I am sure there are a lot of you out there who are ready for Spring to be sprung! Just the thought of walks, trips to the park, and lunches on the deck just makes me happy. Here in Nebraska we keep getting a glimpse of Spring, but then we get a cold snap and we begin to feel trapped in our own house. I know the warmth will come soon, but I swear this time of year is the hardest because we can see the light at the end of the tunnel but it never comes soon enough.
Right now I am a little excited to see what Spring is like here in Nebraska, as I was totally disappointed by the winter. Seriously cold, but no snow, and every time they anticipate weather there seems to be a vortex that takes the moisture away from Omaha. It is so dry here, not as dry as Colorado, but then it is so humid in the summer. We literally live in a crazy place when it comes to climate.
After our tough week last week, I am thinking that the kids behavior is directly related to the anticipation of Spring as well. They want to be outside and run. Honestly I want them to be outside too! The fresh air does them wonders, and tuckers them out…added bonus for Mom!
I'm actually looking forward to rainy days as well because right now it is sunny, but too cold to be out, and at least with warm, rainy days we know that it will eventually be sunny and warm. I know it is still only March, but when you look at the weather forecast for sunny and seventies for the weekend, it is hard to not want to crave warmer weather. It is almost as if the weather is taunting us by giving us a few warm days and then going back to the cold. However, there are some of you who are still looking at snow on the ground and sub below temperatures, and I apologize for complaining about my lack of warm weather. I have lived in many cold places and I know I should be grateful, but you all crave the Spring, if not more than the Evans family!
So here is to a quick transition of Spring. Let the showers begin and the greening of our brown world come to life!
Friday, March 28, 2014
Thursday, March 27, 2014
Speed Limit
Okay I would have never thought I would have an opinion on speed limits, but recently as I have children that are a little unpredictable and I have come to the conclusion that 25 mph is way too fast! I sit in the yard watching folks talk on their cell phones and speed down our road. This makes me feel real safe…said no mom EVER! There is no way if a kid came darting into the road that you could stop that quickly to not hit them at 25 mph, but most definitely if you were distracted on your phone while at it. This is where the craziness begins, my craziness that is. I have in the past month on those sunny, warm days hollered at passing cars, including the mail man to slow down.
It wasn't until just recently I made the connection of how fast 25 mph really is. We have a bunny that comes around to our yard and it literally provides great entertainment for both the kids and the cat. Audrey calls the rabbit, her bunny, so when I saw that someone had smoked it just in from of our yard I got pretty upset. Now I know that rabbits are pretty unpredictable, but so are kids, so when I saw that someone was either going the speed limit or faster and hit a rabbit, I thought, "Geesh, that could have been a kiddo!"
I know when I drive in our neighborhood I seriously go slow because I can see that there are kids playing basketball in their driveways and it doesn't take much for the ball to roll down the slanted driveway into the road. Most kids think about darting after it, but what happens when the kid doesn't gauge the distance of a driving car or is hidden behind another parked car? You would think a lot of people think this way, but unfortunately everyone is in such a hurry. I have experienced that everyone pulls out in front of everyone else as it is a race to be first to the stop sign or out to the main road. I have even folks on our street in particular that have small children drive way too fast. What is it that you have to get home to? If it is anything like my house, I can guarantee my husband, this past week, is not speeding home to get to the absolute chaos we bring after a long day at work. So why the rush?
Regardless of the reason for the speeding, I still think they really need to rethink the signage that says, "Drive 25 and keep kids alive!" It really needs to be much lower than that in my opinion, but then again I don't think I get a say. However I will continue to be that crazy lady on my street giving the evil eye to or hollering at the folks driving too fast down the road.
It wasn't until just recently I made the connection of how fast 25 mph really is. We have a bunny that comes around to our yard and it literally provides great entertainment for both the kids and the cat. Audrey calls the rabbit, her bunny, so when I saw that someone had smoked it just in from of our yard I got pretty upset. Now I know that rabbits are pretty unpredictable, but so are kids, so when I saw that someone was either going the speed limit or faster and hit a rabbit, I thought, "Geesh, that could have been a kiddo!"
I know when I drive in our neighborhood I seriously go slow because I can see that there are kids playing basketball in their driveways and it doesn't take much for the ball to roll down the slanted driveway into the road. Most kids think about darting after it, but what happens when the kid doesn't gauge the distance of a driving car or is hidden behind another parked car? You would think a lot of people think this way, but unfortunately everyone is in such a hurry. I have experienced that everyone pulls out in front of everyone else as it is a race to be first to the stop sign or out to the main road. I have even folks on our street in particular that have small children drive way too fast. What is it that you have to get home to? If it is anything like my house, I can guarantee my husband, this past week, is not speeding home to get to the absolute chaos we bring after a long day at work. So why the rush?
Regardless of the reason for the speeding, I still think they really need to rethink the signage that says, "Drive 25 and keep kids alive!" It really needs to be much lower than that in my opinion, but then again I don't think I get a say. However I will continue to be that crazy lady on my street giving the evil eye to or hollering at the folks driving too fast down the road.
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Vocabulary
It is amazing to me how quickly children develop a vocabulary. Audrey picked up talking quickly and she obtained words for her vocabulary from everywhere! Honestly she picked up phrases and words, regardless if they were good or bad, all the time! The other day she told me to, "Zip it and put it in my pocket." I almost came unglued, but once she said it she instantly knew it was not a good choice and went ahead and cried it out.
Ayden on the other hand chose to take walking and being a complete line backer a priority before really communicating. Sure he signed the basics and gave us a limited vocabulary, but he was happier and more interested in running and attacking things than telling me about what he wanted or needed. It was last week he decided to use his words and it continues to amaze me. I can understand him and he is very forceful with his inflection and emotion in his speaking. He really doesn't think before he speaks. For example I asked him if he wanted a quesadilla for dinner and the first word he said with great force was no, but very quickly he processed what I said and followed his forceful no with a very exaggerated YESSSS! Both Tyler and I laughed out loud because we can see the wheels just turn on him and how he really is becoming a little boy, rather than the helpless toddler he once was.
However I am afraid what this means with two talkers in my house. Tyler and I can barely have a conversation at dinner as adults, and now I can see it never happening as both my children will be chatting it up and not allowing for us to get a word in edgewise. Already the moment Tyler and I engross in a conversation at dinner and it may not interest Audrey, she gets Ayden wound up at the table and they begin screeching and having the most bizarre conversation. It leads both of us to just sit in silence or the volume only increases. Lucky us!
I remember my mom telling me that she wished for the day for me to begin talking and then when it happened she was a little overwhelmed. Well I guess I get what my mom was saying because I have one kiddo that never stops talking from the moment she wakes up, and now I am afraid I may have two very soon this way.
I guess I can relate…I have a lot to say too. Maybe the issue I have here is that I won't be able to be heard as much, but what I have learned as a parent is that sometimes it is better to just be seen than heard.
Ayden on the other hand chose to take walking and being a complete line backer a priority before really communicating. Sure he signed the basics and gave us a limited vocabulary, but he was happier and more interested in running and attacking things than telling me about what he wanted or needed. It was last week he decided to use his words and it continues to amaze me. I can understand him and he is very forceful with his inflection and emotion in his speaking. He really doesn't think before he speaks. For example I asked him if he wanted a quesadilla for dinner and the first word he said with great force was no, but very quickly he processed what I said and followed his forceful no with a very exaggerated YESSSS! Both Tyler and I laughed out loud because we can see the wheels just turn on him and how he really is becoming a little boy, rather than the helpless toddler he once was.
