Friday Confessional

I confess:

• I watched a super intense movie last night {also a waste of time movie} and so scared to go to sleep.


• I actually didn't sleep much because I didn't want to have nightmares...so just chose to stay up as long as possible.


• Not a good idea when you're a mommy and have to be up at 7am to feed kids breakfast.


• PS: The movie was called The Last 3 Days.


• I must be a mean mom since my daughter had a super huge meltdown in time out a couple days ago---NAKED. Ugh!
  
  


• Reason for the meltdown? I didn't have any clean dresses/skirts for her to wear.


• Really? It's not gonna kill you to wear pants for a day!


• Petey also has her first real birthday party to attend this morning and I still havent bought him a present. I should be out doing that right now.


• Astrid the bunny escaped last night...but we thanks to wonderful neighbors, she is back home safe.


• I may or may not have yelled at my bunny yesterday. She got out. Got out again {this time I saw how she was getting out of the yard}. Tried to get out 2 more times. She had dug a hole through the side of her cage so I put her under a laundry basket on the porch with some bricks on top...dont worry, I gave her lots of water and food. Boss will be building her a new home today...finally!!! We've been putting it off since we got her because he's been busy with school.


• But the true confession? Astrid escaped because we forgot to refill her water yesterday and we were gone all day. :(


• I would've gone crazy and found a way to escape too if I was left in the hot sun with no water.


• Horrible pet owners, we are.


• I'm sorry, Astrid!

And that's how Suze confesses.

Proud Mommy Moment

{After putting the button my blog, formatting everything, and typing up this post, I read through Emmy Mommy's blog a little further to find out that this link up isnt starting til next week. Oh well! I'm getting some practice in a week early!}

{Sarcastic} Proud Mommy Moment:

We were having an ice cream cone at McDonald's this week with cousin, George, and Petey points to a woman and asks, "Mom, is that a guy?" The woman gave her a half smile/half frown and abruptly walked away. My face was stained red for a good 30 minutes.

{Real} Proud Mommy Moment: On Easter, I asked Petey why we celebrated Easter. Her reply went something similiar to this: "To remember Jesus Christ because he died for us and cried for us." Spot on, baby girl! I love it when the things I teach her really stick in her memory.


{Sarcastic} Proud Mommy Moment:
Petey had an accident at Grandma's house and for the 598,764th time, I forgot to pack her extra clothes so she ended up wearing Spidey's 12 month onesie. At least I can be thankful that she is really small and fits into his clothes.

Proud Aunt Moment {Does that count?} K Bear is home!!!!!!!!!!!! Only for a month until they head off to Minnesota for the summer but I actually got to hold my sweet little nephew last night for the first time in 9 months! He was pretty skinny when they left for China and he now weighs more than my almost 3 yr old!!!! He is the cutest little chunker boy!

And that's how Suze sees it.

Monday Madness (on Tuesday again)

There is a perfectly good explanation for why my Monday Madness is not being posted until Tuesday night this week. You will read about it below. :)

How did we start out our morning?

Cleaning the house as a family. I started on kitchen duty and when I walked in the family room, Boss was vaccumming with the kids. Adorable! What was the kids' reward for helping us clean?

Playing their new game from the Easter Bunny...Toy Story Memory!

Yay! Hayley got a match!

Who was too tired to make it to naptime?

This cute little kid. He fell asleep in such a funny position.

What did we do in the afternoon?

Played with Astrid, our new bunny. We love her SO much!

And then Boss sprayed Petey with the hose.

And then Boss got on the trampoline and sprayed her some more. :)

What does Spidey like lately?

Shoes! Hilarious that he put on Petey's rhinestoned blue flip flops.

What is Spidey's new favorite thing?

Stepping on people's toes and telling them to "Go!".

Who did we visit on Monday?

My grandma in her nursing home. It took a while for the kids to warm up but after Great Grandma gave them a chocolate chip cookie, they liked her. :)

What did we do as a family?

