Thursday, February 28, 2013

Days Like Today.

On days like today, I really question my ability as a mother. I really feel pushed to my limit. I swear every other day Aubrey is a terror. I hate even typing that out. I have tried making a chart and once she has five stickers on it she gets to go to "the jump someplace" (she got to pick whatever she wanted to do). Each night we talk about the day and decide if she feels she should get a sticker. So far she has ONE sticker, this may be a LONG process, since she can't seem to go very long without screaming at me, or just plain disobeying everything I say. When she does actually have a day where she is nice and listening, Addi is a hot whiny clingy mess. I just can't win.

We were at a store today and Aubrey has started to grab things she wants wherever we go. She was having a BAD day. We were checking out and usually I can just hand the thing she wants over to the cashier and let her know we don't want it. I just let her carry it around the store and keep reminding her we aren't buying it. So when it happened this time, Aubrey lost it. She went crazy. Huge fit. She was throwing her body around, screaming at me. I had already dealt with it all day. I had no fight let. I told the cashier to just ring it up and give it to her. I try to choose my battles and this just was not a battle I was willing to fight right at that time. The cashier was an older lady and her response was "Are you sure?". As if to say "Are you sure you want to give in to your horribly behaving child." I already felt like crap for giving in, her asking if I was sure, DID NOT help. I really wish I had not given in, but in the moment I did and really I can't go back and change it. I have taken the item and it is now part of her reward for gettting those darn stickers on her chart (if that ever happens lol!) Okay, okay, enough with the negativity... I just desperately need a break. I really can't deal with all the tantrums and the yelling. I am at a lost at what to do. I really am. I just feel so defeated.

As I typed this I felt a little deja vu going on. Have I already written this post before? LOL.

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

So are you wondering how working out, is working out? Hehehe.

I have hit some rough patches. BUT! I am down 6 lbs! Not too shabby right? For the first two weeks I worked out 6 days a week for about an hour a day, then I went down to 6 days a week 30 minutes a day. I would love to continue doing an hour, but I think I would burn out quickly. I have already hit the point where I am losing steam. I went four days without working out. I made myself work out last night, but I feel like my motivation is slipping away. I really don't know how people continuously do this, especially Mom's. I am exhausted ALL the time, and getting up enough energy to work out is rough. I know I need to continue, I guess I just need to suck it up and get motivated!

I decided to start logging what I eat. So back to My Fitness Pal I go. (Love that app!) If you are on there feel free to follow my progress! (Melissalyn17) Maybe it will motivate me if I know people are watching my progress? Worth a shot. :)

Monday, February 25, 2013

Got the second one done!

One more to go! Of course it turned out I only had two canvases, so I guess I will have to visit a craft store soon, twist my arm! ;P


Re-Re-RE-DO! (Some other projects too!)

Okay, so remember these lamps?? (Really how can you forget them, I have redone them a couple times. I feel like I have been trying to figure out what to do with them for FOREVER).
So I finally think I am happy with what I chose to do. Simple, not too frilly... What do you think?

I have been wanting to make magnetic hangings for the playroom for a while now. Mostly to use them to display all the kids lovely art! I had pinned a dollar store craft project on pinterest. Basically someone took a pan from the dollar store and covered it in fabric. I didn't really want it to be noticeable that I have a fabric covered pan on my walls, and the dollar store pans aren't huge. SO with a little quick thinking and by using things I happened to have on hand I made this...
Cost me about $3-4 dollars total (but I already had the fabric and canvas on hand). So really only spent $1!!
I am going to buy bulldog magnet clips, and add some bling to them! I just put this stuff on it to show off it's abilities! :)
I glued gunned the pan on the back of a canvas (I wanted the canvas to be larger because I didn't want a tiny little wall hanging. I really love it! I have two more to make, but of course I left all my crafting stuff in Addi's room and she is sleeping so I can't finish up, yet.
I over ordered the burlap and lace, which I am actually quite happy about. Now I get to adds little punches of color EVERYWHERE, lol! Here is a few things I started with...

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Decorating!

