Awards and a Trophy!

Our World Championship competition was awesome!

We went to Jonesboro, Georgia on Thursday to weigh in. Russ weighed in for the same weight class he competed in back in August. I, however, weighed in, dropping down a weight class. This was the game plan all along for me. I knew there was a possibility to set some records in this new weight class. So, after weigh in, on the way home we stopped and had a good steak and potato meal. This was a good way to get our bodies prepared for the upcoming competition.

Yesterday, we awoke bright and early to get prepared for our first World GPA Raw Benchpress competition. We prepared our gear, our minds, and our attitudes and then drove back to Jonesboro, Georgia to compete in our very first World GPA Benchpress competition.

Opening ceremonies started at 1:00 pm. There was a performance from a lovely dancer from a local school of dance. She completed moves with a hula hoop that I have never seen. It was very entertaining. After the show and a beautiful rendition of our National Anthem, there was a speech from the GPA founder.

With opening ceremonies complete, it was warmup time! Talk about intimidating! There were a lot of very large, very strong men there warming up. I finally got a chance to lay down on the warm up bench in the warm up room to do a few warm up reps. It is always a little embarrassing to see the guys strip all the large 45 pound plates off the bar and place on some of the smallest weight plates. I warmed up anyway. I just have to set in my mind that I am not a 250 pound man that presses 500 pounds. My mental focus at this point turns to visualizing pressing the weight I know that I can do.

The competition started at 2:00 p.m. sharp. As in August, I was the first one on the competition flight list. Before the competition got underway, the head judge came in and announced all the rules. Some of the rules were different from our last competition. The main difference was how long we had to get the bar down to our chest after the "bar loaded" call was made. We had one minute. Think about it. That's 60 seconds to get mentally prepared, psyched up, lie your body down on the bench, get your body and muscles adjusted, give your spotter your queue that you are ready, have the bar lifted off to you, have a short pause, and lower the bar to your chest. That time flies!!!!! When you lower the bar to your chest, the "press" command is given by the head judge. I could swear that he waited a full two seconds to give the command. If you don't know how this works, a long pause on the chest can be devastating to a bench press. You can use all your energy holding up the weight so that you don't relax your muscles and lose the weight. Luckily, I was able to push the weight back up. So, a "rack" command was given and the "lift is good" announcement was made. Shewf!!! My first World lift was successful. My next two lifts were not successful due to the loooong pause at the bottom. As it turns out, my one successful lift was enough win my age/weight class for women for which I received a medal and a beautiful pink variegated rose, set American and World records, and win women's benchpress "Best Lifter" for which I received a heavy trophy that had a marble bottom with a winners' cup atop it and a bouquet of more beautiful roses. I became the very first woman to win any award ever for the GPA Raw World Benchpress/Powerlifting Championships. We had not realized until the opening ceremonies that this was the very first GPA Raw World competition. What an honor to participate. What a title to cherish. What great stories I will be able to pass down to my grandchildren someday.

My husband was able to complete his first two presses. The third attempt was just a little to much with the looooong pause at the bottom. It was still enough for him to win his age/weight class and increase his World Record by five kilos. He also came home with a medal and a beautiful rose.

I am so proud of him. It has been so much fun working out, training with him, and competing with him. I don't think this is anything I would have ever done on my own. His past experience was enough to get me interested in it. It has turned out to be a hobby that he and I can participate in together while having the side benefit of getting our bodies in great shape.

So we came home with more awards, records, and a trophy. Our girls met us at the door all excited to hear about our day and see our awards we had called and told them about on the way home. I can't help but think that our six year old must think that we are the strongest parents in the world. But after all, we do both actually hold "World Records". It is still so surreal and almost unbelievable.

Now we will start another round of training in preparation for our next competition. We have not decided which competition to enter. We will make that decision in the next couple of months.

As a side benefit, with the pledges we have taken for Stronger Than Hunger (www.strongerthanhunger.tumblr.com), we have raised over $900.00 for our local food bank. We are please to be able to help feed families who otherwise may not have food to eat.

When it is all said and done, I love when we walk in the door together having accomplished something awesome!

Benefiting a Great Cause

My new focus for the next two weeks is the upcoming GPA Raw Benchpress World Championship competition that my husband and I are competing in. The first weekend of December 2010, we will be in Jonesboro, Georgia trying to set records.

We have decided for a cause to benefit from our hard work. We have named this effort "Stronger Than Hunger". We are now taking pledges for the competition. All proceeds will go to the Southeast Gwinnett County Cooperative Ministry. This Ministry helps many families in need. Please check out our site. If you would like to make a pledge, all donations are tax deductable.

Here is a link to our Stronger Than Hunger Site:

http://www.strongerthanhunger.tumblr.com/

The Holidays Begin

The holidays have begun with a bang. I have made cookies and ghost cupcakes for two children to take to school. I can't seem to get out of the kitchen. Even after my day with the girls' cooking was winding down, I had to prepare a meal for 40 to 50 men at church today. I am looking forward to some down time. I have to make desert for a covered dish lunch at church this Sunday as well. At least I have chosen something easy to make.

