And the winner is....

The winner of the personalized jewelry from Stephanie's Stamp It Up Designs is...

The Mind of a Mom!

I have passed on your information to Stephanie and she will be contacting you about your winnings! If the email attached to your blogger profile is not your preferred email please let me know so that I can pass the correct one on :)
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Happy Thanksgiving-Thankful Thoughts

Today on Thanksgiving, I am remembering all that I am grateful for. It's easy to make a list and say that I'm thankful, but I've been trying this year to really embrace and show how grateful I am.

I am thankful for my best friend on this journey of life, my husband. There may be times when he drives me crazy, or when I feel as though I'm not appreciated. But those times are outweighed by the love we share. I am the confidant person I am today, because of him. In the past, there have been times when I could not have carried on if he hadn't been the one to be standing by my side, holding my hand. I love his crazy sense of humor, how he can make even the mundane task entertaining. He makes me feel beautiful and when we are together I feel as though we can survive any challenge.

I am thankful for the love my mom showed me growing up. I owe my mom a great deal, and I'll never be able to show her that, but I can honor her memory by showing others the same love she showed me. One of the most memorable lessons my mom taught me was that I should always be nice and respectful to people, especially those I did not like. I try to approach everyone with that philosophy, even if they do not treat me in kind.

I am thankful for my son, my glorious, beautiful son. He has shared more joy with me in the last two years than I have experienced in the previous 20something. There are times when I want to run away and throw my own tantrum, but those are few and far between. When he laughs, he lights up my heart. And when he smiles at me and tells me that I am his sunshine I will forgive him anything.

I am thankful for my family. My sister, my nieces, my sisters-in law, my brothers-in law. I love them all. Sometimes I'm thankful the majority of them live thousands of miles away, but most of the time I'm happy they are a part of my life.

I'm thankful for my godson and the love he has in his heart. He's kind of a big deal, but he's humble and kind. He showers Tysen with attention when they are together, and Tysen loves him like a brother. They are brothers and he is our son.

I'm thankful for you, my readers. I'm humbled that you take time out of your day to sit and read the ramblings I have to offer. I know life is hectic and free time is hard to come by, thank you for spending yours with me.

I hope everyone has a safe and happy Thanksgiving.

Wordless Wednesday- Don't Take My Cake!

My Baby Turns Two

Today he turns two, but it seems like yesterday; feeling his warm body against mine, hearing his first cries and feeling complete awe at the tiny boy who had become my son. I remember the first thought after he was born, "he so little." I had been prepared for a big baby, but 6lbs 9ozs is a lot smaller than it sounds.

He has grown to be a rambunctious toddler, full of joy and wonder. Everyday he amazes me and everyday I thank God that he is mine.





Happy Birthday Tysen, I love you.

Metal Stamped Jewlery Giveaway!

I don't normally do giveaways, but it's the season of giving (or at least pretty close to it) so I have one to share with you. Stephanie, of Stephanie's Stamp It Up Designs, has graciously offered to you, my wonderful readers, a personalized hand stamped metal ornament or necklace.


   

So, leave a comment and you'll be entered to win. For extra entries you can follow me on Twitter, just let me know that you have done so. The giveaway will end Friday at 9:00pm PST.

Sunday Stealing-Party Meme

Sunday Stealing: The Party Mummy Meme

1. Name someone with the same birthday as you. Mark McGwire

2. Where was your first kiss? In the neighbors backyard, at least I think it was :)

3. Have you ever hit someone of the opposite sex? If yes, why? Yes-because he deserved it

4. Have you ever sung in front of a large number of people? When? Nope, I don't sing in public. Ever.

5. What's the first thing you notice about your preferred sex? Smile. Gotta make sure all the teeth are in place.

6. What really turns you off? Smoking, rudeness.

7. What is your biggest mistake? Acting without thinking.

8. Have you ever hurt yourself on purpose? No.

9. Say something totally random about yourself. My toes are so cold they're purple.

10. Has anyone ever said you looked like a celebrity? Once. About 10 years ago. I must not have aged well, no one has said it since.

11. Do you still watch kiddie movies or TV shows? Yes, I love me some Disney!

12. Are you comfortable with your height? Short people rock!

13. When do you know it's love? I don't think you can ever really be sure.

14. What's something that really annoys you? People who are judgmental of others.

Coffee Coffee Coffee

It's quite possible I'm addicted. I'm always planning when I'll get my next fix and the thought of going without a delightful espresso concoction is enough to cause a panic attack. I'm not too sure when this obsessions with the coffee beverages began, but I think it might be getting worse.

