Friday, February 25

Our Sandtrap

Oh my, you may not realize but



Ive written these a lot faster than I ever thought I would.  I am really tyring to do this daily, but some days, I really have nothing to say or Im too busy chasing the kiddos to sit down for 5 minutes.  You know how it is.

We are currently making changes to our house.  I wont tell you what, but I WILL have an update and pictures when it is complete.  While the dust bowl has invaded our house, Ive been trying to keep the kids out of it as much as possible.  You know, run around until dinner time, come home eat, on the floor of our room, bath, bed, done.  This has been our life the last week, Im over it, but itll be worth it in the end.

With no other options because groceries were bought, prescriptions were filled, and the house is a disaster, we headed to the park.  Now I have mentioned that Elyse has no fear. NONE.  But she, and Cole, usually stay by me then test out the play area, then take off.  This day, they both took off with no hesitation.

Once they reached the slides, there was no stopping them.


WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE Mommmy, seriously, screaming weeeee as loud as they could.

She attempted to climb up the rock wall.
But I put a stop to that.
So she headed to the slide that you are allowed to climb up (Its a rule with us, you climb up, slide down, dont argue)

Cole wanted her to join him on the rope wall, so he yelled for her.
And she climbed up to meet him (I was less than a foot away in case she fell)

They really do like each other.
And it got us out of the sand trap that we call home.


I guess this was their way of telling me it was time to go.

Thursday, February 24

To do list

I am a list person.  I make list for everything.  I have lists of what needs to be done, what has been done and will be done.  It’s a problem that I blame my OCD tendencies on.  Throughout the week, Ill make a list of groceries we need, appointments that are scheduled and other random things that I think need to get done. 
Weekends are no different.  On Friday night, I will make a list of things that need to get done.  This Friday was a little different.  Instead of listing all the things that need to get done in the next two days, Saturday and Sunday, it was a list for the following week.  (Im off today and Thursday so it’s a good time to catch up)
Here  is my to do list for last weekend and the rest if this week:

Im not sure if you can read it, but you get the jist.  I write my lists different from most people.  I put EVERYTHING I need to do on the list.  I include runs, play dates, chores, grocery shopping and anything else I can think of that needs to get done.  Its constantly changing because I keep adding more things to it.
I am about half through completing it for this week(end).  I love crossing things off of that list.  It just never seems to get ALL done.  It makes me feel that if Im being lazy on the couch for a minute, I can say, “Hey look its ok, you’ve done 8 out of the 10 things that needed to be done this weekend, relax for a minute”
Its all in my head, but it works for me.

Speaking of lists, have you checked out my 101 in 1001 days list?
I completed #51 off of my list.
This item was to eat fast food for every meal for a day.  It was a long weekend of running around and fast food was convenient, even if its not good for you.
So on Saturday this is what/where we ate.
Breakfast: Whataburger, chorizo breakfast on a bun
Lunch: Jack in the Box, Two Tacos and stuffed jalapenos
Dinner: Burger Extreme, hamburger and stuffed jalapenos
*side note, I'm on my monthly spicy kick so I'm eating jalapenos on everything*

Tuesday, February 22

Whats the routine with Twins?

