable diapers. Here they are for those of you who may not think I'm too off base and may be considering cloth diapers yourself.

-Packing the diaper bag includes a few extra items. I have to have the absorbant diaper, the cover, and the bag to put the dirties in.

-The laundry is constant. I have to do a load of diapers everyother day (although if I had more diapers I could probably strech this out better.) Laundry has never been my thing so the process took a little getting used to. Each load needs a pre-wash, a hot wash, and two rinses. It is a lot of water so the environmental trade off could be debated. I figure that the amount I use to wash these diapers still less than the water used to create the paper product for disposables. Ocasionally I put the diapers on the clothes line to bleach them out and save the energy from my dryer.

-There are also the benefits of surrounding my babies behind with natural fabrics versus product that has any number of chemicals used on it. And, of course, don't forget reducing the waste that goes to a landfill.

Ridiculous and cute. I know the diaper is huge but it helps keep his pants on better!

-The amount of money I spent on diapers and accessories was about $280. Kind of a lot up front but seeing as how I haven't spent anything since I'm feeling pretty good about the investment. There will come a time when I need to get larger diaper covers but there are quite a few options out there.

-Because cloth diapering isn't super common I had to do quite a bit of research on what I needed and the different methods. Yes, there are different methods. Cloth diapers are now are different than what our parents or grandparents used. Of course, I like the old school method. Mainly because I like to do everything the hard way (just ask my hubby!)

There are some great websites (like this one and this one) that help walk you through the basics but it wasn't until I purchase a sampler kit and put them on the baby that it all finally clicked, which really says more about my defective brain than the diapering system!

So there it is. My two cents. My only regret on choosing to cloth diaper is that I didn't start sooner! If any of you have more questions or want some product suggestions let me know. I'm more than happy to ooze over the cuteness!

Vote!

2009-06-02T22:52:00.004-06:00

So I've been thinking of starting another blog for quite some time now. I've always tried to be "eco-concious" but find it to be a daunting task in this day and age. I want to find a way to encourage myself and others to minimize our impact on the environment and economy/society. The ideal for being green seems like you either have to be a hippie fanatic or a rich celebrity and it's such a "fad" right now. So, i'm really not trying to jump on the band wagon, rather, I think there are ways that we all can make little changes in our lives to live better, at least that is what I'm hoping. In the blog I'm going to explore the things we do and use in daily life, especially as moms, that we could "green" up.
With that said I need some help with a title. Here are a few. Let me know what you think!

Super Duper Eco Mom
More than green
Not quite green
simply trying
mediocre attempts at a better life
reducing my mommy print
the mean green mom
hippie mom
itsy bitsy greeny weenie
eco mom
simply living
back to basics

blah! I can't think of anymore. What do you think?

The common thread

2009-06-01T21:54:00.002-06:00

I have no idea how I ended up with two kids who look nothing alike. There are similar features but I just don't see similarities in the end product.

Help me out here!

Love Affair

2009-05-26T21:08:00.007-06:00

I love the Avett Brothers.

Jon is "in" love with them (maybe on the verge of obsessed.) He spent the weekend up in Portland for two back to back Avett Brothers concerts.

I think I'm jealous. A little bit of the Avett's and a little bit that I didn't get to go to the concert. I guess I'll just start counting down the days till they come to Salt Lake City and I'll try to tell my ego that my husbands adoration for a band can't replace the love of a good woman. But can you blame him? They are fantastic!

So, whose coming to rock out with us in August? (the 25th to be exact.)

Summer

2009-05-26T09:57:00.002-06:00

Bring it!

Whatcha up too?

2009-05-21T22:05:00.006-06:00

A little of this....

The first of many zoo trips. My mom joined us and it was a good thing. Silvia would have surely been on the news for climbing into the gorilla enclosure since I was either feeding or soothing baby Berg and she was all over the place.

Then...

We invited ourselves on one of Jon's work trips down to St. George. While he worked we played with Auntie Jaynie and our cousins. We saw a ball game, ate In And Out Burgers, and even snuck on out to Zion's for a little bus ride in that amazing canyon.

A little of that....

Baby boy turned Three Months today! I love this milestone because they are finally come out of the baby haze and are ready to interact. Berg coo's are the sweetest thing and we have little conversations all the time. Example:

Me: "Hey!"

Berg: "hoo"

Me: "HOO HOO"

Berg: "Uh Uh"

We carry on like this for some time. Silvia even joins in the mix and tells me all the time that "Berg is being so funny." She also likes to inform me that he is crying. My response: "Really? Oh thanks!" It doesn't get old around here folks!

A Blessing

2009-05-04T23:31:00.003-06:00

Our baby boy received a name and a blessing on Sunday. It was such a great celebration of this new life! We were surrounded by family and a few friends at church and over at grandma and grandpa Olson's home. Here are a few pics from the occasion.

Numero Dos

2009-04-17T09:45:00.006-06:00

Two is a number that I've been having to contend with lately. First there is my two year old. Stubborn, Imaginative, Energetic, Independent, Intelligent, Sweet, Sensitive, and did I mention stubborn?.... Life with this two year old has been a joy and a challenge, but that is life as a parent, right? She keeps me on my toes and she always surprises me with the things she comes up with. Right now she's very imaginative and imatates me a lot. Just yesterday I heard her in her room feeding her baby. Then in a sing song voice she says "Oh, baby. You spit up. Oh, lets get a burp clothe. Oh baby." As I listened I thought "Do I really sound like that?" Apparently I do because where else would she pick that up. So, thanks to my two year old for holding the mirror up to me!

