A Little Bit of This and That

I haven't been a very good blogger for awhile now. I feel like I have so much to say and unsure where to begin. So for now this bullet point list will fill you in on what is going on. {Sorry}

*My son has been taking ADHD medication for the past year. I am not happy that he is on it and he isn't happy about it either. So I have been researching dietary changes and essential oils that could help with his hyperactive and unfocused behavior. So in an effort to help him we have switched to raw Guernsey cow milk instead of rice milk. {I will do a blog post about why we switched to raw Guernsey cow milk ... soon}

 

and we are using Young Living Essential Oils as well.

If you are interested in Young Living Essential Oils please feel free to contact me at mindymayw {at} gmail {dot} com.

* I started a part-time job. I am now a server at a local restaurant 2-3 nights a week. I love that I am able to be home with my family during the day but I hate leaving them all home to go to work. It is nice that I am able to bring home extra money to make ends meet.

* The company my husband works for was bought out. Thankfully he still has his job but it has changed our financial situation. Instead of being paid weekly he is now paid bi-weekly. He used to be able to work overtime and now he has to clock out promptly at 5 pm. Also, the volume of work has changed. {He is paid solely on commission. So if there is no work he won't make any money.} Hence why I started working.

* Maysie loves making messes. She loves hiding her magnets in the spot between the freezer door and the refrigerator door. 

Also, she loves pushing her chair up to the sink. Granted she cannot reach the sink and she will cry until you put her up on the counter to wash her hands. 

She loves spreading her toys all over the living room. 

This is a very tame picture. I try to pick up all.day.long. so that it doesn't get out of control. 

* Our cat, Fiona, is not typically a people person but for some reason lately she cuddles up with me at night while I am watching TV or reading. 

* We made Jiffy Pop popcorn on the stove. The boys thought it was very primitive. They kept asking why we couldn't just pop popcorn in the microwave. {Just wait until I start bringing home bags of popcorn that we will pop in a pan on the stove. I think it will really blow their minds.}

* At the end of July the boys are going to camp with church for A WHOLE WEEK! I cannot believe they are old enough to go. Financially we are not really in a place to send both of them {or one of them for that matter} but since they are both going to junior high this year we feel that it is important to have a spiritual grounding before they go. We want them on fire for God so when they are faced with things in junior high they will know how to handle them. 

* Lastly, I am working my butt off on making our budget work for us. I really want to cut cable {and save us $130 a month} but to really get us off the couch. I want to be intentional about what we watch and not continue spending too much time on the couch. I want to interact as a family. Now that the boys are getting older I don't want them hanging out in their room playing video games. The closer we are as a family the easier they will be able to handle trouble at school. I want to keep our lines of communication open. 

* I started a budget binder. I am good at getting bills paid but I am not great at going back to my budget to see if I am staying on budget or not. {This is for when it comes to groceries or gas.} Also, in my budget binder I keep Casey Leigh's blog post about the day her husband quit his job. This is one of the best posts on following your dreams regardless of your bank account posts!!! {They had negative money in their bank account when he quit his job.} I read this post a lot. I read it as encouragement. Just because our bank accounts are not spilling over with money we can still live the life we want to!! You can read the entire post here ... http://www.thewiegands.com/2011/03/family-news.html

* I am dreaming big dreams right now. Only I am holding myself back. {Well that and the fact that my husband and I both have kids from prior relationships. I feel like it is a chain that locks us down.} I want a life different from the one I am living. I want less electronics and more conversations. I want to make homemade food and listen to my children as they eat what I have made. I want to have more babies. I want to go on adventures even if they are in our backyard. 

So that is what is going on in my life right now ... just a little bit of this and that.

Hello Monday {Catching Up}

Hello Monday!

It has been too long since I have posted. Posting on Monday's is my favorite because it always is a great start to my week. 

It helps me to see the beauty that is all around me. 

I can focus on all the positive things and forget the negative!

So here goes ... 

Hello water with cucumber, lemon, and raspberries. I need to remember to drink water throughout the day. Otherwise, I will only drink my coffee in the morning. I am trying to be better.

Hello little cowgirl! She is obsessed with these cowboy boots right now. They are a little big but she insists upon wearing them. I love it!!

