He Drives Me Crazy

I have a bit of a "love/not liking what you are doing right now at all!!" relationship with my middle child these days.

One moment he's smiling and playing and the next he is whining his face off or even crying about something that I cannot even understand. It's like a switch flips in his little boy head and all the sudden he MUST have juice or he HAS to wash his hands because they are sticky (OMG the kids wants to wash his hands 80 thousand times a day!!!)

He's very sweet at times and is my snuggle-bug but there are many other times that I really think someone is filming me for that show "Candid Camera" because he can be SO very outlandish ALL. THE. SUDDEN.

And then? My head kind of explodes because things are going along fine but then that switch flips and they are so NOT. And when he cries, many times Baby K starts to cry in unison. Oh what a party that is!!

Like I said, MY Head, KABOOM!

And he's also the king of doing the EXACT opposite of what I (or anyone else) want him to do. I will tell him to put something in the trash or to clean up and he out and out says NO. So the other day I tried my theory and used the ole "reverse psychology" thingamagjig on him and said, "Do NOT put that in the trash." Guess what he did? He went straight to the trash can and threw it away. No freakin' lie.

So my question is, how do any of you handle this because my patience is thinning as I type. And also? How do you handle it when they are this bleepin' cute? GAH.

pics taken with my iPhone

Where've I Been?

Well, that's kind of a loaded question.

I mean, I did go to Nashville for Blissdom but I also just haven't been here, in the bloggy world much at all this last week. I haven't even posted anything here since LAST Sunday night. That's a week ago. I don't think I've gone a week without posting since like 2007. Seriously.

I also kind of haven't been in my own head. Or I've been out of my mind. Whichever way you want to word it.

Let's put it this way, Tim went "dumpster diving" in our very own kitchen trash to find my camera card (with all Blissdom pics on it...) earlier today. I was thinking about 82 bajillion other things yesterday when I pulled it out of the camera and ran around tidying up the house and generally going crazy and that's where it ended up. In the trash can. Fabulous.

I've also just been thinking about some things that I took away from the conference, like how to keep this space true to me but still garner readers after a four year run.

I continue to evolve as a blogger, a writer and even a photographer. I don't claim to be a professional at any of these things but I do KNOW that there is a little of each of them in me.

I also know that I'm a mother, a wife, a sister, an aunt, a daughter, a friend. Something that did stick with me is that I need to live some more of my life outside of "this box" (thank you Robin) and I feel like I do a pretty good job of that. Most days. Sometimes, maybe not as much.

I will talk more about the fun of the conference but right now I'm still processing some of the topics that were presented and discussed there, and even the awesome and wonderfully inspiring opening keynote by Brene Brown. I mean, WOW. (meaning, she's amazing)...

I hope people will continue to read here because I can inspire and/or entertain them or even because they consider me a friend and are invested in my life. I know these are some of the reasons why I keep up with so many of you, as best I can. And also why I keep up with my quote, "real life" friends too (although the two are definitely crossing over in many cases...). Because that's what it's really all about, I think.  Caring about and for each other, no matter whether we've met IRL or not (hi Kami!!)

And this space IS about me and what and who I care about.  So, what you read and see IS what you get. That's really all there is to it...

And yes, I'm back.  In body anyway.  My mind is still in question.  But then that's nothing new. ;)

(and below, a pic of my new blog cards that I gave out at the conference and a 'self picture' of me and my most fabulous roomies, Erin and Katy. Don't we have nice teeth?)

Have Your Cake and Read It Too

I probably shouldn't have had another piece.

Actually no... I just shouldn't have, no "probably" about it.

But it was just a sliver... although mid-cut I decided I wanted a little more than a sliver and began to cut my piece at an angle, afterward gingerly gathering all the crumbs that landed as I changed my mind.  I believe in a "no cake left behind" philosophy.

How I came to have most of a carrot cake in my fridge is beside the point.  But I did. And it was my very favorite carrot cake so therefore resistance became futile.

