B is for....

Tomorrow starts our first week of tot school.....   Here at that Wacky W's we will working on the letter B.....boys, brothers, baseball, bugs, bumblebees, birds, butterflies and so on.... what things can you identify that starts with B?   My favorite is Bubby!!!  I can't wait to start with him tomorrow!!
Check it out to see what we are doing!
Think good  thoughts.   Kiss your Kids.  Smile louder. Love the Lord.

p.s. S is still sick - looks like we are going to the doctors!

Sick Kiddos

As S's temp rose to 102.8 and I began to get just a little frantic, I couldn't help but thinking how thankful I am that this is a once in awhile thing.  My baby girl will get better. There are some babies that are sick constantly.  I continue to pray them and their parents.   My brain/imagination tends to run wild.  As I'm rocking S and singing her songs, I start thinking that she could die in one of those freak weird illnesses where within 24 hours they baby dies.  (So of course  start crying)... then I realize I have very little to be worried about.  I mean yes at the time I can worry plenty, but...

do you find yourself stressing out majorly that you have work to, kids to feed, bathe, play with, and get into bed.  A spouse/relationship to keep nurturing.  house to clean. laundry to do. food to make.  family to see. friends to talk to.  facebook friends to stalk. pins to pin. blogs to blog. and life is just too much.   But really, how many people would love have such problems.  How many women can have children or miscarry?  How many single girls or guys are looking for someone they can trust and marry.  (Yes he/she might annoy the shit out of you and drive you nuts, but when the chips are down they are by your side.  your best friend. your partner. your spouse.)  I might not have gotten any sleep b/c of a sick baby girl. but there are parents out there who wish they had only a few nights with a sick baby.

So, I know it's super hard when your in the trenches, but remember this is our choice.  We are so lucky. Thank God for all your for blessings (sometimes in the disguise of these stresses).

Think good  thoughts.   Kiss your Kids.  Smile louder. Love the Lord.

Favorite bloggers...

I am a die hard blog reader... I can't help it. I have started to shy away from photographer blogs it just fills my head with too much stuff but there are some AMAZING women that I read almost daily. I feel like I am friends with them.. does that make me a loser? I do email and correspond with them so I think can count them as my friends. They are inspirational, funny and real. Their lives down end happy everyday, they share struggles I didn't know existed. They rock so I highly recommend you check them out! 

1. Katherine Marie, she does the coolest things with her kids and posts rockin' photographs to display it all check her out HERE!

2. Sara Denckoff - She is a Saint Louis mama and is SO FUNNY! I mean seriously the trials and tribulations with elementary kids that she talks about is so funny! She also did a NYE scavenger hunt around STL and it looked amazing... we should think about this for next year! HERE


3. Ashleyann... I want my blog to be as beautiful as her's! I mean its awesome! (Side note my house is about to get very busy any minute so I probably won't actually post this til tonight... what a shame!) Anyway, Ashleyann is a rockin' photographer, mom to 3 boys and a girl and is in the process of adopting a baby from China! She documents her life in ways that would drive my husband CRAZY but I long to document and love the way she does it! HERE 


4. Lyndsay Stradtner (most of my blog reading starts with photographers but ends up on their personal blogs because they are just so amazing!) This mama is one to be reckoned with! She just recently took her daughter who has food allergies out of the public school and is homeschooling her because of the school's lack of commitment to keep her daughter safe. I know most of aren't to school age yet but the school's suck when it comes to food allergies... I don't know why they are so behind on the times but they are.. that will be a post for another day. Anyway, scroll back through some of Lyndsay's older posts she is also an incredible activist for what is going into our food and has really opened my eyes (she started my whole CSA action). HERE


5. Erin Cobb - Oh her adorable blonde haired children you could just eat up they are so cute! They live in Alabama, Erin is a photographer just bought a little house just for her photography studio (she has her own home but now she has another house too!) She is just cool. Everything about her. HERE


6. The Anderson Crew - They are new to my little blog life (lol) but she is a mama with a ton of kids and I love her for that. She is so adorable and really lays life out like it should be. HERE


7. Karen Russell - THIS WOMAN IS AMAZING! Her husband is in Afghanistan, she writes comically, and at the end of every post has a tag line just for Josh Downs her husband. She is so fabulous! I mean her kids are hilarious and the way she documents her life is so inspiring.. she is stuck with me as a blog reader for life. HERE 

Well that is all I have for now but not all I love! Maybe a part two will come later! 