Do you ever wonder what its like on a day to day basis when you have twins?  I only assume that it is the same as a person who has 2 kids, but I guess it’s a little different.  So here it is, our scheduled during the week.
(Im going to share the schedule we have when I don’t get out of bed at 5 am to go run)
-Alarm goes off at 5AM
-Hit snooze twice, husband gets out of bed, gets ready for work, leaves.
-At 6AM (ish) I roll out of bed
-Check Facebook (Don’t judge)
-Take care of personal agendas (potty, teeth, shower)
-At 630, go into kids room and turn on light.
-Check weather (It changes so I have to figure out what to put them in and if I have to hunt down jackets)
-Grab clothes, fight dress kids as quickly as possible
-Leave house by 6:55, a minute later and Im late for work (I usually pull out of the driveway at 7:00)
-Drop kids off and head to work 7:07 (seriously down to the minute I have this figured out)
-Arrive at work at 7:30-7:35
-From 7:35-around 12-12:30 answer emails, phones, get work caught up.  After that, I catch up on blogs or whatever else that needs to done, or read.  J
-Around 12:30, I leave for lunch.  I may get food, I might grocery shop but I leave to get away from that place.  I really think you need a breather sometimes.
-I come back to the office at 1:30 and work until 4:30.
-Depending on traffic, I get to the kids around 5-5:30.  (Construction keeps closing roads with no notice so I have to keep finding new ways home.  Luckily I grew up here so I know all the back roads, apparently so does everyone else, I digress)
-If the husband is home, I take the kids to him so I can go to the gym. 
-If not, off to the gym we go.  From 5:30-6:30 (depending how they are acting) I work out, run.
-Sometimes we have to go pick stuff up so we do this now, and the gym waits.
-6:30 is dinner time for the kids.  If they don’t eat then, meltdowns WILL happen.  I cant wait till I can hold them off till 7:00 to eat but its just not happening right now.
-7:00 is bath time.  I, or the husband, wrestle the kids in the tub attempting to avoid another poo incident.  We tag team, both in tub, one is washed and handed to the other parent.  The other gets washed while the other is dressing (Did that make sense?)  Its literally like tag team wrestling.  If were alone, the two end up running around the house naked while we, err I, chase them with a diaper.
-7:15-7:30 is playtime, reading and calming down time (even if daddy doesn’t get this and wants to throw them around and get them all riled up)
-7:30 we say, “Its time to go night night” In which they respond “No”
            We say, “Its night night time”
            They say, “Ok, clean up clean up” and they begin to pick up toys
            Then Elyse says “Ok, all clean”
            They then walk to the room, stand by their crib, give hugs and go to sleep.

And yes I realize how lucky we are that they do this without a fight 90% of the time.
-Around 8, we finally get to eat, catch up on TV (TIVO is the best invention EVER)
-I pass out around 9:30-10:00 and wake up to do it all over again.

So that’s it, basically.
Everyone else is about the same right?
What’s your routine during the week?

Monday, February 21

You spent how much?

I have mentioned before how I am in love with coupons?  I never understood how much they could save you until I really got into it and started using them.  Now, it bothers me to no end when I have to get something without having a coupon for it or I need it and its not on sale (IE the hubs razors or diapers)  To avoid this, I stockpile.  One of these days I will clear out the bottom of my pantry and then take a picture of my OCD-LIKE organization process.  Its sad but I can find anything I need and tell the hubs exactly where to look when he needs something.  I digress.

So I stockpile.  Yes I am that crazy person that buys 25 tubes of toothpaste and 10 bottles of hand soap but I do so because buying ALL of that, I will spend about $2.  True story.

Saying all of this, what could be better than spending $13 at Target while buying 4 pizzas, 6 boxes of steam fresh veggies, Aquafresh toothpaste (I cant resits when its free), 3 boxes of Boca burgers, and 1 bag of Boca ground 'meat'?  (Another True Story that happened last Friday)

A grocery store going out of business.  Seriously.  Albertsons has been closing down stores randomly the past few years.  This weekend the two closest to me were having their final days.  Now normally I dont shop here because, lets face it, I can get it cheaper elsewhere, with the exception of their breakfast sale they do every 6 months or so.  For Saturday, and Sunday if it made it, EVERYTHING was set at 95% off.  I repeat EVERYTHING. 

I brought the hubs with me, which I NEVER do because he grabs random stuff and our bill doubles.  At 95% off, what damage could he do?  Its a good thing I bought him.  He kept finding stuff 'hidden' on top shelves where I couldnt see and it was the good stuff too.I know your thinking now what could she have possibly bought if the store was 95% empty? At 95% off, let me tell you.

