8/16/12

Today was a pretty low key day. Work has been busy as usual for me. Christian has been getting his OT like usual, so that's good. Just, the usual.

I was greeted with a pretty big surprise at school this afternoon though. I went in to pick Olivia up like usual. Today they were outside, and Olivia was by the teacher at the table playing. As I was walking up I could hear the teacher say "that is only for family". Then, Olivia spotted me and ran over to give me a hug. Then, a little boy came over here, not an ounce of shyness, and said "She just kissed me....ON THE LIPS!", while pointing at Olivia. I was in shock, and really not sure how to respond. I looked at Olivia, laughed a little, and said "Olivia, we don't ever kiss anybody at school!". Then, her teacher again said, "Nope, we only kiss family". I harassed Olivia about it all night long....asking her what her boyfriends name is, and why she was kissing boys at school. She kept telling me that she didn't and he's not her boyfriend, with a guilty grin on her face the whole time! She's trouble. Needless to say, we had a little talk tonight , and I'm hoping it doesn't happy again. I can't imagine the school is too fond of that behavior!

After we played outside at home for a bit, we had dinner and relaxed for the night. That was all the excitement I could handle!

Here is a picture of Amelia and I tonight. Love this one!

8/15/12

Well, today was not the best day ever.

Work was OK. Just the usual. Christian took the girls over to his parents' house for dinner, which gave me some time to catch up on some stuff at home. So, not bad

When they arrived home, I could tell the girls must have been acting up, because Christian seemed annoyed and frustrated as soon as he walked in the door. I was trying to get them into they jammies so Amelia could get to bed, and we could relax and settle down for the night. Olivia wasn't having any of it. On top of that, she was being SUPER rude and disrespectful to me, and I was getting really upset. I finally told her to lay down in our bed. No jammies, no TV, no bathroom break. Bed, immediately. Closed the shades, turned the nightlight on, lights out and walked out. Of course she started throwing a fit. As I got Amelia ready for bed, Christian went into our room and started consoling her and babying her, like usual. This of course led to a huge fight between he and I.

I don't know why, but somehow Olivia became really attached to Christian, and Amelia to me. It's always been that way, since each of them were born you could see an obvious attachment to one parent over the other. The problem is that Christian totally thrives on Olivia's attachment to him, and almost encourages it. So, she continues to treat me crappy, and disrespect me, because Daddy always comes to the rescue. It's really upsetting, and we had it out over it tonight. With some other issues we've had going on, this was just kind of the last straw.

I finally just went downstairs, did my workout and watched TV to cool down for a while. By the time I went upstairs, he was passed out, snoring away and I just went to bed myself. Stress, it just seems never ending!

We have couple of nests under our deck, that seem to get used randomly, here and there. A couple weeks ago I noticed the birds coming in and out of one, peeked inside, and saw a couple of Robin eggs. So, I've watched them over the last couple of weeks. There were only two, and those suckers grow fast! Tonight, the nest was empty. So, our birds are gone for the season. Here is their little growth collage...

8/14/12

Well, today was kind of a stressful day. The stresses of life are definitely carrying over into our home life, and it's frustrating. We have all of this stuff to plan out. I have all of these things I want to do - places I want to go, but we're trying to make sure we have more down/family time as well. So, I'm trying to plan out our upcoming adventures without booking up entire weekends. I think I finally have that figured out. This weekend we have another great weekend of no plans, which I'm really excited about. Then, it all begins. The following week we have a family reunion, next - the fair, next - the apple orchard, next - the Renaissance Festival, next - our anniversary (it is ON a Saturday, you better believe we'll be doing something!), next - the Corn Maze, next - a birthday party. Then, we have a little break before Halloween activities kick into gear. So, it's a lot to fit in. I know there are a few other birthday parties we typically attend in this time frame - so it will be a matter of availability if we're invited to those this year. We also have a local family festival next, and a playdate with Olivia's BFF coming up to add into the mix. I like being busy, and I LOVE experiencing life with the girls as much as possible, but I think our business definitely starts taking a toll on our family. Time to start making better decisions with our time :)

We also have some money stuff to deal with. Christian needs new tires, so we're on the search for a good deal on that, and possible financing (no interest, of course) options out there. We also need to get the girls' swing set. I've always wanted to get one, but never wanted to spend the money. Our parents and some of our friends chipped in for Amelia's birthday to put towards a swing set, so now we HAVE to do it. Of course, I'd like to get it, and get it up, before the snow flys, so we're on the search for that.

