January 2014

My poor blog has gone untouched for months. I can't even remember the last time I was able to blog, which makes me sad. I decided to try to post once a month just to document what we have been up to as a family. Here is what we were up to in January:

Date nights! Tommy and I were able to go on several dates in January. We checked out a new restaurant, saw a movie and went to a couple birthday parties. We had a great time!

January was COLD. Even colder than normal, so the kids were stuck inside for most of the month. We baked cookies, played tons of games, dressed up as superheros, went to the water park, and played "ships." Grayson also figured out how to "escape" his crib. Looks like it is time for a big boy bed!

We had several family gatherings and birthdays in January too! This year we celebrated Christmas at Tommy's parents house. My father in law put together a "Christmas Olympics" which was really fun! We played darts, pool, golf and "shut-the-box." Aidan won at darts! All the winners earned trophies. :)
We also tried several new recipes from SkinnyTaste, one of my new favorite food blogs.

I turned 31 this month and had one of the best birthdays I've ever had. My parents and closest friends went out to dinner to a restaurant we had never been too and it was AMAZING!

I also got breakfast in bed, a mani/pedi with one of my girlfriends, drinks with my best friends and a new bike. Aside from this month being incredibly cold, it was a fantastic month!

The Bach: Week 2

Episode two of live bachelor blogging. Are you ready?

First one-on-one goes to Sara. I'm slightly surprised by this. Oh.em.gee. heights are scary. I'm sorry but "free falling" down to a champagne toast does not sound like my idea of a fun first date. No thank you. I swear they must ask these girls what their fears are or what they don't like upon interviewing them because who in their right mind would want to do this? I have sweaty palms just watching (tmi?).  Then the dinner. She just seems so whiny all the time. I don't know. Sara kinda drives me crazy.

Group date time. Look at Sean in his purple shirt. I love a guy in purple. Photo shoot time. Kristy is ready and on that note totally obnoxious. We get it. You're a model. Obviously you are only on the show to promote your career. Then Sean with his shirt off (again).

Look at Robyn with the smack talking right in front of Tierra or tiara. whatever her name is. I try not to promote cattiness but that tiara girl has got to go. Here come the country girls. Lesley M. and Sean have some chemistry. "I wouldn't mind if all the girls went home" says tiara. I'm sure they feel the same way about you.

I know. I know. Everyone is over Kacie B. She already had her chance. blah blah blah. I don't care. I like her. Then Lesley M with her giggles and ridiculousness. Stop giggling and just kiss already. You are acting like a 12 year old.

OK. For real, who are some of  these girls. I don't remember Selma or Amanda from last week. weird.

More crazy drunken behavior. Daniella. Have another drink why don't you? And then Katie isn't adjusting. I didn't see that coming. Buh bye Katie. Look at Kacie B. with the second rose...coming out of the "friend" zone. As much as I like her, I get the feeling Sean just isn't into her. We'll see what happens.

Desiree with the second one-on-one.

OK. This prank situation with Desiree just solidifies for me the fact that they ask the girls their biggest fears or pet peeves because this is crazy and just mean. Is this seriously their date?  Sean again in purple. He knows whats up.

Why do they even make dinner? They NEVER eat it. Sean is the all American boy in his red, white and blue swim trunks. The rose is just a formality. "He's feelin me and I'm feelin him so we just made out." Dez. ha. I'm not a fan of hers. I know too much. ;)

Huge fan of the skinny tie by the by.

I like that wedding dress girl apologized for her drunken behavior last week.  I'm happy she is sober this week and she will remain wedding dress girl for the rest of the season.

Ummmm...what is up with Amanda? She is a "tornado of negativity."

I'm sorry Robyn, what does race have to do with any of this and you "aren't putting him on the spot" well, actually you kinda are putting him on the spot. Not so sure I believe your answer Mr. Sean but whateves.

Time for roses... really? Amanda gets the last rose. Come on Sean. Bye bye Brooke and Diana.

Next week looks crazy. I bet Tiara fakes that fall. Until next week...

InstaFriday

Hiiii InstaFriday. Long time, no partake. I'm glad to be back! Here is a peek into our week using Instagram photos only.

It has been a long week in the Rapp household. Tommy was let go from his job on Monday out of the clear blue. On top of that, work kicked my butt this week. So, I decided to indulge in a lot a bit of wine. This is my new fav from Trader Joes and it's a whopping $4. Can't beat that with a stick!

As far as Tommy's situation is concerned, we are still working on that. Trying to see "the silver lining" and pray that something good will come from this. 

One of my best friends came over on Monday night to watch the season premiere of The Bachelor. Yes, I know its trashy and no, I don't care. Chinese food and quality time with my bestie was just what I needed to relax from an emotionally draining day. Here was my fortune. 

Hooray for hardwood floors! Tommy and his Daddy-o ripped out the carpet in our dining room (because who carpets a dining room?) For the most part, we are happy with how the floors look but we are still deciding what we want to do. Rug? Refinish? Replace? The options are endless.  

We also painted our bedroom and replaced the comforter, sheets and pillows. I decided to go with gray, white and yellow and I am loving it. Now we just need to replace our headboard and furniture. That ought to happen in 20 years.

Grayson has discovered the camera and loves it. We have a ton of pictures just of the two us being silly.

My Erin Condren planner FINALLY arrived. I can't wait to write in it...

 Check out the cover! I'm loving the colors!