1 Daddy Hinkles BBQ Marinade
2 Vacation in a Bottle (Its like anti-energy drink, puts you right to sleep)
15 pkgs Brown Gravy
9 pkgs Meatball spice mix
8 pkgs Italian Spaghetti spice mix
2 pkgs Mushroom Gravy
2 pkgs Onion Gravy
1 pkg of Aus Gus 
1 pkg Cracked Pepper Marinade Mix
1 pkg Enchilada Mix
1 pkg Beef and Broccoli Mix
1 pkg Alfredo sauce
2 pkgs Montreal Seasonings
2 pkgs Creole Red Gravy Mix
4 pkgs Chimichurri Burrito Mix
1 pkg Meatloaf seasoning
2 pkgs Chicken Marsala Seasoning Mix
4 pkgs Herbed Gravy for Beef seasoning mix
2 pkgs Burger seasoning mix
2 pkgs Kikkoman Marinade
4 pkgs Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle soup
2 pkgs pork roast gravy
9 pkgs sun dried tomato and garlic chicken seasoning mix
1 pkg Old Bay Seafood Steamer seasoning mix
1 pkg Beef Stroganoff seasoning mix
2 pkgs Chex mix seasoning pack
3 ready made pie crusts (1 graham cracker, 1 Oreo, 1 chocolate)
3 bags of stuffing mix
28 pkgs chili seasoning mix (Yes I said 28)
3 pkgs taco seasoning mix
1 Old Paso Side of Black Beans
3 tins of Margarita salt
1 box of Honey Graham Cracker crumbs
2 bottles of wine
32 Cold Blasen Venom Bit Energy Shots
4 pkgs Kool-aide
2 Full Throtle Quick Shots
8 Huracan Energy Shots
10 cans of Libby’s Pure Pumpkin
4 cans of sweet peas
1 Can of chicken consommé
1 can of Rutabaga
1 Jar of Cocktail Sauce
3 jars of Good Housekeeping Mexican Red Sauce
16 bottles of Kraft BBQ
1 jar of sliced apples
1 can of pumpkin pie filling
12 pkgs cream cheese
1 pkg Gorgonzola
4 loaves of Bread
2 pkgs frozen sugar cookies
Peek-N-Play cat toy
5 misc cat toys

The counts on seasoning packages are correct, unless I missed one or two.  We buy this stuff all the time and at literally .04 a piece, why not stock up.  Also, we have friends that we gave/are giving some stuff too.  We eat BBQ but 16 bottles, we can share (and why not at .06 a bottle)  Proof is in the pictures.

(I had to stand on the counter to get it one shot)




I drank the VIB already, at $3 a piece, I never get them
Also the other half of the Venom Energy drinks were in the fridge, he couldnt wait.

How much did we spend?
Before the 95% off discount, our total was 407.67 No Im not exaggerating, I did the math.

Did we spend that?
HELL NO

Our total out of pocket was...
Wait for it...
Wait for it...

24.32

So little for so much stuff, that at some point, we would be buying in the furture.

Anyone want some chili?

Friday, February 18

So what.....

...I blow snot rockets in shower

...I rush to the bathroom first thing on Monday and Thursday so I can smell the bleach

...If the first thing I do in the morning and the last thing I do at night is check facebook

...If I check facebook while warming up on the treadmill

...I make a point to shave my legs before I get a pedicure only because I dont want the lady giving me the pedicure to think Im gross (Same goes for the woman doctor)

...I stab my steak instead of cutting it gracefully

...I use men's body wash at times when Im out of my own instead of going and buying new girly stuff (going on two weeks now with Old Spice body wash)

...I pick my nose, we all do it, get over it

...If I pretend to not hear you sometimes, I dont want to talk

...I rely on spell check

Thursday, February 17

Hands in Pants

Well in pockets.

Cole is getting so big.  Everyday I look at him and all I can think is that he is growing up too fast.  He is such a little dude now.

He LOVES his daddy. All I hear is daddi daddi daddi in this high pitched voice. He copies everything that  daddy does and wears for that matter.

