Thank You God

Sometimes, your kids just bring it ALL into perspective. I don't always feel like I'm doing a very good job of parenting, I get impatient, I feel selfish, I am overly tired, but somehow, they are resilient, and they make the most of the good I do provide. I'm thankful for that!
Today, sitting around, watching the nasty winter weather, Peyton and I were feeling stir crazy. All day long she asked if there was a rainbow, and finally, around 4pm, the sun peeked out for a minute! She asked if she could look, so I sent her to the deck to see...and there it was! A faint rainbow to the east! She was so excited! I heard her squeal and then say "Thanks god! Thanks, your the BEST God! Thanks for the Rainbow!" That sweet little comment, so innocent, but so simple and true, was just the thing to make me feel like even when I'm not doing my best, I still have WONDERFUL kids!
Her simple pleasure made me think of all the things I'm thankful for in my life right now. It was a great way to end our afternoon!

Online "friends"

I've been spending A LOT of time online lately. More than I would like to admit. But, I have to say, it makes me feel like I'm reading a book, searching and learning and researching things I think to check out...all day long. I have found several sites and blogs that I totally love and am sucked into checking on a daily basis. I have brainstormed about what we might do this summer when the weather gets nice. I'm attempting to plan a garden, for the first time. Planting things that are easy growing and not too high maintenance for Peyton and I to try our hand! I've checked out HGTV, Ebay, for decorating ideas. Looking for some fun accessories for Peyton and Griffin's bedrooms. And probably my most favorite lately, is my online food journal. I've attempted to use this site before and gotten sidetracked. But... I love to food journal. I find that I have much better luck eating decent when I'm carrying around a little notebook with EVERYTHING in it. So this site...sparkpeople.com allows me to do just that, but I'm able to see a lot more nutritional info pre-calculated for me. It's AWESOME! I highly recommend it to anyone who just wants to pay better attention.

Little, Round Fella!

Rough Week on the HEALTH Front

I'll admit it....I ate a kit kat bar WHILE watching The Biggest Loser on Tuesday night. How horrendous and obscene is that!?!?! I am such a hog! It's been a bad week for healthy eating. The kids have colds and we're also putting down the smack with Peyton about staying in her room all night long, so I've been up a lot overnight and tired during the day. There was also that depressing snowstorm that rolled thru. So I've been spending a lot of time at home, in the house, comforting tired or fussy kids. I do have some willpower some days, but this week, it is just not there. I'm hoping to turn another new leaf over tomorrow. If not, I'm really going to start feeling pathetic!

Mommy and Me Day!

Okay, maybe the mommy and me day was even more for me than for Peyton, but she and I had a great time. It was past due, allowing her some one-on-one time, not having to share with her brother. She deserved it and I think she had a blast. In true girl fashion, we went shopping! The days events included:

*a donut breakfast (her favorites)

*a trip to Ridgedale Mall to make her build-a-bear. She also decided, randomly this morning, that she needed some socks with stripes. So we figured we'd keep an eye out!

*her first stop was Claires (she saw it when we walked in and HAD to check it out) because she thought they'd have socks. She chose some butterfly hair clips, new ponytail holders and a pkg of bracelets.

*then we wandered the mall, taking the glass elevator, the escalators, making some wishes at the fountain.

* we went to Build-A-Bear for our first time! She chose a Hello Kitty doll and striped ensemble!

*headed into Gap to find some socks-5 for $10 :)

*then we wandered the mall again....taking the escalator another 3 times or so.

*then she wanted a snack, she had some candy for a quarter!

*We went to lunch. She wanted a hamburger so we hit Culvers for that and ice cream!

*She also wanted to grocery shop-one of her favorite activities-so we stopped for a few essentials.

*Lastly, she asked a couple times to get her hair cut. I called the salon and we were able to get in at 3:45! Perfect timing for one last "girly" thing before picking her brother up from daycare. Rachel always spoils her, brushes it a lot, washes it in the big sink, cuts and drys it. I thought she was going to fall asleep in the chair after all that primping!

Here are a couple pictures of our day, including tonight when she decided to put on her striped socks, hold Holly the Hello Kitty and wear her pj's that matched! It was a nice day and she was exhausted by the time dad got home and read her a bedtime story tonight!

Just one of THOSE days!

I sense that Miss Peyton dislikes Monday morning just about as much as her mom. After a busy, BUSY, fun filled weekend, she was cranky! She didn't sleep great and woke up early and ornery. She got it in her head that she wanted to go outside at 7:45am and check for the newspaper (the one we don't receive during the week!), so I let her. Headed out shortly after she did when she informed me that she wanted to stay outside. She asked if she could just stay "out here for a little bit for some piece of quiet." She told me she just needed a PIECE of QUIET!

How funny is that!