Do They Walk on Their Own???

Monkey is gross!  I know that is not something a mother usually says about her kids, but seriously, I don't know what else to say.  I just took her laundry basket away.  She has been re wearing and wearing and wearing her clothes and even her underwear.  I was trying to figure out where she was hiding these dirty clothes and then I realized some of them, like the underwear she wasn't even taking off.  So, I now monitor what she takes off and make sure she is wearing clean clothes.  I lock the laundry basket away and if she makes an attempt to go get clothes out of it, I can tell because the Glade Sense and Spray goes off and I can smell it!  Sneaky I know, but really no parent wants their child to the "that girl".  I mean really!

Really???

Is it possible re-commit to a blog and then ignore it for a week and a half?  Oh and MeMe Wardrobe Wednesday totally missed that one ;)  Oops!!!  I got caught up in a crazy week and all that goes with it.  But seriously, I was trying to spend more time with my kids.  And, I did scrapbook a bunch.  And one sick makes for two doctor visits and juggling schedules.  So I thought I would stop by and say hi and give a sneak preview of my next post.

Title: Do They Walk on Their Own?

Frustration

I am taking a break from my focus on the positive...

I am hoping this will help me let go of this frustration today and have a good day.  I am hoping this will prove therapeutic.  I got my cast off yesterday afternoon.  But, my wrist is killing me even more than it was before.  I did not anticipate being pain free.  at least from the standpoint of the stiffness in my wrist.  I mean it has been sitting the same position for almost three weeks.  I did however expect that the location where it was broken would feel better.  Was it a little too late for my cast and the healing process to mesh?  I don't know.  I am a little concerned that it didn't heal well and that the bone is still broken.  He didn't take an x-ray since he didn't see the fracture on an x-ray.  He said it should feel better soon.  It happened six weeks ago.  My PT, a friend said to go back if it isn't better in a couple weeks.  He said the surgeon could have missed something in the carpal (wrist) bones.  So, it is frustration not being able to turn on the water, or open a door still after six weeks time.  I am afraid to pick something up with my left hand for fear I will drop it.  Yikes!!

As for my knees, I get frustrated with my left knee often, really frustrated infrequently.  It isn't in good shape.  But, I muscle through the pain and do what I love while I still can.  However, it seems to be more and more difficult as time goes on.  The surgeon was quick to remind me that it has only been six months and not to base anything on the results for a year or more.  But, it is hard.  I know I will need a knee replacement in the future and the prospects of that are scary and quite frankly, suck!!!

My right knee is a whole other story.  I had a feeling that when the surgeon decided about my right knee would be impacted greatly by the state of my left knee.  And it has been.  I had an MRI at the same time as the wrist and he mention a torn ACL.  But, he didn't mention the meniscus was torn.  It is.  Shocking.  If it hadn't been it probably was on my recent fall anyway.  But, there are no full thickness cartilage defects like on my left knee.  That's good.  If the pain persists he said he could remove the meniscus.  I am thinking I should just let it go.  But, I am an orthopaedic mess.  Unhappy with the state of my knees and the restrictions that come with it.  No running (I don't follow that one), no soccer (still mulling that over), take up gold he said.  Ha!!  I do golf and it isn't curbing my running addiction.  Bike and swim.  Train those tri legs, he says.  I hate the bike, I don't have powerful legs ;)  So I am left to continue in pain like before with no resolve to any ailments.  UGH!!!  So frustrating!!!

Wednesdays Weekly Wardrobe: What did you Wear?

Welcome to Wednesday's Weekly Wardrobe!!!  I totally love this idea.  After I had my first child, something took hold of me.  It wasn't pretty!  I became a Grandmother.  My husband often tells me how happy he is that I don't look like a lot of the other moms out there.  He says they dress like his mom!!  Well, for a few years after my oldest kids were born, I did look like that.  I bought what was on sale and dressed comfortably.  After my third child, I wasn't sure if we would be having any more kids so I started to focus more on myself and getting my pre-pregnancy body back.  I focused more on my wardrobe and it paid off.  I didn't look like a frumpy old mommy.  I had some style.  Now that ESPN is getting older, I have lost a good deal of baby weight with all my distance training over the past year and a half.  Even with my injuries and surgery, I have managed to take off 15 pounds.  I have about 5-10 more to go.  But, I am happy and my husband has never complimented me more!  Since I work in the fitness and education industry, many of my clothes are workout style.  But, I try to wear fun colors and trendier styles.  My favorite workout hair look is a ponytail with a pre-wrap headband.  Shh... I stole my daughter's pre-wrap!!!  I am addicted to shopping.  I love to shop sales for name brands!!  That said, I decided to team up with Go Mommy and devote a day to my wardrobe and get fashion ideas from fellow bloggers!  So let us see what you are wearing.  Join us in the fun!!!

Instructions, take multiple pictures of yourself throughout the week.  Or simply choose your favorite outfit and post a picture of yourself in it.  I tried taking my pic in front of a mirror for this purpose, but I couldn't perfect it so I enlisted my hubby!!  He's the best!!!  He agreed to do this for me everyday!!!  So take a look.  This is what I wore this week!!!

I think it would be fun to add info on where we purchase our duds.