What we should be doing every week. We had Family Home Evening with my parents. My mom taught about how our spirits separate from our bodies...hence the gloves. :)

And where did I end my night? {also, what prevented me from blogging?}

I had a sleep study to see why I am snoring so much and if I possibly have sleep apnea. It was a nighmare!!! Can you see this unattractive picture of me hooked up to a million monitors? I could hardly move and I got maybe 3-4 hours of sleep even though I was there trying to sleep for 10 hours.

I had some lovely "hickies" on my face today from those dumb monitors.

Friday Confessional

I am in great need of confessing today.

• My family room really looked like this on Monday. I have since folded the laundry but havent done much else. I guess being sick from that time of the month and then actually getting sick make for a very lazy momma. Hopefully next week is better.

• I hate the fact that I've lost my voice.


• We were so excited about getting Wrex the turtle...and now we are exchanging him for Astrid the newborn bunny.


• Petey loves watching How to Train Your Dragon with her Papa...hence the name Astrid. We were gonna go with Toothless since the bunny is black but she chose Astrid.


• We are indecisive people.


• I REALLY hate the fact that I've lost my voice.


• My soon to be 3 yr old is driving me nuts.


• First, she took all of the stuffing out of her pillow last night.


• Then this morning, she colored with marker all over Boss' Japanese dictionary.


• I'm afraid to tell Boss when he gets home.


• Maybe I'll just wait and see if he reads my blog.


• Petey also acts like she cant hear me since I literally cant talk louder than a small whisper.


• So throw all obeying out the window today.


• I REALLY REALLY hate the fact that I've lost my voice.


• I am so excited for Easter with both families this weekend.


• I love that both families live close to us so we get to share holidays with them both.


• I wish that never had to change.


• I've really let my house go. Did I mention that already?


• Did I also mention how much I HATE that I've lost my voice? If anything is driving me nuts today, that's it.


• Instead of yelling or speaking sternly, I have made it a point to clap my hands and when Petey looks up from the thing she is doing, I shake my finger and head at her. It's actually worked a few times.


• Did I forget to mention that I hate having no voice?

And that's how Suze confesses.

What is perfection?

As a young girl, I would look into the eyes below and think, "This is perfection." I don't think I quite understood early on that Haley had down syndrome and possibly how it affected her parents when they found out, etc. I was 6, not a mother, and I had no clue. I only knew that she was {and is} perfect. {hence the reason my daughter is named after her} When I was 8, I remember praying that I would someday have a handicapped child. Two of my siblings are handicapped and so was one of my best friends [was---meaning since she has passed on, her body no longer has those handicaps] and I loved them so very much. I knew there was something special about these children.

Fast forward to my getting pregnant with Petey. I remember talking to my mom one day and asking her if it was wrong that I no longer wanted a handicapped child. She reassured me that no one wanted their children to be handicapped but if it happens, we love them and care for them just as we would any other child.
This made sense to me.
My mother is the queen of all mothers in my mind. And she is especially the queen of all mothers with handicapped children. Between that and my dad being a pediatrician king, I have it so very good. It makes my job as a mother a lot easier to know that they are always there for me.
And then there are Davey's parents. King and Queen of parenting also. They raised 7 great kids. That alone is enough to call them wonderful parents. Add in the fact that my mother in law is the queen of sewing dresses for my girly. Then add in the fact that my father in law is the king of movie time with my kids and play time when we are there. You've now got yourself 4 kings/queens that I get to have in my life.
I have got it so so good.
Perfection is a state of mind. Only Jesus Christ has actually achieved this perfection we strive for on earth but I believe Haley, Will, and Candace are all right there behind him.
And then there is my Brookie Cookie. Ok, well, she isnt mine but she is my niece. I've often thought about the challenges she'll have to overcome and each time she pops into my mind, I think, "She must be a strong and special spirit for Heavenly Father to give her these challenges." Seriously, I look at her personality and I just know she'll overcome her obstacles.
And there's also Baby Weston. I find myself calling him my baby Wesser Wes. First of all, he's also not mine. Second of all, I have no idea where I come up with some of the nicknames that I do. Sorry, Annie! :) Wes is an endurer of many things HARD. Oh that baby boy has had such a rough go at life. But he is also strong and I think the same thing about him as I do Brookie. He is obviously special for Heavenly Father to send him with such great challenges.

