Not Me! Monday......

Here it is my Not Me! Monday after the holidays. Wow, what a list it is today!!!

• This Mama did not say to her mother - who is visiting out of state...."Because I said so that's why" when her mother asked her about putting something away. Wow, it is sooo true you do become your mother later on in life.
• This Mama did not put the hot apple pie on the porch after Christmas dinner so that it would cool down. Who would do that? And if you're wondering if it worked.....ya know in case I did really do this....I heard it worked in a jiff. Only took a few minutes.
• Bill and I did not drive around for 2.5 hours the day before Christmas eve and get stuck in the snow just so we could spend time together. Nope, now why would we want to be stuck in the car together when we could be stuck in the house together?
• I did not obsess for weeks over the Christmas cards & letter - only to get them out in the mail the week of Christmas. What was the point of obsessing when they still went out late due to all the snow??? And I don't really still have a stack to mail today either!
  
• On Christmas morning this Mama did not make her 14month old go up & down the stairs 2x so that we could get the whole thing on video. And then have the "perfect" moment when she encountered all the presents & her new toy kitchen by the tree. Now, who would make a tired, hungry and excited 14month old do that??
• I did not get grumpy and complain about the snow that fell upon our great state for 12 days straight. Nope I shut my mouth, baked goodies, watched movies, played in the snow and just relished in the beauty of it all without any complaining what so ever. Yeah Right!!
• We did not get all dressed up for Christmas Eve service, drive in the snow & ice only to get to the service just as it was starting and have to sit in the foyer way. Nope we planned ahead and left early just as you should for Christmas Eve service in the snow......We did but still wound up late. But it was worth it!!!!
• And this Mama DID realize how much she has missed out these past 2 weeks and IS going to try to take it all in, roll with the ups & downs and pray for patience these next few days that her family is still in town. Because that is what Jesus would do and she is honestly trying to be like him, but realized that she is failing miserably this season.
• And finally, this Mama hasn't had 2ND thoughts about being on birth control this week. Thinking to herself...."we could just glove up every time"....Yeah Right like that worked for us...2 babies in a year! Guess she'll just get used to the bloating, weight gain, out of control acne and on-going visit from "Aunt flow" - after all isn't that the fun of birth control?
  

Please pray .......

Please pray for baby Stellan! He is very sick and on his way to the hospital. His mom writes one of my favorite blogs at My Charming Kids.

I will post Not Me Monday later as well as Christmas day pics.

Super 5 Post Friday!!!!!

I have had a terrible time blogging and I really, really need the outlet.

Coming today and only today a special introductory 5 Post Friday!!!! Look for em all within the next few hours - as time permits. ;O)

Christmas will be posted this weekend.

Post 5 - How much do I love Bill - let me count the ways:

I believe I married the BEST husband in the world!! He is such an amazing man. He continuously loves me even when I suck at being a wife. The past 10 days he has been a trooper with me! I am a creature of habit/routine. I like things orderly and in their place. I like to have a clean house. All of this has gone out the window with all the snow and my family in town visiting. And I don't do good when these things are in an uproar or disrupted. And my husband bears the brunt of my frustrations. But through all this he still loves me!

Bill, (I know he reads this blog) this is for you baby........

1. You love me even when I am not loving to you.
2. You always know just how to make me laugh - even when I don't want too
3. You are an amazing father to our girls
4. You bring me flowers spontaneously
   
5. You listen to my fears, my doubts and even my dumb questions - always giving me a gentle answer even when I know you want to say "What are you thinking?"
6. You put together Ellia's stroller and grocery cart without complaining yesterday - even though it took a lot longer than you had expected. Who knew doll strollers & grocery carts could be so complicated.
7. You are handling my family being here in our home for 3 weeks better than I am!
8. You helped our older neighbor get his chains on - in the snow - for over an hour - at one point even lying on the ground, in the snow to crawl under and attach the chains. I was sooo proud of you!! (Even though at first I was upset that we had to wait to open presents)
9. You are so giving
   
10. You continue to sacrifice over and over for the girls and I
11. You are always there to listen to me vent about the next annoying thing that bothers me
12. You always wipe away my tears ( And baby I know there's been alot this year - Thank You)
13. You have a very cute butt (sorry to family who reads this)
14. You look so good in your baseball hats. I love when you wear them.
15. You are a good friend to others
16. You still get excited about my cooking almost every night
17. You call me at least 2x a day just to say hi and see how the girls and I are doing.
    