We went to dinner the other night and Cole was wearing a zip-up hoodie.  At some point, he looked down and found the pockets.  Daddy showed him how to put his hands in the pockets to hide them.  He immediately smiled.  Then we would go on to say, Where are Coles hands?  Where are they?  He would get super excited and throw them in the air and yell IS IS and then put them back in the pockets.

Hands in Pockets

Where are Coles hands?

There they are.

He was so happy for something so small.

Wednesday, February 16

Wordless Wednesday


Its his what-do-you-think-your-doing look

Tuesday, February 15

Hats, Hats, and More Hats

Have you ever seen those kids that no matter what the weather is they have a hat on their head?  That will be my kids.  I can see it now, 95 degrees outside and walking around in a sundress with a ski hat on.  Im not sure where they both got the liking for hats, but if there is one around, I can guarantee it will be on their head.

Lets go back to last Christmas.  These hats were too big, but too cute not to wear.


Fast foward a year to this Christmas break. Same hat but  I love it because of its bingy-bongies (not sure what else to call them) and it fit this year. She would not take it off at daycare.  If it fell off, she would get mad and say hat on hat on hat on HEAD.

Lets not forget about the beannies



Or her way of accessorizing


Now saying that, and reminiscing of the past hats, is it any surprise that she stole MY beanie and Cole stole DADDYS baseball hat?





Not at all, even if it is a Corona Beanie, its super cute.

Bring on the ski attire.

Sunday, February 13

Vegetarian for one week?

Cant be that hard right?  Another item on my list is to eat vegetarian for one week.  No meat, that was my rule.  I gave myself a little lea-way to eat cheese and fish, but only once.  I have a whole new respect for non-meat eaters.  Going out to eat gets complicated because you have to dissect things to make sure no meat is inside somewhere.  Here's what I at for the last week.

Saturday
Cheese Enchilada and a Chile Relleno with rice and beans
Cashews for snacking
Steamed Broccoli
Corn Nuggets
Cheese and Crackers
Peanut Butter and Pretzels
(It was fight night so it was all snacking most of the night)

Sunday
Bean and Cheese Burrito
2 slices of Mushroom and Onion Pizza

Monday
Salad with carrots, cabbage, and broccoli
Grape tomatoes
Pasta Salad
1 Slice of Mushroom and Onion Pizza

Tuesday
Potato and Egg Burrito
Catfish with hush puppies
Dirty Rice stuff Collard Greens (Which I got from HERE, but substituted the sausage for vegetarian beef, tasted so good)

Wednesday
Jalapeno and cream cheese taquito
Salad with carrots, cucumbers, radishes
Veggie Lasagna
Tostada with Guacamole
Roasted zucchini, onions and tomatoes

Thursday
Monterrey Jack cheese roll up
Spinach Enchilada with rice and beans
Veggie Burger

Friday
Potato Egg Burrito
Cheese enchilada with roasted veggies
Cream cheese with Pepper Jelly
Pita Chips with Hummus


I learned a few things this week.
1.  I need meat, I like it and I can only eat beans and salads so much.
2.  Vegetarians have it harder than I thought
3.  I eat a lot of Mexican food
4.  I eat a lot of cheese.

Somehow I managed but I dont think I will be cutting meat out of my diet permanently any time soon.

Saturday, February 12

Its only Saturday afternoon?

Its only Saturday and I feel like I havent sat down since I got off work yesterday.  After picking up the kids, I rushed to get them both to my mom's house for the weekend.  We are going out for my birthday, 4 days away, and she asked to take them.  So off they went.

My old lady weekend began.

So last night, me and Wendy headed to a coupon class.  Thats right, a class on coupons.  It was an overview but we figured we might learn something new.  (Did you know you can freeze PB and J and throw them in a lunch box and they will be thawed by lunch?  Who knew) Anyway,  it was a night away with all girls that I didnt want to shoot, shock I know.  It was fun and hopefully we will be able to do it again soon.

