Boys will be boys...

I am soooo glad the weather is finally nice out, and so are the boys!! Aiden has been spending as much time outside as we will let him. Riding his bike (he is getting really good, now he just needs a slightly larger bike), driving his dump truck and Tonka crane around the yard, and a lot of the time... picking up rocks! At the age of "more than 4 and three quarters, almost 5" Aiden is still thrilled to get to help pick up rocks, put them in his trucks, and drive them to the next pile (or dump them in the pond).

Today after lunch we decided to head outside and get some fresh air (and burn off a little energy) before the boys' naps. I didn't really feel like picking up rocks, but Aiden was all for it, so I picked up a few here and there as we walked around the pond. As we got most of the way around the pond, Aiden decided he needed to go potty. Only he didn't tell me he needed to go, he just pulled down his pants and peed. With his pants around his ankles. Facing the ditch. 20 feet from a state highway. (and from what I saw, I think he was trying to write his name in the dirt, or water most of the ditch)

I have 2 sisters, raising boys is filled with new experiences, and this was one of them. It took everything I had not to burst out laughing as I told him to pull up his pants and explained that he couldn't go pee just anywhere, even if he was out by the pond. He said "Oh, so if I have to go potty outside, I should go over there by the woods, 'cause its OK to pee in the woods" Again trying really hard not to laugh (not sure it worked that time) I just nodded and said, "Sure"

- T-Ball -

So t-ball started yesterday for Aiden, (and about 25 other 3-5 year olds). Aiden has been looking forward to t-ball for weeks. Sunday night, Aiden asked at least 4 times if he needed to get up early for t-ball? Would there be time to play before t-ball? Did we have his glove to take along? At 9pm, I was still trying to assure him that there was no need to be up early to go to t-ball at 9:30am.... so of course he bounced out of bed at 6:15 AM.  And by 6:30, we had reached 20 questions about t-ball practice. By the time we left the house at 9 I was about ready to have an anxiety attack from all the what-if's and why's and what about's... and I just had to go drop him off and pick him up!! 

I was pretty sure there wouldn't actually be a t-ball game occurring during the first 45 minute t-ball practice, especially when I found out there were 25 kids and 2 adults! Aiden, however, seemed thoroughly disappointed that they ONLY got to practice throwing, getting the ball into their gloves, catching, running bases, and batting. "We didn't actually play t-ball" was his response to anyone asking how the first day of t-ball went.   

-Thing 2 -

Connor is now 11 months, has 10 teeth, and is still using anything that will move as a walker. 

He has cut 2 new teeth in the last 2 week, one 12month molar, and one tooth on the bottom between the teeth he has and the large lump where yet another molar is trying to come through. He is still working on the other 3 molars, and probably the other bottom tooth. Needless to say, he's had some very grumpy evenings, and lots of sleepy days.

Remembering how difficult it was to get Aiden to take whole milk instead of formula, I decided to buy a small carton of milk and start getting Connor used to it. I gave him about an ounce with his lunch, and he sucked it right down!! He won't drink straight water, but milk he seems to love. At first I was a little confused as to how switching Connor could be so easy, when Aiden had fussed about it for weeks! Then I remembered, Connor was already used to the sippy cup and he was used to drinking his formula cold... 2 changes we tried to make at the same time as switching Aiden from formula to milk. 

I just kind of smiled and thought, "oh the things you learn from the first child that makes the second one easier". Then Connor looked at Aiden, stuck his tongue out and blew a raspberry at him, and Aiden did it right back. And I thought... "oh the things the second one learns from the first one that will make this so much more difficult!!"

Lessons from a four (and three quarters) year old

Yesterday I was out on the driveway with Aiden. He had mastered riding his bike without training wheels, but only after getting a push to get going. We have a long, gravel, not-so-level driveway... it was time for him to figure out how to get himself going. So I gave him a few pointers, and a few more good pushes to get him going, then stood back and watched.

What did I observe? It's REALLY hard to keep your balance on a bike when you're leaned over the side staring at your feet!! He would put one foot up, and watch it as he pushed off a little and put the other foot up. The pedals would make it almost one rotation, then he would tip over and try again with the other foot. I watched this process a few times, then yelled "watch where you're going and quit staring at your feet!!"

Off he went!! He made it all of 10 feet and stopped... then proceeded to stare at his feet and go 2 feet at a time. Again, I watched for a few minutes, then yelled "Stop staring at your feet"...off he went!! That time it seemed to sink in.

