Pixie Dust

The end is near...

For Typepad that is.  In an effort for me to start a blog, my SIL Kristi gifted me a free year of Typepad.  It's been great here, it really has.  But, with the recent changes, and me being cheap, I think my time has come.  I only have about a month left here, so I thought I'd start the transition.  You'll see my new site looks very similar.  Check it out:

http://mylittlepixies.blogspot.com/

I won't be posting here anymore, but you can always visit, until it's shut down.  Anyone have any advice on how I can archive my posts so I don't lose all this journaling?  I'm computer stupid! 

Ok, don't forget to bookmark me, add me to reader or whatever you do.  You wouldn't want a miss a thing, now would you?

TFT-Change

This week, change, and I don't mean coins in the pocket.  I've recently been thinking about change and the idea of change.  My dear friend Leslie does not like change.  I on the other hand, love change.  I love to change my hair, my house, my furniture and my clothes.  My neighbor commented one day that she saw me in 4 outfits by 4pm!  Funny stuff.  That's not the kind of change I'm talking about.  Not physical change, but psychological change.  I mean the change that is hard to do, the kind where you have to change your lifestyle, mode of thinking.  Is there something about yourself, or your life that you should change, or want to change, but put it off because it's easier to do that?  Could you work harder on the job, but just do the minimal to stay alive?  Is your marriage a little rocky and there is just too little time and energy to make it better?  What about your kids?  Could you spend more time with them, rather than watching tv, or surfing the net?

I know we all have something, perhaps many things we could change.  I would love to have more patience with my kids.  Sometimes it's just easier to get crabby and yell.  I hate being like that and I don't want my kids to think of me as a screaming banchy.  I want to be seen as a kind and warm person with a voice of reason.  That's a lot of work and it takes a lot of energy to tackle that one. 

My marriage is good, Brian and I are happy.  But at times, we barely get a moment to talk because we are always busy with the kids.  When we do get a moment, we are too exhausted to say anything.  This is not ok with me.  We are done having kids, and soon enough they will be grown enough for us to change this easily, but I don't want to wait until Bennett is 2, you know?  So, the other night, I made a conscious effort to talk to him and even cuddle him!  Brian will be the first to tell you that I really don't like cuddling.  But, it was nice and I went to bed happy.

My last thing I really want to change about myself is my motivation.  It is so easy to be lazy and not exercise.  I hate that about me.  I wish I had the drive to just go to the gym, but really I have to force myself.  There is also the guilt factor for me.  That's 2 hours I could be spending with the kids. In reality, it's just as good for them, as it is for me!  I need to work out and have time to myself.  They get to play with other kids and get other adult interaction at the daycare.  Everyone wins. 

So, if you are feeling brave and want to expose your deepest flaws (not really flaws), please go ahead and share.  Either leave a comment, or post on your blog.  The only thing I ask is leave me a comment so I know where to read and post a link to my blog so that others may have the chance to bare all as well!  Happy Thursday all!

I'll link to other TFT'ers when they get around to "thinking" today!

Kristi on neighbors

Jenny on giving the "bump"

Jessica on culture

Weekend review...

Gosh, it has been a whirlwind of a weekend.  Brian went out of town on Friday so it was just me all day Friday, Saturday and half of Sunday.  Friday night I had my mom, sister and her hubby over for tacos.  They were tasty!  It was nice to have company, to keep me company!  Bianca started to get a fever that evening and I knew I was in for a lot of fun.  After a rough, sleepless night (because of Bennett, not B!) Bianca woke up with a high fever.  Not good.  We decided still to brave it at the Zoo.  We spent a few hours there and Miss Bianca was such a trooper.  Here are a few pics of the outing:

 

 

 

After the zoo, we all had much needed naps and then headed across the street for some dinner with the neighbors.  My neighbor Lisa made awesome pulled pork sandwiches.  They were so good that I had to get the recipe.  Yum!  I ended up putting Bianca to bed at 6:15 only to wake her up around 7:15 because of tornado warnings in our area.  She went right back to sleep though.  We all finally made up home a little after 9 on Sat. night and passed out!  We were exhausted.  We woke once again to a very high fever and one crabby Bianca.  I knew something wasn't right for sure now.  It just was unfortunate that it was Sunday.  I called Brian bright and early and told him to get home.  He arrived around noon to help out. 

