Random moments

This morning baby boy refused to get out of the crib. He sat there just playing with the stuffed animals. After a while he started asking for cereal in bed. It didn't happen. Once the hunger hit he volunteered to come out.

A few weeks ago grandma Schamel came for a quick sleep over. She was returning from California and the flight landed too late for a drive down to Pueblo. She brought with her a gift from auntie Leslie, baby boy's most prized possession, a train set. He loves trains. He loves aeroplanes. He loves cars. He loves buses. He's into transportation.

Helping mommy with household chores. Whenever I shake out the sheets he crawls underneath so it can land on his face. This makes him extremely happy.

Last week he caught a cold and was miserable for a few days. We've become outdoors-ie people so being inside is punishment for all members of the family. Luckily his little bear from auntie Thato kept him company during a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse marathon.

Not inviting baby boy to help with dishes is a solid insult. There's nothing that makes him feel more accomplished than helping mama clear the dishwasher. Look at the serious expression.

Good bye summer. It's been swell.

Hello autumn/fall. Slightly premature I know, just trying to graciously accept the change of season.

How about a song dedication for the rest of your day...My Girl by The Temptations. Listening to it right now. #ttby (for the mature readers, the abreviation stands for 'to the beat y'all' it's a twitter thing, some hashtag music fun, nothing life changing)

A happy and safe weekend to all.

Chaos in paradise

Today was chaotic at best. Not a complaint, just an observation.

Baby boy and I had a fairly normal beginning of the month morning. That means I was busy with our finances while he busied himself with toys. Once I was done with all the paperwork, he helped me clean up by screaming and running away from the vacuum cleaner. He also assisted in packing the dishes away, he's very assertive in his right to help with chores. Sometimes I'd rather he go do something else but nope, he's happy being involved. So I comply.

During his nap I was able to catch up with a childhood friend. She also lives in the US, married with a 5 month old baby boy. The conversation was incredibly fruitful and we were able to lean on one another on marital and motherhood stuff. It's quite possible that we've known each other for 20yrs. It's always fun to connect with people who have known you for a very long time. Sort of like a moment of reflection...who the heck was I in high school? I shake my head at the thought of that little impulsive me. Not that I'm any less impulsive these days. More head shaking.

The chaos? It involves lots of screaming and coupons. Because one computer can only print 2 of the same coupon, I went to a friend's house to print some more. Why you ask? Only because King Soopers has the biggest sale ever! So big that you can snag wipes, shaving cream and other goodies for FREE! Right. So. We ended up with two very head strong toddlers who wouldn't stop fighting. There was screaming, pinching and crying. We, the mothers, were also in a major rush to meet certain appointments. The technology was not cooperating and the screaming continued. Amidst our tornado my friend in sheer exhaustion accompanied by a defeated laugh exclaimed that she hated motherhood. She doesn't hate motherhood. She's one of the best mothers I know. And in that moment I fully understood her choice to surrender. This life we've chosen can sometimes feel incredibly overwhelming, but we love it. Because we love these babies. Even when they're being monsters.

It is because of that love that I was able to survive more screaming. Later in the day baby boy and I popped by a dear neighbor friend who has become my couponing partner. While preparing for our grocery trip the kids made themselves heard by causing a proper manic state. Luckily she had made enough dinner for me to remix and forge as my own cooking. We changed locations, bringing the craziness to our place. Husband walked in to a life of disarray and I think he was more than happy to grab a bite and leave for school. Baby boy did his time in time out after knocking his friend with a toy. He looked at me and said "time out mommy" while walking towards the designated punishment spot. Things soon regained calm as we retired the coupon efforts and gave the kids our undivided attention. We finished our dinner, tidied up and relaxed for bath time.

At the end of a day I always wonder whether I could have been better or handled things differently. That question always leads back to finding balance. Saving money is important, but it cannot interfere with my child's comfort and happiness nor with my sleep. There'll always be another King Soopers Mega 5 deal. I'm starting to sound like a recovering coupon addict. Yikes.

Thula Baba

Wednesday always starts in a rush.

