I think the terrible twos has struck our house yet again. It really wasn't that bad with Kaitlyn, but it's getting to be unbearable with Tyler. He's always been a little more sensitive and will cry at the drop of a hat. I'll be the first to admit that I get really exasperated with every time he cries because he doesn't get his way, but I usually ignore it and he's fine until you tell him no again. Lately though, he has been a train wreck. His tantrums are turning into fits of rage. He doesn't just cry anymore. He's moved on to bigger things like kicking, hitting and screaming. He also will run and throw himself on the floor if he's really peeved about something.
The thing that really sets him off these days is eating at the dinner table. He absolutely refuses to sit at the table. At first I thought it was because he didn't want to sit in his highchair anymore, so I put it in the garage and put Kaitlyn's old booster seat on a chair for him. No go. He doesn't want to sit in it either. We do have a little kiddie table in our dining room and I wouldn't mind him eating there, but he will not sit still. He usually gets up, bothers Kaitlyn, pushes her out of her chair, etc. He tries to steal his plate away from the table and take it to the living room and it's such a battle taking it away from him, him throwing a fit, and then trying to get him to come to the table, repeat ad nauseum. I'm just so exhausted I usually don't fight with him and remove his plate from the table and put it on the counter where he can't reach it and wait til daddy comes home to try and feed him. Usually this works, because I leave for my run, but I'm so over the tantrum.
He's also big into fighting bedtime. Sometimes he fights the bath, even though he loves to play in the tub. Sometimes he gets upset when I take the toothbrush away from him, even though I ask for it right before he gets in his crib. The other night he wouldn't let me read to him so he ran screaming to his crib and then screamed because I put him in it. I try really hard to keep his bedtime routine consistent, but it's just not working.
I'm hoping that this phase will pass as quickly as it came, but I fear that my strong willed boy, who unfortunately inherited my temper, will break me before I break him.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Yummy Honey Chicken
I am always looking for yummy, quick, easy chicken recipes. I found this one and am absolutely in LOVE. The first time I tried it, I was having a luncheon with some of my teacher friends and I wanted something that I didn't have to slave over all day, but looked like I did. I tried it in the crockpot because I love my crockpot. Problem was, I didn't have enough honey to double the batch of chicken like I wanted to do. I had enough honey to do one batch and then was super happy that I could also turn it into a 30 minute meal. I did the first batch in the crockpot and went to the store and got more honey to do a second batch in the oven. To be honest, I will probably never do this recipe in the crockpot again. It turned out much better in the oven; it was just more tender from the oven for whatever reason. All of my friends loved it too and were impressed with how easy it was to make.
I do make a few changes though. I use onion salt instead of chopped onion or onion flakes, only because I'm too lazy to chop an onion and I don't have onion flakes. I also omit the red pepper because I think it would be too hot for my children even in such a small amount. I use low sodium soy sauce too and it doesn't seem to affect the taste...probably because I add in onion salt.
Anyway if you need a yummy chicken recipe, use this one!
I do make a few changes though. I use onion salt instead of chopped onion or onion flakes, only because I'm too lazy to chop an onion and I don't have onion flakes. I also omit the red pepper because I think it would be too hot for my children even in such a small amount. I use low sodium soy sauce too and it doesn't seem to affect the taste...probably because I add in onion salt.
Anyway if you need a yummy chicken recipe, use this one!
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Lucky
This is probably one of my favorite projects that I've done so far. I'm also super proud of the fact that I got it done before St. Patrick's day, instead of after. (I still haven't finished my Valentine's day framed artwork.) I got the idea off of Pinterest from this Valentine's day canvas. I liked the idea of putting the MDF letters on a canvas, but I wanted to jazz up the letters with scrapbook paper and some embellishments. My only complaint is that there are not enough cute little embellishments for St. Patty's day at Michael's. More reason to open a Hobby Lobby where I live :)
Please excuse the quality of these photos. I'm working with a point-and-shoot and not some fancy camera that most people are using these days. I couldn't figure out how to take a direct shot of the letters without getting the glaring flash, but oh well. I love it!
Please excuse the quality of these photos. I'm working with a point-and-shoot and not some fancy camera that most people are using these days. I couldn't figure out how to take a direct shot of the letters without getting the glaring flash, but oh well. I love it!