Hello ELMO! Maysie loves Elmo and this dancing one is her favorite thing. She brings him everywhere! 

Hello my loves! Watching these two love on each other melts my heart every . single . time! Maysie loves her brother, Jacob. He adores her {well until she messes up his room}. There love is contagious!

Hello new furniture!! Dan {my hubby} and I went to IKEA and bought new furniture! I am so happy. I still need to find pillows and a rug to brighten everything up! 

Hello Essential Oils pocket reference! My friend gave me this book to help me with using my Young Living Essential Oils. I love picking up this book and looking through it. 

Happy Monday Everyone!

Hello Monday

Well Spring Break is finally over ... while I will miss spending time with Jacob ... I am happy that we are back to our regular schedule.

Jacob works better with a schedule. And truthfully so do I. {Now if I could get a cleaning schedule in order that actually works for me!}

So ... how about some hellos?

Hello my handsome young man! Jacob picked this outfit out for his cousin's christening. And at the very last minute he wanted a new haircut! He looks so handsome. 

Hello styling products. I don't use anything in my hair {probably why it is flat and sticks to my face} but this young man needed styling mouse with his new haircut.

Hello spring mantle! Although it isn't finished yet ... I still want to add a pom pom banner and change out the old photos ... I love how it looks. I copied the chalkboard from Pleated Poppy. {The pom pom balls are used following her instructions as well.}

Hello chocolate chip cookies! I have been baking up a storm since I got my KitchenAid Artisan Mixer. Since we were out of cookies I knew I needed to make more! Yum!!

Hello 2 year Anniversary!! Since our anniverary falls on Easter Sunday this year we are celebrating a week early. We are still working out the details but my Mom is watching Maysie and Jacob and Christian will be at their other parents houses for the weekend. This is the first time we will be away from Maysie overnight.

Hello little one! She has been loving pinapple lately! I am constantly cutting pieces for her. We are fighting some stuffy noses and colds around here so fresh fruit should help. Or at least it is making me think it is. 

Happy Monday!

Hello Monday! {Spring Break}

Oh what a Monday it has been!

It is officially the first day of Spring Break! And what a glorious one at that. The weather was beautiful and the kids played outside all day. They climbed trees, bounced on pogo sticks, rode scooters, played basketball, practiced riding on Rip-sticks, and played soccer. Whoo and that was in the first hour of the day! I can't wait to see what tomorrow holds. 

Hello sweet girl. She has been wearing this mitten for days. If she can't find her mitten she will find a dirty sock someone has left around and wear that instead. Gross but I pick my battles with this fiery little one.

Hello Ikea shopping trip. We are looking at the grey couches/sectionals they carry. I love the clean lines of the furniture but I am not sure about a sectional. I feel like it doesn't seat as many people.

Hello my hunky husband. He loves sectionals. We are trying to compromise even though there really isn't a compromise in this one. I love being married. I love Ikea. Win Win. Furniture is just furniture.

Hello chairs and spotlights. Maysie could not stop sitting on every single piece of furniture. I couldn't stop laughing. She was so good marching around Ikea.

Hello colors. I just smile thinking about colors. Of course I have my favorites but I love them all. Can I decorate my house with every single color of the rainbow and then some? 

Hello Dottie dog. We are watching my Mom's dog while she is in Florida for Spring Break. She is a great dog but she has the worst breath. Can you give a dog a mint or put some peppermint essential oils in her water? Seriously, it is so bad.

Hello Elmo! Well we finally found an Elmo shirt ... in the boys section ... at Buy Buy Baby. Obviously, she is so happy. One night, one nap, and one entire day she has worn this shirt. I had to pry it off of her so I could wash it. 

Hello the world's best big brother! Oh boy does this picture just melt my heart. He is the most kind and compassionate brother ... EVER! I just want to bottle them both up right now. I mean seriously ... how many 11 year olds play with their little sister while their friends are around?? Love this boy!

I can't wait to continue our wonderful Spring Break! 

Happy Monday!

Hello Monday!

Today has flown by and to be honest I got nothing checked off my list ... unless you count being outside enjoying the "warmer" weather.

It is a relatively quiet week here ... which is nice. 

