Up to Date.

This is a long winded post. I feel like I need a little getting "up to date" time for the purpose of our blog being the family journal. Here goes...

CARTERNotice the bracelets on Carters wrist? This fascination has replaced his six cars that he use to carry around at all times. Now he insists on filling each of his forearms with these links. You know the ones that you can put together like a chain and hang other toys with them. He uses them as bracelets and takes them everywhere. Sometimes he even manages to hide a few in his crib for nap time.
What really started out as a joke has become a way of life in our home. Carter now thinks that stickers go on his forehead and yours. It still makes me laugh and you should see the looks we get out in public.

About a month ago Carter started showing some interest in potty training. I thought, perfect! So we had a week where he went #2 in the potty four times. Since then things have not gone as easily and I'm ready to take a break from trying and wait longer. He still tells me when he has to go, but it's turning more into a game and my patience is worn out. I feel that it's best to wait a little longer, maybe when Mike is home for vacation.

FLYING SOLO About three weeks ago we gave our Beagle Casey away. She had become more "beagle" than I could handle anymore. There is only so much destruction that I can take before I get to my breaking point. She needed more attention than I was able to give her and I just felt like it was the right thing for our family. I haven't blogged about it because I didn't want to jinx it and have her show up on my front door the next day. Three weeks later I feel that it is safe to say she has a new home and is more loved and appreciated there than she was here. The adjustment has been easy for us, a little harder for Stieger who is for the first time in four years is flying solo. But there are perks to flying solo that he has discovered. There is no longer competition for eating Carters leftovers, ie: the food he flings off the table or the fruit snacks he leaves laying around the living room. This was a good thing for everyone, I know that Casey is on the other side of Houston happy and most likely adding a few inches to her waistline with her new owner who thought she was skinny.

EXTRA HELP

When Marie moved I offered to "foster" her robot vacuum and she agreed that it could use a good home until they moved into their new home. It's fantastic and has become quite the spectacle at our house. It entertains the dog, who chases and barks at it, and the toddler who sits and watches it, then chases it down the hall pointing and saying "ohh" and "woo." Not to mention it really helps with the new wood floors. I still can't believe how quickly dirt, dust and dog hair accumulate and just seeing this makes me grateful we got rid of the carpet that was trapping everything in the house. Here's to the extra help around the house little red robee.

SNACK SLAYER IS BACK

*CAUTION- I'm going to show a picture for the faint at heart*

Last Tuesday the Houston area was hit with a sheet of rain that lasted all night dropping over 12 inches of rain in less than four hours in some areas. It flooded our side of town the worst and school and work was canceled that day because it was impossible to make it around town. I am thankful I drive an SUV, but even I went through enough high water to last a lifetime. The outcome of all the flooding is that everything gets picked up and moved around. The water meter valve covers (we had three in our front yard and a waterline halfway up the driveway), the fire ants and the local snake populations get relocated, oh and the monster mosquito's from the hurricane come back with vengeance. My mom dreamt about snakes, I had a feeling, we saw one dead down the street and Mike spotted another large dead one on the side of the road... so I just knew we would have another visitor. We came home Saturday night and this was at the mailboxes across the street. Mike quickly grabbed his "snake slayer" shovel and took care of the visitor. So what kind of snake do you think this one is?

This is another visitor that won't be back.

Mike, Snake Slayer - 2

Snake - 0

STUCK

Don't we all just feel a little stuck at times? Stuck in our jobs, our lives, in a rutt? Or like in the picture of Carter below, stuck in an obtascle (our bed) with no easy way out.

Going through the daily motions but not really ever getting ahead is how I feel lately. Not to say that I'm unhappy, because really I'm not, just feeling stuck. I like to plan ahead and stay ahead of deadlines, that gives me space to breath. It's when I'm not prepared and down to wire that I panic. I've had a lot of anxiety building again and am unable to figure out the cause and really unable to get myself out of the new routine that allows the panic to build. I need to get out of this rutt and figure out how to better manage my life and how to better manage the stress that comes with having little ones and managing a home. To be honest, it's more work than I would have imagined. But at the same time, the work is so much more fulfilling. So here's to another day, maybe tomorrow I can start on my to do list rather than the just "right now" list.

THE REASON

The reason for everything I do and the things I want to be better at are for these two little guys. We really are doing well. Owen is sleeping and napping and so is Carter. Things at work for Mike are beginning to slow down and he has some much need vacation scheduled. I've managed to make some great dinners, even took a meal to a family in our ward who needed it, this week and delicious pumpkin bread, so at least my family is eating well. The bathrooms could be cleaned, but atleast the kitchen is clean the dirty clothes have been washed and put away, and everyone has clean sheets to sleep on tonight. Family, the best reason of all, the best motivation and the best excuse to let little things go by the wayside so you can nuture your little ones. My favorite part of today, snuggling in my bed with Carter while I nursed Owen and Carter watched Elmo.