5 years ago today, I married my best friend and someone I was excited to spend the rest of my life with. Well, it has been 5 years and am more in love with him and am more excited to see what the rest of our lives will bring.
I already know Brian is a wonderful man, loving husband and doting father to our beautiful little girl. I can wait to experience life with a teenager, life in our middle ages, and then life as retirees.
Challenges, surprises. Happy times, sad times. Sickness, health.
All that matters is that we love each other, communicate and work through everything with the other by our side.
Happy Five Year Anniversary, Brian. I love you!!
Saturday, June 16
Monday, June 11
Dear God, We're Done, Right?!
Dear God,
Today I went to a funeral.
Today I went to a funeral for a 14 month-old child.
Today was the second funeral I've been to for a child in my family. The second! Another member of my family had their child pass away, but had a private service. That makes 3. Well the saying is that things happen in 3's, right? So my family is done, God, right?
My family is done having to feel this heartache. My family is done having to deal with all of the trauma. My family is done having to see little tiny caskets. My family is done having to feel the emptiness left behind by an innocent child who was taken from us.
I know we will never truly let go of all of the heartache. I know we will never forget our beautiful family members, or the joy they brought to our lives. I know we will never forget.
I know that you have a plan and that we need to have faith in you, but we're done, God, right?!
Sincerely,
Teresa
Today I went to a funeral.
Today I went to a funeral for a 14 month-old child.
Today was the second funeral I've been to for a child in my family. The second! Another member of my family had their child pass away, but had a private service. That makes 3. Well the saying is that things happen in 3's, right? So my family is done, God, right?
My family is done having to feel this heartache. My family is done having to deal with all of the trauma. My family is done having to see little tiny caskets. My family is done having to feel the emptiness left behind by an innocent child who was taken from us.
I know we will never truly let go of all of the heartache. I know we will never forget our beautiful family members, or the joy they brought to our lives. I know we will never forget.
I know that you have a plan and that we need to have faith in you, but we're done, God, right?!
Sincerely,
Teresa
Monday, May 28
Memorial Day
It's the soldier, not the reporter who has given us
Freedom of the Press.
Freedom of the Press.
It's the soldier, not the poet, who has given us
Freedom of Speech.
It's the soldier, not the campus organizer, who has given us the
Freedom to Demonstrate.
It's the soldier, not the lawyer, who has given us the
Right to a Fair Trial.
It's the soldier who salutes the flag, serves under the flag and
whose coffin is draped by the flag,
Who gives the protestor the right to burn the flag.
THANK YOU to all those who have made the ultimate sacrifice!!
Friday, May 25
Memorial Day Events?
If you are reading this blog, you probably already know that I try to be organized. I don't like it when things aren't in their 'spot' and it buggs me when items of different shapes/colors/sizes are mixed together. Call it whatever you want, but I call it logic! How else would I find my pink sleeveless top in my closet if my closet wasn't sorted from sleeveless to long-sleeved tops, then from light to dark colors? Geepers! ;)
Anyway, I am looking for a list of activities on Memorial Day and I can't find a good list. The lists I have found are all laden with ads making the information difficult to read. Aside from that, most of the lists I've found are for LAST YEAR! You'd think with Memorial Day being on Monday the newspapers would have that info out already... at least on their websites!
So, if you are in the Twin Cities and have a great Memorial Day event you want to brag about, I would appreciate hearing about it!!
Anyway, I am looking for a list of activities on Memorial Day and I can't find a good list. The lists I have found are all laden with ads making the information difficult to read. Aside from that, most of the lists I've found are for LAST YEAR! You'd think with Memorial Day being on Monday the newspapers would have that info out already... at least on their websites!
So, if you are in the Twin Cities and have a great Memorial Day event you want to brag about, I would appreciate hearing about it!!
Monday, May 14
Potty Training
I can't believe we are already posting about this!! Adelle is, roughly, 2 1/2 and she is learning how to use the big girl potty. We followed the advice of the Moes Family, and tried potty training Adelle in one day.
