CATCH UP PT:2 Remembering September

Goodness, I hadn't realized what a terrible memory I had have. Once upon a time I did a little acting and even when paid to I still struggled to remember things.

Hence the blog.

Without this space our days gone by would quickly be forgotten.

Baby boy and I just returned from the library. We usually go to the library mobile which comes every fortnight but has a limited selection of books. A person can always request books and pick them up but two weeks is just too long to wait, or maybe I'm a little impatient. So we've added to our book loving lives a 20mins walk to the closest library. Luckily for us it's a beautiful walk, especially in autumn with the leaves falling. This morning they had a theater production performed by kids from an elementary school close by. Ever the lover of music, baby boy swayed, clapped and sang along to songs he's never heard before.

On the topic of music, back in September dear husband and I were gifted with concert tickets to a Jason Aldean show. Who's Jason Aldean you ask? Well, my first glimpse of the guy was at his concert but I later googled and found out that he's the guy who married his mistress. Oooh skandal (scandal)! Google is full of gossip. Forget Jason Aldean, the reason why I even mentioned the concert is because of the opening act, Florida Georgia Line. Yes, I'm talking about country music! Hey, when in Rome...in this case USA. I'm just trying to be agreeable aaaand I've always been a huge Dolly Parton fan. Somehow that should justify this post. So husband is NOT a country music fan and neither was I until I found myself dancing to those Florida Georgia Line boys. They're like the bad boys of country music...I think...there's probably similarly edgy folks, but who cares because I've only heard their music. The blabbering ends here.

After the concert dear husband and I thought it'd be fun to alter our music taste to the country music genre. That idea lasted a good 3 days. So we smartly decided that instead of being stuck on a genre we'll just continue to be music fans. So smart we are. Besides Florida Georgia Line the coolest part of the night was the concert venue. I'd happily recommend that you go see your favorite artist at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre especially if you're into hiking. The night ended on a classy note at Denny's. The last time we were there was almost 3yrs ago as newlyweds, it was around 2am and we felt like going out.

The strange things people do pre-baby.

A good date night overall, including the part when we decided to leave the show right after the opening act.

*side note for non Americans - there is absolutely nothing classy about Denny's and I love it

Catch up pt 1: Pictures of September

Baby boy has outgrown this toy but still once to take it every where. This was our cold walk back from the gym.

He woke up one morning wanting to paint. That's the toddler mind, painting before breakfast.

He's been big on helping with everything involving the kitchen, from juicing, smoothie making to cooking and baking.

The early days of potty training - which by the way is not going very well. The California trip took us 20 steps back in the potty side of things but I'm doing my best to exercise patience.

I ran a 5k with my amazing friend Roberta. Ps: her baby was only 4 months old at the time. When baby boy was 4 months old, I was still lazying about and definitely not working out. Fit mama for sure!

Roberta's sons with baby boy. Playing outside as children so rarely do these days.

 

Baby boy and I did a lot of muffin baking last month, we're all muffened out.

 

Dear husband took this picture. I've becoming blehh about taking pictures hopefully that will change as it's always fun to look back.

A quick hello

I was just about to settle into writing a nice long post and just then this pesky little squirrel showed up on our balcony. After shooing it away I heard baby boy reciting ABC's in his room which means that he's woken up from a super short nap.

So this will not be a long post.

Just a quick hello to say that yes we're still living and kicking. There's a lot to catch up on, a country music concert, a trip to California, baby boy's mini birthday dinner party (he's now 2yrs old!), watching Peyton Freaken Manning make football history (we were lucky enough to watch the game at the stadium) and going green! The going green part is all me but dear husband has been kind enough to not complain as I turn our household into an echo friendly living space, fun fun fun.

Hope all are well.

Happy Wednesday - am I the only one excited that Christmas is around the corner:) I might even start decorating tonight...

Potty training

Potty training is underway.