Last Saturday was the Fall Festival for my oldest daughter and tomorrow is her character book parade at school. Tuesday, along with one of the other moms, I made a class scarecrow to display at my youngest daughter's Fall Festival which was held today. There were pony rides, games, a pumpkin patch, story time, and other things to entertain the children with. It seems to be nonstop. This is why the title of this blog is called "Hanging on to Busy Girls".

To continue on with the "busyness", this Saturday is also our annual "It's Spooky To Be Hungry" food drive. I will be on my feet all day sorting and boxing canned goods and other items. I will be making preparations all day tomorrow in order for sorting day to go smoothly. We will be delivering the food to our local food bank on Sunday after our covered dish lunch at church.

I am already looking ahead to Thanksgiving and our trip home to Alabama to visit family. My husband and I will also be attending my 20th high school reunion while we are there. Then, of course, I should stay geared up for the Christmas holidays. There will be nonstop cooking and parties for the whole month of December.

In addition to all this stuff, my husband and I will be doing weekly workouts (Saturday and Sunday) in preparation for our upcoming GPA (World) bench press competition. I have even lined up a gym to work out at while we are in the Mobile area for Thanksgiving. That will be our last chance to work out before the competition. We have also decided to take pledges for the combined weight that we press. All proceeds from the pledges will go to the Southeast Gwinnett Cooperative Ministry where we will be delivering the food collected from the food drive. The bench meet will be the first weekend of December 2010. If you would like to follow our progress, visit www.strongerthanhunger.tumblr.com. You may contact us there to make a pledge. All pledges are tax deductible.

My husband should be home from his men's meeting in a few minutes. I can't wait until he comes home. As tired as we both can be, seeing his smiling face always seems to instill a calm in my otherwise hectic day, week, month, and so on. I love when he walks in the door.

Family Camping

We are all about new adventures. This past weekend, we decided that camping, tent style, would be the adventure to undertake. Since this was our first camping trip as a family, it took a while to get prepared for the trip. After spending a month or so purchasing and gathering all the necessary tools for camping, I had to pack it all up. I tried to organize and categorize everything. I am sure there was way too much planning involved. My thought is you can never be prepared enough when it's going to be 40 degrees at night and there will be a 2 year old in the camp site.

So, Friday, the day before we set out on our adventure, I worked all day to pack the car just right so that everything fit in. I had everything placed just right and there wasn't any room left. All that needed to be packed last minute were the coolers and the fire wood on the back of our Expedition on the "trailer hitch".

Early on Saturday morning, we got up and got dressed. One last good shower before our stay in the wilderness. I didn't wake the girls until the last minute.

As usual, the last minute packing always turns aggravating. Inevitably, Dad gets irritated with the way I have packed things forgetting that he didn't have to do it himself. In his words, "There is no way this is going to work". It always works out. It is amazing how that happens.

We had a good trip up to the "top" of the state to our camp site. We ate breakfast on the way up because we wanted to go ahead and get on the road. The girls had fun looking at all the scenery as we entered and drove through the mountains. The leaves were just beginning to change into the wonderful fall colors. I imagined how beautiful the mountains would be when the fall colors were in full bloom.

As we entered the "first come, first served" campground, we prayed for a good camp site. We found a nice site - sort of - off to itself that was right next to the "bath house". This is very, very, very important when you have a toddler potty training. We made good use of it. The "bath house" was nothing more than a permanent porta-potty. It was a block house with a nonflushable toilet. I had the "bath house" stench in my nose for two days after we left the place. Don't get me wrong, it was nice to have something available although I was prepared to have our own "toilet room/shower".

We set up our tent and a few other items and decided to take a break for a few minutes and walk around. As we walked back up from the river, I heard a "Hey there!"call from a lady at the site next to the river. It turns out the family was another family from our church. Ms. Tori from the nursery was there with her family. We had no idea that we would see anyone we knew in such a remote area. Her family has been camping there for 14 years.

I was thrilled to have access to fresh water there. There was a manual hand pump where we gathered water for cleaning dishes, cooking, and other uses.

We enjoyed the sound of the water running down the rock-filled river on the campground. It minimized some of the other campground noises.

The days were nice with warm temperatures and the nights were cold but we rested well. We snuggled in our sleeping bags and this was a special treat for the girls. They fell asleep quickly because it had been a long day.

It was a nice trip but I seemed to be cooking all the time. Most of the meals we had needed some cooking preparation. We soon learned a few tricks and how to time getting food prepared so that it stayed warm.

We let the girls do a little fishing but the fish were not interested in us. We were watching the trout swimming around and laughing at us. There is nothing more frustrating than dragging a hook over a fish and it just ignores it. We had hoped to have fish for supper one evening. Oh, well, maybe next time.

After returning home, we have decided to look into a camper of some sort. My back really likes the idea because it was not to happy about all the bending and stooping I had to do.