However I am afraid what this means with two talkers in my house. Tyler and I can barely have a conversation at dinner as adults, and now I can see it never happening as both my children will be chatting it up and not allowing for us to get a word in edgewise. Already the moment Tyler and I engross in a conversation at dinner and it may not interest Audrey, she gets Ayden wound up at the table and they begin screeching and having the most bizarre conversation. It leads both of us to just sit in silence or the volume only increases. Lucky us!
I remember my mom telling me that she wished for the day for me to begin talking and then when it happened she was a little overwhelmed. Well I guess I get what my mom was saying because I have one kiddo that never stops talking from the moment she wakes up, and now I am afraid I may have two very soon this way.
I guess I can relate…I have a lot to say too. Maybe the issue I have here is that I won't be able to be heard as much, but what I have learned as a parent is that sometimes it is better to just be seen than heard.
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Another Milestone in the Evans House
Last week Ayden did something Audrey never attempted to do, and that was climb out of his crib. He threw out all his stuffed animals that were in his crib and threw his leg over the edge of the crib and fell to his freedom. He scared himself more than anything, but was also very proud of his defeat. I knew that at this point we needed to turn his crib into the toddler bed I was dreading to do. Seriously this was one container I did not want to release him of quite yet, but I did know it would need to happen sooner or later.
I was so glad that I asked Tyler to make this transition of his bed on the weekend because I was not sure how Ayden would handle this. Ayden said he wanted his bed to be made like Audrey's, but I don't think it was because he wanted to be like his sister, it was because he knew what not having a container at bedtime meant! He was finally free and he was going to take advantage of this as much as I would like him.
Nap time was a great time to try out the bed. I laid him down in his crib, kissed him, and told him to have a nice rest. He told me, "Bye," and I thought we this was going very smoothly. I need to remember that nothing goes smoothly in parenting, but I thought maybe Ayden would just make this easy…yeah right! Ayden gets up out of his bed, opens the door, and then runs out of his room like a maniac, screaming into his sister's room. I grab him, and place him back into his bed and close the door. At this point I am following the stuff I have seen on Super Nanny because I am trying to prove to Ayden he needs to sleep in his room in the bed. Well, Ayden made a "jail break" another twenty times when I finally got smart. I held the door knob and he realized he couldn't open the door so he went back to his bed. He tried this about ten times, and finally got down on his hands and knees and put his fingers under the door and began attacking my feet. He was laughing hysterically and knew it was me holding the door and he was trying his last attempt of cuteness to get out of his room. I held my laughter in and continued to hold the door handle, and I finally won! Yeah Mommy 1, Ayden 0…for the time being. He finally went to his bed and literally fell into it and passed out. Yes he made it look that easy to go to sleep, and slept very well for a nap I might add.
What I have realized is that bed time will not be that easy for Ayden anymore now that he is no longer able to be contained. We will be investing in those childproof door handles soon, but until then I think I see a lot of wine and praying for patience and strength in my future.
I was so glad that I asked Tyler to make this transition of his bed on the weekend because I was not sure how Ayden would handle this. Ayden said he wanted his bed to be made like Audrey's, but I don't think it was because he wanted to be like his sister, it was because he knew what not having a container at bedtime meant! He was finally free and he was going to take advantage of this as much as I would like him.
Nap time was a great time to try out the bed. I laid him down in his crib, kissed him, and told him to have a nice rest. He told me, "Bye," and I thought we this was going very smoothly. I need to remember that nothing goes smoothly in parenting, but I thought maybe Ayden would just make this easy…yeah right! Ayden gets up out of his bed, opens the door, and then runs out of his room like a maniac, screaming into his sister's room. I grab him, and place him back into his bed and close the door. At this point I am following the stuff I have seen on Super Nanny because I am trying to prove to Ayden he needs to sleep in his room in the bed. Well, Ayden made a "jail break" another twenty times when I finally got smart. I held the door knob and he realized he couldn't open the door so he went back to his bed. He tried this about ten times, and finally got down on his hands and knees and put his fingers under the door and began attacking my feet. He was laughing hysterically and knew it was me holding the door and he was trying his last attempt of cuteness to get out of his room. I held my laughter in and continued to hold the door handle, and I finally won! Yeah Mommy 1, Ayden 0…for the time being. He finally went to his bed and literally fell into it and passed out. Yes he made it look that easy to go to sleep, and slept very well for a nap I might add.
What I have realized is that bed time will not be that easy for Ayden anymore now that he is no longer able to be contained. We will be investing in those childproof door handles soon, but until then I think I see a lot of wine and praying for patience and strength in my future.
Monday, March 24, 2014
Anyone Else Struggling?
I have honestly not been slacking in the blog department, I just have not had a single moment to myself to sit down in front of the computer.
This past week has been a hard one for me. I am not sure if it had to do with the fifty million things to do or if it is that stress that I have been attempting to bury deep down and it keeps trying to resurface like acid reflux, but regardless I have been a hard person to deal with! I can feel how I am short with my kids and I am just annoyed with the littlest things. I really have tried to keep my cool, but I have found myself just really frustrated and angry. As I write this I take not of how unhealthy this sounds, but I guess the first step to solving the problem is admitting, right?
I am not sure if all this stems from my kids deciding that they were going to destroy everything in sight and laugh about it, or if we are all just going stir crazy with the weather. Who knows, but it was just one of those weeks. We did have a lot of positives in the week in terms of trips to the park and we even went to an open gym one day. I am noticing that the days that I want to take the kids out and about to do things, these are the days they just want to stay home, and then the days I think it would be good to stay home, they are bored with their toys and are begging for crafts and activities, so going out and about would have been better. I mean this is life right? You're damned if you do and damned if you don't.
Regardless of the situation, I am only hoping to have a better week with the kids. I think we should be off to a good start as we are not as busy as last week, however I think if we are going to have a good week it stems from me. I really need to get my act together. I truly need to bring on the happy face and make sure I get enough rest so that I can power on with these kiddos because they sense when I am having an off day and they run with it which makes everything accelerate quickly in to a lousy day.
I guess now after I have ranted, I need to get myself together and focus on the positives and keep going. Now we all have bad days, kids included, but I am determined to make this week better than last because I am not sure if I have enough wine and sanity left. I know raising kids was never going to be easy, but I have been struggling lately with being a good mom. I know that I am a good mom, but I do feel after last week, I really need to make up for some of my grumpiness.
So…here is to a better week, a positive week, full of happiness, a little wine, less stress, and minimal temper tantrums!
This past week has been a hard one for me. I am not sure if it had to do with the fifty million things to do or if it is that stress that I have been attempting to bury deep down and it keeps trying to resurface like acid reflux, but regardless I have been a hard person to deal with! I can feel how I am short with my kids and I am just annoyed with the littlest things. I really have tried to keep my cool, but I have found myself just really frustrated and angry. As I write this I take not of how unhealthy this sounds, but I guess the first step to solving the problem is admitting, right?
I am not sure if all this stems from my kids deciding that they were going to destroy everything in sight and laugh about it, or if we are all just going stir crazy with the weather. Who knows, but it was just one of those weeks. We did have a lot of positives in the week in terms of trips to the park and we even went to an open gym one day. I am noticing that the days that I want to take the kids out and about to do things, these are the days they just want to stay home, and then the days I think it would be good to stay home, they are bored with their toys and are begging for crafts and activities, so going out and about would have been better. I mean this is life right? You're damned if you do and damned if you don't.
Regardless of the situation, I am only hoping to have a better week with the kids. I think we should be off to a good start as we are not as busy as last week, however I think if we are going to have a good week it stems from me. I really need to get my act together. I truly need to bring on the happy face and make sure I get enough rest so that I can power on with these kiddos because they sense when I am having an off day and they run with it which makes everything accelerate quickly in to a lousy day.