We got a bunch of things ready before we began, which really seemed to help. During the week I started planting ideas of going on the potty in her head by reminding her that some of her friends already do it, that we have big girl undies, and that she herself is a big girl. Here are the other things we got together:
We started our day with breakfast and turkey watching. We do this every weekend and Brian and I wanted to keep the majority of our routines. After we got back from breakfast I put undies on her doll and let Adelle "find" her! We talked about what she was wearing and what that meant, and I asked Adelle if she wanted to wear undies too. She said, "Yes, I do!!" We put them on started the timer. I then started playing with her doll and made her have an accident. I ran from the accident to the bathroom saying, "No, No, No. We have to potty on the potty!" I did that a few times then asked Adelle if she wanted to try to go. She said yes so we put her on the potty and she went! I was really excited, gave her high-5s, a kiss, a sucker and then showed her the chart and the album. She put a sticker on the chart and called Nonna and Papi. They were SO excited!!
We kept this up for the rest of the day!!
We called lots of people and only cleaned up 4 accidents. Two were poo and I am not worried about them at this time - it's a different feeling! The other two were my fault because I don't think I was patient enough or persistent enough to make her stay on the toilet when she wanted to get off. Lesson learned!
She is doing SO well!!
We got a bunch of things ready before we began, which really seemed to help. During the week I started planting ideas of going on the potty in her head by reminding her that some of her friends already do it, that we have big girl undies, and that she herself is a big girl. Here are the other things we got together:
- Snacks to munch on - Salty, sweet and healthy so she would drink lots.
- Juice, milk, pop, water - Anything she wanted to drink, we had!
- Stickers and a sticker chart for a visual reward
- Suckers for instant gratification
- Big girl undies
- Plastic undies for naps and night-time
- Her favorite doll - We used this along with one of her old medicine syringes. I filled the syringe with water and had the doll "go" and then run to the potty with her. I also had her go in the toilet and not have accidents.
- A towel and cleaner for accidents
- Big girl potty chair/toilet cover - We actually have a potty chair and a smaller seat to fit over ours. This worked well because sometimes she couldn't hold it in and HAD to use her little chair. We kept the little chair on a plastic mat where we were, and the smaller seat in the downstairs bathroom.
- A stool so she could get onto the toilet
- An apron for me to keep treats in
- Lots of enthusiasm from Mommy
- A photo album with pictures of special individuals - After going on the potty Adelle would get to call someone to share her news. We would flip through the album, or I would just ask who she wanted to call, and we did.
- Floor games and books - Nothing too distracting.
- A timer - You don't want to go too long in between visits to the bathroom.
We started our day with breakfast and turkey watching. We do this every weekend and Brian and I wanted to keep the majority of our routines. After we got back from breakfast I put undies on her doll and let Adelle "find" her! We talked about what she was wearing and what that meant, and I asked Adelle if she wanted to wear undies too. She said, "Yes, I do!!" We put them on started the timer. I then started playing with her doll and made her have an accident. I ran from the accident to the bathroom saying, "No, No, No. We have to potty on the potty!" I did that a few times then asked Adelle if she wanted to try to go. She said yes so we put her on the potty and she went! I was really excited, gave her high-5s, a kiss, a sucker and then showed her the chart and the album. She put a sticker on the chart and called Nonna and Papi. They were SO excited!!
We kept this up for the rest of the day!!
We called lots of people and only cleaned up 4 accidents. Two were poo and I am not worried about them at this time - it's a different feeling! The other two were my fault because I don't think I was patient enough or persistent enough to make her stay on the toilet when she wanted to get off. Lesson learned!
She is doing SO well!!
Sunday, April 1
Chutes and Ladders
Today we went to a park in Bloomington commonly called Chutes and Ladders. It got the name because there are a bunch of cargo nets and ladders, and whole lot of slides! I'm not talking about little slides either, I'm talking about slides that are 20 - 30 feet tall!! Granted they are twisty slides, but still - that's tall!! Not to worry if you have a toddler or a kiddo who is not fond of heights, they also have two or three areas that are perfect for smaller kids and more like typical playground equipment. They are also doing some construction and adding new equipment which should be ready to play on at the end of June.