We finally were able to get Bianca into the doctor on Monday.  Turns out, she has her third UTI in 14 months, 2 within the last 2 months!  Needless to say, she needs to see a urologist at the ripe age of 1.  Poor kid! 

I survived the weekend, it really wasn't too bad.  I surrounded myself with people so that I wouldn't be bored and that really seemed to help.

Not much on the calendar for this week.  I host our weekly playgroup on Friday but that's about it.  And for those of you questioning the validity of the potty pic, it's 100% real.  Annika told me she had to go #2 and so I sat her down before nap.  I laid in bed and waited and after about 15 minutes, I went back in to find her passed out cold, on the potty.  I grabbed my camera phone and snapped a pic, hence the poor quality.  I don't care, it was hilarious! 

Have a great week everyone! 

Priceless...

One big girl potty:  $20

Lots and lots of big girl undies:  $ 30

Falling asleep on the potty:

 

Priceless!

Chocked full of posts today...

Thank goodness my kiddos are being good today.  I'd post a picture that I got of all three kiddos cuddling (melt my heart) but Brian took the camera for his guys weekend.  Yep, it's just me and my three kids.  Wish me luck, I just may need it.  I told him if he got a 911 text, that he needs to speed home :)

Anyway, I started Flylady last night.  The first step is to go shine your sink.  Well, I did.  It's nice, but not as fabulous as I thought it would be.  I agree with Flylady 100% though, if I go to bed with dishes in my sink, I'm just crabby when I see it in the morning.  It's almost the first thing I look at and when it's piled full of dirty dishes, I just am not happy. 

So now I'm on day 2, get dressed to lace up shoes.  Basically, when you wake up, get ready and be sure to put on shoes.  Don't do anything else until you do that.  Well, I know I will fail at this step nearly everyday for 2 reasons: 

1. I don't shower when I wake up.  I cherish that last bit of sleep I get so I sleep until the kids wake.  Then I need to get bfast and other stuff going first. 

2.  I don't like to wear shoes if I don't have to.  I won't be wearing shoes just because Flylady tells me to.  I don't think it will make me feel better.  I do think though she's got a point about being dressed and looking nice.  I definitely feel happier and more energetic if I'm dressed nicely and look good.

Tomorrow, I just have to repeat what I've been doing.  Getting dressed and shining my sink.  Oh, and something about reminding myself to do these things.  Easy enough, right?  Hopefully.  Babysteps I guess.  That's what she calls them anyway. 

Like I said, Brian is out of town for a bachelor party this weekend.  My sister will be staying with me tonight.  It's not that I can't handle the kids, it is just the loneliness factor.  I hate being alone.  Especially with our new ghost friend hanging around.  Knowing Erin, she'll bring another few spirits with her!  Hopefully tonight we'll get some scrappin' done.  I have sooooo many pics and so little time.  The good thing is, I have another scrapbooking retreat coming up in a few weeks.  My goal for that weekend is to get 30 pages done (wishful thinking, I know).  I got 20 done at my last trip. 

Once again I digress.  The weekend is supposed to be beautiful, so I'm hoping that the weather will preoccupy a good portion of our time.  I hope you all have a great weekend! 

Invisible friend or supernatural being?

That is the question. 

So normally I wouldn't even consider the latter as a possibility.  I don't believe in supernatural beings for the sole reason that I have never experienced one.  I'm a seeing is believing type of person.  My dad is the same way.  Now, my sister and mom are complete opposites.  They have claimed to have seen many a dead person, including my mom's late friend and my grandfather who passed when I was in 3rd grade.  I am terrified of this prospect, and both claim that a supernatural being (or ghost) would never present itself to me because I am too terrified.  I just don't like the idea of dead people roaming around amongst us.  It's just creepy. 