18. You are so passionate about your hobbies IE...fishing, hunting, wrestling and you encourage me to pursue my hobbies/dreams
19. You did not balk last night when I said "Let's start our own "Biggest Looser" program the day the new series premieres on Jan 6Th. Eating right & exercising and we will weigh in every Tuesday during the show"
20. And finally - You love me for me - You don't try to change me, even though I know you want too, You accept me for me and still 3 years later love me for ME.
    

Post 4 - Baby coo's and smiles

This past week my darling, sweet, almost 3month old baby girl started smiling and making cooing noises. This is the sooo much fun! It's the sign that she is coming out of the "baby coma" that babies are in for the first few months and her personality is starting to shine through. I just love talking to her and trying to get her to talk back to me. (well at least for now, not sure I'll like it when she turns 13!)

The first time Ellia heard Addie "talk" she spun around and looked at her in my arms and you could tell was thinking "What the He*$ was that?" - All she's ever heard Addie do is cry......the look on her face was priceless....it was sooo cute. So I held Addie down to her and told her that her baby sister was talking to her. And she got so excited & started talking in her "jibberish" as Bill and I call it. It was the sweetest thing ever!!! I wish I had it on video.


Addie's feet in her strawberry - poka dot pj's this morning. I love baby feet!! Baby feet bare, baby feet in shoes, baby feet in socks, baby feet in sleepers - Are you starting to get the idea here?


How's this for a face?


Cooing at me this morning - making all kinds of noises



Look at this sweet smiling face! Is there anything BETTER than this??

Post 3 - Snowed in the house fun

Ellia playing with her curious George monkey & dolls


Learning how to push those beads around with Nana

Ellia "pinning" her cousin Thomas. As much as I hate to admit it, I think our daughter has some natural wrestling moves. She always goes for the pin first! Laying across her opponent - or her friends or her cousin - whomever gets in her way.


And finally Bill showing off his Russian military hat - he actually considered wearing this out to the Seahawk game - said it would keep him warm....makes you go hmmm.....

Post 2 - Snow time fun

Someone was happy to see the snow!! I love this picture!



Thomas has never been in snow before so he was mesmerized by it. Kept playing in it.



Playing outside with Bubba



Someone didn't like her snow suit or being so bundled up



Watching the snow fall and waiting to go outside & play in it

Post 1 - Cabin Fever

It has been snowing since December 14th here and I can't remember EVER a time it snowed this long living here in the Pacific Northwest. As I type it is snowing yet again- hmmm the weather man said it was going to stop today.

I love the snow! I love how it sounds when it's falling ( there is a distinct snow falling sound - Trust Me), the way it covers the streets & tree's, the great purity of it's "whiteness" and seeing my daughters face light up when she saw it for the first time.

BUT I am really getting tired of it. I never thought I'd say that. Never thought I'd tell Bill "I am never praying for a white Christmas Again!"

I have been pretty much home bound since it started snowing except for 2 trips out. And to make my cabin fever even better I've been house bound with my parents, my 4 year old autistic nephew and my 2 little girls!

I love my family and my girls but have you ever been stuck in a house with 3 children under age 4 - one of which has special needs? It's been a rough few days trust me. There have been some fun moments - which I will post in other posts.


This is our fence with snow all piled up on it.

Tree's in our side yard.


Bill and our neighbor shoveling our driveway so Bill could go to work.

Almost cleared

The pile of snow after they were done.

Not Me! Monday......

Yes, it's that time again! It's officially Monday! And what could be better than getting a load off your chest. It's Not Me! Monday. Free therapy at it's funniest.

