Postive Pat...My New Best Friend

So Long Negative Nelly...Hello Positive Pat!  I am AMAZED at what a little positive thinking AND reinforcement can do! We have adopted this "new" approach in our house as of late, and even after a few days, the difference is incredible!  This is coming after a particularly tough weekend and beginning to the week.  My nerves and stress level were sky high. Seemed like Little Miss was bound and determined to act a fool! Jackson thinks it's fun to play daredevil on top of couches, picnic tables and window sills. The Duke, always trying to be supportive, found some very helpful articles about how much GOOD positive reinforcement can do. Duh, I know this already, it's just SO easy to fall into the negative trap.  That's not to say we never give praise, we do, often. But it seems lately we have been so focused on what NOT to do, and why you SHOULDN'T do that, or, that is not the right way to do that.  No one wants to hear no no no all the time!  Tuesday morning we started the day with this new approach.  At first it was a little difficult to find the positive.  Little Miss was trying to share her raisins with her brother. He is too little for raisins. Instead of telling her "No! He will choke and die if you feed him those!" I told her how awesome it was that she was sharing her food and I really appreciate that, but Jack is a little too young for raisins so we shouldn't share that particular food."  She said OK and put the raisins up so he couldn't get them!  Say What?!  This actually worked!  Holla! I myself even got some positive reinforcement last night! My dear, sweet, in-laws watched the kiddos while The Duke and I attended an Epilepsy seminar put on by the Mayo Clinic.  The last time they watched the kids Little Miss was a holy terror and I was hoping and praying this time the kids had been good for Grandma and Grandpa.  Upon returning home my Mother in law tells me that Ally was great and that she can really tell a difference in her behavior since we have started our Orange Rhino challenge.  This made me extremely happy!  Proof that all of this is paying off, and even though we still have bad days, tension filled, tearful, days, it is working!  The positives and happy moments are outweighing the stressful moments!  I love my little boogers to the moon and back! (insert happy mama dance here)


Side Note...REALLY trying hard to see the positive to SNOW in May. Not just a little snow either, 3-6 inches. Come on!  Ok, let me think about this one??  Moisture for the ground and growing flowers, A chance to stay inside and use my crock pot for dinner one more time, A reason to wear sweatpants and UGGs, Giving my self tanner more time to work.  That's about all I've got. 

When life gives you snowballs...DRINK WINE!  :)

It's the Middle of the Night!

I yelled.  4am and I do not get along.  Miss Allyson decided sleep was optional last night and woke up at 2 am wanting to talk to me, then 4am ready to play.  Not sure if she actually even went back to sleep.  At 2 I was somewhat calm asking her to get back in bed and explaining it was the middle of the night and we need to sleep.  Not sure what happened at 4, but I lost my cool. Maybe it was because I was having an awesome dream about Ryan Gosling and was suddenly snapped back to reality.  But I yelled, well, as loud as one can "yell" without waking up the whole house. But even a quiet yell in the silence of early morning is loud.  It's 5am now and she is back to sleep, or in her bed awake and afraid to get up for fear mean mommy will get her!  I couldn't go back to sleep. I feel horrible. I keep picturing little orange rhinos stampeding at me!  So, iced soy vanilla latte in hand, I vow to make it a better day!  May the force be with me...

On a side note, Yesterday while playing Ally gave me a big hug and kiss and told me she loved me so much...my heart swelled!  Then she told me she would never forgive me.  I am assuming she meant FORGET. I hope.

Weekend Update

Happy Monday everyone!  As happy as a rainy Monday can be anyway.  We had a jam packed weekend here at the Duke household. Starting Friday night with The Duke's 33rd birthday party. We had family and a few friends over to celebrate. The house was full of excitement and chaos. I hate to say, I do not handle chaos well. I did not do so hot on my Orange Rhino challenge. No need to go into too much detail, but a house full of people, tired kids and a tired mama was not a good scenario for a no yelling challenge. In all honesty I don't think I actually yelled, too many witnesses around :)  But I did snap and let my blood pressure raise way more than it needed to!  BUT once the kiddos settled down I ended up having a great time, as did everyone at the gathering!  The Duke and I have absolutely the best family!  At the end of the night, he thanked me for making his birthday so special.  So the chaos was well worth it for a happy hubby :)

Saturday I woke refreshed and got out of the house with a great friend for a garage sale. Oh how I do love a good sale!  We grabbed some coffee and cash and had a good time chatting and bargain hunting!  It must have left me feeling ambitious because we decided to take all 4 of our kids to the mall to do a little shopping.  MISTAKE.  We tried to use my friend's side by side double stroller for the two little dudes. Turns out my precious little Jackson is a monster and wouldn't leave my friends baby boy alone.  So my friend ended up carrying her little guy the whole time, I tried to let her use the stroller and just carry Jackson, that did not work, little man likes to be on the run! Miss Allyson and my friend's daughter Harper were beyond excited and let the whole store know it. They were everywhere!  Apparently we hadn't had enough punishment for the day and decided to take our heathens to get frozen yogurt.  More chaos ensued. We got to the point where we just laughed. And vowed to never do a trip like this again!

Sunday I was mentally and physically exhausted and needed a mommy break! I broke out for a few hours of me time and retail therapy.  I returned feeling much better and the afternoon went pretty smoothly!  We played and danced in the kitchen. Let me tell you what a beautiful site it is to see a Daddy dancing with his little girl and the pure joy on her face! One of the many reasons why I love The Duke!  The kids even got to bed early, AND the dog got a bath! All in all the weekend wasn't perfect, but it wasn't horrible. I don't feel like I need to start my challenge over completely, Since I vowed to not yell I have totally been more conscience of the way I speak and act towards my kids and situations, but I did feel the urge and definitely did not keep my cool at certain moments!  But today was a new day, a GREAT day in fact! So we gonna keep on truckin peeps!