We just have so much planning and "figuring out" to do, and issues going on that it's just plain stressful. Just have to keep pushing through, and work through everything.

So, most of our day was consumed with that. I did get this cute picture of Chuy tonight though, what a cutie!

8/13/12

Monday. Blah.

The day went fast though. Today I am officially back on the wagon. We did have a little going-away party for a co-worker today, which included a lot of treats, but I kept myself under control. I brought grapes as my contribution (I know, lame), so I tried to fill up on those and split a dessert. I was back on the 30 day shred train, and did my first Level 3 workout tonight. It was hard, and I definitely couldn’t do everything, but it didn’t kill me like I anticipated. So, YAY! I have a lot of work to do this week before my biggest loser contests end next week. Mama needs some new clothes money!!!

Work went fast and I had another productive day. I spent my lunch planning out some upcoming events. Over the next couple of months we have the State Fair, our annual Apple Orchard trip, our annual Sever’s Corn Maze trip and a visit to the Renaissance Festival. There are also a few birthday parties we’ll be attending, and our family reunion, so I had to sit down and figure out when we can fit everything in. I was really excited because I scored some Renaissance Festival tickets for super cheap. There were actually 2 deals going on…a StarTribune Steal, and a KS95 fan special. Both were basically buy one ticket, get one free. BUT, the steal was only good for a couple of weekends, which is lame. Luckily, the KS95 deal was good for any weekend, AND I was able to use it today and take advantage of the pre-sale discount too. Normally an adult ticket is $21.95 plus fees. I was able to get both of our tickets, with fees, for $21.26. YAY. Christian is always so impressed with my saving skills  The girls are free to get in still, so we’re all set for that. Now I just need to get my discount State Fair tickets at work, and try to win Sever’s tickets again and we’ll be set! LOL.

After work, it was the usual. Clean a little, dinner, play time, baths and bed time. Amelia has had this HORRIBLE diaper rash for the last week or two and it just won’t go away. We’ve tried creams, letting her run around diaperless, baths. Nothing has helped. She is teething so I know that’s part of the issue, but I feel so bad. We’ll be hitting the potty training train soon – possibly this weekend. Hopefully she’ll take to it and that will help a ton I’m sure.

After Amelia went to bed, I headed downstairs to do my workout. Olivia, my little personal trainer, insisted on coming with me, so I had my little cheerleader there to push me. Then, she was off to bed. I watched a couple shows, cooled down and passed out. Excited to be back on track, that’s for sure!

Here is a picture of my little personal trainer helping me out tonight…love her!

8/12/12

Today was another low key, put productive day for us. I spent the morning doing some more cleaning around the house, lots of laundry and going through my coupons/making my shopping list for the week. Once I was finally done and ready to go, Olivia and I headed to Target for our weekly shopping (though, it’s been a while since we’ve had our regular weekly shopping schedule in place...part of the whole getting back on track thing). Olivia LOVES shopping with me, and it’s even better on sample day since that keeps her pretty occupied the entire trip! Since I don’t have my check card anymore, I had to take Christian’s card and get some cash – meaning, take a wild guess on how much I would be spending. More difficult since I needed diapers, dog food, laundry detergent, etc. on top of groceries. I took out $200 and prayed it would be enough. As we were in line, Olivia was begging me for this little $3.00 princess phone by the register. I promised her that if we had money left over, she could buy it. We ended up getting $5.00 back in change, so she went and picked out a phone and paid for it all by herself. Such a big girl, and she was SO excited about it. And, YAY for me for being just about perfect on my shot in the dark. I know my shopping expenses, that’s for sure!