Is my tangent over yet? Because I did have another question to ponder...sorry.

Another one of the questions I've pondered is, "What would I do if I lost a child?"

This is actually a thought that runs through my head often. And a part of me feels grateful for that. Weird, right?
But really, think about it. If you accepted the reality that your children may NOT be there tomorrow, wouldnt you love them a little bit more each day?
I know it sounds slightly depressing but I dont mean it that way. Tonight, as I was reading old posts from i should be folding laundry, it really struck me that she said people would be reading and either thinking, "I know exactly what you're feeling." or "I am more grateful for my children after reading what you have gone through."
And that is one of the many reasons I read this blog and this blog and this blog and this blog. Through their trials, these people help me to be a better mother, to live in this moment and not tomorrow's moment. I don't know what tomorrow will bring and so each day, I thank my Heavenly Father that my children are in my arms. He has given me so much and I don't thank Him often enough.

I am trying to keep the complaint department more closed off in my life. So what, Petey got out of bed 6 times tonight and kept playing with her brother instead of sleeping. So what, she slept in our bedroom on the floor the night before. And so what, my girl has an attitude like her mother. She is here. And Spidey is here. And Boss is here.

Together, we are here.

And that's how Suze sees it.

PS: I apologize. I shouldve split this into two blog posts. If you read it all, thank you. :)

Modesty

Today, Petey held a bunny. This is a HUGE breakthrough for the girl who is afraid of all things animal. And nobody told her to hold it, she asked to. I was confused, surprised, and happy. Maybe we should've gotten a bunny instead of a turtle.

Oh yeah, by the way, we have a turtle. His name is Wrex. We like him a lot but I am afraid of him. This should be a completely different post but because I'm tired and slightly loopy, I'm going to tell you right now.

Here we go:

Tonight, I searched all over for Wrex. He didnt finish his dinner and I wanted to make sure he was ok. After 20 minutes of searching, I thought he was lost forever. {seriously, that is not added dramatic effect} I was on my hands and knees under the trampoline, preparing myself to meet him face to face under there, when I heard some boxes move at the corner of our house. Hmm...Wrex? Indeed, he had manuevered himself under these boxes, wedged himself between a trash can and the brick wall, and a metal frame had fallen on him. Oh yeah, we are such great pet owners! But then I had a dilemma. I was NOT picking him up. No sirree! I am afraid of a 10 inch turtle. Awesome...well, mostly embarrassing. I actually called my friend in the neighborhood who also has turtles and asked if her husband could come save Wrex. He did.

Wrex is fine. I am a wuss. The end.

Back to the point...have we made a point yet? Petey is my one and only daughter right now. From the beginning, I knew I wanted her to have her ears pierced, I didnt care if my baby wore sleeveless, and I was SO going to put her in baby bikinis. And I did. When she was weeks old. Poor girl. It wasn't until she got a little bit older (maybe 18months-2years old?) that I started to care more. I stopped putting her in spaghetti straps and short shorts but I couldnt get rid of those darn baby bikinis. Seriously, adorable in my eyes. Not sexy, not flaunting, I just love those sweet pot bellies waddling around.

There is actually a picture of her on this blog from days ago where she is in a bikini. Pay no attention to that when reading this post---she hasnt gotten her new swimsuit for this year yet and all she owns is bikinis!

But when I put that bikini on her, I felt uncomfortable. I knew it was over. I've actually known for quite some time that I needed to buckle up. I bought her new Easter swimsuit a month or two ago and it is adorable...and modest. She wore some 18 month size shorts the other day {mostly because nothing else was clean} and they were way too short so we retired them.

So why does it matter? It matters because I love my daughter. And I love her more than I love her being popular. It matters because of THIS article. {seriously, you're going to want to read that...10 of my Facebook friends posted it today} And it matters because I care about her body. Fact: Her body is a temple. As is mine. As is yours.