I get headaches, a lot. And over time I have noticed that if the regular dosage of Advil isn't cutting it, I can usually stem the tide with a nice white chocolate mocha. This has lead to the preventative mocha; I've got to drink one before the headache comes on, right? That's really the only logical step. At least in my world.

In the hope of reducing the financial loss my addiction is likely to cause, I am wishin' and hopin' and prayin' for an espresso machine this Christmas. I don't requite much, it doesn't need to be able to produce 12 beverages at once, nor does it need a satellite dish. I just want it to make a nice mocha. Is that too much to hope for. I think not.

I have no plans to change my coffee drinking ways, so I might as well make it as convenient and inexpensive as possible, right? Now, back to my regularly scheduled espresso.

Dream Big

Every once in a while my husband and I play the “what if we won the lottery” game. Would we quit our jobs or keep working in some fashion? Buy a McMansion or build our own complex? Go crazy buying cars or airplanes? It would probably take quite a windfall to accomplish all of my lottery dreams, because I like to dream big. What’s the point of dreaming if you aren’t going to aim high? I would most definitely quit my job, though I would probably get a masters in graphic design and have an in home business, a goal I hope to achieve even without winning the lottery. For the rest of the items on my wish list, I am giving you a glimpse into my imaginary world.

For starters, we would definitly upgrade our abode. Right now we are squishing 3 people and an array of primary colored toys into about 900 square feet. Don't get me wrong, that's quite a lot of room compared to most New York apartments. But we're not in New York, we in the burbs, and about 800 square feet has been taken over by a toddler tornado. Something a little bigger would be nice, say something like this:

Or maybe....

Really it would just be a tiny upgrade...Can you imagine playing football on those lawns at Thanksgiving? I've always wanted a HUGE lawn...and a landscaping service to take care of it for me. Both of these options are nice, but I think I prefer the first, it comes with plenty of acreage, which means we could build a home for our in-laws on the property. I know you're all thinking I'm crazy, but I think it would be awesome.

Once the house was taken care of, I would need some form of transportation. I'm not really picky on this, I don't need to spend $100,000 on a car to be happy. I just want something that is comfortable and safe. I would probably be just as happy with this:



as I would be with this:


And that would pretty much take care of my purchases. I'm a generous person, so I've also given a lot of thought to what I buy for the people in my life. Because I like to give, and if I were to win the lottery, I could do it on a BIG scale.

For my mother-in-law who loves to sew and is incredibly crafty I would buy a free arm quilting machine. Something similar to this:




For Justin I would support his gaming habit in the best way possible, with a super expensive and fast PC such as this one:


Processor: Intel Core i7 965 (3.925 GHz), RAM installed: 12 GB DDR3 SDRAM, Graphics Processor: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 280

I know, I'm awesome.

Moving on down the list to Tysen...That's where it gets a little tricky. He's my baby, I want to give him the world, literally and figuratively. I've included the one must have item:




I know what your thinking, I do; it's quite a jump from contemplating a fish to owning a horse. But the boy loves horses. How could I deny him this? If we are going to own a ginormous house with plenty of acreage (did I mention it has a barn?) we need to have at least one horse.

I know the chances of actually winning the lottery are minuscule, and I have no real dilutions that I actually will. But every once in a while, it's nice to dream. So, what are your lottery dreams?

The Reality of TV

People have told me horror stories of how they don’t have cable, or worse, don’t even own a TV. Fortunately, I am not one of those deprived individuals. My TV, DVR and I have quite a love triangle. I don’t know what I would do without either of these electronic devices…perhaps I’d actually have a social life, but who wants the stress of that? Certainly not me; I prefer the reliability of TV programming.

Now, I must be honest, I probably record/watch a lot more TV than I should, but I can’t help it! These shows have reeled me in and gotten me hooked with their story lines and drama. I am a big fan of normal TV shoes like NCIS, House, Lie To Me and Grey’s Anatomy. However, my reality TV makes up the largest portion of my DVR space. I don’t actually know exactly how many reality TV shoes I watch, and I think it would probably scare you if I added the up. I do know it’s a lot. I’m not going to ramble on and on about the awesomeness of faux/scripted reality, because it should be obvious. I’m just going to share with you a few of my favorites, in the hopes that those of you with real lives will be just as addicted as I am.


Image from CBS
I love me some Amazing Race! It has all my favorite elements of reality rolled into one: backstabbing, drama, challenges, air travel and more drama. Now my husband always says that he were he to be a contestant, I wouldn’t be his partner. Well, I’ve got a secret for ya (and I know husby is reading so it won’t be a secret much longer), I probably wouldn’t choose him for my partner either. Not sure our marriage can survive the drama. Of course, I don’t think I am not sure I would do too well no matter who my partner was. I am not super athletic, don’t speak ten languages and I’m kind of a wuss. If you can get past all of those drawbacks, I’m the perfect partner!