Day 3...Teetering on the Edge

Day 3. Today was tough.  I got a decent nights sleep but somehow woke up exhausted. Apparently my body has adjusted to 4 hours of sleep. It's not right!  The kids started testing my patience right away. Jackson picked up Daisy's bowl full of water and started walking across the kitchen spilling water as he went. Ally decided her legs didn't work and demanded I get her breakfast, milk, cheese, cartoons, etc.  I DID NOT give into her demands, and managed to keep my cool. Though I did grumble under my breath, close my eyes and retreat to my happy place for a moment, which was back in my nice warm bed.

The rest if the day went on, patience was tried, yet I never yelled. I am finding conflicts are getting resolved so much quicker without my constant harping and end result of yelling!

 I don't feel like focusing on the negatives of the day so lets talk about the positives!

Today is The Duke's birthday!  For dinner I made him one of his favorite meals...Brats!  Slow cooked in beer and onions and German potato salad.  Most definitely NOT my favorite meal, but it's his day.  The kids and I decided to have a little fun with Daddy when he got home from work so we left him a surprise...

We had it all planned out the we (the kids and I) would hide in the bathroom and get Daddy when he walked by. Daddy walked in the door and the kids go running out and immediately Ally tells him where I am. Fail. But it was still fun!

Ally Decided she didn't want smelly sausages for dinner either and wanted to make a "recipe" of her own.  She gathered the ingredients for her creation.  Here is the recipe should you choose to make it for yourself:

2 slices of whole wheat bread
Peanut Butter
Raisins
Mini Marshmallows
Pepperoni (I questioned this decision, but she insisted)
Red, Pink, Blue, Green, Yellow, and Orange Sprinkles
1 Saltine cracker

Looks delightful.  But, will she eat it?

She did!  But only about 4 bites.  She said it was good. I did take a bite just to see....I was right to question the pepperoni.

Jackson was super cuddly with Mama while Ally was in school, I love his snuggles. Even though he has discovered head butting. We need to work on that. Ouch!!

The Duke is off work tomorrow which means I will get to grocery shop ALONE! No kids trying to climb out of the cart or running up and down the aisle asking and touching everything in the store. I think tomorrow will be a good day!

Peace out folks!

Day 2 without the Yell...

Is done. Almost.  The kids are in bed, finally. Though Ally tried her hardest to stay up as long as she could. I knew I should have waited on the glass of wine and bowl of ice cream until I was confident she was out like a light. But low and behold, the pitter patter of little feet come waltzing down the hallway.  Calm Amanda.  She says she wants me to sleep with her all night until morning. So sweet, but not going to happen. I lay down with her, something I usually don't do. She is cutting into "me" time. But tonight I just let it be. She is clearly not ready to sleep and in the mood for talking. So we talk. About the rain. About Daddy's birthday tomorrow. About how much I love her...She asks me if I love her more than the windows and the blinds. OOH, toughie, but yes, I do!  After a while I tell her it's time to sleep and that she should try counting sheep to help her fall asleep. She thinks for a moment staring at the ceiling then says "there are 19 sheep, what next mommy?"  Count some more, and I sneak out of her room.  I jump in the shower just as I hear her calling for Daddy.  Out of the shower and she is asleep...score!

Today wasn't terrible.  I thought for sure that waking up at 4:45 am to Ally coming in our room telling me I need to check to see if her sheets were wet was a signal of rough waters ahead.  We even got a good chuckle so early when she didn't realize the bathroom door was shut and walked smack into it.  Don't worry, she was fine.  I tried my hardest to get her back to bed, but the little snot has a sense that it is somehow "almost" morning and decided to stay awake.  Fifteen minutes after getting her into her bed and crawling back into mine, she comes trotting in with 2 teddy bears, a blankie, and a bag full of play dough toys.  OK, I'm awake.  We started the morning with a rousing game of Memory. Fun for all. Jackson decides he is missing out on the early morning fun and wakes up by 7am.  Let's do this. Let's get this day started!

I wish I had some funny stories to input here, moments of chaos, moments when I had to scream into a paper bag or lock myself in the bathroom for a minute or two, but I don't.  The day actually went pretty smoothly! That's not to say we didn't have any hiccups. There were a few timeouts, 3 diet Pepsi's and a iced latte consumed, temper tantrums from a one year old who has learned too much from his older sister already, dinner that went uneaten, and dinner that got thrown on the floor! But all in all today wasn't bad. I'm sure this is just beginners luck, but I really think my kids are sensing a change in mommy.  I will refer back to this post should the time come when I doubt their good intentions and think they are evil little monsters. But for now, I am going to bed with nothing but happy thoughts!

Kiddos helping mommy cook dinner!

Disclaimer: The Duke says I need to state that I did "raise my voice" once tonight. After Ally was in bed, while getting Jackson's milk warmed up in the microwave as I was taking the milk out he (Jackson) slammed the microwave door, (I was holding him), and milk went flying. It wasn't so much a yell as a warning shout that milk was about to splatter! My "Jackson NO" yell had no bad intentions with it! I'm trudging onto Day 3.