When we arrived home, Amelia was already down for a nap, so we ate some lunch, and Olivia went down. Christian took my car in for a (way overdue) oil change, then he did a little more picking up in the garage while I relaxed. We all spent the evening hanging out…we played for a while, had some dinner, then the girls went right into the bath. While Christian was outside, the girls and I had some ice cream and watched “Tangled” before bed. Before I knew it, the day was over and we were all tucked in for the night. I’m looking forward to another relaxing weekend coming up, this was perfect!

Here is a picture I got of the girls tonight…clean, bedtime snack and watching a movie. Perfect end to a great weekend!

8/11/12

Today was a very productive, yet relaxing day for our household.

The girls were up at their normal time, raring and ready to go. After some cartoons and time to wake up, we all had breakfast and got the day started. Christian mowed the backyard and did some trimming all around. I cleaned up the kitchen and living room, and got the girls dressed. Then, we all headed outside for today's task. Washing the vehicles. We vacuumed, washed and cleaned the car and the truck. I did some picking up in the garage and watered the plants. The girls took a nice long nap a midst all of this fun. It was the perfect day to spend some time outside....not too hot, a little breezy. It actually felt like fall is around the corner. Maybe we'll be blessed with a cooler August!

We ordered some pizza for dinner and goofed around for a while. The girls were pretty feisty tonight, but we did our best to harness it and play with them through the tantrums, fighting and little toddler screaming. Once the girls were in bed, Christian and I cuddled up with some movies. We watched Safe House, which was really good. Didn't really know what to expect from it, but it was better than I expected. Then we watched Act of Valor. Sad, very sad, but it was really good too.

I definitely passed out after that. I can't even believe I made it through 2 movies period! When we put the girls to bed, Olivia was really fighting it...crying, throwing a fit. Since we put them down at the same time, she was in our room to fall asleep. Well, to get her to sleep, I promised her she could stay in sleep with me tonight. We'll see how that goes - she is a wild sleeper!

Here are some pics of the girls helping us clean the car. YAY for free child labor :)

8/10/12

Finally Friday!! It was a short week for me, but even though I was busy, it sure didn't seem short enough! I learned this morning that our $200 KinderCare referral credit would show up next week...just in time to pay for fall registration! LOL, it's always something.

I had my Friday weigh in this morning, and I was down another 1.6lbs, for a total of 35.8 to date. With that, I am officially passed the halfway mark on my weight loss journey. I'm beyond excited to reach this point...up until now, I've felt like there is SO FAR to go. Like an uphill climb the whole way. Now, I've officially lost more than I have to lose, now it's like a downhill stroll. A little over 6 months in, 35+ pounds down, and I'm darn proud of that! Monday I'm getting back on track with my tracking, Level 3 of 30 Day Shred and watching myself. My facebook biggest loser contest ends on the 19th - and there's around $100 up for grabs there! My work biggest loser ends on 23rd and I'm ready to grab that title again!

Work was pretty quiet....that happens A LOT in the summer. Helps keep me focused though, so it's definitely welcomed once in a while. Christian picked up the girls after work because he had to help his parents with a couple things, so I did a little cleaning up before the rest of the house got home. Then, we just spent some time together playing downstairs with the girls' toys. They were actually playing REALLY well together, which is very strange for them.

After the girls went to bed, Christian and I hung out, watched some TV together and just relaxed. We are taking full advantage of our plan free weekend, and spending some much needed family time together.

Here is proof of the girls, playing together, like they like each other. Awwww.

8/9/12

Today was a pretty good day. We had our biggest loser weigh in. I was down 4lbs…even with our little vacation, so I was really proud of myself. This week’s incentive, for $15, is highest percentage of weight loss (man and woman), and I really think I might be in the running! I can’t wait to find out. YAHOO!!