So ... how about a few hellos.

Hello my daring child! If you aren't looking she will climb up on the table to dance. It drives me crazy but she is so dang cute. 

Hello wellies! They are too big on her but she loves wearing them. She is definitely a shoe girl.

Hello front porch! I can't wait to sit on you again and read. I can watch the children play, hear their laughter, and take in the air. 

Hello my silly kiddos! You make me laugh so hard! I enjoy every single minute with you! Well until the pre-teenager attitude comes out. 

Hello trophy! Even though his team came in 4th place they received an awesome trophy at the awards ceremony. He was beyond thrilled. 

Hello Lisa Leonard charms!! I finally got them in the mail after an issue with my Mom's address. I love hearing them clang and jingle all day long. They make me so happy!!

Hello little mommy! She plays with babies all day long and I love it. She changes their diapers, calls them stinky, and carries them around in a bucket. 

Happy Monday everyone!

5 on Friday!

I have been reading The Girl in the Red Shoes blog for a while now and I love how she does 5 on Friday. I love all of her posts with her son Hudson and her family but I really love her 5 on Friday posts. So I decided it was time I join in on all the fun. She links up at the good life blog. Come check out all the fun!

*one* 

I have been looking into essential oils for a while now and I just decided to take the leap. I signed up to be a member and ordered the premium starter kit. Now I just can't wait to receive it in the mail. The two things I am hoping to get from these oils would be to create a calm and peaceful home that allows my son and daughter to sleep better at night and I want to use the oils to help my son with his ADHD. I promise I will let you know how this goes. If you are interested in purchasing oils email me and I can help you with that. 

*two*

I love Nora Roberts! I love her trilogies because they mix history and romance. I just found this trilogy that I never heard about. I have read her Inn at Boonsboro trilogy and her Bride Quartet books. So hopefully sometime soon I will be able to read these!!

*three*

I have been drinking a ton more water. I am drinking it in a large mason jar but it doesn't have a lid. And if I leave it anywhere in Maysie's reach she dumps it out on the floor. I would love this mason jar mug from Target. I think it is a necessity.

*four*

I have seen this Wonderfully Made t-shirt on a few bloggers {Casey Wiegand} and I love it. I am kind of a sucker for gray t-shirts! 

*five*

With summmer hopefully around the corner {although it doesn't feel like it in Chicago} my kiddos will need swimsuits. These cute and bright suits are at Target and both are for a great price. My husband isn't crazy about the idea of a two piece for a one year old but this one is super cute. Also, since Jacob is so fair skinned I love seeing him in blue. They both could rock these suits. 

So that is what I am drooling over right now! This was fun. I think I will have to do 5 on Friday again!!

Happy Friday!

Our New Schedule {Life with a Toddler & an 11 year old}

If you read my last post {Midweek Confessions} you know that I am trying to give more structure to Maysie's day. {To be honest, I am trying this because she is the WORST sleeper. Hopefully, scheduling her day will help her nap and sleep at night. Fingers crossed!} During most days, I would just tell her to play and she would want to be with me doing whatever I am doing. Most of the time, I let her join in unless it is cooking dinner on the hot stove. Then I let her cry at my feet. 

So in order to give my little one more structure I am coming up with fun things for her to do while I get things done around the house. 

This is what our more structured day looks like ...

7:30 am - I get up as my husband is walking out the door. Drink my one and only cup of coffee {Boo, but since I am still nursing and my supply is getting low I am doing everything in my power to keep my supply up. Hello water. Hello fenugreek. Good bye caffeine.}

8:00 am - Get Jacob up. Some days he takes a shower and some days he just gets dressed and fixes his hair.  He drinks his coffee and takes his ADHD medication. He will usually scramble himself an egg for breakfast. He puts his lunch in his backpack.

8:15 am - Get Maysie up. I change her into clothes and fix her crazy hair. Get her a sippy cup with juice. 

8:30 am - Time to go to school! Load everyone up in the car and get Jacob to school so he can be safety patrol. 

8:45 am - Get home. Grab Maysie a banana or scramble her some eggs. She eats a quick breakfast and then it is time for me to get ready for the day.