Now, two kids. Yikes. I'm still trying to figure that one out. First, going places is ridiculous! Just walking from the house to the car carries many challenges with it. I find myself with a bag over my shoulder (sometimes two) carrying a car seat and coaxing Silvia down the stairs. Then of course she diverts from the path and ten minutes has passed by the time we are actually in the car driving away. I'm not the best with time management in the first place so these two kiddo's really put a kink in getting places!

Two kids also requires two times as much of your time and attention. Unfortuately one of the two (sometimes both) get neglected while I wander around the house doing this and that. If only I could focus better! ha ha....that is the story of my life.

Lastly, two months. Little Berg is two months now. It's been a great two months and I love this little guy! Plenty of room is this heart of mine for this boy. Lucky for me he is a lot more patient with me than what I'm used to.

One more two...the number of days it took me to compose this post. If there is any wonder as to why see paragraph two!

My sweet little ones

2009-04-07T10:56:00.004-06:00

My great ol' friend Mindy took these. I think she's fantastic. Of course it helps when you have sweet little people as your subjects!

Extra Pickles Please

2009-04-02T21:52:00.003-06:00

Today I experienced the joy that comes when a hungry girl takes a chance on a sandwich. Today I took the leap and asked for extra pickles on my Chick-fila. The guy taking my order didn't even flinch. "OK" he replied. Me: "Can you do that?" Him: "Sure." Like it was no big deal. No big deal!
After assessing that there was no extra charge for my request and overcoming my order anxiety I anticipated the arrival of my sandwich. I was pleased because I thought I would now have enough pickles to cover the surface of the chicken, little did I know what lay in store. To my delight I pulled out a PICKLE sandwich with some chicken. It was a beautiful sight. For the next five minutes (OK, maybe three) I was in heaven. All the stresses of my trip to the mall with a potty training toddler and six week old infant faded away. In those minutes I savored every bite of that chicken sandwich with a stack of pickles and a dip of ranch here and there (If I weren't so worried about looking six months pregnant currently I would have doused the whole thing in ranch!).
Finishing off the last bite I couldn't help but to think of all the chicken sandwiches consumed as they come, with the minimum two pickles. Gone are those days of taking things as they come.
I demand, nay deserve, more from life! I mean my chicken sandwich.

Thinking about thinking again

2009-03-29T22:47:00.002-06:00

It's been 5 weeks. Five whole weeks of being a mommy of two. Yep. Any maybe I'm naive but I didn't anticipate the drop in brain function. Maybe because this time it died slowly as I was pregnant running after a two year old so I didn't notice the change. That is until now. I've always struggled giving my full attention to things (I'm pretty sure I'm border line ADD) but it's so much worse now. I now find myself running from task to task and forgetting what I was in the middle of doing. The other day I about swirted my tooth brush with contact solution. Ya see!
So, in an effort to feel a little more human again, not so zombie, I'm thinking about picking up a book. Really just thinking about it. I'm realistic enough to know that actually reading a book for more than 2 minutes at a time would be impossible. Nonetheless (is that really one word?...) the act of thinking about it brings me out of the mommy fog and into the world where thought is a normal way of life. Baby steps. itty bitty baby steps.

Cheez!

2009-03-02T09:19:00.002-07:00

Ta Dah!

2009-02-27T20:04:00.004-07:00

Baby Bergren Charles Olson arrived Saturday February 21, 2009. Weighing in just under 7 lbs he is a small, sweet thing.

His delivery was similar to his sisters but I've felt great and have recovered lots quicker. You know your doing good if you can walk around Target and not pass out. So far he's been way easier than Silvia, which I guess folks are right when they say the second one is easier. The only thing I've been contending with is a two year old in need of extra attention.

As far as his name goes... We thought he needed something solid and tough because he came out looking like he had already been in a brawl (darn pelvis!) It only took his big sister a week to get his name right so we'll give all our friends some lee-way. (hint: Ber--gren, it's a Swedish name meaning mountain brook.)

Now the highlights of my days are getting pee-d on, snuggling my blonde, getting Silvia dressed before 3 pm, and showering by 5 pm.

Life doesn't get much better than this!

Impulse shopping

2009-02-11T22:11:00.004-07:00

We have those weaknesses right? For some it's shoes, a bag, even going crazy at Target (my usual). Last night I decided I couldn't wait anymore and that this purchase was justified enough to put on the ol' credit card.

Diapers. Yep, diapers. I finally just went for it and bought diapers. These aren't any run of the mill diapers. I have been supporting Pampers for way too long and only have enough rewards to get a childrens book. So, enough Pampers. I've moved on to the lovely, environmentally, finacially friendly cloth diapers. The funny thing is, I didn't even get the new 21st century diapers that are all the rage. I went ahead and got the fold-um up and pin-um diapers that my mom used on me. Nostalgia, maybe? Everyone says they are easy to use and a great, in-expensive way to see if cloth diapering will work for you. Which brings us to last night. I was wasting time online and started to browse the much longed for diaper sites and decided to do it. I'm really excited. I should receive my diap's in 5-10 days and hopefully baby boy isn't too far behind.

