Sickness in Motherhood

Jeremy has been sick and Jack has been sick. I have been lucky...until now. Sunday morning I woke up feeling like death. It consumed my body causing it to ache with every movement. My chest felt like an elephant was sitting on it. My nose burned. My throat burned. All I wanted was to crawl back into bed. It use to be what I would do, that is, before I became a mother. Now I get no sick days. There is no one to call in sick to. 

You down some medicine and keep moving. You start internally hating your friends who haven't graced their lives with babies and zero sick days. Throughout the day you do little things that might bring you a little comfort. When the baby sleeps you try and nap. You turn on Gilmore Girls to make you chuckle through the coughing. Pajamas and orange juice while doing household chores. You make it through by all means possible.

It is now Tuesday and I'm pass the "I think I might be dying" phase but still in the "I'll never feel good again" phase.  Deep down I know this too will pass but right now I feel it still consuming me. I'll leave out the nasty details. Let's just say it ain't good.

Life has been a little more hectic than I like. Hopefully things will slow down a lot. Work has been very stressful, home has been stressful, and everything in between has been stressful. 

It is nasty rainy outside and I'm worried out Halloween plans will be ruined. I'm pretty adamant about people getting to see my little baby dressed like a monkey for his first Halloween. Rain or shine, sick or not sick, I'll find a way to show him off. 

Happy Halloween everyone! 

True Happiness

A boy outside on the swing is pure bliss. He gets so cheerful when I put his little legs in that swing. He knows what is about to happen. At the first push he tenses up at the motion but he loves it and relaxes. He laughs out loud. I have to remind myself to stop taking pictures and just be in the moment. 

Loving it when mama takes him to the park for swinging time. I try to stop in at the park when Jack tags along on my walks. His enjoyment really pushes me to put on my tennis shoes. 

I love his little gap. His dad has one too. People say that it might close up but I kinda hope it doesn't. Melts my heart.

I know I am bias but he is one gorgeous baby boy. He is just plain perfect. 

Spiderweb Peanut Butter Cheesecake

Last week I posted my Halloween Cheesecake Pie. It was so great that I decided to go ahead and play around with it. My husband is a huge peanut butter fan so I went to Walmart thinking about how I could make the cheesecake from before (because seriously it was that good!) but with a peanut butter twist. Here is what I came up with.

2 chocolate graham cracker crusts or whichever one choose

2 packages of softened cream cheese

1 container of cool whip

1/2 bag of Reese chips

1/2 bag of white chocolate chips

Steps:
1. Whip the cream cream.

2. Melt the chocolate.

3. Add chocolate and cool whip to the cream cheese.

4. Whip it up real good.

5. I added circles of chocolate and used a butter knife to make the spider web look.  

6. Fridge for at least 4 hours. 

It is Fan-Freaking-Tastic. Don't just take my word for it....get in that kitchen and whip one up. 

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Why I LOVE Mondays

Yep, you read that right. I love Mondays. I don't like to spread that around too much but today I'm coming out with it. Of course there are many reasons to hate Mondays but looking for the positive is a great way to get over those hated reasons. 

1. Feels like a fresh start. You know that typical "this week I'm gonna....". You feel like you are really going to do it this time whether it is exercising, eating right, getting organized, or just whatever you dream of that week. You know you all say it. It gets to feel like New Year's Day every Monday. 

2. You get to catch-up with your co-workers. I love my co-workers and really enjoy getting to hear about their weekend. It is great to get to talk and laugh with them each Monday. I also have to add I love hearing how my students weekend went.

3. You get to start looking forward to the weekend. The best part of anything is the anticipation. Planning for your good time is the greatest part. You are just reeling from the weekend and are ready for the fun to begin again. You get to start looking forward to it and making plans. 

4. Reading your favorite blogs. For the most part the blogging world is pretty quiet during the weekend. Monday means lots of great posts to read.

5. You get so much more stuff done. There is just something about Monday that makes me very productive. You have relaxed over the weekend and are ready to get back to the order of everything. 

6. You are more morning prepared than the other days. Mornings are the most hectic time for us but Monday mornings usually run so much easier because Sunday night I had more time and energy to get things ready. Lunches are usually made. Laundry done. Clothes laid out. By mid-week I don't always have the energy to get all those things done before bed. 

7. HIMYM, Mom, and GH. It is the last season of How I Met Your Mother. Although I'm not in love with this season I still have to watch my show. I'm also loving the new show Mom. Super funny in a modern comedy way. This girl is also a huge General Hospital fan and have been since middle school. Friday always leaves me wanting more so I am always excited to get to watch Monday's episode. 

For all of you who hate Mondays I am giving you a little Monday humor. 

Complaints

We are people who love to complain. Well we probably don't love to complain but we sure do it a lot. We feel it necessary to vocalize all the things that we deem stupid. As a teacher I am open to scrutiny as if I was a celebrity on the cover of a tabloid. It may not be a magazine but it is even more publicized right there on Facebook. Thankfully I haven't been hit too hard on Facebook but other people I work with have. I hurt for them because in every single case the teacher was actually in the right and the parent was confused by misinformation from a child not wanting to be in trouble or the heightened need from other people to dramatize things. 

