LaLaLaLa Life Goes On

AVON 21

2009-09-23T20:06:00.003-05:00

Brochure 21 is up. Place your orders now :) Free delivery over $30. Raffle for local customers.

*NEW* Reversalist. Reverse the signs of aging now with this awesome product, reduce fine lines, wrinkles and sun damage in as little as 24 hours! Avon is the first to produce a skin care line with Activinol. Pick it up today in my store on sale.

rave of the week: Avon glazewear lipgloss.... love it :) Goes on nice, smooth and shiney!! Try it out, only $2.99 each, many shades!

http://npeterson0062.avonrepresentative.com/

Homeschool

2009-09-17T10:33:00.003-05:00

Well folks... it looks as if next year is the big year for homeschooling. I have been looking up Illinois laws, local home school groups and activities.
If everything pans out the way we plan, Tyler will start home school next school year, starting with grade 4. As of right now, I think Leah will finish thru 1st grade at Cooke Magnet, then start home school the following year with Tyler. Emma will have begun a prechool theme by then as well too.
I have looked up materials and found the books I plan to use on Amazon. Spectrum series for all subjects. I am open to all ideas and suggestions. Please email me if you have anything..... that is to SUPPORT my plans. No negative talk needed, I will just delete ;)
I am attending a Mommy Breakfast next month to meet with Moms of the IHOUSE group. I am really looking forward to it. Even though we won't be starting until next year, I want to find more support now bc I am not being supported much locally.
I am really looking forward to being able to control what and how my kids learn and keep our the bad influence of public school, mostly in the middle school age as far as 'bad' kids go, lol.
I will keep updated on my journey :)

THANKS

2009-09-16T14:31:00.002-05:00

Another big Thanks to Stephanie for changing my blog background. Such a talented, creative Mama she is..... and I am also awaiting a package from her... more bows, bowholder and a tutu for the girls :) Pics to come to show off more of her talent!!!

Check out her etsy shop, Pretties 4 the Piggies:
pretties4thepiggies.etsy.com

Check out her shop, get your gals some bows and after that, check out my Avon website, free shipping Ladies :)
http://npeterson0062.avonrepresentative.com

Get ready for Christmas too :)

"Don't Call me Crazy"

2009-09-11T12:28:00.002-05:00

As most of you know, I have delt with Axiety and various other issues since Emma was born. I have become comfortable accepting the fact that I have what one may refer to as a "mental illness" and others just may call "crazy" Whatever, it doesn't bother me anymore.
Now, one thing that DOES bother me is... let's not use names here.... Thru the grapevine, a friend of mine works with an other lady. This womans Father In Law tried to commit suicide this last weekend. Overdosed on pills, I am not sure what pills. Her comment to her coworkers after returning from her weekend!? "He ruined my plans. He just wants attention."
HOW DARE SHE!!! Does she not know how LUCKY they are to still have him? Yes, there is something wrong with him, but it is NOT something to complain about or poke fun at. Depression, and any other mental issue, is not a walk in the park. Having first hand experience with the ups and downs in moods, I know, it sucks. People do not go to therapists just to complain to someone, people do not have anxiety attacks for attention, and people do not KILL themselves for attention either. Left untreated, depression can kill you faster than cancer. This is not a joke.
People need to become aware of mental illness bc if they aren't strucken with it someday, then someone they love will be. And it only makes it more easy on us 'crazies' if you would pull your head out of your ass and find out what depression, anxiety, OCD, bipolar, etc REALLY is before you point a finger and laugh or judge. It just might have been YOUR fault this person has ended up in this situation.
Do we laugh at the blind? People with cancer or diabetes? NO. Mental illness is a disease, not a joke.
Thanks for reading the rant from me, the crazy one, haha.

eye makeup remover

2009-09-06T14:16:00.003-05:00

Hello Fellow Bloggers... I know, I have really been slacking. But I wanted to add to my raves. Avons eye make up remover lotion. I tried to link it here but you can find it by searching "eye makeup remover" in my store:

www.youravon.com/npeterson0062.com

or

http://npeterson0062.avonrepresentative.com/

The remover works so well. Wipes on smooth, removes all color. I give it 5/5 stars :) Shop today and you can get it for .99 with certain purchases listed in the brochure. Hurry, the catalog changes in a couple days.
Shipping is still FREE on orders over $30.
I am also doing a raffle this week. Any purchase over $10 gets their name put into the raffle to win a free makeup brush set. For every $10 spent you get another name put in the raffle, no limit!!!!

FREE SHIPPING

2009-08-25T15:41:00.002-05:00

On all orders over $30 on my Avon website... please visit

www.youravon.com/npeterson0062

Doesn't free shipping just make online shopping just all that more enjoyable!? I love it.

Todays Avon Rave is their mineral power.. I love it. I have tried numerous brands sold at the store, this one kicks all their butts :)

Come back soon for more Avon chat and of course updates on Tylers first day of school tomorrow. Woot :)

Avon

2009-08-23T05:17:00.002-05:00

I am now an Avon rep. I just signed up a few days ago. Check out my card :)

If you want to order, please check out my store and feel free to place your order and I can deliver or you can pick up.

http://www.youravon.com/npeterson0062

Big Crumbs

2009-08-16T05:06:00.004-05:00

Check this out. I just joined. Hope to make some cash back :)

Emma is 2

2009-07-30T08:49:00.005-05:00

I have slacked... Emma turned 2 on Sunday. We had a great day. She enjoyed her party, her cake and all her great gifts :)

She is still doing great on the potty.

She went to the Doc Monday for her WBV. She is just shy of 30 lbs and 33" tall. She got her MMR shot and a TB test (which she is TB free, lol).

Added are are few of her 2 yr photos, pics Papa took last week. She is the perfect subject so it is hard for Papa Scott (Party Shots Photography) to not get a beautiful pic, hehe :)

How Rude

2009-07-23T18:44:00.002-05:00

OK People. It is only common courtesy to call and cancel an appointment if you are not going to make it. I had, yet another, interview for child care today, at 1:00. Well by 1:30 I got the idea. She wasn't going to show. And we just spoke TWO days ago! It is just so rude. Blah.

Well, I have another interview tomorrow at 2. Will she show? Will this finally be the fulltime kid I need? Ah, I hope so.

On another note.... Emma is still rocking the potty. Still accidents at night and sometimes naps, but that is to be expected, lol. We took away her nuk yesterday. She was having it at naps and night still. She went to be OK with out it, a little whining but she still went down without a big fight. Now waking up this morning, she was pissed, lol, total terrible two tantrum (ha, say that 3x fast, lol). Naptime this afternoon was the same way. I will be glad to get past this. Now, if she would only sleep on the toddler bed, lol. We tried taking the rail off her crib again last weekend. It was a no go, she was very very mad, screamed and cried.... why, rather similar to waking without her "night night" this morning, lol.

Tyler and Leah are still loving swim class. They are doing very well. Leah can not wait for school to start, Aug. 25. Tyler, on the other hand, does not think summer is long enough, lol. Leah and I got our hair cut yesterday. I chopped off a good 6 inches, and so did Leah. Her hair is more manageable now. She is so pretty :)

Big Girl

2009-07-19T19:11:00.002-05:00

Today Emma has officially went all day without an accident. We were even out and about a lot today and she said on the way home "Pee Mama" so I said "Hold it baby, we are almost home" She said "Home? OK" LOL> And when we got home the pull up was DRY and she went pee. YAY EMMA. Time to go get some big girl undies.... while trying to avoid the Dora ones, lol.

As I am sitting here typing Adam is talking about Emma. It is cute. He said "We should trim her hair" I say "No way" He said "No?" LOL.... end of that discussion, then he moves on to wonder what she is going to look like when she gets older. As a parent of three, I can say, time flies by so fast, she will be 8 tomorrow. I remember thinking the same thing about Tyler, and Leah. Where has the time gone? I remember Tyler being this energetic, chubby, 30 lb, 2 yr old, like it was yesterday. Now he is 8, going into 3rd grade, and is tall and super skinny. He looks just like his toddler days, minus those chubby cheeks and a couple feet taller, lol. I decided today as well, that Leah is too big. I can not believe "Baby Leah" (as she is referred to a lot) is going into Kinder!!!

My heart aches for many reasons. I can't stop time, I want to go back and relive some things, not miss out on other things. I don't want my kids to grow up, I don't want them to realize what this world is really like. I don't want them to face racism, violence, hurt, heartbreak, poverty, reality. I want to put them under my arms and hold them forever. I look back and remember where I was and highlights of my life at certain ages. I had a rough adolecense, so I know my kids won't see a lot of things I did that young, but I can not help but cringe. How can I prepare them for life? How do I know if what I am doing is what I am supposed to? How can I prepare MYSELF for them growing up? I do not think there is any specific answer to these questions. I think we do the best we can and do what we think is best and pray it works. Please, Lord, please guide US. That is all I can do is do my best and pray.

Emma vs the Potty

2009-07-16T18:49:00.002-05:00

Emma has been doing great with potty training. She tells me most of the time when she has to go, but I still ask. She has pooped on the potty now twice!!! I can not believe it. She is still leaking a little bit before we get to the toilet and wets at night, but I am not suprised.
Before I know it, we will be going to the store to get her 'big girl undies'

Tyler and Leah have started swim class. Neither have even has swim class before. They go Tuesday and Thursday nights, so DADDY gets to take them. Giving Mommy and Emma a break, lol. Tyler struggled a lot at his first class, trying so hard but no progress. Poor guy. Leah has class with 2 other girls about her age and she is having a blast. I do plan on going next week and I will take some pics ;)

Emma's birthday, and party, is next Sunday, the 26th. I ordered the biggest Wow Wow Wubbzy balloon today, it is 26" and ALL face, lol. So cute. I have all her gifts wrapped, lol. I am ready. I just don't know how I will deal with it emotionally, I am losing my baby, she is getting too big. I dear baby fever will be taking over terrible soon. I hope not. I hope I can just enjoy the kids at their ages and not miss the sleepless nights with a precious, tiny, cuddly newborn. *sigh*

Mama Sue is still in town. She leaves Aug. 6 to go back to AL. It has been a nice visit. Her birthday is a couple days before she leaves, so we will take her out for a bday night :)

Bye Bye Diapers!!!

2009-07-14T09:20:00.002-05:00

Much to my disbelief, Emma has started potty training. It started Friday. I have introduced the potty to her and sat her on there, asked her if she had to pee, many times in the last couple months. She had no interest and actually seemed a little scared of the potty, lol.
Well, last week it all seemed to change. I just randomly asked her if she wanted to pee on the potty and she said YES. Since then, she has been doing great, only a couple accidents a day. She is wearing pull ups when out and nap time and Gerber cloth trainers around the house. She is soo proud of herself. I am asking her every 20 mins or so to go potty but most of the time she is TELLING me she has to go. I am shocked... 2 weeks before her 2nd birthday and she is doing great.
I will make sure to update her progress.
After her first no accident day, I will take her out and let her pick out the panties of her choice (which I am afraid maybe Dora, lol). YAY EMMA :)

Belated... Happy 4th of July

2009-07-05T11:19:00.002-05:00

I hope everyone had a fun, safe Holiday. We went to the Waukegan Independence Day parade last Sunday. Last night we went downtown Waukegan and watched the fireworks from the harbor. It was Emma's first experience. She got excited "ooooh lights" but then clung to the back of Daddys shirt and hid, lol. It was cute. When I would pick her up and hold her, she points and shrieked with excitement but then clung tight and looked away again, lol. Not too bad.
Gurnee Days are just a few weeks away, and there fireworks that night too, so we shall she if she is more warm to them by then!!
Big kids had lots of fun, got to stay up past their bedtime, watch fireworks and eat lots of snacks :)

Tweens and Cell Phones

2009-07-01T09:24:00.002-05:00

So, my 11 yr old neice was over here yesterday, telling me about how her and her friend text. Her Mom pipes in that she got her the phone for her 11th bday, just last month, and put unlimited texting on her plan, adding that ALL her friends already has cells.
Is this really something all parents are doing now? Am I really going to have to have the ONLY kids with no cell phone? LOL. Tyler is 8, so I am not far behind this thing. There is no way I will give him and phone and say, have at it. I do think, that in a few years, when he is out and about without me, I will add an extra cell to our family plan and Leah and Tyler will have it when they are not here, to get ahold of me and vise versa. No interenet, no calling everyone, no way.