The consensus is that we will do more camping and do a little more exploration and no matter the "home" we are in, be it tent, camper, or our permanent home, I am always happy to be in it with my family and I love it when Daddy walks through the door.

Terrible Twos!!!!!

So, the terrible twos have officially hit with my youngest daughter. I am beginning to think she will be a challenge. She is beginning to follow in her sister's footsteps. I sympathize with all mothers. Being sane when a child turns three is a hard feat to accomplish.

My two year old has decided to invoke her own personal will. Usually, she is pretty easy to deal with and will do anything when asked. Last night, it all hit the fan. While I tried to give my oldest daughter my full attention to do homework, I sat my two year old in her high chair to snack on some Cheerios. Most of the time, this keeps her busy long enough to finish homework. Well, she decided that she would decorate the kitchen floor with her snack. 150 Cheerios later, homework is done and I proceeded to ask my two year old to pick up her mess after I let her out of the high chair. She picked up about two and then she decided she wouldn't pick up any more.

I will spare the ugly details but, after trying to force her to pick them up, I had to walk away from her. There is a fine line between getting a child to cooperate and going to jail. I decided that my kids need me at home rather than becoming bunk buddies with 180 pound butch that calls herself a woman.

I was determined to have her clean up her own mess so I left the Cheerios on the floor. I pleaded with her to pick them up with no result and complete refusal. After Dad came home and we had dinner, we again tried to get her to pick them up. Complete refusal. Putting her hands on the Cheerios wouldn't even get her to pick them up. If we could get her to actually grab one, she wouldn't let go to put it in the trash. Dragging her back and forth from the trash can and the Cheerios just got more irritating. I finally calmed down enough to speak to her on a two year old level and convinced her to pick them all up and place them on a napkin. I explained that we could bundle them up and put them in the trash all at once. This seemed to get her attention so off we went picking up the Cheerios.

About three fourths of the way through, she slows down and starts refusing again. Here we go! More of the same forcing and refusing. After all patience was exhausted on her part and on our part, she finally had all the Cheerios picked up. Straight upstairs and in the bath for an early bedtime for her was the only way I could deal with her for the rest of the evening.

Today, she has again invoked some of her own will and it has tested my patience yet again. I pray to the Lord above to grant me patience like I've never had or to at least give me the ability to turn a situation like this into something she feels like she is doing of her own free will.

I will try to calm my nerves and enjoy dinner with my family. I am hoping that when Dad comes home, I can change my mental state and turn it in a different direction. He has a way of calming me when I am at my wits end. I love it when he walks in the door.

Say What???

How do we schedule a day so full of activities? The best way you can. That's how! My oldest daughter had a soccer game at 10:00 am and my husband and I had a bench press competition at the same time that was to last all day. Yes, I said bench press competition. I'll get to that later....

So planning to get grandparents to get our daughters to the soccer game and back to a sitter's house can be challenging. I can't figure out if it is a lack of hearing, understanding, or plain hardheadedness. Grandpapa never seems to want to follow directions. He seems to always complicate any situation and add stress to a non stressful one. Anyway, our girls got to the game and to the sitter's even though it wasn't as smoothly as we had planned it.

Okay, I mentioned a few blogs ago that I had started working out. My husband and I have been working out together and had decided back in April to compete in the American Powerlifting Committee competition this past weekend. I don't know if we are crazy or bored and just need something to do.

With the girls safe at home with grandparents, my husband and I headed to Athens, Georgia for my first bench press competition ever. My husband competed a little in college so it wasn't new for him. It might as well have been. I think 20 years between competitions qualifies for new or first time.

The drive there was filled with questions of what if and statements of I wonder. I had a thousand questions all at once trying to make it from my brain to my mouth. I am sure my husband is grateful for the few hundred that didn't make it to my mouth. He was very supportive and always has been of anything that I do.

So, we get to the competition and had to get dressed in our required competition gear and start warming up right away. We didn't have a lot of time to be nervous. As a first timer, it was a bigger deal for me to be nervous than for my husband.

I felt a little out of my element. I was warming up with men who bench pressed 800 pounds! What was I thinking? Do these men think I am an idiot for trying this? Were they thinking, "Look at this scrawny little girl?" Even the other women there didn't quite look like women (if you get the meaning). I plan on doing this with my natural brute strength. Anyway, all the competitors there, seemed genuinely nice and supportive.

The bench press flight starts and I am the first one on the list. I was so nervous, I could have peed my pants or wrestling singlet as it were. I tightened my weight belt and cinched up my wrist wraps. Here we go. I jumped on the platform and straight onto the the bench. I leaned back, grabbed the bar, lie down under it, and was completely intimidated by my task ahead. My spotter husband hands down the bar and weight to me and after a slight hesitation for the judges, I start to descend. Down to my chest with complete control and I hear the "PRESS" command. I pushed it up with relative ease. I had done it! It was my first public bench press competitively. I am now a power lifter. My whopping 66 pounds was my first attempt.