I know I'm a little crazy especially because I loathe laundry, but after I thought about the amount of diapers that I threw away in Silvi's 2 plus years of wearing disposables I can't justify the waste anymore. Plus, look how stinking cute that bum is!

So, here's to cloth diapers, environmental sustainability and let's not leave out credit cards!

P.S. Hubby doesn't know yet. I think I'll wait for him to help me open the package when delivered....or maybe our monthly statement.

Just for Fun

2009-02-05T22:13:00.002-07:00

I let Silvi loose with the camera and this was one of the images. Pretty cool huh? This is the "green fairy" week 3. Pants aren't required when playing fairies.

Really I wanted to be in bed at 8

2009-01-22T21:45:00.002-07:00

I am forcing myself to stay up. I know I'm tired, cranky, achy....but I can't bring myself to go to bed before 9pm...again.... So here I am. Re-checking all the blogs that I checked last night. Luckily there are quite a few out there that are very diligent in updating their blogs and others I caught on the right time. Problem is, its only 9:50. Not quite 10. Do I just swallow my pride, climb in bed, turn on the hypno-birthing cd (although I probably wouldn't need it) and call it a night? Maybe by the time I quite contemplating about it it will be time for bed.

Or, I can push past it and tell you some stories. Then I run the risk of getting all wired. Awe, what the heck.

I had three little girls rubbing their hands all over my belly today. The first, a very inquisitive 4 year old, wanted to see my tummy. I didn't know she wanted to see skin because I was a little taken aback when she proceeded to lift up my shirt. Lucky me I was wearing 4 layers. Yep, 4! It really has become quite a process getting dressed in the morning. First there are the huge preggo unders, then the preggo jeans with huge "secret fit belly" band. I have no idea what is so secret about it. Then another band to help hold my pants up. Then t-shirt. 4 layers!

Well, I got over the shock and my personal boundary issues to allow said 4 year old to disect all the layers to get to belly. Once there all I got was an "oh."

I don't know what I expected. I'm just glad she didn't ask what all the red marks were! How do you explain stretch marks to a kid? I'm still trying to figure those out.

Yep, that was my story. Anti-climatic? yep! That is my life these days. Next time I'll tell you the one about my 2 year old shoving a tutu in my face at 7:30am demanding she be the green fairy. It is actually a continuing saga since Sunday so I'll keep my fingers crossed that we move on to something else then I'll give ya'll the re-cap.

My baby's "baby"

2009-01-20T15:48:00.005-07:00

I know toddlers are impressionable and mine is no exception. Since mommy has been trying to convey the concept of having another baby Silvia has taken to the idea pretty easily. She's old enough to associate my changing body with the growth of a baby. So I shouldn't have been surprised when she started talking about the baby in her belly. Yep, my daughter has a baby in her belly. At first I'll admit I was a little weirded out and thought about curbing my belly rubbing and talking about the baby. Then I thought, "hey, this is completely natural and this is how a 2 year old works out that whole baby business." Then it just got funny.

Example #1: Rubbing her tummy, Silvia looks at me and says "My belly hurts, My baby is kicking." (Immediately I recognize that I am obsessing about my belly and the active child within too much!)

Example #2: When asked what sex the baby that mom is having she replys: "Mom has a boy and I have a girl." Great. I'm already a grandma.

Example #3 and topping the cake. Silvia has been going to my midwife appointments with me and at the apppointments I get measured and we listen to the heart beat. Julie, my midwife, was gracious enough a few weeks ago to let Silvia help with the tape measure and help put the goo on the microphone. I loved it because I thought it really helped her feel involved. Two weeks ago I mentioned to Julie that Silvia has been talking about the baby in her belly. Once I brought this up and Julie asked her about it I opened the gates. Then Silvia said it was "her turn" on the table. Julie obliged and then measured her belly and even got the microphone out to listen to the baby. Silvia even insisted on the goo! Hilarious! I didn't have my camera that time but I went to my appointment on Monday prepared.

Here is my baby, getting her baby check up:

Don't worry. She's not all grown up just yet. She has insisted on being a "green fairy" for the last few days (hence the tutu seen in the photo). A good sign that she is still in the throws of her childhood.

Holiday Review

2009-01-06T22:15:00.007-07:00

I just had to check the calendar to see what day it was. I knew it was January, but the exact date seems a little foggy. Maybe it was because we started off the new year with a puking child. Maybe it's because the bug she had then spread to me, jon a day later grandma, aunt tawnya and cousin savanna. If you too have been spending 12 hours straight in the bathroom....I'm sorry. It's seriously a crazy bug!

Enough bathroom talk. I really wanted to review the good times we had the last few weeks.

We mixed up the traditions this year. Because my mom has a crazy work schedule mi familia got together on Christmas Eve. We ate soup and let the kids decorate cookies. I tried to capture the mess but the camera doesn't do it justice. It was padilerium! Sprinkles should not be in the hands of young children (where is the warning on the label?!!!)

And no, the chaos of cookie decorating didn't contribute to the messy hair. That's just how we role.