So anyway, I digress.  If you read this post, you may be slightly confused as to why I'm questioning Annika's "invisible friend".  Well, here is some of my thoughts as to why it could be a ghost.  We have several toys that like to play all on their own.  This has been going on for some time now.  I had to turn one off just to make it stop.  Last night, another one started in.  Just a little bit later, Annika pointed to that same corner and said, "Look mom, there's a little man over there!".  Freaked me out!  Then she proceeded for at least another half hour about this little man.  Sometimes he was in her hand, other times he was up toward the ceiling.  When I asked her what he looked like, she said daddy. 

So after a while, it starts to sound like an invisible friend, right?  Well, of course my mind kept reeling all night.  I've only experienced weird things in my basement.  It's not a scary basement, it's actually quite nice and comfy.  However, my sister used to live there.  I swear to God, she brings spirits with her everywhere she goes.  She lived with us in our old house too and I experienced strange things there too.  She sees ghosts everywhere, it's creepy as hell. 

So, here is where I need your help.  Am I just being crazy and over thinking things?  Or, could it be quite possible that my sister brings these beings into places and then they think they can just wander freely in and out as they choose?  I'd like to think that these ghosts know they are not welcome in my house.  I just won't have it.  I don't care if you are my beloved grandpa or what.  It's just not ok in my book.  Do you believe in ghosts?  Have you experienced the supernatural?  Please share.  I know my SIL Kristi did a post on this a while back too. 

Thanks everyone!

TFT Retraction...

I reread my TFT post and felt I was coming off as pretentious.  The whole point of my post was to vent my frustrations amount money and snobby people.  I consider myself to be extremely lucky.  We have a lot to be thankful for, a warm home, 3 beautiful babies, great familes.  I'd rather brag about those things, than the amount of money I may or may not have.  I apologize for the miscommunication.  I hope you all have a great day.

I have a follow up post to my previous one.  Stay tuned as I would love your input.  Thanks!

Hey there little man...

I'm incredibly creeped out right now.  Either Annika has an invisible friend that she can hold in the palm of her hand that she calls "little man", or we have a tiny little ghost.  She's running around talking about this little man that looks like daddy, sometimes she's holding him in her hand, sometimes he's up in the air, and just now she fell on top of him.  I don't know what to think about it.  It's a bit creepy if you ask me.  I know she's at that age where kids create these invisible people, but I am totally not prepared for this.  Please help.  It's weird.

Drunken badminton...

So many years ago, Brian, my sister, her hubby and I invented a great game while trying to pass time at the cabin.  It's no secret that we like to drink while hanging out in the wilderness.  We also like to play many different types of lawn games: croquet (an all time classic fave of mine), bocce ball, hillbilly golf (also known as ladder golf) and of course badminton.  So in the spirit of fun, we developed some "new" rules involving the classic game of volleying a shuttlecock (also known as a birdie) back and forth. 

1.  Choose a partner.  We choose our partners based on marriage.  You could base it on gender, skill or whatever.

2.  Find a drink.  It should be alcoholic (hence drunken badminton), but can be whatever you choose.

3.  Develop boundaries, no need to mark, just agree upon them.

4.  Grab hold of your racket and beverage, start volleying. 

5.  If the birdie drops on your side, you must drink one drink.  If you spill your drink, you must drink 2 drinks.  If you try to serve and whiff it, drink 3 drinks.  The same goes for your opponents. 

6.  There are no points in this game, the winner could be anyone depending on how you look at it.  If your goal is to remain sober, then the winner is he/she who drinks less.  If your goal is to get blitzed, then the winner is the one who sucked more.

Enjoy.  I know we do.

Happy Birthday Sis!

I just have to say Happy Birthday to my little sister Erin.  She turns 24 today!  She's an awesome sister and an even better friend.  I'm lucky to have her in my life.  I hope you have a fantastic day Erin and know that we all love you!

Love,
Michelle, Brian, Annika, Bianca and Bennett