The point? The title of the article, "Parents, don't dress your girls like tramps."

Because if we stop buying, the stores stop selling.

End. Of. Story.

Wild Wednesday

I find it funny that I use the same title and label every Wednesday and yet, there is no theme to my Wednesday posts anymore.

Oh well, right? My blog, my rules.

(the closest picture she would get with the Easter bunny at the mall)

Miss Petey is going to be having a birthday in a little over 3 weeks. And this will be her first year of having a friends birthday party---though we have asked that none of the children bring her presents. We just want to give her a special day, doing fun things with her closest friends.

Can I believe my girly is almost 3? No, not really. It seems like she is always having a birthday party! As in, her life really is passing me by so quickly. I promise, it's even quicker than the average mom feels about her children growing up. :)

Remember all of my potty training ordeals with this stubborn little girl? If you don't, go look them up on my blog. It's been ups and downs, months of no accidents and months with 50 accidents.

Well, my girly has recently decided she is ONLY wearing skirts and dresses. So I made her a deal. She must stay dry all day to wear her skirt/dress all day. If she has an accident, she has to wear pants (and underwear) for the rest of the day.

I must say that this has worked for us. She does not always stay dry but she maybe has an accident every week or two.

Who knew that's what it would take? I find this to be a fair trade for us both.

And just in case you havent laughed enough today, here is Spidey at McDonald's today. I had NO idea he was dipping his bologna {we pack lunches and go play at the Mickey D's play place} in my friend's cup of ketchup...until I looked over and saw this. Crazy boy! My kids LOVE to dip. :)

Hope you are having a wonderful Wednesday! We are off to Grandma's to dye eggs and get everything ready for the Easter egg hunt on Saturday.

Like Mother, Like Daughter

For the most part, I'd say our kids are mixed pretty well. But once in a while, I catch a glimpse of myself or Boss in them that makes me smile. This is me at age 3.

This is Petey at almost age 3.

Those faces look pretty darn similiar, if you ask me.

What a cutie, that Petey girl. We were just getting ready to take our first swim of the year [which lasted all of 3 minutes since it was still too cold for my kids].

And that would be one of my shortest blog posts ever. :)

Monday Madness

Who were my sillies today? Boss picked Petey up like this and twirled her around and around. I love it when I get to watch him being silly with the kids. What made my skin crawl today? Looking over and seeing a scorpion on my mom's curtains. Dont worry, her and Boss killed it.

What exciting thing did we do today?

We took a field trip to a fire station! I do habilitation with my younger special needs sib's and so I decided to take them on a field trip. [Thank you, Annie, for getting us a tour at your dad's station!]

Who had a blast at the fire station?

Well, all of the kids experienced a "blast", literally, of water. :) Steve {our tour guide} took all the kids (besides the two babies) on a ride in his special airport fire truck and showed them how he blasts water. They LOVED it! [You can barely see Petey's head in the back window of his truck.]

What did the kids think was really funny at the fire station?

Watching Steve go down the fire pole.

What did I think was adorable?

Seeing Petey try on the firefighter outfit. It was HUGE on her!

What did I love about today?

The beautiful afternoon weather. The skies were so clear and the wind cooled everything down.

Who got an owie at the fire station?

Poor Petey girl. She fell while trying to jump off of some bricks and scraped the side of her tummy. What did your Monday Madness look like?

How do I?

Teach responsibility in 2 year old [almost 3 year old] form?

Well, you see, this kind of goes along with my post "How do I discipline?" Petey made this mess today. That is gobs of chili. Sticky, gooey gobs of chili. So what did we do?

Well, she cleaned it up, of course.

She actually picked up all the beans by hand and then scrubbed the floor with Boss. That way, mommy had one less mess to worry about it.

Other ways in which we teach our toddler responsibility:

• Kids can actually do a lot more cleaning than we probably think.


• Petey is in charge of picking up the books and making sure all of the toys are in the play room at the end of the day.


• Since the play room can get to be a bigger job for her, we do that one together a couple times a week.


