My Little Terrors {3rd edition}

I wonder what's going through their head when they do these crazy things...

 

"these toys are way better!"

"perfect hiding spot for my marine"

"church is the perfect place for a wrestling match!"

"what are these plastic bags doing here!?"

"look mom! we decorated that boring wall!"

Lincoln - "success! I carried it out of the dish washer all by myself!"
Ella - "ooh. this looks fun."

"we play like rock stars!"

"let's mix the rice and oatmeal together to make it easier for mom next time she cooks it."

"what is this thing for anyway?!"

Ella - "how did he do that?!"

"I just need a spot to rest for a minute before i destroy something else."

"I'm just sharing with my cars"

   

these are just some of the things that keep me busy during the day, every day...

  

Sleep Challenge

Oh beautiful sleep, I miss you dearly.

 

I have been sleep deprived since...oh, my first child was born, 2 1/2 years ago. And lets not forget my kids are ELEVEN MONTHS apart meaning I really haven't gotten a break. I even had some post partum depression for 6 months after Ella was born due to lack of sleep.

 

Sleep is vital and one of the most basic necessities. More sleep means lower stress (big one for me), improved memory, live longer, healthy weight (a huge plus!), and it's the omega 3, vitamin D, and antioxidants all wrapped up into one cozy package. We all know how cranky the kids get if they miss a nap. I don't mess with their sleep schedules or else I'll be dealing with two never ending tantrums. When we lack sleep, our immune system shuts down, we become forgetful, we're low on energy, and I know I'm on the edge of throwing a tantrum myself! 

 

I'm guilty of staying up late, doing absolutely nothing. I put the kids to bed no later then 7:30 and I usually don't go to bed until 11 pm and right when I lay down, without fail, Ella wakes up. If I don't get her right away, then Lincoln wakes up. On average I have to get out of bed 2-3 times a night. (These past 3 weeks have been worse because of the kids being sick and teething). I've accepted the fact that I'm probably never going to sleep through the night because I'm a mom and this truly is a 24 hour job. To be honest I love it. I love knowing that I am the one that brings comfort to my children when they aren't feeling well, even if it is in the middle of the night. There's just a few things I could do differently, or sacrifice some of my very coveted free time at night so that I can get the rest I need.

 

So lets do this.

 

I've come up with a few personal goals to help me catch up on those Zs.

1. eat well balanced meals throughout the day. (This has been proven to help with sleep).
2. turn off all screens (TV, phone, computer) at least 1 hour before bed. For me this will be 9 pm.
3. no sweets or other stimulates after 5 pm. (also proven to help)
4. small snack before bed (Mama Natural suggested warm milk with honey and a dash of salt, but we'll see about that one).
5. have a strict cut off time to start my night time routine. I'll make it 9 pm. (I think this is important and will help a lot).
6. I bought a Book of Mormon study guide I'm excited about so I think I'll add that to my night time routine.
7. my goal is to have the lights off and in bed by 9:30 (it takes me awhile to actually fall asleep).
    

So, I know 10 pm isn't that early to be going to sleep but I want to make small changes so that I don't get discouraged. Hopefully some the things I listed above will at least help me to relax and sleep quicker.

 

This post might sound silly; Sleep, REALLY!?! But yes, I do believe sleep will help me be a better mom and a happier person over all (and help with those dark circles under my eyes).

 

Ahhh! It's 8:45 right now so I only have a few minutes left before I start counting those sheep!

 Good night!

 

Life Lately

this week we... 

PEAKS:

• I'm constantly surrounded by the most amazing people, so kind and completely selfless. Monday and Tuesday Fallon watched my little ones so that I could focus on that endless pile of clean clothes I've been avoiding. Kim invited me over Wednesday so that I could get out of the house and helped tire out my kiddos. and Crystal came over this morning and helped me with the rest of the laundry! What amazing friends I have!
• I got rid of a lot of my accessories at our dinner social Friday night. It was kind of hard letting go of some things, but once I did it turned out being pretty liberating.
• I made brownies! ...I've been on a junk food frenzy lately.

PITS:

• Lincoln and Ella both have an ear infection and I know I do too I just don't want to make a trip to the doctors for myself with these two.
• The kids have been really sick and vomiting all weekend. Friday night, while at a dinner social, Ella threw up all over my friends floor. Then as we were driving  home Lincoln threw up in the car. They slept for a couple hours, then once I finally went to bed the madness continued. Poor Ella woke up with a bad fever and threw up all over me and my bed and pillows. We got in the bath and she cooled down a bit. She was completely restless so we went down stairs at 1:30 am and played around a bit. I finally got her to sleep around 2:45 and right as I'm sneaking into bed, my poor Lincoln woke up with a high fever as well. He was also restless so we went down stairs for a little. His fever diminished because he is so good about taking his yummy tasting Tylenol, and he went back to sleep. Ella still had a fever and was up the rest of the night. Needless to say, I was up all night alternating between them and it doesn't make it easier considering I've been sick these past few weeks as well.
• This has been another very long week for me... I just want my husband home!
• I made brownies... I've been on a junk food frenzy lately...
 

long day...