Auntie M came to help ease the climbs for me - my eczema is really flaring up. I went up the ladders, aka cargo nets, with Adelle about 5 times and M went up with her about 20! She didn't want to go home because she was having so much fun!
The only down side to this park is that there are A LOT of other people there. Other parents don't watch their kids and some of them wreak havoc as well as try to climb up the slides. The teacher in me took over a couple of times and told two kids not to climb up because I didn't want them to get hit. They climbed up anyway then cried when they got hit! Geepers.
Anyway, Auntie M has some pictures that I need to get, and when I get them I will add them to the post.
Auntie M came to help ease the climbs for me - my eczema is really flaring up. I went up the ladders, aka cargo nets, with Adelle about 5 times and M went up with her about 20! She didn't want to go home because she was having so much fun!
The only down side to this park is that there are A LOT of other people there. Other parents don't watch their kids and some of them wreak havoc as well as try to climb up the slides. The teacher in me took over a couple of times and told two kids not to climb up because I didn't want them to get hit. They climbed up anyway then cried when they got hit! Geepers.
Anyway, Auntie M has some pictures that I need to get, and when I get them I will add them to the post.
Saturday, January 21
1 Hour
Can 1 hour change your life?
I have been watching episodes of One Tree Hill lately, and tonight I watched Pictures of You. The episode questions if 1 hour can really change your life. It did, of course, for the fictional students of One Tree Hill and I think it will change my life too.
You see, since high school, my weight has slowly but surely crept up the scale like the freaking Little Engine that Could. There was a time when my weight started going down, but that was when I was living in my adorable studio apartment when Brian and I first started dating. Living on my own was awesome - I didn't want to dirty my cozy kitchen, and I couldn't do dishes too often so I didn't eat/cook as much! I would also meet Brian at the gym and that is where we had a lot of our dates.
After we got married though, the weight came back. Soon we started trying to have a baby so I joined WW and started losing weight. Within a month I was pregnant and they said it would not be good to continue the program (it isn't designed for pregnant women). Well, it has been 2 years since I had Adelle and I still haven't lost the weight I gained when I was pregnant. It's both frustrating and disappointing - neither feeling is good when you are an emotional eater!
Tonight, however, I made a decision. After watching this episode and reading Organizing Made Fun, an inspiring/motivational/organizational blog, I made the decision that 1 hour WILL change my life. One hour a day will change my life because it will be the hour I need to work on strength, toning, balance and endurance. 1 hour will help me achieve my goals of getting in shape and losing weight (and hopefully a couple other goals in the process). 1 hour.
I have been telling myself that 1 hour a day is so much to ask since I get home from work 2+ nights a week after 7pm; that it's too much because I feel like I am missing out on my daughters' life because I'm at work; that it's too much because I don't get to see/visit with my husband (that's how it feels).
The truth is though, 1 hour is not too much to ask.
1 hour is walking to a park and having a picnic (when the weather isn't frigid). 1 hour is more than a few laps around the M.O.A. 1 hour is a fantastic hula-hoop workout sprinkled with yoga poses and walking a tight rope. 1 hour is getting lost in my favorite songs while training for my next Milk Run (the time to beat is 45:33). 1 hour is some quality time with a stationary bike/elliptical machine and a book. 1 hour is a healthier life for me and my family.
While 1 hour feels like too much right now, in the middle of winter and the seemingly short days it brings, it's not too much in the grand scheme of things.
What will you do with your hour?
I have been watching episodes of One Tree Hill lately, and tonight I watched Pictures of You. The episode questions if 1 hour can really change your life. It did, of course, for the fictional students of One Tree Hill and I think it will change my life too.
You see, since high school, my weight has slowly but surely crept up the scale like the freaking Little Engine that Could. There was a time when my weight started going down, but that was when I was living in my adorable studio apartment when Brian and I first started dating. Living on my own was awesome - I didn't want to dirty my cozy kitchen, and I couldn't do dishes too often so I didn't eat/cook as much! I would also meet Brian at the gym and that is where we had a lot of our dates.