When I was 16, my Mom bought me a pay as you go phone. I was the one buying my minute cards. I know she bought it bc I had bought my first car, and she wanted me to be able to call in emergency, and YES I did pay my own car insurance too, lol. All thanks to my cashier job at Jewel, lol.

The Tot Spot

2009-06-27T09:56:00.002-05:00

Well, I finally did it. I picked out a name for my home daycare "The Tot Spot"
And Thank You to everyone who helped with ideas and support!! I am super excited about getting this going. I went to my class on Wednesday and got a lot of great info, my CPR class is in August and I have my application and all needed paperwork all finished. I now have to await the OK to get finger printed.

Thanks again for all the support!! The Tot Spot should be ready for tots to fill it up by fall :)

Happy Fathers Day

2009-06-21T17:33:00.002-05:00

Happy Fathers Day to all the Dads out there :) Hope you have enjoyed your day.
We started our day out with breakfast in bed for Adam, ham and cheese omelet, toast and a banana... oh and of course his coffee and juice. Then we went to church and came home, had a cookout with his Dad and brother. He is getting his Fathers Day Gift a little late though :-X

On another note, I have been so blah all weekend. I have been real anxious, upset, moody. I can not concentrate, think straight. Ugh, I dunno what is going on but I seriously need a break. I sure can dream, lol.... maybe someday. Maybe tomorrow will be a better day!!

Tooth Fairy

2009-06-19T14:19:00.001-05:00

Leah was visited by the Tooth Fairy for the first time Tuesday night. She was eating an apple (classic story, right!?) and out it came!! I was so excited and she freaked out. The sight of blood has her so upset "I need a Band Aid" she screamed to me. LOL. My sweet little girl has lost her first tooth. *sigh* She is growing up too fast. Kindergarten in the fall, a missing tooth, sassy sassy sassy. Yup my girl is growing up. Can I just freeze this time and enjoy them more???

Bows, Korker and Headbands, OH MY :)

2009-06-17T10:11:00.004-05:00

I want to plug my friend, Stephanie's new etsy shop.. Pretties 4 the Piggies.... she makes all my girls bows and she has finally opened her own little shop.... please stop by and support the new WAHM... you will love her stuff..

http://www.pretties4thepiggies.etsy.com/

The pics above are just a couple pics I could find that you can see the bows on my girls :)

Congrats Steph. I am so glad you finally went thru with it!!!

Catch Up

2009-06-16T18:36:00.002-05:00

Ok, after a 2 week hiatus... I am back. :)
Mama Sue came into town last Monday. It is wonderful to have her back home. I have been WAITING for my next step in my child care licensing. After waiting nearly a month, I called today. I am taking the class next Wednesday!!! I will be so glad to get that part behind me.

The kids are out of school and loving it. Well, at least Tyler is. Leah really misses school and her friends, but is enjoying our daily walks, playing with her brother and sister, and park trips.

We did finally get the Plymouth out of our driveway... almost 2 months later, lol.

Lady will be one next month, days before Emma turns two. It is making me think about breeding her. She will be going into heat soon and that means in her next heat she will be ready to breed. Am I ready to do this? LOL. Aaahhhh, no time like the present, right!? I have mixed feelings.

I finished reading the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich a couple weeks ago. The newest novel comes out next week and I can not wait to read "Finger Lickin' Fifteen" These books are the best I have ever read. I have have Stephanie (my long distance BFF) to thanks. After I read the new book, I will start reading the Southern Vampire Mystery novels by Charlain Harris, which you may know, the HBO show "True Blood" is based off this series.

Two Years

2009-06-01T14:09:00.003-05:00

It has almost been two years since Emma has graced us with her presence. I can not believe how fast time has flown. Two years ago, I had this big round belly, kicking and flopping inside. I could not wait to meet her. I had no clue what was lying ahead for me, lol. In the last two years I have gone thru things with Emma I did not think were possible. She was the most clingy, crabby baby, refusing pumped breastmilk in a bottle. Didn't sleep thru the night until after 18 months. Cronic ear infections, colds, and a horrible teether. Co Slept with us, which put Adam and I at ends for awhile about it. Then she went from booby baby to booby obsessed toddler, lol. I really wanted to child lead wean but after awhile I began to believe she was not going to wean, she nursed A LOT. So, I weaned her. It was hard for us both. But now, 2 months later, she is doing great.
Out of all the adventures she has put me through, it has been a great two years.... tiring, but great. Emma has completed our family and is the perfect fit. She has her Daddy wrapped around her little finger, her sister cleaning up her own toys more often, her brother a big softy for her, and me... well, she is my baby and always will be... and I KNOW she knows it :)
As we are on countdown mode for Emma's second birthday, it makes me sad, makes me yern for another baby. Not like I don't have my hand full already, ha. Hubby, 3 kids, 1 dog, 3 hamsters, and... babysitting. No matter how much a baby crave it won't happen, maybe another puppy, but no kids.

Ignorance

2009-05-31T13:07:00.002-05:00

So, most of you know the whole drama BS with Adam's neurotic Aunt and cousins, about the car. Well, after all the fuss.... the Plymouth is STILL in my driveway and no one seems to want to get it now, lol. After not answering phone calls and emails (NOT from me, lol) they are now making excuses why they can't take it.
I just can't get over the drama, name calling and crap that went on when we were going to sell this car. Now over one month later, no one wants it!?
BUT I AM the one with problems they say. Well, ignorance is bliss my friends ;)

Leah Graduates from Pre K

2009-05-29T17:00:00.002-05:00

Today, my little girl graduated from Pre K. The little ceremony was perfect. Leah was the flag holder as the students and parents said the Pledge, then the class sang 3 songs before diplomas :) She was so beautiful and so proud of herself.... as was I :) Emma loved the whole event and was on her best behavior..... besides messing up her cute little pig tails on the way to the school, lol!!!

Early Wake Up Call

2009-05-27T09:51:00.002-05:00

As I am sound asleep, I hear Emma, I look at the clock, it reads 3:30AM. Ugh, what is she doing up? I listen... she is howling "Mama, Ewwwww" I think oh boy, what is it, throw up? Poops? I go in there, and there is my bedhead beauty, standing at the rail of the crib holding her diaper. My first fear is that she pooped and took it off. I did a quick check on her, the bed and the diaper, no poop, pheeeew.
So, I take her downstairs and we put a new diaper on, she said "thank you mama, night night" lol How much cuter can she get? Even in the middle of the night. I give her a nuk, kiss her and say "you are welcome, love you" and as she lays her head on her pillow she is out.
So, I have learned a lesson here... Emma is NOT ready to wear gowns to bed, hahaha. At least not if I want a full night sleep :)

Twitter?

2009-05-25T20:10:00.002-05:00

OK, so all I hear from Ellen is, "follow me on Twitter" lol. I had no idea what it was, so I signed up so I could follow her and twit or tweet or whatever. Is it just a networking thing?
Well, anywho, we had a great weekend. Yesterday we cleaned house, cooked out and I went on 3 walks. Emma and I went for our morning stroll, Leah and I walked up to the park, then after dinner, Adam, Emma and I took a nice looooong walk around our neighborhood, admiring houses, trees, landscape, etc. It was great. And today was pretty chilly, so we did an all day PJ day :) Movies, Wii, Barbies, FACEBOOK, filled our day :) How can I get so addicted to Facebook, it is nuts!
So, I have finished all plans for Emmas SECOND *tear* bday party. I will hopefully be sending out invites later this week.
Mama Sue will be here in LESS than 2 weeks, Hoooray!!! I can not wait to spend the summer with her.
On a personal note, the financial woes are adding up. I have my application in to get licensed for daycare, but I still haven't had any other nibbles on kids. *sigh* I still watch Emma's little buddy on Wednesdays, but I am thinking I may take up a part time job at night for the summer or until I am finished getting licensed and find another family to add to the fun here, hehe. There is just no more penny pinching we can do, we live pretty simple. Darn it for the OT cut, lol. But I know, God is watching over us, he will provide with the right situation. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, right!?

$1 Flip Flops

2009-05-23T12:08:00.002-05:00

Darn it. Old Navy has been advertising their sale today, one day only, for $1 flip flops. Adam worked 5-9 this morning, so when he got home, I head out to Gurnee to pick up a few pair for Leah and myself. Emma and I pull into the lot and it is full, I am not surprised. I get in and the line at the registers are a mile long, oh boy. Everyone holding flip flops and the random person has some tops or something else too. Emma and I head to the womans section, all sold out!!! Crazy. I take a trip around the store, gone, all gone. 10:00AM and they are sold out of these things. I was a little depressed leaving the store. Argh.

Mama Nikki's Home Away from Home?

2009-05-22T12:56:00.003-05:00

LOL, just trying it out for fun. Many private run daycares have a name. Mine yet, does not. Although, I am not licensed, yet, but still, I think I should come up with something. What rings a bell to you? Here are a few things floating thru my head:
Nikki's Home Away From Home, Munchkin's Daycare, umm... that is all I came up with. Hahaha.
I am not good at this!
Although, there is a daycare center in Waukegan named 'Patty Cake' lol, how about I name mine 'Hokey Pokey' or 'Humpty Dumpty' hehehe :)
So anywho, I sent in my papers to start the licensing process today. I sure hope this doesn't take forever. I am not 100% sure what to expect other than I know I have to take a one day class, a home visit (I am betting on more than one) from DCFS and lots of paperwork. This will be fun, hehe. I guess it is just a fraction of what will be intailed when we decide to look into Foster Care.
I have not forgotten about my lactation and doula classes. Reality is, I really don't have the time to go after that career right now. So, for now, I am sitting tight as a caregiver for the vertically challenged ;)

It's Beginning to Feel a Bit Like Summer

2009-05-20T19:17:00.002-05:00

Today we hit a high of 85. It was a beautiful sunny day. I filled the kids pool this morning and the girls played in it after Emma's nap this afternoon, and then when Ty came home, we went back out. They had a blast out there. Although, it doesn't quite add up to our three neighbors who have above ground pools, this does us just fine :)

Yesterday was in the 70s, so we broke out the new sprinkler. Tyler and Leah had a blast, Emma was not a fan of it. She choice to sit and watch, lol.

Here are a few pics from the pool today.

PPD

2009-05-19T07:12:00.002-05:00

I would like to dedicate this post to Post Pardum Depression. If you have not personally gone thru any sort of mental issness or condition, it is very hard to understand what is behind it all. A lot of people, sadly, think PPD is a fake. Just an excuse bc you can not handle your new baby or want attention. Well, I am here to say this is soo far from the truth. Do you know how many children are put into harm bc a woman does not know or is too proud to admit she has something wrong? Too many. Do you know how many women harm themselves? Or abandon their family bc they have lost it. This is not a joke.
Not only is anxiety or depression scarey, it hurts, mentally, physically. It is no walk in the park.
July 26, 2006, I was welcomed into the world of Anxiety. It was not a graceful enterance. After Emma was born, I was 'off' and I knew it but I thought it was just hormones and all. After 2 months of feeling like I was losing my mind, and Adam and my Mom telling me I should talk to someone about it, I did. I was having almost daily anxiety attacks, I felt overwhelmed, scarred, angry, exausted, and then guilt. Guilt bc I was not the Mom I wanted to be, I was always mad and exausted. After help with my OB and a therapist.... and almost 2 yrs later... I am still on medication, feeling so much better than I did just less than 2 yrs ago.
I want to help open the world's eyes to depression/anxiety and all the other conditions out there. Don't be quick to judge someone just bc they are on a medication. Everyones situation is unique and the last thing we want is someone bashing us about making the hardest choice, taking the medicaion. I would love to be "Super Mom" running from school to school, soccer practice, ballet class, sparkling clean house, never messy kids, gormet dinner on the table every night, etc... but reality is, I am not, and I can not even be a good Mom without the help of a medication to stabalize the inbalance I have been given. I am the best Mom and Wife I can be, and that is what matters, medication or not, I love my family and do what is best for us. I am still human, don't look at me as weak, admitting this makes me strong, getting the help makes me stronger.
So for any idiot who wants to make rude comments, you are the weak, insecure ones. Be glad you were not dealt this hand.

Time to Come Out of Hidding

2009-05-18T12:58:00.005-05:00

Hello Blog Buddies. It has been a busy month for me. I am sorry I have been MIA. Thanks to Stephanie, I have a new background to my blog, so what better time to start keeping up on daily events!?