To Yell or Not To Yell...That Is The Question

If you would have asked me this question a few weeks ago, my answer most definitely would have been YELL. I am a yeller. I scream at the top of my lungs to get my kids, or my dogs, attention.  Did it work. Yes, in a way. Not in a good way. It got attention, but most certainly the WRONG kind of attention.  Miss Ally still wouldn't do what I was yelling at her to do, and my blood pressure would get so high I swore there was steam coming from my ears!  I would go to bed every night with a knot in my stomach and the horrible feeling that I was the worst parent ever and tomorrow will be different. No yelling, just remaining calm when the storm hit. But it never happened.  By 8am (we are usually awake between 5:30 and 6am) my patience would be gone and my voice would start to raise.  There goes the day!  But recently I have noticed something.  In those rare moments when I would remain calm, cool and collected, the results were different. I'm not saying the results were perfect, but the task got done quicker and I didn't give myself an ulcer.  Hmm...there must be something to this.  Then the other day while waiting to pick Miss Ally up from school, killing time browsing through the gazillions of pins on Pinterest I came upon one that said..."10 Things I learned when I stopped yelling at my kids."  Hello!  Sign from the All Mighty! Just before school Ally and I had a knock down drag out to get her shoes on, coat zipped and butt into her car seat.  I sent her off to school with the sound of my screaming shrieking voice in her ears.  Not cool!  Instead of repinning it and never reading it, I clicked on it immediately and it brought me to this blog...http://theorangerhino.com.  I read through her posts and felt as if we were kindred spirits!  I decided  to take the Orange Rhino challenge and NOT yell at my kids (or dog) for a year!  I am going to TRY to be good and post every night about my progress. Yesterday was day 1...

Day 1

I started off the day eager to start my new challenge.  I was pretty well rested as Jack only woke up a few times, and The Duke got up with him once so I could sleep. Ally only woke once as well and slept in until almost 6:15 (this is a good night for us!)  Breakfast went well. Ally decided after 2 bites of egg that she was done.  Normally I would demand she get back at the table and finish her food, but today I told her if she didn't eat that meant no cheese stick for snack (the girl lives for cheese). After thinking about it for a while and me not harping on her about it, she decided to eat a few more bites. I thought it was a minor victory and thought man, she is going to make this easy on me.  20 minuets later she picks up the tub full of her train set and dumps it all over the living room floor, laughs and tells me I can clean it up because I like to clean.  While true, I do like to clean, I did not like this particular move. Hmm...ok kid. Not going to make this easy. I see your bid and I raise you one.  We decided to leave the train set scattered about the floor for the morning and when she decided she didn't have enough room to play her Memory game. She helped me pick it up. Now that wasn't so bad!  Meanwhile Jack has figured out how to climb. Not only climb, but how to move and arrange his toys in the right position so he can reach the couch, tables, and our bay window ledge. Kid is smart. Daisy the Dog decided to test Mama out too by licking herself to death in the middle of the kitchen, and taking away every cracker I gave Jack right out of his hands.  YET...no yelling.  Time for school, I tell Ally to get her shoes on. She tells me she wants her 1 year old brother to put them on her. Not going to happen. He is smart, but not a genius.  I tell her he can't do that. She turns into a screaming banshee.  I tell her it's time to go and that Jack and I are ready so we are going to the car.  I walk out the door. Blood curdling scream follows, but 10 seconds later she rushes out the door, shoes on.  Awesome!  The rest of the afternoon went pretty smoothly. Even the much dreaded bedtime wasn't such a hassle.  I went to bed last night with the feeling of victory!  Day one conquered. Bring it on day two!

Take away from day one...I slowed down and calmed down enough to witness the small acts of kindness Ally did towards her brother. Also how incredibly funny and stinking cute she can be if I just let her BE!

FYI...Day two started at 4:45am with me only getting about 4 hours of sleep and Ally not having school. Day 2 most likely will not be as easy as day one.

FINALLY!

I know, I know.  It's been a while.  A long while.  I have been busy raising the future leaders of America! When my little Einsteins finally do go to bed I have been caught up in all the new TV. Don't judge. It's my release at the end of a VERY long day.  But since tonight all the shows I watch are reruns I decided to start typing.  I also have an hour to kill while I sit with coconut oil on my hair. Pinterest. Apparently it will make my hair longer and softer. We shall see.

Ok so full disclosure, this will not be an original post.  I am stealing this About Me questionnaire from my good friend and fellow blogger Crissy, find her at http://smothersfamily.blogspot.com.  I remember doing a TON of these back in the day, my high school days!  So here is a little bit about me!

A-Z {A Little 'Bout Me!}

A. Age: 29 - I hit the big 30 in June. I am actually looking forward to it!

B. Bed size: Queen. It is not big enough. I am NOT a cuddler. I like my space and I like to spread out.  I love my husband, but I don't want to touch him in the middle of the night :)

C. Chore you hate: Unloading the dishwasher. Not sure why, I just loathe it!

D. Dogs:  Yes, we have a dog. Daisy Duke. A dopey chocolate lab. She is adorable. She is energetic. She sheds, and stinks and has horrible allergies.  She is my third kid.

 
E. Essential start to your day:  One egg, fried.  I prefer to fry it in butter, but I have started a healthier way of eating so I can't do that anymore...boo!  Plus two slices of turkey bacon.  I would prefer real bacon. Real, fatty, smokey, delicious, bacon.  Ahhh. 

 
F. Favorite color: I think it's red.  I seem to use a lot of red in my decorating. Tho I don't wear a lot of red.  I LOVE color.  I seem to be drawn lately to turquoise. 

 
G. Gold or Silver: Silver fo sho

 
H. Height: 5'11" super model/basketball star. Neither of which I am

 
I. Instruments you play: None. I tried playing the clarinet in 4th grade. It lasted about a month. I am musically challenged.

 
J. Job Title:  Mom and Wife :)

 
K. Kids: 2, one amazing, sweet, completely ornery, beautiful little girl who will be 5 (gasp) in June.  And one crazy, smart, fast, loving, sweet baby boy who will be 1 in March!  They wear me out every single day, but they are my reason for living!

 
L. Live:  Ankeny, Iowa in a great house that I am always looking to change something about!

 
M. Married: Yes indeed!  The Duke and I will be married 6 years in April.  Together for 8. He is amazing and getting better every day. I have FINALLY broke him in!

