Going Green Today

Maybe it's because this whole "Going Green" thing is all over the internet and TV, but I have had this strange desire and interest in how I am doing my part to destroy our environment.

It's really made me stop and think about all the horrible things I do (habits I have), the more I am reading and learning about what it really means to take an active role in making a difference.

Some of the things I have noticed is that when I am home during the week with the kids, I probably go through about 2 garbage bags of trash a day. I use paper products, diapers, leave lights on, leave everything plugged in even while not in use, drive unnecessarily, consume chemical impacted food, the list goes on and on. And those are just the things that I understand.

I don't even know what all CAN be recycled.

So I decided to start small and try to make subtle changes to my daily habits, in all areas of my life, and in how we live. This week I started with changing all of our bills (that provide this option) to paperless statements and billing. I know what bills I get every month and what's due. I don't need them sitting in an organizer just to be tossed months later. I also have turned off both fluorescent lights at my desk the past week instead of leaving them on overnight.

I know it's not much, but it's a start.

I Am SO Bloggin' This

I think I can take him.

Nickolas' Surgery is Scheduled

On Tuesday morning my grandmother and I took Nickolas to an ear, throat, nose specialist per the advise of his pediatrician, and the specialist highly recommended inserting tubes and also removing his adenoids.

This should ideally help in preventing future ear and sinus infections. Nickolas is just shy of 13 months and has had probably 4-5 sinus infections and too many double ear infections to count, some of them requiring back to back rounds of 10-day antiobiotics.

I think that with a year left to go on the sippy cup, starting daycare so much sooner than Kolbe did and with the family history and allergies, it is the right decision. He will have the procedure done Friday morning, February 8th.

With that said, we are very nervous to have him go under anesthetic, and any warm thoughts are welcome!

Whole New Light on Ear Infections! OUCH!

Okay, so Thursday night I started feeling some pressure in my cheek and right ear, and just kind of mentioned it to Keith and went about the night. At 2am, I woke up the pain was so bad I almost really considered going to the emergency room, it felt like my ear was going to burst. I finally took ibuprofen and fell asleep at 5. Went to the doctor on Friday and found out I had a double ear infection!

What is a middle ear infection?

A middle ear infection is an infection of the air-filled space in the ear behind the eardrum.

How does it occur?

Ear infections usually begin with a viral infection of the nose and throat. For example, a cold might lead to an infection of the ear. Ear infections may also occur when you have allergies. The viral infection or allergic reaction can cause swelling of the tube between your ear and throat (the eustachian tube). The swelling may trap bacteria in your middle ear, resulting in a bacterial infection.
Pressure from the buildup of pus or fluid in the ear sometimes causes the eardrum to tear (rupture). The eardrum is a thin membrane that separates the delicate parts of the middle ear from the air and moisture in the ear canal.

What are the symptoms?

You may have one or more of these symptoms:
earache (YES)
hearing loss (YES)
feeling of blockage in the ear (YES)
fever (YES)
dizziness (YES)

And I may have had additional bouts of cries, whines and complaints according to Keith.

So, I started the antibiotics, vicodin and still took ibuprofen. For 3 days all of this did nothing. I took vicodin after giving birth and it helped, but it didn't help with my ear!! Went back to the doctor yesterday and got a new round of antibiotics and some prescribed ear drops, and finally today I feel somewhat normal. I still can't hear out of my right ear, but the doctor said that could take up to 2 weeks.

I now realize what my kids are going through when they get them, but it has to be worse because they still are up and about and won't just lay still, and they are getting picked up and sometimes hauled off to school. I just can't even imagine. So hopefully this experience has taught me to have empathy at a new level when they get infections.

Adult's Resignation

I am hereby officially tendering my resignation as an adult. I have decided I would like to accept the responsibilities of an 8-year old again. I want to go to McDonald's and think that it's a four star restaurant. I want to sail sticks across a fresh mud puddle and make a sidewalk with rocks.

I want to think M&Ms are better than money because you can eat them. I want to lie under a big oak tree and run a lemonade stand with my friends on a hot summer's day. I want to return to a time when life was simple. When all you knew were colors, multiplication tables, and nursery rhymes, but that didn't bother you, because you didn't know what you didn't know and you didn't care. All you knew was to be happy because you were blissfully unaware of all the things that should make you worried or upset. I want to think the world is fair. That everyone is honest and good.

I want to believe that anything is possible. I want to be oblivious to the complexities of life and be overly excited by the little things again. I want to live simple again. I don't want my day to consist of computer crashes, mountains of paperwork, depressing news, how to survive more days in the month than there is money in the bank, doctor bills, gossip, illness, and loss of loved ones. I want to believe in the power of smiles, hugs, and a kind word, truth, justice, peace, dreams, the imagination, mankind, and making angels in the snow.

So....here's my checkbook and my car-keys, my credit card bills and my 401k statements. I am officially resigning from adulthood. And if you want to discuss this further, you'll have to catch me first, cause.....

"TAG! You're IT!"

Watch Nike Ad

(Courtesy of Kevin Carroll who I was fortunate enough to meet and spend time with twice in 2002)

It's Time- Nickolas is Walking!

Okay, I see the change happening right in front of me. Nickolas is going to be walking non-stop in the next couple of weeks. Gone are the days where I can feel safe that his head is closer to the floor before he falls on it. I now have to consider things that are waist high for me being within arms reach to him.

But on a brighter note, how exciting to have my little baby walking!! He will soon be running around with his brother rather than crawling after him. He will be able to stand and throw the basketball. And he will be able to experience things in a whole new light, which is the best part in watching them grow.

Kolbe Bowling- And Falling!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO KEITH! (Sunday)

So for Keith's birthday, he wanted to do something as a family (crazy, I know), so we decided to go bowling since Kolbe has never been and we like it so much.