Shirt: Kohls (Daisy Fuentes)

Sweater: Kohls (Daisy Fuentes)

Jeans: Kohls (Apt 9)

Strike a pose!!!  I had to model!!  It's hot, I know!!!

Shirt: Old Navy
Cami: Target
Jeans: Costco (Nautica from like 9 years ago, my absolute favorite!)

Shirt: Costco (Lucky Brand Jeans)

Jeans: Kohls (Apt.9)

Boots: Kohls (My hubby's fave; it's date night ;)

Hubby loves the arms above the head poses!!!

Super Comfy Saturday!!

Shirt: Costco (Ralph Lauren)

Cami: Target (Merona)

Pants: Kohls (Tek Gear)

Needed some sweats today!!  Sledding was brutal on the butt ;)!

Sunday, it's a church day!

Dress: Title Nine (Horny Toad)

Leggings: Kohls (Simply Vera)

Monday morning, so tired and hubby left before I could blow dry my hair.  I want fifteen extra minutes to sleep in!

Shirt: Target (Merona)

Jeans: Kohls (Apt 9)

Strike a pose!!!

Shirt: Athleta

Pants: Athleta

Shirt: Costco

Pants: Kohls (Apt 9)

Looking kind of tired after skiing last night!

Link up next week and see what everyone is wearing!!!!

Unplugged; plugging in!!

Had a hard time figuring out the grammar in my title!  Guess I should ask my resident Journalism major!  But, he's not here!  In any case, I kind of lost site of my New Years resolution when I found out my wrist was broken.  But, now that the cast comes off in two days, that's right just two days!!!  I am trying to refocus on some things.  It has been difficult to fold laundry, clean the house, cook dinner; I don't recommend breaking your wrist or really anything.  Knee surgery proved even more difficult while I was on crutches this past summer.  But, I need to re prioritize things if I want to stay in this happy blissdom state of mind!  And so I refocus on my New Years resolution which is to check email and Facebook twice a day at home.  At work, I have not limited myself, but I can tell you that I would get a lot more paperwork done if I did. ;)  Once quick check in the morning and another in the afternoon/evening should be sufficient.  I hold a few community leadership roles, but none that are life threatening if I don't respond within 12 hours.  I think 12 is responsible.  The reason I have decided to do this is so I can plug back in to my kids.  Most of the time they run around and beg me to use the computer or put a movie on.  They are addicted to electronic devices as well.  I don;t know why we have toys sometimes.  But, I feel like if I give each kids 30 minutes of individual time a day or even 20; allowing time to cook dinner.  Then maybe we will have better behavior.  I mean we have to.  Removing one child from the running and screaming dynamic that is my house right now could only improve things.  I also wonder if I engage in a structured activity for 20 minutes, if that activity would then carry on for another 20 minutes without a fight between siblings.  By that time another would be engaged in any activity and so it would go.  Sounds good in theory.  Regardless of the benefits in reducing bad behavior.  I know that I would not go to bed at night feeling like I should have spent more time with them or that I was missing them grow up!!  And on that note, I will sign off and head on to get them to school and get my errands done so I have time later to spend unplugged with my kids!

A Cake in a Cast!!!

I had decided I had posted enough about my broken wrist, but this is really an online journal for me so I decided I would post about making Mutt's birthday cake while in my short arm cast!!  Since I enjoy making cakes and we are trying to save money every way we can I decided to make Mutt's cake even though I broke my wrist.  Probably not the best idea, but truly the most difficult part was getting the cake out of the pan once it was cooked (and I guess cracking the eggs).  Making the icing was a piece of cake ;)  especially once I came up with my nifty cast cover (Ziploc bag).  Decorating was far easier than I thought it would be.  The writing was the only tricky part and it is not very neat!  I guess I needed a steadier hand.  I would have guided the right with the left normally, but not really an option due to the inability to move my wrist.  All in all, I thought it came out great in light of the circumstances and now I can focus on making another one for our family party on Saturday!  That one should easier because there is more chocolate and less detailed icing piping!!!  Check out these pics of the decorating process!!!

Who likes the plastic bag cast cover?  It worked.  No icing or powdered sugar on my cast!

Mutt and ESPN want in on the icing action.

Light Sabers!!!

Wine helped me laugh at myself and the process!

In the end the lettering was a little shaky, but Mutt loved it!!!

Happy, Happy Birthday to my Mutt!!!

Today, Mutt turns six!!  I often think how is this possible?  How is it that six years ago he was born?  But, then I look back at all the things that have gone on in our lives and realize of course this is possible.  It times like these; birthdays, holidays, vacations, that I wish I was a better mom. I wish I engaged more with my kids.  I wish I didn't over commit myself to things outside the walls of our home.  These events just serve as reminders of how to be a better person and mother.  In keeping with my focusing on the positives, I decided to post some of my favorite Mutt pictures in honor of his sixth birthday!!  Happy Birthday, Mutt!!  You could never imagine how much I love you!!!



Mutt and Indy
Mother's Day 2005

Mutt's baptism

July 2005

Happy 1st Birthday!!

I'm 2!!

Lovin' Easter when I'm 3!

So big at 4!

Smart and ready for Kindergarten at 5!

Beach

July 2010

December 2010

I'm almost 6!

  Happy Birthday Mutt!!!  May all your wishes come true!!!