Come What May, and Love It

Remember how my day started yesterday? Wanna hear how the rest of it went and ended? Well, I went to go eat lunch with my girl and the battery was dead in my car. Fortunately I just fiddled with the cables and it started right up! Hallelujah! Lunch was fun and the 3 year old loved it! Bug liked it just as much showing us where to go and what to do. Taking charge and being in control is right up her alley. It's an oldest child syndrome. Trust me, I would know.

After lunch Moose and I ran and got a few groceries. On the way home he fell asleep. Double Hallelujah! I moved him into his bed and realized he was wet. Dang! Double Dang! My shirt was now soaked too!

The remainder of the afternoon went smoothly until a tantrum with Bugs about homework but we worked through it.

After supper I was headed out the door to a meeting and had a flat tire. Awww man! Hubs came to the rescue and filled it up. Yay Hubs! At the meeting I was completely lost and confused because I didn't do my homework. My fault!

Came home, the kids were asleep. Big HALLELUJAH!!! Got them into bed, changed into my pj's and realized I wore my underwear inside out all day. I laughed!

Went to bed, woke up to 2 extra children in there with me. The girl woke up at 6:45. Not okay! Very unusual! I then realized I had put Press n' Seal on the casserole and never put it in the fridge. Love Press n' Seal! Hate wasted food!!!

So there you have it! I'm not complaining! I'm laughing! It was just one of those days and it definitely could have been worse. It just makes me laugh how things happen sometimes. When it rains it pours. So "Come What May, and Love It." One of my favorite talks! Check it out here. I look forward to hearing more this weekend. This is what is on the schedule.

Don't Forget The .Com

I was informed today that the links I have listed on here for other blogs didn't work. First of all, thanks to my angel friend for informing me. (She really is an angel and one of these days I will blog about her.) Secondly, shame on anyone else for not telling me. Ha! Ha! I like to pretend that people are actually reading this. Come to find out I forgot to add the .com to all my links. Oops! I haven't always been the sharpest tool in the shed. PS-I love it when Moose asks to play pbskids.com. I think it's too cute! I mean really...he's 3. I swear that when I was born they only had typewriters and the only games we played were hide n seek or Candyland. None of this .COM business.

I just wanted to share a quote I saw hanging on my parent's fridge today. I had never heard it and I LOOOOOVED it! Not to mention it was said by one of the cutest old man that ever lived! (Besides my grandpa's.)

"Anyone who imagines that bliss is normal is going to waste a lot of time running around and shouting that he's been robbed. The fact is that most putts don't drop....most beef is tough...most children grow up to be just people...most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual toleration...most jobs are more often dull than otherwise.

Life is like an old time rail journey...delays, side tracks, smoke, dust, cinders, and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed. The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride."
-Gordon B. Hinckley-

Is that not awesome? So say goodbye to unrealistic expectations and just enjoy this ride we call life!

Have You Ever Had One Of Those Mornings?

This morning was one of "those" mornings. We all have them. Some more than others. Especially if mornings aren't your thing. Mine started with a 3 year old up at 7:00 AM. His "sleep was all gone." Or so he says. 7:00 AM is fine. Well it really isn't. Considering it was probably close to 10:00 before he fell asleep. You know what that means? Cranky little boy by 11:00 AM. Put him down for a nap you say? Well,naps are becoming far and few in this house. He's never been much of a boy that needed lots of sleep to begin with. (Unlike my girl who would sleep until lunch time.) Some days I don't even like to fight for the nap and today we have enough going that it isn't even an option. On a happy note...my hubs was awake and made the boy oatmeal so I stole a few more minutes of shut eye. Not long though. If you have ever met my boy aka Moose his volume level is off the charts so generally if he's awake everyone else is too. Oh and did I mention I woke up in the same clothes I wore all day yesterday? Yep! That's right! Bra and all. Don't judge!

After breakfast Moose headed to the bathroom. Yay! Cheers! We are potty training so I'm always happy when he heads there without any prodding. P.S. He prays that he can pee and poop in the potty. Not only at home but at church! Lets just say he needs all the help he can get! After a few minutes half naked boy walks down the hall with a pair of tweezers in his hand. He claims that something got dropped in the toilet. Yay! Cheers! (Can you sense the sarcasm?) I'm so excited to find out what it is. It was...finger nail clippers. Mixed in with the pee and poop! I wasn't sure if that was something I could flush down the toilet. I didn't dare chance it so I found some rubber gloves and fished them out of the toilet and straight to the trash. On a happy note....he hadn't yet tried to fish them out himself with the tweezers. I'm ever so grateful for that!