And what did I learn? Life goes a lot more smoothly when you keep your focus on where you are headed, and don't get quite so caught up in what your feet are doing.

Focus on what you want to accomplish and who you want to be, and just know that as long as you are doing the things that need to be done, you will get there. As soon as you start getting caught up in the processes that make up your life (waking up early, the to-do list, the house work, the screaming kids) instead of focusing on the big picture and appreciating your life and accomplishing your goals, you lose your balance and the bike stops moving forward.

So look up, decide where you're going, and start pedaling!!

Its May!?!

Mother nature must have been celebrating Mother's Day because I was actually able to take Aiden outside to play and work on projects AND we have grass growing in our yard!!

Last week was a surprisingly good week around here. Normally I'm the one running out of the house after Brian gets home from work. But last week Brian was gone 2 nights after work and half of Saturday, leaving me alone with both boys for most of the week. I say last week was surprisingly good because I managed to keep my sanity for MOST of the week. The nice weather helped that a lot. Aiden and I were able to go out and work on picking the yard up a little...moving rocks, picking up sticks, admiring the pond, etc.

Thursday night Brian and I were both supposed to go to a contractor's appreciation dinner with his parents, but of course that would have required finding a babysitter. Aiden has been less than willing to listen (to me or anyone) at bedtime, and Connor has suddenly decided that mom probably shouldn't leave the room...ever. Of course finding a sitter was also put off til the last minute after being gone all weekend for a wedding and focusing on going to Mason City Monday night for a Mary Kay event.

Thursday arrived, and we had no sitter, so I stayed home and spent half the evening giving the boys a bath. Well, watching the boys give each other a bath. Connor loves to splash in the bathtub, so he usually ends up getting everyone wet. And Aiden is ALWAYS wanting to help, so he gives Connor a bath.

After a long week of lots of time with the boys, Brian still had some work to get done Saturday morning, so I took the boys with me to run errands. We took back cans and bottles, went to the library, made a few Mary Kay stops, then came home and put Connor down for a nap. Aiden and I finished cleaning up the garage and waited for Brian to get home for lunch. Aiden actually took a nap, at the same time as Connor, so Brian turned on golf and I retreated to our room with the first book I got to read in months.

The boys woke up, both pretty happy, and Brian asked Aiden if he wanted to help him take back the movie we had rented and do some shopping. I suggested he take Connor (a MUCH better shopper)with him and Aiden and I would go explore the woods and meet them at grandma & grandpa's when they got done shopping. (Of course I reminded him to get something for his mom & grandma, and not to get me anything) Aiden loved walking up the 4-wheeler path and was immediately "put to work" checking out the new trailer and filling bird feeders.  

Brian mostly listened, he had flowers and cards for grandma & great-grandma, and he couldn't resist getting me a card that read...

Good moms let their kids lick the beaters....GREAT moms turn the mixer off first!

It also came with a mint plant and a bag of limes (both of which were on my shopping list) 

After dinner Aiden decided he was staying to help grandpa make pancakes for grandma on Mother's day, and Brian and I put Connor to bed and I read a few more chapters while Brian got the fire pit and mojitos (limes, mint, rum & sprite) ready.

Sunday morning I woke up to only one screaming child, drug Brian & Connor to church, made sure Aiden was at Sunday school, and came home and read, and read, and read some more. The book was pretty good, but being able to sit and read and ignore pretty much everything else was amazing! I finished the book Sunday night before going to bed... an entire novel in a day and a half, I hadn't done that since high school. Happy Mother's Day to me :D

This week will hopefully be a busy one. I've got meetings Monday & Tuesday, aplay date Tuesday, a party scheduled for Thursday, Aiden has Pre-K graduation Friday, and I've got another party Sunday. I also have 8 more parties to book for Mary Kay's birthday, and I would LOVE to get my garden started this weekend.

on a little more serious note...

This entry is going to be a little more somber than most, sorry. And please, no political remarks... I am merely expressing my thoughts.

I woke up Monday morning and after getting 2 boys breakfast and the kitchen somewhat clean, I finally had a chance to check to see what was going on in the world outside of Camp Swampy. I turned the computer on, checked my emails, and logged in to Facebook. It took me about 30 seconds of reading status updates to figure out what the biggest story of the weekend was.