Here is a quick update on us:

The kids only have a couple weeks of school left, Tyler is done June 5 and Leah graduates from Pre K on June 2. This school year has flown by. Tyler has been doing so much better in school. He is getting so tall, it is crazy, tall and thin, his pants hang off his waist and are an inch too short, lol. Leah is no change, brilliant and sassy :) Baby Emma is learning something new everyday, at almost 22 months old, she has a vocabulary the size of Texas and temper tantrums that could size up to Hurrican Katrina. She knows she is the baby and she will get away with too much. Bad Mommy, lol.

Mama Sue will be here in a few weeks as well. I can not wait to spend the summer with her. I miss her more than I could type.

Adam has now moved to the new building at work, and overtime was asked for awhile, but now, as we have tried to prepare for, there is no more OT. I am going to be learning a whole new way to penny pinch and live on a dime, lol.

I am adding some recent pics of the kids. Enjoy and come back tomorrow :)

Easter pics

2009-04-13T12:40:00.003-05:00

I hope everyone enjoyed their Holiday weekend. I have been sick with this nasty, evil cold all weekend but I sucked it up and made it to church for Easter. The girls were all dressed up, Leah in her beautiful dress Grandma Gloria bought her. They got lots of goodies from the Easter Bunny, us and Grandma. Although, I do admit, I threw away all uneaten candy this morning. Not only do the kids not need it, most of it was basking in red dye and I do not need to be tempted by the evil stuff, lol. Ty got a Pokemon movie and new PJs, Leah got a Scooby Doo movie and monkey PJs and Emma got Sesame Street musical and toy trucks all from Adam and I. The Easter Bunny brought them eggs filled with money, chocolate and jelly beans, a Monster teather ball set and a cool sprinkler. They made out like bandits and enjoyed their day :) Here are some pics from them all dressed up.

Our Newest Additions

2009-04-10T20:21:00.005-05:00

Welcome to the Peterson Family: SpongeBob, Squidward and Marshmellow (LOL).

I decided we needed more pets in this house, so as an early Easter gift, I adopted 3 little dwarf hamster babies for the kids. I got them fron a home of a hamster breeder so they are handled daily and tame and pretty calm. Adam is not to fond of them yet and MIL absolutely hates them, but I think they will warm up :) Tyler and Leah have spent the whole evening watching them run the wheel and in and out of the empty paper towel roll, giggly and happy with their new pets. Here are a few pics of our little guys. Marshmellow is the white one, Leah named. Squidward is the larger, lighter grey one, Tyler named, and Spongebob is the smallest darker guy, who I assisted Emma in naming :)

BOLT

2009-04-09T12:11:00.001-05:00

I am watching 'Bolt' for the fifth time this week. Leah is in love with this movie. I could probably recite the whole movie by now. Isn't it funny, how a child can watch the same movie over and over and over again. I have a few movies I love, that I have seen several times, but I could not watch the same thing every day, all week, lol.
Kids are something, I tell ya.
Leah is home with a cold. This girl catches a cold when she watches a commercial about a sick kid, lol. Emma gets sick quite a bit too. But not Tyler, my 10 months of formula baby, lol, he almost never gets sick. Who would have thought!!!
Tyler came home with his report card, night before last. I am sooo proud to announce he has 3 A's one B and one C. He got all 3s and 4s for effort (1-4, rating 1 as least, 4 as most). I am so proud of him for doing his best :) We are still waiting on a decision from the Doc about his attention issues. We are still doing the no red dye and omega suppps. We should be going to see the chiro this weekend or next week.
Emma is one week strong without "Bob." She stills asks a couple times a day. She crawls up on my lap, gets into position to nurse, gives me those big beautiful blue batting eyes, and says "bob bob" It is very hard to say No sometimes, but I do, and offer her the cup, it usually works, if not, I turn to a snack, and that always works, lol :)

No Socks

2009-04-08T15:18:00.003-05:00

I wake up this morning like any other Wednesday, at 5:45 to the alarm beeping at me. I get dressed..... or at least a bra on... and Lady and I trot downstairs to get started with the day. Wednesday is the one day I get up earlier than the rest of the house. I babysit a darling little girl, Abby, who is 18 months old, only on Wednesday, and her Dad drops her off at 6:00AM.

Normal start... then once the whole Peterson clan is awake, Emma and Abby decide they are going to team up on me today. Socks have come off several times before we have even left to take the big kids to school. In the car, en route to Tyler's school, I hear Emma working on her shoes, I warn her to NOT take them off. We drop Tyler off at school a few minutes before 9:00 and head over to Leah's school, just across the street and a block over. Bye the time I park in front of the school and look in the backseat, I have TWO giggly toddlers barefoot.

"Where are your shoes and socks?" I ask Emma. "I see" she replies. I look at Abby, she laughs. I hunt down 4 socks and 4 shoes and get them back on the girls. By this time Leah is standing outside of the car, whining "Come on Mom, let's gooooo"

I get both girls out of the car, Emma on her leash (I was prepared this morning.... so I thought)

We take a few steps to the school and Abby wants to be held and Emma wants to walk backwards. Leah insists on wanting to hold my hand. OK, I pick up Abby with my left arm, Leah grabs what fingers she can from my left hand, I maneuver Emma to walk in the correct direction and away we go, heading to the school, past the park and a few other cars parked in front of us. We get to the doors later than usual, and the bus kids are filing up in lines heading to the doors as well. By this time I am standing there, thinking. Abby has already squirreled her way out of my arms and back to walking, and Emma is now SITTING on the ground. I look at Leah, look at the toddlers. "OK Leah, I am not going in today, go join Ginger (her BFF) in line and head in with her, OK!?" "Suuuuure" as she kisses me quicker than grease lightening and heading to Ginger giving her a big cute girly hug. "Bye Mrs. Nicole" Gingers sings as they head in. I look back down at these silly toddlers, Abby now wanting to be held again and Emma trying to crawl away. I watch the girls go inside and try to make our way back to the car. After I convinced Emma NOT to crawl, Abby is back to walking again and we are making our way back to the car when I hear Ms. Stevens the Security Guard yelling, I turn around and here bolt 2 familiar looking kids, heading to the park, AWAY from the school. They had ducked out of the bus line and took off. Very close behind Ms. Stevens is the bus aide yelling as well.

I turn around, one girl holding onto each hand and yell "HEY! Stop right there. Turn around NOOOOW and get in that line" They freeze, looking at me like I am Ms. Trenchbolt from 'Matilda' but before I know it I am missing a hand, and Abby is scooting in another direction. I go after her and the two other kids bolt in another direction and are finally caught and sent back to class.

I yell out to Ms. Stevens.. "Is this in your job desciption?"

"uh-uh, no it ain't" she says as they wrangle the rebel kids back inside.

I get in the girls in the car, slide into my seat and take a big breathe.

We drive to PetsMart for a little animal site seeing and to pick up some new chew toys for Lady Bug. We repeat the whole missing shoes and socks scenario again.

I put Abby in the stroller and Emma walks with the lease. We visit the birds first, Abby is not liking them but Emma starts knocking on the glass and laughing, off to the Guinea Pigs, Hamsters, Rats and such, boring, they were all sleeping, or eating, or.... DEAD. Yea, there was a dead guinea pig in a cage with a very depressed looking buddy. OK..... over to the fish, both girls were interested, but Emma wanted to try and catch a Goldfish... not a good idea. Heading over to the dog toys, I grab her a new Nylabone and start going thru the Clearance slelf when Emma decided to LAY on the floor, I get her up, she grabs a dog ball and throws it down the aisle. I get it and put it back but she has already pulled more dog toys out. Yikes, time to goooooo.

On our way home both girls fall asleep. Doesn't last long, they both wake up the moment I park the car in the driveway.

And to add to that, Abby started the day in pigtails, and is down to one tail and a mess on the other side of her head and Emma started with a ponytail and is now rocking bedhead, lol. I am sooo glad I never had multiples. LOL :)

Weaning Sucks!!!

2009-04-04T11:07:00.002-05:00

We are painfully into our second full day of weaning. I am sitting here typing to you all with an extreme desire to just give in to Emma and let her relieve this swollen, ginormous breast of mine. This is torture. Want to get someone to confess to a crime? Somehow inject their milk glands with LOTS of milk until it looks like the breast will EXPLODE. This sucks. I remember my milk coming in and getting so engorged when Ty was a few days old. Tshirts hurt, nursing was toe curling pain, it was bad, but this is even worse. I never had extreme engorgment with Leah and Emma when they were born. Even weaning Ty and Leah, it was so much more gradual than this, so pain wasn't bothersome. Ack, I want to pop like 100 vicodins and go to bed.
So, there is my vent, lol.

Other than the pain, I am holding up pretty well to the fact that we are ending BFing. Emma on the other hand is not. I tell her "Bob" went bye bye, but she knows better, lol, so I told her Bob is broken. She still doesn't buy it. Thursday night she was up several times crying for me. Last night she woke up at 1:30 and was up and down (with DADDY) until 3:30. Today she hasn't been as mad about me saying "no" so that is a step :)

Adam is on his way home with cabbage, lol, wish me well.

Sooooo Behind

2009-04-03T15:06:00.003-05:00

Sorry blog buddies, I have been MIA for a few weeks. I knew it was bad when Adam told me he misses reading my blog everyday, lol.

We were in AL this week visiting Mama Sue. Everyone was so happy to see "Gamma Sue" We spent Monday in Lynchburg, TN at the Jack Daniels distilary, well, Adam, Emma and I did. Pic along with our tour friends and guide, LeRoy..... Talk about a spitting image of Larry the Cable Guy, haha. It was very interesting but yuck, I hated the smells, lol. Lynchburg is the most beautiful place I have ever seen, greeeeen grass, lovely hills and beautiful ble rivers. Us gals enjoyed lots of shopping and getting Grandma into the "big" towns near her. She lives in a teeeeeny tiny town, Hodges, AL with a population of just hundreds, most include our relatives, lol. Beautiful country atmosphere but I am too much of a city gal to live that far from a Target, haha.

Updates on kids: Tyler has now been on the Omega 3's and no red dye for about a month now and I am not seeing enough of a change at all. His teacher did note that last Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday were GREAT days for him, but three days out of 30 are not enough to make me thrilled. So we are going to talk to the Doc next week and see what he thinks now.

Leah starts her dance/tumbling class tomorrow. We are excited. She is getting smarter by the hour, I swear. Her first word she read, besides her name and Mom, was SALE. THAT'S MY GIRL :)

Emma is not a happy girl today. We are on the raod to weaning and she hates it, lol. We nursed strong for 20 months and I am so proud of our success but all good things must come to an end. I have a small part of my heart that is sad, but my mind.... and nipple, is ready :)

Emma also went thru a terrible double ear infection with her last eye teeth coming in, even going to the Chiropractor did not keep this one away, it was bad. But she has been off those nasty meds for a week now and free of infection!!!! YAY.

