Sterling’s awesome week + a shiner

This little girl is about to turn THREE next week!  We had a pretty big week lasweek.  On Monday’s I go to the kids school and assist the teachers with the group of kids.  There’s a little boy that loves to sit next to me during story time and Sterling is always jealous of him.  On this past Monday, as he sat next to me, Sterling went behind me and bonked her eye pretty hard on the sensory table.  She had a nice shiner for the week, but it healed nicely and she’s back looking normal now.  I love helping the teachers on Monday’s, but Sterling is becoming a non-fan of going to school.  I don’t know if it’s because she wants me there every day or if she just is tired of it.  Her class is pretty small now because her little girl friends moved to the three year old class when their birthdays came, but Sterling will stay in the two year old class because there’s only six weeks of school left.  I don’t mind because I know Sterling LOVES her teacher and I think I may be a bit partial too.  I just hope that she’ll start wanting to go to school again.  We’ve had a few instances of her crying at drop off over the past month and today, she did it again.  I decided to just keep her out of school today and not push her.  

Her shiner…

 

Today as I ran my errands, I had this little unexpected tag along.  We ran around all over the metro.  Target.  Toys R Us.  Babies R Us.  Stride Rite.  The cookie shop (to pick up cookie dough for her birthday).  Home to drop the dough off in the refrigerator.  HyVee.  Home to unload groceries.  Eat a mighty fast lunch.  Conferences for Xander.  Hobby Lobby.  Pick up Xander.  Commissary to pick up our groceries I ordered online.  A much needed stop to Starbucks.  Finally, HOME!  It was a busy morning/early afternoon with my sidekick, but she managed to take a great nap in the car!  I loved having just her with me today.  I never get to enjoy just one kid anymore so this day was fun.  Next I need to plan something to do with Xander.  I’m hoping I can convince her school is fun tomorrow morning because I typically help in the preschool room on Wednesdays.  I told her if she goes to school tomorrow then I’ll give her a sticker. She was excited, so we’ll see. 

She came home from school on Wednesday, had to use the potty, and then I heard….”mommy!  mommy! I POOPED!” Oh man, she was excited.  As was I…because I’ve tried getting her to poop on the toilet before and she wasn’t having it.  I guess when they say you need to stop pushing them and they’ll do it when they’re ready is true.  Since then I haven’t had to prompt her to go to the bathroom.  She goes all on her own.  On Friday, she started wearing undies to school.  And has been in undies since!  We even did all our errands today in undies!  Brave brave mommy?!  She’s good at holding her potty until we get to a toilet so I guess I wasn’t too worried (but I didn’t have a spare outfit, because I wasn’t planning on having her with me!).  I stopped stressing over her going potty in her pull up and she started using the potty on her own.  I back off and she soars above my expectations!  Five full days in undies and no accidents is awesome.  Her teacher thought she was ready sooner, but I was scared because I didn’t want to take the chance of messy accidents.  So, I took her teachers advice and put her in undies and what do you know, she was right!  Sometimes you just have to listen to others, put your guard down and listen.  It may have taken 9 weeks, but I feel safe to say that she is day trained.  Most mornings she wakes up dry, but we still have about 2 nights a week where she wakes up wet.  I’m not stressing nighttime though.   Sterling, you’re amazing!   You put your mind to something and you do it, full force.   Mommy loves you!

Spring Forward

I have to admit that I’ve never had an issue with a time change before today!  I’ve been off ALL day.  The day flew right past us.  We awoke at our normal time, 6 am, only it was already 7.  We always lounge in bed and watch cartoons for at least half an hour.  By the time we made it down to breakfast today, it was 7:45.  I then had to create a menu plan for the week and order our groceries online so I can pick them up on Tuesday.  Showers.  Getting ready for a walk.  Going to the trail for a walk.  Lunch (at 230!).  Homework, two assignments needed done.  Baths for the kids at 5.  Dinner?  Yeah, well that didn’t happen until 7!  I’d planned to make pork cutlets, green beans and rice, but yeah, I didn’t have time.  I was still working on homework at 5:30.  So we had Panda Express.  Yep, super healthy right here.  Gag!  Kids fell asleep great tonight, but I assume they’ll both be in our room in about 2 more hours.  I don’t know how I was able to transition to a 7 hour time change so easily and frequently when we were living in Germany.  Hoping tomorrow will be a better/smoother day. 

