hello monday

hello children who need more outside time... my kids have turned into maniacs.  they are soooo stir crazy and that in turn makes me crazy and tired.  i may have turned to mike yesterday and said, "don't worry, it won't be like this forever, someday at least Dottie and Charlie will move out" bwhahhahahahahahaha. 

hello state champs!  in a follow up to my previous post, the Notre Dame Tritons are state champs!!  Luke and i went to the game saturday night and I am soooo proud of the beautiful miss katherine!  I got a little teary even. 

hello big things...  there is an interesting opportunity heading my way, not quite sure what to make of it or if this is the one I have been waiting for... only time will tell.

hello emerald green... I am not much of a green girl usually (I leave that to the lovely Miss Stephanie) but I bought this emerald green cardigan and am LOVING it and wearing it with everything. 

hello to finding a way and powering through...  moms of the world - you are doing a great job and YOU are ENOUGH (no matter what FB or Pinterest says). 

Today I am...

my little happy calendar at work

Wearing... grey dress, pink tights, houndstooth Sorel boots, white puffy coat, red/white stocking cap, black/white/red mittens.  Rocking the snowstorm fashion. 

Listening to...  Def Lepard, Joan Jett, Duran Duran.  Its 80's on Pandora people!  Whats not to love?

Trying to remember... that some day bedtime battles will be over and that I will miss snuggling those cranky little people that live in my house. 

Drinking... lots and lots of coffee.  3 am starts to the day will do that to a girl. 

Playing... Candy Land (always the yellow piece) and Go Spidey (marvel's version of Go Fish).

Laughing... at Dottie's constant need to "shake her booty" even if she prefers to do so without underwear. 

Wishing... Charlie was a better sleeper, how can such a happy daytime baby be such a crabby night time baby?

Looking forward to... seeing Barb this weekend and Luke's wrestling tournament. 

Turkey Day Redux

Do you have those little traditions that, because of their importance in your mind, sort of take on a life of its own?  Man,  Love me some traditions.  The problem with that, is sometimes the reality doesn't live up to the memory - rose colored glasses looking at the past. 

Thanksgiving is a BIG tradition for my family.  For many years, it is the one holiday we do not travel for, no obligation to do the big family dinner back home.  We have had our nice little Friends-giving for a long time.  Before Luke, Dottie, and Charlie.  It was always the Angie and Barb Thanksgiving show. 

Some years, our participants were more appreciative of the efforts than others.  There may have been a year where the house almost started on fire, where the ginger beer did not cure morning/all day sickness, where someone (who sucks and whose name will not be mentioned here) had his fresh kill in my driveway.  There were pingpong tournaments, naps, teaching the kids to rabidly hate the Detroit Lions. 

It was always the Angie and Barb Thanksgiving show.  If you want to see some recaps - Barb has been much more diligent of keeping our memories - check it out here. 

This year, because there has been a huge readjustment in our lives, I was a little worried that the actual event could not live up to the mythical place it held in my heart.  We had pinterest boards of ideas, multiple menu discussing emails, serious phone discussions.  Could it really be as great as in my mind? 

Then, 10 days before Thanksgiving, my knee gave out on me.  I couldn't walk.  Couldn't stand.  Was scheduled for unexpected surgery. 

I may have sent an angst filled email to Barb saying _ I cannot do this. 

Luke making Turkey decor (a must have).

But we did.  And it was, again, the Angie and Barb Thanksgiving Show.  Barb has a beautiful post with lots of pictures of the food. So I won't rehash.  I just want to share a few of my favorite pictures.   

I may have a new found love for Bourbon.  Yum.

Snow White (Dottie) making my family recipe for cranberry relish. 

Turkey Relish Tray, made with love by Barb and Dottie

I am a little bummed that there is not one picture of me and Barb.  In all our preparatory glory.  The food was wonderful, the house if not super clean, was presentable, the guests were fantastic and wonderful company, the drinks were plentiful and the day was just as wonderful in my heart and mind as in reality. 

We have a no Christmas till after the Turkey is put away rule in our house.  So Thanksgiving night, Mike the superdad, took Luke and Dottie out to work on the Christmas lights.  Charlie wanted in on the action too. 

We will plan on for 2013 - no lumpy gravy next time.  I promise. 

Get Some....Zzzzz's That Is

We are all tired, right?  You would think, then, when the opportunity presents itself to climb into our cozy comforted beds we would do so and let the world slip by.  

I have had several conversations with folks about insomnia in the past few days.  I have always had a problem sleeping - restless my whole life.  I have learned some tricks and hope you will share yours too. 