A failed second attempt and a successful third attempt of 71.5 pounds during the next two rounds were enough to win my weight and age division and "Best Women Lifter in Bench Press". I was happy to bring home my medal and trophy for my very first competition.

My husband, with ease, threw up all three attempts successfully. He won his weight and age division and set a World Record in the process. He also came home with a medal and will receive his World Record certificate in a couple of weeks.

In the end, we both competed with our raw strength. We didn't use any special bench press shirts that enhance strength or any illegal substances that enhance muscle and strength. We were completely natural and plan to stay that way. My husband may venture in to the world of bench press shirts but that in itself requires a whole different type of weight training.

We both qualified to enter the Global Powerlifting Alliance (World Competition) coming in December. We will keep training and hopefully represent the APC with some wins.

Yesterday, we both walked in the door winners of something we had been working on together. You can't ask for a better combination! What a day!

Almost as Good as Waffle House

Sometimes at our house we have a lunch dilemma. Today, the choices were to eat at IHOP (with a coupon) or make something at home. I personally wanted to have waffles or pancakes and my oldest daughter wanted a ham and cheese sandwich. I was leaning toward the warmer of the two. My toddler was voting for going to "Affle House". I posed the question of making waffles at home and a unanimous decision was made.

I happen to have some whole wheat pancake mix in the pantry and on the box is the recipe for waffles. Yum. The whole wheat gives the waffles and pancakes a sweet flavor. I am all in favor of anything sweet on my taste buds. I got out all the necessary waffle making tools and then started mixing the batter. The girls were screaming the whole time, "I want lunch". As always, the question back to them is, "What am I doing at the moment"? I am usually just as hungry as they are.

Fast forward...waffles made. I adorned them with sliced bananas and sugar free syrup and of course, we can't leave off the whipped cream. I snuck in a little sugar free strawberry jam on mine.

I have fallen in love with my iPhone. If for no other reason, I can tease my husband with pictures of something he is not having at the moment. I snapped a picture of the waffles we were about to dive into and sent it in a text message to him. His response was, "Why is it that I can love and hate you at the same time"? I simply replied, "Cause I know how to push all the right buttons". It was worth making the waffles just to tease him. He is on a low carb diet and can't have anything like our yummy waffle lunch.

Other than having to clean the waffle iron when I am done, waffles are always a good lunch and a winner for the girls. They dove in and chomped bite after bite. Occasionally my toddler would say, "I want more some o' dat.", pointing to the syrup. I also enjoyed every bite of mine.

With Lunch over, I need to think about dinner. There is a peppercorn pork tenderloin in the freezer that is calling my name. I think I'll thaw it and grill it for dinner. At least Dad can have all he wants of the pork. Maybe he will love on me a little for it when he comes home. I love it when he walks in the door.

Soccer Anyone?

So soccer season begins with the choking heat of mid summer. I was dreading it and not ready to sit in this heat to watch soccer practice. As I sat there in my fold up chair, I longed for a shade, a cool breeze, an air conditioner, anything that could lessen the heat of the burning sun rays. At least I wasn't running around after the soccer ball like all the kids on the team. I am also thankful for 91 degrees versus the 97 to 102 degrees it was last week.

I also watched as my toddler ran around and kicked a soccer ball with her Dad. That is the best way to entertain her while at practice. She is fascinated with balls. She is so going to be ready for soccer next year. At the end of practice, she was completely drenched in sweat. What few strands of hair she has was dripping wet.

This is my oldest daughter's fourth year of soccer. It is amazing to see the difference and improvements from year to year. The kids are beginning to control the ball a little this year. They will be focusing on trying not to kick the ball wildly. The goal is to get the ball in the net not just kick it as hard as you can and chase it to see who can get to it first. As I watched the kids, I could see who has never played before and who has some experience. My daughter is one of two on the team who seem to have an idea as to how to play. The coaches have accepted a younger kid on the team who seems to only want to kick it away from the field and anyone on it. He has a great kick but seems to be in his own game. One little girl, obviously new to soccer, was told not to let the ball get by her at the net. Her comment back was "Why?". Oh boy! What kind of soccer season will it be? This is why we have a few practices before the games start. No matter what, the kids will have a blast playing together and will learn a lot this year.

I am sitting here in a quiet moment typing feverishly. Can I get it all done before my toddler wakes up? There will be no more peace when she gets up. I sent my oldest daughter to her room to read and to have quiet in the house. My toddler will not sleep if there is any noise. It is a matter of moments before chaos attacks the house again as my oldest daughter stands at the top of the stairs and asks nonstop if she can come downstairs. Well, when she wakes, I will get dinner started and wait for Dad to come home. I have to get started on dinner earlier since his office is only five minutes from home now. I have choir practice tonight so he can continue in the chaos while I am gone. He is a good man and he is wonderful to keep the girls for me while I sing until my voice is gone. I think I will give him and extra special hug when he comes in tonight. I love it when he walks in the door.