I guess now after I have ranted, I need to get myself together and focus on the positives and keep going. Now we all have bad days, kids included, but I am determined to make this week better than last because I am not sure if I have enough wine and sanity left. I know raising kids was never going to be easy, but I have been struggling lately with being a good mom. I know that I am a good mom, but I do feel after last week, I really need to make up for some of my grumpiness.
So…here is to a better week, a positive week, full of happiness, a little wine, less stress, and minimal temper tantrums!
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
Oil Pulling
Okay so I have to say I love the convenience of going to the grocery store and buying the items I need. Since having children, I have learned to clean a different way. I have given up a lot of the harsh chemicals and I have used a lot of household items and even Norwex products to try and make sure my cleaning is safe. It would be fair that I am trying to go simple and natural.
By now you know I like to read, and sometimes it just gets me into trouble. I have been reading a lot about natural remedies to things such as oily hair, but also natural ways to cure infections rather than turning to antibiotics. If you didn't see it I share the link below, but there was an article circulating on Facebook about oil pulling. I truly did not believe that it would work or if I should even try it, but I did ask a friend who is one who is very privy to coconut oil, and I decided to give it a try.
What is oil pulling? It is something that has been around for centuries and it involves swishing coconut or sunflower oil in your mouth to absorb toxins. Removing the toxins is to help with removing bacteria that may be causing infection and supposedly leads to a lot of great dental hygiene benefits, such as whiter teeth. Some articles have even said that it helps with acne, sinuses, allergies, and the list goes on. Now I was skeptical, but I figured it couldn't hurt as long as I didn't swallow the crap I swished around for 20 minutes.
Well, you know me, I can never do anything normal, so I am going to share my experience in hopes that it enlightens you to the experience if you choose to attempt as well. I read that you should swish the oil in your mouth for 20 minutes. The only time I have 20 minutes of no talking time is when I shower so I was attempting to multi-task...sigh. If you have ever purchased coconut oil, you know that it is in a solid form, but is easily broken down into liquid form with heat. So I got about a teaspoon of the oil on a spoon, put it in my mouth, and set the timer on my phone for 20 minutes. I wasn't quite sure what to do so I just tried swishing this gel like substance in my mouth. I gagged and almost spit the stuff all over the floor. My mouth began to over salivate, so I thought, but it was actually the oil breaking down into liquid form. My eyes were watering, I was still gagging, and snot was dripping from my nose. Totally worth it right?!? I finally got myself together and realized that it would be best to just put the remaining oil under my tongue to get it to completely turn to liquid form. Then the swishing began and it was not bad at all. I took my shower and continued to oil pull. While in the shower I struggled with breathing, washing my face, and swishing, but I managed. You know the toughest part was when I flipped my head upside down and put the towel on my head, but I survived. I completed the remainder of the oil pull, spit the toxins into a plastic bag because the oil can mess up your drain, and brushed my teeth. So I guess I thought it was going to be an instant experience. I envisioned white teeth and all my health problems solved. Spoiler alert...it didn't happen:(
This experience occurred about a week ago and I have pulled daily. The results, I have whiter teeth and it actually alleviates that pain I have from grinding my teeth at night. Also, I burnt my tongue and roof of my mouth on Sunday, and the coconut oil healed my mouth quickly. It was crazy to think that it helped heal the burn, but the roof of my mouth had that nasty burn with the skin that hangs off, and it took one day of oil pulling to get that situation under control. The tongue burn took a couple oil pulls to get the pain out. I am sure there are reasons for all the help that coconut oil is doing to help with my mouth, but I am not going to research that because then I am going to try something else.
I am going to continue to oil pull and maybe it can aid in my health. However I wanted my readers to know the truth of how it really works for the average Joe, such as myself because this is quite a challenge to complete.
Here are a few articles on oil pulling that I have read. However, just google oil pulling and you can find a lot more:)
http://jezebel.com/the-oil-pulling-health-craze-works-just-not-in-the-w-1538252677
http://www.fashionlush.com/wtf-is-oil-pulling-why-im-hooked/
By now you know I like to read, and sometimes it just gets me into trouble. I have been reading a lot about natural remedies to things such as oily hair, but also natural ways to cure infections rather than turning to antibiotics. If you didn't see it I share the link below, but there was an article circulating on Facebook about oil pulling. I truly did not believe that it would work or if I should even try it, but I did ask a friend who is one who is very privy to coconut oil, and I decided to give it a try.
What is oil pulling? It is something that has been around for centuries and it involves swishing coconut or sunflower oil in your mouth to absorb toxins. Removing the toxins is to help with removing bacteria that may be causing infection and supposedly leads to a lot of great dental hygiene benefits, such as whiter teeth. Some articles have even said that it helps with acne, sinuses, allergies, and the list goes on. Now I was skeptical, but I figured it couldn't hurt as long as I didn't swallow the crap I swished around for 20 minutes.
Well, you know me, I can never do anything normal, so I am going to share my experience in hopes that it enlightens you to the experience if you choose to attempt as well. I read that you should swish the oil in your mouth for 20 minutes. The only time I have 20 minutes of no talking time is when I shower so I was attempting to multi-task...sigh. If you have ever purchased coconut oil, you know that it is in a solid form, but is easily broken down into liquid form with heat. So I got about a teaspoon of the oil on a spoon, put it in my mouth, and set the timer on my phone for 20 minutes. I wasn't quite sure what to do so I just tried swishing this gel like substance in my mouth. I gagged and almost spit the stuff all over the floor. My mouth began to over salivate, so I thought, but it was actually the oil breaking down into liquid form. My eyes were watering, I was still gagging, and snot was dripping from my nose. Totally worth it right?!? I finally got myself together and realized that it would be best to just put the remaining oil under my tongue to get it to completely turn to liquid form. Then the swishing began and it was not bad at all. I took my shower and continued to oil pull. While in the shower I struggled with breathing, washing my face, and swishing, but I managed. You know the toughest part was when I flipped my head upside down and put the towel on my head, but I survived. I completed the remainder of the oil pull, spit the toxins into a plastic bag because the oil can mess up your drain, and brushed my teeth. So I guess I thought it was going to be an instant experience. I envisioned white teeth and all my health problems solved. Spoiler alert...it didn't happen:(
This experience occurred about a week ago and I have pulled daily. The results, I have whiter teeth and it actually alleviates that pain I have from grinding my teeth at night. Also, I burnt my tongue and roof of my mouth on Sunday, and the coconut oil healed my mouth quickly. It was crazy to think that it helped heal the burn, but the roof of my mouth had that nasty burn with the skin that hangs off, and it took one day of oil pulling to get that situation under control. The tongue burn took a couple oil pulls to get the pain out. I am sure there are reasons for all the help that coconut oil is doing to help with my mouth, but I am not going to research that because then I am going to try something else.
I am going to continue to oil pull and maybe it can aid in my health. However I wanted my readers to know the truth of how it really works for the average Joe, such as myself because this is quite a challenge to complete.
Here are a few articles on oil pulling that I have read. However, just google oil pulling and you can find a lot more:)
http://jezebel.com/the-oil-pulling-health-craze-works-just-not-in-the-w-1538252677
http://www.fashionlush.com/wtf-is-oil-pulling-why-im-hooked/
Monday, March 17, 2014
Multi-tasking
Why does it seem that women with multiple children are great at multi-tasking? Honestly I see mothers with four children, calm and collective, able to keep a head count of everyone and give every one the attention they need. I fear what I may look like in public with my two kiddos wanting to run in opposite directions, and I literally have said out loud, "Crap, where is Ayden?" I am getting better at trying to maintain the chaos, but there are days I need a nap more than the kids do after an excursion to the museum or the zoo!