Well after my morning of fishing I realized that it was beyond time to wake my daughter aka Bugaboo, Kam Bam, Kamaroo,and Shortcakes for school. As I mentioned above that she likes her sleep so getting her out of bed in the morning is a chore. Well except of course on Saturday and Sunday when she's up at the butt crack of dawn with her brother Moose. Why is that? Bug has this thing (like I'm sure most girls do) about having her little brother in her room. It drives her crazy! In fact, her room and the bathroom are the only 2 rooms in the house with door knob covers on the door knob. I don't even have one! And Moose...well he doesn't even have a door. But that's another story. Each morning while waking Bug, Moose Man sneaks in her room in hopes of snagging a polly pocket or a barbie without getting busted. Actually we're trying really hard to learn to "ask" before we take. This morning he really wanted a barbie and a brush. Bugs was adamant that he not have one and then the tears and whining from the 3 year old begins. Oh joy! Music to my ears. (Again..sense the sarcasm?) FINALLY, big sister decided to share. I was so proud and gave her hugs and kisses and laid it on thick! I really wanted her to know she had done the right thing!

Okay...so now we're moving on to getting dressed. The days of tights and skirts are gone at our house. Cry! I beg and plead but most days she ends up in pants. Which might I add that most of her pants are getting holes in the knees and too tight. Please hurry summer! I'm begging! First pair of pants were a no go. Waaay too tight! (They really weren't.) Second pair of pants...too tight! Again, not really. FINALLY dad intervened and we found a pair of pants to make everyone happy. Hooray for the intervention! Sometimes I get so uptight and frazzled about the time that I waste more time arguing and trying to convince her to wear the pants I got out. Am I the only one?

So, all in all the morning wasn't THAT bad. It could have been worse. But for about 30 minutes I was about ready to pull my hair out. On a happy note...Bugs got off to school on time and Moose and I are going to her school to have lunch with her today. That should be fun right? It may make for another funny blog post. And Moose and I settled down and played a game of Chutes and Ladders. See...there is always a happy ending to a crappy story! There is always a silver lining around every cloud. There is always a rose among the thorns! You get the idea!

A Case of Stolen Identity

Last week I was somewhere where a lady asked me what I liked to do. What were my hobbies? I think my answer was, "Uhhhh.....ummm....let me think. I like to read. I used to scrapbook. I like crafts but don't make them much anymore. I can tell you what I liked to do before I had children."

The more I have thought about this question of "what do I like to do" the more I realize that the things I enjoy and my hobbies have kind of evolved over the years. Ask me what I liked when I was single. (It wasn't dating that's for dang sure! I never was much of a boy magnet.) I liked going to aerobics. I can't believe I am even saying that. It's hard to believe that there was a time in my life when I actually enjoyed exercise. But if there was ever a time that was it. I loved road trips with my "bestie" to St. George. I loved being a groupie in a band. (It sounds kind of nerdy now. Probably was nerdy then but then again I wasn't the coolest kid on the block! I had fun and I guess that is what was important.) I liked scrapbooking and sending packages to my missionary and I loved shopping. Especially with my girlfriends or my sisters. And even back then I loved a good book to read!

Now fast forward a few years. I get married and what are my hobbies then? I still read. I still scrapbook. Aerobics...not so much! I put on a few pounds. I take up some new hobbies though. I go on bike rides with the hub. We camp and fish. We go to movies and go on dates. Just the 2 of us or sometimes with our friends. We road trip together and go on fun little vacations. We tried snowshoeing. I took up doing crafts and even sewing a bit. I start to enjoy cooking and baking a little more and start to try new recipes.

Fast forward 6 years. We FINALLY have a babe! Our LONG awaited bundle of joy! We are ecstatic! Our world revolves around her. But then....I realize that there is no more "pick up and go." There is no more, "Lets go to the movie tonight," at the very last minute. The spontaneity is gone! I feel a bit like a slave in a way. But that's okay because she is worth it. Walks and trips to the park become our new routine. Reading books, watching cartoons and coloring. The days of shopping for moi are gone. But that's okay too because she is so much more fun to shop for anyway. I continue to learn to cook and bake more and better. I gain even more weight. (Which is another reason I'd rather shop for baby girl.)I still read here and there. And scrapbooking? Forget about it. What is the point of getting everything out and then having to pick it all up and put it away again after 1 hour so baby girl doesn't get into everything? This is where digital scrapbooking peaks my interest. Is there time? Not really but I make time here and there. I take up running. Not sure why but I actually kind of like it. I start running 5K's and 10 K's. I feel empowered. But do I stay consistent? What do you think?