By the by, have you checked out Pioneer Woman's new (ish) cookbook? I got it for Christmas and am totally obsessed. Everything looks delish. We tried the sloppy joes first because we wanted to try something the boys could eat too. Except these were a little too spicy for them. Tommy and I loved them. I'm looking forward to trying more.

How did you spend your week?

Share your everyday moments at LifeRearranged.

The Bachelor: Season 17 Also Known As Sexy Sean's Season

I know. I know. Here I go again with my crazy Bachelor posts. Call me a dork, I'm totally cool with it. I  have been so excited for The Bachelor to start for multiple reasons but mainly because it's the perfect excuse to get together with my bestie. Also because it gives me a chance to wind down. Who doesn't need a little down time with trashy television?! Not to mention Sean is hot. hot. hot. Shall we dig in?

Since when does the show bring back another contestant just to chit chat? weird. And since when are Sean and Arie friends?That entire scene with Arie and Sean was just bizarre. Kissing tips? Really ABC? Lets move on.

I have to say, the first episode is one of my favorites. I love "meeting" the girls. Tierra.. um. one word. cray cray. OK two words. She is going to be a handful. I can tell already. Yes, Sarah only having one arm definitely makes you different. Lets not state the obvious. She seems very sweet though. And are you kidding me?! 50 shades of gray girl? Where did the producers find you? A WI girl!! YAY. I might have to give her my support just because her name is Kristy AND because she is from Wisco. wait. wait. wait. A professional organizer?! Never mind. That's my girl. Ashlee=organizing and I am all about organizing.

These introductions are ridiculous! um. handshake girl. The best you could think of was a handshake. wow. The singer too. I was embarrassed for her. And she was SO TAN. I can't get over it. WHERE did they find these girls? Taryn is cute. And what is with the word hunk? I didn't realize people still said hunk. Ohhhhhhhh....poor Robyn. I wanted her flips to work out.

Tierra. Could you be anymore awkward with your "i wanna kiss" face? You are adorbs but a little aggressive for my taste. A rose already, Sean? Then "I'm hoping that doesn't create any tension from the other girls." Wishful thinking my friend. Wishful thinking.

To be honest, there were some seriously weird intros this season (coupled with some really bad fake tans and hair). whoa. we are already talking about home dates? yikes.  Ahhhh....wedding dress girl?! AND she kissed him! Double ahhhhhhh!!! KACIE B. I LOVED her on Ben's season and I still love her. I'm excited she is on and don't care that she has already had her chance on a previous season. Desiree seems genuine too.

"Just for clarification that was not the first impression rose, it was just the first rose." Claws are coming out early. Wedding dress girl is too drunk and so embarrassing. She needs to go. Oh, spoke too soon. 50 shades girl is too drunk and needs to go home. I am afraid for Sean. He brought a rape whistle. This entire convo is killing me right now...and she feel down the stairs.

Then Taryn with the tears and the "I've never had to fight for a guy and I don't want to." Hello. You are on The Bachelor. What did you think you were signing up for?! Of course you are fighting over a guy.  Then again, she said she never saw the show so maybe she really didn't know what it was all about.

Eliminations. Sean definitely sent home the right girls. This season looks fab. I can't wait to see next week!
Your thoughts?!

Comments on the shenanigans that is the bachelorette {4}

I'm behind on my bachelorette posts. Sad, I know.  I was finally able to sit down last night and catch up. Let me just say, there is nothing like sitting in peace and quiet with a glass of wine and enjoying this show. I love it. Every time I see Sean I am reminded that he is my favorite. He just seems so down to earth. And then I see Jef. I just adore him. He is so sweet. I'm concerned he isn't ready for the married with child life though. Arie was my favorite right out of the gate but I'm a bit over him now. I'm not sure why.

Sean and Emily look like a couple. Emily asks very direct questions, which is good but their interaction seemed a bit awkward. Perhaps if he would just spit.it.out and say I love you it wouldn't seem so weird. Emily. ENOUGH with the hair twirls. You aren't 13. Sean with that letter to Ricki. oh.my.gawd. Could he be any cuter? seriously. I got teary hearing him read that. I know. I'm cheesy. But it was so sweet of him. He just seems so genuine. He would be a really great Dad to Ricki. The best out of the three guys. And then with the "lets stay up and talk" business.  I have a hard time believing you would stay up and talk but maybe that's just me. Apparently its not just me...Emily affirmed it.  "I can't keep my hands off of him." I was shocked she didn't invite him to stay the night.  REALLY surprised. I get that she is a mom and wants to be respectful. Obviously that's important but I'm pretty sure her and Brad "enjoyed" the fantasy suite. She was a mom then too. 

I don't really have much to say about Jef and Em's date on the boat. I like that he asked Emily the "hard" questions...where would they live? what would it be like with Ricki? It was rather interesting that she couldn't (or maybe just wouldn't) answer the question about why it never worked out for her in the past. He says the cutest things and is definitely a romantic. I'm still just not convinced that he is ready to be a dad though. I think he likes the idea of it but doesn't really understand. I guess who does though, until you are a parent you really don't know. I LOVE that he turned her down when she gave him the fantasy suite card and said something about respect for her, Ricki and their families. I really liked that.

Sorry Arie but I am definitely over you now. You look old and have grey hair. I strongly believe that all you and Emily have is "physical chemistry." All they do is make out.The wind did nothing good for Arie on that boat either. Maybe they should just kiss some more. All they talk about is kissing and "chemistry." I must say that swimming with dolphins in the wild would be scary for me too. While they were at dinner, I got the impression that Arie's life would be impacted the most. It sounds like he has no idea what he would be getting himself into. Going out to dinner with friends every night? Sleeping until nine? WHAT? Not anymore buddy. I did like that he asked questions similar to Jefs. At least that shows he is thinking about life after the show. 