                                                                                                         ...good night.       

 

New Outlook

i survived this week!...barely. one night, after going through the house and checking all the door and window locks for the third time, i forced myself to go to bed. i just kept praying for peace and comfort so that i could get some rest. i was finally in a deep sleep when ella woke up screaming and crying. i jumped up and screamed so loud which made her scream even more. i was still so out of it, i screamed "ella!" then i went and picked her up and realized no one had broken in and tried kidnapping my baby. ugh! my heart was racing like never before. i checked on lincoln and put her back to sleep. i was dreading going back to bed. i checked the time hoping it would soon be time for us to get up... it was only 11:48 pm. i was so bummed. i said another prayer, and tried not to be so paranoid. that was probably the hardest night for me, and thank goodness for under eye concealer.

the kids and i kept pretty busy this week. it was mainly the evenings that i wasn't looking forward to going back home alone. i did buy two cartons of ice cream and ate straight from the box - my loneliness got the best of me. but besides that, i'm surrounded by the greatest "wives" and i love spending time with them.

there was a spouses brief late thursday night and i can't even tell you how much i enjoyed it. i went to the last classes spouses meeting and i was tearing up the whole time because of how scary they made IOC sound even for us spouses. this time around it was completely different. the captain in charge, capt. cummings, was so friendly and he answered any questions we had (and we had a ton of questions). you could just tell he really cared about us and our husbands and that just brought me so much comfort. i left the meeting happy and in a way pumped with the feeling that everything is going to be ok. i had a new outlook on things and i just want to enjoy this time in my life as much as possible. maybe i was really excited too because captain cummings said he might have our orders to us by monday. so... i made it a point to go up to him after class and personally request that he send us the pendleton, ca! woo! i hope my dreams come true and i get to go back to the best state in the u.s. oh, and i get to be near family again. ha ha. 2 more days.... hopefully! (do you know how long i've been waiting to find out where the next few years of my life would be)?!

it is so nice to have chris home. it's amazing how much safer i feel at night with him by me. i just love feeling him near me, even if it's just my cold feet are touching his, or i have my hand reached over touching his side or only our figure tips are touching. what a difference it makes in making me feel so loved and protected. one good thing i'm getting out of being separated is learning to appreciate the little things and the things that truly make me happy. i'm really going to look at things in a more positive way. life really is great!

there are only  10 weeks left of IOC! i made this count down for chris with quotes, words of encouragement, and coupons from me. every week he'll tear one link off and we'll get to see how much closer to the end we are. (this might be more for me than him)!

 

Dear Monday...

...please go easy on me.

it's a new week! the kids and i are up early (not my choice), and we have a busy week ahead of us. i'm trying to stay positive and occupied as much as possible. last night i went to bed with anxiety about this upcoming week, and i usually never get anxiety about anything. i know i need to stay close to the Lord...i'm going to need all the help i can get. i have an amazing group of friends still here in VA and i know i can always go to them if i need anything. thank you kim, crystal, fallon, shannon, and even those far from me for being so supportive and making me feel like family.

 

in other news -- it's payday!!! that means i can finally buy the shirt i've been obsessing over! (buying stuff always makes me feel better) ha ha!

 

happy monday everyone!

 

My Little Terrors {2nd edition}

I just finished cleaning up the whole living room and as I'm cleaning the kitchen there was silence... this was going on!

"that's enough crying na-na."

I took out the trash and when I came back to put in a new bag this is what I found in there.

I was fixing breakfast and stepped out to get my crying Ella... Lincoln managed to find away to reach the counter tops.

"I just wanted one sprinkle."

"where did my play mat go?"

throwing out all of the toys isn't enough...

and he recruited some help



I don't even know how he  got into this mess.

she started screaming for me because she got stuck

at least he'll be warm for his nap

I found a surprise in water

and she found a way to climb up the table.

she's pinning Lincoln down and trying to steal his cup.

he knows how to use mascara...

 

Mother's Day

I am so greatful to my husband for making me a mother and I am so blessed to be a mother to these amazing children.

Happy Mother's Day!

My Little Terror

I could go on and on about the things my little busy Lincoln gets into. He finds a way to make something that isn't dangerous, very dangerous. To say he keeps me on my toes is definitely an understatement!