Lady is getting so big, last Vet check she was 11 lbs on the nose. She is getting so big and beautiful. She had such a stong build, not too muscular but the muscle is there :)

OK, I promise to be on top of my blog again now :)

Tyler Update

2009-03-11T11:07:00.002-05:00

Well, yesterday Ty got to play hookie from school. We took Leah to school, and found out her teacher went into labor earlier than her scheduled C-Section date, and had her baby Friday night. Maggie, weighing 8 lbs 5 oz..... awww what a peanut :) So Miss Leah had a temp teacher, Ms. Bev until mid May. Tyler feels (and looks) like such a big kid when he is in Leah's class, haha.
So after dropping Leah off, Tyler, Emma and I headed to see Dr. Bruno, our chiropractor. This was Ty's first visit to the chiro, so he was a tad nervous. Dr. Bruno has been seeing the Peterson family since he first went into practice, so he had a bunch of old stories of Adam and Phillip to tell Ty. I went first so Ty could see. Then, Ty stepped up like a trooper and went next... although he said he did not like it, weird kid, lol. Emma was last, and she was.... welll, Emma.
After Leah coming home and lunch we went out to Lake Forest to see Dr. T for Tyler's EIGHT yr visit. He is of course healthy and stong ;) I spoke to Dr. T about the attention issues that have been ongoing and our new course to try and correct it. He liked the idea, and also gave me an evaluation sheet for me to fill out and one for his teacher. After those are done, Dr. T can make more of an asumption of what is going on with Ty.
Then, to top it all off, a day off school, bumming around with Mom, NO SHOTS (he was sooo thrilled), we went to Target and he got a new Ben 10 toy and we bought Pinnochio :) What a day. But today, back to the grind... school for him. Laundry, dishes, cooking, cleaning and babysitting for me.
Note: Ty is doing great with taking his Omega 3 supp everyday. Everyday gets easier on the no Red Dye as well :)

FIREPROOF

2009-03-08T14:31:00.003-05:00

Adam and I watched the movie "Fireproof" last night. We both really enjoyed it. It is a religious marriage saver, as Kirk Cameron follows the steps of a "Love Dare". Any marriage that is a little shaky, or any married couple, at that, should see this movie..
Marriages have their ups and downs. Adam and I were just last week in a "tuff" about a few things. It happens, no marriage is easy, or perfect. It takes work, commitment, love and respect. It is worth every ounce you put into your marriage. You exchange vows, not only a promise to each other, but a promise to God as well. Not something you should take lightly by any means. There should never be the thought "well we can always get divorced" Now am I 100% against divorce? No. But I do not agree with the percentage of people getting "the big D" these days. There are so many ways to help improve your marriage. First step is faith. You have to put your faith in God, it is so true. Your Pastor would be more than happy to help you, and there are also many many marriage counselors out there. Counseling is nothing to be ashamed of. I think it takes strength and love to go thru the steps to rebuild your marriage.
This movie is a must see. I rate is 4.5 out of 5 stars :)

Wow Wow

2009-03-07T13:02:00.002-06:00

Emma's new bedding came yesterday, Nick Jr. "Wow Wow Wubbzy" is now decorating her bed. She has been trying to figure out a way to climb into her crib and I was worried she would fall or try the same thing to get out, so we decided it was time to take the crib rail down and turn her crib into a toddler bed.... well, we changed it all this morning and Miss Emma spent a good 30 minutes going on and off the bed, bringing toys on it, etc. I was pleased with how happy she was. Lunch time came, she gobbled down her hotdog and pears, nursed, then a clean diaper and off to nappy time. We do the same thing every afternoon, close the blinds, turn on the air purifier (her white noise, lol) turn on the fishy aquarium and a little kiss on the forehead and night night, she will quickly roll over and sigh and off she goes to sleepy land. Well, it was all the same today, right up until I turned the fishy aquarium on and lay her down, I didn't even get to kiss her and she was bawling her eyes out. So kept with it, kissed her, told her night night, and I left the room, 3 seconds later, a very upset Emma came running after me. I calmed her down and took her in my bed to watch Kai Lan. She was fine, until Daddy came into the room and asked her if she was ready to go night night...... oh big mistake. She was sooo mad. So I just had Adam put the crib rail back on and I lay her down, she went right out. I took pics of her when we took the rail off, I guess I will share bc she is so cute, but her bed is now a crib again, lol.

RED means STOP

2009-03-06T12:43:00.002-06:00

This is the first week of Tyler's new diet, we have nixed out all red dye from his diet, he has been taking the Omega 3 chewables since Monday and he is going to the chiropractor on Tuesday, with me!! Tyler has been so good taking his chewables. They are like gummy drops. The red dye dodging can be tricky. He got real upset last night bc he wanted strawberry milk, this is a bit hard on him.
I have decided on school next year. He will start the year at Cooke (where he is now) if I am unhappy with it, I will talk to the principle, try and change teachers. If that does not work or happen, we will change him to the regular neighborhood public school, Greenwood, which is just a few blocks from my house. It gets great reviews, so I am not worried about it. Leah will stay in Andrew Cooke for Kinder, and depending on where Ty is for 4th grade, that is where Leah will be for 1st. That is our plan for now.
I started babysititing a little girl this week. SHe is 17 months old, soo cute and sweet. Her and Emma get along great. Really works out well. She is only part time, which still gives me free time but the extra money :) I hope to pick up another kid to watch as well. We really have to make up the money that Adam is losing bc of losing his overtime. We cut as many corners as we can, I am a proud frugal Mama, lol.

Silience can be a BAD THING!!!

2009-03-05T10:57:00.006-06:00

I always wish Emma would NOT stand at the gate screaming when I go downstairs to throw in a load of laundry, or go upstairs to go to the bathroom..... well, today, I got my wish. She was as quiet as a mouse as I was downstairs switching laundry. I come back to the living room to see why! Leah left her play makeup case down here and Emma found it and decided to paint herself in light pink Disney Princess lipstick. You can barely see it in the pictures bc it is really light, but what a sneaky little girl she is!!! She was laughing and so proud of herself, then comes after me wanting to make me all pretty too, AAHHH, I had to take it away, did not make for a happy Emma.

Wanna go for a Walk?

2009-03-03T15:19:00.005-06:00

Ok Blog Buddies....

I have done a controversal thing. I bought Emma a leash/harness/back pack. I have no shame. She enjoys it and actually walks right next to me now, sometimes even grabbing up to hold my hand for more than 2 seconds. AH, it makes life easier :)

Now tell me.... she is cute or what!? Lady seems to think SHE makes a better leashed gal :)

Honest Scrap Award

2009-03-01T08:02:00.006-06:00

My friend, Kendra, over at Homegrown Housewife honored me with the Honest Scrap Award :) I have to list 10 facts about myself and pass on the award. Please bear with me, I will try to make it interesting, lol....

1. When I was a little kid, I wanted to be a Veterenarian more than anything. I loved (and still do) animals. Especially dogs and horses..... and cows and pigs, hehe.

2. Now, as an adult, who didn't get to go to college for animal health.... I have become a Mom and LOVE it. I want to get certified in Lactation and Doula. I also want to still achieve my dream of helping a family and being their surrogant Mother. I also want to become a foster Mom.

3. Emma was my first planned pregnancy, and she has been the biggest handful. She is the most picky, fearless, active, babbling, clingy baby I have met. And she is still wakes at night. I guess that was God's humor when I prayed to him to give me another healthy baby. HA.

4. Adam and I met in highschool. We had Tyler young, at 17. We have always loved each other but couldn't quite get along. We were young and immature. Once we grew and found ourselves, we found each other again, and with the help of our Pastor, we understood each other and it all fell into place. It makes me to thrilled to be his wife and to know, when the kids are grown, we still have each other and a whole exciting life ahead. Our wedding was really the happiest day of my life.

5. I hate that my Mom lives in Alabama. I miss her so much. Not only is she my best friend, I am such a Mama's Girl. She is disabled but can still do a lot. But I know one day that will not be so, and I beg her to move back, offering her a bedroom here. I know it is not that easy, she is married, but I want to be able to take care of her when she needs it and I know she wants to come back home.

6. I lucked out with my Mother-In-Law. I read horror stories of Evil MIL's. Darlene and I get along so well, she has always been there for me, I can say we actually have a friendship. I appreciate our relationship and am so lucky to have her in my life.

7. After Emma was born, I was diagnosed with Post Pardum Depression, which actually is in the form of Anxiety. When she was about 2 months old, I finally gave it and admitted I could not control myself and talked to my OB and a Counselor and with their help I started anxiety medication, breastfeeding safe, of course. I have been on 3 different meds but I feel sooo much better. The downfall... I have gained A LOT of weight on them. The first month alone I gained 20 lbs. I find my weight embarrasing now. I want to lose weight to be healthier and feel better. Which I am on the slow road to now.

8. I live in a city with the population of almost 100,000. I hate it but love it all the same. I chose to buy a home here, where I grew up, so I can't hate it that much, lol. My dream has always been to live out in the country, several acres, a barn with my horses, cows and pigs. Someday maybe that will become a reality but no time soon, ha.

9. I have become addicted to facbook. Who knew :)

10. I love the friends I have. I am so lucky to have these people close to my heart. Quality is more important than Quantity.

So there ya go :) Learn anything new about me?

Let me now pass this award along to my bestest online buddy, Stephanie over at, A Close Knit Family I found one of my best friends on the internet, thru our wonderful Aug 07 baby loop.

Out of the Mouths of Babes

2009-02-28T17:28:00.003-06:00

I got the idea for this kid interview from my friend, Kendra, over at A Homegrown Housewife. I had to try this out on my kids and these are the answers I got. This is good for a good laugh :)

1. What is something your mom always says to you?
LEAH- "Stop"
TYLER- "Listen"

2.What makes your mom happy?
LEAH: "When I am being good"
TYLER- "When we listen to her"

3. What makes your mom sad?
LEAH- "Being Bad"
TYLER- 'If I do not listen"

4. How does your mom make you laugh?
LEAH- "Tickle me"
TYLER- "Making funny jokes"

5. What did your mom like to do when she was a child?
LEAH- "Be a Good Girl"
TYLER- "Umm... play basketball"

6. How old is your mom?
LEAH- "Uh, I dunno"
TYLER- "26?"

7. How tall is your mom?
LEAH- "Big"
TYLER- "I don't know..... as high as the light" (as he points at our standing lamp)

8. What is her favorite thing to do?
LEAH- "Clean"
TYLER- "Watching.... The Bachelor?..... Private Practice? Whatever your favorite show is."

9. What does your mom do when you're not around?
LEAH- "Clean"
TYLER- "Takes care of Baby Emma"

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
LEAH- "Uh, I dunno. Wait, what?"......"Um... I said I don't know. Geesh"
TYLER- "Because she found fosils in her backyard while planting a garden"

11. What is your mom really good at?
LEAH- "Braiding my hair"
TYLER- "Making Dinner"

12. What is your mom not very good at?
LEAH- "Ummm.... cooking?" (followed by hysterical laughter, lol)
TYLER-"Ummm...... right now? Not so good at playing basketball anymore"

13. What does your mom do for her job?
LEAH- "Take care of us kids"
TYLER- "Takes care of us"

14. What is your mom's favorite food?
LEAH- "twizzlers"
TYLER- "Chicken"

15. What makes you proud of your mom?
LEAH- "When she goes to my school"
TYLER- "That she cares for us"

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
LEAH- "Diego" (WHAT?)
TYLER- "Bugs Bunny"

17. What do you and your mom do together?
LEAH- "Dance"
TYLER- We play XBOX or Wii sometimes"

18. How are you and your mom the same?
LEAH- "We both have brown hair"
TYLER- "We both no not like Dora but have to watch it" (hehe, that's my boy)

19. How are you and your mom different?
LEAH- "We don't have the same eyes"
TYLER- "I like Pokemon and she does not"

20. How do you know your mom loves you?
LEAH- "She hugs and kisses me"
TYLER- "Because she always dances with me. And she cares for me and my sisters"

21. What does your mom like most about your dad?
LEAH- "They love each other"
TYLER- "Umm..... that he is stong. That is just what I am guessing Mom"

22. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?
LEAH- "The Store"
TYLER- "Wendy's" (bahahahaha)

To HomeSchool or Not?

2009-02-28T10:56:00.002-06:00

I am at ends right now. I have been planning to homeschool the kids come 6th grade and possibly look into a local Private school for Highschool or else continue HSing. I know that no school is perfect, but I grew up here in Waukegan, and while I did have some wonderful teachers, I was a great student.... until highschool. I got sucked into the 'bad' crowds. While I could have been a lot worse, I should have stuck to the books. My parents raised me right, to respect your elders, do not lie or cheat, school is important, etc. I had the utmost respect for my Mother and was scared of my Dad, lol. But the peer pressure pushed on and I gave into skipping a class here and there, trying 'things' and..... helllo.... i did have a baby at 17. Luckily, by the time Baby Tyler was growing in my belly I had given up on the slightly bad edge I had. I was going to be a Mommy and that met finishing highschool and being a great person for him.
Geesh, do I ramble. Well, back to my reason for writing this... Tyler is still having issues in school with his attention span. He is in second grade, so this is the second teacher to see him with these issues. I have tried things at home. He is still losing focus, easily distracted, forgetting simple steps, etc. I have been given an idea to cut out Red Dye and look into Omega supps. I am still looking for a chewable or liquid Omega supp, and the Red Dye nix is going to take some planning and time. But it is worth the shot :) So, it is time to register for third grade. Papers came in the mail yesterday, and yes, the great State of Illinois does not offer free schooling, we pay a district fee, which has been raised, and now is $105 for elementary school. I have a little over a month to register him, there is no summer registration. I do not know if I want him enrolled in public schools next year or if we should try the homeschool route early. I am thinking maybe him being here with one on one attention will help him more. I still have some time, but not lots. I am just not sure what to do. I looked up homeschooling groups and co-ops around here, but there sure is not much. Am I not looking in the right spots?
Leah is enrolled in Kinder. at Tylers school for the fall, I plan 100% having her attend. I just don't know about Ty.