Did they always have private video messages?  Emily looked uncertain with Sean's message. Jef's message sounded like wedding vows. Arie, are you done talking about kissing yet? I'm so over you. Arie's message sucked. She looks miserable watching these. Absolutely miserable. She just got done saying how fun this was. Doesn't look very fun to me. I really had no idea who she was going to send home. And then she sends home SEAN. no.no.no.NO. Emily you are so DUMB. He was FOR SURE the right guy (in my opinion). I really think he would have been the best husband and father. You are making a mistake woman. He looked heartbroken. Then she asks him what he's thinking about. Really Emily? What do you think he is thinking about? 

I am definitely supporting Jef now. I hope he wins but based on the previews for the finale, I'm hoping she realizes she made a mistake and Sean comes back to win. Fingers crossed. 

Comments on the shenanigans that is the bachelorette {3}

I am waaaaay late on this post. In fact, I debated even posting it but I watched the episode last night (finally) and decided posting was necessary even though it's almost a week over due. Lets get to it...

Holy cow! Croatia is beautiful! Who knew? Clearly I am not a friend of geography.
Right off the bat, Travis just seems like he would be a good guy friend...not boyfriend material. Maybe its just me but I see no future there. And apparently I'm not the only one who sees no future with Emily and Travis...Sean said so too. So clearly, that means we are right.  And what is with all the lucky in love references? The stones, the archways and clocks. Its super cheesy and silly. Again, just my opinion.  As soon as Emily told Travis that they had a good "friendship foundation" I knew he was a goner. I was however surprised at how bad I felt for him once she told him he wasn't getting the rose. He does seem like a nice guy. 

I find it hard to believe that the guys really wanted to see the movie Brave but it does look cute to take the kiddos to. Watching the guys compete in the highland games after the movie was very amusing. Could Sean's arms be any more buff? I mean really. H.O.T!! I'm pretty sure she likes that she can make them dress in weird clothes too. All the guys were cute with the bow and arrow. I felt bad for Chris but was glad he was a good sport about it. The log toss or whatever it was called, looked HARD. I liked that Chris volunteered to go first even though he did terrible with the bow and arrow. Then the poor guy got disqualified. He was no better at the tug game either (yeah...no clue what they were calling it on the show, so I'm going to call it the tug game...you know what I'm talking about). I was really impressed when Emily gave the bravery mug/award to Chris and not to one of the guys who did really well. I thought for sure she was going to give it to Sean. 

Every time I see Sean and Emily together I can't help but think about what a cute couple they would make. They are just adorable together. And PS. how about that kiss on the wall with Arie? Kinda made me want to go to Croatia and make out on a wall. Is that weird? Maybe. Annnd Jef. STOP with the "likes" and "feels." I feel like, when you say how you like feel, it really makes me feel like you are like driving me crazy!! As much as I like him, it seems like he might be a bit young for her. As far as the rose goes, I was glad she gave it to Chris.  To be honest though, I really don't think he is going to be around for much longer. I don't know why. I just don't see it.

Apparently I have short term memory loss. Emily and Ryan already went on a one-on-one? It must have been really boring because I have no recollection of their date happening what-so-ever. He just really gives me the creeps and now I know why. Obviously its because the man plucks his finger hairs. Ew. Who does that?  I did think they had a cute date though, just exploring the little towns, looking for oysters and then enjoying a picnic. However, I think common sense says that telling someone that they would be a trophy wife is a bad idea but I guess I'm wrong because Ryan did it again and then proceeded on with his list of attributes he wants in a wife. The list included qualities such as: being logical, someone who would encourage him, a nurturer, confident, magnetic, assertive, unselfish, etc. There are some decent qualities included on his little list but I noticed how he never once said anything about family. I was glad Emily noticed that too, considering she has a daughter. I was also glad she said something about feeling like she needs to be perfect around him. It was rather amusing to see him try to answer that and he never did end up giving her any response that made sense. Woo. Hoo!! I am so happy Emily was able to see through all the bologna sausage and send him packing. He only cared about himself and "winning" which he proved by saying "nobody wants to be a loser."

As far as the cocktail party and final rose ceremony are concerned, I knew it would come down to John and Doug. They both seem to be on the outskirts lately. But those funeral cards in John's pocket? Not going to lie, his little story made me teary. I thought it was very brave of him to talk about that.  Perhaps I'm being cheesy but I'm OK with that. In regards to Doug, there is something about him that just rubs me wrong. I don't know what it is yet. He has no self esteem and seems standoffish. I don't think he is humble...I think he is self-deprecating just like Emily said. If I had to choose one of them to stay, I would definitely choose John.  But of course, Emily just couldn't decide who to send home, so they both stayed. I have no doubt that one, if not both of them, will go next week. Time will tell.

What did you think?

Comments on the Shenanigans that is the Bachelorette {2}

Yes I know The Bachelorette is on Monday nights and that today is Thursday. If you know me though, I'm always late so its only fitting that I would post this late. Such is life. Did you tune in?

I don't really know what to say about Kalon. DUDE. You knew she had a child before you went on the show. If you didn't want to be a father to someone else's child, why did you go on? I couldn't believe he compared life with Emily to "always being on a group date" because of Ricki. Who does that?

