Well, what started out as a tiring morning (hello, Iris, it's 6am & not time to hear from you yet) became a very long and tiring day.
I won't bore you with the details but let's say I've had better. Took the kids for a walk as usual and Blake somehow injured his feet. The boy who loves to run and climb outside stood there crying and helpless and I felt more helpless b/c I had no idea what was wrong.
The lawn men were out which always sends Iris into panic mode, must be the noise level - she throws down everything (doll & drink) and just screams until I'm holding her. It's really kind of sad.
The kids are both sick and after talking to my mom I felt a bit of a nudge to take them to the dr. before the long weekend is here. We were gone for almost 3 hours & the kids both have wheezing in their chest that the dr. thinks the nebulizer will help. Finally we got our own! It was delivered tonight (how's that for service?) and I ran and got the medicine @ our "scary" walmart (much scarier than the one I love on Randall rd).
Blake freaked out when he realized where we were, before we even stepped foot in the building he was sobbing. After a couple minutes though he calmed down and pulled it together. Iris was a champ as always and even after a nebulizer treatment acted sweet. Guess their weight!
(Blake is 29 lbs & Iris 27 lbs.)
One embarassment? Her gas. That girl could be mistaken for a frat boy some days....between the burps & farts it's funny that it is coming from her little body. I'm always trying to tell people, no , that really was her!
Anyway, they are fast asleep now and I'm hoping I get more rest tomorrow during naptime than the hour that I got today (it's true I shouldn't complain about an hour, but compared to two or three I feel robbed).
On top of that my permanent retainer I've had for atleast 10 years broke off last night in the middle and Joe ended up using pliers to remove it. He aimed a bit close to my teeth & removed not only the metal piece but also the glue that attatched it to my tooth. I really hope it didn't do any damage . I have to wait till next saturday to find out.
Well, I guess I did bore you with details - sorry about that! I had to ramble on to someone. On a bright note, I enjoyed Mitt Romney's speech & thought he did an excellent job, as did Paul Ryan, Ann Romney & Condoleeza Rice earlier this week. Okay, I need some rest very soon. If I could only get Joe better this place would be much happier. He's been suffering on and off with a bad cough (he thinks Bronchitis) for months now...He'll do better for a few days and then it's back in full swing. He's on a steroid now in desperation to help and it would help me for him to stop taking it b/c it's kind of like he's on a man period.
Okay, it's getting late - better stop talking now before I get myself into trouble :)
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
What I did
Today:
Made a new quiche and it was awesome - check it out on pinterest (under homemaking = hot, then ministry meals)
Watched way too much Thomas the Train (Blake will cry if you try to put on anything else)
Tuning into the Republican convention tonight with some icecream (wish it was Thur & project runway came on...it's the only show I watch right now)
Heard the loudest cry humanly possible from Iris when suctioning her nose out (her & Blake both have colds)
Cleaned the kitchen 10 million times. Okay, 3x's but it felt much much more
Checked my email continuously for any takers on Craigslist (we are selling our bedroom dresser & tv entertainment center). Please buy it someone!!
Had a target starbucks date with B & I this morning with some pumpkin bread and coffee. Fun to have Blake sit in the chair, Iris on my lap and just enjoy their company for 2 minutes.
Ran into HomeGoods, wanted everything, then left.
All in all not a bad day....
Made a new quiche and it was awesome - check it out on pinterest (under homemaking = hot, then ministry meals)
Watched way too much Thomas the Train (Blake will cry if you try to put on anything else)
Tuning into the Republican convention tonight with some icecream (wish it was Thur & project runway came on...it's the only show I watch right now)
Heard the loudest cry humanly possible from Iris when suctioning her nose out (her & Blake both have colds)
Cleaned the kitchen 10 million times. Okay, 3x's but it felt much much more
Checked my email continuously for any takers on Craigslist (we are selling our bedroom dresser & tv entertainment center). Please buy it someone!!
Had a target starbucks date with B & I this morning with some pumpkin bread and coffee. Fun to have Blake sit in the chair, Iris on my lap and just enjoy their company for 2 minutes.
Ran into HomeGoods, wanted everything, then left.
All in all not a bad day....