That night we got our little family together to tell the story of Christmas. Jon had the fantastic idea of using the nativity to tell the story. Super cute! Christmas day was nice. When Silvia woke up I thought I'd just sit back and see how she reacted to the lit tree and presents. So what does she do? She spies the lit tree walks toward it only to notice not the over abundance of wrapped packages (seriously, how many toys does a two year old need Dianne! ((I'm chastising myself so next year I'll be more restrained)).....ahemm...so she's headed for the tree when she diverts and heads right to the plate of goodies laid out. Once she stuffs a jelly ring into her mouth she comes back to me and tells me about the treats. Treats, really? Do I deprive my little one of chocolate so much so that it warrants ignoring Christmas presents? In her defense, she takes a little while to wake up in the morning.

Once the treat distraction was removed and daddy became more alert (now we know where she gets it!) we all moved on to the opening ritual. She really enjoyed opening up gifts and was genuinely excited about every little thing.

It was really nice to be able to take it easy Christmas morning. That evening we moved the party on over to the Olson's where Silvia got to see all her cousins, we ate more yummy soup and exchanged family gifts.

All in all, we had a lot of fun and I think we were able to maintain the spirit of the holiday too in remembering the birth of Jesus Christ. What a beautiful moment in the history of the world! I can't put my feelings quite into words. That's why I've retyped this small paragraph three times and am now giving up. Let's just say I'm deeply touched by the event of Jesus Christ's birth on the earth.

Fin. for now.

Crazy December

2008-12-21T15:19:00.004-07:00

Well, December is almost over so I thought I'd make an effort to make at least one post this month. Really we've been busy playing, working, shopping and Jon's been out of town quite a bit. He even went back to our home in North Carolina, without me....ah hem! His excuse for going back was to work on our home there to get it ready for the terrible realestate market. What he really did was visit all our beloved friends and call me 20 times a day to tell me how great it was out there while I was sitting in our tiny apartment whilst it snowed for 2 days straight! It did give me a chance to reflect on the past year and I realized we've been in a huge holding pattern ever since we left our green home on the east coast. I guess it was meant to be that I get pregnant to force us to stop looking back and start looking forward. I know come March I won't be able to pine over Greensboro any more. I will be able to look back on it and our friends fondly though as I wipe up spit up with these cute burps that Kelly sent home with Jon.

On another, less whiny more Christmas cheer note...We are really excited for Christmas. Silvia has already been so excited these last few weeks. She knows who Santa is and that he likes hot cocoa, she can sing "Jingle Bells" and keeps asking for presents. I have had a hard time keeping myself grounded and have tried to restrain from buying everything that I think Silvia needs/wants. The last few months I haven't been purchasing any toys thinking that I'd wait for Christmas. Luckily I have a limited budget and a hubby who tells me when I've over done it. So, in the true spirit of Christmas and the american consumer, I am taking a bunch of stuff back tomorrow. I promise!

Enough revelations from my overly active concious. Here a few shots from the last few weeks.

Silvia's puppy that she asked me to take a picture of. How could I resist. I ran as fast as I could to find the camera!The picture I probably should have used for Christmas cards but I editted it and couldn't figure out how to get the color picture back. Argh! I need to take a class.

Signing off with a performance of Jingle Bells. Get aload of the socks and shoes. Dress up gone nerdy!

It doesn't get better than this

2008-11-27T07:06:00.002-07:00

Really. A holiday focused on food. What more could a girl want! I woke up like a little kid on Christmas. Ok, ok, it's not just the food. Any excuse to get family and friends gathered together makes me all warm and fuzzy inside. I live for these things. I can already tell you next week is going to be the pits as I come down from my Thanksgiving high. I know, Christmas is just around the corner and although we have managed to drag the holiday out for a whole month I always feel like everyone is in a hurry to be somewhere else. At least at Thanksgiving everyone is in a turkey coma and unable to leave! Man I'm a control freak!

The Audacity of Hope

2008-11-04T22:41:00.002-07:00

Politics aside...I am so inspired by our president elect. The vision that he has of a unified nation, of people stepping up their involvement in their community and government, and for moving this country forward has increased my patriotism ten fold.
I look forward to what is to come and I know that I we all will have a role in it. Its not about one man. Its about what we can all do together.
YES WE CAN.

The Big Day.

2008-11-04T07:39:00.004-07:00

Halloween. Finally. What is it about these holidays where they just work up for ever. Then you finally get there, enjoy, and then the let down. Nothing left to look forward. Until the next holiday. We are looking forward to Thanksgiving and already menu planning but now I can see why people start the Christmas shopping so early. They just need something to occupy that holiday void.

Any whooo.... Here are a few shots of our fun Halloween day/night. Silv was a trooper (not litterally) and was all about Trick or Treating (i.e. going door to door grabbing candy from strangers. What a weird tradition!) Silv has a friend whose birthday is on Halloween so we went up to this great farm for her party. We saw animals, went on a hay ride into the fields, picked our own pumpkins, ran around a hay maze, and my girls favorite, the cow train.

Trick or Treating.

The only picture I could get of her with her hat on. It's kind of a funny sassy face. All day she would run around saying "I'm a witch. ha ha ha." I was surprised at how into it she got.

All in all it was a lot of fun and even hubby who isn't shy about his distaste for the holiday had a good time.

Wild and Wacky October

2008-10-28T22:34:00.007-06:00

A few shots of what we've been up to this month... Utah State University homecoming game. Don't ask hubby about the game. He was a bit depressed.

