Potty Training, Ninja Number 3 and the Quest for Veggies

Just a little bit about what going on around here : )


Jubilee is pretty much potty trained! I am so excited because it hardly took her a week to get the hang of it and she is just a pro now! I should have started her earlier, she was just toooo smart for me, such a manipulative little girl ; ) How did I achieve potty training in a week? Well, I skipped training pants and diapers that's how..this is the little girl who doesn't like being dirty. As soon as she figured out that her nickers didn't hold anything...she gave in and has been a success ever since : ) AND as her reward Dad bought her her very own frosty and Grandma bought her panties : ) AHHH I see a light at the end of the potty training tunnel.

Baby number 3 is actually a ninja...I am pretty sure of it! (Just like her sisters.) She is moving EVERYWHERE! And enough that Jamie can see it from a distance! I have gained soooo much weight as well. I have already gained 20 lbs! Considering I only lost half of my weight from Justice...this is looking a little grim for me! And even Dr. Murray called me out on it! So no more cake for me and a little more physical activity! I am TRYING to hard but it is just so hot and I feel like a blob. Last night Jamie and I took the girls on a mile walk and I didn't eat anything sugary. One day down...14 weeks to go!

Our veggie pursuit is going fairly well, but as you can see I must be making up for the lack of meat with bready, carby, sugary goodness. We had our first burger in a month at a cookout the other day and it tasted really good. Still...I don't find myself missing it at home. I am pretty content with the things we come up with. It's been a little difficult trying to feed Juju....she hates veggies. A lot of them I just put in our little chopper and make it so small she can't pick it off...she does well that way. Also I learned she likes celery, which I didn't expect because she HATES the texture of lettuce.

Justice is nearly walking, she can stand on her own but gets freaked out most of the time. She has 4 teeth and is waving and pointing and shrugging her shoulders, so cute! I also love when she gets irritated or bugged, she puts both of her hands behind her head and bows her elbows out...it is just hilarious, I'll see if I can capture a picture!

I love that Jubilee and Justice are the best of buds, they love being around each other and on the same napping schedule. Just adorable how much they love each other, hugs and kisses to each other melt my heart.

Jamie is still searching for a job, we are just praying, that's all we can do. He has had loooots of art projects though so that has kept him pretty occupied.

I think that's all over here!

My Mother's Day

I absolutely love Mother's Day. It is the day each year that I find that I am not only spoiled rotten but I am also very very blessed. I love being a Mom and my kids and husband make me feel great doing it. I don't know what I would do without my kiddos...they make me laugh and I am just so super proud to be there Mommy. I want to be the best example I can, I pray daily that I can be the perfect balance of a great guide through this life and a good friend.  I also love calling my Mom up and sending her cards. This year I am going to make a homemade dessert for her when I see her in ten days : ) Can't wait to show off my skills and enjoy it with a cup of joe. I miss her and my Dad so much right now.

 Yesterday Jamie cleaned the entire house and got upset with me if I even TRIED to put a dry dish in the cabinets. I didn't change all but two diapers! We listened to Adele in the morning and just took our time getting around. My girls were so cute in lil dresses and it was a perfect day. Jamie's Dad took us out for lunch and we had MEXICAN! : ) AND they were giving away free desserts and margaritas to mommys...I chose the dessert LOL fried ice cream! We went to the grocery store and got some stuff we needed and ingredients for Jamie's home made chicago style pizza (which he made today..yummmm) We came home...the girls took short naps, I just chilled out and when they woke up we went outside for a bit. In the evening Bryan and MJ came over for our 80's movie night : ) LOL we watched Ferris Bueller and UHF very funny! So it was an odd mixed up day..but it was perfect and I just love my girls.

Jusi in her adorable $1.75 target special : )

Juju in her Carter's dress that I found for $2.95!

Seasons

There is a season for everything. Right now I am trying to tell myself that this is not the season for a spic and span, ocd,perfect looking home...but rather for a clean, slightly cluttered home filled with little kids toys and sounds. Maybe if I keep telling myself that I can keep my sanity. I don't know why my organizational awareness had to set in NOW but they did and I am just trying to keep it together : )

It is also the season for teaching my children, watching them learn and grow, helping them to function in everyday situations, and just to laugh and have fun. I guess I can take that over a beautiful home anyday : )

Being a Mother

I feel so blessed. I love being a mother and I feel so thankful that the Lord allows me to care for and teach my girls. It. Is. The. Best. : )

Today we put allllll of the toys in Juju's bedroom away while organizing them. I found several of my own belonging in there as well....hmm wonder how that happened : ) Then we sat in the bedroom and red some books and sang some songs. Justice was just in awe by all of it but I could tell she was enjoying it. Jubilee LOVES reading with her, sharing with her, and bringing her "Sissy's" belongings. (Jusi's blankie, dog, kittie, book...that's about all that is only hers) We also watched Beauty and the Beast today which was pretty cool...Jubilee sat through about 3/4 of the movie without talking...then she wandered off to play with the cats while I watched the rest with my cup of joe. (lol I almost typed my cup of hoe). Jamie is working late all this week so I am trying to find ways to keep the girls entertained. Justice sleeps enough that its not hard to find ways to keep her busy (normally she is just content with gnawing on her feet) but Jubilee will be way bored hours before Jamie gets home. Sad that the week of Christmas is the week he works late isn't it? oh well...just thankful for jobs for sure!