(found via Google image)

The struggle is real today people.  The struggle is real!

I hope you had a smooth transition to losing an hour

Health and School

Health and Happiness talk

Making time to work out has been my biggest struggle since having kids.  There are so many excuses that come up that working out was always put on the back burner.  This week I think I have finally found a schedule that fits my schedule.  I even created a separate blog to document my hard work that I’m striving for…and hubs too.  My goal was to aim for 3 days a week, but I think I really need 4-5 because I need to lose 45 pounds and I want to do it in 10 months.  I’ve already lost 4.4 pounds in the three weeks since I officially started.  Go me!

My schedule so far:

• Monday-no gym, I assist in the kids class at school all day
• Tuesday-gym after I drop the kids off
• Wednesday-gym during lunch hour, I assist in the preschool until noon
• Thursday-gym after I drop the kids off
• Friday-the kids and I go to the gym first thing
• Saturday-either the gym first thing or go to the trail as a family
• Sunday-day of rest

Creating ‘healthy’ meals has also been a struggle since having kids.  Or maybe since forever?!  With kids, I do find it even harder when you have an extremely picky eater (Sterling!).  Although she does love her some fruit, dairy, and carrots, but she bores from them quickly and goes on strike.  She often goes to bed without dinner because “I don’t like that,” and I’m that mean mom that won’t make a separate meal now that she’s old enough to understand.  She never complains she’s hungry before going to bed, so I don’t think it’s hurting her any.  Anyways, I tend to try to find easy and fast dinner to whip up every night.  Since returning from vacation, we’ve only ate out 4 times (that’s GOOD for us!).  I need to find some new recipes that taste good (have flavor!) but are still light in calories and carbs.  Since I haven’t found much lately, I’ve just cut back on the amount I eat, which has been working great.  I still have my sweet treat every day.  I have to.  It’s like a must or I might die.  Really, it’s that bad. 

There are a few reasons I want to get my health in check.

• One, for myself.  To be happy and confident
• Two, for my kids.  They deserve to have a fun, active mom
• Three, we’re going to the Caribbean!
• Four, BABY FEVER!  (Maybe this should be #1?!)  Man, is it ever present in our house.  It’s all hubs talks about.  But, I want to shed at least 15 pounds before conceiving so we’re hoping to conceive this year and baby next year.  We all know that it don’t matter what we’d like, because it’s all in His timing.  We’re hopeful though.  I just would hate it to take another 10 years to conceive a healthy, successful, full-term baby!  I’m going to be 35 this year and I feel if it takes too long, we’ll lose our chances at baby #3.

School talk

I’m absolutely loving school.  It’s challenging, yes.  But, I love it.  I still enjoy the readings and learning new ways of talking and interacting with children.  What skills are essential for children and how to help children achieve high-level language.

I love that my kids’ school director and teachers are willing to allow me in their classrooms to assist and observe.  It’s teaching me a lot and will give me so much more experiences over the next year and half.  This fall will be a big change for us.  I’m volunteering to be a permanent assistant in the preschool.  I’m stoked and ready!  I don’t know how many days yet, but I’ll take what they can give me.  Having the experience is invaluable to me.  Starting in the fall, I’ll only be in one measly class each semester until graduation in 2017.  One!  It’s okay, I’ll fill my time with volunteering and gathering knowledge from seasoned preschool teachers so that way I can be the best that I can be when it’s my turn.

I’m ready for spring break though!  I have some major plans around the house and I have to get it organized for those plans to come to fruition!  The kids will still be in school during my school break, so I’ll have uninterrupted kid free days to organize!  Stoked?, why yes I am!  I’m crazy excited for March 9th to get here!

 

Bikes

My Kids don't have "big kid bikes" but will be getting them for their birthdays this year.  I don't know what size to get!  Because they'll be 3 and 4, do I just go ahead and get a 16 inch because they'll outgrow the smaller ones faster?  Or Stick to the smaller 12 or 14 inch? What would you do?  Will a 16 inch be TOO big?  Both kids are over 39 inches tall.  I'm at a loss and could use some advice.  Thanks, if you can offer any advice!