With cake in hand, I returned to my chair and I sat there eating my "sliver" as I simultaneously devoured the words of a writer...

See, earlier that day I happened to pick up a book off of the floor, next to one of the bookshelves in our living room. A certain cute, little toddler I know found it amusing to relocate it and a few others...  As I went to place it back on the shelf I found the cover interesting and remembered hearing about the author.  And after purusing multiple glowing reviews of said book, within it's first few pages, I decided it could be something for me.  For now.

By the time my children and over-worked and tired husband were all asleep and the house was still and quiet, I actually ignored the lure of my laptop and opened it's pages.  What I found was something amazing.  Words that flowed and melded into sentences so well that they actually had me smiling with contentment at how fabulously they came together to tell the stories. 

Obviously I've read and enjoyed books before but for whatever reason(s) (kids, INTERNET, television, sleep) I have not made them a priority in my life as of late.  But as I tasted the cake in my mouth and felt the sugar dissolving into my taste buds, I began to remember also, how sweet books can be. 

How putting yourself somewhere else or in someone else's shoes for a time anyway, can be a truly amazing thing.  Another form of escapism, as they say.  And yes, for a bit I found myself there with the author, telling the tales of his life while growing up.  I found myself quietly laughing at some of his anecdotes, while feeling a bit sorry for him all at the same time. 

I finished the cake before the book, although I finished it pretty quickly as well. 

I think I will see if I can make time for more books in my life.  I do enjoy "going away" for a bit, right here in the comfort of my own chair.  But I'm thinking that I probably shouldn't start each one off with a "sliver" of cake...

Time Stoppage, The Impossible Dream

Are you like me?


Do you ever wish time would just stop for a while with your kids?

 Like right now, Baby K is about to enter the phase that we, at our house, like to call "the age of maximum cuteness".

From around 16 to 20 months the little ones are just so crazy cute and sweet.

They can kinda communicate and start to branch out somewhat but are still baby-ish and still need you quite a bit. 

They laugh and giggle and toddle around so innocently, with nothing much on their minds except for toys and sippy cups and snacks and being with the people they know love and nurture them...

...and in this one's case... bath time... (she does love a good bath!)

Oh and their hair starts to grow longer, making them look like a big girl.

*sigh*

Yes, really wishing time could just stop for a while.  Right now.

Circles - You Capture

My Bead for Life necklace that I adore...

A camellia in the middle of it's blooming process...

A random ball in the backyard.  Circles upon a circle...

Better Days - WW

When she got up yesterday morning her eyes were red all around and half closed.  Which is somewhat normal for me.  But not her.  She was HOT.  Which she's usually NOT.  She coughed a little. I thought maybe it was a 24 hour thing but I should have known better.  She was worse this morning.

We spent over an hour waiting in the doctor's office (thanks to teacher in-service we were ALL there), where she fell asleep in my lap (SO unlike her).  After some additional swabbing trauma to see if it was the flu, we came home with antibiotics instead. 

This is the first time my baby girl has been SICK.  I'm thankful it's been this long but I wish it never was so.  She's just not herself and I feel so badly because I know she doesn't know what's up.  You know?

Here she is in better days.   And thankfully I know those are ahead.  I can't wait for her to be back to her "old" self.  And I'm guessing she's ready too...

Hey Blissdom peeps, It's me, Elaine!