Sunday, February 19, 2012
I Hate Traveling
I don't dislike traveling myself, just when Jerry has to travel for work. Before we had children, Jerry traveled a lot for work. It didn't bother me then as I was a first year teacher and was crazy busy with work stuff. It also gave me a chance to hang with my family without feeling guilty that I wasn't at home with my husband.
Now, it's just a royal pain in the ass when he has to travel. I have to be at work no later than 6:50. (I usually get to work around 6:40 to beat the busses and the drop off traffic.) Daycare does not open until 6:30 and is roughly 25 minutes away from the school. This means that I need help getting the kids to daycare because it's a scramble to get myself and two kids ready and out the door before 6AM, not to mention it is a major change to what they are used to. They normally don't get to daycare until almost 9:00 when daddy drops them off. When Jerry is on a trip, I take the kids to my parent's house and let them sleep over there. It's just easier for everyone this way. My mother doesn't mind because she loves to spoil those kids rotten, but I feel really bad that she has to take on such a huge responsibility. She has my sister's help now that she's home from college and taking a full year off before she goes to grad school, so I'm sure that's a huge relief to her. (My mom works full-time as a hair stylist, so she's on her feet all day long.)
I know my kids have a really great time at my parent's house, but I still feel really guilty about leaving them there. They are my children and my responsibility to take care of. I definitely could not do it alone and am grateful that my parents are so close to us, 5 houses away to be exact, and they are so willing to help us out when we need it. That's just how my family is though; we are expected to be such a huge part of each other's lives. This is our normal. If we were in Indiana we would not get the help we get here with my family. Jerry's family just doesn't work that way. I don't know why, but it is what it is.
Now, it's just a royal pain in the ass when he has to travel. I have to be at work no later than 6:50. (I usually get to work around 6:40 to beat the busses and the drop off traffic.) Daycare does not open until 6:30 and is roughly 25 minutes away from the school. This means that I need help getting the kids to daycare because it's a scramble to get myself and two kids ready and out the door before 6AM, not to mention it is a major change to what they are used to. They normally don't get to daycare until almost 9:00 when daddy drops them off. When Jerry is on a trip, I take the kids to my parent's house and let them sleep over there. It's just easier for everyone this way. My mother doesn't mind because she loves to spoil those kids rotten, but I feel really bad that she has to take on such a huge responsibility. She has my sister's help now that she's home from college and taking a full year off before she goes to grad school, so I'm sure that's a huge relief to her. (My mom works full-time as a hair stylist, so she's on her feet all day long.)
I know my kids have a really great time at my parent's house, but I still feel really guilty about leaving them there. They are my children and my responsibility to take care of. I definitely could not do it alone and am grateful that my parents are so close to us, 5 houses away to be exact, and they are so willing to help us out when we need it. That's just how my family is though; we are expected to be such a huge part of each other's lives. This is our normal. If we were in Indiana we would not get the help we get here with my family. Jerry's family just doesn't work that way. I don't know why, but it is what it is.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Shopaholic
Hello, my name is Christy and I am a........SHOPAHOLIC. Phew! That feels so much better. To get that off of my chest is just so liberating! (Just being a little dramatic.) But I do like to shop; not for myself really, but for my kids, my home, my family. I especially love to shop for my kids. They are easily the best dressed kids on the block. I'm pretty good at only buying sale items, and with kids clothes, they come cheap. But I still spend a lot of money on their clothes.
I think the biggest reason I buy them so much clothes is I want them to look cute! We live in a very judgmental society and I don't want my kids to look like I don't take care of them. I get a little embarrassed if I have to take them to the store after daycare and they have food stains on their clothes. I know that is really superficial, but whatever, it is what it is.
The second biggest reason I buy tons of clothes is I hate to do laundry! I buy enough clothes for the kids so that I don't have to do laundry for two weeks. I always buy a few staple items, for each kid and coordinating outfits that I can mix and match so they're not wearing the same thing over and over. This really cuts down on my chore time too because I have to set out a weeks worth of clothes since the hubby gets them ready in the morning.
The third biggest reason I buy tons of clothes for them is because it's fun. I have two life size dolls that I get to play dress up with. I hate shopping for clothes for myself because I am really unhappy with how I look right now (working on that one) so it's fun to dress my kids up in cute little outfits and stick bows in their hair, or on his neck in Tyler's case. Plus, it's really not fair that they make kids clothes so dang cute! I am drawn to the kid's clothing section like a moth to a flame.