1)  No tv in the bedroom.  Taking my tv out of my bedroom was a huge step and did work, for awhile.  

2)  Drink something hot before I go to bed.  (tea usually but I love hot toddy's in the winter).  

3)  Keep the room cold.  If my bedroom is hot, I will not sleep.  I also cannot sleep if my feet are "tucked in".

4)  Mind games.  Seriously, I need to distract myself from my daily anxieties.  So.  I do the following little games to keep my mind occupied enough to relax.

• Spell my friends names backwards to forwards
• list ingredients to a pizza from A to Z
• list halloween candy from A to Z (this was tricky)
• try to come up with famous names that are AA BB CC (Abigail Adams, Burt Baccarat, Courtney Cox) all the way to ZZ (Zig Ziegler, just in case you were wondering)

Most nights, these do the trick, but lately it hasn't been falling asleep that is the problem, it is going back to sleep after I have woken up in the night with Charlie.  Last night I was up from 2-430.  I just should have gotten up an done some laundry - at least then the time would have been productive!

Any fellow insomniacs out there? 

Trendy Tuesday

When Luke was born, I became a total slob.  I mean, I could barely comb my hair, get showered and dressed in something besides yoga pants.  I was adjusting to a 430 wakeup time, sleepless nights, all that jazz.  

When Dottie was born, I went from slob to zombie.  Two kids in 17 months.  I was barely functioning.  I have very few memories of the first six months.  My memories of the second six months involve lots of meltdowns (me) and tantrums (Luke) a confused baby (Dottie) and a traveling for work husband (Mike).  

Now with Charlie - it is like a lightbulb went on.  I am adjusted to the 430 wakeup, the nights of interrupted sleep.  I have come to peace (sort of) that my house is a disaster and that the laundry never is caught up.  I refuse to feel guilty that sometimes we eat just buttered noodles and applesauce for dinner.  No one is malnourished at my house.  

And so, I am coming out of the fashion black hole I have been living in.  Like - really making an effort to put together some outfits and wear accessories and (gasp!) makeup.  It is the makeup that is making this so fun - trying new looks, acting like Kim Kardashian with a huge smokey eye (lets be clear, I already had the huge ass) and not caring that a paper company lawyer doesn't usually mean fashionable.  

So if you are in that dark hole of either zombie or slob - there is a light at the end of the tunnel.  You can get your groove back.  Embrace that glittery gold eyeliner!  

But I do still love yoga pants.

Sunday Funday (the pumpkin version)

My most favorite thing in life?  Sunday breakfast.  It is not hurried.  It can be complicated (or not).  Everyone is generally in a good mood.  It is just the five of us.  It usually involves a dance party of some sort.  It is heaven.  

Today's heaven was pumpkin pancakes with bacon.  So if you have never had a pumpkin pancake with a piece of bacon rolled in like a taco filling with maple syrup - you have never lived.  Try it.  No need to thank me.  

Then, because I had an open can of pumpkin - pumpkin pie dip it was awesome and will be great to use up some of the ten million apples we have from the orchard last weekend.  

Now for those of you who have little people and are football fans, you must know what a travesty the NFL's 3:15 pm game can be.  The Packers played at 3:15 and it is miserable with kids - they want to run around and be crazy because they have recently napped.  You want to sit and watch the game and not run around.  So today, I had the brilliant plan to make pumpkin granola during the game so the kids were occupied and hopefully I could steal a few glances at the tv.  

I started with my basic granola ingredients and swapped out pumpkin in place of the olive oil.  I put the kids to work. After about 15 seconds of that, I think Luke sneezed all over the place.  We had to have a friendly chat about cooking cleanliness.  I like my granola like my life - very nutty.  Dottie was having a blast scooping and dumping ingredients.  Especially the peanuts.  

Luke was totally vigilant to ensure that Dottie wasn't getting to add or do something cooler than him.  He added about seven million tablespoons of cinnamon sugar.  He also kept sneaking tastes of the honey.  He wasn't even sneaky about it.  He left a huge sticky trail that gave him away.  They were excellent helpers.  

Of course, even the best 4 and 2 year old helpers get antsy.  And lets be serious, making granola is super tedious after the mixing part is done.  I was abandoned with the granola.  Which I guess is fine because it would have been pretty suspect parenting to let them do the roasting in the oven. 

Finally, several hours later, all the granola was finished.  The game was on but chaos reigned supreme here.  I would like to think of myself as some hippy, granola, calm momma, but to be candid - this is what it is really like:

In fact, shortly after the last roasted pan came out of the oven, Dottie informed me, "this nola is gross".

Great.  

Well, at least they are cute non hippies.