Image from Bravo

I truly love the Real Housewives of Orange County; they are my favorite of the various series, though New Jersey is a close second. I love all that drama! It cracks me up that these people take themselves so seriously. The backstabbing and bickering are probably the best that reality TV has to offer. I don’t sell multi-million dollar homes, I don’t live in one, I don’t drive a Mercedes, and I don’t spend $500 on lunch. But I can really relate to these ladies, they have real life issues, such as do I travel to Spain or Italy for my spring break? I haven’t made up my mind yet, though I’ll let you know what I decide.


Image from TLC

I wish I could be Jen and Bill's neighbor, or at least work with one of them. I'm not sure what specifically draws me in, but I do love their personalities and their openness. I must admit, Jen is my favorite, I mean she saves babies' lives for a living! How amazing is that! She also spends over an hour trying to pick out the perfect pair of sunglasses, I can relate to that.

This is just a short list, I could go on and on about the greatness of reality TV. Where else can you tell millions of people how much you hate your best friend? The drama is just awe inspiring. I seriously doubt I will ever be a participant of such a series, however I am more than willing to DVR each and every episode I can get my hands on!

Wordless Wednesday - Chaos!!

Random Tuesday Thoughts Brought To You By The Letter M-For Me

I am fickle when it comes to color choices. Because of this I rarely paint my nails anything other than clear, or at the most a very light pink that is so translucent it’s not noticeable . I have a hard time sticking with a color choice for any length of time. For example my blog colors, totally ready to change the scheme after only a couple months, but I am resisting because I put in all that effort and I’m just not ready to do it again.

I suck at making appointments. Whether it’s to get my hair cut, my son’s 12 month check-up (which was a month late) or some random appointment for a meeting, I’m horrible at it. I always forget to make the call that I need to do, and generally remember that I haven’t done it only after the office has closed. Thank goodness our doctor’s office has started offering online appointment scheduling, otherwise I don’t think I’d have a two-year check-up scheduled for Tysen yet.

I do my best thinking and planning late at night while I’m trying to fall asleep. If I were to write the next great American novel, it would be between the hours of 11:00 and 2:00. The problem here is that it’s mostly just thinking and planning, when morning rolls around everything has fallen out of my head and I’m left without much motivation. I will plan to get up early in the morning and clean the kitchen or do laundry, or spend some time just for me. But those things rarely happen. I’m long on big ideas and short on follow through.

When I’m angry, I turned the music up really loud. This is generally followed by some sort of tears on my part. I have a hard time separating anger from the overwhelming need to cry. I’ve heard this from a lot of people, so I’m not going to consider it too freakish. Though, when you’re in the middle of a heated argument, it’s hard to be taken seriously with tears streaming down your face.

Thankful Thoughts

I had a physical therapy appointment today which is the inspiration behind today's thankful thought. I didn't have a copay, it wasn't ever a question about making the appointment, it was a simple decision to go because my health insurance covers it.

Today I am thankful for my health insurance. Our family is blessed to have wonderful medical coverage through both my husband's and my employers. Granted, we do pay a large monthly premium, I have never once considered it to high a price to pay for good health.

We are quite fortunate. I have never had to decide between taking Tysen to the doctor or buying groceries for a week, or wondered if there was enough money to pay for a prescription that will put an end to an infection he might have. These things have always been covered and for that I am thankful.

For many, there simply is no choice at all, between groceries and prescriptions; the decision to buy groceries has to come first for a lot of families. I know the health care debate is a heated one, and for a good reason, good health is the key to a good life.

Thankful Thoughts-Family

There are some days where the stress catches up with me and all I want to do is wallow around in it for a while. Today is one of those days, and I've decided that I've done enough wallowing and it's time to focus on being positive.

Today I am thankful for my family, specifically my mother-in-law and father-in-law. I don't think they read this blog, so I could probably get away with saying just about anything good and bad. But honestly, there is hardly anything bad to say. I love these two people so very much, they hold such a big part of my heart that I can't begin to explain it.

These people are two of the kindest, most giving individuals I have ever met. They take on so many projects and activities that benefit other people, rarely giving thought to spending time or money on themselves. They are also wonderful grandparents. Tysen loves his nana and papa, and talks about them constantly long after a visit. They may live half way across the country, but they are always in our hearts.

Do You Lie To Your Kids?

I’m not talking about BIG lies, just little ones. For instance, a few weeks ago I told Tysen that we were going to visit a farm the following day. He was quite eager and kept insisting we go that day to visit the farm that afternoon. I told him that we couldn’t go because the farm was closed, which was probably not true. The truth was we couldn’t go because it was cold and rainy and getting dark outside, and the farm was over 30 minutes away. He doesn’t quite understand that these things prevent us from playing outside, so I doubted he would see it as a reason to not visit a bunch of animals and plants. It seemed reasonable to tell him simply that the farm was closed, because that he can fully understand.

