Our happenings...

I feel like so much stuff has happened over night in our household. We went from lounging around grandparents' houses in Alabama to a crazy schedule here in Oklahoma.The first thing that we started was Awana on Wednesday nights. The boys absolutely love being Cubbies and wearing their little vests. If you're not familiar with Awana, it's the Bible based version of boy/girl scouts. If your church doesn't have one then start bugging someone into starting it! They learn weekly Bible verses and it's so adorable hearing these 3-4 year old recite them!

Then, Eli started PreK! At first I wasn't going to send him. There is a large community of homeschoolers here, but I just was not able to focus the amount of time that Eli needed and he longed to be in school like many of his friends. It's only 2&1/2 days a week so it gives him and Drew a nice little break from each other and Drew and me some time to have 1 on 1. He has learned SO much, things that I never would have thought to teach him. 

 We typically drop off Eli, go the the Y, go home to eat lunch, play and nap and then it's time to go get Eli. Someone asked me the other day what we do all day and I feel like I always get this weird look, like "that's all?!" I didn't want to add in the awesome: I also make beds, clean toilets bc my children urinate EVERYWHERE, sweep up what was half of the kids' breakfasts from under the kitchen table, start a load of laundry (I usually forget about it and dry it that night or next morning if it doesn't stink yet), and make the never ending requests for snacks and food that these people require to survive.  

The most exciting thing I've done is a few weeks ago I decided that I would run a 5k with a friend. I kept putting off and putting off training (yes, I know it's only 3 miles but when you're not a runner you've got to train for these things!) until a week before the race. So, in a span of 6 days I ran 18 miles to "train." The run was on Sunday and I finished under my goal by 16 seconds so that in itself was a victory! It was a really awesome feeling and yesterday I even thought about training for a 10k and then maybe a half sometime next year. I just thought about it. 

Today, I started working for the first time since 2008! The Kid's Day Out program at our church was looking for a teacher assistant for the infant class and it is so precious. All these sweet, lovable babies ranging from 6 weeks to not even a year. I get to love on them and smell their sweet baby fresh scent and then their mommies and daddies come and get them. It's perfect. And the boys are each in their own class down the hall. Drew has been adamant about starting school now that Eli goes and it's opposite days of Eli's other school. Eli LOVES that he has so many different friends now. He is such a social kid, totally opposite from Drew! I'm also hoping that it does help Drew's social skills and help prepare him for preK. His teacher said he had a great first day so I hope that doesn't change. 

I'm not sure when my boys became so big but it's so weird and so fun. 

Relationships

Our Sunday school class (full of married people and people who are about to be married or someday want to be married) has split the men and women up and we've been reading For Women Only and For Men Only. And ever since I read my book I am constantly aware of whether or not what I am doing is benefitting Daniel's and my marriage. 

When Daniel and I got married we went to Disney World on our Honeymoon and then I flew with him to California (where he had been living and I would move to after I finished college in a few months) for a week. When we were dropped off at his apartment I noticed that his truck wasn't there. It was his dream truck, a beautiful sporty 4 door Tacoma that he bought right after he had commissioned into the Air Force. It was gone. He had traded it for a Chevy HHR. I laugh about it now. Then, I was shocked. But, now that I look back I see why he did it… For me. It was cheaper than his truck, got a lot better gas mileage, and really he thought that I would like it. It was a really nice car/thing. It was fully loaded and actually rode really well. And let's just say it was nicer and safer than my Kia from college. 

Back to my book I've been reading. A lot of centers around men's egos and how we women hold the key to how they feel about themselves. I think back to a little over 6 years ago. While I didn't freak out on him, I didn't tell him that I loved the car. Heck, I could have just told him that I appreciated that he was thinking of me and wanted me to have something that he thought was great! And I made several comments over the next couple years (how pathetic to hold on to that for so long!) about what a dumb choice that was. Ugh, if time travel was invented I'd go back and punch myself. While he never even said a cross comment about the situation I am sure he was thinking about what a brat I was. And, OH! I  was. 

So, my encouragement to you is…Read this book. Even if you're not married. Even if you have been married for over half your life. It's game changing. Maybe not instantly, but implementing these small things and understand how men's brains work… And I will let you in on a little surprise- it's nothing like we think.

Beauty Blogs

In the past I have been so tempted to start blogging about fashion and beauty products because they are things I like, understand, and enjoy. However, I doubt anyone I know would even begin to take me seriously.

My hair gets washed about once a week these days, either Saturday nights or Sunday mornings, even though I have very oily hair. But I go to the gym every (almost every) morning and it's just annoying to get clean hair all sweaty. 

Then, due to gym participation I tend to stay in a tee and shorts. 

Gym clothes and sweaty hair in pony tail. 

Not quite the fashionista I think I am.

This morning I skipped the gym and washed my hair… although, I'm still wearing an outfit that doesn't qualify as a fashionable choice… and I put on makeup. I had a few stray brows so I began to pluck. Anyone who knows anything knows that when you pluck your brows that you don't want a HUGE gap between the two and you definitely don't want the end that is closest to your nose to begin in the MIDDLE OF YOUR STINKING EYEBALL. Well… I kept trying to even up my left brow and plucking further and further right to left. 