Husbands leaves for work. We say the goodbyes, he makes a real big deal of those and I pretend I'm irritated from being woken up. But secretly I love how he loves. It's no real secret because he knows my heart. Then I set a mental alarm clock of hope, hoping that I'd wake up in time to get ready for the mommy exercise group. Of course I over sleep and luckily my real life alarm clock (aka baby boy) wakes up just in time. After rolling over and checking my phone (sometimes husband texts or calls and often there's messages from my ma) I open the blinds and windows. Light is good. And we like lots of light and fresh air. That's one of the reasons why we decided on this place, it offers both joys, especially in the bedrooms. Then it's time to let baby boy out of his crib. I open his door real slowly and he shrieks with excitement. This is a daily occurrence. Then it's "morning mommy". I ask him how he slept as I open his blinds and the cabinet doors. He often thinks aloud but never gives a concrete answer and judging on how peaceful he looks when sleeping, I decide that his night was good. After a diaper change the little guy showers me with kisses and hugs. He then picks up his diaper and takes it outside to the trash (bin). We keep the bin on the balcony as I can't stand the idea of living with rubbish inside the house aaaand...we don't have the space. When he returns from the balcony I have him wash his hands before he gets distracted with toys. After washing hands it's breakfast time. Usually I prepare breakfast while he stands in the kitchen asking for "ce-re-al and MILK". Most days we have oatmeal but today there isn't time, so after a quick breakfast we get ready and gun our way to the bus stop. Before leaving the house baby boy kept on saying "mama catch a bus". And when the bus finally arrived, the doors opened and he ceremoniously greeted the driver with a "hello bus". A few weeks ago he made many people smile as he stood at the front of the bus and waved saying "hello bus" to a bus full of people. He followed that gesture by saying goodbye to each individual we passed when getting off. I can still hear his little "bye, bye-bye, bye". That boy knows how to pull heart strings. This morning he sits quietly in his seat, with my arm around his shoulder, eating a cracker and occasionally repeating the street name announcements.

The exercise group is fun as always. The best part is being able to workout without having kids around. The group was organised for research purposes based on a model that's used by a group of moms in Australia. The idea is that half of the mothers exercise while the other half watch the kids and then we swap. Today is the last day for the research project and from now on we're on our own. I love the idea and after modifying it with other mothers, we plan to include sporting activities based on the same model. Starting with volleyball on Friday. The exciting part is that both mother and child benefit as baby boy has fun playing with other kids, there's snack time and more play. And I have fun knowing that I'm keeping healthy.

After working out we head home for lunch, peanut butter and jam sandwiches shaped into mini dinosaurs. In this moment I decide that motherhood is fun and sometimes it's ok to live vicariously through your kid. We sit around the table, eating the mini dinosaurs and drinking milk. Baby boy wants more. I teach him to say please. And he sounds super cute. Once he says "all done mommy", he hands me his plate and it's time for a bit of play with toy trucks. He initiates play by handing me a toy saying "here you go mommy". And then he says "this way". I follow along, driving the trucks through the apartment. What makes me smile is the fact that he always keeps the same truck for himself. Even when there's a friend over, he'll give them the rotating truck and he'll keep his own. I wonder why he specifically likes the truck with the blue roof instead of the yellow one...I've asked, I can't yet decipher the answer. After more play, it's time for a nap. So we read some books and off to lalaland he goes. I get busy planning a coupon grocery trip for later this week and end up booking myself in a coupon class. It'll be taught by one of the ladies from TLC's Extreme Couponers. It's hard to contain my excitement:)

Baby boy wakes up and we go on a walk to run some errands. Then it's time to make dinner. Baby plays some more. I put the chicken in the oven and decided that the kitchen is a no go zone. He fights me on this. We power struggle for a bit and finally come to an understanding in the form of Super Why. A spelling cartoon which he loves. He watches and I finish cooking. I call husband and he let's me know that he's headed home. He brings with him a work colleague who also happens to be a friend. We eat together while his friend eats and does homework for school (he had a class later on this evening). Husband does the dishes. Once he is done we play hide and seek with baby boy. Well, more like hide as baby always wants to hide in the same place every time we play. He's also a terrible hide and seek partner as when the seeker calls his name he replies. He also has the loudest whispering voice ever. But he sure loves that game and it's hard to get him to move on to something else. That something else is bath time.