Is It Time For School Already?

Has the summer gone by that fast? It seems like school just let out last week! I have already purchased school supplies for my oldest daughter. It is hard to believe that she will be in the first grade this year. She is so excited about her new school clothes we bought. She is insisting on wearing them already. The funny thing is that if I suggested she wear something, she would be completely opposed to it. We have major psychological warfare in our house. I called her "Mary Mary Quite Contrary" the other day and she completely denied it. That just confirms it.

Not only is my oldest going back to school but my youngest will be starting Mothers Morning out for two days a week this year. She is completely excited about it. She thinks she is a big girl going to school like her sister. They both had music and drama camp at our church this summer and it was the first time for my youngest. The teacher said she wouldn't take her backpack off or let go of her lunch box for at least 45 minutes the first day. It was a big deal to have her "school stuff". "I eat my nack at cool Mommy, right, Mommy? I take my yadybug wunch box". Every day she reminded me of this as I fixed her lunch and put it in her "yadybug" lunch box.

Soccer practice also starts next week for my oldest. She is ready but I am not. It is entirely too hot outside. It has been at least 97 degrees every day this week and I don't see any relief coming any time soon. New soccer shoes and new shin guards await the new uniform that will be coming in a couple of weeks. The question is, what color will it be this year?

Have you ever had a peanut butter and jelly calzone? Well, I tried making mini versions today. The flavor was good but I need to work on sealing the package better. The jelly ended up on the baking sheet. All in all, it was like having a warm PB&J sandwich. It's worth another try on another day. With food on the brain, what will I make for dinner? Hmmm.... maybe chicken sliders and turkey sausage for Dad. He will enjoy that when he gets home and I will enjoy him when he gets home. I love it when he walks in the door.

Welcome Home Soldiers!

Our family had an early start today. We all got up, ate breakfast, and dressed in red white, and blue. It's rare that the whole family coordinates, but today we did. It was a special occasion. We headed to Lawrenceville to watch a parade to honor and welcome our troops home from Afghanistan.

The troops had been overseas for a year and now they are home. We honor them for their bravery and dedication. We remember the troops in this company and others that lost their lives in the line of duty. There was nothing but the soldiers and their memorial to their missing troops in the parade. That is the way it should be. The focus was only on our troops.

We decided last weekend to take our girls to see the parade. We want to teach them to honor our troops and people of authority. They seemed to be happy to welcome them home today.

At the end of Pike Street, an oversized American Flag was hung. The troops walked walked under the flag, down the street, and through the square. The parade kicked off with a large group of motorcycles roaring through the streets. Most of them had American Flags streaming in the air from the rear of their bikes. Next, the uniformed troops were led by many bagpipers all decked out in their kilts. The beautiful music of the bag pipes filled the air along with the cheering of the crowd that lined the streets. We could hear the waves of clapping as the soldiers passed farther down the street. Following the soldiers, a float carried a memorial for the fallen troops from their company. What a great way to honor them all.

Our girls waved their miniature American Flags with all their might as the soldiers marched by. Our oldest daughter seems to already have a respect for our troops. She is a very good hearted child. Our toddler seems to be following that same path. Who knows, our girls could some day become soldiers. It is a good idea to have a good perception of our military.

With the parade under our belts, we finished our day doing the usual running around. I finish this today's blog with this thought: I am happy and honored to have our brave troops protecting our country's door.

Yeah! I'm Two.

Okay. So now I have a two year old. My toddler turned two yesterday. It was a fun day. Balloons, birthday cake, friends and family, and, of course, presents. She was in heaven. Her sweet little birthday cake was perfect for the ladybug decor. It was a cute little pink lady bug nestled gently on the grass. Sometimes a homemade cake is just the best. It is always fun to watch naked cake layers spring to life with the application of perfectly chosen colors.

She was dressed in a cute little lime green outfit with pink ladybugs. It was perfect for the day. And, of course, it had her favorite thing on the front so she could see it. "My bow". She always points out if her outfit has a bow on it.

She blew out her candle like a professional. She grinned like like there was nothing more important while we sang "Happy Birthday" to her. With her whistle like blow, the flame on the candle went out perfectly. She clapped like she had just accomplished climbing a mountain. It was a precious moment.

We had a nice time visiting with friends and family. A few good snacks, some good cake and lots of running and playing were enjoyed by all. As our guests were leaving, we all ventured outside. Pink and lime green balloons were accidentally and purposely let go into the air. It was very breezy out. We watched the balloons fly toward the passing clouds until we could not see them any more. With the big wind gusts that came by, this did not take very long. We waved "bye-bye" to the balloons to stave off any crying. The kids seemed to enjoy watching them float away, so there weren't any tears. I wonder sometimes, just how far do the balloons go?

It is so fun to watch your little children grow up. They start to become their own little person with their own little personality. Today she is two. Tomorrow she will be graduating high school. The years will go by so fast. I just hope that we can treasure each moment as she grows.