In light of a wonderful Monday, I will share one of my chaotic stories of attempting to multi-task this weekend. Tyler and I took the kids to go swimming at the Y. It was great. We went early in the morning and had the pool to ourselves for over 45 minutes. The kids swam and played for over an hour and just had a blast. Then it was the dreaded time to get out and get washed off. We are really good about giving warnings and there was a struggle to get out of the pool, but it was managed and some how I ended up going into the locker room with both children. Yes, Tyler was given the luxury of showering and getting ready alone, and I was going to make the attempt to get three washed off and ready. So here we go...I finally corralled everyone into the locker room, grabbed the towels and shampoo, got both kids in the shower and Audrey had to pee. So I had Ayden sit on one of the step stools and I took Ayden to the stall so she could go to the bathroom. I was in eye sight of Ayden, but he decided he was going to turn the water on and it in return scared him because he wasn't actually expecting to be able to do it. So he is running into the bathroom area to get rescued from the big, mean water and Audrey is announcing how everything came out okay. Serious chaos going on, but we all managed to get back to the shower and they both got rinsed off and put in a towel. I however am still dripping wet and it is obvious I will be toweling off and just throwing clothes back on. I get Ayden in his diaper and pants and Audrey in her underwear and they are just getting antsy. Both decided to jump down off the bench and they begin to antagonize the poor patrons in the locker room. Audrey is running around laughing and squealing and Ayden is growling and flirting with anyone that will look his way. I corral the beasts back to the bench, finish getting them dressed, and bribe them with a snack while I attempt to throw clothes on so we can just get out of the locker room and go home. We get out of the locker room and there is Tyler, peacefully sitting at a table waiting for us. At that moment I want to tell him my drama and ask why he couldn't help, but I realized it was a lost cause to get mad because I could envision him with just one kid and he would have been stressed further than me.
As much as I want to admit I am a good multi-tasker, I do believe I need more practice before I can say that I have that quality mastered.
In light of a wonderful Monday, I will share one of my chaotic stories of attempting to multi-task this weekend. Tyler and I took the kids to go swimming at the Y. It was great. We went early in the morning and had the pool to ourselves for over 45 minutes. The kids swam and played for over an hour and just had a blast. Then it was the dreaded time to get out and get washed off. We are really good about giving warnings and there was a struggle to get out of the pool, but it was managed and some how I ended up going into the locker room with both children. Yes, Tyler was given the luxury of showering and getting ready alone, and I was going to make the attempt to get three washed off and ready. So here we go...I finally corralled everyone into the locker room, grabbed the towels and shampoo, got both kids in the shower and Audrey had to pee. So I had Ayden sit on one of the step stools and I took Ayden to the stall so she could go to the bathroom. I was in eye sight of Ayden, but he decided he was going to turn the water on and it in return scared him because he wasn't actually expecting to be able to do it. So he is running into the bathroom area to get rescued from the big, mean water and Audrey is announcing how everything came out okay. Serious chaos going on, but we all managed to get back to the shower and they both got rinsed off and put in a towel. I however am still dripping wet and it is obvious I will be toweling off and just throwing clothes back on. I get Ayden in his diaper and pants and Audrey in her underwear and they are just getting antsy. Both decided to jump down off the bench and they begin to antagonize the poor patrons in the locker room. Audrey is running around laughing and squealing and Ayden is growling and flirting with anyone that will look his way. I corral the beasts back to the bench, finish getting them dressed, and bribe them with a snack while I attempt to throw clothes on so we can just get out of the locker room and go home. We get out of the locker room and there is Tyler, peacefully sitting at a table waiting for us. At that moment I want to tell him my drama and ask why he couldn't help, but I realized it was a lost cause to get mad because I could envision him with just one kid and he would have been stressed further than me.
As much as I want to admit I am a good multi-tasker, I do believe I need more practice before I can say that I have that quality mastered.
Thursday, March 13, 2014
Is enough truly enough?
Lately I have been over thinking and analyzing things...imagine that!
I really have taken note that I have this addictive personality that can really get me into trouble if I do not watch myself. Now don't get the wrong idea I am not overindulging or doing something crazy, but I am talking about my body. Recently I have really been focusing on losing that baby weight and the additional weight I had before Ayden. Even though gaining 50 pounds seemed like a great idea after the vomiting subsided when growing a baby, the aftermath was not fun. I seriously lost 30 pounds easily after I had Ayden because of the nursing and the running around, however that last 20 stayed around because I am a stress eater. However I noticed my knees began to hurt and I just did not like the fact I had no clothes that fit, so it was time for a change.
I kicked it in gear and had a great weight loss support system through our MOPS group. I managed to lose 35 pounds and now I am in a rut. I want to continue the healthy lifestyle I have with exercise and the right diet, however I am still losing. Now this may be because the weight loss group competition is not over, but I am beginning to wonder about myself. Am I losing more so that I can indulge and fluctuate back to my ideal weight or am I going down an unhealthy spiral of obsession?
I am thinking the latter is not what the case is, but I have found myself going easier on myself this week due to the chances of an unhealthy obsession becoming formed. Now believe me I am not in danger, and I have shared my thoughts with others, but it makes me wonder if this is how we all view ourselves. Is enough ever enough? Will we ever be that right size or weight? Will we ever meet that career goal, and when we, do then what? I think for competitive folks like me I really like to reach a goal, but then I need to have the next goal. So I have made new goals on toning, and I am starting to get myself out of weight loss mode, but it continues to be a struggle because I have had the weight loss goal for so long.
Now this wasn't a post to get congrats on the weight loss, as I am still very self conscious, but rather this was a post for me to connect with others that have this same view on life of trying to find the "enough" in their life. I truly think there are many of us that feel this way and I am wondering if this is due to the way society has proceeded what is the ideal look and lifestyle? Honestly I cannot believe I got sucked into what society cares about because I normally don't give a flying squirrel what my image should be. However I know that I am currently healthy, making better choices in my lifestyle, and the family is gaining the benefits as well:) Now to keep maintaining that!
I really have taken note that I have this addictive personality that can really get me into trouble if I do not watch myself. Now don't get the wrong idea I am not overindulging or doing something crazy, but I am talking about my body. Recently I have really been focusing on losing that baby weight and the additional weight I had before Ayden. Even though gaining 50 pounds seemed like a great idea after the vomiting subsided when growing a baby, the aftermath was not fun. I seriously lost 30 pounds easily after I had Ayden because of the nursing and the running around, however that last 20 stayed around because I am a stress eater. However I noticed my knees began to hurt and I just did not like the fact I had no clothes that fit, so it was time for a change.
I kicked it in gear and had a great weight loss support system through our MOPS group. I managed to lose 35 pounds and now I am in a rut. I want to continue the healthy lifestyle I have with exercise and the right diet, however I am still losing. Now this may be because the weight loss group competition is not over, but I am beginning to wonder about myself. Am I losing more so that I can indulge and fluctuate back to my ideal weight or am I going down an unhealthy spiral of obsession?
I am thinking the latter is not what the case is, but I have found myself going easier on myself this week due to the chances of an unhealthy obsession becoming formed. Now believe me I am not in danger, and I have shared my thoughts with others, but it makes me wonder if this is how we all view ourselves. Is enough ever enough? Will we ever be that right size or weight? Will we ever meet that career goal, and when we, do then what? I think for competitive folks like me I really like to reach a goal, but then I need to have the next goal. So I have made new goals on toning, and I am starting to get myself out of weight loss mode, but it continues to be a struggle because I have had the weight loss goal for so long.
