Howdy Ho Monday!!! We made it. After four extra days tacked onto the already overly-prolonged winter break, I was starting to become a bit agitated seeing the three inches of snow drop down on my lawn last night. But in true Washington style, the good ole rain swooped in to save the day and washed the snow away. As magical as it was to have a white Christmas in I don't know how many years, I was more than a little ready to see it melt away. Wonder Boy's school was on time. However, Miss O's school was two hours late. So we had some schedule adjusting to contend with. In the end, it all worked out much to my cabin fever relief. Baby Love and I made it to Target today. Yahoo!! I've been scouring stores for Strawberry Shortcake goodies. The retail gods have been looking out for me because as soon as I decided on Baby Love's third birthday theme, Strawberry Shortcake goodness was delivered in the way of dollar bins. Perfect timing!! Speaking of birthdays...with March, June and August special days on their way and Strawberry Shortcake, Princess and Star Wars themes requested, I am in full party planning mode.
Also found at Target?? My favorite yoga pants on sale!!! I bought two!
Shout outs:
Amy: I'm having a blast blogging with you...great idea friend!
Emily and Stephanie: Thanks for being such good pals.
Wendy: Glad things are good...I'll give a ring later baby.
Erin: Welcome back!!
Julie: See ya tomorrow!
Mom: I love you.
January 5, 2009
January 4, 2009
love at first vroom
My adorable husband gifted me with a dyson animal DC14 Christmas morning. Now before some of you gasp in horror and wonder why he didn't go to Jared and lavish me with adornment, I had actually hinted I wanted one. It helped that they were on sale at Costco early in the season and our old vacuum was on it's last wheel, plus the cost of bags for the sucker was getting ridiculous!! Ever since the holiday I have been vacuuming every floor in site. A friend once said of dyson, "if you have pets and kids, you owe to yourself to have one". I didn't buy much stock into her statement at the time but I am a true believer now. It is amazing!!
I also received a pair of Uggs and I haven't taken them off my feet since. I love them!!!
January 3, 2009
do what you gotta do
This morning I read a post from a favorite blog that really made me think ... about myself. I've had some feelings mulling around my head from a "happening" for a few months now. I often try to just push negative feelings down and forget about it, thinking to myself it's not important nor worth the time and energy I'm wasting thinking about it. Which is true. However, when I least except it, those feelings of hurt and anger bubble up to the surface and I relive the situation all over again. I tend to be over sensitive and over analyze things. This is both a fault and a positive trait of mine. I care about how my actions affect those around me. However, I seem to always be in hyper-sensitivity-mode when around others. This is a fault because I let things bother me or I worry about things I've done and how it affects others too darn much which causes horrible self talk and depression.
I often think of life like the ebb and flow of the ocean's tide. The vast sea being your safe haven and the beach being the world and people that affect and changes you. You float in and out, to and from the beach touching and being ultimately changed. Your approach is always different. Sometimes you come in hard and fast in happiness or in anger. Sometimes depending on how your last entry was perceived, you come in slow and cautious. And sometimes you don't come in at all. Every re-entry is a new experience and every exit forever changes your course in life.
Every person you come into contact with has a lasting effect on how you move through your life. I've had many life altering experiences some for the better and some for the worse. I most likely will never have a babysitter or send my children to child care based solely on a horrible moment in my childhood. It's always in the back of mind and it affects everything I do. I hate it!! On the complete opposite side of the barometer, my life has been altered for the better. Like my fifth grade teacher forever solidified my career choice. However, the ebb and flow of life has caused me to change my focus and direction.
So when I received a negative email about a gift (one of many, many, many, many gifts), I was ultimately hurt and oh so very angry. So hurt and angry, in fact, that months afterwards I still think about it from time to time. Through the course of growing up, loss of a parent, divorces, blending of step families, going to college, getting married, buying houses, moving, losing friends, gaining friends, and having children all I've ever tried to do is gain happiness in my life. I try my hardest to make lasting memories and special occasions for my children. Every birthday is an event to the best of my ability. Clothes are the cutest I can afford. Bedrooms are decorated as magical and as imaginative as I can muster. Memories, big or small, are as great as I can possibly create. And then, for a fun and creative outlet, I discovered blogging. I like to share the things I've done or made or created. And, if you so desire, can take something away and create that for happiness in your life too. In no way, did I think the things I've shared would be used against me. Once again my ebb and flow is affected. I came crashing into the beach hard and fast and then fell back to the sea for a reprieve. Gaining peace and perspective.