I finally fell asleep and heard the alarm go off at 6:45.  CRAP  It was supposed to go off at 6:15.  You see, I was supposed to meet a co-worker to run my long run for the week.  CRAP  So Im running around the house, in the dark, looking for socks and pants and head bands.  WHEW  I was 45 minutes late but I got there and off we went.

9 MILES  NON-STOP, with exception of water breaks.  Thank goodness Noe was with me because I would have walked at some points but he kept me going so it was good.  9 MILES IN 1:39:21, I can so do this  :)

After the run, I rushed home to grab pictures and books and took off to The Colony to do more scrap booking.  Im this close to finishing the baby books, but OF COURSE, I left some needed pictures on my dining room table.  Next time, they will get done, up till they turn 2.

Whew, I just got tired writing that.

Off to mark off more items on my to-do list while I am kid free, but I think I need to schedule a nap.

Wednesday, February 9

Wordless Wednesday



Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaats Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuup

Tuesday, February 8

Get your hands off my "Chee-tos"

As I have said many times before, Cole eats.  And eats.  And eats.  If you try to take his food, he literally growls at you.  If Elyse does not finish something, particularly his favorite fruit, he gobbles it up in seconds.  Now have any of you heard or seen the Gerber Little Crunchies that resemble Chee-tos?  Well my kids LOVE them and will eat the whole can if I dont watch them.  So here it is snack time and I think, what the hey, "Chee-tos" and Cheerios it is.  Cole engulfed his in about 2.5 seconds and walked over, very sneaky by the way, and tried to jack hers.  Of coarse she screamed and then he cried.  So, dont judge, I gave him a handful more.  He then decided to hoard them and run away.

You can ignore The Real House Wives of Beverly Hills Reunion in the background

Do you notice how he is holding on for dear life?

As he held on, she gracefully sat ON the table finishing her Cheerios.


Once snack time was complete, what is the next logical thing to do?





Yup, wear the bowls as hats.

Monday, February 7

Are you ready for some football?

This weekend was filled with football excitement.  After getting over a cold, Elyse was back on the table and running around like she always does.  Cole began to tackle. 

Light bulb

Is it to early to start putting football into their minds?  We are in Texas after all.

And so it goes...

Down...



Set...
(They are jumping up)

Hunt, and they both would take off and tackle me.  No pictures to show this, they were all a blurr or of the floor.

I also got them both to yell TOUCHDOWN and throw their arms in the air.

Its begun.

On another note, I ran 8 miles on Sunday morning.  After the snow/ice melted and the sun came out, I had to get outside.  It was a slow run and I didnt stop (with the exception of stop lights, puddling jumping, and re-adjusting my hair)  It was a good run.  If I can run 8 without stopping ,even if slow, I can run 13.  Ill be ready in 7 weeks I have no doubt about that.  Also, Im slowly chipping away at my resolution to run 1000 miles this year.


Friday, February 4

We got REAL snow

You have got to love TX weather.  On Saturday, it was 70 degrees.  We were in shorts and t-shirts and running outside laughing and playing.

Here it is, 4 days later, and we woke up to this:





Yup, more than 6 inches of snow in a matter of hours.  The last picture is of my work building from the stop light.  To the left is a grassy field now covered.  I also had to tromp through snow up to my shins to get in the building.  Texas is not prepared for ice or snow.

But, I dont think were in Texas anymore.

Thursday, February 3

Nose Pinchers

It amazes me how kids can turn normal household items into something completely different.  For example, Elyse turns the shopping cart into a stroller for her baby.  Cole turns the lights into a scary house (more to come at a later date) Elyse yells TWO when she wants to be thrown into the place (pillows on the couch)  Cole turns the potty seat into a hat, yes he does.

Here is the latest.  Elyse has discovered pliers.  Not real ones, plastic ones.  She has figured out that they can grab anything you put in it.

Her nose.

She says, "Mommy get nose, get nose."

Her Finger, again she says "Finer, finer"


And she laughs, and laughs.
Oh "Mommy, puppy nose, puppy nose"

Poor poor puppy.