Crappy picture of me and my friend and fellow Kappa Delta, Laura. BTW, she's 2 weeks more pregnant than me and has absolutely no belly! No Fair!

Witches night out with Silvi's buddy, Rita.

Painting pumpkins with cousins. pumkins with cousins, say that a few times fast.

Pony ride at Witches Night Out, an annual chaotic event at some local shops.

The STASH! Don't worry, it only lasted one day. I actually liked it but hubby couldn't handle it.

Making sandwhiches at the childrens museum. I think this picture was right before she pee'd all over the floor. Kind of ruins the sandwhich...

A trip to St. George with cousins to see the newest addition, Maren.

Wanting to be one of the big kids and play soccer.

Painting. The new, fav activity around our house. Sometimes wish I had never introduced it!

Our new fav accessory. Anytime I mention its cold out she insists on wearing her hat.

The best gift

2008-10-19T23:16:00.002-06:00

In the last 6 days I have seen my hubby a total of 45 minutes. Following a week of work away from home and then a crazy weekend our paths crossed for a brief moment tonight before he was off again. But in that moment he reminded me why I love him so much. First, we pull up to our place and we find him out on the side walk waiting for us. Baby girl was so excited, "Daddy, my Daddy!" she hollered. While he scooped her up I managed to bring in our pathetic Taco Bell dinner (like I said, we've had an insane weekend). I enter our place to find daddy and daughter snuggling on the couch until dad tells her he has a surprise, a present. We'll I didn't know she had a concept of this yet but then I saw her face light up. He brings out a book he found for her and she is bouncing up and down on the couch with excitement. Then he proceeds to read it to her and watch as they make the most of their brief time together.
I have to say I was beaming with love. Because of the time he had taken to spend with our daughter I felt his love for me. I know we only said like 5 things to each other but don't actions speak so much louder than words! Hubby, I know you don't read this blog, but I love you! ( and your knarly beard too!)

In case you didn't hear...

2008-10-10T13:04:00.002-06:00

Here is our first preview of Baby Olson.

yep... so, anyway....awkward....

p.s. it's a boy

My snuggler.

2008-10-02T19:01:00.001-06:00

My energetic toddler is sitting on my lap snuggling while I blog surf. She just took my face in her hands and snuggled her head into my neck nook.

My heart is melting!!!

A for effort, right..right...

2008-09-24T21:47:00.008-06:00

I've been trying, really trying to be crafty. The thing is, I was not born with that right part of my brain (is that the creative side?) Come to think of it maybe I'm missing more than just the right part...I digress...

So, last week I got a little too inspired and took on a few projects:

First there were these creepy little things:

Silvi did enjoy the psycho monkey and called it her "baby sock" for a day. She even took it potty. Although I think she thought they were better purposed for wearing.

Then in an effort to thwart genetics (my mother always starts projects then packs them away for years never to be finished) I focused on finishing some clips for you know who (no, not me).

My last project came a few days later when I picked up my new favorite book from the good Ol' library. (sorry cover your ears kids)"Stich and Bitch" (not pictured below) was very helpful in teaching me how to bind off my knitting project that was close to becoming the never ending scarf and I even started a second scarf.

I have restarted the second scarf 5 or 6 times...but I am knitting my way right past un finished projects and into a hobby. Who knew.... Honestly, we'll see how long it lasts. I just hope it keeps up so I have a snuggly scarf this winter. Nothing like selfish desires to motivate.......

I knew I recognized her!

2008-09-14T23:18:00.001-06:00

Every Chorus is Your Name

2008-09-12T22:41:00.001-06:00

a trip on my time machine.

Take the Pledge!

2008-09-02T22:08:00.003-06:00

I read this today and wanted to cry!

Did you know that making bottles to meet Americans’ demand for bottled water requires more than 1.5 million barrels of oil annually, enough to fuel some 100,000 cars for a year? With gas prices so high (though bottled water is even more expensive at up to $6 a gallon*), why pour oil and money down the drain when you can get your own reusable bottle and fill'er up at home?
The current energy crunch illustrates the importance of conserving all our natural resources, yet for each gallon of water that is bottled, an additional two gallons of water are used in processing.

It’s time to take a real stand and pledge to Break Your Bottled Water Habit for good. So far over 3,900 of you have pledged to give up bottled water for a year, reducing 159,936 pounds of carbon emissions in the process. We can do better than that. Take the pledge, encourage your friends to do the same, and reduce your carbon footprint by 40.8 pounds this year for each person.** Imagine if 20,000 of you make that same pledge.
From now through October 30, take the pledge to Break the Bottled Water Habit, and encourage your friends and family to do the same.

Need more reasons to Break the Bottled Water Habit? Check out our top five reasons to break the habit, and then our top five ways to do so.

Taken from newdream.org

Do you smell something?

2008-09-01T21:53:00.003-06:00

That is how every fall begins at my house. Sitting in the car the other day hubby starts sniffing the air.

Hubby: Do you smell something?

Me: No (with a scowl)

Hubby: It's football

Me: Oh boy (mock enthusiasm)

Yep, it's football season and my Saturdays and Sundays, oh yeah and mondays have already taken a hit. Not to worry, I'm pretty sure they've implemented Thursday night and Friday night games as well.