Daddy enjoyed the day. He was snapping pictures and visiting. He even spent a little time talking to the neighbor after everyone left. I can't help myself. I can be a little selfish sometimes, but I was glad when he came back inside. I love it when he walks back in the door.

Am I next?

Okay, so three out of the four of us have had the dreadful stomach virus that has been going around. So far, I have avoided having it. I have washed my hands so much trying to avoid it that I now have a dry skin rash of the back of my hand. No worries, it will get better. I'd rather have a rash than to be throwing up.

My oldest daughter spent some time with her grandparents on Saturday and got sick in their car on the way home. With this in mind, someone in our family has gotten sick every two weeks. Will I manage to avoid it?

I guess that a bad allergy season will work it's magic with me. I don't usually have very much trouble with pollen, but over the last few years, it has gotten worse. This spring has hit me with a furry. Well, I suppose it is allergies. My toddler had another round of croup and now I have a stuffy nose and sneezing. Is it just a coincidence?

This seems to be spreading through the family. My older daughter is coughing and now my husband is complaining of not feeling well. I guess we will see what happens. I am hoping a full recovery will be enjoyed by all soon.

As I sit here and type, my toddler is having a snack. I am never able to finish anything without her needing something. I started with laundry this morning and had to stop to get her a nap. Well, 15 minutes later, nap time is over and the consolation begins. This takes a good 30 minutes or so. Oh, but wait a minute. "I need more water, Mommy." Type. "Firsh, pease." See, it's never ending. I do good to finish a sentence. I suppose I will get back upstairs to finish the laundry at some point today.

My house is a wreck. I, with my mom's help, prepared a meal for 50 men at our church this week. Wild and crazy! I have never cooked for that many before. With this in mind. I have not done anything around the house. Hosting my parents from out of town, making and delivering and birthday cake, family pictures, and an easter egg hunt have kept us running through the weekend. I am finally at home long enough to clean up.

I will probably fix something simple for dinner. That way, I can focus on cleaning. Sloppy Joes sound good. I guess I should get some hamburger meat out to thaw.

How will Dad feel when he gets home from work? I hope he is feeling better. I love when he walks in the door.

Will Sickness Ever End?

It has been one busy and exhausting week. It will be nice to just be able to sit on the couch for a while and relax. Well, I suppose that will have to wait until there are no more toddlers in the house.

After my husband being sick with a virus last week, I thought we might have some good recovery time. Yesterday started with canceling a previous booked appointment to have my car worked on to take my toddler to the doctor. Screaming all night and pulling at ears usually ends up as an ear infection. Confirmation: double ear infection. Thank God for Motrin though. That was the only thing that would ease her pain long enough to let her sleep. A toddler with only five hours of sleep can be pretty cranky.

So, antibiotics it is, those wonderful drugs that clear up infections.

With ear pain under control, I was able to put my toddler to bed with no problem last night. All seemed well until about 3:45:am. She woke up with her normal call of clapping her hands at the door until I get there. I thought I would just put her back to bed and lay back down myself. Oh, no. Nose bleed central and this is a first for her. There was blood all over the sheets, pillowcase, and her. After cleaning her up, putting a new diaper on her, and changing her sheets, she would have no part of going back to bed. Okay, I caved and let her lay down with my husband and myself. Restlessness sets in and she starts fussing about her ear hurting. Okay, Motrin, here we come. Finally, peace.

I am looking forward to a possible night of rest. Please, please, sleep descend on my toddler and me.

On to Wednesday Night Supper at our church. Dinner with choir practice after is the usual plan. I am looking forward to choir practice. There will be desert! This is our quarterly birthday celebration for our choir members. While grocery shopping today, I picked up all the ingredients for an ice cream sandwich casserole. Layers of ice cream sandwiches, cool whip, caramel topping, and chocolate sundae topping, it's just sinful delicious. This is my contribution to our celebration.

When I get home from choir practice, I am usually greeted by "Hello, Mommy" remarks coming down the stairs. After putting the children to bed, I will collapse on the couch with my husband. I usually love when he walks through the door, but on Wednesday nights, it's me that I love walking through the door.

Go Ahead. Add to My Sleepless Night.

A sick baby is always a lot of work.

My toddler got sick yesterday. All moms know what a mess this is to clean up when they just let it out where ever they are. Luckily, she wasn't on the carpet. Hardwood floors are much easier to clean up than carpet. Also, when they are as busy as my toddler, it is hard to keep them still. Picture me chasing my toddler around the house with a large blue bowl just in case she happens to spew again.

I debated having her sleep with my husband and myself just in case she got sick again. I decided to put her in her own bed after all. About 3:45 AM, I am awakened by coughing. I jumped out of bed and ran to her room. Upon opening the door, I was hit in the face by the unmistakable odor of what used to be in her stomach. I assumed she had just gotten sick. I was wrong. She had obviously gotten sick much earlier and I didn't hear a thing. The mess was dried to all her covers and pajamas and even in her hair. For now, she has nothing more than fuzz so cleaning her head was a lot easier than it could have been.