Fast forward again 3 more years. Baby boy comes! Cutest little boy EVER! I quit my job to be a stay at home mom. My dream! But then my dream becomes a reality and reality ain't always fun. But again...it's sooo worth it! Money is tight so shopping isn't really an option. BUT...if I do shop it's for the kiddies. Baking becomes my new coping mechanism. I enjoy trying new recipes and baking all sorts of yummy cookies and brownies that go straight to my thighs. And it makes me feel better. For a minute. I still read. When I have a moment. I take up blogging. That's kinda fun. When I actually stick to it! During the summer months we still go the park, play in the yard, go camping as a family, take bike rides and walks. During the winter months....we play playdough, watch lots of movies and frequent McDonald's playland. I had no clue that I would come to depend on McDonald's as a form of entertainment for my kids and another coping mechanism for myself. Thank you McDonald's for having the BEST Diet Coke for only .99 cents! You complete me!

Now my girl is turning 7 this year and my boy is 3. Life is getting simpler now in some ways. I even mentioned to the hubs that I think I have found my groove again. I'm back! But then that means my kids are growing up. Do I want to have my old life back full of shopping, and being a band groupie, and aerobics and spontaneity? Not really. I kind of like being a mom now on most days. My hobbies now include my kids. McDonald's isn't so bad as long as it puts a smile on the children's sweet little faces. I like reading children's books, walks to the park, watching cartoons, and playing playdough and if I can squeeze a date with the hubs, a good read, a run, or a minute alone to myself then that makes me happy too.

For awhile I thought I was lost. The old me was gone forever. I couldn't figure out how to be Tristin and a mom. It was no longer about what I wanted but what my babies needed. It's been tough trying to adapt to my new identity but now I think I get it. I'm TRISTIN the MOTHER of the most wonderful beings in the world! I can be both it just requires patience and sacrifice.

The Truth & Nothing But The Truth

I've decided to start a new blog. Why you ask? Good question. Those of you who have attempted to follow my family blog have soon found out that I don't even keep up on that. So why start another one when I haven't even been consistent with my first one? I'll be honest....being consistent isn't one of my strong points. When I start a diet do I stick with it? Nope. Exercise program? Not. Reading the scriptures? That's a negative. Family Home Evening? No siree. The only 2 things I don't give up on are being a mother and a wife. Although I've had moments where I've considered it. But the thought doesn't stick for long because deep down I love my kids and I love my hubs and I love being a wife and a mother!

I guess my lack of consistency is actually the reason I wanted to start this blog in the first place. I don't know about many of you but I get discouraged sometimes because I do fail. Because I do give up. Because exercise and dieting don't come natural to me. Because I have good intentions of keeping an organized and clean home and then I don't. Because sometimes I suck at being a mom. Now don't go feeling sorry for me now. I don't feel that way all the time but every now and again I have a "Debbie Downer" kind of day. And you know why I get that way? Because I start to compare myself to others which I should NEVER do. But I do. I read other blogs where people display their crafts, and home decor projects and their beautifully made meal, and how they love being a mom every second of every single day. Don't get me wrong. I love those blogs. I love crafts! I love food and cooking! I love home decor ideas! I love to see other people's adorable children and hear their hilarious stories. I do! I really do. But I also love the other blogs that inspire me to be a better person. The blogs where people share their highs and lows. Their ups and downs. The good and bad. That's what I want to do. I want to tell the truth of how I feel about being a wife and a mother which for me has been the best job in theeee world! Toughest job too! Do I like it every second of every single day? Nope. And I would dare say I'm not the only mom out there who has had "those" moments. They may not happen very often but they DO happen! Lets be honest now.

I don't want to be negative so I hope I don't come across that way. I don't want to offend so choose not to be offended. It is a choice you know? I just want other mom's out there to feel that they aren't alone. We all go out into the world, our neighborhoods, our churches, our jobs and act like we have it all together when really we don't. So let us laugh together about how we taught our kid the word "damn it" (on accident), or how we left dishes in the sink so long they started to stink, or how we ate 4 donuts in one day, or how we rotate between the same 2 pair of pants every other day because all the other ones are too darn tight. The truth of the matter is everyone is just trying to do the best they can. Some do better than others. Some of us do really good one day and suck the next. Either way...we're mothers with the most important yet difficult job there is and I'm here to tell it how I see it. Doesn't mean it will be right but it will be my truthful opinion!