Dear husband handles bath time while I fold the laundry.

After bedtime reading we do our family prayer and then baby tells his daddy "night night". Once husband leaves the room, baby boy gets up, heads over to his red mat. Lifts his arms and says "thula baba" (hush baby). I pick him up, sing to him, rock him a bit, telling him how much we love him, how much Heavenly Father loves him. Then I ask him to rest and let him know that I'll see him in the morning. I place him in bed. And every night he refuses to lay down. I leave the room. Count two seconds, he cries. And sleeps seconds later.

And that was Wednesday with the sweetest baby I've ever known.

Couponing in August

This post is obviously a few days late, oh well.

So, August was a good month in my couponing world. New information was gained. And some notable successes too. Such as 102% savings on groceries,  that happened twice. I won't bore you with the how as such info that can easily be learned by using the trusty Google. What I will say is that preparation is key. The more you research and prepare for a couponing grocery trip (a haul), the more successful you'll be in saving the most money possible.

This advice is pretty obvious but I choose to mention it here to remind myself in case I become a little lazy.

Talking about lazy, tons of things have happened that I haven't recorded and hopefully this week I'll be able to play catch up. This was really just a couponing update. The good news is that we've cut our grocery bill in half! So the smart thing to do is to save that money, otherwise this will be a waste of time and energy. Dear husband is impressed and proud of these efforts so I sure hope to do the smart thing and not be lured by the immediate thrill ofsspending.

That's it for today.

Psssd...happy belated labor day. Love from our family to yours.

Just writing

Usually when I start writing a post there's an idea that leads somewhere. Today there's no idea. I guess I just feel like putting words to paper. Which could be rather dangerous as often my mind opens to private corners better left stuck within or forced on dear husband.

Busy listening to R&B from the 2000s. Irrelevant pieces of information always set the tone. Confession number 1) I'm a closeted Usher fan - my ma will probably roll her eye here as she finds the dude to be a little more on the silly side of life. And yes the ego can be a major turn off but the music is sweet as heck! On the same point I'm also a HUGE Dolly Parton fan. I grew up on her music and I've never been able to shake it off. Confession number 2) Nonsense tv is my best friend especially when I need to turn off my overactive mind. Now what's nonsense tv you ask? Anything husband finds completely useless/brain dead entertainment - and you'll be on his side once I reveal my secret tv obsessions. *cough cough* I've been known to enjoy a few episodes of The Braxton Family Values. I love me some Tamar! Her and the in your face "that's the truth.com" chirps. She's vulnerable, crazy, funny and makes me burst with laughter. I even fast forward the other sisters just to get to the Tamarisms. Alright the Braxton's are still decent so the embarrassment of the next obsession leads me to hide under the table with shame...yes, it's Keeping Up With the Kardashians. I just can't peel my eyes from the screen when they're on. It's a weird interest, kinda like facebook stalking or reading a cheesy romantic novel because it appeals to your adolescence senseless behaviour. I will say no more on this matter. Moving on to Confession 3) some evenings, often inspired by a challenging day, I give husband space to catch up on football/soccer/basketball (depending on the sporting season) and while he does his thing, I grab earphones and dance in front of the mirror (aka the reflection created by the sliding doors). The music of choice is anything from old school Jenny from the block, Beyonce pre 2013, Jamiroquai to David Guetta. All while printing my coupons:) During this 45mins dance session husband will warn me more than once that some weirdo is probably watching in the apartments across. Or that the people below us are probably "super annoyed". That's his way of asking me to tone it down. And I do, 45mins later. Alright, now for the show stopper, confession number 4) - first let me say, if you've made it to this point then you're either a family member, my good friend or a future friend because seriously this post is as senseless as my reality tv activities - About that final confession, I'm buying time here as I can't think of one...Ah yes, here's one: I'm a hopeless romantic. I'm in love with love and after getting married that obsession only increased. Love is a scary and exhilarating thing. Being completely vulnerable with your heart and removing pride and opening yourself up to be loved! That's the stuff the makes the world go around. That's how we grow, by loving and being loved. Love love love. And maybe the above confessions really link to that word. I enjoy watching Tamar because she's open about her love for her husband. You know sometimes when folks get married they forget how to love one another. The day to day grind has the ability to blind you from the things that gave you butterflies. Those moments that liven our souls are masked with what needs to be done. And because you spend so much time together it's easy to take one another for granted. It's good to step back and remind yourself of what a good man/woman you've got. I need to do that more often because goodness knows I've got it real good. So good that this morning I woke up with the table set and ready for baby boy and I to have our breakfast. Husband leaves early for work but he made time to write a sweet note and perform a gesture that let's me know that he's thinking of me. And every day, without fail, he answers my calls with an attitude that let's me know that I'm number one. That always puts a smile on my face. The best has got to be his willingness to help with whatever I need, whenever I need it. And such selflessness is a pure talent. One that I'm still working on improving. These aren't grand gestures of love which makes them ever more special as they outlast roses, chocolates and any other movie-like ways of expressing tender feelings.