Gymboree if by far the biggest part of my addiction. It's so easy to buy a few pieces there to mix and match and have a gazillion outfits for the kids. I wasn't super impressed with their winter outfits this (last) year, and I'm not totally taken with their spring stuff so far. They are constantly coming out with new lines, so it's only a matter of time before I go buck wild in there and drop a Benjamin. I blame my grandfather who got me addicted to Gymboree buy gifting the kids with gift cards of $100 each every Christmas.
Target is my second biggest addiction. How can you pass up clothes at $5 and under? The circo line also has a line of mix and match clothes that I can stock up on as well, not to mention that is my go to present for my little cousins because all they care about is ripping open the gift and playing with the box. No need to clutter their houses with toys that are just going to get lost or broken.
I do a little shopping at H&M, which usually has pretty good deals and Children's Place. I used to go to Old Navy all the time, but their clothes usually run too small and because they're cheaply made, don't last as long. I've never found ANYTHING at Baby Gap, but the kids own a few items from their because my cousin Lindsey is also a shopping addict and tends to spend WAY more money that I do on the kid's clothes. (She only buys them stuff for Christmas and birthdays so it's ok for her to go overboard.)
My husband never says anything to me about my spending habits because I usually don't go overboard often and tend to only buy stuff if it's on sale. I never use a credit card so it's not like I'm going in to debt because of my little addiction, so I guess it's ok. I'm just dreading having to buy them new clothes when all they will wear is Hollister, American Eagle, Aeropostale or some other teenage crappy brand.
I think the biggest reason I buy them so much clothes is I want them to look cute! We live in a very judgmental society and I don't want my kids to look like I don't take care of them. I get a little embarrassed if I have to take them to the store after daycare and they have food stains on their clothes. I know that is really superficial, but whatever, it is what it is.
The second biggest reason I buy tons of clothes is I hate to do laundry! I buy enough clothes for the kids so that I don't have to do laundry for two weeks. I always buy a few staple items, for each kid and coordinating outfits that I can mix and match so they're not wearing the same thing over and over. This really cuts down on my chore time too because I have to set out a weeks worth of clothes since the hubby gets them ready in the morning.
The third biggest reason I buy tons of clothes for them is because it's fun. I have two life size dolls that I get to play dress up with. I hate shopping for clothes for myself because I am really unhappy with how I look right now (working on that one) so it's fun to dress my kids up in cute little outfits and stick bows in their hair, or on his neck in Tyler's case. Plus, it's really not fair that they make kids clothes so dang cute! I am drawn to the kid's clothing section like a moth to a flame.
Gymboree if by far the biggest part of my addiction. It's so easy to buy a few pieces there to mix and match and have a gazillion outfits for the kids. I wasn't super impressed with their winter outfits this (last) year, and I'm not totally taken with their spring stuff so far. They are constantly coming out with new lines, so it's only a matter of time before I go buck wild in there and drop a Benjamin. I blame my grandfather who got me addicted to Gymboree buy gifting the kids with gift cards of $100 each every Christmas.
Target is my second biggest addiction. How can you pass up clothes at $5 and under? The circo line also has a line of mix and match clothes that I can stock up on as well, not to mention that is my go to present for my little cousins because all they care about is ripping open the gift and playing with the box. No need to clutter their houses with toys that are just going to get lost or broken.
I do a little shopping at H&M, which usually has pretty good deals and Children's Place. I used to go to Old Navy all the time, but their clothes usually run too small and because they're cheaply made, don't last as long. I've never found ANYTHING at Baby Gap, but the kids own a few items from their because my cousin Lindsey is also a shopping addict and tends to spend WAY more money that I do on the kid's clothes. (She only buys them stuff for Christmas and birthdays so it's ok for her to go overboard.)
My husband never says anything to me about my spending habits because I usually don't go overboard often and tend to only buy stuff if it's on sale. I never use a credit card so it's not like I'm going in to debt because of my little addiction, so I guess it's ok. I'm just dreading having to buy them new clothes when all they will wear is Hollister, American Eagle, Aeropostale or some other teenage crappy brand.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Valentine's Day
Here is a tutu that I made for Kaitlyn for Valentine's Day. You can google tutu tutorial, (ha ha, I love alliteration), and there are tons of easy tutorials to make your own.