"Talk to each other like you are talking to Jesus"

A few things I should just comment on really quickly, I don't have a lot of time to blog. I sometimes hardly have time to breathe or even take a shower (Comment if you can think of when the last time was you took a shower :P) Anyway, I type like I talk. I will probably have TERRIBLE GRAMMAR and I AM SO SORRY for that! Seriously, its not intentional and I am sure if I went back and re-read what I wrote it wouldn't be as awful but the chances of that happening are slim to none. Please feel free to comment if its just absolutely killing you and you hate to read my posts because of it. I will promise I will find an online editor.

I am posting a picture of Magnus. I love him and you should too. I also hate posting with out posting a picture, it bugs me and haunts me. So here he is. Ps if you need a rocking photographer check me out HERE. I am awesome. 

Let me address my post title. Today, I had a house full of boys and it was busy. (If you have boys, or are having a boy plan on getting yourself a train table it is absolutely the best investment I have ever made) They were entertained ALL MORNING by the train table and it encompasses all ages which is another reason I love it. Granted we are going to use an air gun to nail down our track and trains because well its just a hot mess every night and the Mac Daddy aka my husband is getting really tired of putting it back together so I gave in and told him he can nail the bad boy down. Totally off topic. I heard from a person on THE TALK (which if you are looking for a show to fill your soul at 1pm weekdays you should totally check it out) anyway she said something along the lines of "I talk to people like I am talking to Jesus and if I get angry and I blow up I get down and apologize right there before they have a chance to walk away" and I. can't. stop. thinking. about. it. I mean really, I can't. I am obsessed with it. What an amazing way to think about every conversation I have with someone. I am not a die hard religious freak, in fact the last time my little family of 3 stepped into a church was the day my son was baptized when he was 6 weeks old. It's not really the way I want his childhood to grow up however, I tend to work on Sundays or if I am lucky I get to sleep in! Sorry God but this mama needs to sleep! As my boys were whining and arguing I started to tell them "Let's think about this, talk to each other as if you are talking to Jesus" now these are school age kids I am talking to not my toddlers. I am not sure it made a difference for them because they aren't actually my kids but I can see myself repeating that phrase to my own little one's for years to come. I think its a good thought just to hold on to, to me it is not anything similar to those "WWJD" bracelets that were so in for a minute but really more about a conscious effort to watch my tongue. I would never tell Jesus to "eff off" nor should I tell the people I love to eff off even if I want too or mutter it under my breath. I am a work in progress and I like it that way. 

Ps I am making my first CSA fruit/vegetable purchase tonight it opens back up at 11 and I will be able to pick it up on the 25th! 

We also did Meatless Monday's, I am not sure who started it but a friend of mine on Facebook posts about it all the time! Last night I made a mac and cheese bake with black beans and sauteed onions in beef bouillon it was SO GOOD! I mean to take a picture but then I started eating it. 

On Friday I am going to be making home made bread and vanilla soy milk. Make sure you check back to see how that goes, I am hoping to get some help from my boys but as busy as they are I imagine it will be more mess than fun! But messes are fun... right?!?! Feel free to comment and let us know if you are doing the CSA too!

This sums it up -holy cow!!

"By investing more time in our children, we are helping them mount up over inertia, over laziness, bad habits, self-centeredness and giving them practice at developing good habits, skills, abilities, all of which need to be intentionally nurtured, taught, modeled and trained into them by their parents" posted today on  The Better Mom - seriously awesome website!

Meeting me - read if you have time.

Let's just start by saying I'm crazy.  It shows it what I say, how I write, what I do and so on.  Let's also just say, I hope you have ADD because when I write/speak/think, my brain jumps from place to place and back again. (I also have this horrible habit of not editing or reading what I wrote!)   That is me!    I am a momma of two wonderfully energetic stubborn happy children. (wife, daughter, friend, etc. but I am mostly a woman of God.)   Now  (see how I just can't keep on on thought?!?!), that you have met me, - wait we didn't meet.  I am Kathy .  There done.  you now know me. Good night.  .

What were you expecting more?!?!

I'm thinking you might want to stop reading now... the rest is probably just going to be a spewing words

oh okay.  So when I think of who I am, I like to say that I thrive on craziness.  The more I have to do, the more I get done and the better I feel   For the past few years, I've fallen into a funk.  I am in a me centered, lazy state; wherein I should get what I want beacause I deserve it - WHAT?!?!?  what happened to that old me who liked to give back and not be lazy?  I'm not sure, but the me I have become or should I say am becoming is someone I can love.)  I"m not sure I always love myself; certainly not my body.  But darn it (trying to keep it kid friendly - most likely the only time I will remember b/c I tend to have  mouth like sailor (well I've reformed a bit)) (side note - I open lots of parenthasis but don't always close them- just an fyi)) - let's throw in a few more to make sure I've closed them all. ))))))))))))))))))))    I"m going to learn (see how I cam back to it and finally finished that thought - I'm so sorry!)