Now this wasn't a post to get congrats on the weight loss, as I am still very self conscious, but rather this was a post for me to connect with others that have this same view on life of trying to find the "enough" in their life. I truly think there are many of us that feel this way and I am wondering if this is due to the way society has proceeded what is the ideal look and lifestyle? Honestly I cannot believe I got sucked into what society cares about because I normally don't give a flying squirrel what my image should be. However I know that I am currently healthy, making better choices in my lifestyle, and the family is gaining the benefits as well:) Now to keep maintaining that!
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
WTF Daylight Savings Time?!
I truly believe the person who invented the concept of Daylight Savings Time did not have children at the time! Each year I say this statement and currently I am living in a world of crabbiness. I am crabby and my children are crabby. It is like we cannot grasp the concept of when to wake up, take naps, or go to bed. I have truly kept them on a schedule, but they want nothing to do with it. It is a blessing in disguise that this week is Audrey's spring break because we would have never made it to school on time. We may be getting closer to getting back into our routine, but boy are we a crabby and needy bunch right now!
I am strictly in survival mode right now and I am finding that my two favorite uppers and downers, coffee and wine, are becoming my best friends through this week. Honestly it hasn't been too bad, but I think this morning has been the worse. It started out great, just Ayden and I, eating our breakfast quietly together talking about animal noises, yogurt, and his butt (yes, it's his favorite topic right now). Then Audrey woke up singing and came downstairs and then I'm not sure what happen. It may have been because I asked her to decide what she wanted for breakfast or Ayden wanted her attention, who knows, but she unleashed her inner beast! My favorite quote from her this morning through the sobbing and whining was, "Mom, I woke up with an armful of joy, but now it is gone because you didn't give me my way!" Yes I am the joy destroyer, and quite frankly I really don't know how I destroyed joy, but I must be good at it to get that sort of reaction.
We are now trying to get into our routine for the day and play as I sit here and type. Yep, I am posting a blog while my children are awake because Mommy needs a time out. I think this is probably causing me more stress as my kids are calling my name every five seconds and my eye begins twitching, but hey I will get something done right?!
The end of my rant is that kids need time to adjust, but so do parents and it's okay that I am cranky too. However, I set the tone of the day so if I'm crabby, they are too. Therefore, I better put on my big girl panties, stop the whining, and go build some towers and get some crafts together for my two busy bodies.
I am strictly in survival mode right now and I am finding that my two favorite uppers and downers, coffee and wine, are becoming my best friends through this week. Honestly it hasn't been too bad, but I think this morning has been the worse. It started out great, just Ayden and I, eating our breakfast quietly together talking about animal noises, yogurt, and his butt (yes, it's his favorite topic right now). Then Audrey woke up singing and came downstairs and then I'm not sure what happen. It may have been because I asked her to decide what she wanted for breakfast or Ayden wanted her attention, who knows, but she unleashed her inner beast! My favorite quote from her this morning through the sobbing and whining was, "Mom, I woke up with an armful of joy, but now it is gone because you didn't give me my way!" Yes I am the joy destroyer, and quite frankly I really don't know how I destroyed joy, but I must be good at it to get that sort of reaction.
We are now trying to get into our routine for the day and play as I sit here and type. Yep, I am posting a blog while my children are awake because Mommy needs a time out. I think this is probably causing me more stress as my kids are calling my name every five seconds and my eye begins twitching, but hey I will get something done right?!
The end of my rant is that kids need time to adjust, but so do parents and it's okay that I am cranky too. However, I set the tone of the day so if I'm crabby, they are too. Therefore, I better put on my big girl panties, stop the whining, and go build some towers and get some crafts together for my two busy bodies.
Monday, March 10, 2014
Random Acts of Children
There is never a dull moment at the Evans' house, and lately I have just learned to just laugh at everything because otherwise I may end up in an institution. Although this may actually give me the peace I do crave, so maybe it's time to re-evaluated how I handle things. Recently Ayden has an obsession with taking off his clothes. I find him many mornings in just his diaper. He has somehow in the night unzipped his pajamas and gotten them off and thrown them out of his crib. I guess I am okay with this until he decides to take off his diaper. But the other day taking clothes off was taken to the next level. We get in the house after a trip of running errands and Ayden pulls off his pants. You can tell he is so proud of himself too, as he just brings me his pants and then does a little dance around me. Of course this prompts Audrey to take off her pants and then I have two children with no pants on. Sigh...
This week Ayden has also become very aware of Audrey's conversations. She will begin calling Ayden a puppy, and he instantly becomes a dog. I mean crawling on the floor, barking, and attempting to lick both Audrey and I. We both laugh and of course this gives him more encouragement to continue with his crazy behavior. Audrey also calls him a monster and that is when the real fun begins in the house. He literally unleashes his inner beast and attempts to attack Audrey and it scares her to death. I can hear the fear in her scream of help, but the thing is she brings this one upon herself so it is her turn to deal with that consequence.
Tyler and I have really seen Audrey's leadership skills come out recently. She wants to be in charge and calling all the shots. It makes parenting real fun when she is reprimanding her brother for something she feels is inappropriate. Or the other day at swim lessons she was trying to keep the distracted little boy in line, but that back fired and she really got upset. I mean I could see her temper start to flare, but I am glad to see she could control herself and know that when she got the look of knock it off from across the pool from me that she needed to back off. I know she is truly trying to help, but her bossiness, sorry leadership, is getting to be a little too much. It may have to do with the fact that she is stepping on my turf, but I do want to allow for her to understand the difference from being a leader and being a control freak.
Regardless of our fun experiences that we have had this week, it only keeps life interesting and I would not want it any other way! Except for maybe some more wine and a little more peace. A mom can have dreams too:)
This week Ayden has also become very aware of Audrey's conversations. She will begin calling Ayden a puppy, and he instantly becomes a dog. I mean crawling on the floor, barking, and attempting to lick both Audrey and I. We both laugh and of course this gives him more encouragement to continue with his crazy behavior. Audrey also calls him a monster and that is when the real fun begins in the house. He literally unleashes his inner beast and attempts to attack Audrey and it scares her to death. I can hear the fear in her scream of help, but the thing is she brings this one upon herself so it is her turn to deal with that consequence.
Tyler and I have really seen Audrey's leadership skills come out recently. She wants to be in charge and calling all the shots. It makes parenting real fun when she is reprimanding her brother for something she feels is inappropriate. Or the other day at swim lessons she was trying to keep the distracted little boy in line, but that back fired and she really got upset. I mean I could see her temper start to flare, but I am glad to see she could control herself and know that when she got the look of knock it off from across the pool from me that she needed to back off. I know she is truly trying to help, but her bossiness, sorry leadership, is getting to be a little too much. It may have to do with the fact that she is stepping on my turf, but I do want to allow for her to understand the difference from being a leader and being a control freak.
Regardless of our fun experiences that we have had this week, it only keeps life interesting and I would not want it any other way! Except for maybe some more wine and a little more peace. A mom can have dreams too:)
Friday, March 7, 2014
The Admiration of Strength
We've all had those days, you know the one where you just cannot wait until your husband gets home or that blissful quiet time of your kiddo's bedtime. The kids are on your last nerve and they continue to do everything you don't want them to, and you swear that they are just doing it to piss you off. It's normal to get frustrated and feel like you are having the worse day ever, but recently I read a story that just made me realize I was seriously being the biggest baby and needed to put my big girl panties on and be counting my blessings rather than bitching and feeling sorry for myself!