 
N. Nicknames: DEmanda. Courtesy of my parents and brother in law.

 
O. Overnight hospital stays: Back in 4th grade, or maybe 5th, or 6th? Not sure on the year exactly, but I had stomach issues and the doctors thought I had appendicitis. I thought I was dying.  The next morning I was fine, no surgery required. I will not go into anymore detail!

 
P. Pet peeve: I have a lot, none of which I can think of right now but when they happen I think, MAN, I hate when this happens! 

Q. Quote:  Oh I like a lot of quotes, but one that seems to be true to my life at the moment is "smarter, not harder"  Courtesy of The Duke. Tho I am sure he did not originate it.

R. Righty or Lefty:Righty

S. Siblings: One little brother, Matt Man. Who is bigger than me and has been since he was about 10.  He is one of the smartest, funniest guys I know!

 
T. Time you wake up: Well, up for the day usually between 6 and 6:30am.  My kids like to wake up a few time at night too. I used to be a morning person, then I had kids.

U. University attended: a few...Des Moines Area Community College, Johnson County Community College, and Simpson College.  I have a PHD. WRONG. A lot of credits, No degree. Don't judge.

 
V. Vegetables you dislike:I like all vegetables. Really. I don't think I have had one I can't eat.

 
W. What makes you run late: My husband and kids. Yes...here it is! My pet peeve...being late!  I LOATHE being late. I am usually 10-15 minutes early. I get this from my dad.

 
X. X-rays you've had:  My back. I have a bad back. I am crooked and have many issues with my back being out of place. It's not fun.

 
Y. Yummy food: Cheese, bacon, sausage, bread, pasta. Food in general. I love food.  Food is good.

 Z. Zoo animal favorite:   Monkeys

Thanks for wasting some time with me. Until next time...whenever that may be!

Hey Cinderella!

Ally is obsessed with Cinderella. We play Cinderella, she dresses up as Cinderella, we watch Cinderella, we read about Cinderella, I tell stories about Cinderella, we sing songs about Cinderella, we dream about Cinderella.  Today as we were playing Cinderella Barbies, I grabbed my camera to document the story line Ally created for her Barbies...here's how it goes...

Cinderella lives in the Barbie house with her "Magic" stepsisters, as Ally calls them.  Sometimes the stepsisters are nice, but when it is time to go to the Ball, they turn mean.  Sounds about right.  Here's how it went down this morning during our playtime, this is entirely made up by Ally!

The Barbie in the swimsuit, back left is the girl babysitter. Apparently Cinderella had a baby a long time ago, before she met the Prince. The Barbie next to the girl babysitter is the boy babysitter. I asked Ally why there was a boy and a girl babysitter, she said that's just how it is. This coming from a girl who has never actually had a babysitter other than her Grandparents. Moving on, The Tangled Barbie in the purple dress is one of the "Magic" stepsisters. We know this because she has shoes on. The Barbie in the pink dress is another "Magic" Stepsister. This is the one who always tells Cinderella she can not go to the Ball, and rips her dress.  The Barbie next to the one in the pink dress is Cinderella's baby. I can see the resemblance.  The next in line is another "Magic" stepsister. Because two stepsisters ruining Cinderella's life were not enough.  Finally the Barbie in the bikini sitting in front is The Prince himself.  The Prince had to be wearing the pink high heal shoes, because he's a Prince, and the shoes match his swimsuit. I think it's time to buy Ally a Ken doll. And Cinderella is front a center. 

So we play out the whole Cinderella story...a condensed version, but always filled with alot of drama!  Then today Ally tells me that Cinderella and the Prince are going dancing and the babysitters are going to stay with the baby.  Here is a picture of the happy couple just before their date.

What a lovely twosome!  I ask why they are going dancing, Ally says because that's what mommies and daddies do when they go out and get a babysitter.  Not sure where she is getting her information, but I am pretty sure The Duke has never taken me dancing!  But rock on Prince and Cinderella!

So after all the dancing and princess shenanigans Ally decided it was time that SHE be Cinderella. Which means I am the Prince and the "Magic" stepsisters.  Oh what fun...

But how can you resist this face :)

Holy Toledo Batman!

Watching my babies play this morning I couldn't believe how fast time has flown by this year.  In just a few short months my baby boy, will be turning one. One. Wow! It feels like just a few months ago that I woke up having found my water broke at 2am, so excited for labor to FINALLY be starting! Calling my sister-in-law/Doula to come over to help me during my contractions at home, so excited yet incredibly nervous to be heading to the hospital for the adventure/amazing experience that is child birth.  It feels like just yesterday that they placed him in my arms and I noticed right away how he looked so much like his Daddy. 

How in one instant our lives changed.  We were no longer a family of three.  I was now a Mother of two.  The Duke was a Father of two. And my little girl became a Big Sister.  In this past year we have had some incredible highs! First smiles, first giggles, first roll over, first time being peed on by an out of control fire hose (it happened more than once, you'd think I'd be a little quicker with the diaper change), first crawls, and even first steps!  We have also had some lows...difficulty adjusting to two little ones to share my time with, difficulty breastfeeding, less sleep, no sleep!  I have watched Ally battle through her jealousy and become a great big sister, always so eager to help steer her Bubs as she calls him, in the right direction, which is usually where she wants him to go! 

Don't get me wrong, she still gets jealous of her little brother, she is after all a princess who needs full attention 24/7, but we are learning, together, how to handle it.

And I have watched my little 7 pound baby transform into a walking, laughing, growling, destructive little boy. 

I can not imagine my life any different! Ok, I lie...sometimes in the wee hours of the night I imagine I'm sitting on a beach somewhere drinking a margarita with not a soul in sight, but I always come back to my reality and hold my babies tight and thank God for where I am today!  Even if it does mean haven't peed alone or taken a shower without a little one coming in to talk to me in the past year...it's just all part of this crazy journey of motherhood!