Moving on. I love Sean. Love him. He is so cute. I thought his little speech about finding a "great love" like his parents and grandparents was adorable. He also earns big points for being confident. I like that. To be honest though, I thought the date looked kinda boring.

The group date on the other hand was ridiculous. Watching all of the guys impersonate Romeo was quite entertaining. Travis was hilarious and you could tell he was having so much fun with it all. He could definitely engage with littles and play to his hearts content. Kalon sucks, go figure. He was so serious and clearly wasn't able to let loose and just have fun. I wasn't surprised when he told Em to "go and run away" so that he could practice. I don't get why he thinks its OK to talk like that. And of all the guys to get the kissing scene, why did it have to be Ryan? That guy totally creeps me out. I thought Doug and Arie did a great job of being good sports and dressing up as the nurse. I died laughing.

At the bar after the performances,  I was glad Emily and Arie got to spend some alone time together. But what was up with that weird carpet/blanket thing they were wrapped in again? For the love ABC, get them a bigger blanket. That tiny piece of fabric is weird. And where on earth did this "surprise" come from with Ryan? I still don't like the guy. OR the necklace. It seems like he is in it to win it and that it has nothing to do with Emily.

Kalon's second comment about Emily having baggage and how when he gets his one-on-one it would be with a "tired, sick, exhausted" mom was so out of line.  I was so happy the guys talked and decided to have Doug tell her. Then when confronted, Kalon admitted what he said but tried to back track and say that "baggage" just means responsibility and that its not really baggage...yeah. OK. Isn't baggage unwanted responsibility? He meant baggage and we all know it. Its about time Emily kicked him off. I was surprised he lasted as long as he did. Side note, what is a "West Virginia hood rat"...?? Anyone know? I thought that was just weird. Now, I'm not trying to make light of this situation because it really is messed up but I don't get why Emily kept talking about wanting one of the guys to stand up for her. What did she even mean? Doug told her about it and she handled it just fine on her own. Did she want someone to interject while she was reaming Kalon out? If so, I understand why no one did. She was giving Kalon a piece of her mind. I wouldn't interrupt that.

So I feel the need to comment on the fact that Emily has Ricki. She is asking A LOT from those guys and I don't think she really realizes how much she is asking them to sacrifice. Majority of them don't have kids so I think its safe to say they have no idea what they are getting themselves into if they end up with Emily. I think a few of them would adapt and do just fine, others I don't think would do as well. There will be no time for just the two of them to get to know each other. No nights relaxing and just talking...not to say that they will never be able to do that but its hard to JUST do that when kiddos are around. Not to mention the added responsibility of raising Ricki. Teaching her morals and values. Staying up with her when she is sick. Disciplining. All of the things it takes to be a good parent. I couldn't do it with someone else's child, much less someone I hardly know. Props to them if they think they can handle it.

Any who, lets chat about Jef, shall we? Every time I see him, I like him more. Except for his clothing choices. Not a fan. But other than that, I love him. Afternoon tea was a strange choice for a date in my opinion. Seems more fitting for a bridal or baby shower, not a date but maybe that's just me. I thought it was sweet how he compared Ricki to really expensive luggage, if she was in fact "baggage" and that every night would be a dance party at home with her. Everything he says is so believable and cute. I love how he said he wants to be with someone who is his best friend so that they can "share details of life" together. Who comes up with that stuff? I am such a sucker for smooshy gushy love. Oh, and its about time they kissed.

Throughout the episode I didn't really have a strong feeling about who was leaving but was annoyed ABC made it appear as though Arie was in jeopardy. COME ON PEOPLE. We all know Emily is super into him and that he isn't going anywhere. I don't really understand why Emily was so bent out of shape about Arie not coming to her defense. Again, I think she handled the situation fine on her own. And what is with Ryan and his goofy "surprises"...first the necklace and then the weird Romeo impression. He needs to go home next. Thank gawd mushroom guy finally left. I'm still referring to him as mushroom guy because I really have no idea who he is. Did he ever talk? If he did, I missed it.

PS. It's pretty clear to me that Ryan is the one there for the competition and isn't really interested in being with Emily. I predict he goes next.

Comments on the Shenanigans that is The Bachelorette

I'm a working mama. Raising two littles and taking care of all the various things that go along with that. It's awesome. But a girl needs some down time. During my quiet time I enjoy watching reality TV. Big deal? I think not.

I found myself totally enthralled with The Bachelor and now with The Bachelorette. You too? Ok good. Who is your favorite? I love Arie, Jef and Sean.  Do you like Emily? I have to say, I go back and forth. On The Bachelor, I LOVED her...I"m not so sure I feel that way anymore. She is totally gorge but rather annoying. Did you watch this weeks episode? Here's what I thought about it:

I love how Doug was freaking out about his one-on-one with Emily and how all the guys were teasing him. I didn't think guys freaked out before dates but apparently, I'm wrong. Frankly, I think Doug is F.O.S. He seems so fake and perfect.  His ex-girlfriends biggest compliant about him would be that he didn't wash her car enough? Really? I don't buy it. I did think it was rather amusing how he flipped the question around on Emily and she said her biggest fault would be not working out or wearing her pajamas in public. Again. I don't buy it. Side note. Why does Emily think Doug is so good looking?! I know everyone is entitled to their own "type" but I just don't see what is so great about Doug.  