So now that we have the approval, I can share my decorating plans! I LOVE to decorate. It is probably one of my absolute favorite things to do. I live for finding a great deal on the perfect accessory for our house! So since I have had a TON of time to think about how I want to decorate once we move in, I have been on the hunt and doing lots of projects (as you know if you have kept up with my blog). So here are my VERY rough drawings of some plans I had drawn up a couple months ago. It may be hard to see since I was just quickly sketching to get an idea of what I had so far and what more I might need. I hope to be able to post these after we move in with the comparison pics to how it actually looks in real life! I was drawing a lot from memory so some things may be off, a lot of our furniture is in storage and for the life of me I can't remember exactly what it looks like.
Entrance
Living Room Wall
Sitting Area in Kitchen

Kitchen (closer view)
Kitchen
Entrance to Front Hallway

So hopefully in 30 days time, I can post the comparisons and see if it turns out the way I imagined! :)

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Finally!!!!

We are approved!! :D
..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Just letting that sink in a bit!

I can hardly believe it. I think I am still in shock. We have been waiting for FOREVER it feels.

So we aren't completely done yet (unfortunately)...

Now they just have to send it to USDA for their approval, which I am told is not an issue, more a formality. God, I hope so. This has been the most exhausting house buying process EVER. We are very excited but still have a good bit of waiting to do. USDA is really behind in checking files, so it will take about 30 days or so. I am hoping for less than that, we were shooting for March 15th. But hey, I will take what I can get. It will happen when it happens. We are trying to stay patient the best we can. So let the countdown begin...

Friday, February 15, 2013

Valentines Day.

Greg and I are not really big on Valentines Day. We kind of celebrate it but never really go all out. I never really understood why there was a Valentines Day at all. I saw it to be completely pointless, until I had kids. I swear it must of been made up by a Mother/Wife. Sometimes we get so caught up in our day to day craziness, and date nights seem fewer and far between. I think it is a day to remind us, that we are so much more than just parents. At least that is my look at it now.

This Valentines day was so wonderful, even though it was awful. That is a very confusing statement, I know. Let me explain. On Monday Greg told me that we were going to go eat at his Mom's house on Wednesday night. So I of course think nothing of it. I show up, not a stitch of makeup on, in a T-shirt and jeans. He then comes over and he was talking to Greyson in his baby talk voice, asking Greyson if he told me the secret. I was only half listening because he wasn't really talking to me. So then he just informs me that we aren't having dinner with his Mom we are actually going to my favorite place and his Mom is watching the kids. I was so shocked. I know that doesn't seem like a big deal, but for us it is. Greg is not really one to plan things without me suggesting it, or planning it myself. So him going out of his way to make a reservation and get a babysitter is seriously the nicest thing he has ever done. I don't ever get surprised. Mostly because I always told him that I hate surprises, but what I meant is I hate knowing something is happening and not knowing what it is.

While we were at dinner Greg's Mom called and told us that Aubrey had been throwing up. We immediately got our dessert to go (we had already ordered it), and headed to get her medicine. The next morning (Valentines Day), she seemed fine and so I thought maybe it was just something she ate. Not even 15 minutes later, I was throwing up. Darn it. I had already had a migraine and now I had a bug on top of it, just my luck. I felt like death. I called Greg pretty much in tears, I couldn't function. He came home and took care of the kids. That meant the world to me. If you know Greg, than you know it's almost impossible to pull him away from work. He is an overachiever and even goes to work when he is beyond sick, he is of course sent home by his boss because really he will just end up getting everyone else sick. Anyways, my point is, it truly meant so much to me that he did that. He even cleaned and made dinner while the kids napped. I think he was just trying to make me look bad, hehehe. Just kidding!

So Valentines day definitely didn't go as planned, and I spent the actual day sick as can be. But I still found it to be quite wonderful!

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Aubrey is 3!

So... I can no longer say I am a Mom of 3 under 3. How sad is that? I really loved saying it! It really put into prospective just how crazy my life is. It just doesn't sound as good saying, I have 3 that are 3 and under. Doesn't have the same WOW-factor. Hahaha!

In all seriousness though, I can not believe I now have a three year old. She has grown up so much, she is a little me, I swear. She is moody (yes I admit I am moody, wouldn't you be if you be if you were taking care of "3 kids that are 3 and under" all day long, so yeah... let's just pretend I wasn't moody before all these little ruggrats came along :P), sweet, caring, cooky, fun, silly, responsible, sassy, and a worrier. I have created a little Mel-monster! She may look just like her Dada, but she's me to a T. Well except for her love of cleaning, I'll credit that to both her Grandma's doing.