I still haven't quite figured out how to react to the news of bin Laden's death. Yes, he was beyond a terrible person who is responsible for the death of thousands of innocent people. Yes, he needed to be stopped before he could kill thousands more. If I had the choice of putting a bullet through his head or letting him go free, I probably would have pulled the trigger.

But I'm not ready to dance and sing about the fact that we killed a man for killing people. The message doesn't seem quite right. How do we tell our children that violence is not the answer when we celebrate assassinating an enemy? Its like spanking a toddler while scolding them for hitting someone, they're not going to get the message we are trying to send.

And now what... more violence? higher oil prices? more countries wanting us to come fight their wars and assassinate their tyrannous dictators?

Yes, the man that is responsible for killing thousands of innocent people is dead... but what has changed? Another reason for our children to accept violence as a part of their lives, and another step from a world of peace and understanding.      

This one's for Aunt Wisha

Somehow my sister giving up FB for Lent requires more blogging effort on my part...

Connor Updates:
Nothing is safe anymore! He as learned to open doors, drawers, ovens, everything. And he remembers that he knew how to open a cupboard door, and does not like it when I baby proof the tupperware cupboard in the middle of him digging out his favorite toys.

He also knows how to crawl, but he still chooses not to until he is within a few feet of his target, then he gets up on all fours knowing it gets him a little closer to standing up on whatever is in front of him. Walking isn't too far off. He is constantly grabbing my fingers to hold him up so he can lead me to whatever he thinks he needs, so he already knows walking is faster than crawling.

He took his first bath in the big bathtub last week. Aiden thought it was pretty cool that he got to help give Connor a bath, but insisted on adding more water as soon as his little brother was out of the tub. Connor has no fear, he was splashing around on his tummy and crawling all over in the tub (something it took Aiden almost 4 years to attempt) Apparently seeing the first one survive everything he's done has given me more faith that the second one won't break either!

Aiden Updates:
Aiden's pre-K class is already working on the letter X, which means I need to start figuring out how to keep him occupied all summer! He has been riding the bus to and from school everyday except Tuesday when I drop him off. I think coloring is his favorite activity, both at home and at school. I can give him a bucket of crayons and a coloring book and keep him busy for at least an hour at a time. He has finished a few coloring contest pictures too, and they were VERY impressive and VERY colorful!

We bought some seeds to start our vegetable garden, and last week we started some of the seeds inside. We planted lettuce, broccoli, watermelons, and pumpkins on Monday. The package said we would see plants in 7-14 days. We were both amazed to see lettuce and broccoli already on Thursday, pumpkins on Saturday, and watermelons on Sunday! (I will post a few pics here, and will probably have a separate blog post about the garden, since we have also been keeping a journal to keep track of what we see and learn.)

Putting dirt in the garden

These are all the seeds we bought... we won't have to buy veggies all summer!

Pumpkins 5 days after they were planted... and they said it would take 7-14 days to germinate

We had a busy week last week. Brian's grandma came home from being in Texas for the winter, so we were there Thursday evening and Friday afternoon helping her get settled back in and taking care of her technology. Saturday we headed to western Iowa for Great Grandma Clancy's Tapestry of Tables luncheon followed by church, a grill out at Great Grandma Buelt's, then a bowling party to celebrate spring birthdays. On Sunday Aiden gave grandpa a tour of the farm, cuz I'm sure grandpa hadn't been all the places Aiden found at any point in the last 21 years.  

A weekend in the "Pink Bubble"

Unless you are in Mary Kay and Mary Kay is in you, a weekend in the "pink bubble" might sound a little corny. But in reality, it was 24hours of positive thinking, inspiring stories, and getting to walk across stage in zebra striped heels to a standing ovation because I am part of a Cadillac Unit. Never in my life have I seen so many beautiful and self confident women in one place.

There were over a thousand women in skirts and heels with their hair and makeup looking fabulous. There were National Sales Directors (NSD's) who had earned 2-3 MILLION dollars each in commission checks (on top of their sales). There was clapping, and cheering. There were 6 women in 1 hotel room with 1 bathroom and one sink, and we were all dressed and beautiful by 7:30am after staying up til midnight talking and laughing. But most importantly there was inspiration.