I have a hard time making new year resolutions. My belief is making grand goals and not accomplishing them only makes for big disappointment and feelings of failure. Which as we all know leads to negative self talk and depression. It's a vicious cycle! For some reason, 2009 feels like a new beginning to me. I'm starting this year out with a fresh outlook. I want to be prepared. I want to be organized. I want to weed through the junk and get rid of it. I want to be healthy and most of all happy. And, if I were to make any resolutions, it would be to not allow others change my course of well being. I'm going to do what I've got to do to make me happy. And if you don't like it, you can suck it!
I often think of life like the ebb and flow of the ocean's tide. The vast sea being your safe haven and the beach being the world and people that affect and changes you. You float in and out, to and from the beach touching and being ultimately changed. Your approach is always different. Sometimes you come in hard and fast in happiness or in anger. Sometimes depending on how your last entry was perceived, you come in slow and cautious. And sometimes you don't come in at all. Every re-entry is a new experience and every exit forever changes your course in life.
Every person you come into contact with has a lasting effect on how you move through your life. I've had many life altering experiences some for the better and some for the worse. I most likely will never have a babysitter or send my children to child care based solely on a horrible moment in my childhood. It's always in the back of mind and it affects everything I do. I hate it!! On the complete opposite side of the barometer, my life has been altered for the better. Like my fifth grade teacher forever solidified my career choice. However, the ebb and flow of life has caused me to change my focus and direction.
So when I received a negative email about a gift (one of many, many, many, many gifts), I was ultimately hurt and oh so very angry. So hurt and angry, in fact, that months afterwards I still think about it from time to time. Through the course of growing up, loss of a parent, divorces, blending of step families, going to college, getting married, buying houses, moving, losing friends, gaining friends, and having children all I've ever tried to do is gain happiness in my life. I try my hardest to make lasting memories and special occasions for my children. Every birthday is an event to the best of my ability. Clothes are the cutest I can afford. Bedrooms are decorated as magical and as imaginative as I can muster. Memories, big or small, are as great as I can possibly create. And then, for a fun and creative outlet, I discovered blogging. I like to share the things I've done or made or created. And, if you so desire, can take something away and create that for happiness in your life too. In no way, did I think the things I've shared would be used against me. Once again my ebb and flow is affected. I came crashing into the beach hard and fast and then fell back to the sea for a reprieve. Gaining peace and perspective.
I have a hard time making new year resolutions. My belief is making grand goals and not accomplishing them only makes for big disappointment and feelings of failure. Which as we all know leads to negative self talk and depression. It's a vicious cycle! For some reason, 2009 feels like a new beginning to me. I'm starting this year out with a fresh outlook. I want to be prepared. I want to be organized. I want to weed through the junk and get rid of it. I want to be healthy and most of all happy. And, if I were to make any resolutions, it would be to not allow others change my course of well being. I'm going to do what I've got to do to make me happy. And if you don't like it, you can suck it!
January 1, 2009
happy 2009
This morning we started our new year out with toasts and waffles.
CHEERS!
YUM!
M'm M'm, bacon!!
Can we eat yet?
And no new year is complete without a "SUPER GIRL"
Happy New Year!!
Happy New Year!!2009
December 31, 2008
a new year
Hello, hello!!! I hope your holiday was filled with much love and happiness. Ours was very relaxed and mellow. Mother nature dumped mounds of snow upon us and although it was delightful to have a white Christmas, it forced our little world to slow way down. It also slowed Fed-Ex down big time and we were without our matching Christmas jammies and two very important Santa gifts. It's been very frustrating to see Fed-Ex trucks drive through our cal-de-sac and not stop at our house. They are supremely disorganized!
We've also been buried in garbage and recycling. Because of the snow and the holidays always landing on our pick up days, we have been without service for a month. The city put one single dumpster on the main road and some dumped their months worth of trash which promptly over-filled the dumpster and it all spilled out onto the side. It is a disgusting eye-sore.
But enough complaining...
Any plans for the New Year? Any resolutions? My long time college pal and I decided to start a blog where we support each other getting healthy for the year 2009. She lives in Connecticut and I, here so we've titled our new blog 2896 because of the 2,896 miles that divide us. It's getting started so bare with us through the kinks.
We decided not to try and keep the kids up until midnight and ring in the new year (which, to be honest, we've never done). Instead we are going to get up tomorrow morning and use the J-man's new waffle maker and celebrate 2009 with a fun filled and delish breakfast. Hopefully, I get some pictures posted.