Work flew by again. I was picking up the girls before I knew it. Olivia was much better today and yesterday, got her naps in and has adapted back into school well. She’s been participating well and having a lot of fun with her friends. Amelia only cried that one morning too, and her teacher said she’s been great. She said she really missed having her little helper around – I guess Amelia is really good about helping pick up and clean the classroom. My little helper! Her teacher said again she’s so happy to have her back in class, and it makes me so happy to know that they are so welcomed and loved at school. I’m so proud of my babies!

Christian brought home some leftovers from his parents last night, so that’s what we had for dinner today. I was also stuck online for a while dealing with T-Mobile and our STILL messed up bill. They still owe me $85 for the month of messages they charged me for, and keep telling me that the credit is set up to appear “next month”, but “next month” never seems to appear. I really let them have it tonight, and he “assured me” it WILL “definitely” be on our bill next month. Notice all those quotes – that’s how much faith I have in them at this point. So frustrating!

After dinner, the girls and I hung out and watched some TV, while Christian mowed the grass. I think he’s up to something. Last night, right before bed, he asked me “So, we don’t have anything going on this weekend, right?”. I said no, and that was the end of the conversation. Now, he’s trying to get the lawn mowing out of the way. Yeah, there’s definitely something going on…

We got the girls down after he was finished, and settled in for the night. Tomorrow is supposed to be my Friday off, but I switched it for Monday to save a day of vacation. So, the girls will be going to my in-laws, and I’ll be off to work. Looking forward to a weekend of no plans and some relaxation!!

I got these cute pics of Amelia tonight. Blurry phone pics, but they still capture her curiosity and happiness. Love her.

8/8/12

Well, today I finally got caught up on my vacation work that I was behind on, and even was able to crank out a few new Contracts this afternoon. I think I’m basically back on track now. Busy, but on track.

After work, we all headed over to my in-laws for dinner. They grilled some chicken and made some noodles for the girls, and his mom made some chorizo with potatoes and some chilequilles. I had to REALLY control myself because I have my biggest loser weigh in tomorrow, but it was TASTY! The girls ate great, then Olivia curled up to watch Tinkerbell while Amelia went outside with his dad to play.

We finally got the girls home, bathed quickly and into bed. Later than I wanted, but they went down better than last night. So, that’s kind of a success.

I snapped these pics of the girls tonight. My sweeties...

8/7/12

Well, it’s here. Time to say goodbye to our friends (for now anyway). Christian was up and off to work at his normal time. I got up when he left to shower and start getting ready for work. The girls woke up around 8:00, I fed them and got them dressed. Our houseguests got everything loaded up in their van and were ready to go around 9:00, so we parted ways. They were off on their long trek home, and I was heading to work. Sad day.

I dropped the girls off at school and their teachers were SO happy to see them again. They were definitely missed, and that warms my heart. Olivia gave all of her little friends a hug like it had been weeks since she’s seen team. It was cute. When I picked them up this afternoon, I was informed that Olivia wouldn’t take a nap – so we had a little chat about that tonight. And, Amelia cried after I left. One week home and she’s reverted back to crying! LOL. Hopefully it was just a one day fluke.

Work was CRAZY, CRAZY, CRAZY. I had piles all over my desk and lots to catch up on. I’m so thankful that I did keep up on my e-mail and some of my routing while I was home otherwise it would have been really bad. It was time to head home before I knew it, but I did make a really good dent in my work, so it was a successful day.

Once we were all home, we just had a quiet night together. Leftovers for dinner, a little TV time, baths and an early bedtime. We’re trying to get the girls back on a regular schedule now, and Olivia was pretty feisty with her lack of a nap today, so they were ready to go down. I was still addicted to the Olympics tonight, so I was up way too late. Definitely need to get MYSELF back on schedule!

I didn't take any pictures today, but I did put together a little side by side of the girls, at Minnehaha Falls. I thought it was CRAZY how much they both have changed in one year...