In one case a child got written up for yawning, well at least that is what Facebook proclaimed as fact. The parent went on a witch hunt and there were people right behind her commenting. Poor teacher. Several people just took the status as fact and the reputation of a fabulous teacher went with each comment. Of course, the greatest of a teacher can't be broken by Facebook because years of hard work speaks volumes. In reality that student had made a big fuse of the yawn too many times. He was being disruptive to the learning and several warnings didn't get the job done so the student got written up. He should have been and now that teacher is known as the teacher who wrote a kid up for yawning. That Facebook complaint really hurt her and it is a shame.

Too many times we complain about something when we don't know (or think of) the whole story. How many times have we complained about all the cash registers at the store and them not all being open? Yes, it is frustrating but the reality is they can't keep them all open all the time or grocery prices would have to increase because these people have to get paid. 

Someone I work with voiced their complaints about a system I use in the library. I really mulled over whether I should say something or just let it go. She voiced her unhappiness with everyone but me. If she had come to me she would get to hear the reasons for my decisions that were approved by principals. Also decisions that I didn't make hastily. 

I would just like to ask each of you to stop and think about your complaints (especially the ones you make public). Think about why something is being done or why someone is doing something a certain way before you rip it or them apart. I promise you there is usually a explanation or a reason that makes perfect sense. If you think something is wrong then ask. The answer will make you feel at ease. You will see that people aren't doing things in haste like you might think. 

Proud of me

When was the last time you stopped to say "I'm proud of me". If you are anything like me it has been too long or even never. No one knows our internal struggles more than ourselves so why shouldn't we be the ones to toot our own horns. You know what you have overcome to get where you are today and it should be you to acknowledge it. 

We are always berating ourselves for what we didn't do but what about those things we have overcame? It's time to give ourselves some praise. 

I wanted to take the time to share with you some things that make myself proud this week. Even if it seems small it was probably big for me depending on what was going on in that moment.

1. I'm proud that I did a really great job at work last week. I rocked it and someone even bragged on me. It felt wonderful to get a little recognition. 

2. I'm proud that I cooked my husband his favorite meal for dinner Monday night even though I hate it. I was a sweet wife and I'm proud of me for not putting my wants first.

3. I'm proud of myself for buying myself a new pair of $15 shoes. I rarely buy myself anything and I need to do this more often.

4. I'm proud of myself for letting me take a day to spend time with a great friend.

5. I'm proud of myself for not making a snarky remark to my husband. I literally bit my tongue and now I'm not even mad about what he said. I really need to remember to do this more often.

6. I'm proud that I've kept a piece of gossip to myself.

Feel free to share your proud moments because I would love to hear them. Being proud of yourself is a good thing and we need to be that way more often. 

Weigh In Wednesday

210. Yep, I gained a pound but I'm not surprised at all. I had a fun filled weekend full of great times, and good food and drinks. I had Copeland's, Starbucks, and Shipleys. Many calories. I can't forget the Lime-aritas. Was it worth a one pound gain. Yep, I'm pretty sure. 

This week has been full of good and with that usually comes extra calories. We'll see what this new week will hold. I have been thinking about cooking more foods and eating healthier. Money is always an issue and even a bigger issuer after my husband's car was broken into and a 100 dollars was stolen (who leaves cash in their car???). We did the blame game and now we are done. It hit us in the pocketbook and in the gut. Just knowing that a stranger was in our stuff makes me feel strange. We filed a police report just in case. I'm also going to speak to my neighbors. I hope a great walk will be just the thing I need to clear my mind. I got to get back on things. All there is to it.

Halloween Cheesecake Pie

Saturday my friend and I got to sneak away and do a little shopping. It was the first time in a really long time and I enjoyed every minute of it. On our way she shared a simple cheesecake recipe with me that I decided to change just a smidgen to make a little festive. The recipe makes 2 pies so I'm taking one of them to Parent/Teacher Conference tomorrow. 

Ingredients:
*2 packages of softened cream cheese
*1 container of cool whip
*1/2 package of white chocolate chips melted
*Oreos or any topping you want
*2 pre-made crusts (I used the Oreo ones)

1. Mix the cream cheese with the 1/2 package of melted white chocolate chips.

2. Blend in the cool whip.

3. Add crushed Oreos. This step you can skip if you want to top with cherries or strawberries. 

4. Top with a few crushed Oreos.

5. Refrigerate overnight.

Why I Love Having a Baby

All mamas know that being a mama isn't great every moment of the day but there are just some things that make having a baby pretty awesome. Here are just a few of my reasons.

1. You get to dress your baby up in cute clothes.

2. Their baby kisses. I know anyone can get a baby kiss but it is just special for mama. He kisses me more than anyone.

3. Their face when they see you.

4. Experiencing firsts.

First time at the park

5. You get to see them grow physically and mentally before your eyes.

6. You get to mold their heart.

7. You get to touch their soft skin everyday. 

8. You get to experience their love for the simple things like a box or a piece of paper.

9. Snuggling. Oh how it is my favorite.

10. Baby laughs. 

Pumpkin Patch 2013

Our first family trip to the pumpkin patch! That exclamation point is to let you know just how much fun we had. We had one whole hour of family fun before the rain came in and washed it all away. That hour was the best hour. We knew that going today would be a weather risk but this was our only chance to go as a family so we took it. We fed the animals, went on a hay ride, picked a pumpkin, swung, and took many pictures.  Here they are!