Of course sailing is "your element," Kalon. You are a snob. And poor Jef's hair in the wind. His little pouf looked so funny all wind blown. I was definitely all about the yellow team winning. Could Sean have been any hotter? I wish he had been on the yellow team too. On the group date at the beach with the winning team, what was up with that white carpet they were wrapping themselves in? I thought it looked like a shag carpet. Perhaps a bigger blanket would have worked better.  Emily is totally into Arie. Its so obvious. And Jef was adorbs but why didn't he kiss her?! I was so bummed! I think I like counted like 15 "likes" during Jef and Emily's conversation. Stop saying "like" its not cute. I was so happy he got the rose.
And then there is Ryan. Ryan=SUCK. Clearly he is only interested in being on television. He couldn't care less about Emily. He called her a trophy wife for goodness sakes. Who does that? What was he even talking about when he said he wants to see Emily impact peoples lives. Impact them how? Did I miss something?

Umm, Nate and John "wolf," who are you? I don't think I have ever seen or heard them speak before this episode. I thought the caves looked awesome but talk about an awkward place for that date. It was so quiet in there. You could feel the weirdness. I knew as soon as Nate started crying he was going to go home. Bye bye Nate.

Ryan sucks. Oh wait, I already said that. He is so jealous of Arie. I wish someone had heard him say ABC should do an "Augusta" version of the Bach with him. GO HOME ALREADY. I was glad to hear Emily say something to Chris about how she is onto Ryan and his games. Thank gawd.  I was so happy when Arie interrupted them talking too. But why did he need validation from her? Obviously she is super into him.What was up with Jef's outfit? HORRENDOUS. Those dress socks pulled all the way up with shorts is not a good look. yikes. And her ponytail was so FAKE. Even Tommy noticed.

I don't know if telling Emily all about the stupid boy drama in the house was a good idea. Perhaps, Chris should have just kept that to himself. At least he didn't say that it was Doug. Although, maybe he should have so that Emily could see that "Mr. Perfect" isn't so perfect. Boy drama is so funny. I loved how everyone came to listen. Clearly Chris is insecure.

Uggggh. WHY is she keeping Ryan around? And Kalon too. Get them OUT of there. I can't believe she kept mushroom farmer around and got rid of Charlie. I knew long haired dood was a goner.

This should have been the episode deemed everyone cries. I'm confused. I've never seen so many grown men cry at once. Charlie because they lost the sailing competition. Nate with Emily during their two on one date. Long haired dood when he got voted off. Charlie again when he got sent home. I'm all about the "sensitive" guy but seeing all these men cry for the weirdest things was just strange.

Next weeks episode looks so good! Who do you think says Ricki is baggage? My money is on Kalon. London here we come!

Hello June!

Helllllllo June!! I'm so happy you're finally here! I LOVE summer and I am looking forward to so many things. I have managed to keep us VERY busy by planning something almost every weekend. I hope I didn't over do it but we can always adjust as we go. Here are some of the things I am looking forward to doing this month:

Source: mexican-fireworks.com via Kat on Pinterest

(Smores. Campfires. Up North. Swimming. Boats. You get the picture.)

Source: Uploaded by user via Laura on Pinterest

(T-ball with Aidan. Soccer with Aidan. Baseball. Play dates. Just being outside.)

Source: gaia-oasigaia.blogspot.com via Vanna on Pinterest

(Going to the beach. Building sandcastles. Introducing Gray to the sand and the COLD water that is Lake George.)

Source: blog.hwtm.com via Luna on Pinterest

(PARTIES. PARTIES. PARTIES. Because, you know, all of my parties look like this one. But really, this month we celebrate Grayson's first birthday, my Mama's birthday, friends graduations and birthdays, and Father's Day.)

Bring it on June!! I can't wait to see all you have to offer.

A name change

I've been doing a lot of thinking lately about this little blog. I absolutely love my blog and I love keeping it updated. I like writing. I like posting the pictures and keeping track of the little things that happen in our lives. I enjoy following other blogs. Blogging doesn't feel like work to me. It comes naturally. Recently though,  I've found myself thinking about WHY I blog and the purpose behind it.

Originally, I wanted this blog to be about teaching my kiddos what it means to be compassionate. I wanted to teach them how to help others, regardless of how small the task may seem. In theory, this is a GREAT idea and I still want to do it (and I will) but the more I write the more I find myself writing more about what we are up to on a daily basis. The funny and not so funny things that happen. Almost like an online journal that I share with our family and friends. My hope is that someday my boys will be able to look back and see all of the things we did while they were growing up. Because of this, I feel like the title of my blog is misleading and I have decided to change it. In the next couple of weeks, the appearance and title will be changing but its still just me blogging about my boys. That is where my heart lies and that is what I want to focus on.  Teaching them how to be a kind, caring and compassionate little people falls within all that. I'm looking forward to the change!

Hello Monday

Hello Monday! It's going to be a fabulous week with lots to look forward to.

Hello new haircut and color (on Thursday). YAY!

Hello to the long awaited BASEBALL season! Double YAY!

Hello Easter Sunday and Easter egg hunts.

Hello cute baby in a box :)

Hello morning snuggles.

Hello Scooby Snacks.

Hello sleepy baby.

Hello to cooking healthier. 

Hello nine month check-up (apparently there is now an autism screening questionnaire for parents to fill out...things have changed so much since Aidan was a baby. I had no idea.)

Have a great week!