Besides the absolute "getting healthy" goal, I resolve this year to teach my children the value of volunteering. I want them to understand it's not always about the getting. And getting the perfect color, size, cost of something. But how to enjoy giving as well and making others feel good. This is a goal I think I can keep and my hope is it will make us closer as family that truly appreciate each other.
Until then, Happy New Year!!
We've also been buried in garbage and recycling. Because of the snow and the holidays always landing on our pick up days, we have been without service for a month. The city put one single dumpster on the main road and some dumped their months worth of trash which promptly over-filled the dumpster and it all spilled out onto the side. It is a disgusting eye-sore.
But enough complaining...
Any plans for the New Year? Any resolutions? My long time college pal and I decided to start a blog where we support each other getting healthy for the year 2009. She lives in Connecticut and I, here so we've titled our new blog 2896 because of the 2,896 miles that divide us. It's getting started so bare with us through the kinks.
We decided not to try and keep the kids up until midnight and ring in the new year (which, to be honest, we've never done). Instead we are going to get up tomorrow morning and use the J-man's new waffle maker and celebrate 2009 with a fun filled and delish breakfast. Hopefully, I get some pictures posted.
Besides the absolute "getting healthy" goal, I resolve this year to teach my children the value of volunteering. I want them to understand it's not always about the getting. And getting the perfect color, size, cost of something. But how to enjoy giving as well and making others feel good. This is a goal I think I can keep and my hope is it will make us closer as family that truly appreciate each other.
Until then, Happy New Year!!
December 24, 2008
December 18, 2008
December 17, 2008
12 days
The 12 days of Christmas? Nope. 12 days of no blogging activity from Little Irish. Zip. Zero. Many apologies to my five loyal readers. What I have been doing these last 12 days? I have no idea! The usual, boring, crazy, mom-frenzied kid shuffling, house cleaning, grocery buying and holiday preparing. Plus, I must admit...I have been completely addicted to Facebook lately. And I find loading pictures there is way easier then loading only as many as five at time here on blogger and then having to edit the order in HTML and labeling them and then trying to add in text, etc, etc, etc. It's all about the pictures right!! Plus chatting and catching up with dear friends from high school in real time via instant messaging has been extremely entertaining. In fact, I had a little conversation with my pal from Australia just the other day and it was fabulously fun.
All the kids' schools and activities were canceled today because of a pending snow storm (more on that later). I keep looking over my shoulder for Ashton Kutcher because I'm feeling ultimately punk'd right now. The roads are dry and clear at the moment. There has been no snow falling. And the sun is shining. Today is an early release day too...so the kids could have gone to school and been back before Mother Nature dump a single drop of snow on us. I hear things are bad down south and it's coming here but I can't help but wonder if our superintendents and school officials, who called no school today, feel like gigantic dope heads for this little faux pas.
I had Miss O's five year old portrait framed and it's sitting at Aaron Brother's waiting for me today. Along with my Christmas cards at Costco. However, taking three kids on errand running is grounds for committing oneself to the mental institution. So they continue to sit and wait for me. Sigh. I skipped sending cards out for the holidays last year because too much was going on. I vowed I would do it this year no matter what. Right now, I'm hoping to get them to you before the new year. Cross your fingers.
I went to my six week hysterectomy appointment with the doctor that will forever go down in my history book as a God. She is wonderful and although having to drive 70 miles to see her is a bit of a pain, it is well worth the trip. She sincerely laughs at my jokes, puts me at ease and knows her stuff inside and out. (pun intended). I feel much better and have been given the green light to go back to my life 100%, only better. I am relieved.
We went tree hunting and brought home a small but beautiful tree. We decided to put it downstairs this year. We have gone very low key in decorating and didn't pull everything out of the Christmas boxes. I must say this year's festive montage, if you will, to the holiday is feeling very warm and magical to me. I love it. Not to mention being able to close the gate leading downstairs comes in very handy when trying to keep small children and little dogs away from the creations.
For now, I must go soak up some of this sunshine during our "snow storm" before it goes away. Much love to my peeps...you know who you are. xoxo
All the kids' schools and activities were canceled today because of a pending snow storm (more on that later). I keep looking over my shoulder for Ashton Kutcher because I'm feeling ultimately punk'd right now. The roads are dry and clear at the moment. There has been no snow falling. And the sun is shining. Today is an early release day too...so the kids could have gone to school and been back before Mother Nature dump a single drop of snow on us. I hear things are bad down south and it's coming here but I can't help but wonder if our superintendents and school officials, who called no school today, feel like gigantic dope heads for this little faux pas.