Say What!?

Well hello there party people. No your eyes are not playing tricks on you.  June Cleaver is back!  I've been on hiatus.  I've had a severe case of bloggers block.  I've been stuck under a rock and couldn't get to my computer.  ok, ok...in all reality I've been lazy.  Or the opposite of lazy and extremely busy chasing around my two little peanuts and whenever I do have free time it usually involves a glass of wine and a TV remote.  BUT, all excuses aside. It's a new year and I've made a resolution to be a better blogger (along with being better at other things, but we will get into that later.)  I can not promise you that I will blog every day...but once a week sounds reasonable. Unless the powers that be, in this case, Ally and Jack, let me have a few seconds of free time and I can post two times a week.  But let's just see what the new year brings!

In the past year...in no specific order...I have

-given birth to a beautiful baby boy, Jackson...He is pretty awesome
-watched my little bit of a thing Ally become a funny, ornery, feisty, opinionated, smart little girl and go off to  preschool!
-have vacuumed my house 947 times.
-milked a goat
-found happiness in the bottom of a wine bottle :)
-begged and begged The Duke for a mini van, got a mini van, discovered I'm not really a mini van kind of gal.
-watched countless hours of cartoons, played countless rounds of Candy Land and Hi Ho Cherry-O and  listened to countless hours of Songs of America sung by kids
-discovered even more happiness in a wine bottle :)
-prayed...a lot
-got a smart phone, and yes, it does make me smarter
-rearranged my furniture and redecorated my home 12 times
-got bangs
-remembered why I grew my bangs out
-loved....a lot

I'm sure I did a few other things...but lets save some for more posts!

Peace out peeps! And Cheers! Now where is my wine glass???

Parenting with Love and Laughter...

And the hope that one day in the near future I will be able to indulge in a large glass of wine!

I bet you all thought I was lost at sea, or had gone mad, or just plain forgot how to type. Fear not, for I am here.  I have finally put down the head size maple glazed cinnamon roll* long enough to think up a new blog post!  I know your happy.  Now stop cheering and read.

*I hope my Doula** is not reading this but since she is my sister in law and huge fan of mine she most likely is...so in that case the head size maple glaze cinnamon roll has 40 grams of protein in it and is equivalent to 32 ounces of water.  My figures may be off a bit. And I only eat them while practicing my squat position or doing prenatal yoga.  I'm sure there is truth in there somewhere.  Maybe.

**For those of you who don't know what a Doula is she's my labor couch, and birth class instructor. Since The Duke spent Ally's birth texting my progress to family members I decided I might need a bit more support this time around.  Here is her website for more info... http://www.intrinsicbirthing.com

Ok, enough with the Astrix and on to the meat of the post.  Parenting with Love and Laughter. It's a parenting book.  It should be titled, Parenting with Love and Laughter, and a stocked Wine Rack.  Ally gives me plenty of reasons to love her, and lots of opportunity to laugh, both at her and with her.  Every day is a blessing, it truly is, but my goodness is every day a challenge too!  I've said it before, I'm saying it again.  Three is not an easy age.  I know there are some parents who say differently.  They are lying.  Maybe it's my hormones.  In the course of 5 minutes I can go from yelling, to crying because I yelled, to showering my little turd with kisses. Pretty sure she thinks I'm a lunatic.  I know alcohol is not the answer, but oh how it would be a perfect end to a very long day if I could have just one bottle, I mean, glass of wine. 

Baby boy Duke is due in 2 months.  And I know that in two months things are just going to get easier. Ally will suddenly start to listen better, be a great helper, sleep without fuss or fight, and the whining will automatically stop.  The baby will sleep through the night from day one and will be perfectly happy and healthy.  And if I believe any of this then I truly am a lunatic.  Truth is  I know things are not going to get easier, but it is those moments of love and laughter that get me through the moments when I want to scream. Or run far far away and join a traveling circus.

On a side note...I'm gearing up for a natural birth, but I wonder if an IV drip of red wine is acceptable?  Red wine because it's better for your heart.  See, I'm health conscience.

One of those moments of extreme love and laughter!

Just saying...

Being sick stinks.  Being sick while pregnant stinks even more.  I never realized that I was addicted to NyQuil when I had a cold until I couldn't have it, And tylenol just isn't doing the job.  This is what my nightstand looks like...

I cleaned up the snotty kleenex for the picture.  I ran out of kleenex at 2:35 this morning. I wept. Toilet paper is not soft like kleenex.  I've had the jar of Vicks Vapor Rub for 10 years.  Not kidding. It's moved with me 3 or 4 times.  The Bible is for when I'm awake at 2am and praying to God that he will clear my nose and let me sleep.

Just a few randoms...


Don't you hate it when you have a nice big glass of ice water and a clean shirt on, you take a drink and the ice gets in the way and makes the water splash all over your nice clean shirt.  I hate that. I hate it even more when the water is replaced with pop and the clean shirt is white. Man that really stinks.

I also hate when I realize I have eaten the entire fun size pack of 3 Musketeers bars I just bought yesterday. 

Then I realize I'm pregnant and the baby is hungry and craving chocolate so it's ok.

I DO NOT hate this picture...

My baby teaching my baby to use a laptop.  

Or this picture...

My daddy (yes, I still call him daddy) and my baby at Disney on Ice.  She loves her Papa, and oh does her Papa love her!

Final thought...

I planned to have my mother in law pick up Ally tonight so I can surprise The Duke with a romantic evening, just the two of us.  Let your minds wonder where they will.  Since our nights have been filled with sweatpants (me), tv, and a demanding but loveable 3 year old I thought we could use some time alone.  I want to look pretty when he comes home from work, but being sick I will actually probably look like this...