This story is about a woman I only wish I had half the strength that she has. Although I never knew her personally, I do know the town she lives in so very well, Anderson, Alaska. This quaint little town in rural Alaska made me realize the importance of community. Seriously this is a town that was 35 miles away from a gas station and 75 miles away from major stores, so you get to know folks well and you learn to rely on each other. I spent only four years in this town where I taught grades 4-6 and it honestly helped me be the person I am today. I am sure you are thinking...sure whatever Lindsay, but in the elements and the way of living it truly made me appreciate things and respect nature in ways I never knew possible.
Okay now enough about me, this is a post about an inspirational women that will totally put things into perspective for us all. Her name is Jolene, and don't worry I have her permission to write this. When I first wrote Jolene, I was not even sure if she knew who I was because she had just moved back to Anderson while I was ending my stay. We did however live across the street from each other, which doesn't really mean anything but that is how she made the connection of who I was:).
Jolene is a mother of two children, ages 10 and 3, and moved back to Anderson to take care of her father who was struggling with every day life routines due to a car accident. Living in rural Alaska itself is a challenge, but when you have to care for a family member in addition to your own family, plus hit with the hardship and challenges life threw at her makes her an AMAZING woman. 2013 has been a trying year for Jolene, as in April she received a dreaded call after she had a lumpectomy and was told she had Stage 0 and a highly aggressive cell type cancer. She went ahead with a double mastectomy, and only ten days later her father that she had so tenderly cared for passed away. How she managed to continue to go on is beyond me, but I do know that you find the strength when you have kids involved. She didn't have an option to give up.
In August Jolene began her first part of reconstruction of her chest that would allow for her to have implants to be placed at a later time. It was about this time that her vehicle's engine decided to die, even though it was not even half way paid for!
As September approached, her birthday month, she had a head MRI due to nerve issues she was having on the left side of her face, and she was told she had a tumor on the underside of her brain. Honestly, still not sure how she didn't have a complete and utter breakdown! In October she went to Seattle for brain surgery, and she openly admits the fear of this surgery. I don't blame her, this scares me just writing this story. However the great news about this surgery is that the tumor was benign!
After this last surgery, she returned to Alaska and continued with the expanding for the reconstruction, as this needed to be completed before she began her radiation treatments. In December Jolene began radiation, but please remember she had to drive 80 miles one way to get her treatment and she was scheduled for one treatment a day Monday through Friday.
Now I know there are more details that have occurred, but this is just a small glimpse of Jolene's challenges in life this past year. Talk about an inspiring and empowering woman! When I wrote to Jolene, the selfless woman, who we can all learn from, stated that she prays that no woman ever has to know how strong they truly are. Yes, as tears stream down my face, because you all know how lately I can cry on a dime, I have learned that strength is something that comes from within and we never know the strength we have until we need to find it to pick ourselves up off the floor.
God bless Jolene, her children, and those who have helped her along her journey! Jolene, I hope that your one year cancer free anniversary in April is one of the best parties you have, as well as many celebrations of this victory for many years to come!
With all that Jolene has gone through, it is evident that none of this came cheap. The every day struggles of finances in general, but then to add all the medical bills, car expenses, and whatever else life throws at you, things have become a struggle. She states that her children have realized that they are low on money and that they do not ask for much and are okay with not getting it all. This is one thing that is amazing to me too because it is so hard for children to understand this, but I do believe this children have seen the strength their mother possesses and have learned to be grateful just having their mother with them.
This is one post that I am going to ask all of you reading to share and help if you can. I wouldn't write about something that I couldn't support, and I just admire Jolene's strength. One important thing I think we all need to remember from this story is that we should never take anything in life for granted. Life is precious and each moment we spend with family and friends is important. So even when we are having one of those days, I challenge you to remember Jolene's story and to remember things can change in an instant! Therefore, maybe that bad day we are having, really isn't that bad at all!
I am including the link that shares Jolene's story in greater detail, and if you have just a little to spare, I am sure she would appreciate any help as you will learn she has been handed a huge challenge in life. http://www.gofundme.com/6p0dcw
This story is about a woman I only wish I had half the strength that she has. Although I never knew her personally, I do know the town she lives in so very well, Anderson, Alaska. This quaint little town in rural Alaska made me realize the importance of community. Seriously this is a town that was 35 miles away from a gas station and 75 miles away from major stores, so you get to know folks well and you learn to rely on each other. I spent only four years in this town where I taught grades 4-6 and it honestly helped me be the person I am today. I am sure you are thinking...sure whatever Lindsay, but in the elements and the way of living it truly made me appreciate things and respect nature in ways I never knew possible.
Okay now enough about me, this is a post about an inspirational women that will totally put things into perspective for us all. Her name is Jolene, and don't worry I have her permission to write this. When I first wrote Jolene, I was not even sure if she knew who I was because she had just moved back to Anderson while I was ending my stay. We did however live across the street from each other, which doesn't really mean anything but that is how she made the connection of who I was:).
Jolene is a mother of two children, ages 10 and 3, and moved back to Anderson to take care of her father who was struggling with every day life routines due to a car accident. Living in rural Alaska itself is a challenge, but when you have to care for a family member in addition to your own family, plus hit with the hardship and challenges life threw at her makes her an AMAZING woman. 2013 has been a trying year for Jolene, as in April she received a dreaded call after she had a lumpectomy and was told she had Stage 0 and a highly aggressive cell type cancer. She went ahead with a double mastectomy, and only ten days later her father that she had so tenderly cared for passed away. How she managed to continue to go on is beyond me, but I do know that you find the strength when you have kids involved. She didn't have an option to give up.
In August Jolene began her first part of reconstruction of her chest that would allow for her to have implants to be placed at a later time. It was about this time that her vehicle's engine decided to die, even though it was not even half way paid for!
As September approached, her birthday month, she had a head MRI due to nerve issues she was having on the left side of her face, and she was told she had a tumor on the underside of her brain. Honestly, still not sure how she didn't have a complete and utter breakdown! In October she went to Seattle for brain surgery, and she openly admits the fear of this surgery. I don't blame her, this scares me just writing this story. However the great news about this surgery is that the tumor was benign!
After this last surgery, she returned to Alaska and continued with the expanding for the reconstruction, as this needed to be completed before she began her radiation treatments. In December Jolene began radiation, but please remember she had to drive 80 miles one way to get her treatment and she was scheduled for one treatment a day Monday through Friday.
Now I know there are more details that have occurred, but this is just a small glimpse of Jolene's challenges in life this past year. Talk about an inspiring and empowering woman! When I wrote to Jolene, the selfless woman, who we can all learn from, stated that she prays that no woman ever has to know how strong they truly are. Yes, as tears stream down my face, because you all know how lately I can cry on a dime, I have learned that strength is something that comes from within and we never know the strength we have until we need to find it to pick ourselves up off the floor.
God bless Jolene, her children, and those who have helped her along her journey! Jolene, I hope that your one year cancer free anniversary in April is one of the best parties you have, as well as many celebrations of this victory for many years to come!
With all that Jolene has gone through, it is evident that none of this came cheap. The every day struggles of finances in general, but then to add all the medical bills, car expenses, and whatever else life throws at you, things have become a struggle. She states that her children have realized that they are low on money and that they do not ask for much and are okay with not getting it all. This is one thing that is amazing to me too because it is so hard for children to understand this, but I do believe this children have seen the strength their mother possesses and have learned to be grateful just having their mother with them.
This is one post that I am going to ask all of you reading to share and help if you can. I wouldn't write about something that I couldn't support, and I just admire Jolene's strength. One important thing I think we all need to remember from this story is that we should never take anything in life for granted. Life is precious and each moment we spend with family and friends is important. So even when we are having one of those days, I challenge you to remember Jolene's story and to remember things can change in an instant! Therefore, maybe that bad day we are having, really isn't that bad at all!