• Petey is in charge of putting all of her's and her brother's dirty clothes in the hamper at the end of the day [or throughout the day if she wets her pants or gets too dirty].


• Petey is also in charge of putting everybody's shoes away. We have a shoes basket by our front door where all of our frequently used shoes belong and she knows how to pick them up and throw them all in there.


• Petey likes to help wash the table, do the dishes, cook meals, and pick up many other things that I ask of her throughout the day.

This is not to say that our house is always tidy or that we don't sometimes forget to ask her to do these things. She is two, not eight, so I don't hold her responsible for not remembering to do her chores....nor are they really set up in a way that she has a set list of chores. These are just the things that she can do---and so, she does!

And that's how Suze sees it.

Anniversary Weekend

I must confess [a little bit too late for my Friday Confessional] that I have been busy celebrating something very special with someone very special.

Boss and I had our 4th anniversary on Thursday but celebrated Friday-Saturday.

Yes, that little line [-] means Friday THROUGH Saturday.

[Beautiful flowers Boss got for me on Anniversary Celebration Day...my favorite ones yet!][Bath and Body Works sprays and body wash...Boss is always getting me presents for our anniverary after we agree not to get each other anything. "sigh" He's a great man. ] We dropped our kids off around 4pm and headed off to Macaroni Grill [thanks to the gift card my parents gave us for our anniversary]. As you can seen, Boss was excited.

And the real Boss? She ate almost all of the bread! I love that stuff.

We came home and crashed at 6pm because we were both stuffed...beyond stuffed.

After that, we attended an amazing marriage class held by our church. Great way to celebrate 4 years together, I think.

Bahama Bucks greeted us shortly after...and then we went home and crashed again.

The next morning, at TEN AM, we finally woke up, ate breakfast at Denny's [it was gross], and went to pick up our kids whom we missed so much!

Such a fun weekend! The perfect way to celebrate us.

Mixtures of Mixtures

Tonight, I don't know where to start. I've been sleep deprived in more ways than one, my mind is a mixture of confusion, and my schedule seems to get crazier by the week. Why do I take on new things when my life seems full? Why do I pack every day with some sort of "job" when I want badly to have more time for my kids? Why do I dream of weight loss AND dream of more babies when I feel like I'm stuck choosing between the two? Why do I yell at Boss, Petey or even Spidey on occasion and act like a big ol' grump? Well, sometimes, I just don't know. And some of the answers I do know. I know why I pack "jobs" into my week---to make money and get us into less debt. I know why I want weight loss and I know why I want babies---but the two have been so hard going hand in hand in my life. I feel like I'm split. And yes, I know why I'm not always happy and I even yell---because I'm human. I have had many doctor's appts in the last several weeks. I won't go into too much detail other than to let you know I am not dying [as far as I know] but I have food/seasonal allergies and possible sleep apnea. There was also some blood work that came back abnormal from my regular doctor. And the funniest part is, I was told by all 3 of these doctors that my symptoms can dramatically improve or even disappear if I lose weight. Awesome. I am totally on board [right after I finish this cream soda. seriously, jk] and am going to try and get back into the swing of exercising tomorrow.

In other news, my daughter is sick. What first was diagnosed as pink eye has turned into swollen eyes......and a yucky cough that won her some breathing treatments. Her sickness even won her a free nights pass into our bed last night. All I remember this morning [since Boss lost a bet with me and had to get the kids up and let me sleep in. ha!] was hearing her wake up next to me and say, "Daddy! My eyes are broken. They cant open. Please help me!" And he had to bring a warm washcloth and get all the gunk off her eyes.

Poor Petey girl.

In even more other news, my hair is blonder. Petey woke up this morning and said, "Oh my gosh, mom, your hair is white!" Well, she was slightly inaccurate but it is really, really blonde [and that picture is really, really crappy].

And remember how I'd said I found my crafting bug? I finally made my Easter wreath. Another yarn one!!!! ha! And I squished the wreath to be more egg shaped and not so round. I think it turned out pretty cute. The picture doesnt do the pastel yarn colors justice but oh well.

And that's how Suze rambles.