 

• I'm always pulling things out of the trash that don't belong... and he's always pulling trash out!
• when I try to shower, I let him wander in and out of the bathroom and my bedroom (they're connected). One time he got to the box of Q-tips and they were dumped ALL over the floor.
• Lets not forget the endless amount of times I re-roll to toilet paper after he has unrolled it.
• I can always count on having to pull something very unexpected out of the toilet!
• he goes up stairs just to find things to throw down the stairs. and if he sees me coming he runs and hides in the closet or some other random spot .
• he finds the tightest little space and some how manages to squeeze in and he usually gets stuck...that's the only way I find him is by hearing his scream for help.
• Then there are the outlets that he constantly messes with. Outlet covers don't even stop him! He knows how to take them off and he even put the whole thing in his mouth before and it got stuck!
• he climbs onto absolutely EVERYTHING! One time as I was doing the dishes, I peeked over into the living/dining room and he was standing on top of the table dancing!
• he's always trying to put things into Ella's mouth. One time I caught him digging his finger into her eye! Poor little girl, she was just looking at him like "what are you doing..." I ran to pick her up and that's when the pain kicked in and she started crying.
• I have to stop him from sitting on her...once, it was like she was his couch, and she didn't even seem to mind at all!

 ...just to list a few The only baby proofing that would keep him out of trouble would be to lock him in a cage... and since that's out of the question, I guess I'm just going to have to realize that I'll have my hands full with him for a while! He owes me a lot more hugs and kisses... it's the only thing that makes it all worth it.     

 

 

Attention All S.A.H.M.s!

       Let's face it, being a Stay At Home Mom is not all glitz and glam. With all the drool, poop, and snot we deal with it's actually quite the opposite. So to keep me from pulling out my hair, I've been trying to find some activities to keep me and the kids busy and make our long days together a little more enjoyable.
        Getting out of the house definitely makes the day go by faster and the kids can let out some energy. For all those days that we do stay home, because of the weather or simply because it's a PJ's kind of day for me, I've been trying to find some fun at-home-activities for us. Click here, here and here to view some of my favorite go-to links with lots of ideas for a fun time with your little ones!
         Share your secrets with the rest of us SAHMs... What do you do to entertain your kids? What simple things do they enjoy? Do you have any favorite books or links on parenting you'd like to share?

I just wanted to share a couple more things that have made me feel a little more valuable as a full time mom, I hope some of you may also find these helpful.

and

This article, Guardians of the Hearth, was a huge reinforcement of the great importance I am as a mother.

"Cage"

Every morning I put Lincoln in his "cage" with some toys while I shower and get ready... or sleep in a little more. He screams every time I put him in, but then he finds something to entertain him for a moment. This is the second time I caught him "reading" his book. It's the cutest thing. He lays on his stomach with his ankles crossed and stares at his book so intensely.

Then once he notices I'm around and watching....

"Mommy! Get me out of here!"

...he whines for me to take him out.

 Since I was just laughing...

"Ahhhhh!"

...he started being silly and yelling at me.

So I finally put him in our bed to take his morning nap.

 ...and now he's a happy little guy ready to get into more trouble!

The Joys of Motherhood

You will not believe what happened to me this morning! I was changing Lincoln's diaper on our bed... nasty diarrhea poop! I kept gagging and gagging and I finally threw up but I was holding it in my mouth because I didn't know where to go and I didn't want to leave him on the bed. Then I threw up again so it had to come out! I reached for the container on my nightstand that holds his bottles, and medications, and pacifiers and threw up in there while I'm holding on to one of his feet and he's trying to crawl away wiping his poopy butt everywhere. I wipe him up a little more and put him on the floor diaper less while I continue vomiting and cleaning up my vomit. Then he pees a huge puddle in the bathroom area by my vanity. I keep moving him away from it while I wash the container and his pacifiers. He found his puddle of pee and now he's playing in it! Okay, bath time!! I'm taking off his pee drenched shirt and hair that got stuck on his wiener from the floor. Now he's smiling at me enjoying his bath. (Oh and this is bath #2 because bath 1 got dirty fast!) What a way to start the day!

 

I love being a stylist, I love my clients, I love my co-workers...

...I just love my baby more!

November 10, 2010 was my last day working at my salon. I worked at the Carlton Hair Salon for 2 years. It was a great experience. I absolutely love doing hair and I had such a great clientele. I called the owner of the company to tell him that was going to be my last day working there. He was so understanding and he told me to just call him when I'm ready to come back. Things couldn't have worked out any better!

As much as I loved it there, it really wasn't hard for me to decide to be a stay at home mom. I love my little Lincoln so much and I couldn't imagine missing out on him growing up or having someone else raise him. I love every second I spend with him. We've got such a strong and growing bond. It's been the best decision I've made yet!

Here's Lincoln meeting the people that were around when he was growing in my belly!

 Looks likes he's scared of Oscar... ha ha

I think he likes Trisha's bright hair!