At least I have better hair than this lady.  Unfortunately the red nose will be accurate.  Here's hoping for a good evening!

Catch you on the flip side :)

Just a few things that make me smile...

Burlap makes a pretty nice wreath, who would have thought.  I made this one up yesterday.  I would like to experiment with different bows and such.  The Duke thinks I should sell them...any takers?

Tiny little glue gun and abnormally large glue stick.  It just makes me laugh.  I'm probably the only one.

Baby clothes, baby bedding, baby decor. I'm obsessed with baby stuff.  I have purchased enough clothes to last him until his 16th birthday.  All on sale of course.  The pile is starting to take over the room, yet I can't seem to talk The Duke into getting the room ready yet.  Does he not know the baby will be here in 17 weeks!  Let's get the ball rolling dude!

Ally had a sleepover last week, which was all fun and games until the actual sleep part.  Here she is with her buddy Harper. They are so stinking cute together. Right after this picture Ally tried to steal Harper's doll, but let's savor the innocence for a moment.

The first snow of the year was a welcome surprise in our house!  Ally was ready to play outside at 7am, so we bundled up and headed out.  This is her first snowman, she was hugging him and talking to him.  It was not fun when she looked outside later in the afternoon and he had melted.  Hopefully there won't be therapy in her future.

     

Ally playing dead.  She's actually trying to make a snow angel, but the snow was too hard and wet.  She could have laid there all day if I let her. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Traditions - We all have them

Most of my favorite traditions center around my family during Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Thanksgiving night us Wandell's would start our countdown to Christmas with our first Christmas movie of the season...Holiday Inn.  It is not a movie about the popular hotel chain. It's a wonderful black and white movie with Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire.  Most of our holiday movies include Bing Crosby.  The first time The Duke watched this movie with us, he admited to me he didn't understand why we would all laugh at spots he didn't think were funny.  He doesn't get it, and for that reason he is now excluded from our family tradition.  Just kidding.  The day after Thanksgiving we set up the Christmas tree.  Always colored lights, never white.  And always and angel on top and not a star.  Changing any of this would greatly alter the universe.  Christmas Eve up until I started my own family was always the same, we watch a Christmas movie, usually A Christmas Carol, read Luke 2: 1-15 in the Bible, the story of the birth of Jesus, then my dad reads The Night Before Christmas.  When we were little we left milk and cookies, until my dad told us that Santa really likes beer and cheese, then we started leaving that.  When my Papa Bill (my mom's dad) was still alive, he and his wife Tiny (that's what we call her) would come over Christmas morning (early, my brother and I would wake between 2 and 5am, depending on the year) and watch us open our presents and have breakfast with us.  Breakfast was and still is the same...sausage strata and monkey bread.  I am so thankful that my parents started these wonderful traditions that we still cherish to this day.

Now that I have a family of my own, it has been bittersweet to leave those traditions with my family and start new ones.  With the blending of families we now have our own way of spending the holidays.  Christmas Eve is now spent going to church with The Duke's family, opening our gifts and eating oyster stew and soup and enjoying their company.  I'm still trying to convince my wonderful Father in law to read The Night Before Christmas, he's caving in.  The Duke, Ally and I then return home, set out our milk and cookies then head to bed.  Christmas morning is spent at home opening gifts then we hustle off to spend Christmas day with my parents.  We get there in time for brunch, which is still sausage strata and monkey bread.  Sausage strata and monkey bread are so good...but for some reason we only have it one time a year.  Maybe that's what makes it so special.

One tradition I am starting with Ally this year is a fun idea I found on Pinterest.com.  Each year, starting at age 3, I will ask her the same 20 questions and see how her answers change.  Here are the results from the first session!

1. What is your favorite color? pink
2. What is your favorite toy? baby doll with the nightgown (she saw this in a catalog and won't stop talking about it)
3. What is your favorite fruit? cheese
4. What is your favorite tv show? magic school bus
5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? hot dog
6. What is your favorite outfit? pink heart shirt (she was wearing it at the time)
7. What is your favorite game? animal game (no idea what this game is)
8. What is your favorite snack? hot dog and cheese curls (what she was eating for lunch)
9. What is your favorite animal? all of them (animal lover apparently)
10. What is your favorite song? Zippity Do Da
11. What is your favorite book? Cat in the Hat book from the library (my least favorite book at the moment)
12. Who is your best friend? Seth and Kara (I'm a little sad she didn't say mommy)
13. What is your favorite cereal? "I don't know mommy, I don't eat cereal" (got me there)
14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? "ride my bike, swing, play"
15. What is your favorite drink? milk
16. What is your favorite holiday? "When Santa comes and brings me toys" (She must be referring to Christmas)
17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? "my bedtime baby that Grandma got me" (she's never slept with it)
18. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? "oatmeal and sausage and eggs" 
19. What do you want for dinner on your birthday? "birthday cake" (duh)
20. What do you want to be when you grow up? " a snowman and a helicopter"  (I can't make this stuff up)


Oh what fun this will be!

I'm Still Here!

Ouch!  Logging into my blog today the words...last post Oct 31st really stood out.  It's November 15. I didn't realize I had neglected my plethora of readers for that long! My deepest condolences.  I feel like using big words today.  The Duke sometimes makes fun of me for the words I use.  For example, the word pallet.  Some of you might only think of this as a wooden structure that you sit stuff on or use to move stuff with a forklift.  But the word pallet has a whole other meaning as well, get ready for it....it can also mean a small bed on the floor! This is exciting new information for some of you.  I use this word often.  "Ally, should we make a pallet on the floor to watch a movie?"  Or for unwanted guests, rather than offering them a bed to sleep on in your house, you could offer to make them a pallet on the floor.  The first time I used this word amongst my non-Missouri friends or relatives, I was laughed at.  But it is a word, I assure you.

