Christmas Spirit, Where Art Thou?

I'm having trouble getting into the Christmas spirit. I'm not a grinch by any means. I'm super excited about the presents we are giving this year. I'm super excited for all the festivities but I just can't seem to actually get into the swing of the spirit.

At first I thought maybe when its December. But December came and I still wasn't feeling festive. Then I thought if we decorated but we decorated and I still wasn't feeling festive. We made Christmas baking. We got all the presents. I even started wrapping last night. I just can't find it.

And then this morning I started to clean. Really really clean. I cleaned out the fridge. I cleaned a bathroom. I cleaned the kids rooms. And magically I started to feel better. I'm eager to attack the rest of the house to see if I can be in full blown Christmas cheer by the end of the day.

Puj Tub

I'm not good at trying new things. I'm one of those people that likes what she likes so why bother fixing whats not broken. But my static ways have slowly been changing this year with my introduction to couponing. I've tried a couple of new products because they were free and I now don't know how I lived without them. So I'm growing and I actually am starting to like to try out new products (or at least new to me). And it is with this newfound love of trying out new things that I agreed to product test some products so that others could hear about great new products that they might not normally think of buying.

A month of so ago I offered to try out the new Puj Tub. All I knew was that it was a baby bath tub. Last thursday I recieved my Puj Tub in the mail.

I think the concept is pretty AWESOME!! It stores flat and easily assembles into a bath tub that fits in your sink. Its so easy my 5 year old figured it out without any help.

I liked how the tub fit snugly and didn't move around. Part of it was the size of the bath tub and part of it is what the puj tub is made out of.

As a new parent bathing your child can be very daunting. I'm a parent of 3 and I have to admit that I still wanted Csters help with bathing Kster when he was first born. I'm always worried that the baby's going to slip right out of my hands. I'm worried about their head. I'm worried about their belly button, or their circumcision. I'm just worried. This bathtub, would, I feel, eleviate a lot of that fear. There is so little water actually in the tub that you could bathe a newborn in their without worrying about getting the stump wet. And I think its so snug you wouldn't have to fear supporting the head the entire time you were bathing your baby. (Kster's past the floppy head stage so its hard for me to judge)

So onto the practicality of the product. As AWESOME as I think it is, the bath tub did not work for us. The product says its for babies aged 0-6 months but as you can see my 3 month old Kster is way to big for the tub. He's holding onto the faucet and to get him in and out I had to maneuver around the faucet. There really wasn't enough water in there once Kian got in to do any bathing.

I later tried the Puj in my kitchen sink. It worked better. I could move the faucet away from the Puj and it fit a little nicer but Kster was still too big to actually get water onto him. Again, little water is something you want with a really young baby. You can see the holes just beside him that let all the water out if you try to fill it too high. (And I didn't want to get him naked again to try it out. Its freezing here in Colorado.)

So my final verdict. I would definately use this bathtub with a newborn but the age range is really not that realistic.

And here's a picture of us product testers to prove we're real. :)

Check out the Puj Tub for yourself at the new web site exclusively for baby bath tubs!

A day at the store

The other day I had to go to a certain store to pick up a prescription. Kster had spent the entire night either crying, throwing up, or wanting to be in the perfect position on me to sleep. Usually he is an awesome sleeper so this was highly unusual and meant that when he wanted to take a 3 hour morning nap, I let him.

But a 3 hour morning nap means shopping in the afternoon with all 3 kids.

We arrived, and I picked up my prescription. Mster said she had to go to the bathroom and Lster then yelled "I HAVE TO GO PEEPEE TOO!!" (FTR he's not potty trained, by his own stubberness). So off we went. I couldn't even get the troops organized because once we opened the bathroom door they both ran to separate stalls, locked the door and proceeded to go. Both of them. I'm deciding maybe I need to try a different technique with Lster in potty training. Instead of staying home for a few days we are going to just hang out at the store for a few days because he will only go to the bathroom in a public restroom.

After the bathoom adventure we went to the womens' delicates to get me some nylons. While trying to find them Lster decided to kick his boot as high as he could off his foot. It came down on a display of lingerie underwear which showered upon him producing peels of 3 year old laughter. I finally found the nylons and while I was trying to find the perfect pair as fast as I could, Mster turned around and found the thong display. "Hey mom...look...swimming underwear. I need some swimming underwear. pleeeaaaaase."