First of all, can I just say say bowling has gotten expensive! What happened to the $3.00 games, smoky alleys and dirty old men in the next lane over?

Now it's all hi-tech, cosmic and double-digits for the 1-hour alone (1 hour + 3 year old= 1 game).

So we get all setup, and Kolbe is really into it. He put on his own shoes, picked a ball and listened to the rules. He didn't want help. He was able to go up there and roll the ball on his own. He would talk to the ball and give hi-fives! He was even telling us we were doing a good job!

He bowled a 73 on his first try, not too shabby....he almost beat me! At least we didn't get my fall on camera.

Elvis is Still Alive!

So, here he is!!

Sitting in one of the bedrooms in my grandmother's house. She moved him in there tonight because she said she "didn't want my kids to get their grubby little hands all over him". She usually keeps him out in the living room so he can watch what we're all doing. In between the videos I took, she came in and fixed his hair.

She is a sick woman.

See Elvis in action!

Oh, The Longing for Taco Bueno...

I don't know who these people are, but I know that if I had Taco Bueno right now I could be as happy as they are, look at the joy!

Why is it so hard to stay away from certain foods? It's harder than working out everyday, the mental torture. Here are the things I have craved this week (note: but did not give into):

• Taco Bueno: 2 combination burritos with a Dr. Pepper.

• Dominos: Hamburger pizza and breadsticks. with a Dr. Pepper.

• Krispe Kreme: 2 Glazed Donuts (and I don't even really care for donuts that much) with a massive glass of chocolate milk.

• Gattitown: Every single bad thing off the buffet, hamburger pizza, breadsticks, pasta, brownies, macaroni and cheese and apple pie, oh and a Dr. Pepper.

• Grandma's: Macaroni and cheese, with ketchup and a Dr. Pepper.

And this is just the last week. The only thing I had outside of the norm was that I added some chocolate to my orange slices one evening this week, (which Dan Ho from Discovery Health said was good for you).

Curse the high in saturated fat but oh so heavenly food!

My next splurge will be the night of the 19th, I will just count down until then!

Training Update: Week One Complete!

Whew! A whole week complete!

So I ran 10.5 miles this week (my training week runs Wednesday-Tuesday, don't ask me why it just does), did 2 strength training sessions and did 11 miles on the bike one night. I feel really good this week. I have been eating really well and following the Body for Life plan that I did after having Kolbe. The harder part of it all is staying away from all the junk, but I am looking forward to a splurge meal coming up next weekend during Girls' Night!

Only 11 more weeks to go! Doh!

The Next Generation

These are my grandparents.

For Christmas this year, my Mom organized a family picture for them with all of their children (4), grandchildren (6) and great-grandchildren (2). You can imagine the task in that getting 12 people, including a 3 year old and 1 year old to sit and take a nice picture.

They were really surprised and happy with the picture. They must have spent 30 minutes sitting and looking at it and talking about it. It was hung on the wall that day. My grandmother even took down some Elvis pictures to make room, so you know that's a winner. Those kinds of gifts are always worth so much more than something of monetary value, those gifts with sentiment are cherished.

I guess I've spent a lot of time thinking about generations lately, and I think this group picture sparked it. I feel very fortunate to have such a strong relationship with my grandparents, but they are in their mid-seventies, and slowing down. It's starting to hit me that my Mom will be 50 this year, still so young, but I remember when she was 30, when she was my age, and now I have surpassed that point.

I remember when we would have family functions, and I was the "child" of the bunch. The youthful one goofing off with everyone, lots of energy and playing around. Now I find myself chasing after little ones, trying to keep them in line and being the "adult". I will never be the one that needs to be taken care of anymore, roles have shifted and I am the caretaker. When my grandparents are no longer here, there will only be one generation for me to look up to, for advice, for stories about the past, memories, and a connection to my future.

That's a real eye-opener.

Mad PlayDough Skillz

Step 1: Buy playdough

Step 2: Choose colors

Step 3: Open playdough

Step 4: Choose animals wisely (a snake is a good starting point for you beginners)

Step 5: You'll have to buy my book, "PlayDough Sculpting for Dummys" out this Spring

Note: This is great entertainment for 3-year olds.

Half-Marathon Training: Day Two

Wow, I am out of shape.

I have successfully completed Day Two of the training program I am following. This morning at the gym I did run 3 miles, but goodness does it really need to take 46 minutes to do it? I didn't have the greatest mentality about it halfway through, and I was hungry, so maybe that's why. Yes, that's probably why. It has nothing to do with the fact that I have spent the last 2 months on the couch, eating pizza and Taco Bueno and hardly using any muscles.

So the big day is April 6th. I originally had it planned for a few months later, but I think I would rather risk attempting the run too early than to pass out in 120 degree weather in June.

My goal is to finish the race and do as much running as possible during it. Maybe I could get some of those shoes with the built in wheels?

Big-D Texas Marathon

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Welcome 2008!!

Keith and I welcomed the New Year with a night out! It was so drastically different than just a year ago, when we brought home Nickolas on New Year's Eve. We figured this year needed to be just us.

Keith booked a room at the Gaylord, one of our favorite places. The lights and atmosphere are always amazing there, and we had a room with a balcony this time. We had a fairly low-key evening, early dinner and movie, and walking around the resort. Only stayed up slightly past midnight. It was nice to just be able to talk, relax, sleep in and enjoy the time.

My New Year's resolution is to follow a 12-week training program that I set in place to a "T". I either have to have a very specific goal, or a tangible goal, and this program makes me very accountable because I either do it or not. So, this is the program that will get me ready for the half marathon in May.

So I'm in that mindset and ready to go...starting tomorrow! ;)

Keith and Nicolle's New Year's Eve Pictures