I'll be wearing different earrings at Blissdom because I CAN. I usually just wear these studs that the hubs (Tim) gave me for our second anniversary because I know a kid can't rip them out of my ears (trust me, they've tried).  I may come at you with this face you see above because I already "know" you and like you so much via the internets.  Don't be scared.  It's just because I'm a lover not a hater. :)  I tend to bite my nails so I may or may NOT have whites on the end of my fingernails when you meet me. Or maybe I will when you meet me but won't by the time the conference is over. (now you're going to look, aren't you?) (maybe I'll paint them no matter what...) I'm semi-addicted to HGTV and clothes shopping.  There are always dust bunnies in my bedroom somewhere.  They elude me on the daily.  My Swiffer is no match for them.  This is NOT my real hair color.  But I'm okay with that.  I quite love my "me time" away from the kids at the salon.  Part of the reason I color my hair. ;-)  I come by my belly pouch honestly, I've carried 3 babies.  And NONE of them got my brown eyes, what is up with that??? I've recently lost some weight by eating low carb and doing Zumba and running.  But sometimes I REALLY want pizza and a cookie (or 5) (cookies, not pizzas...) and well, don't want to run, so I don't.  I like to sleep from 11-7 but a lot of times I'm not in bed until almost midnight and lately my middle child comes into bed with us by 6 a.m or so.  I make a kick ass guacamole.  And pretty darn good chocolate chip cookies.  I like to grocery shop and do laundry only once a week.  If I have to go back to the store or do a load of wash on a random Wednesday, it annoys me. I consume a fair amount of Cabernet and dark chocolate. I'm pretty laid back except when it comes to traffic.  Sitting in traffic annoys me BAD. I love my camera and take A LOT of pictures.  I've made some REALLY awesome friends through blogging and hope to make even more next week at Blissdom.

So, there's some really random, off the cuff things about me.  In a nutshell though, I'm just a fun-loving gal who feels blessed to have her wonderful husband and three fabulous children and thinks the blogging community is a really wonderful thing and I cannot WAIT to meet more of you in person. So, if you see me, PLEASE come talk to me if I don't come to you first, k? 

Yay, I'm getting SO excited!!



This post inspired by my new friend, Crayon Wrangler.

Honesty in Parenting

I'm not gonna lie.

Becoming a parent was hard.  And I'm not just talking about the delivery part (although for me that was fairly tumultuous...).  I'm mostly talking about the "Oh NO! - WHAT THE FRACK* did I do to my life and how am I completely responsible for this human being???" part.

It was a rough transition for me. I took some "drugs" (the legal kind).  I felt better.  After a while...

And I'll be even MORE honest.  It was not that hard for me to drop my first baby off at the in-home daycare the first day I had to go back to work after 3 months had passed.  I TRIED to force tears come out of my eyes (true story) but they just didn't.  They couldn't.  I was glad to be going back to work.  I NEEDED (craved) the adult interaction that I knew was waiting for me there.

It was essential to my "WHAT THE FRACK??" feelings.

EEE-ssential.

It was a big life change for me, having a baby.

I wanted one.  I always knew I did.  In my heart I always wanted to be a mother.  Always.  But when the day came that I became one, things changed so, SO MUCH.  My heart changed.  My mind changed.  My love for my husband changed (in a good way) and even my body changed.

But what really changed is that I wasn't just living for ME anymore.  I was living for someone else.  I was living for him.  As time went on and those not-so-good feelings passed, I got back to being myself again and I got to know my son.  It took a while but then I realized how important his life was to my own and how being thrust into parenting (even if planned, it's still "thrusting" in my opinion) is really the right way to go, even if it is tough at times. 

I'm not sure why I'm sharing all this now.  I guess it's just been on my mind lately as I think about how much my children have helped me to grow as a person.  These days, I couldn't have even fathomed leaving K at a day care (not saying that there's anything wrong with that, I just feel blessed that for our family, I didn't have/need to...) or NOT being the mother to these three beautiful, amazing human beings.

I'm just in awe when I sit and think back at what an amateur parent I was, and how much learning, experiencing and living you have to do to even get to the point I am now.  And my kids are still young!  There's still so much to learn and in store for them and even me, as a parent.

And I'm also so happy to be at the point where I can look forward into the future and never look back with regret...

 Ben at almost 5 months old, one morning before I took him to daycare and myself to work (my smile sponsored by anti-depressants - don't judge)

And on a side note...  This same child that made me a mother almost 7 years ago started riding his bike without training wheels AND lost both of his top teeth all in the last week.  Hold me.

*Thanks to my friend Bari for this word! he he... 