Phobias

I never really had a phobia. There are things I don't like but I breathe a bit and get through it and move on with life.

Last week I found my phobia.

I was in my storage room and smelt something rank. I knew. I knew we had a dead mouse. I had to clean the room out because we were having guests coming that night and they needed a place to sleep that wasn't filled with the stench of rotting rodent carcass.

So I started moving stuff around and I found the mouse. It was definitely dead. I screamed. I threw a suitcase in the direction of the mouse and ran away, crying, up the stairs to the kitchen where my daughter looked at me with the widest eyes possible.

"Did you see something scary Mom?" she asked. I gasped out "yes" and continued to hyperventilate. I calmed down enough to realize that I would not be able to dispose of the dead creature. Just thinking about it made my heart palpitate at an unhealthy rate. So I called some friends whose husband is sometimes home during the day but there was no answer. I called a couple of other people whose husbands do shift work in hopes that somebody would be home. With every call I got support from the woman but no husband. She told me I could do it and gave me a big pep talk full of ideas on how to get rid of it without having to touch it.

Mster watched me the entire time. At one point she opened the knife door and suggested that she take a knife and stab it just carry it outside. Yep she did.

And I called Cster too but he was trying to get everything done at the office because he was already taking the rest of the week off. He suggested that I let Mster dispose of it if I was really freaking out (which I was) and she wanted to.

So I told Mster that she was going to be the lucky girl to get rid of the mouse. Immediately her face fell and her eyes started filling and my heart broke. Of course I didn't make her do it but that still left me with only me to do it all.

I armed myself with a broom covered in a plastic bag, a cardboard box and a piece of heavy paper and made my way to the basement bedroom. When I got into the bedroom (the storage room is off the bedroom) I again started to hyperventilate and cry and turned right around and ran (yes ran) back upstairs.

I finally went through the Church phone list desperate to find somebody who would be home and a name popped up and I called him and he said he would be right over. When he came I gave him all my "tools". He looked at me like I was on crack and asked for 2 paper towels. I looked at him like he was on crack and gave him 2 paper towels. He did the job and I was ever so grateful.

And I now know I have a serious fear of dead mice.

Futility

Lster or Mster: mom can you...?
Me: You are going to have to speak up. I can't hear you.
Lster or Mster: MOM!!!! can you.....?

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And the conversation I just had while typing this post.

Mster: What day is it tomorrow?
Me: Saturday
Lster: Sunday
Mster: um...what day is it tomorrow?
Me: Saturday
Lster: Sunday
Mster: No Lster, its going to be Saturday.
Lster: Mom, what day is it going to be?
Me: When?
Lster: on Wednesday?
Me: Wednesday
Lster: Oh it will be Wednesday.
Mster: No it will be Saturday.
Mster: What day was it yesterday?

Create

We do not have cable. We do not have direct tv. We do not have a DVR. But what we do have is an antennae. We watch a lot of PBS. We like the cooking shows. Well, we like most of the cooking shows. Some of them are interesting and educational and some of them make us look at each other and say, "really", like the guy from Norway that picked a bunch of vegetables and blended them with a raw egg and called it vegetable soup.

What makes me write a post about the Create series on PBS is that Mster loves to watch the cooking shows too. She asks for them. She can recognize chefs by name. I even overheard her pretending to be Katie Brown during a playdate (The other girl just looked at her like she was crazy). I just think its awesome to see her develop a passion. She loves to cook and loves to be in the kitchen. And she's good at it.

Last week we were in the Health Clinic to get the kids shots and they had the Food Network on. I told Mster to check it out and that it was like another version of Create. I watched it with her for awhile but it soon lost both of our attention. It was not as great as PBS. It made me happy for our antennae which introduced us to a world of small, but wonderful, choices in daily tv entertainment.

Sometimes Deals are just too Good

I've slowly been getting back into getting some good deals. This week is a week of inspiration. Thanks to the help of my good friend I scored some extra coupons and am planning on some crazy deals.