With the help of Dad, a quick change of sheets, blankets, and pajamas and a 10 minute rock later, I laid her back in her bed and laid myself down on the floor beside her bed until she went back to sleep.

Here I am two days later finishing my thoughts. Two days of a not-so-well toddler will wear a person out. We got through the day with no throwing up. Thumbs up to that! I was able to put my toddler back in her bed tonight. I will keep my fingers crossed that all goes well and we all sleep peacefully. Last night, my husband and I lined our bed with towels to catch any "mess ups" that may have happened in the night. Luckily, there were no problems. We just weren't able to sleep as soundly. Well, at least I wasn't. I am not sure if it was the constant checking on my toddler or the intermittent snoring of my husband.

As my husband and I sit on the couch together, both of us with our laptops, I can't help but be relaxed that the girls are tucked in and quiet (for the moment) in their beds. My days tend to be crazy running after the girls, so I am relieved to have help when their Dad gets home. I love when he walks in the door.

My Tummy Hurts

I love a day when my kindergartener gets up and dresses herself without being prodded along. She was awake and dressed before I woke this morning. I didn't say a word about what she was wearing to avoid "this" fight. Her outfit was a little comical but not completely hideous. In her eyes, a pink leopard print sweat suit with a zipper front jacket pairs nicely with the mostly white, pink, and green flower print shirt. To maximize the look, red and purple Valentines socks are worn with her brown sneakers.

Todays battle was getting her to brush her hair. When I asked her if she had brushed her hair she began wailing and screamed "I'm hungry." I never can tell when she is actually hungry or just avoiding something. I believe today it was avoidance because yesterday, she wouldn't eat at all. Maybe I should figure out how to invent a kindergartenerometer that could decipher all the mayhem.

Every time she was asked to do something this morning, her tummy automatically started hurting. Especially when Daddy came downstairs and she was left upstairs by herself. To be by herself is the worst thing for her. That is the one punishment she hates more than all. If a separation is even mentioned, she starts wailing. Throw in the complaints about a sore throat and you've seen my morning so far.

She is off to school and I begin my day at home. Making beds, folding laundry, and a little vacuuming are a start. I have started a light workout regimen, so I start on that. I think I'll wait until my toddler is sleeping for workouts. I could barely get through my pushups for laughing. As I am pushing up on my pushup handles and the whole time, she is twisting the one for my right hand. I was trying my best to concentrate, but I kept busting out laughing at the "look what I'm doing" grin that was on her face. I'm not sure if the pushups actually helped today.

Done with pushups and guess what? It's banana slicing time. While the banana is being consumed I start working on this blog.

Quiet. The girls are sleeping. Will I make it to my bed time without having to go to my toddler's room?

Today was early release from school. After a little yelling and screaming from the girls, we packed up and went to Daddy's office to surprise Aunt Debbie with a birthday present. We had some yummy angel food cake with strawberries.

Back home. Start dinner. Test a new recipe. Cook down some strawberries for pancakes this weekend. Nothing I cooked went together tonight. Pulled pork Bar-B-Q sandwich, cornbread patties with actual corn, and strawberries. That's what happens when you do five things and once. Sometimes inspiration hits and you just have to go with it. Just like baking a cake because "I feel like it."

After dinner, Daddy had to go to a meeting at the church. This leaves me at home for bath time alone. Not fun. My kindergartener just refuses "routine". Will she ever get use to it or will she be this way forever?

Daddy is home from his meeting. I love when walks in the door.

Bedtime Blues

A rough bedtime at night makes for a cranky mommy in the morning. My toddler refused to go to bed last night. I ended up sitting in the rocking chair in her room until she was ready to lay down. I just refused to let her leave her bedroom. It took a while, but she finally got tired enough to go and get in her bed by herself. I only got up once with her last night. It is hard to get her to stay in her bed since moving her into her toddler bed.

Today started off as normal with a kindergartener that refuses to get completed dressed when asked. Shoes and socks were not on her feet until three minutes before the bus came. And, as usual, the wailing begins as soon as missing the bus is mentioned. A reminder is always in the wings that if she would just get ready when asked, she wouldn't be in this predicament. Kindergartener off to school.

Today was registration for the mothers morning out program at our home church. I have decided to let my toddler enter the program this coming fall. She will be two this April and seems to be ready to attend. I asked her this week if she wanted to go to school this year with her friends and she replied "uh-huh". I think she will have fun. I went to the church expecting a line that would make a 30 minute wait but was pleasantly surprised. I may have spent eight minutes there. Shewf!!! It took longer to get out of the car with my toddler and back in it than it did to register.

I watched the neighbor's little girl this morning and went to an impromptu lunch at the newly opened local restaurant with them when she came to get her. On the way home, my toddler fell asleep, so nap time it is.

Nap time was over two hours later. Upon waking, it is automatic banana slicing time.

