No Gold Star For Me...Oops!

Sometimes you can find yourself walking away from a difficult situation and feel really good about it. You dealt with whatever life was throwing your way in a very mature fashion. You deserve a gold star, a pat-on-the-back, your name in lights! Most likely you thought through what you were going to say before you said it. Or, you learned your lesson from a previous incident and this time came out on top.

Maybe your toddler screamed in your face and instead of screaming back you held your cool, walked way, and then came back and dealt with it calmly. Maybe your husband left his shoes in the middle of the floor for the thousandth time and instead of nagging him again--knowing that it would only go in one ear and out the other--you gracefully put them away. Maybe a complete idiot cut you off on the highway and you kept your middle finger out of play. Again, all situations that award you a pat-on-the-back!

I have come to realize that I am a very reactionary person.
A) I don't like to be told what to do.
B) I typically have an opinion and it doesn't always come out nicely.
C) I can be a lot little dramatic.
D) There are stupid people out there.

To achieve the above mentioned reward, I have to work harder than most. If I am dealing with my husband I typically fail, and once a month I have a guaranteed 100% fail rate.

Let me explain with a recent example.

If you have read my blog for any length of time, you might know of my deep hatred for the mail. I can't stand it. And, for some reason I am the one dubbed to sort through it. It's a terrible arrangement, one that might actually be detrimental to my health! I'm not exactly sure how it's worked out this way, but my first guess is he just likes to irritate me and he enjoys seeing my eyes roll to the back of my head. It actually causes a little bit of sharp pain to shoot up the back of my neck...like I said, the stress caused by anger could be slowly killing me. "Erik, seriously you're killing your wife, SORT THE FRICKIN MAIL! Oh, and I love you."

Okay, back to the reason why I don't deserve a gold star.

So the other day, there it was...the stack of mail. Rather than let is sit there and pile up over days, I decided to go through it. I carefully sorted, because I have been known to throw away important bills, documents, money, etc... because I despise this position I've been forced into and it evokes an, "I don't care" attitude to exude out of me. I came across an envelope from T-mobile. It looked like a bill so I opened it. It wasn't a bill. It was a card carefully folded in a conspicuous fashion with a Visa symbol on it. I immediately started to flip out.

Why? You might ask.

Well, I was tricked. I thought I was opening up a bill and instead I was being told that I needed another credit card. "T-mobile is offering credit cards and telling me I need one?"(see point A above)

"A cellphone company offering credit cards? That's completely ridiculous!" (see point B above)

I pull the scissors out of my desk drawer and start mutilating the poor card. (see point C)

Erik is watching me do this, not surprised at all by what he is seeing and he calmly says, "did you read the information that the card was attached too?"

"No, I didn't read anything. I don't need to. We don't need another credit card!" He calmly picks up the paper the card came on, and reads the line... right next to that strip of attachement jelly, "Tips for using your T-Mobile Value Visa Prepaid Card."

"Linsey, I think that's our rebate for the cellphone purchase we made last month."

Oops. (see D above)

I then spent the next forty-five minutes of my morning trying to talk to a human at T-Mobile rebates...one does not exist.

We will be using our "T-Mobile Value Visa Prepaid Card" to order something online!

I think I completely rest my case for passing along my mail duties!

Some Thankfulness

Feeding the Fire With a Mixed Tape

A story doesn't just happen; a story unfolds. The choices we make along the way determine our path, and even then we only see what's right in front of us. The companions we choose to accompany us on our journey is what makes our story. They are there to keep us moving when we don't want to take one more step. They are there to encourage us when we fall and then offer a hand to help us up. They distract us with wonderful moments of happiness when our focus becomes tainted and gloomy. I would never want to walk this life alone and I am so blessed that I don't have to. I have been given a beautiful gift and I will always cherish it. Thank you God for my loving husband, my best friend, my companion in life.

Is it an easy journey? Heck no!

Mariage is tough. I can't tell you why two first-born, stubborn-headed, crazy-freaks work, but somehow we do. I don't have a magical answer, a big revelation, a go-to method of how marriage is supposed to be, but I do know our story and what works for us. We know how to laugh together and we know how to cry together. We know how to fight and we know how to make things right. We can be silly and we can be serious. We talk. We make-time for each other and we take-time away from each other. We are honest. We fail and we are okay with that...when it comes to realizing our humanity. We fail and we don't settle for it...we strive to be better. We take time to show our love in the small things. A kiss, an affirmation, a selfless act of kindess when you don't feel like it, an "I'm sorry."

It's always a good idea to make a mixed tape cd for your wife who is waiting in the car pissed at you. The CD goes in, the smile creeps up and before you know it she is allowing you to use your charm once again. You have taken her out of her mood long enough to say "I'm sorry."

It's the small moments, the day-to-day affirmations that keep us confident in love. For the fire to stay alive, you have to feed it.

I don't know what lies ahead for us, but I do know that hand-in-hand the journey will be great. The end of our story is a mystery and I think that's what makes it so beautiful!