Monday, August 27, 2012
Day to day
To be honest, it's still quite an adjustment. I think if Blake were a few years older maybe it wouldn't feel quite so overwhelming or I wouldn't get the twin question each time I'm in public...but one day it will be fun for them to play and be so close in age.
Having our future in limbo stage right now has its challenges, but I remain intent on being content and realizing we have no control over any of it. I'm hopeful to get down to Florida this year (this fall would be ideal!) but only time will tell.
Joe and I decided to flip flop the bill keeper position and it's going to be my responsibility now. The last time I was in charge of paying bills it was a lot simpler as a single woman sharing an apartment with a friend. I'm determined to do it though & do it well and would love any feedback on what works well for others.
Well, that's about all that's going on here, nothing very exciting...just taking every day a step at a time.
Saturday, August 25, 2012
Went back today to get them & found a few other great finds: 2 cute frames that are hideous now but once painted white they'll look great....a crate & barrel ornament for Christmas (1$), a small silver vintage tray (1$) & this super cool artichoke looking object (I splurged with 7$). Sounds wierd I know, but I've seen the same ones @ TJ Maxx and HomeGoods for much more and it has a great little architectural interest.
Of course this is an early b-day present to myself because I have no excuse to spend anything, especially after my speeding ticket last week! My mom and dad always send money for my birthday and I've chosen this year to spend the majority of it before I even recieve the check :)
I couldn't wait & already sprayed my bookends gray (rustoleum has the best dark grey color - love it!) and I'm debating on what color for my artichoke little object (white?grey? sunny yellow?)
Anyone else out there love thrifting or am I the only crazy one? The hunt is almost as fun as finding that perfect little treasure...
Thursday, August 23, 2012
You is kind, you is smart, you is important
Iris: This girl blows me away some days. We are still working on behavior issues, but when she's sweet - she's sweet.
Each night before they go to bed and we are getting them dressed after bathtime Iris usually finishes first. She used to grab her bottle I'd have waiting next to Blake's drink and come sit on her little pink chair and patiently sit while we finished getting Blake dressed. Now she grabs Blake's drink and brings it to him. Then goes back to the living room and takes her bottle. How many one year old's are that thoughtful without being asked? (or even being asked for that matter!)
When she sees a dirty diaper that needs to get thrown she does it half the time without being asked. If I'm cleaning up toys she'll try to help. This morning on our way out she had taken off her head wrap in a different room and I said Iris, too bad you took off your headband, it looked so cute. She left and came back out in a few seconds with it in on her head. Unbelievable!
Most days when I get her up from her nap she's already awake, just laying there waiting quietly to get picked up (not the story with Blake!)
She gives Blake toys even when she wants them, she gives him kisses when I say to be sweet & even when she's upset she comes running for a hug or kiss. I'm truly blessed!
Each night before they go to bed and we are getting them dressed after bathtime Iris usually finishes first. She used to grab her bottle I'd have waiting next to Blake's drink and come sit on her little pink chair and patiently sit while we finished getting Blake dressed. Now she grabs Blake's drink and brings it to him. Then goes back to the living room and takes her bottle. How many one year old's are that thoughtful without being asked? (or even being asked for that matter!)
When she sees a dirty diaper that needs to get thrown she does it half the time without being asked. If I'm cleaning up toys she'll try to help. This morning on our way out she had taken off her head wrap in a different room and I said Iris, too bad you took off your headband, it looked so cute. She left and came back out in a few seconds with it in on her head. Unbelievable!
Most days when I get her up from her nap she's already awake, just laying there waiting quietly to get picked up (not the story with Blake!)
She gives Blake toys even when she wants them, she gives him kisses when I say to be sweet & even when she's upset she comes running for a hug or kiss. I'm truly blessed!
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
An expensive lesson
I was driving home from a wonderful time at Sara Jone's today, talking on the phone & not paying attention to the speed limit....bad combo!
It's been quite a few years since I've been pulled over for speeding, actually has only happened once before I met Joe, but my "lucky" streak has ended. As soon as I saw the blinkers behind me I thought oh, they are going after someone else . Then I looked at my spedometer and realized nope, it's me.
Thinking I was on 59 instead of Barrington road I was driving 55 in a 40 mph zone. Oops. Now I've been told a thousand times by Joe I have a lead foot and to slow down. Do I listen to this wise man? No.