As if it's bad enough that my hubby becomes a couch potatoe for the next four months, but I also have to deal with the ridiculous sports fan behavior. For example, hubby tried to walk out of my house wearing a football jersey to work.

Me: whar are you wearing?

Hubby: My bronco's jersey! (happy as a little school boy)

Me: No, no you are not

Hubby: But it is casual friday!

Me: No way!. Jerseys are reserved for use at home of if you actually play for the team and it is the assigned uniform.

Hubby: (dejected) Fine....

So thank you college football. Thanks NFL. You have not only turned my 30 year old hubby into a 14 year old boy who wears sports gear as clothing but you have also monopolized my TV set and roped me into driving up to Logan to watch the worst ranked team in college football play in freazing conditions! Go Aggies!

Musical evolution

2008-08-27T09:28:00.007-06:00

Last week I stepped out of my shell and went to a concert. Not that big a deal, I know, but I was so close to not going and then I would have never known the joy that is The Avett Brothers. My lovely friend Jason aka. Soffe, had sent me a sample of their music and I knew I liked it from the start. But the concert, the concert was such an awesome experience. I usually enjoy concerts if I can sit in the back and if they are over by 9:30. (I'm old beyond my years, I know). Not so at the Avett Brothers. When they finished at 10:30 I was sad and wanted more. It was so much fun and what a bunch of entertainers! They were crazy! The two brothers make up the heart of the band and they have a stand up bass and a whack a doodle cellist that plays his cello like a guitar. Loved it.
Maybe it was the nostalga since they hail from North Carolina. Maybe it was the songs lyrics filled with feeling and love. Maybe it was a night out.... Whatever it was I loved it. So much so that I encouraged Jon to drive to Boise two nights later so he could see for himself. His fan status has now much surpassed mine!

The concert fun continued when I met my friend last night for a Bonnie Raitt concert. I didn't even know who she was really but really enjoyed the concert. The concert was at Red Butte Gardens and it was so beautiful and even chilly once the sun went down. Silvi came along and danced the night away (i think she thought the crowd was gathered to see her moves).

Now that I have shocked the old fuddy duddy out of my system I think I am ready for more. We've already got tickets to Weezer and ColdPlay. Weezer gives me a little heart burn because we are on the floor and I'm not too keen on moshing with 14 year olds. Whatever, I guess I need to give everything a try right? That is the moral of this post...right, right!

Did I teach you the alphabet??

2008-08-18T22:44:00.003-06:00

Tonight in the tub Silvi asked for her foam letters, as she calls them "her a,b,c's". Obligingly I dumped all 26 into the tub then looked on in amazement as she started pulling out letters and calling them by name. "O", "E", "R" were just blurted out. Did I miss something? Was there a sesame street episode that my daughter watched that I am unaware of (note: we don't watch sesame street). I know I didn't sit down and go over her letters with her, although I am planning on doing more learning activities since I've discover the true meaning of "a child's mind is like a sponge."

Needless to say, I was very proud, quite shocked, and a little embarassed that my daughter is picking up on her ABC's without much help from me. I thought the ABC song was something to work on....

This blog post was brought to you by the letter "O". (Silvia's favorite)

Spoiled but not rotten...yet

2008-07-25T22:19:00.010-06:00

Miss Silvia turned two last week. Wow, I never envisioned my life raising a two year old but so far it is going better than expected. We ended up having a cookout/party for her even though I had planned on only doing cake with the family. I got a little guilt trip from my mom because "we were in North Carolina for her first birthday."

So we had a few friends come over and it was a lot of fun. Silvia and her mini friends ran around the yard and were making a game out of climbing up the steps and rolling a ball down them, then repeating that a few more times.

Then it was on to presents and cakes. Here is where the spoiling really went into over-drive. Jon did a pretty good job of restraining me, but no one could restrain my mom and sister.

Just from them she got a play kitchen (out with the old cardboard one I guess!) and a baby doll with tons of accessories! Now I'm not complaining because since she received this showering of gifts she has been pleasently occupied in her play room. It was just a bit overwhelming.

Jon and my gift to her was a trike. It turned out to be the hit of the party with all the girls taking turns on it.

Needless to say, we all had a great time. We ended the night with some cupcakes and ice cream which some how avoided melting to pieces in the heat.

Luckily (for my waist line and silvia's attitude) birthdays only come along once a year!

blog block

2008-07-19T00:08:00.002-06:00

I know it's been awhile. Silvi's birthday has come and gone and so has most of this summer. I was really planning on blogging this week but alas my apartment swamp cooler is broken and I can't think straight. It is a constant 86 degrees in here! I don't know what I did to deserve this bad treatment by my landlord but I'm dying! Five going on six days is too long to go without a cooling system. I'm irrate and too self consumed to write about anything else.

I guess I'm going to have to summon my inner witch so we can get it fixed. No wonder I can't sleep!

A look back

2008-06-12T22:36:00.006-06:00

Browsing through pictures today (when I should have been working) I couldn't believe the difference a year makes in the looks of a kid.

Example:

June 07

June 08

then and now....

Dang you Jane Eyre!