Help. What should I do?

Is there ever enough.....

2009-02-27T11:06:00.002-06:00

Money? I will take the phrase from a great rapper "Mo Money, Mo Problems" LOL. Adam and I have always agreed that winning the lotto has torn so many families apart, but he thinks it wouldn't change him or myself. I want to agree with him. I think we would be able to be the same people, just with no debt and lots of toys, lol. AH, winning the lotto, what a dream, millions in the bank, no worries, right? Money doesn't buy happiness. If you are not happy now, you will not be with money. People who you would never think, can be money hungry. Envious, jealous, needy.
Adam and I got a very big sum from our income taxes this year (thanks to the first time home buyers loan). We did lots of stuff for the house, had the trees in back cut down, new snowthrower, etc. Then we did what Suze Orman would be proud of, and I paid off my credit card :) It is a great feeling to get that debt off my shoulders. Oh yea, and I can not forget, I bought this lovely laptop, Adam splurged on his XBOX 360 and tooo many accessories, and we got the kids lots of goodies for their birthdays.
There were lots of things we really wanted to do, but we needed to pay off that old credit card. It will now make our monthly bills less, more comfortable. Especially in this yucky economy and Adam losing most of his overtime.
So the answer is, NO. There is never enough money. People want more and more. Never satisfied. It is too cold, it is too hot, never happy. Why is that?

Goodbye Love Handles

2009-02-26T10:40:00.002-06:00

OK. I have been talking about it forever, but I am on the weightloss bus now. No excuses. I can not work out as much as I need to bc of this stinky foot, but there is still so much I can do and NOT eat :) I am taking a photo of myself in bra and panties and making it my screensaver, lol, I will weigh myself twice a week and measure myself every two weeks, along with a new photo. I have been feeling the effects of the weight more and more lately. My hips are sore, my lower back is always in pain, I huff and puff way too much, and I do not like the way I look. I feel terrible, I look terrible. This is it, I am on the way to a new healthy me :) It will be a long process but it will be worth it in the end. Of course, I am still nursing Emma, so no weird pills or starvation, lol. Only the healthy way :)
Well, off to go nibble on some carrots and drink 1,0000 glasses of water, hehe. Wish me luck :P

Happy Birthday Adam

2009-02-25T10:38:00.003-06:00

and Jaime and Joanna :) We went to the Bulls game last night to celebrate. This has been in the planning for weeks. Dion rented us a "bus" there was 12 of us, we has a blast. Chicago Bulls vs. Orlando Magic, and we won, to top things off. Adam and I never go out 'like this.' Our nights out include a quick dinner and back home, lol. But thanks to Darlene (MIL) we had a great night. Here are some pics of the night.

Emma's first pony

2009-02-22T11:30:00.002-06:00

Today is the boys birthday party, but I had to post pics of Emmas first real pony tail :) I am so thrilled, hehe. Well, off to finish getting ready for the party. I will post some pics of that later.

In the Middle of the Night

2009-02-20T22:57:00.002-06:00

It is 11:00pm here, why can't I sleep? I am either passing out on the couch early or falling asleep to the 10 o'clock news. I am wide awake, alone, in this quiet, dark house. Everyone is asleep, kids are sound asleep, Adam is snoring like crazy and even Little Miss Lady is snoozing soundly in her crate tonight. Ah, why can't I join the snooze fest you ask? I think I have way too much running thru my brain. Maybe spilling it all for you readers will make me tired and let me sleep. Well, I got my period for the first time since Oct. 2006 when getting prego with Emma, last week. EVIL! LOL. So, having that torcher back made me aware that I can be fertile again, which makes me crave another baby (Adam got the big V last year). I want another child like something crazy. Why? I have three beautiful, happy, healthy kids. Am I crazy? But no matter how much I WANT, I can't have. We are done, no turning back, hmph. So, that makes me want to become a surrogant, do something for another family, make me feel good, but NO, can't do that either bc I am on this crazy medication and bc of that medication I am now even too overweight to put my body thru a pregnancy. Which then turns my mind to foster care, which Adam and I had been talking about looking into soon. We started talking about it again tonight, he said he would rather me go take my classes for my career. I want to do that too, but I also want to become a foster mom and help these kids out. So then I start thinking about my lactation and doula classes I want to take. Am I going to be able to make a career of this? Can I actually do it? Will I be good? Will I be happy? When will I have time to work? Will I still be able to homeschool the kids? Ack, as you see, the scenarios and questions are going round and round in my head tonight. I hate it. I wish the Lord could just give me a simple answer as to what to do, but life isn't that easy, I know! AND on top of all of this, I am looking for more ways to cut costs around here and save more money. Maybe I am too obsessed with savings, lol. I dunno.
Well, let's see if I can ease my mind now and dooze off. Thanks for reading everyone. Goodnight.

What's Up Wednesday

2009-02-18T16:04:00.001-06:00

So, I ask Adam, what should I rant/rave about today, seeing that it is Wednesday. He said "Gun Control of course" Adam is an big fan of the new bills in Illinois Congress to make it legal to carry a consealed weapon. I never had much of an opinion on gun control until a few weeks ago. Adam has been obsessed with the outrageous IL gun laws forever now.

Now, before you start reading this: If you are a big statistics person who wants numbers and proof, stop reading now. LOL. I am going to write about what I have read and been told by my husband.
Chicago not only has the Illinois no carry consealed weapon law but it is downright illegal to OWN a pistol. Riffles only. Now lets say you have a F.O.I.D. (Firearms Owner IDentification) card, legally buy a pistol, but homing it in your Chicago residence is a crime, and we are talking possible jail time here. On top of that, Chicago has the highest crime rate in America.
If you are reading this, thinking, hey, why do we need more guns on the street? I was in your shoes just a few short weeks ago.
But Moms, here is a scenario: You are walking down the street, evening time, with your baby in her stroller and a man approaches you, wanting to rob/harm you. You can fumble around to find the pepper spray and HOPE you spray HIM in the eyes, push an alert button... that is IF you can find it, or reach down, grab your .22 and warn him to BACK THE FUCK OFF bc you are calling 911 and if he so much as blinks to fast, you will shoot him. Now that, my friend, is what I call comfort.
Will these scumbags who decide to rob bank after bank with their ILLEGAL weapons think twice before robbing a bank, knowing there might be a man in there with a pistol on his hip and is a damn good shot!?
It only makes sense for us to be able to protect ourselves in our home AND away. If a congressman or retired cop can protect themselves why can't we!?
No, not every numbskull out there can get a gun. Background checks are run, there is a class you will need to take to learn how to properly handle and shoot a gun, etc.
Guns don't kill people, people kill people, cars don't kill people, drunk drivers do, and my pen/keyboard doesn't misspell words, I DO!
So, obviously, I am now pro gun. Thanks to my husband, he has opened my eyes to why this is an important issue, and I hope after reading this, you look up this topic and read about it yourself.

"I Feel Like a Woman"

2009-02-17T16:15:00.002-06:00

That is what Lady is singing today. After weeks of me thinking she would be in season any day now.... she is. I woke up this morning with the warm little runt curled up next to me and blood on my WHITE sheets!!!! Argh. So I let her out, fed her breakfast, let her out again and caged her. I took the kids to school, went to Kinder registration for Leah, came home, let PMS Doggy out again, caged her again, picked up Leah from the bus, went to my DR (whole nother story) then finally made it to Petsmart. I picked up a pack of those silly disposable diapers for like $15!!!!!! Highway robbery. So once I got home, I jumped online and ordered a few cloth diapers from www.puppybuns.org. YAY, another item to critique :)
Lady is NOT liking the diaper. She has managed to get it off many times already. I hate disposable diapers. They are so flimy, so tearable, so........ DISPOSABLE, lol. Gargage in other words.
So my baby dog is now a "big girl" haha. Look out boys :)

Happy Birthday Tyler Adam

2009-02-16T13:31:00.001-06:00

My little guy is now 8 yrs old today. Ah, I would like to take you back to this wonderful day, eight years ago:

I wake up at about 4AM with contractions. This had just happened to days earlier so I didn't think much of it. I go to the bathroom, get a drink of water, go back to bed, they are still coming so I decide to time them. I believe they were every 5 mins at that point. I wake up Adam and tell him, he falls back asleep (typical, this happened with all 3 of my kids, lol). I wait an hour, they are still coming, so I wake him back up, he insists I call the Doc. I refuse to call my beloved Doctor so early in the morning, lol, so I wait until about 6:30. He says to get my things together and head to the hospital. I take my sweet little time, I was in no rush. I may have been young and a first timer, but I was not in pain and I KNEW this kid wasn't going to just fall out, lol. So we got to the hospital around 8-8:30 and took forever to admit me bc I was only 17 and they wanted a parents consent, haha. Good Luck. My Mom was on her way but my Dad lived an hour away and was at work, he had no intentions of coming that day. So they admitted me, repeating that my Mom HAD to sign these papers when she got there. OK OK..... so I am getting all hooked up to my IV (I had Strep B so I had to have antibiotics while in labor) and I go walking the halls with Adam. Our Moms get there at about 11ish. I was already about 8 cm and doing well. My sisters, Jenny and Kim were there as well. At noon my Dr broke my water which made me a full 10 cm, he had to head back to the office, but his associate would be delivering. He said it was all going great. So, I jumped on a birthing ball bc Ty still had not dropped. So a little later, the new Dr came in to check me, I was 10 cm, 100% thin and ready but Tyler still was floating up there, so she says right away "You need a C-Section. Your epidural and OR will be ready by 4:00" Now that freaked me out. I was getting upset and all you Mamas know, at the very end, contractions are one atop another. So I asked for something to ease my pain, I received a shot of Demerol in my IV. Worked very quickly but wore off very quickly too. After I was back in pain, my two sisters convinced me just to start pushing. Either he would come or not. At least I would get to try. They were right. So my nurse came in to check on me, we told her the plan, lol, she was game. I pushed for about 30 minutes and then she said "OK let me page Doc" he is coming down now, it took her 3 pages and about 15 minutes to get the Dr in the room. I was so mad. She comes in gets her "gear" on and a couple minutes later, at 3:56pm, Tyler Adam Peterson made his arrival weighing in at 9 lbs 15 oz and 20" long. He was born not breathing and very purple/grey. I attributed that to "holding him in" so long but he pinked up and started crying very quickly. He was very very groggy the rest of that day, which I can thank that stupid Demerol for (I wish I never used it). He was such a perfect beautiful baby.

Ah... memories. I miss him so tiny and innocent. Now he is a energetic, talkative second grade boy who doesn't want to dance in public with Mommy, or kiss me goodbye in front of school. Happy Birthday Ty. You are a great kid. Don't let anyone tell ya different :)

VROOM VROOOM

2009-02-15T17:34:00.002-06:00

Someone loves Emma. She received the coolest Disney Princess mini powerwheel type thing for Valentines Day. She loves it :) I think it is just too cute. I had to buy it for her, lol.

Well I spent my Sunday cleaning. Ever since my surgery, I have been slacking on decluttering the kitchen and livingroom. I go to it all today and I am pleased with how much I got done before my ankle gave out for the day.

Tomorrow is Tylers Birthday.... and Presidents Day..... so we are meeting my sister and their kids at Chuck E Cheese in the morning and letting him enjoy himself :) No school. Let's hope I survive this one, haha. I will make sure to post pics of that.

Kids Valentines Dance

2009-02-14T16:48:00.003-06:00

Happy Valentines Day everyone!!! I guess it is time to change my page design now :)

Yesterday the kids had their Valentines parties. Leah had a pinata in class, all the kids got to hit it, including Little Miss Emma. The kids had such a fun time. Tyler had a few games in his class and came home with lots of treats, even a few Valentines Stickers from girls thru the Student Counsil program. He is not letting that go to his head, hehe.

Last night was the dance at Leahs preschool. The kids of course had a great time, just like last year. Although, you notice someone missing? Yup, Adam skipped the dance and insisted Emma was not 'ready' HAHA. What an excuse to stay home and play video games. Leah and her BFF, Ginger, had a great time, and Ginger even asked Tyler to dance, boy was he blushing, haha. The hour was filled with music, laughter, dancing and some "Tyler Moves" :P Daddy and Emma sure missed out! The kids came home exausted and after showers, Leah passed out in my bed watching "Scooby Doo"

Emma also had her first sucker yesterday, so I had to include a picture of her enjoying it :) She is just getting soo big soo fast. She has her Daddy wrapped around that little finger of hers. I think it is so cute. I am worried these girls are going to walk all over Adam and turn him into mush.