Will type more laterz!

"Motherly" advice

THE worst thing...you can ever do...like ever... is compare some one's kids. I have had one too many times now "I cant wait for her (points at littlest one) to be her(points at toddler) age" I wont go in to detail, but way too many people have told me that now. I know they do not realize they come off that way...but for me, my daughters are both equally adorable and equally holdable....so please...treat them equal. "oh well she isn't really at the stage I like (pointing at Justice)" Please...break my heart. Once again people don't realize how often they say this and how it comes off. And no, I do not feel I am being to emotional about it because I know of other mothers who feel the same. I think this is why people say I "spoil" Justice and why I won't put her down. Because I am making up for everyone else who runs to Jubilee instead. Both of my daughters are fantastic....size, shape, weight, and age factor into that.

OK. I have said my piece. How would you deal with this?

Home schooled?

Jamie and I hope that we are able to home school are kids. Now those plans could change, we are open to changes when it comes to education. BUT I would absolutely love it if I had the chance to teach them for a couple of years. SO every now and then I think of an idea and I think I am going to share them, if nothing else, to have them written somewhere so I don't forget.

I want to challenge my kids to take up a cause. It can be anything...cure for cancer, saving a rain forest, feeding the homeless...I want to challenge them to find what they are passionate about and I want to help them make a difference with it.

I also want to teach them to question things (I know...scary right?!) but I think it is important to know both sides of something and why. The other day this kid came up to me and asked me to buy apples for a fund raiser (he was in 8th grade) when I asked what it was for he said he didn't know but his teacher told him to do it. Wow...now this 8th grader could be kind of lazy, but how much of that came from not being challenged to find out why things are the way they are!

I also have ideas for essays such as "My Favorite Thing about Myself" we could even make it a two parter, one having to do with physical looks and one on personality.

unrelated to schooling I would also like to challenge my children during the holidays to really focus on the reasons we have them. I LOVE Christmas, for the giving of it...and I hope my children can find that also. Maybe have them donate lightly used toys of theirs and have them pick it out.

Just ideas that I want to remember

Life As We Know It

Well, I am sitting here blogging for a minute before I take a deep breath and start all over with this house. Yesterday I CLEANED it...spic and span...and now it is half way back to where it was. BLAH. Sometimes it gets a little repetitious around here. Clean the kitchen, pick up allllll the clothes everywhere, change diapers, feed Justice, make Jubilee some food, clean the kitchen, pick up all the toys, get the girls to nap, pick up all the clothes, change the diapers, take out the trash (that happens almost everyday), make them some food, clean the kitchen, baths for everyone, put them to bed....by this time I don't want to clean or pick up anymore so the kitchen and the clothes are all ready to start again in the morning. HAH and in the meantime you have blues clues, wonder pets, Elmo, or some pixar motion picture playing in the background. Over and over and over again : ) I started going through some stuff yesterday to condense clutter...I would say it was successful.

I need a cup of coffee from Caribou and a grownup conversation. Just for like an hour. And then I can go back to being Supermom! ; )

Mommyhood

I know I am always blogging about my kids. Really...they are my life. Today it has hit me just how big of a responsibility my life is. I am leading two little girls through the foundational years of thier lives. Im not really scared....Im more honored that the Lord has blessed me so much. Sometimes I think things like "I wish I had been more successful with my career at family video" or "I wish I had time to just sit and read/write/sing" or "I wish I was more thrifty/artistic" because really all I do is feed the girls, change the girls, bathe the girls, clean, cook, clean, breath, clean and sleep (if I am lucky)....oh and clean. But honestly? I love that my life is what it is right now. I am so blessed to be able to stay home with them. Yes, sometimes we suffer a little bit financially because I have opted to stay at home, but isnt that worth something? If I can raise my girls to be honest, whole hearted, caring people who love the Lord...I think that is completely worth the time, effort, and lack of financial glory : ) I am doing the ultimate volunteer work right now. I am a mentor, teacher, guide, comfort, and friend. There will be time for other things later. BUT for now I will just fold clothes or teach Jubilee the alphabet....stay up in the wee hours of the morning trying to get Justice to sleep. Get up after an hour of sleep and make my hubby lunch. AND I will be thankful for it all.