Check out my rack and the Racktrap! (A giveaway)

The other day I bought an awesome new sports bra for running.

 
So, why do you care? well, I'm sharing this for a few reasons:

1) This is exciting stuff these days with as much running as I'm doing (getting ready for another 10K in Baton Rouge on 2/5).

2) It is the first one I have bought that REALLY keeps "the girls" in place.

3) It also keeps the Racktrap in place.

"The 'Racktrap'", you say??


Why yes, the Racktrap!

It's a handy little pouch that fits right inside your bra and holds, cash, keys, credit/debit cards and even a key if you'd like.  I used mine for a run around the neighborhood the other night and stuck a house key and a credit card in there.  It never shifted and was comfortable the whole time.  Plus, I sweated on it and nothing inside got wet!

They also make cute, lace, "going out on the town" styles as well as the water proof sport one that I tried.

And the instructions for the Racktrap come on a handy business-sized card and the first one says, "Locate your breasts".  I knew I liked this company from the start.

So, who wants a sporty Racktrap of their very own?  YOU do of course!! I've got an extra one to send on to one lucky winner.  And really, you can use this anytime, not just when exercising.

How to win? Leave a comment.  Easy Peasy.

Comments close this coming Tuesday night, Jan. 18th,  when I'll pick a winner via Random.org.

And if you want an extra entry, you can pass the word about this giveaway along on Twitter or FB (where many of us ladies spend time...) and let me know you did in a separate comment...  As their slogan says "If you wear or bra, or know someone who does, you need a Racktrap". :)

Doorways - You Capture

I do believe the city/town (I cannot seem to decide which it is...) in which we live has a certain motif that it likes when it comes to DOORWAYS... Can you see what it is in the next FOUR photos?  

 

 

And I'll admit, these last two were taken back in November of last year, 11/10/10 to be exact.   Before winter set in.  Yes, it's even COLD here this week!

And these are two different DOORWAYS at the same house.  Really makes me want to take a peak inside... ;)

Sew...... {WW}

Note: before reading this post, just so you know, all things in fancy brackets are the REAL me coming out. 

Tim got me a sewing machine for Christmas... per my request.

{WHAT WAS I THINKING?!?}

I decided to start on my first project last week while people were sick, etc.

{WHAT THE HELL WAS I THIKNING?!?!}

It didn't go so well at first.

{gee, can't imagine why... haven't sewn since 1995... in a classroom with a teacher and a seem ripper fused to my arm}

I'm kinda flying by the seat of my pants on this one and if K ends up being able to wear this dress outside the house it will be nothing short of a miracle.

{ANYONE want to come HELP me?!?!}

My scrap-booking desk is now a sewing {CUSSING UNDER MY BREATH} desk.

 It kinda looks like a dress, no? (straps will be turned the right way when finished.  Or they SHOULD be anyway...)

{please pray for me as I try to finish it...}

Perhaps I should just close the blinds over the kitchen window...

It was morning and I stood at the kitchen sink doing some dishes.

Behind me I heard noises. Of the child kind. Lots of them.

The toddler was babbling about something while playing with her scrambled eggs. The pre-schooler was talking about what he was going to draw and wielding a crayon. Again.

I blocked them out a bit and looked somewhat longingly out the window over the sink and into my neighbor's car port where her vehicle was still parked, her husband's already gone.

Our neighbors to the right are grandparents and their only daughter and grandchild live on the East coast. They are so sweet to us and our children and we are lucky to have them as friends and neighbors.

I couldn't help but stand there and envy her, not having to get up because her child had to eat breakfast or get off to school or have a diaper changed. I wondered if she was still in her robe, enjoying her coffee while reading a book as she sunk into her cushy reading chair, her feet resting comfortably on an ottoman.

Maybe she had a relaxing day of yoga and a nice long uninterrupted shower (bliss!) and coffee with a friend and more reading planned. I smiled to myself as I thought if it all.

But then I thought, what if as she looks into my garage and sees me buckling kids in for the fourth time that day and hears their laughs and notices their sweet faces and sort of envies me?