Thankfully it was a nice lady and she said "where are you headed in such a rush?"...I said home & that I was talking to my grandma on the phone and didn't realize how fast I was going. The saddest part was that she told me that she wanted to give me the benefit of the doubt and had been following me for a while. This was even sadder because usually I have my radar on and notice any cop cars and come to a much needed slower speed. It's also sad because since it was 15 over she wasn't going to think about me getting by with a warning. If I had only been doing 10 over perhaps it would have gone differently :)
$120.00 Later I learned my lesson. Slow down. It's painful to think of what I could buy with that money. It was really fun calling Joe and telling him. Atleast I held it together and didn't cry till I pulled away. That's progress. Oh and my poor grandma had to hear me say crap. Good times.
It's been quite a few years since I've been pulled over for speeding, actually has only happened once before I met Joe, but my "lucky" streak has ended. As soon as I saw the blinkers behind me I thought oh, they are going after someone else . Then I looked at my spedometer and realized nope, it's me.
Thinking I was on 59 instead of Barrington road I was driving 55 in a 40 mph zone. Oops. Now I've been told a thousand times by Joe I have a lead foot and to slow down. Do I listen to this wise man? No.
Thankfully it was a nice lady and she said "where are you headed in such a rush?"...I said home & that I was talking to my grandma on the phone and didn't realize how fast I was going. The saddest part was that she told me that she wanted to give me the benefit of the doubt and had been following me for a while. This was even sadder because usually I have my radar on and notice any cop cars and come to a much needed slower speed. It's also sad because since it was 15 over she wasn't going to think about me getting by with a warning. If I had only been doing 10 over perhaps it would have gone differently :)
$120.00 Later I learned my lesson. Slow down. It's painful to think of what I could buy with that money. It was really fun calling Joe and telling him. Atleast I held it together and didn't cry till I pulled away. That's progress. Oh and my poor grandma had to hear me say crap. Good times.
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Um...yes that's your kid... so do something!
Yesterday while I was out during the kids naptime (yes Joe was home) I ran to two stores. In both of these stores came the screaming tantrums of a little one.
Now I tread lightly because I will be the first to admit Iris and Blake have had a scream or two when we've been out. How I handle that though is much different than what I saw.
In the first case I was at Goodwill. It is a good size store and I was far away from the tantrum scene, yet it went on and on. I couldn't even tell if the mom kept shopping or what. It just amazed me that for a solid 10-15 minutes the parent would let this child scream bloody murder and not do a thing about it. For the first few minutes I tuned it out, but soon it became impossible to ignore. I could feel others cheering this mom on to leave the store & did I hear applause when they walked out? Maybe I'm imagining things.
The second store was TJ Maxx. This child took it to the next level as she was on the floor screaming at the top of her lungs. I couldn't see the parent nearby. Did they just walk away from the scene hoping it would stop? It didn't! I continued to browse around and this volume just grew and I honestly began to feel bad for the child because the parent didn't care enough to deal with this behavior.
It just struck me how clueless so many parents are that they are indeed the parents who are responsible to train these children and help them to behave. Yet they cower back in fear and do NOTHING...acting as though they have no authority over these kids and try to simply appease them. It will be a scary world when these kids become adults. Will they fall on the floor as grown ups, kicking and screaming because they want their way?
There are a million resources about discipline and training & I won't get into that here, but it served as a great reminder to work each day in training my children for godliness. Not so that they won't embarass me in public or so I look like I have it together (hello pride, I believe we've met before) but that they have a heart that wants to obey and please the Lord. What a huge responsibility it is to be a parent!
Now I tread lightly because I will be the first to admit Iris and Blake have had a scream or two when we've been out. How I handle that though is much different than what I saw.
In the first case I was at Goodwill. It is a good size store and I was far away from the tantrum scene, yet it went on and on. I couldn't even tell if the mom kept shopping or what. It just amazed me that for a solid 10-15 minutes the parent would let this child scream bloody murder and not do a thing about it. For the first few minutes I tuned it out, but soon it became impossible to ignore. I could feel others cheering this mom on to leave the store & did I hear applause when they walked out? Maybe I'm imagining things.