Here are the Valentines Kaitlyn and Tyler will be taking to school. I downloaded the free printables from Shindig Parties TO GO. I love all the cute freebies she posts on her site not to mention she has an Etsy shop and she customizes printables for all kinds of parties.
Each of little kisses and hugs has a cute little sticker on the bottom! I die!
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Fat Flush Finish
So I am done with the two week Fat Flush and I must say that I am a little disappointed. I was really excited when I wrote this post, but I must have jinxed myself when I hit publish because I did not lose anymore weight after that day. I'm really not sure what happened because I followed that detox pretty much to the letter. If I did anything wrong, it was that I wasn't getting enough calories during the day. I always ended the day with about four to five hundred calories left to eat so my only thought is that my body went into starvation mode therefore the weight was not going to go anywhere. I did lose an inch, but I was pretty hopeful that I would lose much more than that.
I did do some before and after photos and I can definitely see a difference, so that's a major plus in my book. I can also feel it in how my pants fit. I'm not quite down another size like I had hoped, but I'm definitely closer than I was when I started.
Right now I am eating normally, as in I'm not doing phase 2. There is no way that I can continue on with eating bland food anymore. I need flavor! I'm just hoping that eating the right foods, in the right amount and exercising will help me continue to lose weight. I'm also using My Fitness Pal religiously to track my calories and my exercise and I make sure I'm under my allotment for the day. (Just an FYI, My Fitness Pal is projecting me to lose 10lbs in 5 weeks if I continue eating and exercising like I have been so I'm pretty excited about that.)
My husband, who also did the flush, lost a total of 16lbs. Now, I don't monitor him at work, but the first day off the flush he says he gained back 4lbs. I do have to say that while on the flush we were both limited to 1200. Now that he's off, he can have 2000 which will lead to him losing 2lbs a week. I am limited to 1300 which is close to the calorie limit for the flush and is why I believe I have maintained my weight loss. (I don't get 1300 a day, I usually have a few hundred leftover after I run.)
I'm glad we did the flush, although at about day 4 & 5 we were snapping so badly at each other, because it shows that we can do this IF we put our minds to it. It also gives me the jump start I needed to continue with my weight loss. I'm also going to keep doing some of the things from the flush like drinking at least 64oz of water, eating at least 2 fruits a day and loading up on the veggies. I also like having smoothies for breakfast because they are so yummy and keep me full for a long time, especially with the added protein powder.
I'm going to keep up with my couch to 5K program for now and may add in a morning run if I hit a plateau again and need another jump start. Hopefully this will be enough to keep me eating healthy and exercising regularly.
I did do some before and after photos and I can definitely see a difference, so that's a major plus in my book. I can also feel it in how my pants fit. I'm not quite down another size like I had hoped, but I'm definitely closer than I was when I started.
Right now I am eating normally, as in I'm not doing phase 2. There is no way that I can continue on with eating bland food anymore. I need flavor! I'm just hoping that eating the right foods, in the right amount and exercising will help me continue to lose weight. I'm also using My Fitness Pal religiously to track my calories and my exercise and I make sure I'm under my allotment for the day. (Just an FYI, My Fitness Pal is projecting me to lose 10lbs in 5 weeks if I continue eating and exercising like I have been so I'm pretty excited about that.)
My husband, who also did the flush, lost a total of 16lbs. Now, I don't monitor him at work, but the first day off the flush he says he gained back 4lbs. I do have to say that while on the flush we were both limited to 1200. Now that he's off, he can have 2000 which will lead to him losing 2lbs a week. I am limited to 1300 which is close to the calorie limit for the flush and is why I believe I have maintained my weight loss. (I don't get 1300 a day, I usually have a few hundred leftover after I run.)
I'm glad we did the flush, although at about day 4 & 5 we were snapping so badly at each other, because it shows that we can do this IF we put our minds to it. It also gives me the jump start I needed to continue with my weight loss. I'm also going to keep doing some of the things from the flush like drinking at least 64oz of water, eating at least 2 fruits a day and loading up on the veggies. I also like having smoothies for breakfast because they are so yummy and keep me full for a long time, especially with the added protein powder.
I'm going to keep up with my couch to 5K program for now and may add in a morning run if I hit a plateau again and need another jump start. Hopefully this will be enough to keep me eating healthy and exercising regularly.
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