Another word I get made fun of for using is woller.  I admit, it is not actually in the dictionary, but it is used quite often by my family.  It means (in our vocabulary) to wiggle around, or not stop moving.  I'll use it in a sentence, "Ally stop wollering on me and sit still!"  It has greater effect than actually saying, stop wiggling or moving around so much.  

Another favorite is cattywampus.  It's a fun word that means not straight, or out of order.  I taught Ally this word, now its fun to hear her say her shirt is cattywampus, or if her shoes are on the wrong feet they are cattywampus.  Her teacher must love me.

Words are fun. Unless they hurt. Then they are not fun.  Choose your words wisely :)  Lesson for today over.

In more exciting Duke news...we found out we will be welcoming a baby boy come March!  We are super excited!  I've been busy buying boy clothes, shoes and blankets. I even have the crib bedding and paint all ready to be set up.  The Duke tells me we have to wait until after the Holidays to get the room ready.  He's always spoiling my fun.  I am a tid bit nervous about having a boy.  They are rough and destructive.  I like things clean and organized.  And they have these things that spray urine everywhere if not covered correctly.  I'm not sure how to handle this.  But I think if we had another girl I would have become an alcoholic, just saying.

Well, my peeps, hopefully it won't be another 2+ weeks before my words grace your eyes again.  Until that time comes, keep on keeping on.

A Gentle Reminder

There are people in our lives that we consider hopeless. Those who are the way they are and they will never change.  Some are gossipers, some are addicts, some are unbelievers, some we may even consider to be our enemies, or unworthy and unaffected.  I know I have thought this from time to time about people.  Why won't he do this, or why is she like that.  Sometimes it would just be easier to cut these people from our lives than to waste our time and energy on someone who will not change.  But sitting in church yesterday I got a gentle nudge from God.  I should PRAY for that person.  What?  I should use my time with God to pray for someone else?  Someone who most certainly isn't praying for me.  Someone who probably doesn't even want me to be praying for them.  Yes.  Those are the people who need it the most.  Because that person who seems unworthy, and prideful, or who claims they don't believe are the ones that need our prayers the most. The one most important thing I took away from church yesterday is that God has a vested interest in EVERY SINGLE PERSON on this earth.  HE created them.  So why should I decide that someone is not worthy of being prayed for just because I do not agree with their decisions or how they live their life?  I don't know where I would be right now if I didn't have people praying for me.  So the next time I have a conflict with a friend, or am resentful towards my husband (it happens, I'm human) I won't be so quick to write them off as I so often do.  We can't know they power of prayer until we use prayer to see changes. Remember, God is good. God is always listening.

Disclaimer:  I'm not preaching just felt compelled to share this message.  I'm not a perfect Christian or perfect at praying and most definitely not a perfect person!  But little reminders like this make me feel blessed for the things I have, blessed for the people in my life and hopeful for the things to come!

Portabella Pumpkin Pasta

True or False - The Duke loves pasta dishes.

True or False - The Duke loves dishes that do not involve meat

True or False - The Duke loves it when I experiment with dinner.

The answer to all of the above is...FALSE.  The Duke would prefer to not have pasta for dinner. Ever. The Duke considers a meal incomplete if meat is not involved.  Grilled meat is even better.  And The Duke gets nervous when I try new things with his food.  But because I'm growing a human inside of me, I do the shopping, and the cooking, and because I love pasta and despise meat right now, The Duke didn't have much of a say in dinner last night.  I decided to grab a few items out of the pantry and experiment.  Here are the few items. Four to be exact...

Portabella mushrooms, angel hair pasta, mushroom Alfredo sauce, and canned pumpkin.  Yes, because it's Fall, I do have to include pumpkin in everything.

Start a pot of water to boil the pasta.  While it's heating up wash and slice the Portabella mushrooms.  Melt 2 TBS of butter in a skillet, add the mushrooms and saute on medium high heat until soft. Add the Alfredo sauce to the skillet with the sauteed mushrooms over medium low heat. Add 1/2 cup canned pumpkin to the sauce and combine.  Cook until it starts to bubble, reduce heat to low. Add 1 tsp cinnamon and black pepper to taste.  Once water is boiling add salt and pasta, I used 1/2 pound.  Cook until done and drain the water. DO NOT combine the sauce and pasta, it makes it sticky and thick. No One likes sticky thick pasta. No one. 

This tasted wonderful!  The Duke even liked it.  Only thing he said he would do differently is make the Alfredo sauce from scratch.  Maybe in another life.  I hope you try this! 

Sorry there is no picture, once again, my hunger got the best of me and I couldn't get to the camera in time before I was shoveling it into my mouth!

A Few Things I've Realized

I've had some realizations the past week that I feel compelled to share...

Realizing there was a stop sign at that school crossing AS the cop is pulling you over is too late.

Seeing someone else run the same stop sign a few days later will make you feel less like an idiot for running said stop sign.

Realizing there was no cop around to witness THAT person running said stop sign will only make you mad.

$5 dollar footlongs from Subway are awesome.

Cheese, mayo, mustard, lettuce and onion on Texas Toast is awesome. 

Grilled cheese sandwiches are awesome.

Pretty much anything between two slices of bread that involves cheese, is awesome.

I am starting to realize I don't know if the words Texas Toast should be capitalized.

Just because I will Ally to take a nap does not mean she will take a nap.

Being angry about Ally not taking a nap only results in one thing, me being angry.

Arguing with a 3 year old really isn't productive and makes me in turn sound like a 3 year old.

Arguing with a dog just makes me crazy.

Big Band music makes me incredibly happy. 