 I'm going to pick up a brow kit later today so that I can use  that to make them look a little more even until they grow back in… 

Broken Arms and Stuff...

Two weeks ago Eli fell and broke his arm. 

Everywhere we go people ask something along the lines of, "Hey buddy! What happened to your arm?" and Eli falls quiet. Last Sunday on our way to church Daniel told him that if someone asked what happened that he should tell them he fell on it and it broke. We laughed and said that he would probably say, "My daddy said to say…"  He has done a pretty good job of answering questions though without sounding like he's covering up a child abuse scenario. And he has thoroughly enjoyed collecting signatures of all his favorite people. After I had explained that once he got his hard cast that he could get his friends to sign it that was the basis for most of our conversations. And that evening he went next-door where two older girls (8 and 10) happily signed and our new neighbors (also two girls) and their mom signed also. 

He's been an absolute dream during this ordeal. He's not complained about the cast itching or being uncomfortable and he's never complained about pain. Not even in the first couple days. The ER did a fantastic job setting the bones back in place and he's only having to wear the cast for 3 weeks total (2 weeks to go!) We also got the waterproof cast that allows him to bathe and swim without having to put a bag over his arm. I'm sure it helps cut down on the stink as well…which is good because Eli is a total smell freak. He will let you know how funky your breath is and he's always the first to detect someone passing gas.

Sorry if this freaks you out but here is his arm after he broke it. The kid hardly cried and this is what his arm looked like. I don't know if it's because it happened so close to bed time or because he really is a super hero. I feel like his staying so calm helped me. I cried a little less than he did. 

Not a whole lot of things have happened since the arm breaking incident other than the temperature reaching a wicked 99º. 

Things Eli said over a bowl of sherbet...

"My sick little Drewboo.  He's so precious.  I need him to feel better so we can play like best friends again." 

In a very Eeyorr tone, "I wish we could go to a partyyy.  And play with friennnndssss. And eat some icecreeeeeam."

"Trying new things is scary. Like swimming.  I want to swim, but I think I'll wait until I'm just a little bit older.  Then I'll be good at it." 

"Sometimes when I say words that start with one letter, it sounds like a different letter.  Like cake. I don't think it should start with a C" 

"I need to start making monies. I need a job. If I'm going to be a superhero I need a costume. Batman wears a really nice costume and has a lot of Batarangs. They cost a lot of monies."

 

"I always want to call that girl Harley Davidson.  But that's not it.  What's her name again!?" 

"You're the best, Mom." 

 

"Joker don't want to mess with me. You know why? Because I'm Batman. I'll slap him really loud, right in his face."

Earlier this morning after sleeping about an hour last night, "Why are you in such a crappy mood, Mom? It's not really nice and I don't like it."

Eli- "I'm gonna kick Joker in the stomach.  I'd kick him in the nuts but you don't like it when I say that."

Me- "Well you still just said it.  That's really not nice to say or do."

Eli- "Right.  That's why I didn't do it, I just told you I would have.  But I didn't."

Me- "uh.  Ok."

No New Clothes

I made a commitment to myself that during the month of April I would not buy any new clothing. I don't know about the rest of you, but this is a big deal for me. 

I don't go on crazy shopping sprees (often) but I do have an awful habit of picking up something here and there and "Oh, it's 30% (heck, even 1%) off, I need it!" I had also tried to get dressed every single day. I kept it up for about a week and then ***thumbs down and mouth fart noises. 

I have gotten better about not going to the store in my workout/lazy clothes, granted I may not have my hair fixed and make up on…but progress. Baby steps. 

I didn't really think through the whole April is Easter thing though but I stuck to it and wore something that was in my closet. And guess what. I didn't die and my family still thought I was beautiful. I'm really ashamed of the amount of clothes I have and how much I love them. I always think that with the change of seasons I need at least 3 or 4 new outfits…so not the case. How dumb. I plan to continue not shopping throughout May! 

 I can do this! 

Silly post, but…it's just my thoughts for the moment!

My Jams

Don't judge me by what I'm about to tell you... But I think the most important part of getting a good workout in is the music pumping into your ears.  I'm not a cool person who knows what songs/bands/groups are popular until they're playing on the radio every other song.  And I'm not the kind of person who gets annoyed by this, unless it's any Frozen song on Disney XM. So, unless these songs are overplayed and you hate them, listen to these songs! I like them.

And this is where the please don't judge me part comes in :)

1. Beyoncé - Partician 

2. Katy Perry- Dark Horse

3. Imagine Dragons- Radioactive 

4. Lorde- Team and Royals

5. Jason Derülo- Talk Dirty to Me

6. Macklemore and someone else- Can't Hold Us 

7. Pharell- Happy 

8. The Lumineers- Charlie Boy 

9. The Temper Trap- Sweet Disposition

10. Mumford and Sons-The Cave

Some of these are good for running and some are good for weight lifting. These are just my top 10. I left off my Miley songs because I know that I would most definitely be judged for those. :)