Last night I stopped off at the store to get a headstart. Here's what I scored:

4 rubber gloves
1 can evaporated milk
1 gatorade
3 boxes swiss miss chocolate
1 activia yogurt pact (4ct)

all for $1

I look forward to going back today for other deals.

Mster Musings

While changing Lsters bottom...

Mster: WOW...that is really smelly. Good thing you're a mom and you don't mind that sort of thing.

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Mster: Is this all real?
Me: Is what real?
Mster: This...Life.
Me: Yep this life is all real.
Mster: Wow life is going by so fast.

Some days are not your own.

I'm just saying...

Its almost 11pm and I haven't showered yet today. I should probably go do that since I see no reprieve tomorrow.

I'm attempting to potty train again.

At one point today I had all three kids in the bathroom with me. Lster was on the little toilet. Mster was doing her homework. I was feeding Kster. I turned away from Lster to help Mster with a question. I turned back to see a fountain spray getting all over Lster, the pillow I was using to nurse, the floor, the toy Lster was playing with, and I think you get the gist.

And to add a little irony to the day...while calling Cster to announce his triumph of actually using the potty, Lster peed himself.

Lster "Wuvs" Halloween

Lster is cracking me up.

Its his birthday this saturday. It is also our church's halloween activity this friday night. We spent the better part of the afternoon trying to find supplies for both festivities. For the record I did 3 stores with 3 kids and lost my sanity at store #2. Also for the record I was not trying to be frugal (read cheap) by doing 3 stores, I could not find a costume for poor Lster anywhere.

So store #1 I thought I could get most party supplies and hopefully finish our halloween costumes. Didn't happen. No costume for Lster (he really wants to be Spiderman) and no makeup for Mster (she's going to be a glittery witch). Also no great supplies for a 3 year olds Soccer party.

Store #2 Here's hoping...spiderman costume has a big ol' full head mask and there is a strict no mask policy (and apparently a no cross dressing policy) for friday night and I didn't want him to have a half a costume so no go. Although this store's spiderman had built in super huge muscles. This made me laugh. Super huge muscles and Toby do not go together. We did however find a soccer ball pinata.

This is where the subject heading comes in (for those that were wondering where this was going). Lster had no clue what a pinata was. I explained it to him. "Lster, you fill it with candy and you hand it up and you whack it as hard as you can until all the candy falls out." With a big grin he announces "he wuvs halloween", followed by a procession of all the other things he "wuvs": soccer, candy, spiderman, his friends, etc. Oh he makes me laugh.

And I'll just leave it at that. Store #3 was a success at finding his spiderman costume. It also produced some glitter makeup but I would like to publicly state that there is a severe lack of glitter makeup this year. I should not have to buy 10$ worth of face makeup just to get a small tube of glitter in a combo pack and this should not be my only option. I'm just saying.

And I'm off to charge my camera for our "wuv" fest this weekend.

Exercise and Shakes

Sometime during this past pregnancy I longed for the day when I wasn't tired and could actually move my body anyway I wanted. It was at this point that I decided the moment I felt ready to start exercising again, I would. And it wasn't just going to be a little running or walking. I wanted to get in shape. I didn't just want to lose the weight I wanted to be strong and have energy.

And so began my patient wait to start p90x.

Cster had boughten it last spring and we decided that when I was ready we would do it together. That day was 2 weeks ago.

I am loving exercising everyday and I am loving exercising everyday with my husband. Its really fun. Its kicking my butt. Although I have to admit I'm trying really hard to be smart and not let it kill me because I do have 3 kids to take care of during the day one of whom likes to be held all...the...time.

Speaking of Kster he started out a sleepy baby (like most are) but soon turned into the crying baby. He would sleep but during the day he sure liked to cry and cry and cry. He expecially liked to cry at 6pm. We could set our watches to his crying. The doctor told me to stop eating dairy, caffeine and chocolate. After one week we've seen a serious improvement in Ksters demeaner. Its not perfect yet but he's at least not screaming.

But...this means that I can't eat cereal in the morning (or anyother time for that matter). I'd been thinking of eating protein shakes like Cster but they honestly scared me a little. This seemed like a perfect opportunity to start. So for the past 3 days I've been drinking protein shakes with spinach and I have to admit they are not that bad.

