It may be difficult to see as a scan but this is Abby's first family portrait and I'm so proud I have to blog about it and show it to everyone. In the upper left hand corner is Cate. Then to her right is Abby. The big "person" is Mommy and under her is Daddy. You can tell it's Daddy because he has glasses. That's right folks. My daughter is 2 (almost 3) and she drew glasses on her daddy. I'm especially impressed with the fact that she "wrote" The Adams Family at the top. There are mouths, arms, legs, eyes, noses... many details that I wasn't sure she was up to doing. Yep this is a brag blog!

Back in the Groove

Andy has been back in school for a week and a half and we are starting to get back in the groove. It's hard sometimes to be home all day with kids and housework that never seems to get done. But that's my life. I'm trying to get into some habits that make it easier but they are coming slow. I try and add one thing every week that makes the routine a little less mundane and keeps the TV off just a little longer.

That's my real battle. I crave the sound of grown-ups talking and I watch TV on www.hulu.com or Netflix or something just to make my life a little less "baby." But there is nothing that I really want the girls to see so I end up with the computer on my lap and the headphones in and then... I'm totally cut off from them. They are totally on their own for entertainment and learning. I try and sit down and read to them every day. I try and go over colors and letters and numbers and play at least a little but I get so tired of it all so fast. I feel like I'm the one with the short attention span. I hate to admit it but I'm really not that great at the stay at home mom thing.

So, I will continue to try and add a few things to the routine that keep the TV off and the kids more entertained and maybe I will be a better mom.

What do you do every day that makes your routine better and keeps you sane?

What Have We Been Doing?

So we finally have our computer back after many days of torture! Here are some pictures of what we have been doing all this time.

Painted Abby's face for a Griz game. I always have to stay home with Cate on late nights. I like it. I get to watch whatever I want on TV and just veg with my baby Cate (who always falls asleep right away).

The game was almost to loud for her and she covered her ears the whole time.

And they got free t-shirts. Abby's was more of a tent.

Then we got her all done up as a Missoula Mauler for the hockey game.

Where they had a great time with Uncle Kevin and Auntie Karen.

Exercising in Montana Cold

The other day I decided to head out into the cold with the BOB and just try and get some real outdoor exercise. The whole reason for buying BOB was for me to get out and walk so I didn't have to pay for a gym membership. But then there was snow and Montana got as cold as people said it would and I never believed them. So I finally got off my keister and got out there. A blast of wind took my breath away. I am sure this was only a slight breeze but with the chill factor I suddenly realized I was going to need more equipment including some kind of breathing apparatus to keep the artic air out of my burning lungs. Then my thighs went numb. Now because of my lack of exercise, my thighs are like kites, holding me back and feeling every bit of minuscule wind resistance. I thought, "Maybe I should have gotten a membership. It's going to be a small fortune to equip me to be out in this weather. I need those hockey leg guard things the goalie wears to keep my legs from freezing off." Once I finally started to pick up speed, my hands, although tucked inside my jacket, started to freeze as well. Then my torso started to warm up and after the first mile I was getting quite hot - on only one part of my body. I realized I was going to need to take off the down jacket.

Reaching home, I thought about what I need to get to make exercise in Montana comfortable. Pictue this. Me... speed walking in a scuba tank with hockey goalie leg guards, goth kid sleeves, skiing gloves, and a bikini top.

It is finally becoming easier to do the vegan thing. It took three weeks to get most of the everyday dairy out of my head. When you eat a bowl of cereal, you put milk on it. When you make a sandwich, you use cheese. All Mexican/south of the border food is slathered in cheese and sour cream. Salad has ranch dressing. Toast has butter. 

Another aspiring vegan recently said that becoming vegan is a lifestyle change and that is very true for me. It is hard to find new recipes now that I am switching over. I have been making the same dairy laden food for so long that my biggest fear in switching was that everything was going to taste like bird seed... and sometimes it does. 

A few things I have discovered are: 1. Fiber intake is up alot and things are moving along way better. 2. Fruit is expensive and I eat way more of it. Avocados are also expensive but they are my new best friend. They are a nice creamy substitute for cheese. 3. Beans are the best! But then you are farting like crazy but at least you are full. 4. I still crave dairy. That's just the truth. Sometimes I am sitting here drinking my soy latte and thinking, "This is stupid. I am not losing weight and I am not eating what I like." But then I think of when the spring comes and when I will be able to exercise and I know I am doing the right thing.

That Tiny Little Spot

Abby is potty trained... mostly. With her going to the potty comes a whole set of problems all new to me. Most of this is dealing with her independent spirit. Today she was wearing a "princess" dress that she refused to take off. I let her do that because, well you are only two once and it becomes somewhat unacceptable to dress in renaissance wear after a certain age. I believe I remember my mother letting me wear a Tinkerbell outfit all day long and I definitely remember my brother's obsession with cowboy boots, shorts and a football helmet that he wore altogether for most of the year he was three.

So she's wearing this dress and she rushes to the potty. It's hard enough to go to the bathroom as an adult in a long dress. She almost had it. I was unavailable to wipe her at the moment she wanted me to so I watched helplessly as she slid from the potty sliming it with pee. Amazingly, her dress escaped being dunked and slimed by the toilet seat. In celebration she did a twirl that swung the once unscathed material toward the wet seat.

Almost in slow motion, I watched. As it was happening, a million things ran through my mind. Would I be able to ignore the tiny spot of pee that was inevitably going to be on the hem? Should I attempt to wrestle her out of the dress? How well would the costume hold up in the washing machine? Isn't pee sterile? Do I care if it's sterile?

Yes. I have an almost unnatural issue with bodily functions and all that comes from them. That's why I am not a nurse. Little did I know that pregnancy, childbirth and parenting would just as bad.

The dress swung onto the seat and the tiniest wet spot appeared... And Daddy walked in and I left him to deal with it. That's what daddy's are for!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPod

Location:Home in Missoula Montana

The Public Library

The other day I was reading Abby her bedtime story and I realized that I had memorized all our books. I am sure there are many of us who can recite The Busy Spider or all of the Red Bible Story books after being asked to read them over and over.

I went to the mall and checked out the books in the toy store and although they are cute and very nicely packaged, they are outrageously priced for those of us on a budget.

I headed over to the used book store and discovered that prices are significantly reduced. I bought 8 books for the price of one. I know you are all thinking, "Amazon, Callie." I am hopelessly bad at Internet shopping. I just buy and buy and it adds up without me even thinking about it.

My next thought was, I am about to consign a ton of baby stuff. Do I really want to buy books that are just going to end up in a garage sale? I realize that certain books are a must have for our personal library but after that, we all need a little variety in the story routine.

Today Andy took Abby to the public library. I have not been there yet and I went to check it out after they got back and I had a little time on my hands. It was downright scary. There are all sorts of crazy people in the library. I wish I could find one that is a nice neighborhood library. I also hate leaving my house with my kids, getting a card and hauling said kids and books back to the car. However, there are many fun times to be had there with your kids. There is a story time on Fridays, a couch for you to read to them on and lots of fun games on their computers. Best thing is, you can still check out real honest to goodness books like you did before Kindle and Nook and DVDs and all that. There are still books with pages (because kids love to turn the pages) and pictures (because what is The Tawny Scrawny Lion without pictures that make you want to eat carrot soup). Abby loves it. She is reading incoherently to Cate right now and I am glad we took the time to go to the library.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPod

Location:Missoula, MT