I have realized, decided, and committed myself (no not committed myself - haha) to being a better mom, wife, friend and person.  I know not very specific, however....  I've always  heard that once you believe you are going to loose weight you will do it- attitude is half the battle.  Bull shit.   Well, that's what I used to think: bullshit, but in the last 3 weeks I realized it's not bullshit - I seriously feel like I have the Jesus rays coming off me. AHHHH moment!  I've been afraid of being the real me.  I won't be me if I loose weight.  NOT TRUE!   See I get off on these tangents.  Back to my goal of being a better me; first and foremost me (No, this not all about me) - I will get to my point!   I'm exercising and eating better.  I want to be able to play with my kids.  Run with them,  not just sit on the sideline watching them.  I want to jump up when they do and not feel like I have the help myself up.  I want to teach them to be healthy eaters.  All food is okay, you just need to control it!   I already know that K has a ridiculous metabolism, but that doesn't mean he should he fast food and junk b/c one day it will go away and then where will he be?!?!   We should take care of this beautiful body God has given us- he made me just this way (sometimes I'm not sure why, but hey - God has a plan).

Next (and the biggest focus)a better mom -  I am creating an safe environment of love, learning, exploring and fun for K & S (my kiddos) (at least that's what I want to work towards).   I always wanted to be a stay at home mom, but it's hard work and I want to give my best.  Just like any job where there are performance reviews, bonus and goals, I too have them.... are my kids thoughtful, generous and kind? (performance- check), bonus - hugs and kisses.  Goal- me not killing them or me.   So, I want to stay focused (don't laugh too loud).  I know that my house will always be messy, but I feel so much better and get more done when its straightened (like now, I can write bc the toys are put away - granted its midnight)), however if I focus and get the cleaning done (and not just sit and watch tv or play on the computer) I will have more time to play/laugh/explore with my kids. 

To channel that focus while laughing, learning and exploring, we came up with the tot school.  I don't just want to do random activites (although random is good), I want semi structured random.

There is so much more to say, but I'm pretty sure you didn't have time to read this ridiculously long post  about mostly nothing. So, go get something done, say a prayer or get some sleep.  

Think good  thoughts.   Kiss those Kids.  Smile louder. Love the Lord.

Changes. I want to make some changes in my life. I want to eat healthier, I want to exercise more and I want to believe in myself to make those changes. I want to engage Magnus in growing up believing being healthy is one of the only options and that skipping McDonald's and Taco Bell are easier done then said. I want him to ask for more grapes instead of candy and to want to ride his bike instead of playing video games. I think we are headed in that direction but I want those things for me too and for my husband. I want to run a 5k in 2012, whether I am the last to cross the finish line or somewhere in the middle I want to do it for me. Thanks to Pinterest (which if you are a blog reader and you aren't on Pinterest dear Lord let me know I will send you an invite) I am able to find a TON of awesome rocking recipes and ideas. I stumbled upon this blogger tonight who I am in love with and she talks about eating healthy and it being affordable check it out HERE I mean isn't that the whole reason we don't eat healthier? It's too expensive, or I will remember to buy that produce co -op $20 box of vegetables and fruit that will feed a family of 4 for two weeks next week, damn I need to remember to do that. I am trying to keep it fresh in my mind. I feel like expenses is why I always choose the FREE Mac and Cheese I got at Target with my coupons over something I could do homemade. My favorite excuse I make for myself is that my refrigerator is too small, it is too small it barely holds the boxed crap now, and then I think what if there was no boxed crap. What if my refrigerator was filled with beautiful colors of fresh vegetables and fruits? Then I think well it would be filled with pesticides is Organic really organic? or are they master's of disguise in getting you to purchase CRAP that they claim to be organic? These are the questions and the thoughts that roll through my head when I think about eating healthier. Now, I am a mama who has my own kiddo and a few friends during the week, I want to be making sure I am making the right choices for not only my little one but for my Tot School little one's too. I want to be inspired by my food choices to make things from scratch and I want to have the resources here in the bible belt to do so. I want to teach Magnus that vegetables come from the ground, fruit comes from the trees and the meat we choose to consume not that it has to be with every single meal every day is created as humanely as possible. If you haven't had a chance to read the book "Skinny Bitch" you should, it will haunt your thoughts. My husband doesn't get any of this, he thinks its a ton of crap... I think he is full of crap (he is. He eats like crap). His idea of a good meal is Chicken Fried Steak (someone explain that to me in the comments), Green beans with loads of butter and garlic salt, white bread and a big fatty piece of pie for dessert. All amazing things and yes I am equally guilty of knocking that out like its no big deal but its really time for a change. A time to get back to our roots. In honor of making that change, I just put in my first cart order at Community Helpings, which is a group ordering system for local fresh produce.. You can find it HERE!