What if she thinks about my day of feeding kids and taking them for a walk in the wagon and to a play date and home from school and kinda wishes for those days back?

Does she see us and long for the days when her daughter was little? Does she wish that she could hit rewind and do some things differently or over again? Maybe she even wishes she'd had more than one child. Perhaps she wonders how life moved so, so fast...

I try to remember these things when I get caught up in the crazy, busy days that are my life right now.  When Little G is whining incessantly and The B Man is giving me attitude and Baby K is hollering for something that I cannot discern.  When the laundry is piled up and there are more dishes to do, I try to remind myself this will NOT last forever and that maybe, just maybe, a long day by myself is somewhere over the horizon.

But then, will I even want that someday?  Sure, maybe for a while but then I can imagine it getting pretty lonely as well.

And often times we simply want what we cannot/do not have.  Curly hair instead of straight.  Flat butt instead of curvy one.  Alone time instead of someone constantly needing us.  It's human nature I think, to want what we don't have because we don't KNOW.  I have no idea what it would be like to be so tall that it would be hard to find pants at the store but that doesn't mean I don't long for longer legs. :)

And right now I have NO idea what it would be like to have days to myself.  But it doesn't mean that there aren't times that I daydream about finding out...

I've Got a New Look!

So, what do y'all think?  Did you think you were in the wrong place at first?  HA! That's what usually happens to me when a blog I read changes it's "face".  But, I was ready to simplify and have a new look and the very talented and easy-to-work-with Krystyn of Krizzy Designs was there to help me out. 


So what do you think?  Be honest.  Unless of course you don't like it, then just lie your pants off, k?

I'm so happy with it, I'm sitting here with a huge smile on my face!  Thanks SO VERY MUCH to Krystyn for getting me here... you rock. 

What's that saying about lemons & lemonade?

This week has been kinda hard.

But then it's also been good.

A dichotomy of sorts.

One group of us has been well (females).

And another, not so well (males).

Tim has been down for the count since Tuesday night and Little G has had coughing and fever on and off for several days.

I'm thankful we're not ALL sick. But I'm tired.

Tired of single parenting and sleeping on the couch. (scared of germs, forgive me...)

Somehow though, amongst the sleeves of saltines, tissues and glass of juice and/or ginger-ale refills, I still feel thankful.

Thankful to have these people to take care of.

Thankful for broken crayons to make new ones with.


Thankful for kids that are still REALLY healthy in general.

(yes, I let Little G breathe on K, what was I thinking???)

Thankful for a little time outside this afternoon with my best girl.



Thankful for this photo framed and sitting on my kitchen window sill.



Thankful for thin crust frozen pizza and the chicken Tim grilled before the plague struck.

Thankful for abc.com so I could watch Modern Family after the DVR apparently took a winter break.

Thankful that I KNOW this week will eventually have to end.

10 (okay i mean 13) Photos From 2010 - You Capture

Here are some of my very favorite photographs that I took last year. I had a hard time narrowing it down so I went with a "baker's dozen" worth of pics instead of 10. I hope y'all don't mind.

And SO MUCH thanks to Beth for inspiring me to take LOTS of pics last year with her weekly You Capture topics. Keep 'em comin' my friend! :)

a camellia on the ground in January

K's first trip to Grandma and Grandpa's house in February

some tiny "weed" flowers - I have this one framed in my living room

Beautiful Baby K at 6 months - 4/1/2010

my silly, blue-eyed boy in May

pretty farm not too far from us where we picked fresh peaches

Surely one of my favorite photos of the year and the winning shot that won me a Tassimo drink maker from Dumb Mom in her End of Summer Photo Contest!

I just love that you can see all 30 of their toes in this one!

My Grandfather's truck that my Mom now owns. Taken in July.

I took A LOT of photos of this butterfly before I got this one...

A very old bookstore across the street from our hotel in New Orleans - October

My hazel-eyed boy

My sweet boys and their EXACT personalities.