9:15 am - Get my butt in the shower. I let Maysie play with all her bath toys while I shower. Typically, she just throws them in the shower with me and then cries for me to give them back to her. 

9:30 am - Put Maysie on my bed and she watches Sesame Street. Right now she loves Elmo!! She will sit still for 15 minutes with her books and Elmo. So I have to put my make up on, dry my hair, and get dressed in 15 minutes. Whew ... it feels like I have been up forever already.

9:45 - 11:00 am - Structured Play Time. I try to plan for a few different activities. {Painting, making salt dough foot and hand prints, making cookies, sorting beans in a muffin tin, color}

11:15 am - Time to make lunch. Maysie typically has one slice of lunch meat, mandarin oranges, and cucumbers with ranch dressing. I have left overs from the night before. If worse comes to worse I will make myself a sandwich. 

11:45 am - Free play. Maysie will play with her tractor or her baby dolls. Or drag 30 balloons around the house scaring the cat. That's just how she rolls.

12:45 pm - Time to take a break or a nap as some people call it. If I say the word nap Maysie cries but if I say it is time to take a break she comes upstairs with me no problem or tears. We get onto my bed, read 3 books {ending with The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry, and The Big Hungry Bear ... her favorite}. We put the books down and close our eyes. {Seriously, just like that and she is sleeping. Sometimes so am I. But she gets so warm it is hard not to cuddle with her!}

1:15 pm - Mommy time. During this time I try to do household chores {clean the kitchen, do laundry, vacuum} and then I give myself a break and read a book. {I just finished reading The Antelope in the Living Room by Melanie Shankle .... loved it!!!}

3:10 pm - Maysie is awake. I change her diaper and get her a sippy cup. It is time to get ready to go get Jacob from school. 

3:30 pm - Wait for Jacob to get in the car. 

3:45 pm - Get home from school and time to get homework done. Jacob has to read for 20 minutes every night, has a math worksheet, and some nights he has spelling homework. During this time I keep Maysie entertained so she doesn't drive Jacob crazy. 

5:00 pm - Jacob plays video games if it is cold outside or plays outside if it is even remotely warm. I start making dinner. 

6:15 pm - Get dinner on the table. Maysie eats the same dinner that we do. I just cut things up in smaller pieces for her. 

6:45 pm - Dinner over. Time to clean up the kitchen. Since my husband works on cars and since we live in Chicago he is really busy at work. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday he works late. If he is home then Maysie plays with him. Otherwise, I pull up a chair and Maysie helps me do the dishes and load the dishwasher. 

7:15 pm - Get the coffee ready for the morning. Make Jacob's lunch. Wipe down the counters. 

7:45 pm - Play with Maysie in the living room and watch some shows that I have DVRed. Jacob will typically hang out with us. 

8:30 pm - Time to give Maysie a bath. {Maysie has super sensative skin. So we use Ology Chamomile & Lavender body wash and lotion. She smells delicious!}

9:00 pm - Get Maysie dressed in her pajamas. Tell Jacob he only has 30 minutes before bed. {OK, my son loves video games. He likes to play them all night long. I typically let him because Maysie is so needy but this needs to change. I miss hanging out with him and video games drive me crazy.}

9:15 pm - Time to take a break or go to bed for Maysie. Maysie grabs her baby and baby Bobby and heads upstairs. We snuggle up on my bed and read our three books. After reading, it is time to close our eyes. Maysie falls asleep. 

9:45 pm - Time for Jacob to go to bed. He changes into his pajamas and comes down stairs to give me a kiss and a hug. 

10:00 pm - My time. Hopefully my husband is home. Sometimes he is and sometimes he isn't. If he is I listen to him share about his day and I tell him about mine. If he isn't I watch tv, blog, read, or mess around on the computer. 

12:00 am - Time for me to go to bed. I don't know what it is but I need to stay up until midnight. It is probably the rebel in me or it is because I like a quiet house. 

Special Notes

* Some days I substitute teach. So then this schedule goes out the window. Maysie goes to my Aunt Patsy's house.

* On Wednesday, Maysie and I go to My Gym from 11:45 to 12:45.

* On Thursdays, Jacob has indoor soccer practice from 7-8 pm.