VALENTINE PUPS

2009-02-14T09:21:00.002-06:00

My friend over at www.busybeekennels.com is a proud 'Grandma' of 6 healthy beautiful Rat Terrier pups this morning. Sami gave birth to her sweethearts early this morning. What a great day to be born :) Go check out the pups, there are still some available. Don't miss out on a great dog from a wonderful Mama and breeder.

Online Shopping?

2009-02-12T14:13:00.002-06:00

There was a point and time I thought online shopping was for fat lazy people, lol. Well, I became a computer user in 2004 and ever since Emma was born I have been a fan of online shopping.

When Emma was just a few months old, I switched to cloth diapers. I found two websites I only purchased from: www.nickisdiapers.com and www.abbyslane.com. Nickis offers some items free shipping, others with very reasonable prices and they are located not far from here, in Wisconsin. They also have a sister site www.MySwimBaby.com. Abby has free shipping throughout the US and she is super fast and friendly.

I have also become a fan of www.walmart.com I have given up on shopping for anything but groceries and clothes at the actual store. They never seem to have the MP3 player, laptop, DVD or shoes I am looking for. So I order on the website and it ships site to store for FREE. For $29 l(lasts a whole year) you can get Express Site to Store, which arrives in 3-5 days, rather than the Free one at 7-10 days. The employees at my Walmarts Site to Store area know me well by now, lol.
Another online store I would like to rave about it www.striderite.com I ordered Emma shoes on Monday and they arrived today!!!! Super fast!! And the came in perfect condition :)

I also enjoy eBay. I love browsing and finding things here and there at a great deal. I used to sell on eBay quite a bit, but after moving to the new house, I haven't given it much time.

So no, online shopping isn't for lazy people. It is for smart people!! I even book all my Moms plane and train tickets online at www.amtrak.com and www.aa.com and it saves a few bucks rather than calling. I love it :)

What's Up Wednesday

2009-02-11T11:28:00.004-06:00

It is Wednesday!!!! Since Valentines Day is Saturday, I am choosing to rave about my darling husband, Adam, and how we met:
Adam and I met in highschool, sophmore year, after losing a football game. He was on the team with my best friend, and some other mutual friends. After meeting him, I insisted I wanted to get to know him better. I was NEVER a shy girl, I would talk to anyone, flirt with a guy, no problem. Well, Adam brought out the shy in me!!! After our initial meeting we ended up at the same parties, mutual friends all made plans and we both ended up there. It was a sign.
I finally got the nerve up and invited him to my Sweet 16 Birthday Party my Mom thru me. I was more excited about him coming than I was getting my license that morning, lol. He came, we talked, after the party, a bunch of us took a walk, and it was the first flirt, lol. Finally, something. He was playing hard to get, I know it, but I liked it ;)
So after several weeks of harmless flirting, a bunch of us were watching movies at a mutual friends house one night, May 7, to be exact. Well, that was the night Adam 'asked me out' and our first kiss came about.Talk about butterflies!!!
We had Tyler our senior year of highschool. It was tough for both of us but Adam showered me with love and did the best any 18 yr old could. We've had our ups and downs over the years, but in October 2005 he proposed. We married MAY 7, 2006, and it has been wonderful ever since. Perfect, no, who is? But I am so in love with him. He completes me.
We now have three beautiful, healthy, perfect children together. Adam works his butt off to provide for us, allowing me to stay home and raise our kids. He is not only a great husband, but a wonderful Daddy. I couldn't imagine sharing my life with anyone else.
I love you Honey :)

Shoe Shopping

2009-02-10T12:58:00.002-06:00

Emma has outgrown her size 4.5W Stride Rites, like almost overnight. So, I jumped online yesterday and went to www.striderite.com and bought her a new pair of kicks :) I got her Baby Myka 5.5W and Del Mar Two Strap sandals 6W for summer time. I got both pairs 50% off. I am so pleased with my deal.
So I now have Emmas 4.5W Stride Rite Superballs listed on Ebay now. If you would like to take a look: http://cgi.ebay.com/Stride-Rite-Baby-Girl-4-5W-cute-shoes_W0QQitemZ330306867227QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item330306867227&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A1%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50

Wow, long link, hehe. Anywho. I wanted to share my happy buy and pass along my ebay link.
Happy Tuesday everyone :)

A Lesson on Friendship

2009-02-09T12:31:00.003-06:00

I have very few people I call "Friend" and to whom that hold that status, I love them. But there are some unwritten "Friend Rules" some people really don't know or care about. Now see, I am not one with hundreds of friends with an easy going, party all the time life. My time is precious.... and occupied with my little midgets. My best friend, Dion, and I have been friends since we were 11, way back to 6th grade at Jack Benny Middle School. He is like a brother to me. We have this bond that is unbreakable. He respects my life, I am a stay at home Mom and Wife. He is a single, social, life loving guy. Not a bad thing, just different than who I am now. But even thru our changes, we have remained very close.
I also have a great loop of Mamas I met when I was prego with Emma. I have much love for these Ladies, most have grown very close to my heart. Especially, Steph, she is my twin from far far away, lol :) This group of gals are the best. They are always there to lend an ear or eyes (lol) and it will always be returned.

Now, some people, like I said, didn't get that unwritten memo in Friendship. They use you as their "bragging/complaining" ear and then make plans, never show. Don't call, email or text..... until they need to talk or need something. These people need friends like them. Not a friend like me.

Going Back....

2009-02-08T10:48:00.003-06:00

This week I have thought a lot about going back to school. You all know I plan to home school the kids come middle school age, I want to be prepared myself. Sure, I graduated highschool, 8 years ago, and was a typical honor roll student, but come on, you tell me what you learned back then, lol. I would like to take some basic classes at CLC: http://www.clcillinois.edu/ which will benefit me and the kids. But I also want to start pursuing my Doula/Lactation Consultant dream. There is so much time to put into it, I do not want to start until I am ready to devote a lot of time. Which, right now, ha, I barely have enough time to devote to weight loss (actually, not doing well with that right now). So time to make a 5 year plan for me. In five years, Tyler will more than likely be home schooled. 7th grade, yikes!!!! So here is my "rough draft of plans:
2009- Lose this naggy baby/medication weight. I gained five pounds while chair bound for those three weeks. I am making my goal to start off with losing 20 lbs this year.
Fall of '09- Take one class at CLC, English, Math, History, something :)
Spring '10- Another class or two
Summer '10- Focus on my postpartum doula certification
2011- Focus on Lactation Certificate
2012- Catch up on whatever I may be missing
2013- Home Schooling
depending on how home schooling and family life goes will determine when I will begin the Birthing Doula learning.
So by the time I am, say, 40, I will be where I want to be, lol.
I will take this opportunity to tell any young readers I may have. Finish school NOW!!! You do not know what is ahead for you, putting it off doesn't always work. Things happen, KIDS happen. I wish I could go back and do it all over again. Tyler would not have been my excuse to wait a year for college, he would have been my reason to go. Ah, if I only knew then what I know now.

TV: Friend or Foe?

2009-02-06T13:52:00.002-06:00

I always minimized the amount of TV my older two watched as toddlers, still today they aren't vegetables in the house. I always loved the TV as a device to keep my 2 yr olds attention long enough for me to put away laundry or scrub the kitchen floors. Well, now Miss Emma is abusing the TV. If you know Emma, you know she has been a dificult child her last 18 months. From the day I brought her home, she has cried, whined, clung, and screamed WAY TOO MUCH. Two weeks ago, a typical day was breakfast, hold Emma, snack, hold Emma, lunch, nap, hold Emma, snack, watch Little Einsteins, hold Emma, dinner, hold Emma, Emma plays, bedtime. Well, she has now shown a huge interest in other cartoons and insists on them being on all day. She does not sit and watch it all day, she will play, very contently, watch TV, play, snack, nurse, play, play, watch TV. It has been a big change. I am loving the happy toddler but I am feeling guilty about leaving the TV on so much. I have tried turning it off, taking her upstairs, but we always end up back in the livingroom begging for TV. I am at a crossroad of what to do now.

What's Up Wednesday

2009-02-04T12:30:00.002-06:00

This week I nominate my rant about: People who are Anti Breastfeeding
If you know the facts on breastfeeding and choose not to do it, so be it. BUT if you must talk trash about us Mothers that do, get a life. I am a PROUD breastfeeding Mom. I have nursed all three of my kids, and I am still nursing Emma. I am not shy to nurse in public. Why should I be? My kid has every right to eat, I don't flaunt my chest, I keep it very minimal.Why do people have such rude crude things to say about breastfeeding. God gave us breasts to feed our young and that is exactly what I am doing. How could something so natural be wrong or 'gross'? I ran into a group on facebook called, "Breastfeeding IS Obscene" http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?sid=7b4cb297cbb7b3d3fad4753d6e75f1cf&gid=6153024923
I am disgusted by the immature people who belong to this group. I am not a fan of formula, I don't like seeing a woman give a newborn baby a bottle of formula. But do I think it is obscene? Do I bash it? Do I tell her to go to the bathroom to feed her bebe? No. Her choice. She isn't giving him beer in the bottle, lol.
But my final line: Breast is Best. It is natural, healthy and perfect. If you do not like seeing a baby getting nourished, look the other way or put a blanket over your own damn head :)

Foot Update

2009-02-03T19:51:00.002-06:00

Well I had my first day of physical therapy yesterday. Mike was awesome. Super nice and patient with me :) He said I am looking real good. I had my one month follow up appt with Dr. Summerville today. He took more XRAYS and he said all looks perfect and I can start gradually start walking without my boot. I will have PT twice a week for a few weeks and follow up with the Doc in four weeks. I am so thrilled with my recovery. Thanks for reading!!!!

It's a Bird, It's a Plane... with Mama in it

2009-02-03T11:38:00.002-06:00

Well, Adam took Mom to the airport this morning for her flight back home. Hopefully, we aren't calling her back anytime soon for another emergency. She will be back in June, when the weather is warmer, no more snow on the ground.... and the kids are not in school, hahaha!!! I had many people help me this past month, and I thank you all, but if it were not for my Mom things would have been a lot harder for me, mentally, physically, emotionally. She is the best!
I will miss her tons, but I know I will see her again soon. We are still hoping to go see her for Spring Break, it all depends on Adams job, he is moving building and yada yada yada, so time off is up in the air right now.
Speaking of Spring, I can not wait for warmer weather. We are expecting more snow today, less then an inch up North here, but 2-6 inches in the City and South/SouthWest. Ah I want to plant some flowers, see green grass, play outside with the kids without a big puffy jacket and gloves. Why do I still live here? LOL.

correction

2009-02-02T20:56:00.003-06:00

"SOMEONE" has mistaken my last post for a complaint that I am a Mom. I just want to clear the air and say that was not so. I thought I was reaching out to a lot of Moms who felt the same, that we put everyone else first and forget about us.
I love being a Mom, I LOVE my kids. I wouldn't change it for anything. I also love being married. I am Adam's life partner. We get to go thru the good, bad and ugly together. What could be better!? Marriage is tough work to make it last, but so worth it.
So again, I hope this clears up any misreading :)

Changes as a Mom

2009-02-01T12:14:00.003-06:00

Why is it that a Mom, particularly a stay at home Mom, always puts herself last. Even though we all know the phrase "If Mama Ain't Happy, Ain't Nobody Happy" Our kids get new clothes, toys, this and that, hubby get what he needs and wants. What about us? Oh we will get it later. Later=Never. As Mom and I are driving to get our haircut today (that is right, I got my haircut for the first time in several months) I was telling her a story about running into someone several years ago and he had normally seen me after work; high heels, pant suit, make up and hair done, and how embarrassed I had been to run into him at Target on my "cleaning day" with jeans, an over sized shirt on, no makeup and a ponytail. But now that is a normal day for me. Yoga pants, If I am lucky jeans, a shirt, no makeup and yes, the famous ponytail most days.... taking the kids to school, grocery shopping, PTO, playdates. That is me now. How did I go from such a higher standard to this? LOL. Being a Mom and Wife wears on you. Good for you Ladies who get all dolled up each morning to run the kids to school and go pick up a gallon of milk before heading back home to do 6 loads of laundry and scrub a toilet. Maybe I have lost some self esteem, well I know I have, 30 lbs heavier isn't what I hoped for. But doing "ME" takes too much. I need to make sure Tyler matches and Leah is looking her best and Emma does not have boogers on her cheeks before I leave the house, oh and let the dog out, lock her up, set the alarm, and someone ALWAYS forgets something. So I am running back inside to get it. Why should I worry about me? Kids and Adam are the priority. So thinking about all this today, I decided, I am really going to kick myself in the ass and start paying more attention to me. Does that mean high heals and makeup, I think not, but I will at least brush my hair without the pony and start putting my exercise time before some other things... well that is, after I get this damn boot off, which I do start physical therapy tomorrow.