As you may know, I have been a Mary Kay consultant for almost 2 years. I would love to have $20,000 monthly commission checks and drive a pink Cadillac as a NSD. Until this weekend, I knew anyone can become successful in this company, but never truly believed it would be me. But I know I was meant to be at Career Conference in St Paul, on my 25th Birthday, listening to a NSD who replaced her ENGINEERING career with Mary Kay, listening to a Top 3 Director who had also been an engineer before starting her Mary Kay career, hearing that another NSD was able to thank God that she had no regrets when 3 men in uniform told her that her 24 yr old son wasn't coming home.

Can you imagine your first thought being "Thank you God" when you find out you have outlived one of your children? I want to be able to drop everything and be there for my family, no matter what. I want to get cheers and applause for something as simple as putting foundations on 30 women's faces, no matter how crazy they think I may be. I want to know I have someone to call that will tell me I can do it, no matter what obstacle I come up with.

I have found that in Mary Kay. I have been given an amazing opportunity, and so far, I've been too lazy, too afraid, to make the most of it. But no more. If a woman can start her Mary Kay career by literally falling down the stairs into the door of her first party and turn out to be a multi-millionaire NSD... anyone can succeed in this company, even me. There are no excuses, I have all the free training I could possibly need, the products are absolutely amazing, and the women in this company are even more amazing than the products.

All I have to do is ask. And ask I did. I got home Saturday night, spent some time with my husband and his family, and Sunday morning went to church and spent time with my boys. But Sunday afternoon, instead of having a nagging feeling to go take a nap or watch TV, I had a nagging feeling to get on the phone, and book some parties, and work my business. I knew in my heart, and finally in my head, that when I decide to work this business it will work for me.

I have a goal to be a Star Consultant and earn my brand new FREE Red Jacket for being a star team builder by June 30th. But more importantly, I have a dream. And I feel entitled to dream, and encouraged to dream. I can't imagine having an office job and going to a meeting where my boss asks what my dream is...it just wouldn't happen. But I spent 24 hours being encouraged to dream, and to encourage others to dream, and to help other women find self confidence and self worth. Mary Kay is not just skin care and Pink Cadillacs... it is about enriching women's lives, and about self growth.

I am beautiful, inside and out.
I have more than enough to share and to spare.
My dreams come true.
My choices and possibilities are expanding everyday.
My children have self confidence and believe in their dreams.
I AM SUCCESSFUL

I love getting mail!!

** I wrote this on March 11th, almost 2 weeks ago, saved it (meaning to add pics later), started getting the house ready for an open house, and totally forgot about posting it...until now

At least I love getting mail when its 40 degrees and sunny and there's good news involved. I'm not sure if I was more excited to get outside, or to open the mail and find info about Mary Kay's new Spring line AND a letter telling us the land we own is officially designated as farmland!!

I love my business, have I mentioned that before? I love it because it comes with endless amounts of free knowledge and inspiration. Yesterday was the first day I could order next quarter's new products, and I had already seen them, been given great ideas on how to show them, market them, and sell them. All from other Mary Kay consultants and directors, most of whom gain nothing financially from helping me out. I am really excited to be working my business, February was a great month for me, and I know I need to keep on pushing to make March even better, and April even better yet. The money is much needed, but what I need more is to feel successful and feel like I contribute as more than just a maid and a nanny!

And I need to be able to spend more time outside on our "farm"!! After going out to check the mail, I realized I hadn't taken a single picture of our house from the outside since before we moved in on November 21st. So I grabbed the camera and my boots and went out to take pictures before Connor woke up from his nap. I took a few of the house, then headed down to the pond. I could see from the house that it was getting fuller and bigger..but WOW! I hadn't realized just how big it had gotten!!

Then I discovered why it had grown so much in the last 3 weeks... there is a small river flowing into the pond under the snow and the ice! Walking to the pond I could hear (and feel) what seemed to be ice cracking under the snow. On my way back I found a hole about twice the size of my foot that had water in it.

I looked closer and realized the water was flowing through it from the woods down toward the pond. The farm kid instincts kicked in and I started digging through the snow with my foot to try to follow the river, breaking through the ice occasionally to see how much water there really was. It just felt great to be outside, playing in the snow and ice, and the farm kid inside of me yelling "I really own a farm!!" (Granted that 'farm' is less than 4 acres and includes a wetland designation, which I'm guessing is about 3.5 acres!!)

I am really looking forward to actually being able to use our yard this summer, and hopefully some of this spring. I have huge ideas for a vegetable garden, I've got tulip bulbs that need to get in the ground this week, and there are numerous other landscaping projects I could dream up using the boulders thy pulled out of the swamp less than a year ago.