I am including the link that shares Jolene's story in greater detail, and if you have just a little to spare, I am sure she would appreciate any help as you will learn she has been handed a huge challenge in life. http://www.gofundme.com/6p0dcw
Thursday, March 6, 2014
Concept of Time
Lordy...have you ever tried to teach the concept of time to a toddler? Lets be real...that shit is hard! Audrey is trying hard to get the concept of time, but it is a challenge. Currently I have used our calendar to mark special days down so she can refer to, but recently that concept has failed. She gets so hyper focused and excited about something and just has to ask about it or say it is tomorrow, which then turns into me repeating myself 5,000 times.
Right now we have a birthday party to attend on Sunday. Every morning she talks to me of when it is. She sings through the days of the week and we talk about what the day is today and we do a count down until the party. Tonight before she went to bed, she made a comment about how the party was tomorrow. (Insert scream and head banging) Seriously we just had this conversation and we need to do it again?!? I feel the need to correct her because I don't want her to be disappointed, but maybe I should stop making myself crazy. I totally get it is not her fault, but it sure can be tiresome, like every thing else in parenting.
I know that this is something Audrey will eventually understand, but what scares me is that probably about the time Audrey gets it I will begin this magical journey with Ayden. This is the struggle I guess all parents go through when they have children close in age. I do not regret this, but I really feel this way with all developmental milestones. It is like we get through one milestone with Audrey and it seems like we are going through the same milestone with Ayden not soon after.
This soon will pass and I will miss it, but currently I am just trying to get through it....such is life!
Right now we have a birthday party to attend on Sunday. Every morning she talks to me of when it is. She sings through the days of the week and we talk about what the day is today and we do a count down until the party. Tonight before she went to bed, she made a comment about how the party was tomorrow. (Insert scream and head banging) Seriously we just had this conversation and we need to do it again?!? I feel the need to correct her because I don't want her to be disappointed, but maybe I should stop making myself crazy. I totally get it is not her fault, but it sure can be tiresome, like every thing else in parenting.
I know that this is something Audrey will eventually understand, but what scares me is that probably about the time Audrey gets it I will begin this magical journey with Ayden. This is the struggle I guess all parents go through when they have children close in age. I do not regret this, but I really feel this way with all developmental milestones. It is like we get through one milestone with Audrey and it seems like we are going through the same milestone with Ayden not soon after.
This soon will pass and I will miss it, but currently I am just trying to get through it....such is life!
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Now I Get It!!
I remember when I first started talking about baby number 2, everyone always said two was so much easier than one. Well I beg to differ with all of you who said that. The first year and almost second year have been hard with two children, and honestly I have said to a few that they were wrong because one was so much easier. It wasn't until recently I finally got what folks were saying. My kids now actually play with each other. Seriously sit down and share and play activities...I know sounds like a very simple concept, but this is like the biggest deal in this momma's book!
It was great. Yesterday my children were playing in their little house, serving each other food and giggling. I seriously had about ten minutes to just be me without a book being shoved in my face or a a car to race around the floor. But just like every good thing in life, it had to end. The glorious time of playing together turned into a knock down, drag out fight over who was going to be the cook. At one point I saw Ayden had Audrey in a head lock and was attempting to bite her.
I think what gets me the most is this constant fighting. I just don't understand how one moment things are calm and serene, and then the next moment there is a serious wrestling match occurring. It has been brought to my attention by my mother that it will only get worse....thanks Mom! I know there will be arguments, but I sure am hoping that there will be more playing together than the physical fighting. I know Ayden is at that age where he doesn't communicate well and his actions are the only way to express, but holy aggression some days!
So here I go, those of you who said it is easier to have more kids than one, you are correct when it comes to that age where they can entertain themselves. However my advice is this, it may be easier when they are both over two, but when they are young it is just hard! Like question your sanity of why you decided to have kids so close together hard, but it is totally worth it in the long run...just very exhausting!
It was great. Yesterday my children were playing in their little house, serving each other food and giggling. I seriously had about ten minutes to just be me without a book being shoved in my face or a a car to race around the floor. But just like every good thing in life, it had to end. The glorious time of playing together turned into a knock down, drag out fight over who was going to be the cook. At one point I saw Ayden had Audrey in a head lock and was attempting to bite her.
I think what gets me the most is this constant fighting. I just don't understand how one moment things are calm and serene, and then the next moment there is a serious wrestling match occurring. It has been brought to my attention by my mother that it will only get worse....thanks Mom! I know there will be arguments, but I sure am hoping that there will be more playing together than the physical fighting. I know Ayden is at that age where he doesn't communicate well and his actions are the only way to express, but holy aggression some days!
So here I go, those of you who said it is easier to have more kids than one, you are correct when it comes to that age where they can entertain themselves. However my advice is this, it may be easier when they are both over two, but when they are young it is just hard! Like question your sanity of why you decided to have kids so close together hard, but it is totally worth it in the long run...just very exhausting!
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
A Greasy Situation
I can't even believe I am writing this post about this crazy issue that I have, greasy hair. I have always had greasy hair, like not bad, but by the end of the day it was noticeably greasy to me. I always thought that you wash greasy hair every day and it is something I just live with, extra oil for me, but after my research I have done, washing thick, greasy hair daily makes your hair greasier. Freaking fantastic, I have been doing things wrong for over 30 years, and that brings me to my problem now.
It wasn't until we moved here to Nebraska that I noticed I was having this greasy hair issue. I have been blaming it mainly on our water softener because that is the only thing that drastically changed from Colorado to here. However I think I have a bigger issue than the water softener. I wash my hair daily, every other day I alternate between a few different shampoos so I do not get excessive build up, but once I dry my hair, my hair is more greasy than it was when I got in the shower to wash it. I think it was Saturday I had gotten to my wits end. I researched and read about some ways to help with this build up issue and I figured it really couldn't get any worse than it already is. I mean you could fry an egg on the crown of my head that is how gross we are talking here. Once again, still wondering why I am still writing this down!
So I figured I was going to begin with a lemon juice rinse. I would get in the shower and literally wash my hair with just 1/4 fresh lemon juice with 1 cup water. The smart gal I am I mixed this concoction in a measuring cup and took it into the shower with me. I wet the bottom part of my hair and began working the solution into my hair. I got the top part of my head wet, dump on more solution and of course got the dam stuff in my eyes...you would think I would know that it probably wouldn't feel good, but I kept on working the solution into my scalp until it was all gone. I rinsed well and I have never been more excited to get out of the shower and blow dry my hair.
It was time to see if this concoction really worked. I finished up drying my hair and I was in tears. Once again I had greasy hair, but also a few extra lemon chunks/pieces in my hair as well that never got rinsed out. Seriously what was I going to do now. Then I remembered I read that flour absorbs oil in the hair as well. I marched myself down the stairs and began working flour into the crown of my head and wherever else I felt my hair was greasy. I came upstairs to then comb out my hair and realized my hair was no longer dark brown at the top of my head but was a gray color. Flipping fantastic! I had a church and a preschool open house to help out at and I had a discolored, greasy mop of hair on top of my head! I just brushed my hair and put it in a barrette so that it covered most of the discoloration and just called it a day.
Funny thing is by the end of the day, my hair actually felt smooth, so I thought that something was working. So onto Monday's experience. I rinsed again with a new lemon juice mixture and put it in a shampoo bottle so I did not have it running down my face. Got out of the shower and blow dried my hair. Now it was a little greasy, but not as bad as what I have been used to. I assumed I am making progress. However by the time we finished our errands to physical therapy and Mud Pies, my hair was greasy again. So I fixed the kids lunch and went to town on my hair with flour. Now Audrey is watching me this entire time, asking questions and I told her I was just putting water on my head because the last thing I need her into is the flour. I guess I am glad that I told her this too because I found her after she washed her hands putting water on her head just like mom. Sigh...why can't she pick the normal things I do, but wait do I do anything normal?