2008-06-06T22:37:00.003-06:00

My night is ruined. I have an overwhelming amount of reading and work that needs to be done but all I can do is day dream about a Mr. Rochester and a governess, Jane Eyre. Dang it! I knew I wouldn't be able to resist when I saw the netflix envelope on my counter top. I had watched the Masterpiece Theater version (Disc 1) a week or so ago and wanted to cry when I realized that it was a two disc deal. Disc 2 came amid a crazy work schedule and a looming deadline. I put it off as long as I could. I got off today early, Silvi was taking a nap and I had dutifully completed an hours work. After that there was no stopping me. I had to watch Disc 2 and now I'm ruined!
I am an impatient person by nature and my impatience increases when I have the opportunity to step into english romance novels. I can't get enough of them! It gets really pathetic. I'm in a stooper for a day or so after finishing a book or watching a movie. My stooper is complete now. I'm listening to love songs and snuggling with my puppy (since my baby is asleep and my hubby is far away.) I'm sure I'll wake up tomorrow rational, cynical and level headed but for now I'll just wallow in dreams of meeting Mr. Rochester and/or Mr. Darcy (I'm not too picky as long as he has an english accent) in a green field where he wisks (yes, I said "wisks") me away to his mansion on the hill.....

I don't even know what is going on...

2008-06-04T21:12:00.002-06:00

Has it really been a month since my last post. Boy, how quickly life can change. You'd think I would have learned that lesson by now, but every time life takes a left turn I'm always a little thrown off course. What am I talking about, nothing serious. Just I started nannying full time for a family of 4 in May as their existing nanny went on bedrest for her pregnancy leaving them nanny-less. I stepped in thinking it would be a great way to supplement my measly budget and the biggest bonus is that I can bring Silvia along. Swell! Not too many jobs out there that allow you to bring your kid along.
The family is nice and really I've only been watching the two youngest as the older boys were off at school. So I have Silv, a 2 year old and a 4 year old. They play pretty well together and it has given me a pretty good glimpse at what motherhood will be further on down the line.
Also, they offered me the nanny position for the fall too so my month job has now turned into full time work. I figure I can do this for a year then let life take me other places. But who would have every thought that I would turn out to be a nanny. I never, NEVER, babysat when I was a kid. Even until I had my own kid I didn't really care for kids much. I know, that is terrible to say but my patience was seriously lacking!
Anyway, I now need to leave my blogging diversion and get back to work. I am also working on facilitating a meeting for my old organization and only have a week to prepare! I'm a bit stressed to say the least.
I miss the blogging world. Hopefully I'll get to re-acquaint my self soon.

Devil inside

2008-05-02T22:44:00.003-06:00

My daughter is a performer. I don't know where she got it (honestly). Maybe from her dad who has been known to sing Karaoke on occasion or enter a yoddling contest here or there. It doesn't matter I suppose. I am just reconciling myself to the fact that I will be paying dearly to enroll her in all sorts of dance, theater, etc lessons as she won't be able to suppress her will to show off.

Case in point: We went to a dance competition of my niece's and only after a few dances Silvia decided to take the floor. This is just one of the many video's that we took of her that day.

Make Every day Earth day

2008-04-21T22:19:00.002-06:00

Tomorrow is Earth Day, however I don't think it gets much attention outside of the grade school classes that go out for a nature center field trip.
Here is to working toward being a better steward of the earth...today and tomorrow...even if it means I can no longer idle my car in the parking lot while eating my hormon-injected fast food out of the styrafoam container!

Yoga....not for big boned girls!

2008-04-17T23:15:00.004-06:00

The other day I had the bright idea of going and checking out the free class at the local rec center. I was super excited and was even willing to pay $5/hour for daycare just to go the the free class (go figure) I guess I was expecting aerobics or something but was pleasantly surprised when the instructor showed up and said we were going to be doing yoga. Sweet, I can tell myself I worked out without having had to break too much of a sweat. Wrong. I'm significantly bigger since the last time I did yoga. In college I had this fantastic yoga tape that I would do and really loved it. I think that was the last time I did yoga in fact!
Needless to say it wasn't long before I was loosing my balance and feeling over-exerted from just coming up from downward dog. The funniest part was when I actually attempted balancing my body on my hands by squatting down, twisting my arms around to the outside of my legs in order to balance my weight on my hands. (can't recall the name of the position) Let's call that position "Bottom Blossum" as my a@#! was presented in all it's glory as my face was ever so gracefully smashed on the stinky mat!
I'm reverting to the yoga tape so I can maintain some shred of positive self image. There is a reason they don't make yoga pants in size 16!

Playhouse

2008-04-09T11:56:00.007-06:00

So, one night after seeing Silvia enjoy a little girls play kitchen I decided she should have one too. Only problem is that I didn't want to drop $100 plus bucks on something I wasn't sure she would play with, not to mention I don't have $100...anyway. As I was browsing through a toddler activity book I came across the idea to make a house out of cardboard boxes. Sweet. I have plenty of those! So my journey began. First was the stove. I found some cute retro wrapping paper at the craft store that I used to cover it. I just had to wait until Silvi went to bed so I could Mod Podge it on.

next was the kitchen sink which is a work in progress...

Then, the other day as I was about to throw out a big box, I found Silvi playing in it. So rather than throw it out I decided to turn it into a playhouse. Disclaimer: I am juvenile and got hours of enjoyment out of putting this together (well not a lot of hours, maybe just 2 or 3) but I also knew that it was very likely anything I created could just as easily be destroyed by little hands! So I didn't work too hard on it.