Here's my recipe:

1 scoop of protein powder
1 banana
1 1/2 handfuls of spinach
orange juice
ice

The magic ingrediant in this mixture is ice. The first day even though my oj was cold the shake was too tepid. Now with the ice its much easier to get down. Its my green slushie. Mmmm...

More pics

The Times They Are A Changing

Mster is going to a charter school. She's in Kindergarten. I don't remember how I got to and from kindergarten but I do remember that for most of my school age life I either walked or took the school bus to school. Since Mster's school doesn't bus kids its up to the parents to pick up and drop off their kids. Carpooling is encouraged but I don't know anybody so we are flying solo.

I'm amazed at the organized chaos that is getting your child to and from school.

All children are given a number. The number is on a card that you need to bring when you come to pick up your child. You show them your card, they give you kid. Most days this is not a big deal. You drive up (sometimes I drive aways away and walk up and we walk back to the car) and wait in the car line as they put the kindergarteners into cars one by one. But on friday the school has early release so the whole school gets let out at the same time. The lineup to pick up your kid is blocks and blocks long. The same thing goes for dropping off your kid. I do not do the car line. We park close by and walk up and I can walk her right to her classroom. But if I did the car line I would be in a line blocks and blocks long. I would pull up right in front of the school and a teacher would get the kid out of the car and make sure they are walking inside the gate to the door to the building.

I seriously remember standing by myself waiting for the school bus.

the times they are a changing.

Things are getting better

We had a rough bit with Mster when Kster was born.

I finally realized why awhile ago and things are starting to get better. They aren't there yet but at least I recognize where her frustration is coming from.

Her frustration is coming from her precious 5 year old head that she was going to take care of the baby. So when Kster and I came home and she wasn't able to put clothes on him and change his diaper or be allowed to hold him without supervision or be allowed to take him up to her room to "play", she got frustrated.

Kster's older. There isn't a big black knob threatening to ooze until it randomnly falls off that we have to worry about. She can hold him with me sitting beside her now and not with me holding him also. She's figured out that she's the only one that can sing and jingle a very annoying toy at him that sometimes calms him down.

She's figuring out the big sister role just as we're figuring out everything else involved in having 3 kids.

Pictures are always good.

I haven't really felt like I had anything to post about lately. This, I find humorous because we've increased our household recently and there are always baby poop and puke stories. We've sent our oldest to Kindergarten and well there are things going on.

And then there were 5

We have a Kster. We like him. We've decided to keep him. :)

What's going to happen with 3 kids?

Mster: Lster's going to poke something into my nose and I don't want him to.
Me: Don't poke anything into Mster's nose Lster.
Lster. Okay.

Waiting

Right now we are playing the waiting game. Some days I have this ridiculous burst of energy and desire to get everything done and other days I can barely make it from the shower to the bed. Today is a desire to get everything done day. I've already:

• done 3 loads of laundry
• washed children
• washed myself
• cleaned the kitchen
• cleaned the front hall
• cleaned the living room
• cleaned the fridge
• cleaned a bathroom
• washed the baby's car seat
• written a grocery list

And I'm still going. But yesterday I couldn't move. I'm very interested to see what the doctor says today.

Spending more than 20$

I was a little shocked at my bill tonight when I went grocery shopping. I didn't do a full trip and was only getting some items that were on sale or we really needed. My bill came to 45$ and then I sat and thought about it and realized I didn't do too bad.

18 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
3 lbs of strawberries
8 bananas
1 cantaloupe
6 cans of black beans
6 small containers of Haagen Daas
5 bottles of Santa Cruz Organic Lemonade
6 quarts of ice cream
2 boxes of ice cream treats (2o fudge bars, 20 something else)

Lster and his snacks

Lster does not like lunch or dinner. He likes snacks. If you call his meal a snack he is way more likely to eat it than if you announce it as a meal.

Me: Hey Lster...its lunchtime. Lets have peanut butter sandwiches.
Lster: No I don't want lunch, I want a snack.
Me: Okay. Lets have a snack. How about peanut butter sandwiches?
Lster: Okay