(linking up with Lisa Leonard)

The Phenomenon that is The Hunger Games

So, there is this book, I think it's called The Hunger Games. Have you heard about it? The movie just came out this past weekend. Ohhhh, wait. I'm guessing ya'll knew that already since "The Games" are all the rage right now, right? Apparently the trilogy  has been out for quite sometime. I, however, just read them. I have to be honest, when I first heard about the books I thought they sounded super LAME. Who wants to read about some weird districts that force children to fight to death until only one person, the winner, is left standing? Not this girl. I had absolutely no desire to read them. But everyone and their mother was talking about them..."ooooooohhhhmygawd. Kristi. You HAVE to read them"...I just couldn't do it. One of my coworkers gave me her copy to read while Tommy and I went away for the weekend a couple of months ago. She said just READ IT. I gave in and started reading. I was hooked by page ten. Hooked. As in, could not put the darn book DOWN. As in, I have two children, work full time and still managed to read all three books in two weeks. (PS. I was incredibly impressed with myself, especially considering I hadn't read a single book since Gray was born.)  I could sit here and go on and on about how much I loved the books. The details. The love story. The adventure. The way Suzanne Collins left me hanging at the end of every chapter. I constantly found myself saying, "just one more chapter." The twist in the plot. But what I really want to talk about is the movie.

Typically, if a book I've read ends up being a movie as well, I don't see it. I'm always disappointed. I love Eat, Pray, Love but never saw the movie. I just don't do it. The movie is NEVER as good. EVER. And then, in my mind, the book is ruined. I broke this rule though with The Help. I saw the movie and loved it. It was JUST like the book. So, here I was having just read The Hunger Games and then the movie comes out. I recalled how much I loved the movie version of The Help, so I decided to go ahead and break my rule a second time. I went and saw the movie this past weekend. Uggggggggggggggggggggh. I was SO disappointed. 

So many details were left out. I kept saying to myself, that isn't how it happened in the book. *WARNING: spoiler alert coming*  In the book, when Rue dies, Katniss makes her what is described as a crown of flowers. In the movie, that doesn't happen. Katniss places a bouquet of flowers in her hands. I know, small silly details but I found myself thinking like this the entire movie. When Katniss and Peeta "win," they are separated and isolated to recover from their injuries. Their tracking devices are taken out. Peeta hurt his leg and I believe he gets some sort of prosthetic. Ummm...that didn't happen in the movie either. In the book, when the dogs attacked at the end, each dog was supposedly one of the tributes who had died. Glimmer, had green eyes, and the book described her dog SO CLEARLY. I saw nothing like that in the movie. Again, little details, but I really MISSED those details in the movie. Don't get me wrong. I didn't think it was a BAD movie. I guess I was just disappointed because I wanted it to be SO MUCH MORE and it wasn't. One of my besties knows how obsessed I became with the books and knew I went to see the movie. She asked what I thought and I shared my opinion. She said she always sees the movie FIRST and THEN reads the book. That way, the movie is never a disappointment. I thought that was an interesting perspective. 

What do you think? Did you see the movie? Did you like it? Let the comments commence! 

The Not Good Enough Game

She has better clothes than I do. Her hair is prettier than mine. Her skin is flawless.  Mine isn't. She has a bigger house. Nicer car. Her children are more polite than mine. She is in better shape than me. Her blog is better. She has better ideas than me. Ever play this game? The not good enough game. Did I mention I HATE this game? As much as I hate it, I find myself getting caught up in it all the time. I think comparing ourselves to one another is probably a pretty natural thing to do but why? Why do we compare ourselves to one another? And what good comes from it? Personally, I can't think of one good thing that comes from it. All that happens to me when I compare myself to others is that I'm left feeling like absolute crap-ola, like I'm not good enough.

I started this blog as a way to document what goes on in my crazy, awesome family but also as a way to document how easy it is to help others and how to get my kiddos involved. As I am a relatively inexperienced new blogger, I often stumble upon "new to me" blogs. I read through them. Check out the pictures, the crafts, the recipes and I find myself saying I'm not good enough to do this. When did something I wanted to do for fun turn into something that makes me feel like I can't stand up to the competition? Is this a normal feeling or have a gone crazy? Potentially both I suppose.

On a day when I was feeling particularly low and not quite good enough, I read this:  

There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. ~ Corinthians 12:4-6

I started thinking about what this means and the message rang loud and clear.God gives us all gifts and it's our job to find out what those gifts are and use them to the best of our abilities. The idea wasn't to be jealous of somebody else. The idea is to enjoy others gifts, just as others enjoy ours. If we all had the same aptitudes and abilities we would be bored to tears and who wants that?  So who cares if her blog has better looking recipes or if she can craft and I can't? Who cares if she takes amazing photographs and I don't? My job is to ENJOY what others excel at. The purpose of starting this blog was for ME to get a sense of fulfillment from what I was doing not to feel like I wasn't good enough. I am going to focus on that now and really enjoy what other's have to offer instead of comparing myself to them.

How do you get over feeling like you can't measure up?

Drowning

Sometimes I feel like I'm drowning. Drowning in life. Do you ever feel that way? I think this is probably a normal feeling to have as a momma but I just don't know where to go with it. I've said this before but for those of you that don't know, I am a working momma. I have a 9-5 well, more like an 8-6...but you get the picture. Most importantly, I am a momma and a wife. A sister and a friend. I am involved in my church. I'm in a moms group. I enjoy blogging and maintaining my blog. I have a house to keep. Bills to pay. Grocery shopping to do. Laundry. Cleaning. The list goes on and on. For the most part, these are all things that I thoroughly ENJOY doing or being involved in.  But maybe its too much. How do you decide when enough is enough?