I had Miss O's five year old portrait framed and it's sitting at Aaron Brother's waiting for me today. Along with my Christmas cards at Costco. However, taking three kids on errand running is grounds for committing oneself to the mental institution. So they continue to sit and wait for me. Sigh. I skipped sending cards out for the holidays last year because too much was going on. I vowed I would do it this year no matter what. Right now, I'm hoping to get them to you before the new year. Cross your fingers.
I went to my six week hysterectomy appointment with the doctor that will forever go down in my history book as a God. She is wonderful and although having to drive 70 miles to see her is a bit of a pain, it is well worth the trip. She sincerely laughs at my jokes, puts me at ease and knows her stuff inside and out. (pun intended). I feel much better and have been given the green light to go back to my life 100%, only better. I am relieved.
We went tree hunting and brought home a small but beautiful tree. We decided to put it downstairs this year. We have gone very low key in decorating and didn't pull everything out of the Christmas boxes. I must say this year's festive montage, if you will, to the holiday is feeling very warm and magical to me. I love it. Not to mention being able to close the gate leading downstairs comes in very handy when trying to keep small children and little dogs away from the creations.
For now, I must go soak up some of this sunshine during our "snow storm" before it goes away. Much love to my peeps...you know who you are. xoxo
December 5, 2008
December 3, 2008
40th recap
We had a great time in Disneyland. If you've never been as adults (without kids) I highly recommend it. It's a blast!! Roaming around the park avoiding the wrangling of small children and pushing strollers makes everything easy and twice the fun. We went on many rides, several times. Saw most of the shows. Ate lots of good food including the best sourdough chowder bowl evah! Sat, soaked up the sun and people watched. Enjoyed parades and fireworks. Teared up during falling snow with magical music and lights. Screamed and thought we would die on more then one ride occasion. Got soaked on Pirates of the Caribbean, but not on Splash Mountain (stayed dry as a bone - weird!). Missed the kids terribly. Saw the Twilight movie. Shopped. Closed the park down at midnight every night we were there. And, walked too many miles. After we got up at 2am for our flight home, same day, later that afternoon, J-man then took off to an AC/DC concert relivin' it big time! I think it's safe to say he had a pretty great 40th birthday. And he has six years to plan my 40th that is equally enjoyable. Wink, wink!
some days
I feel very fortunate to have found a little niche with a group of people that I love dearly near and far. People who remind me of their sweetness often. What I would do without the little notes, texts, hellos, pictures, cards and emails I simply do not know. They hold me up. They make me smile. They make me laugh. However, there are some days where my faith in humanity is tested. My patience and tolerance for rude and mean behavior goes missing. It always feels like the holiday season brings out the worst in people and is when our tolerance and patience is most tested. The time of year when we are to be appreciating what we have and making magical memories with our loved ones, is the time of year we are faced with fighting hoards of people acting like jerks.
A friend recently posted a wonderful challenge called 29 Gifts on her blog. In which for 29 days you focus on giving one gift each day...whether it be a few dollars to charity, or holding a door open for a woman with a stroller, or dropping off coffee to a teacher, or an acknowledging smile to a mother with a screaming toddler, or, or, or. The possibilities are endless. I was instantly inspired and have been somewhat, secretly, participating. but for the month of December I committed myself to concentrating on giving at least one gift per day. The thought process is in the act of giving, you will open yourself up to receiving. In focusing on making another's day a little more happy, I hope to gain more tolerance and patience for those forgetting what the holidays are truly about myself. Let's see if it works. Seasons Greetings to you and yours!!
A friend recently posted a wonderful challenge called 29 Gifts on her blog. In which for 29 days you focus on giving one gift each day...whether it be a few dollars to charity, or holding a door open for a woman with a stroller, or dropping off coffee to a teacher, or an acknowledging smile to a mother with a screaming toddler, or, or, or. The possibilities are endless. I was instantly inspired and have been somewhat, secretly, participating. but for the month of December I committed myself to concentrating on giving at least one gift per day. The thought process is in the act of giving, you will open yourself up to receiving. In focusing on making another's day a little more happy, I hope to gain more tolerance and patience for those forgetting what the holidays are truly about myself. Let's see if it works. Seasons Greetings to you and yours!!
December 1, 2008
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