So far Silvia seems to be enjoying it. Now my only problem is not having room for all these boxes lying around the house!

Goofy

2008-04-04T08:53:00.004-06:00

A few days ago Silvi received a goody bag from a birthday party. In it were all sorts of items that I was sure were trouble for a one and a half year old. So I put it up on her dresser and made plans to hide it away for a few years. Well, yesterday morning came and we were goofing around in her room and she got ahold of the goody bag. Immediately she pulled out the two ring pops and wanted me to open them.

"Uh oh" I thought. But then again she hasn't had too many treats and she loves suckers so I thought I would let her give it a try. I gave in to my girls request and this is what I got:

After I laughed my head off I grabbed the camera. I thought it important to document the time that my daughter didn't know what to do with candy. I don't think she even knew it was candy and who am I to correct the innocent and cavity saving error.... goofy kid!

Easter Happenings

2008-03-28T10:18:00.005-06:00

HAPPY EASTER

Easter was a lot of fun this year. Silvi didn't need any help on the egg hunt or eating the candy. Yikes!!!!

Cousins came over on Saturday and helped us celebrate.

Sunday we enjoyed going to church (well, I enjoyed church) then we journeyed up north to have a fabulous Easter dinner at Aunt Janna's house.

Silvia really enjoyed all the toys and cousins.

The count down

2008-03-20T20:33:00.002-06:00

Today I have found myself counting down the hours until 10pm when Sex and the City comes on TBS. Where did this new found interest come from I ask myself? In the past I've surfed right past the show without much interest, but now I make sure to be in front of the TV just in time for the show intro (The theme music seriously lifts my spirits.) I've come to appreciate the editted version of the show as well (more giggles, less blushing). Maybe it's because I started watching again when the whole Aidan and Carrie love story was going on. Man that is good stuff and that Aidan is sooooo cute. I also have a bit of a crush on Mr. Big (whom now stars on a Law and Order series... double bonus!) Now the final season is showing and I'm already dreading that it is coming to an end. I guess this is all good preparation for the release of the Sex and the City movie this summer. I think this could be the movie I wait in line opening night for. do do do...dah do do da do dah....

I think I'm a single mom...

2008-03-11T00:01:00.003-06:00

I don't even know how long it has been since I've had my hubby around. He has been in Montana for what seems like an eternity for work. Yes, he's come home for the weekends but it is hard to see any bright spots when I know I'm not going to see him for another 2 weeks.

Not really sure how things will work when he does get home. Once I figure out that life has to go on whether I have help or not I just get to work and seem to manage pretty well. Wait, don't let me fool you, if I had to go out into the workforce and manage the kiddo and house, etc... I'm sure I wouldn't be tooting my horn right now. In fact I was thinking today what a true blessing it is to be home with my little girl. I had been talking with a friend of a friend trying to determine if I could babysit for her. In the end it didn't work out and my heart was breaking when she talked about how hard it was to drop her daughter off every day. I just about started crying. So, where do I get off complaining about being bored, right! No more murmurring from me, mark my words.

Well, maybe just a little more murmurring.

I miss having my husband around....mostly. It is nice to only have to pick up after me and my little tornado. I don't really have to cook either because I'm fine with eating leftovers for days or microwaving a burrito. My laundry loads aren't quite as weighty. The brightest side of being on my own....not having to share the TV. I can watch the Oxygen channel to my hearts content and there is no one there to moan about how lame it is. Actually, come to think of it, it has been a bit of a curse. Usually I don't watch much tv at night and I get to bed at a reasonable hour. Since my unrestrained TV access I get way overstimulated and stay up till...12:14 am. Yikes. I really need Jon to get home. It is not good for (wo)man to be alone!

To wrap up my lonesome rant. Today Silvi said "Daddy, Daddy." I looked around and she was pointing to this picture that I have on the computer desktop. She definitely hasn't forgotten about him.

We miss you Jonny!

Murder Mystery

2008-03-08T21:57:00.003-07:00

So for my long time BFF's birthday party everyone went to a local murder mystery thingy. I knew it would be a lot of fun when we got the characters a week ahead of time. I was Wanda Wilmington, a sports fanatic from Fargo North Dakota. Needless to say I've been running through scenes from Fargo all week trying to get my accent down, don'tcha know. Well, I'm not sure if all my hard work paid off because in the process of gathering clues and interviewing the suspects I kept absorbing the other accents going around. One minute I'm Wanda the next minute I'm a scottsman or a thug. I just thought it was funny to watch everyone assume their roles and a lot of people really got into it (seriously, some people came prepared with note books to conduct their interviews).

To anyone looking for something new and fun to do I recommend trying out a murder mystery theater. Just don't forget your notebook!

In moms shoes

2008-02-21T21:40:00.000-07:00

Are all little girls born with this, i don't know....innate sense of femininity? First it was slinging anything with a handle over her shoulder like a purse. Then the other day as I was unpacking shoes she picked my only pair of heels and started shuffling around the house. Hilarious and scary. I am not what you would call a girly girl, but from all indicators my daughter is. Too bad I can't blame this one on her dad.

New location, New look

2008-02-21T16:23:00.000-07:00

I was becoming too envious of everyone elses snazzy looking blogs so I thought it was time to move on over to the world of Blogger. I think now I will be more prone to post....maybe.