A Few Weeks Ago...

You're gonna have to wait for the words.... I know, I'm slow!

Pay Day

Yesterday the big bonus I've been waiting for finally came in!

I have been working SO hard, the past 3 months I have changed about 1,000 diapers, been peed on, scrubbed poop stains out of clothes, done laundry double time, fed the boy too many times to ever possibly count, and have been sleep deprived. I have been so involved in my work, that I even skip showers (not always my choice) and have been known to wear the same pajamas for almost 48hours straight.

But like I said, yesterday was pay day and my bonus came through.... I've worked hard and really, really deserved this!

Yesterday, I gave Mason a Raspberry in his neck, and he Giggled!

Crazy Tage

Left to right, top to bottom...

Tage in her sneaks and hat, doing the "poopity poop" dance on top of the couch.

Tage wearing Mason's beanie, and putting lotion on her legs

Tage in her hat, ballerina outfit, and christmas slippers

Tage in a bag

Tage doing yoga in a top to an old dress of mine and her snow boots.

Wow! What will she wear tomorrow???

20/20

A friend of mine recently asked me if I had any marriage advice, as she is about to get hitched. I told her that her and her husband's problems should always be just theirs. No one else needs to hear them. If you have an issue with your spouse, you tell him, not your momma, or your girl friends. It really bothers me when I am with a group of women (or just one woman!) and they all start baggin on their husband. I would be really hurt if Kevin started telling his friends things I do that he hates or makes him mad (which although I do lots that he can complain about, he never gets mad... really. Never. Never ever yells either. It's great. He's the best!) So I'm not going to talk about him behind his back either.


Anyways, I've been thinking about what advice I have to give newly weds and what I'd do differently and I came up with these other things as well.

1. Stainless steel. That is the only way to go when you buy cookware. I bought some expensive nonstick stuff and less than 5 years later I am replacing all of it. Stainless steel yo. and glass for baking. Just say 'NO' to nonstick!
The only thing I did right with kitchen items was my knives.... I dished out a lot of dough for some good ones and I'm glad I did... Just sharpen them and they will work forever!

2. Kids. If I could have controlled some health issues that had to be resolved before I could have kids, I would've had them right away. I love my kids so much, and there is nothing greater than being Mommy. I wouldn't have waited if I didn't have those issues, and knowing what I know now. But that's just my opinion.

3. Don't spend your money. Sure have fun every now and then, but hold your money tight... you'll be glad you did in a few years, when you have to buy diapers. We were able to save a lot in our first year of marriage and then we bought a money pit, and now I miss my green.

4. Who am I kidding, I don't have that much advice. This is where it ends......

Confessions

I have a confession. I am a pack rat. It's true. As I have been trying (constantly) to simplify and organize, I have come to this realization. I try to find things I don't want or need anymore, but I want it all. I "need" it all. I am trying to change this though. I want to boss my stuff. I don't want my stuff to boss me.

I think the things we own say a lot about who we are and what is important to us. I don't want to be a mess! That is not who I am.

Cleaning Progress: I went through Tage's toys recently. I meant to get rid of a lot, but only got rid of a few (one of which was a giant plush pink cat with "Bratz" style eyes...bleh)

8 Hours Of Bliss

My 9 week old baby slept through the night last night! Only 10months sooner than his big sister did! Even if it doesn't last... I'm good to go for at least a week!

Blessing and More

SUNDAY, MARCH 1, Mason was blessed. What a fabulous day it was! Mason was a stud in his white suit! Kevin blessed him, of course, and in the circle was Kevin's brother, Chad, and his Father, Larry (Pop Pop) and Bishop Kippen (my Bishop ran the JFK 50, did yours?) Mason cried the entire time, and I went to the mother's room immediately after. When I arrived back to our seat in the chapel, Kevin nudge me and pointed to Shannon's (Chad's girlfriend) hand and I spotted her huge BLING! I was mad they made us sit all through Sacrament Meeting before we could get the story on their engagement. I am thrilled that Shannon will be in our family. She is wonderful and will one day find a cure for Malaria!

We had everyone over lunch, I made a great Chicken Noodle Soup, which ended up being Turkey Noodle Soup because I had no chicken, and then ended up just being Turkey with carrots and celery, because I FORGOT to put the noodles in before I served.... oh dear. No one cared though. They even ate every speck of halfbaked brownies.

The day was great, but there was a touch of sadness, because my Dad was unable to participate in the blessing. He suffered a stroke in February, two days before they were supposed to come visit us. Luckily, it was a minor stroke, and he is recovering very well.

SATURDAY, MARCH 7: I took a flight with the two kids, to Omaha, to visit my parents. Tage was on a Monkey leash, and Mason was in the Bjorn. Pretty smooth sailing.

The trip was good, Tage chased Woofer around the entire time, and Mason slept.

The last day, my mom was a little weepy, because we were leaving. Tage kept saying "Grandma! Don't cry! I'm still here!" and when we were back in Maryland, she called her and said "Grandma, you sad Tage had to go to Daddy's house?" Tage is adorable!

TUESDAY MARCH 17: Flight back to Maryland. Not as smooth as the trip out, but still fairly pleasant, considering Tage had awful sleep the night before, and had no nap that day. We had some tantrums in the bathroom at our layover in Chicago (apparently I wasn't doing the soap right...) and for the last 45minutes of our flight, Tage cried that she had to pee (a tough task to help her with in the eensy plane bathroom and holding an infant) and finally when we landed, I tried to get her to use the plane toilet, but the second she saw it, she said "No" and she ended up peeing in her pull-up, which was fine with me, that's why she had it on in the first place, so I wouldn't have to deal with the airplane bathroom scene!

So, I had told Kevin I thought it would be easier if I just picked up our luggage and he picked us up outside, instead of him parking and coming in and then making the trek back to the car with the kids. MISTAKE! The baggage didn't come for awhile, and Tage was crawling on the floor, with me holding her back with the Monkey Tail. When our bags finally came, she wouldn't get off of the floor, and finally when she did, I struggled to grab my bags, and a very nice man helped me get them off the belt. Then, everything came crashing down. Literally. One suitcase fell, and then Tage tripped, bumped the other suitcase, spun around and fell on top of the suitcase. All in a split second, with Tage crying, and Mason screaming in he Bjorn, and me wearing a backpack that weighed about 1/2 of what I do! The same man that got our bags, insisted on helping me, and I told him I was just going to sit and wait for my husband. I didn't want him to know that I was going to walk out of the airport myself. He carried my bags to a bench, and when he was gone, I headed to the doors. Automatic doors? No. They were broken. So I pushed the door and tried to navigate it's narrow opening, before another person came to help me. We were all thrilled to see Kevin, Tage got giddy when she saw him.

Great to be home! In the 10 days that I was gone many of my seeds have begun to sprout. YAY! This year, my yard and garden are going to look GREAT! I hope.


Update on cleaning: Umm, well... let's see... I gave a bin of clothes to my mother in law to consign. And I sold a spare exersaucer (again Tage's words as the toy left "Hey! I want my toy back!" Mommy: "Sorry, we gave it to those people, and they gave us some money, and mommy is going to...." Tage: "Go to the store and buy more Yoooooguuurrrrt!") A small dent, but a dent it is.