The conclusion of this all is that I think the lemon juice stuff is working, but I am not sure what else to do. I have found a couple shampoo recommendations online for my oily hair, but if any of you know of a great solution I am more than willing to try within reason. I am sure this may have to do with hormones and age, but geesh isn't all the other things in life enough?
So today if you feel you are having or you had a bad hair day, just think of me and my flour covered head and simply smile at yourself in the mirror and embrace that bad hair day because at least your hair isn't greasy and gray due to flour!
It wasn't until we moved here to Nebraska that I noticed I was having this greasy hair issue. I have been blaming it mainly on our water softener because that is the only thing that drastically changed from Colorado to here. However I think I have a bigger issue than the water softener. I wash my hair daily, every other day I alternate between a few different shampoos so I do not get excessive build up, but once I dry my hair, my hair is more greasy than it was when I got in the shower to wash it. I think it was Saturday I had gotten to my wits end. I researched and read about some ways to help with this build up issue and I figured it really couldn't get any worse than it already is. I mean you could fry an egg on the crown of my head that is how gross we are talking here. Once again, still wondering why I am still writing this down!
So I figured I was going to begin with a lemon juice rinse. I would get in the shower and literally wash my hair with just 1/4 fresh lemon juice with 1 cup water. The smart gal I am I mixed this concoction in a measuring cup and took it into the shower with me. I wet the bottom part of my hair and began working the solution into my hair. I got the top part of my head wet, dump on more solution and of course got the dam stuff in my eyes...you would think I would know that it probably wouldn't feel good, but I kept on working the solution into my scalp until it was all gone. I rinsed well and I have never been more excited to get out of the shower and blow dry my hair.
It was time to see if this concoction really worked. I finished up drying my hair and I was in tears. Once again I had greasy hair, but also a few extra lemon chunks/pieces in my hair as well that never got rinsed out. Seriously what was I going to do now. Then I remembered I read that flour absorbs oil in the hair as well. I marched myself down the stairs and began working flour into the crown of my head and wherever else I felt my hair was greasy. I came upstairs to then comb out my hair and realized my hair was no longer dark brown at the top of my head but was a gray color. Flipping fantastic! I had a church and a preschool open house to help out at and I had a discolored, greasy mop of hair on top of my head! I just brushed my hair and put it in a barrette so that it covered most of the discoloration and just called it a day.
Funny thing is by the end of the day, my hair actually felt smooth, so I thought that something was working. So onto Monday's experience. I rinsed again with a new lemon juice mixture and put it in a shampoo bottle so I did not have it running down my face. Got out of the shower and blow dried my hair. Now it was a little greasy, but not as bad as what I have been used to. I assumed I am making progress. However by the time we finished our errands to physical therapy and Mud Pies, my hair was greasy again. So I fixed the kids lunch and went to town on my hair with flour. Now Audrey is watching me this entire time, asking questions and I told her I was just putting water on my head because the last thing I need her into is the flour. I guess I am glad that I told her this too because I found her after she washed her hands putting water on her head just like mom. Sigh...why can't she pick the normal things I do, but wait do I do anything normal?
The conclusion of this all is that I think the lemon juice stuff is working, but I am not sure what else to do. I have found a couple shampoo recommendations online for my oily hair, but if any of you know of a great solution I am more than willing to try within reason. I am sure this may have to do with hormones and age, but geesh isn't all the other things in life enough?
So today if you feel you are having or you had a bad hair day, just think of me and my flour covered head and simply smile at yourself in the mirror and embrace that bad hair day because at least your hair isn't greasy and gray due to flour!
Monday, March 3, 2014
The House of Prayer
I recently was overwhelmed with Audrey and Ayden the other day and I mumbled under my breathe, "Please God give me the strength to not lose my mind!" I thought I had mumbled, but evidently not because this moment of weakness sparked huge interest to Audrey. She has really been intrigued with what mom and dad do. She wants to do everything we do, and I guess she was inspired by that small cry for help to God because she is a praying fool. Now we are not a big prayer family. I mean we talk about saying prayers, but we normally do this on our own time and quietly. However Audrey has taken this to the extreme.
Audrey loves to say grace at dinner time, and now we say it at every meal, including snack. It is something she wants to do, so I try and support her. Ayden even gets into it and wants to lead a prayer at dinner. His goes something like this, "Blah, blah, blah, Aaaaaaaaaaa-MEN!" He really only likes the Amen party, but he wants to be just like his sister so he gives it his best effort.
Now I am not sure if Audrey really understands what prayer is truly about and if she understands it is not really a way to demand for things to go your way, but currently this is the way she is doing this whole prayer thing. Tyler and I have had to hide our faces due to some of the hysterical things she prays about. I know her intentions are good and she is trying so hard, but good gravy this kid has some crazy prayer requests.
Since it is a Monday and it is typically hard to find humor, I wanted to share just a few of the prayers I overheard at our table this weekend by Audrey.
Dear God,
Please give me the strength to deal with my brother saying the word uh-oh.
Amen
Dear God,
Please give me the patience to help Ayden to not pull apart his peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
Amen
Dear God,
Please give the help to remember to stop sticking my hands in my mouth.
Amen
Dear God,
Please give me the strength to make my mom stop telling me what to do.
Amen
Dear God,
Please give me the strength to get my way, even though I do not want to listen.
Amen
Dear God,
Please let me be good so I can earn my special pen, coloring thing.
Amen
Dear God,
Please let Ayden listen to my directions when playing with the dinosaurs.
Amen
Now I am sure I am not recalling all of the prayers I heard, but her prayer request is definitely focused around what Audrey wants. I think I am going to let her keep praying and address the bigger issue at a later time. She is only 3 1/2 and lets face it, in her mind the world revolves around her!
Audrey loves to say grace at dinner time, and now we say it at every meal, including snack. It is something she wants to do, so I try and support her. Ayden even gets into it and wants to lead a prayer at dinner. His goes something like this, "Blah, blah, blah, Aaaaaaaaaaa-MEN!" He really only likes the Amen party, but he wants to be just like his sister so he gives it his best effort.
Now I am not sure if Audrey really understands what prayer is truly about and if she understands it is not really a way to demand for things to go your way, but currently this is the way she is doing this whole prayer thing. Tyler and I have had to hide our faces due to some of the hysterical things she prays about. I know her intentions are good and she is trying so hard, but good gravy this kid has some crazy prayer requests.
Since it is a Monday and it is typically hard to find humor, I wanted to share just a few of the prayers I overheard at our table this weekend by Audrey.
Dear God,
Please give me the strength to deal with my brother saying the word uh-oh.
Amen
Dear God,
Please give me the patience to help Ayden to not pull apart his peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
Amen
Dear God,
Please give the help to remember to stop sticking my hands in my mouth.
Amen
Dear God,
Please give me the strength to make my mom stop telling me what to do.
Amen
Dear God,
Please give me the strength to get my way, even though I do not want to listen.
Amen
Dear God,
Please let me be good so I can earn my special pen, coloring thing.
Amen
Dear God,
Please let Ayden listen to my directions when playing with the dinosaurs.
Amen
Now I am sure I am not recalling all of the prayers I heard, but her prayer request is definitely focused around what Audrey wants. I think I am going to let her keep praying and address the bigger issue at a later time. She is only 3 1/2 and lets face it, in her mind the world revolves around her!
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