Blogging

My husband thinks I idle the day away watching soap operas and eating bon bons. Needless to say, it just isn't true- I idle the day away eating peanut butter and jelly and blogging! Not quite the whole day, I do have two small children that require 98% of my attention. I split the other 2% between my lovely husband and lovely laptop. I find the most interesting people to read about online, interesting crafts to try, and amazing recipes! As the weather has been getting nicer I've spent less time online, but I do miss it... It's a sickness... Anyone have any great blogs or site to share?

This is really happening...

For about a year now our answer to the question "So, what's going on with going active?" has been "...we're waiting on the Marine Corps... A few more pounds... another meeting..." or several other reasons for it to be unknown and in the future. Well we are finally at the place where we can say "We'll have orders by the middle of May."
I have such mixed feelings about this. We are in a place in our lives where we NEED a change. We have to start moving forward- we have small children that are not going to wait for preschool (though I don't know if we'll send them yet) and new shoes, clothes, sports, classes, birthday parties... the list goes on. It doesn't help that I want the best for them, and the best is not cheap. I don't care! I'll sacrifice so they don't have to.
I need my own home again! I think that pretty much all I need to say about that...
At the same time I'm scared to leave the familiarity of our little island, and be across the country from our family. They are our support system, have helped us more than they'll ever know, and I feel so selfish to take my boys away from them.
I'm excited, terrified, optimistic, and anxious all at the same time. I've been using this story to explain how I'm feeling. "We knew there was a light at the end of the tunnel, we just didn't know how far away the light was. Within one week the light flew toward us and we're blinded!"
I don't know if I'm ready, but this is really happening and I can't wait!

50 Years

This past weekend we took a 6 hour drive to Spokane, WA to attend a 50th anniversary party and vow renewal. The ceremony began with a slideshow of pictures of the two of them, starting with baby pictures from 1938 and ending with a photo taken only weeks ago. It was so touching to see them grow together, from wedding pictures, to their first baby, to grandchildren. By the end of the slideshow I was already in tears, and by the end of the ceremony they were streaming. How beautiful the long life they've already had together, and the great relationship they still have for the years to come. I hope wish and pray my own marriage will blossom the way theirs has!!

O went on the big potty!

Just when I was ready to go out and buy another product that people got by without for thousands of years, my toddler once again surprised me by adapting. I put him on the big potty sitting backwards (something he wouldn't tolerate a month ago) and he held himself up and went just fine. I guess we'll just be doing that!! He still wont go unless his pants and underwear and completely off, if they are around his ankles its a no go. This will be our next thing to work on!!

Learning and Cloth update!!

Learning time is going really well with O. He loves to sort pom-poms by color, and loves to point to the shapes he knows. The only shape he will verbally say is circle, but he knows the others by sight, and will point to them if you ask him to. I made some foam domino type things with shapes on them (see the pics) and he likes to make the shapes match. I am getting ready to print off some activities to try, and we'll see how he likes doing something new. Any ideas? (seeing as my "followers" both have small children LOL)

Every time I am on the computer he asks for "B" which is what he calls starfall.com. He LOVES to watch the letter videos, and "talks" along with them. He makes the sounds, and a few times he's said other words he knows that start with that letter. We were watching "B" yesterday (big surprise, it's his favorite letter) and he said "buh, baby." I was blown away!

We are also to the point now that we are cloth diapering more than not. I bought some all in one's so B will help out. They are so easy! It's just like a using a disposable diaper, except we put it in a wet bag and wash it, instead of throw it away. I don't know why I didn't do this from the beginning with O. With part time ECing E, and O almost done learning the potty, cloth is a great choice so they feel when they go. I need to get O a seat to go on the big potty (since he'll only go on his potty chair) and I think we'll take another step forward. I'm so excited with these changes I've made!!

Next green project, switch to all cloth bags for the store. Baby steps!!

EC beginnings

I started E with elimination communication today. I originally planned on starting sooner, but I wasn't ready to devote the time to it, especially since I'm still working with O on the potty. Well, I put E on the potty for the first time today. I saw a pee-pee cue, and decided "what the hey, lets go" and he peed!! I'm so proud of my little one for his first successful pee on the potty, and I'm looking forward to seeing how potty learning differs for him from O since I didn't start EC with O until much older.

Toddlers in Tiaras

I had never seen this show before, and frankly I am appauled!! I can't believe these parents, it's not the kids... They push these little girls to do such adult things- little booty shake dance moves, fake hair, makeup. One little girl was grumpy and when the mother reprimanded her (in a ridiculous way) the little girl answered "Mommy, I'm starving!" These poor little girls, and shame on those women. I can't wait to have a little girl, and I will never subject her to these types of things. Why are people so eager for children to grow up? Let them be little...