I need my girlfriends. They make me happier than Big Band music. Which is incredibly.

I realize I have some pretty amazing girlfriends.

The Duke really does look like Tim McGraw.

I realize I haven't yet shared with my readers that I am now referring to Jon (husband) as The Duke.

I realize that just because it's Fall doesn't mean I have to consume all things pumpkin and apple.  Tell that to the pumpkin bread in my pantry, pumpkin cream cheese in my fridge, pumpkin spice latte on my mind, and apple butter on my toast.

I realize I like pumpkin and apple.

Ally looks really cute running around in her Dora underwear.

I realize she will before I know it and want it to happen be too old to wear Dora underwear, and run around with no pants on.


The Duke could grill out every single night of his life no matter how many casseroles and pasta dishes I try to make him.

I've had more realizations but I'm now realizing I have forgotten most of them. 

I realize I have a bad memory.

A 3 year old Master Manipulator

I have in my possession one very smart little girl.  I would never have imagined that someone at the tender age of 3 could know how to challenge a usually brilliant (me) adult.  But she does.  It happens every day.  The clock strikes 12:30pm and it's nap time in the Duke house.  Has been this way for the past year.  Something else happens at 12:30pm.  This beautiful little girl...

flips a switch and starts plotting.  "What's it going to be today?" she asks herself.  "Should I claim I have to pee and sit on the potty chair for 30 minutes, and when mom asks me if I really do have to pee, I say yes and squint my eyes and pretend to squeeze the pee out" 

Only she doesn't have to pee.  She is trying to get out of nap time. 

"Or should I pee right away, have mom put me in bed, then claim I have to pee again 5 minutes later so I can get out of bed, then sit on the potty chair for 30 minutes claiming I really do have to pee?"

I fall for it every time.  I am terrified of pee covered sheets apparently.

"Or should I have mom cover me up, read me a story, then when she leans in for a kiss, turn my head.  She'll walk out and claim she won't come back.  Then I'll cry that I want a kiss once she sits down."

I always go back.

"Or  will it be the old standby, Mom covers me up and walks out the door, I kick the covers off and scream for her to come back and cover me up. 3 times."

I really don't want to admit that I go back and cover her up. 3 times.

"Yep, today I think it will be all of the above."

It is usually all of the above. 

My child is a genius.  And I have created a monster.  But a cute monster.  I think I need help.

Holy Buckets of Energy...

is raining down on me!  I'm entering the second trimester. The good trimester. The little less stress filled trimester.  Bucket loads of glorious sun filled energy has been poured on me and I couldn't be happier! My butt is no longer glued to the couch, I get dressed most days of the week and my appetite has slowly began to resurface.  Hallelujah, Praise the Lord.  No really, praise Him.  With this new found energy has also come my absolute favorite time of the year. FALL!  Fall has puked all over my house in the form of fake leaves, pumpkins, tiny gourds and wreaths (I copied my friend Crissy's wreath, find the how to on her site here.)  Football is once again gracing my television (that's right, I watch and LOVE football. Born a Chiefs fan, Vikings fan by marriage, and it is once again a Cyclone state!)  Life is good.  Who doesn't love this time of year?  The 100+ degree days give way to 60 degree temps, cool Autumn breezes, pumpkin spice fill the air and our coffee cups, Columbus Day and Halloween are upon us.  Yes, it's a wonderful time of year!  I snapped a few shots of the house showcasing my love for all things Fall.  And you must know, I am not against decorating with fake sparkly leaves.

Old ladder back chair found at a garage sale for $5!

This year The Duke and I kicked off our season with a little vacation to North Carolina.  If there is one place in the country that I can totally picture myself living in it's the Great Smokey Mountains. God's work at it's best.  Such breathtaking beauty, even through overcast skies.  North Carolina is wonderful. The tea is sweet, the eggs are fried, and breakfast is served with grits and corn beef hash. Yes I think I've found paradise.  Not to mention we have some amazing friends who choose to dwell there.  Here are a few pics from our fantastic getaway.

Driving into the beauty...even with clouds

My future home. White house in a clearing complete with horses. SOLD!

The sun peeked out long enough to break out the shades

The only thing that could make this prettier was if the leaves were turning

This is how I hike, in ballet flats

Beautiful Crissy!  Such an amazing person and great friend. Only wish they lived closer!

I'm also back to whipping up culinary delights in the kitchen!  I found a list in one of my Rachael Ray cookbooks of things you should always have on hand in your pantry or freezer.  So this week at the store I stocked up on these items and along with a few meat purchases have found it incredibly fun and easy to create meals!  Here is a link to the list so you too can create!  Most of this stuff I already had on hand, such as spices, can goods, etc.  The rest is stuff you can get lots of use out of and is not too expensive to buy.  Great tool to make meal time easier. CLICK HERE

Tonight we are entertaining friends and on the menu is this Pioneer Woman recipe.  I had everything on hand to make it thanks to the above list.  Can't wait to give it a try!  YUMMY IN MY TUMMY
My great friend Monica is a vegetarian so she and I will be enjoying this dish as is. I will of course have to cook up some Italian sausage for our carnivore husbands to add to it.

Speaking of the fabulous Pioneer Woman, while in North Carolina, my wonderful friend Crissy taped her new show on the Food Network (since we do not have cable, it's a life choice.)  She is every bit as cute on TV as she is in her blogs. Solidifying the fact that we would indeed be friends if this where another world.

AND my beautiful sister in law Jacquelyn bought me a copy of Pioneer Woman's book...Black Heels to Tractor Wheels.  Can't wait to dive in and tell you all about it!

Well, I'm off to eat a pickle and start reading. Until next time party people!

I'm throwing this in cause she is so darn cute!

Hair a little wild and shirtless. Just perfect to me