I love you babe, here's to the next twelve years! I love you and thank you for my mixed tape cd!

Banish the Bug

The fire is crackling, the house is quiet and I'm in my office working away with a fresh cup of coffee in my hand. The dog is curled up at my feet, Pandora is playing, and occasionalIy I get a waft of the cinnamon candle burning in the next room. The house is spotlessly clean, the rugs have been shampooed, and all the laundry has been washed and put away.

One would think that I somehow managed to score a day at home, alone. If you walked into my house this morning you would wonder what was up. Where was the usual mess? Why was it smelling so clean? And most importantly, where did the kids go?

Well, they were home, (all of them) but it was no typical day. They were sick.

Yes, some moms would blog about a sick day with a totally different spin. I'm not saying that I like seeing my kids sick, but if I'm being honest, I like what happens when my kids are sick. No, I don't like them to be in pain, or so sick that they are miserable. But, the kind of sickies that create a desire to curl up on the cozy couch, get special treatment from mommy and watch back-to-back movies all day long; that's what I'm talking about. I get to baby them, which all us moms love to do, and in turn I get a relaxing peaceful day with no fighting. They don't want to get up and run around destroying the place, they just want to sleep or veg. All... day... long.

It's the perfect excuse to hunker down and not go anywhere. For this homebody, it's perfect!

As much as I like the relaxing atmosphere a little sickness can bring to the house, I don't like the bugs to stay long. I also don't want them to come around often. Once an awhile is fine, but like any other home, we want to banish the bug. It's no fun to take all of the kids to the doctor's at once, preventive care is on the forefront of our minds. 

It's as easy as a .99 cent bottle of Hydrogen Peroxide. A little trick we've learned over the years. It really works! When I start to feel a little scratch in my throat it's the first thing I do. We also do it once a week on everyone during the cold and flu season. It's very old school; the idea has been around a long time.


Here is a little article; I'm not just making it up:

In 1928, Dr. Richard Simmons, hypothesized that colds and flu virus enter our bodies through the ear canal. It was Dr. Simmons' hypothesis that, contrary to what we have been taught, we usually can catch the two via the ear canal and not through the eyes or nose or mouth as most of us believe. Dr. Simmons' findings were dismissed by the medical community.

According to Dr. Simmons, keeping your fingers out of our ears will greatly reduce our chances of catching colds and the flu, but we need to keep in mind that these 2 are microscopic and can be air-born and may land on/in our ears. Once these microscopic bodies have entered the inner-ear, they then begin to breed, and from there they have access to every avenue throughout our bodies to travel, and infect and make us sick.

Remarkable results can be achieved in curing colds and the flu within 12-14 hours when we administer a few drops of 3% Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2) into each ear. The H2O2 starts working within 2-3 minutes in killing the cold or flu. There will be some bubbling and in some cases mild stinging might occur. I do this myself and I can assure you that it is not painful in any way. It tickles more than anything.

Wait until the bubbling subsides - usually a few minutes - then drain onto a tissue and repeat with the other ear.

Although this practice is perfectly safe for infants and children to use, the loud bubbling and stinging may frighten them, and they will need someone they trust to put the hydrogen peroxide in their ears. DO NOT get hydrogen peroxide in the eyes - if you do, flush with water.

source:

http://www.healingdaily.com/exercise/hydrogen-peroxide-in-ears.htm

And as a bonus your ears will always be sparkling clean!

Forget About Everything Else I've told you...Candy, Candy, Candy!

Halloween is one of those weird holidays that would be very hard to explain to someone who had never experienced it before. It's one of those holidays where we as parents let all those valuable lessons we have been trying to instill into our children throughout the year fall by the wayside. We are less concerned for our kid's safety, we don't enforce all of the rules; we're all caught up in the wonderful memories from our childhood. On this night anything goes! Halloween goes against the principles we teach our kids the other 364 days of the year and we love it!

We are always telling our kids "Be true to yourself", but on this night we say, "You can dress up and be anything you want to be, you just can't be yourself."

We tell our kids, "Never talk to strangers", but on this night we encourage them to march up and knock on as many stranger's doors as possible. In fact, if they hesitate we say, "Come on, you have to go up the door. Okay, I'll go with you this time, but next time you go up alone. Okay?"

We often say, "Make sure you come inside before it gets too dark out there." But on Halloween we say, "Stop asking if it's time to go yet; we can't go outside until it gets dark, that's when the fun begins."

We tell them, "Don't watch those scary shows on t.v., you'll get nightmares and warp your mind." But on this night we oh and ah, laugh and giggle at all the spooky, scary decorations gracing the lawns of the neighborhood.

We tell our kids, "Sugar is bad for your bodies and it creates cavities; only to be eaten in moderation. But on this night, we hand them a huge empty pail and say, "Fill it to the top with sugar. Lots and lots of sugar! We follow that up with, "Wow, look at all that candy, that's awesome! Look how full that is sweetheart! Great job honey!!!"