So.. Moms... remember, we need attention too. Let's start making US happy. Then everything else should fall into place :)

Super Bowl Sunday

2009-01-31T09:23:00.003-06:00

So, as the Super Bowl approaches, we plan our party, or plan who's party to attend, I am still debating over food. We are having a little get together here, Adam wants chili, Moms are not on board with chili, I would prefer to have a zillion different appetizers. As I heard on the radio yesterday, on US99 (99.5 fm, Chicago) do not serve veggies at a Super Bowl party, lol, I so agree. What man with beer in hand is going to grab for a carrot sick!? It saves you the trouble of the washing, cutting and serving, and no one eats it, so don't serve it ladies.
The kids pretend they enjoy football, until 5 minutes into the game they ask, "is it over yet?" "can i play wii now?" HA, gotta love them for trying to enjoy a game :) Emma has her famous "touchdown" she takes Daddy's football and throws it on the ground saying "tada" (touchdown) then raises her arms and claps, and we all clap too. She enjoys it :)
So now raises the question. Who are you cheering for? Steelers or Cardinals? I am a Bears fan but I have liked the Steeelers for years now, as my 'backup' team. When the Bears piss me off, as they do often, I will watch a Steelers game to cheer me up and hope they win! Soo... GO STEELERS!!!!!

Little Einsteins

2009-01-29T12:57:00.002-06:00

We watch "Little Einsteins" everyday in this house. Since Emma was about 9 months old it has been her favorite thing. She has EVERY video out. She also has the talking/singing dolls of all four characters, tshirts, pjs and books. It is the only show she insists on watching. She has shown a small interest in "Yo Gabba Gabba" (which I can not stand) and ""Ni Hao, Kai-Lan" Not even "Sesame Street" which was my fav as a kid. I have had an Einsteins overload. Way too much, lol. Leah, at this age, was "The Wiggles" number one fan, so I should be grateful it is not them again, haha. Tyler was never a one show guy, he had no favs, such an easy going guy :)
So, thank you to Annie, June, Leo and Quincy.... oh, and Rocket, for gluing Emma for 25 mins a day, which saves me a few grays, lol.

What's Up Wednesday

2009-01-28T17:26:00.002-06:00

Today's Topic: H&R Block and the rapid refund
We had our taxes done Monday night. Our tax advisor is super nice, fast and informative. I am always pleased with his service. Well, like the last three years, we did the rapid refund with the Emerald MasterCard. We have never had issues with it before, we liked it the last few years. So we went ahead with it again. The money loaded when stated, great! But then I go to the ATM today to get cash out to put in my checking account and the ATM won't accept the card. I drive around to five other ATMs and they all say the same thing. It works fine at business' like Best Buy where we bought our new laptop last night. Which there is a rave, the lady who helped us last night was fabulous at the Gurnee Best Buy!!! It worked at Walmart, McDonalds, etc.... So as I am out this morning looking for an ATM, my Mom hears a report about these cards not working at ATMs this year. I am furious. On top of that, I call the 1-800 number on the back of the card to talk to someone about this and the automated system advices me that to talk to a person will incur a $2.00 fee. What a joke!!
So to sum up my feelings on this refund loan thing through H&R Block and HSBC, I am very disappointed and upset. I forewarn you all to choose another option, either getting the check from H&R Block or waiting the two weeks and getting it direct deposit in your bank account. I have no complaints about my tax preparations, so I am still an H&R Block fan, just not a fan of this card and their bank anymore!

Adventure of the Day

2009-01-27T14:09:00.004-06:00

Hide and Seek.... that is what I had to play today at the Dr with the girls. What a day!!! It started off great, we got there early, got signed in and called right away. In the room Leah was weighed and measured first, then Emma, well Emma decided to make a mad dash for the door (which was open just a bit). So here I am in my walking boot, hobbling down a hallway after my very fast toddler. Finally catch her.... ok so we are doing good again. As soon as Dr. T walks in the room, Leah starts whining that she doesn't want a shot. Do Emma, I am done, she starts to put her clothes back on while heading under the Dr. desk!!! SO I con her out of there, reminding her she needs the shots for Kindergarten and she will get her Happy Meal when we are done and the Dr checks her out, and she keeps telling him "NO SHOTS!" lol. So on to Emma, she gets her check up, both girls are doing great, of course :) We have to get a urine sample for Leah, well she can't pee, we sit in the bathroom and try for several minutes, nothing. OK, so we go back in the room and wait for the nurse to come in with the shots, and Leah starts putting her jacket on. I tell her no, we have to wait, her response "NO SHOTS!" and she darts back under the desk. Now Emma has sensed the fear and she starts whining, and goes under the desk with Leah. Well, nurse comes in and both girls start balling. Leah is up first. Finger prick, she SCREAMED. Then the nurse needed her sleeves up for one shot in each arm, Leah fought and squirmed and screamed, another nurse ended up having to come in and help hold down my 46 lb little girl. OH was I embarrased! Emma cried the whole time. Then it was Emmas turn, and Leah was already under the desk with her jacket on, lol. Emma cried and it was over soon enough. A minute of nursing and she was A OK. What a fun adventure we had today. Longest appointment ever! Pic above from Leahs birthday

Welcome Home Mom!

2009-01-26T16:24:00.002-06:00

Well, after 5 days in the hospital, Mom got to come home today. She was wheeled out to my car at 2:00pm and we were home by 2:30pm. She is tired, as to be expected. She goes back home Feb. 3, but I sure don't want her to leave. I would feel much better if she stayed here, but she does have her monthly Dr appt Feb. 5. But she will be back by summer.
Adam and I go get our taxes done tonight. We always get a refund, so I am excited to see what we end up with. We have lots of things we want to do with the house. New carpet, new sinks, outdoor shed, new lawnmower, snowblower, we are knocking down the pine trees in the backyard, ooh, and my laptop.
The girls have their 5 yr and 18 month appt tomorrow. Emma hasn't had a vaccine since her 9 month appt, we are delaying, and especially the MMR vax. I believe in my heart it is best. I will update tomorrow in how that goes.

Update on Mom

2009-01-23T19:47:00.002-06:00

Thats everyone for the well wishes and prayers. Mom is doing a little better tonight, they moved her to a 'normal' patient room tonight and her BP is getting better, last check was 101/60. She is on a better pain medication so she is feeling a little better too. She will miss Leahs birthday party tomorrow so Leah and I are going to see her tomorrow night and bring her a piece of cake and Leah will open her presents from Grandma there. The Dr is guessing she can go home Monday.
Leah has enjoyed her birthday. She got to pick dinner, which was McDonalds, lol, prime rib to a five year old. Haha. The kids got to play in the play area for awhile as well. She can not wait for her party tomorrow ;)

Prayers for Mama Sue

2009-01-23T08:46:00.002-06:00

I am requesting prayers for my Mom. I had to take her to the hospital yesterday after having to con her to go bc she had severe back and chest pains. Turns out she has pnemonia and her vitals are all low, even as of this morning. She is in ICU at Lake Forest Hospital. I am so worried about her. On a lighter note, today, at 12:17pm, Leah Renee will be 5!!!! Happy Birthday my love :) She is thrilled that she is five now, lol.

What's Up Wednesday!?

2009-01-21T09:22:00.005-06:00

I am going to try something new. Every Wednesday I will rave or rant or just speak out about a topic, subject, person, act, etc...

Our first will be my dog Lady, lol.

Lady is a 6 month old (as of yesterday) Rat Terrier. I found her from Liz at http://www.busybeekennels.com/, they live in Tampico, IL. I have known Liz for a few years now. She is a wonderful person and awesome hobby breeder. Lady is beautiful, type A mini Rat. She is black and tan tux with 3 white paws and a white boot. She is not my first Rat. (RIP Cookie Marie) They are a great breed, very loyal and smart, but SASSY, lol. Not all Rats are sassy, but Lady is. She is still a pup and I have not had the time to do all the training she needs. Thanks to moving, crazy kids, Christmas and a broke leg, things just pile up. But we are starting a class in March, it is a great way for Lady and I to bond and for her to accept I AM the pack leader, not her. I am planning on breeding Lady next year. So I really want to make sure she has the brains I believe she has in there :) I just have to pull it out of her. That is my goal this year, to keep Lady busy. After the basic training classes, I want to start her in agility. I know she can aspire there, I see it in her. If anyone is looking for a Rat Pup, please contact Liz. Not only are her dogs beautiful smart and healthy, she is really awesome. She will honestly tell you to the best of her knowledge what temperment each pup will have (and she has been so on the ball) and she will help you choose what would be best for you and your family. She is so good with updates throughout the Mamas pregnancy and early weeks. Right now Sami is expecting and due next month. I believe I have appreciated the breed even more thanks to Liz. She rocks :)

Pic above is Lady when we brought her home at 7 wks.

Hail to the Chief

2009-01-19T16:18:00.003-06:00

I hope everyone who is able to, will tune in tomorrow morning to watch the 44th President of the United States take office. I will be watching proudly. I have been an Obama supporter since he announced he was running. I do believe change is in our future. No one is perfect, but he is the man for the job. Goodbye Bush.... Hello Obama :) Welcome to the Whitehouse!!!!

Cabin Fever

2009-01-19T10:09:00.003-06:00

Today has now been two weeks since I fell and broke my good ol' leg. It is driving me batshit. My big excitement is going to Walmart with Adam (bc they have nice motorized carts) or the Dr, lol, how pathetic. I have to suck it up and watch other people clean my house, and not the way I do it. Which is also driving me up the wall, but I am so apreciative that people are helping, or else when I can actually do it, my house will look like a bachelor pad, eeewww, lol. Leahs birthday is Friday and her party is Saturday, I am so not ready for the party. I like to have everything in order and planned how, but I will be on my crutches, unable to even walk around and take pictures. I think this is depressing me. I need a pick me up, another trip to Walmart maybe!? HAHA! All else on the Peterson front is exciting. Emma has learned to be an up and coming diva. She does NOT listen to the word "NO" she looks and laughs as she runs off. When I tell her to sit, when she stands on the couch, a chair, whatever, I say sit and count to three, I say "one" and she chimes in "taaa" (two) and holds up fingers. It drives me nuts but afterwards it is funny. She is just too cute. Tyler and Leah are enjoying day five of their five day weekend, it is a zoo around here. I can't wait until they leave for school tomorrow morning, aaaaaah, silience, oh wait, there is still Emma, she is never quiet unless she is nursing or sleeping, and sleep is rare. Maybe I should just join the "Little Einsteins" fan club with Emma and pop a DVD in :)

COLD

2009-01-15T15:17:00.002-06:00

It is very cold here today. -9 without even considering wind chill. The schools were closed today. Good thing I am all layed up with nowhere to go. The kids have been pretty decent. They placed downstairs most of the day, but Baby Emma has been a pain in my rear end. She is just not feeling well, I think she is finally getting those bottom eye teeth in. Poor girl.
I got to take my first bath with both legs in over a week last night. AH it was so nice, lol. My ankle feels so much better without that nasty splint and all those staples. Only 3 more weeks until I can walk again, and then following 4 weeks of physical therapy. Not too excited about that, and it is THREE DAYS A WEEK. Isn't that a lot!?
I sure can not wait to clean my house myself. My mop and rags and pledge are calling my name, lol. I hate being so needy. But I really do appreciate all the help I am getting.
Michael was over last night, teasing me about my "cult" He knows when he is a parent he will be as over anal as I am, maybe worse, we get it from our parents, haha. He has a new girlfriend, she has a baby. My little brother may possibly be a Step Dad one day.... hope he makes a good one, it is not an easy job. I like his new leading lady though, she is so nice and easy to talk to. Opposite of some others I have met. Well done Mikey, now finish college and make us all proud :)
Speaking of, I plan on getting the ball rolling to get my Doula and Lactation Consulting Certificate this year. Along with that, I plan on getting licensed for home daycare and looking more into Foster Parenting. Adam and I would like to help those kids in need. And eventually, I WILL fufill my dream of becoming a serogant mom. Time.... it all takes time. So much to do, such little time.