The second store was TJ Maxx. This child took it to the next level as she was on the floor screaming at the top of her lungs. I couldn't see the parent nearby. Did they just walk away from the scene hoping it would stop? It didn't! I continued to browse around and this volume just grew and I honestly began to feel bad for the child because the parent didn't care enough to deal with this behavior.
It just struck me how clueless so many parents are that they are indeed the parents who are responsible to train these children and help them to behave. Yet they cower back in fear and do NOTHING...acting as though they have no authority over these kids and try to simply appease them. It will be a scary world when these kids become adults. Will they fall on the floor as grown ups, kicking and screaming because they want their way?
There are a million resources about discipline and training & I won't get into that here, but it served as a great reminder to work each day in training my children for godliness. Not so that they won't embarass me in public or so I look like I have it together (hello pride, I believe we've met before) but that they have a heart that wants to obey and please the Lord. What a huge responsibility it is to be a parent!
Friday, August 17, 2012
Random Thoughts & Happenings
I LOVE going to Trader Joe's lately. Not only are their flowers beautiful & cheap but everything I try is great. They also have super cute little carts for Blake's size and he looks too cute steering it around the store.
Joe's waiting to hear about a job possibility in Florida and I have to wait another week and a half before we know anything. It's so hard to not get my hopes up - one minute I want to start packing up the house and the next minute I think it's too good to be true and nothing will come of it. Time will tell.
I've been enjoying my tv strike the last couple of days. With the exception of one or two shows I have not watched anything in days and I really don't miss it. Not sure how much longer this can last though with new episodes coming back soon!
Listening to a John MacArthur sermon or a Steve Kreloff (my beloved dad) sermon during naptime is the best way I can use my time - loving it.
Blake has been healthy for a few weeks now and it's been wonderful. I feel like this health streak is coming to a close soon, but hoping not...
Iris giggled so much today - it was great. She loves to give her dolls their bottle & pretend she's feeding them. One is large and life like looking and a stranger commented to me today "for a minute I thought the baby was holding the baby". Funny.
Struggling with condo living lately - if it's not the loud tv downstairs it's the loud tv one door over. Between the smell of smoke, dogs barking & not having my kids play in a backyard it's really hard to be content in this kind of surrounding.
Having the worst back and neck pain in years - really need to bite the bullet and get a massage. My mom called my walk "crippled looking" - yep, it's time.
Verse for today: Phil 4: Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to all men , the Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known to God and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding shall guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Joe's waiting to hear about a job possibility in Florida and I have to wait another week and a half before we know anything. It's so hard to not get my hopes up - one minute I want to start packing up the house and the next minute I think it's too good to be true and nothing will come of it. Time will tell.
I've been enjoying my tv strike the last couple of days. With the exception of one or two shows I have not watched anything in days and I really don't miss it. Not sure how much longer this can last though with new episodes coming back soon!
Listening to a John MacArthur sermon or a Steve Kreloff (my beloved dad) sermon during naptime is the best way I can use my time - loving it.
Blake has been healthy for a few weeks now and it's been wonderful. I feel like this health streak is coming to a close soon, but hoping not...
Iris giggled so much today - it was great. She loves to give her dolls their bottle & pretend she's feeding them. One is large and life like looking and a stranger commented to me today "for a minute I thought the baby was holding the baby". Funny.
Struggling with condo living lately - if it's not the loud tv downstairs it's the loud tv one door over. Between the smell of smoke, dogs barking & not having my kids play in a backyard it's really hard to be content in this kind of surrounding.
Having the worst back and neck pain in years - really need to bite the bullet and get a massage. My mom called my walk "crippled looking" - yep, it's time.
Verse for today: Phil 4: Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to all men , the Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known to God and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding shall guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Thursday, August 16, 2012
New pictures of the Cotton crew
It was a great visit with my mom. Sad to see her go!
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| Two peas in a pod |
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| Iris LOVES her new Ikea doll "Tucker" from her mommett |
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| Daddy's girl |
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| Mommett with Blake & Iris |
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Mom visits = my best days
Lots of cleaning today, lots of laundry & lots of excitement. Mom arrives tonight & I love everything to look perfect. Atleast for 10 minutes.