We tell them to never take candy from strangers, but on this exclusive night we say, "Now walk up to this strangers house and take the wonderful treats that they're handing out... hurry...run!"

It might sound strange to an outsider, but to us Americans it's a wonderful exciting night!

Besides being able to re-live our childhood memories through our children, another great benefit for us parents is putting the munchkins to bed and raiding their buckets!

This year we had a pirate princess, Pocahontas, Thor, and of course Nacho!

They had a great night with friends and, I have to say, Mom and Dad had just as much fun!

What's not to love about Halloween!!!!

Today I'm Five; That Means I'm Almost Six

Have you ever had the feeling that someone was watching you while you're sleeping? If you are a mom, then your answer is likely to be yes. The other morning I opened my eyes to a bright-eyed, handsome, little birthday boy staring me down. He was patiently waiting for me to wake up so he could make his grand announcement, "MOM, TODAY I AM FIVE; THAT MEANS I AM ALMOST SIX." He tells me this with eyes so wide that you can see white all the way around his pupil. He is very animated and this is his go-to face whenever he has something interesting to tell you...for him that's almost everything. It is known among friends as, "the Jon face."

"Today I am five; that means I am almost six." I am guessing that Jon likes to live for the future. Not a bad thing, just completely opposite of his mother. I am more of a live-for-the-moment type of girl. He better be careful because statements like that are likely to put me in a very unstable emotional state. Not only do I like to live in the moment, thinking about time passing actually puts me in a bit of a depression. I don't want to think about him turning six, I am just trying to wrap my brain around the fact that he's five. Where has the time gone?

Jon is the sweetest boy you will ever meet. When I think of Jon, I think "cool." He's the kid that will give you a pointed finger and a nod when agreeing with you. I will ask him to do something and he will reply with, "Of course, my sweetie Mom." He is such a joy to be around, he always has a story to tell or a quirky one-liner to share.

We love you Jon; you're our sweetie boy!

If you don't know all the words to a song, just make them up... and then own it!

Nacho Libre At His Finest : Best Homemade Halloween Costume of All Time

If you have never seen the movie "Nacho Libre" you will not understand this post. If you have never seen the movie "Nacho Libre", go watch it now. After partaking of all the goodness, you will then have understanding of the crazy cuteness that lies below.

If you were to ask me what my boys are into, it's an easy answer... superheroes. You never know who you are going to run into around our house. 

A few months ago, I came across Matthew standing on the edge of our couch. He had the complete-focus face on.  He then began to lift his hands above his head like a diver ready to take the plunge; he bent his knees and then flew across the couch. This went on a few more times and I then realized this acrobatic move had purpose behind it. He wasn't just stretching his legs; he was in character.  I asked him, "Who are you today Matt?" In a very low voice with his chin pressed against his chest, making his answer that much more serious and genuine he replied, "I Nacho," he then proceeded to fly across the couch. If you've seen the movie you know the scene well. He had just indulged himself in a powerful eagle egg and was ready to jump into the waters below.

I would of never put Nacho in the superhero category, but Matty could not have chosen a more appropriate character to be obsessed with. He fits the mold perfectly! He is the perfect miniature embodiment of the famous wannabe Mexican wrestler.

And now, he REALLY is Nacho thanks to his amazing Nana! Matthew says (in his best Nacho voice), "you are the best!".

Nacho below has two faces, one with a stache and one without. The first photo shoot he didn't want to wear it. After staring at the DVD case for a ridiculous long time and watching the movie until it broke he decided it was time to go all in. 

Without further ado, the best Halloween costume of all time....

 "Chancho. When you are a man, sometimes you wear stretchy pants in your room. Ezz for fun." 

"You gotta be kidding me. Everything you just said, is MY favourite thing to do, every day!" 

"Precious Father, why have you given me this desire to wrestle and then made me such a stinky warrior?" 

"I was wondering if you would like to join me in my quarters this night... for some toast." 

"Do you remember when everyone was shouting my name, and I used my strength to rip my blouse." 

"These are my recreation clothes." 

"Hey. Leggo my blouse."

"Ok... Maybe I am not meant for these duties. Cooking duty. Dead guy duty. Maybe it's time for me to get a better duty!"

 "I don't want to get paid to lose. I wanna win!"

"I'm not listening to you. You're crazy."

"When the fantasy has ended/and all the children are gone/Something good inside me/helps me to carry on/I ate some bugs/I ate some grass/I used my hand to wipe my tears/To kiss your mouth/I break my vows/no no no no no no way Jose/Unless you want to/Then we break our vows together." 

 "Eagle powers... come to me! Please!"

"There is no place for me in this world. I don't belong out there, and I don't belong in here. So I'm going out into the Wilderness. Probably, to die." 

"Thank you. I mean... they might have the appearance of riches, but beneath the clothes, we find a man... and beneath the man we find... his... nucleus." 

 "My life is good. Real good."