After we got married though, the weight came back. Soon we started trying to have a baby so I joined WW and started losing weight. Within a month I was pregnant and they said it would not be good to continue the program (it isn't designed for pregnant women). Well, it has been 2 years since I had Adelle and I still haven't lost the weight I gained when I was pregnant. It's both frustrating and disappointing - neither feeling is good when you are an emotional eater!
Tonight, however, I made a decision. After watching this episode and reading Organizing Made Fun, an inspiring/motivational/organizational blog, I made the decision that 1 hour WILL change my life. One hour a day will change my life because it will be the hour I need to work on strength, toning, balance and endurance. 1 hour will help me achieve my goals of getting in shape and losing weight (and hopefully a couple other goals in the process). 1 hour.
I have been telling myself that 1 hour a day is so much to ask since I get home from work 2+ nights a week after 7pm; that it's too much because I feel like I am missing out on my daughters' life because I'm at work; that it's too much because I don't get to see/visit with my husband (that's how it feels).
The truth is though, 1 hour is not too much to ask.
1 hour is walking to a park and having a picnic (when the weather isn't frigid). 1 hour is more than a few laps around the M.O.A. 1 hour is a fantastic hula-hoop workout sprinkled with yoga poses and walking a tight rope. 1 hour is getting lost in my favorite songs while training for my next Milk Run (the time to beat is 45:33). 1 hour is some quality time with a stationary bike/elliptical machine and a book. 1 hour is a healthier life for me and my family.
While 1 hour feels like too much right now, in the middle of winter and the seemingly short days it brings, it's not too much in the grand scheme of things.
What will you do with your hour?
Thursday, January 19
Our Big Girl!
Even though it happened earlier this month, our beautiful little girl turned two. I can't believe how fast the time has gone, how big she's gotten, or even how much she's learned! There is something new every day and I love being a part of it all.
She loves watching movies, reading books, listening to music, singing, playing with cars, playing kitchen, playing dolls, building things, going to the zoo, and being fabulous!
One moment she won't get out of her pj's and another she won't leave the house without her 'princess skirt' or her Ruby Slippers.
She loves fruits and veggies (thank goodness) as well as the occasional sweet. While blueberries disappear by the bowlful, she also really likes strawberries, oranges, cherries, and bananas. If she sees bread on the counter, she will ask for a piece of that to snack on. She drinks everything from water to prune juice.
I love the little phrases she says, too. 'Wait. Stop it!!' 'I do it!' 'Mommy/Daddy, help!' There are others, but these are my favorite.
Anyway, my Sweet Girl is two (already) and I've loved every moment of my time with her!
Here are some pictures from her actual birthday. We blew up balloons and covered her floor with them. After she woke up, we put them in her crib to play with them. What a blast!
Here are the pictures from her birthday party. She didn't blow out the candle right away, but it was adorable! By the end of the day she was all tuckered out!
I love you!
She loves watching movies, reading books, listening to music, singing, playing with cars, playing kitchen, playing dolls, building things, going to the zoo, and being fabulous!
One moment she won't get out of her pj's and another she won't leave the house without her 'princess skirt' or her Ruby Slippers.
She loves fruits and veggies (thank goodness) as well as the occasional sweet. While blueberries disappear by the bowlful, she also really likes strawberries, oranges, cherries, and bananas. If she sees bread on the counter, she will ask for a piece of that to snack on. She drinks everything from water to prune juice.
I love the little phrases she says, too. 'Wait. Stop it!!' 'I do it!' 'Mommy/Daddy, help!' There are others, but these are my favorite.
Anyway, my Sweet Girl is two (already) and I've loved every moment of my time with her!
Here are some pictures from her actual birthday. We blew up balloons and covered her floor with them. After she woke up, we put them in her crib to play with them. What a blast!
Here are the pictures from her birthday party. She didn't blow out the candle right away, but it was adorable! By the end of the day she was all tuckered out!
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