Yes, dear husband is a darn good man. I guess I should tell him that and not leave it to collect dust on this space.

So this was all about love. Huh. Who knew. 

Life Lately

Life Lately has involves the usual: park, play dates, some tennis and the only new experience was surviving the first time baby boy pooped during his bath. I did my best to not freak out and instead called for husband backup. As seen in the second last picture,  dear husband sanitizers the bathtub as I continue bathing baby boy in the sink. And yes he loved the adventure of taking a sink bath. 

T is for TENNIS!

Hhhhhhellllllllo lovely people.

We're well into August and of course this month, like every other month, is busy busy busy! Still busy saving, couponing, canning and doing Costco runs - it's the tripple C threat. And trying to do some good in the world by baby sitting when needed, others volunteer in the peace corps and I babysit for friends in need. We do what we can with what we have.

This evening was awesome, we played tennis and had a fantastic time with our friends Roberta, Tye and Alyssa. I never mention the kids because I guess they're attached to us for the next few years so it's safe to always assume that they too were present. So present in fact that baby boy's head got stuck in the gate at the tennis courts. Huh? Yeah. I didn't explain that very well. Let's start from the beginning. A little over a week ago we had the same friends over for a braai/barbecue. It was a perfectly sunny day that had us enjoying the pool and later a game of tennis. Grandma and grandpa Schamel were in the neighbourhood and popped by for a hello. The day didn't go without a hitch as my freshly baked buns ended up becoming more labour intensive than anticipated, luckily they turned out pretty good, even if I say so myself. I probably should add that grandpa Schamel and husband helped with the last step of placing the buns in the oven. You know how men like to be added when credit is involved;) - Does one need to add "just kidding" after a wink? Or is it safe to assume that the tone and meaning is insinuated through the wink smiley face? Oh well - And earlier that week baby boy was playing with the braai stand so I decided to remove the piece that interested him. Turned out that little seemingly insignificant piece had a rather important role to play. That of keeping the smoke enclosed. So yes, the consequence of my action was an apartment full of smoke. Not a pretty sight I tell you. And as you would guess, I (like everyone else) was completely clueless as to why the darn thing was letting out so much smoke. It took me two days to figure it out. Wow. Talk about a complete round about to a story. Now, about baby's head getting stuck. Well, because we're now soooooo into tennis, we have the kids hangout and run around the court as we play doubles. During this time, baby boy managed to get his head stuck between a gate of which we didn't have keys to. It was a hilarious sight but I felt too bad to even giggle. His dadda helped him out and you'll all be proud to know that he barely cried, just a whine of shock. 

That long paragraph sums up all the latest events. Wait. I can't sign off without congratulating grandpa Schamel on his new calling as a first councillor in the Pueblo ward bishopric. We were able to show our support by visiting them on Sunday:) I love the Pueblo ward and the visit made me miss all the friends I had made. That's the sucky part of moving, leaving behind good people.

But it's not all doom and gloom. We continue to love our new ward. We feel settled and at home.

Alright, I had promised husband that I'd keep this short, so cheers all.

And if you haven't tried tennis, give it a shot, it's so much fun! And makes me feel like I'm channelling the Williams sisters. Just the feeling of playing tennis is awesome. It's exhausting and elating all at once. Go on and give it a shot.