Off Come the Staples

2009-01-14T18:04:00.003-06:00

I went to the Dr today and he removed my staples. I will admit, it hurt a tad bit, but Adam was there to hold my hand :) Whatta guy! So they cleaned the insision and took more XRAYS. I got to see my 8 pins and plate in my leg, weird. So my foot is still swollen and bruised (see pics). I go back in 3 weeks for a recheck and start my rehab and until then no walking or pressure still on my foot, which I have a walking boot thing on until then. He also put some steri strips on the insision and told me everything looked real good. Ugh, I thought it was ugly, and I am sure you readers are saying the same about the pics my dear hubby took, lol. I am so glad to get rid of that splint, it was so annoying. Tomorrow is supposed to be -2 without windchill, so I think the kids will be playing hooky and enjoying a 5 day weekend. Well, "LOST" starts soon, better go make sure the kids are getting ready for their movie time :)

Parenting Differences

2009-01-13T15:16:00.004-06:00

So, here is a controversal subject. What is the best way to raise a baby? You are 10 Moms, you will get 10 different answers. To me, I believe what works best for you, your family and the baby is the best way, but you must know the facts. Yes Breast is best, I think almost everyone knows that, but I doubt they look into as WHY it is. Makers of formula want you to believe it is a duplicate to what my daughter drinks. How about cloth diapers anyone? Ha, 8 years ago I would tell you you were nuts if you though I would clean a diaper in the toilet. Well, with the wonderful internet and some friends, I read up on CDs (cloth diapers) and decided to give it a go with Emma. Is it right for everyone? Maybe not but I really think everyone should look into it. Not only for your childs bum, but Mother Nature, ooooh, and they are sooo cute. If you don't go diaper crazy and stick to the basics, you can save A LOT of money over the course of 2 years. Will you wear your child or push it in a stoller? Gerber or home made baby foods? Vaccines or not? Co sleeping or crib? Public, Private or Home Schooling? To Spank or Not? My brother jokes and says I belong to a cult, I know he is joking everytime but, I choose my parenting skills bc I think that is what is best for my kiddos. Yes, Emma is almost 18 months and still nursing (BTW.. weaning to only evening nursing didn't work as planned but she is down to only 3 nursing a day!) I use CDs most of the time, I home made her baby food, I delay vax, Emma LOVES her mei tai carrier, and she sleeps in our bed on occasion, not as much as when she was an infant. Now 8 years ago with Tyler, things were a little different. It is what worked for us. I nursed him for 6 wks, bought Gerber, Tyler was a textbook pediatrician baby, all vax on time, back to sleep IN CRIB, soothed by a swing, PAMPERS, lol. So to all you Mamas out there that do what you think is best, GO GIRLS. Look at all the Moms who could give a shit, they drink and smoke when prego, don't even get me started on drug use. Then after the baby is born, IF it stays in their care, it gets worse. My heart aches for kids with a family like that. So anywho.... there is my ramble of the day. I happy with the way I have raised all my kids bc I did what I knew best :)

Photo: Happy Emma at 8 months old in her cloth diaper and baby legs :)

Five Years in the Making

2009-01-12T11:02:00.003-06:00

I can not believe my little girl will be 5 in less than 2 weeks. The last 5 years have gone by too fast. Just yesterday she was my little baby, following me to the bathroom, wanting to be smothered in my love...... oh wait, she still does that but now she walks and talks, lol. The last five years have been the biggest changes in my life as well. I was a young almost 21 yr old single Mom, Adam and I were not on the best of terms. When Leah was a baby/toddler I worked like a dog 50 hours a week to support my kids, only to find a sitter every other Saturday night to go out dancing with my girls to get away from my real life for a few hours. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. True. You may not like what is going on at the time, but you look back and see how it has made you who you are today. Adam changed and popped the question in October 2005, we got married in May 2006. Life since then has been wonderful. We totally appreciate and understand each other now, thanks to our Pastor and all the pre-marital counseling we did. He helped us so much. We have always loved each other, we just didn't know how to get along, lol. So anyway, we are so happy now, married, three kids. Everyone told us we would never work out. Well, BOOYA, in your face people, haha. Well, back to Leah. Her coming into this world has changed my life. She made me the stong independent woman I am today, she gave me that girly touch, and so much more. I am so proud to be her Mom and I am so happy with the way my life is today because of her :)

Stuck in my seat

2009-01-10T14:54:00.004-06:00

Well, today is Day 6 as a 'disabled' person. I am not enjoying it too much. I have had tons of wonderful people help out with cleaning, Emma, even some Ladies from church brought us a few days of meals. But I WANT TO MOVE. And when I do, I fall. I swear, these crutches (or crunches, as Ty calls them) suck. I fell 3 times yesterday, well, not really fall but loose balance and put pressure on my left leg, ouch!!! So I really can not wait to ditch the pain meds and crutches, this has gotten old real quick. My heart goes out to all you readers in wheel chairs or have a permanant disability. I am going coo coo. Although last night I was greatly surprised with a box at my door, my friends Stephanie and Jennifer sent me a yummy treat from www.chocolatepizza.com. Thanks Ladies :)
I am going to TRY to get out of the house tonight. Adam is going to help me take a bath and then we are going all out to fancy Walmart, LOL. Leahs birthday is in 2 weeks, we are going to pick up her new bike and some groceries. I get to rock the motorized cart, oh boy am I excited, honk honk, here I come!!!

Not so happy Monday

2009-01-09T09:21:00.003-06:00

Well, just shortly after I wrote on Monday, Emma and I were leaving the house and I tripped and fell on my porch steps. I called Adam, he told me to call 911, I did, they took me to the ER, poor Emma did not like the ambulance ride, she was fine, not even a scratch on her. So turns out I broke my leg!!!! They put me in a splint and bandage and told me to go to an Orthopedic Doc the next day. So I had my appt at 3pm on Tuesday, I was there until 5:30, turns out I broke my leg (near my ankle) in two spots and it is so bad, I needed surgery, so Wednesday morning I am registering in the hospital, had my surgery at 10:00 and was out in an hour, had plates and pins put in and was stapled back up, all went well and I was out of the hospital, with my wonderful husband driving me home, by 2:30. I was so doppy feeling on Wednesday, lol. As of today, I am doing OK, pain is hell first thing in the morning but I can deal with it the rest of the day with my pain meds. I booked Mom the first flight I could, so she was back here by Wednesday evening, and between her help, the help of my hubby, Mother in Law, family and my bestest friend, Dion, I can get thru a day. And tons of thanks to my online gal pals for their caring and my super loving Stephanie for her endless calls, texts and IMs to check in on me :) So hopefully next week I am back to blogging on a daily basis and feeling better. I guess no exercising or Wii Fit for me for awhile, HA!!

Back to School!

2009-01-05T09:38:00.002-06:00

Today was the first day back to school for my little munchkins. YAY! Leah was so excited to go back and Tyler was quite the opposite, lol. So, back to the daily routine, except minus the 100 nursing sessions a day. We are doing pretty well on the night only nursings, she woke up three times to nurse the first two nights, argh, I was exausted. But now it is twice a night, last night being the first night I actually got to put her back to her crib before she was knocked out in mine, lol. My little twins are doing better than expected, although, I have been primarily nursing off only one breast for almost a year now, so yes, I am pretty uneven in the bra department, ha. Only a small sacrafice for my daughters best nutrition. So Emma is now eating her morning snack, sipping on some very watered down juice and watching her beloved "Little Einsteins" I wish they would come out with a new video, I have seen all of ours way too many times. Oh and now she just dropped her empty bowl, that is my cue to go and entertain her until nap time. Happy Monday everyone!

Choo Choo

2009-01-04T12:42:00.002-06:00

Well, today Mama Sue goes home. We leave for Union Station at 5:00 pm. Leaving day is always hard on me. I feel like I am saying "goodbye" even though it is only "see you soon" We will be visiting during the kids Spring Break, end of March, and Mom will be back up here in June thru August. Her Doctor has her on strict monthly visits, for her well being and to manage the pain medications she receives. Her condition is getting worse everytime I see her. It hurts me so much. Almost constant throbbing back and/or neck pain, her skin hurts, her "dead leg" (as we try to joke about) gets harded to walk on and move around. I pray all the time for something good for my Mom. She is alive and has me, that is good, lol. But as long as she is good the next 6 months, the Dr allows her the summer with an extended prescription. And because of lovely Social Security and State Medical Aide, Illinois does not accept Alabama Medical Insurance, urgh, that drive me insane. Well, anywho, I take the best of care of her when she is here, and always put a few pounds on her, she under eats back home, naughty girl.
So, only a few more hours until I say "so long" I have enjoyed her stay and look forward so much to seeing her in March, and our daily phone calls, once to three times daily, lol. Yup, I am a Mama's Girl. Where would we all be without our Mothers!? As ALL Mothers tend to say "I brought you into this world and I can take you out"

Wii Fit

2009-01-02T11:20:00.002-06:00

We bought Wii Fit a week before Christmas, motivation to help Adam and I exercise more. It is such a neat system. I have been impressed with the Wii itself the last year. Very famiy friendly and gets you off the couch and moving, unlike a typical video game. Tyler, who is almost 8, is a Wii Aholic, lol, he would play it all day, every day if I let him. It is also the first thing I take away as punishment, so, he really doesn't get to play it to much these days with his tween self. But, for all of you debating on a Wii System or Wii Fit, I give it 2 thumbs up, very fun and challenging for all ages.
Although, I have been using it for 12 days and haven't lost a pound, lol, but that has to do with my eating habits, which are not perfect, but not terrible, and my lovely medication, which helps me be a civil person, lol. Like I say, I'd rather be happy and chubby than crazy and thin. Well, workouts are becoming easier to do, and not just on the Wii (but mostly, lol) now it is time to buckle down and eat like I should. The past week we have been weaning Emma from breastfeeding. This is now day 2 of NO nursing except night time. Daddy is being a big help... I try and stay away from Emma, lol, I am a softy. I am sure there will be plenty of updates on this as well as my weight :X

Happy New Year!!!

2009-01-01T10:03:00.003-06:00

Welcome 2009. I am very excited to start this new year. We have a wonderful new President taking office in just a couple weeks, YAY for Obama!!! I feel this is a great change needed for the United States. And to top things off... my cousin does our family tree, well, I am happy to say, I am SOMEHOW related to President Elect Obama. I thought that was pretty neat.
Well , our family celebrated the new year like most typical, smart and safe homes. We started the evening off with the Mamma Mia, the kids just LOVE dancing to the songs. Even Emma, swaying her hips and mumbling loves the movie. We had a turkey breast roast, mashed potatoes and corn for dinner, right in the living room, which we never do, and watched Shrek. After that Adam decided to turn on some Stand Up Comedy, so the big kids and I went up to my room and watched "Beethoveens Beginning" pretty cute movie, except Miss Leah fell asleep half way thru, like I suspected. So I came back downstairs to ring in New Yorks New Year (an hour earlier than us, lol) with our Moms, FIL and Adam. Well, that was enough for me, I am not a night owl. I text my fellow texting friends and called it a night.
So, what is my new year resolution you ask? The same as half of America, lol, lose weight. I will save that for another day. But yes, the baby weight from my darling 16 month old Emma, needs to go. Cheers :)

My First Try

2008-12-31T09:30:00.000-06:00

Ok... well give me some slack, this is my first attempt at blogging. I told my Mother (pictured here with my brother and I) I was going to start a blog and her words "What the hell for?" LOL. She says only professionals and movie stars have blogs and they are still pointless. Mind you my Mother has never been online, a virgin to the online world, if you may. Well, I had no real answer to her this morning when she asked, so I showed her my friend, Stephanie's blog, over at A Close Knit Family... she said, great, another reason for you to be online talking about your kids. HA, gotta love Mama. Actually Mom and I are very very close. We have one of those special Mother/Daughter bonds, I hope my two daughters and I will have one day. She moved to Alabama a few years ago, with my stepfather, but she is here a lot. Every summer for 3 months, she was here for my wedding, random month visits, and this year is the first time she has been home for the Holidays. She is leaving Sunday, very hard to see her go, but we are going to visit in March and she will be back in June. So in respect to my Mother, worrying that this is another kid based thing, I will do my best to not do that, lol. And that is that. Love ya Mom :)