I love our little girl more than I could ever put into words. I just want to hug and squeeze her all the time, she still has those amazing can't-help-but-kiss-all-the-time chunky cheeks. We seriously can't walk through a store, park, zoo, or anywhere without being stopped by strangers telling us how beautiful she is. Going places ends up taking so much longer since we have to stop and talk to every other person about where she got everything from ("Wow look at those AMAZING eyes, where did she get those from, her Daddy?", Yes people I know I have poop brown eyes, way to make me feel like crap about it. Hehehe. Just kidding!). I guess people have a thing for Shirley Temple curls and bright blue eyes. Umm, HELLO, who wouldn't? Ok, ok. Enough of my bragging and doting. I don't do it often so once I started I go a little overboard. She is growing up to be such an amazing little girl, and I am so happy that I am her Mama.







The day Aubrey was born is the day that Greg and I became parents, she changed our lives in such a big way. We couldn't have hoped for a more amazing first child! We are truly blessed, I can't wait to continue to watch our beautiful sweet girl grow up!

 P.S- Here is a video for you all, just a peek at how she can be sassy and silly all at the same time...

 

What?! TEN Years Already? No Way!

How is it possible that 10 years has come and gone?

Seriously are we even old enough to have been together that long?

Guess so. :( I swear, I still feel like I am only 23. 

I think back to the day I met Greg and just can't believe how much has changed from then to now. Greg and I have been through SO much, we've had our ups and downs, that's for sure. Sometimes it feels like we have been together for a lifetime, but then other times I can't believe how long it has actually been.

When I met Greg I definitely didn't immediately think I had met the man I would marry and be with forever. I instantly adored Greg though as a friend, he was funny, crazy, fun, and up for anything. My absolute favorite qualities in a person! We became friends quickly and then somewhere along the way it turned into so much more. To this day he seriously amazes me. He may not be the most romantic guy, but he is the most genuine, good-hearted, still as funny as ever, fun, and caring guy I know.

I love thinking back to the many different memories that have happened over the past 10 years. I truly think that Greg and I were together through one of the toughest periods for any couple to go through, college. If you think about it, we were young, partying, and just a tad bit crazy. In college you are surrounded by tons of young fit people, there lots of late nights out, a good bit of drinking, partying, and also surrounded by friends who may or may not want you having a significant other... I mean HELLO! friends are way more fun single in college. The fact that we made it through all that craziness says a lot about how strong our relationship is.

Greg and I have both changed so much over the past ten years, but the best part is we are changing together. We have the most amazing kids, and for those of you who knew Greg back then you probably wouldn't even believe what an amazing Dad he is. Thinking back to who we were in college and comparing it to who we are now, we don't even seem like the same two people (most of the time at least). We still of course let loose and we get to see glimmers of our crazy-partying-selves.

It has been such an amazing ten years, we are so lucky to have found each other. I really can't believe how far we have come. I am so over the moon in love with Greg and am so glad that we took a chance 10 years ago! Can't wait to see what the next 10 years together holds!

*I wish I had an awesome picture from way back when to end this post with, to show us back then but unfortunately digital camera's and camera phones (did those even exist then?) weren't as prevalent then.  ;P


Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Banana, oats, and mix-ins!

Pinned these on Pinterest (http://pinterest.com/pin/120260252521594405/) and immediately had to try making them! They are pretty yummy and healthy! If you like banana pancakes, like I do then I really think you would enjoy them too! They seriously couldn't be easier and they are made with things I pretty much always have on hand, what could be better than that? I have made a bunch of recipes from pinterest over the past few months but have been awful about keeping you all updated. I am thinking of going through and sorting out the ones I have actually made and making a seperate board for them, including what I thought of each. Don't worry, I will share the link here for you all! :) I love knowing what recipes are worth trying or not (and like it even more when someone I actually know has made it before). I will get right on it, and by "right on it" I mean it will probably happen in the next year or so, hehehe! Just kidding.... I'm more hoping at least within the next few weeks!

Mix two older banana's with 1 cup quick cooking oats, then add a handful or so of the toppings of your choosing.
Then bake for 15 minutes at 350.