Can't wait to have Blake & Iris see their mommett tomorrow morning when they wake up. Thankful Joe can pick her up from the airport so I can do much needed last minute projects when the kids go down.
Hoping the rain doesn't cause delay, but so thankful for a rainy cooler day. I'm digging the gloomy vibe today.
Better run & get some more things done while the kiddos sleep!
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Just a few new pics
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| Sorry for the blurr...she's rocking a cute denim jumper from her Aunt Donna and this is the only pic I got a good smile! |
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| Going in a for a kiss! |
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| Iris wondering if it is her stinky diaper that has Blake in a tizzy |
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| The day at the fair before the balloon blew away...you can see the look of excitement on their faces :) |
Monday, August 6, 2012
My mom arrives on Thursday. It's been 3 months and that's about as long we can stand to be apart. She needs to see the kids & I need her! So this week I will be busy getting ready for her arrival. I love getting everything in order & organized for a house guest ...especially my mom.
I've made a few changes in the living room (shocking!) and am so pleased with the results. After lowering the mirror I got the Ikea lack tables for 7.99 and couldn't be happier. I kind of hated my side tables that were nightstands from Target. I've painted them so many times they looked ragged and tired. Plus they were kind of bulky.
So, much to the chagrin of Joe, out with the old! I'm the opposite of a hoarder, I love to get rid of things and don't keep them nearly as long as I should :) Along with the new side tables I found a great new old floor lamp at Goodwill the other week, moved a few things around and it feels like a new room.
Am I the only one who loves to change things around? I could do this on a monthly basis. Wait till I'm in a house that I can rearrange furniture...I'll be dangerous then!
Blake has been healthy now for a couple of weeks and I'm loving it. I think cutting out the dairy was a great idea to try and stop the ear infections. I've also kept him pretty limited with contact to the outside world, which will soon be done. I'm pretty tired of not going to church as a family. Pretty soon sweet little Iris is going to have to experience the whole church scene, been putting it off for a while because I KNOW it will be a disaster. The longer we wait though, the worse it will be I'm sure.
Favorite thing Blake does lately: Laugh like crazy, kisses me, hugs me & says hi to every car that passes by.
Favorite thing Iris does lately: comes running into my arms with a kiss, loves to hug and kiss Blake & dances to music.
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Staying up way too late watching the Olympics...looking forward to the weekend...wishing a moving truck was coming tomorrow...alas...my mom is coming for a visit in a week and that's something to celebrate!
Have a great weekend :)
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
A shout out to Joe Cotton
I don't think I've ever written a post dedicated to my sweet husband of almost 7 years. This guy is incredible.
He works so hard, commutes 2 hours a day total & is a terrific dad. The moment he gets home the kids are crazy to see him and he takes them for a walk, plays with them around the house, and then gives them a bath each night so I can have a little break.
Each weekend he welcomes me time to myself to get out and relax and any night in the week I'm losing it he is more than willing to put the kids down without my help.
He puts up with me changing the house a lot, loving girly stuff & lets me have total control of the TV.
He listens to me, rubs my feet if I ask, gives me a back rub when I'm hurting & always has a cold glass of water waiting when I get out of the tub. This kind of makes me sound high maintenance & lazy, but I'm not, I promise :)
I really appreciate you Joe and your love for me. I never have to worry that he will lie to me, be unfaithful or dishonest. He truly is a great man & the best part is he is working his butt off to try and get us to florida. If that's not love, what is?
He works so hard, commutes 2 hours a day total & is a terrific dad. The moment he gets home the kids are crazy to see him and he takes them for a walk, plays with them around the house, and then gives them a bath each night so I can have a little break.
Each weekend he welcomes me time to myself to get out and relax and any night in the week I'm losing it he is more than willing to put the kids down without my help.
He puts up with me changing the house a lot, loving girly stuff & lets me have total control of the TV.
He listens to me, rubs my feet if I ask, gives me a back rub when I'm hurting & always has a cold glass of water waiting when I get out of the tub. This kind of makes me sound high maintenance & lazy, but I'm not, I promise :)
I really appreciate you Joe and your love for me. I never have to worry that he will lie to me, be unfaithful or dishonest. He truly is a great man & the best part is he is working his butt off to try and get us to florida. If that's not love, what is?
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