Today is day three and things are tricky but manageable. Day one was horrifying. If it wasn't for my mom's calming words and advice from friends, I probably would've had a nervous breakdown. Horrifying because I cleaned up poop off the floor and nervous breakdown because his poop landed on my feet! No exclamation marks are enough to fully illustrate my super justifiably dramatic emotions. It's my fault really for choosing Fellom's crazy yet highly affective 3 day potty training method. Day 2 showed some great progress ie: poop in the toilet not on mommy. And day 3 is as I have mentioned, manageable. Only one pee accident thus far. Crossing fingers.

Good luck to the heroic parents busy dealing with these lavatory issues. The day will come when our kid's bathroom issues are none of our business. For now the word potty is at the center of every second sentence.

We soldier on. Hey, at least it's not sleep training.

Amped amped amped!

It's Monday woohoo! I'm amped. For many reasons.

1) it's the beginning of a new week and I've continued to train for the 5k run. This distance may not alarm others but I am not a runner. Well, that's not completely true considering the great strides made (1.6miles in 15mins). Hopefully soon I'll be able to complete a 5k without stopping or walking. And reason to be amped number 2) Lost my phone over the weekend and so this morning while looking through baby boy's toys I asked if he knew where it was. And of course he did. All he said was "mama phone". Then he raced out of the room towards the lounge. He headed for the printer and pointed saying "mama phone". And there it was, behind the printer, not sure how he got it there but thankfully he remembered where he'd hid placed it. Amped for life reason number 3) we've been working on organizing an exercise group for mothers and other interested women. The frumpy mom thing gets boring after a while and with all the busy mommy schedules it's hard for a woman to find the time to exercise. With this group we hope to create a community that is supportive and pro health. As mothers we do our best to make sure that everyone is happy and healthy and that our kids get the necessary exercise, yet we're not living what we preach but instead sit, eat and watch on as our husbands and children participate in physical activities. Well I Say No More!...too dramatic? Alright, you get the point. Super amped reason number 4) Husband is doing laundry this week. Enough said. And reson number 5) The best for last and yes it's coupon stuff. Went to get a few things at King Soopers today to take advantage of the Mega 5 deal. The grocery bill was $177 and I paid $30 including tax. Swweeeeeet. Whenever that happens I feel an urge to neatly lay out all the products, take a picture and post it on facebook. Instead I just post the kick-but receipt showing the savings percentage. Why? Because money talks and...well, you know how the saying goes. Here's to team save-more-spend-less!

Oh and the weekend was great. The family is looking sharp with new haircuts. Baby boy's little afro is no more. We no longer experience headaches from trying to comb his hair. And he was surprisingly still as I chopped off his locks. Husband was gracious and didn't complain too much as I maneuvered his very thick head of hair. And then comes my hair...what a mess that is. I guess I should say husband and baby are looking sharp. I need some braids or something new. We did other things besides hair, can't remember what. Wait. There was a coupon class hosted by one of the ladies from TLC's Extreme Couponing and it was great! Then there was the usual: church, dinner at the park, gym, basketball, mall, hosted a dinner and that's it really. We're fantastically average.

Our weekend.

How was yours? I'm tempted to write about my plans to redecorate the apartment before Christmas using the wardrobe capsule concept of less is more. But I won't, not yet. Talking about Christmas. Our Christmas shopping is done woohooo! Saved 66%. And no the gifts don't include toothpaste and shampoo. I needed to clarify that as when I told dear husband that we have gifts for everybody he asked whether we'd be mailing "canned vegetables and toilet paper" as these are the things that often come cheap with couponing. Anyway, decent gifts, so, no worries. About the capsule wardrobe concept, I saw a post from a blogger whom I love and she had seen it from a blogger whom she loves and it's what has consumed my mind. Because such important things often consume my mind. Doesn't everybody think of they're outfits the night before? If not for the style element then just for the security of knowing you have a clean dress for church. Well if you've found yourself practicing the nonchalant tucked in shirt look, or despise the idea of matching jewellery visit this blog and begin the wardrobe capsule journey. If you like what you see there then stay tuned here as I'll post about my style evolution based on that capsule concept. And 33 is my number - this will only make sense if you've read the link.

Happy week to all:)

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.