Giving over the reigns

Well, sort of. Joshua is going through an independent streak & doesn't want to hold still for a full meal. Since we are trying to make up for lost ground in getting him switched off of puree I let him have the reigns today. I put a dollop of sweet potato, a bit of broccoli, and a scoop of baby spaghetti onto a plate & let him have at it. This kid must have thought he just won the lottery. I was able to slip in a few spoonfuls between fist-fulls and I am pretty sure he ate a good meal. Just wish I had the camera handy. He was orange from hairline to nipples!

Made a list today of my winter clothes needs for the kids as I am off to the consignment sale tomorrow night. Daddy is staying at home with the boys so I can take my time & really shop. I will be getting home in time to give Joshua his final feeding. I am actually looking forward to this. Will be my first trip without at least one child in tow. Hoping to find some deals...... David needs a whole new wardrobe!

Return to the simple

In past years I have watched as the bounty under the family Christmas tree has grown. It has grown because the size of the "family" has grown with marriages and births. It has grown as all of us got better paying jobs & had more to spend come the holidays. It got so bad the year after David was born that we couldn't all fit in my parents' living room until some of the loot had been removed first.

Last year with Joshua on the way & the economy not being the best we all agreed to only buy presents for the kids and that all adult gifts must be a "make-it-or-bake-it" gift. Let me tell you, it was the most touching Christmas yet. Mom made me a tree skirt for my tree that she had been promising for years. I was able to knit a scarf for Tony. I baked goodies for my in-laws and my sister's family. They were thrilled because none of them had the time to make those "special" holiday treats.

I have decided that this year will be the same. I don't think my boys need 10,000 new toys. They don't even play with all the ones they have. We are going to donate some to a local charity to give to others. I have started my knitting and have picked out some other projects to tackle, as well. I am practicing my bread making so that everyone can get home-made loaves of bread for their Christmas dinners.

Maybe it is hokey or old-fashioned...... but I love the idea of less-is-more and really treasuring the things you do receive.

The fun things mommies & daddies do

Did you ever wonder what your parents did after you went to bed at night? I remember going through a phase where I swore my parents must be having a blast without me. Why else would they want me in bed? They were doing FUN things!

Fast forward to now. When Tony & I put the kids to bed we usually just crash on the sofa & watch grown-up TV off the DVR. Sometimes we sit & talk. Sometimes we catch up on cleaning. Sadly, the most common thing we do is go to bed early! There are many times when we are turning out the lights before 9pm.

Oh, occasionally we will engage in some "couple's fun" ........ but that, too, is usually short, sweet, and followed by sleep. It is a rare treat to have one of those pre-kid nights.

So, mystery solved. Mom & Dad got us into bed so that they could have some peace & quiet.

The things toddler's like

...or dislike, as it were! David is probably the only toddler I know who doesn't like mac & cheese or hamburgers. He will, however, eat anchovies and likes to try asparagus, tomatoes, and anything Daddy eats. I guess this is a good thing.

We are in the midst of the "Terrible Two's" around here. David's favorite word is "No" and he refuses to do anything we want him to do. We are learning to deal with it, though. We let him sit in front of his dinner without forcing or bribing. If he eats what is put on his plate he gets loads of positive attention. If he refuses to even try it we just let him drink his milk. I used to freak out about this until I charted his food intake over an entire week & realized that he is getting a good mix of all the food groups..... just not all in one sitting.

Potty training is continuing to meet with success. He has had a few "misses" but always stops himself quickly & says, "Ooops!" before running to the potty. My mother says that this isn't fair & potty training shouldn't be this easy. I figure as long as we let it be self-directed why shouldn't it be easy? I am in no hurry to force him out of diapers. I just want him to continue to enjoy the process & his successes.

Now if only we could get him to teach his brother to nap...... *sigh* ....... the joys of recognizing your children are individuals, right?

Makin' use of the leftovers

Since Tony & I are still in an effort to cut back our out-going expenses I am trying to get even better about using up all our leftovers. I can't count the number of times I have had to throw stuff out in the past because it rotted in the back of the fridge without me knowing it was there.

But who really wants to eat the same thing 4 nights in a row??? To that end I have begun "re-purposing" meals. Thursday's baked ham dinner is Sunday's Macaroni & Cheese casserole (ham & peas mixed in). Friday's baked yams are Monday's Savory Potato Bake. This way I feel like I am getting more bang for my buck & we are cutting down on our waste.

My brag this week? We stocked up for the month this last Friday. (We will still need to get fresh veggies & dairy as needed, of course.) With shopping only sales & using coupons I got about $200 in groceries for just under $130!! Not bad. I even have basic menus planned out for the next 4 weeks.

Bring on the savings, baby! Mama is hunting for a bargain!

The illness merry-go-round

We have been fighting some sort of bug here for a little over 2 weeks. Tony came home with it first & was laid up for 2 days before he had to go back to work with it. The boys have been going in & out of it. I was the last to join the "fun" and am still feeling wiped at the end of every day. Yay. :P

As a result of all our lovely family sharing I have had zero energy to get on here & update. So some highlights:

1. Took the boys apple picking & had a blast. Now I get to start baking up a bushel of apples. Pie, anyone?
2. Got my flu shot finally & feel like my arm has been beaten up. The pediatrician's office is so over-booked for shots that I have no clue if I will be able to get Joshua's booster done. Still no idea what we will do about H1N1.
3. Finally got a visit from that "lovely" monthly gift. Now I can actually start charting and maybe plan when we will TTC #3.

And the biggest update of all...........

4. David went pee-pee on the big boy potty!!!!!! He has had several successes there & gets this big grin when he does it. I was so proud of him the first time & I still get tickled when he actually tells me he wants to try & then goes. We have had one "miss" and have not switched to underwear full time yet.... but we are making progress.

Now I am off to try & rest. This thing better leave us soon.

Pays off

I always heard that if you flirt with your hubby on the phone while he is at work it will pay off. Boy, does it ever!!!!! We had one of those nights that resembled our pre-kid days. Little bit tired today but sooooo worth it.

Boys are getting it easy today. I am still getting over this cold Tony brought home so they are getting juice, loads of TV time, and are being allowed to pull out all their toys to the LR rug.

Life is good today.

Looking Back

Ok, so I would never trade my life. I love my kids & my hubby. But lately I have been having the weirdest dreams. None of them are things I would do IRL.....but they still freak me out that I have them.

I am dreaming about ex-boyfriends. Some I haven't seen in AGES. I am not one to read a lot into dreams. Mostly I think they are just what your brain does when you have no good material to ponder. It still messes with me in the daylight hours, though. I usually tell my hubby I have these dreams. I feel guilty about having them even though I have no control over them.

*sigh* I guess I am just messed up. Hey, these guys are all ex-boyfriends for a reason, right? No use looking back. I am happy with my life. I guess it is just that old "What if?" popping up.

I need new dream material.