In the past couple of weeks, my job has become more demanding, which is actually a really good thing. I am enjoying my new responsibilities but I come home exhausted. I'm also working longer hours. By the time I get home I have exactly 30 minutes to spend with Grayson and an hour and a half to spend with Aidan, which makes me sad. I feel like a crummy momma. By the time they are in bed, I can barely hold my own head up. BUT I push on...make lunches, pick out clothes for the next day, make sure Aidan and Grayson have everything they need for school and daycare, try to blog, send emails, spend time with my husband.  To be honest, its a bit much.

At what point does one "give something up" or remove something from their plate?? The problem I'm facing is that I LOVE all of these "extra" things...I don't want to give them up. However, I feel like right now, I am doing everything mediocre. AND I hate it. I am not a mediocre person. I feel like I'm letting people down. AND I hate that even more.  Tommy says I have unrealistic expectations of what someone can accomplish in a day and that I need to be more realistic. Perhaps there is some truth to this statement. Perhaps I need to reevaluate my "to-do" list. Or maybe the problem is that I want to do everything on my own. I hate asking for help. I hate admitting that I can't do something. Right now though, I am drowning. I have had the same things on my "to do" list for a week  We had tummy troubles in our house over the weekend, as well as a plumbing problem in our basement so the things I thought I would accomplish this weekend never got done. I had a blog post planned for everyday this week...its Wednesday and I am just now posting this. So much for blogging every day. I am discouraged because I'm not accomplishing things the way I wanted them to be accomplished. Maybe Tommy is right. Maybe I need to be more realistic. Maybe I'm not letting anyone down per say. Maybe the person I am letting down is myself.

I don't want this to come off as a "woe is me" post or like I'm complaining about my life. Because I'm not and that is certainly not my intention. As a momma, I am just trying to sort through all of the different demands we face every day and how to decide what if anything to let go of. Because as I sit here typing this, I feel like I can't even maintain status quo anymore. Somethings got to give, but what?

My Take On the Ridiculousness that is The Bachelor

SO. I have a secret. Well, HAD a secret. I LOVE The Bachelor. As in, schedule my Monday evenings around the show. Crazy and slightly obnoxious, I know. Don't judge. We all have our vices. Mine just happens to be trashy TV. What is so funny about this is that when The Bachelor first came out, I would always make fun of the show, the people on it and just how desperate the entire situation seemed. Ohhh, how things have changed. I have become sucked in by all of the drama. To be honest, this is only the second season I've watched but WOW do the producers know how to get people hooked. I don't know what it is about the show that attracts me...if its all the silly girl drama, which I can't stand to be around, so one would think I wouldn't want to subject myself to it on television either or maybe it's all of the exotic locations the cast travels to. Maybe it has to do with watching all of these women go on the most amazing looking dates.   When else can you go skiing in downtown San Fran? I am also a hopeless romantic. I love being swept off my feet so maybe that is part of what attracts me to the show.Whatever the reason is, I am hooked.  Do you watch? What are your thoughts on this season?  After last nights DEVASTATING ending...I thought I would share some of my thoughts regarding this season.

During the very first episode, I knew I loved Kacie B. LOVED her. She just seemed so sweet and genuine. Plus, she is so cute. Lindsey (also known as, girl on the horse) caught my attention too. Then there were the crazies. There was crazy blogger Jenna, who proceed to be eliminated in the second episode (thank goodness!) and Blakeley, the 34 year old "VIP" cocktail waitress, who made a weird scrapbook all about her and Ben's "journey" together and then was promptly eliminated. Ladies, making scrapbooks for your man is ADORABLE...IF you've been together a long time.  Otherwise, kinda weird and creepy. Just sayin. And then there is Jamie. Poor Jamie. When she awkwardly tried to "direct" Ben on how to kiss her, I couldn't even watch. I was so embarrassed for her.  Poor girl. She too, was immediately sent home. Finally, Courtney.  UGH. COURTNEY. Perhaps, I should have titled this post rants and raves about Courtney . If she wins, which is all I personally think she cares about, I am going to have a huge hairy canary.

I'm sure Courtney is a very nice person but she drives me crazy. Those faces. Those phrases. YUCK. #winning! WHO says that?! Or "I didn't know strippers could play baseball"... OK, that line was actually slightly amusing but still. She is so rude. In my own opinion, which is all this post really is, MY opinion, when a girl doesn't get along with ANY other girls, there is clearly something wrong. How can you not have one friend on the show? If all the other girls don't like you, there is a reason. Clearly, you are a snake or some other type of animal.

While watching the home town dates, I got this sinking feeling in my stomach. I knew Kacie B's home town date didn't go well. Personally, I think her parents sabotaged her. As soon as her dad said he wouldn't give his approval if Ben asked him if they could get married, I knew she was a goner. The cherry on top was when Kacie's mom said she didn't want the two of them to live together before they got married. Which, I'm sorry but I totally do not agree. You HAVE to live with the person before you get married. How else do you figure out each others quirks?! I just knew at that point, it was bye bye Kacie. I was SO BUMMED. And she was so upset. On that note, WHERE did Nikki come from?! To me she came out of nowhere and is all of a sudden a contender. REALLY?! Nikki over Kacie....mmmkay. I certainly don't get it but hey, I'm not on the show.  Since my favorite is now gone, I'm hoping that Lindsey and Ben end up together. Although, at this point it seems like none of the couples actually "make it" once real life sets in so it should be interesting to follow.