My kindergartener arrived home from school at her normal time. As she stepped off the bus, she fell and scraped the knuckles on her right hand on the rough pavement. The wailing begins. When she wails, she drowns out all other noise, even the bus as it pulls away. In the house we go to wash the scraped knuckles. She begins begging for a bandage for her finger that is not even close to bleeding. I explained that she didn't need one and continued to get her after school snack.

After snacks were consumed, "horse play" starts up, literally. Using a "Mardi Gras" necklace around the waist of my toddler, they run around like she is a horse with "getty-ups" and all. They go from that into diapering baby dolls and then drawing. Screaming starts and I leave the kitchen, where I have started dinner, to see what is going on. They are fighting over the space on the drawing table, one with a pencil and one with a crayon. "Please girls, can't you just get along with one another and share the space." The toddler thinks she has to do everything the kindergartener does. Convincing a kindergartener to play with a toddler does not always goes well but, sometimes I am pleasantly surprised.

My kindergartener has voiced her opinion about wanting macaroni and cheese for dinner. I have already starting working with some chicken and broccoli. Here is a good compromise, macaroni and cheese casserole with chicken and broccoli. Worked like a charm.

I have trouble completing a thought when I am writing. My toddler is toilet training and interrupts me constantly to sit on the toilet. If "sissy" goes, she thinks she needs to go. That and nonstop snacks keep me running back and forth.

The casserole is ready and Dad is on his way home. I can't wait for him to get here. I love when he walks in the door.

Dreary Saturday

The winter weather didn't turn out to be as bad in our area. It is just a dreary, cold, wet day. This morning got off with a bang. My toddler has a cold and doesn't sleep well when she has one. She wouldn't go to bed at her normal time last night so she went down late. She woke up a few times during the night and I finally just brought her to bed with me at 5:00 am. Sleep is a rare commodity in our house when she is sick. Needless to say, I will be tired all day.

The bang usually starts with my kindergartener awakening. She seems to disturb everyone in the house. For some reason, it is against the rules for anyone to sleep or wake slowly and quietly when she is up. She wakes up loud, singing, announcing to the world that she is up. She has been that way since she could speak. When she first starting sleeping in her toddler bed, she would wake up with the statement "It's wakin' time". No matter what time that time was.

With screaming from all the little people in our house, I know there is a problem. The girls are usually fighting over some sort of toy or the fact that the kindergartener wants to look at the toddler's teeth. These two happenings usually end up with screaming and a good scolding. Today's dilemma ended up with time alone in her room.

Dad usually gets some alone time in the morning before everyone else gets up. Today, he decided to sleep in. His alone time turns into completely disturbed, un-alone time. This in turn automatically forces a lunch time shower for him. He comes down the stairs and asks "What's for lunch knuckleheads"?

Leftovers it is!

This was a day to stay at home. It has been too cold and nasty out all day to go anywhere. We sort of "veged" all day and watched movies suitable for the kids. We actually watched parts of them between the constant singing and fighting of naps.

Dinner will consist of a pepperoni pizza from the local carry out joint. I didn't feel like cooking and Dad and I were on the same waive length - "margherita pizza". We just didn't feel like getting dressed up to go out to the place we love to have it. Shortcuts for pizza will do for today.

Dad is back with the pizza. It is time to eat! I love when he walks in the door.

Kindergartener and Toddler

As I sit here on this cloudy, gloomy day waiting for the winter weather to move in, the busy day has already started. Getting my kindergartener off to school is a daily challenge. The battle of the morning is usually "I don't want to wear that"! or "I don't want to eat that"! Today, it was the later.

When she is off to school, my attention turns to my toddler. It seems that there is a nonstop snack time. As I sit here to write, I am continually interrupted to get Goldfish or "bnah". That's toddler for banana. There is nothing like having to stop in the middle of what you are working on to slice a banana. Sometimes bananas just have to be sliced for a moment of peace and focus.

Of course, it is always funny to watch what new thing my toddler will do today. Since I am working, she thinks it is her duty to work on her "pere" too. That one is toddler for computer. I am stopped in the middle of typing to laugh at what she is doing. Since being exposed to Ichat, she is yelling at her screen, "Daddy come home", in toddler speak. You can't help but laugh.

It is time to get started with some house work. At least I have a little helper who will follow me around and "help". Amongst changing diapers and fighting naps, I am hoping to get some work done.

What will the rest of the day bring?

As usual, instant chaos begins when my kindergartener enters the front door from school. A snack always has to be prepared, not only for her, but for my toddler as well. God forbid something happen without her being in on it. The only thing that seemed to calm down my kindergartener today was reading her new book that was sent home from class.

Calm moments are rare with my girls. Right now, they are in the middle of the kitchen floor with a white board and dry erase markers writing their own "blog".

I can't wait until bath time when "complete refusal to obey" and "go along with the routine" go out the window.

A little screaming, a little playing, and a little cooking round out the day until Dad gets home. I love when he walks in the door.