I related this story to college age coworker and he had a different take on the situation. I can’t recall his exact logic, but it made sense in a surprising way; this gist of which was that Tysen inherently trusts what I tell him to be the truth and I am violating that trust by not giving him the full story. I didn’t go into the exact detail with Tysen, because it was mostly for my benefit and not his, I didn’t want to deal with the not understanding of the situation.
This was not the first time I’ve told Tysen an untruth: I’ve told him that he can’t play outside because the outside has gone to bed, and he understand that. When in truth, it’s too dark and too cold for him to be running around outside.

Most of the untruths are things that I cannot change, like weather conditions or a relative not being home that maybe he wants to visit. And Tysen believes me and trusts that what I’m telling him is true. Is it possible I am taking advantage of that trust? I know there will be a day when he won’t believe anything I say, because how could a mom possibly know, right?

I’ve never really considered another side until my coworker mentioned it. So now I’m wondering if there could be a better way.

Goldfish vs Toddler...How Bad Could It Be?

Tysen is two short weeks away from his second birthday, an important milestone in any young boys life. I've been trying to come up with a great gift idea, something that will hold his attention, but not take up a ton of space (such as a giant play kitchen which I would love to get for him). I snagged some good deals on some gently used toys in October at the JBF sale; he's already going to get a rocking horse and a shopping cart.

What I really want to get him is a fish; just something small and a simple bowl. I know he would love it, he loves animals and always wants to visit the fish when we're at the store. I also know that I would be the one to take on most of the responsibilities for a new fish. Sure, Tysen could help feed the fish and help clean out the bowl. But the majority of that would fall on me, for that reason the husband has already said he thinks it's not a good idea.

I think two is a good age for a pet, one that does not require a great deal of maintenance...And it would also help teach Tysen to be responsible for the care of something else.

Oh, decisions, decisions...

Wordless Wednesday

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Curves Ahead

The husband and I both work full time. When Tysen was born, we entrusted his care to others. We gave them our full trust, and it was assumed that his best interests and well being would always be put first. Tysen has been happy there for almost two years now. Changes are in store for him though. And I don't know how to tell him. He loves his teachers and he has no idea of what is going on around him.

The trust we placed has been broken, and there is just no going back. I tend to hesitate before making changes, I like to weigh all my options. Change is scary, and it's not easy. However, there are times when it becomes necessary even though the unknown is hard to face. But as I look at my sweet child as he smiles and laughs, I know we are making the right decision for him. And for our family as a whole. The last couple of weeks have added a lot of stress to our shoulders and it has been putting a lot of strain on me. I'm happy with the resolution we have come to, I have made peace with out decision. I am ready, but I am worried.

How do I tell Tysen that the people he loves, who have been taking care of him for as long as he has known will no longer be a part of his life? How do I encourage the new situation while he is still longing for the old?

There are curves ahead, I only hope I am strong enough to help guide Tysen through them.

Random Tuesday Thoughts

I love when I open a “fun size” box of Dots and they are all red. The green Dots taste like soap. And who decided that a box containing only 5 Dots was fun? I know it wasn’t me. I need at least five or six of those suckers to really have a good time.

When I visit a website, I hate when I cannot find the contact information. What are they afraid of? That I’m going to spam them with hate mail? Maybe some of them are, but seriously Corporate America, get it figured out! I don’t have time to search your site for 10 minutes so that I can send a two sentence email.

The only thing that actually fits into its original packaging after having been used is an umbrella. I love umbrellas; they fold up to the size of a matchbox car but when in use are really big enough to keep 4 grown adults dry.

I am so glad baseball season is over, the playoffs on Fox were really messing up my TV viewing schedule. House, Lie To Me, So You Think You Can Dance, Glee. It's all back this week and I couldn't be happier.

I like grape soda. I know it's bad for me and full of sugar, but I can't help it. There's something inherently fun about drinking grape flavored soda.

Thankful Thoughts

Today I plan to be grateful. The past couple of weeks have been pretty stressful for our family, and it's been easy to get lost in that. However, today I am following the lead of Clueless Mama who is finding something to be thankful for every day. I don't know if I can be that positive every day, but I'm gong to attempt it today at least.

Today I am thankful for the little things. Waking up with two of the most precious people in the world, my son and my husband. The sound of Tysen's infectious laughter and his little boy voice when he sings his favorite songs. These things might be little, but they are such a valuable part of my day, without them, life wouldn't be the same.