Tell me what you think! Who do you think is going to end up with Ben?

Why?

WHY?

Tommy and I just got back from an absolutely fabulous weekend away...it was the first time we have ever been away from our boys and I won't lie, I cried for a good portion of the drive but we had a really great time and the boys were in good hands.Everything turned out fine. Today I had planned to post all about our weekend. What we did. What we saw. How we spent our time but that has since changed. Instead, I find myself asking why?! Does this ever happen to you? WHY? Why do good things happen to some people and not others?

While we were gone a guy that went to our high school was murdered. I didn't know this man personally, in fact I graduated before he was even in high school, but my sister went to school with him. Friends of friends went to school with him and from what everyone says, he was one of those really sweet, kind, caring, popular guys. He played sports and everyone liked him. He taught second grade. He was trying to break up an argument in a bar and he was stabbed. WHY?

There was a serious car accident in a town close to ours over the weekend as well. Nine high school girls in an SUV. The driver lost control of her car. Three of the girls died, the rest are in critical condition in the hospital. They weren't drinking or doing drugs. They just lost control of the car. WHY?

A friend of mine lost a child when he was only six months old. WHY?
I don't understand WHY things like this happen to good people.

I woke up this morning feeling totally exhausted and was dragging my feet to get out the door to a job that I don't love.  Grayson didn't sleep well last night. I'm sure this is because he hasn't been home for a couple of nights so it's going to take him some time to adjust back to his normal routine, which is fine. Meanwhile it just means we won't be getting much sleep. I woke up crabby. But then you hear about things like this and it really sort of puts life into perspective. Life can be taken from you so fast. In the blink of an eye. So, where do I get off complaining about a crummy nights sleep or a job that I don't love anymore? It makes everything that at one moment seemed like such a big deal, not such a big deal anymore. As I sit here typing this, I just want to cry. I want to cry for these families. I want to cry because I'm so thankful that I get to SEE this day. I want to cry because I feel terrible about how selfish I can sometimes be. I just wish it didn't take hearing things like this to make me realize how lucky I really am.


WHY?

A Critique: A&Es Intervention

For those of you out there in the blogging world and elsewhere who love keeping up with the new television shows that started this past fall (shout out to New Girl...LOVE that show!!) and are going crazy because they still haven't resumed and there is NOTHING on TV... well, this post is for you (mostly because you can probably relate to how I am feeling!) Because all of our favorite shows are on what I like to call "Christmas break," Tommy and I have struggled with what to watch once the boys are in bed and before I go to bed. Which, for those of you who don't know me personally, my bedtime is only an hour or so after the boys go down. I am an early to bed kinda gal and I wouldn't have it any other way. Back to my critique...because our usual shows haven't been on, we have been watching some WEIRD TV. Lately, we have been really into the A&E show Intervention.  Have you heard of it? What do you think of it?

The most recent episode we watched was about a young girl who was addicted to heroin.  She started shooting up when she was 17 and the show aired when she was 21. She was homeless and occasionally prostituted in order to get money to buy her drugs.  She literally broke my heart into a million bazillion pieces. Then they started interviewing her mother and I found myself getting so ANGRY.  The woman totally enabled her daughter. Would give her  money to buy drugs. Would do heroin WITH her. Annnd when it came to the actual intervention, the interventionist called her mother out on her behavior and told her she needed to stop and get help herself. The mother freaked out and left and when they interviewed her she said she was upset because the interventionist was accusing her of being a bad mom.  HELLLLLLLLLLLO...you do heroin with your daughter!!! Not exactly a vote for the mother of the year award. Right?!

Whenever we watch the show, I find myself getting angry with the person who has the addiction because of how they treat their family. How can one treat their family members in such a way...just with complete lack of respect? I just don't understand. I cannot relate. Yet, I obviously get the fact that these people are sick and have a real problem, drug addiction. I understand that the person literally cannot help themselves to quit even if they wanted to but I STILL find myself getting angry. I hate seeing how drug and alcohol addictions tear families apart. However, in this episode I found myself crying whenever they interviewed the young girl. She truly just broke my heart. I felt so bad for her and what she must be going through. I wanted to get on an airplane and help her because the people she was surrounded with, the people who are supposed to love and care for her and help here, were NOT helping her. They were doing drugs WITH her.  I think that is what got me all up in arms about this episode.  As a mother, I guess I just don't understand how you could do that to your daughter.  I was literally shouting at the TV.

I have always had this innate feeling of wanting to help people. When I got to college I thought I wanted to be a drug and alcohol counselor. Then when I realized what that entailed I immediately changed my mind. How can you help someone to get better if you have no empathy for them and get angered by their actions? Ummm...you can't. Definitely would not have been a good fit for me and that's OK. For the record, I give the utmost credit to those individuals out there who are drug and alcohol counselors. You are AMAZING people and I could never do what you do.  So thank you for doing what you do. Also, I don't want this post to come off and sound all judge-y because that is NOT my intention. This post is just a reflection of the episode I watched and how it made me feel. It is not my job or place to judge others and how they react to certain situations. I'm simply just saying that the girl featured made me feel so sad and lonely and her mother made me angry. Who knew one could get angered at a person they didn't even know?! Welcome to reality TV I guess. Lets just say this girl is looking forward to New Girl and GLee starting back up.