• This Mama did not let her 14month run around in her snow suit for hours after coming in from playing in the snow. Why you ask? Cause she just looked sooo darn cute and I couldn't resist.
• This Mama and family did not stand in line for 2.5 hours to Santa Claus...in the freezing rain & snow....Just to get the same Santa picture year after year and to follow tradition? Nope, why would I do that??
• I did not have my father (who is visiting from sunny Florida) help me shovel the 8inches of snow off the driveway on Saturday only to get dumped on again several hours later...which made all our work in vain. Nope, didn't do that either.
• And because we are snowed in with the worst snow storm we've seen in many years I am not cooking and baking like crazy. Then eating hundreds of extra calories each day between all the cookies, breads, stews, chili's and hot chocolate. Why pretend....YES I am doing this!!! It's so bad...what else do you do in this weather?????
• I did not tell my husband today "I am never praying for a white Christmas again!!" After we had shoveled the 16 inches of snow on our driveway this morning.
  
• And this Mama is not going stir crazy cooped up in her house with her parents & 4 year old nephew visiting....and I mean STIR CRAZY. Nope, she is enjoying every moment of the extra activity, fighting, whining, "milk please", "I'm hungry" and "What's for dinner" comments. This is what's she's been waiting for all year....Right??
  

You know you're the child of a redneck when.........

Your dad teaches you how to blow duck calls.

Bill teaching Ellia how to blow a duck call. She actually can do it!!!!

Your dad poses with you & his shotgun in a picture.

Bill and Ellia holding his beloved Benelli Nova. And his next comment - "I can't wait to buy you a pink shotgun baby" - Ummm, okay we'll see about that was my response.

Not Me! Monday

Yes, it's that time again! It's officially Monday! And what could be better than getting a load off your chest. It's Not Me! Monday. Free therapy at it's funniest.

• This week I did not head out to stamp club in my flip flops - And this wouldn't have been a problem if it hadn't start to snow!
• This Mama did not let her daughter run around in just her diaper & socks (wouldn't want her feet to get cold) for hours on end because she didn't feel like getting her dressed - until 3pm in the afternoon. Nope why would I have waited till 3 o'clock - what's the point then?
• Yesterday, we did not cancel & reschedule Santa pictures downtown not once but 3x in about an hours time due to the snow. And then finally head downtown and get those fabulous pictures taken!
• I did not drink almost a whole bottle of the holiday creamer "White Chocolate Peppermint" in my coffee this week. It couldn't have been me or maybe it is me and this stuff is soooo good!!!
  

Who drinks coffee anyways?? I'm a supermom and don't need to be energized.

• I am not the worst scheduler & have yet to fully regain my memory loss due to two subsequent pregnancies - which resulted in double booking craft night with friends, my scrap booking weekend in January and our friend's daughters 1st birthday party. Nope I carry around an appointment book and always consult it before scheduling anything!
• This Mama did not obsess about this years Christmas card. The pictures to use for it, the wording, the background - you name it she did not obsess. Nope she was calm & collected when she designed & finally ordered this card last night!
  
• And this Mama did not tell her husband that "Yes, we are having a Christmas letter whether you like it or not & you are too getting your own paragraph in it"
• And this Mama did not insist on matching paper & labels for this Christmas letter. And when designing the card on Costco.com did not insist on finding a background that matched the already bought paper. Hmmmm, maybe she would've checked online Before buying the paper, ya think? (in case you're wondering - we are all matching now)

Who knew that our first Christmas letter was going to be such a BIG deal??

"The dishes aren't sacred"

Yesterday, I was reading McMama's blog and she wrote something that has been radiating within me since I read it.


She wrote "the dishes aren't sacred" - explaining that while she may have many small children running around & a house to clean - those things don't trump spending time with her husband. In the evenings after their children are put to bed they spend time together. The dishes stay in the sink, the laundry stays in the dryer and stuff stays on the floor. All these things can & will be addressed the next day. She also wrote that she is "learning to put my husband first in all things". Wow!!!

This profoundly hit me. Seems so simple but yet not. How many times do I put the girls to bed and then make the "run around" as I like to all it? Picking up toys, folding loads of laundry, sweeping (my new daily chore - thanks to Bubba's hair) and whatever else I feel needs my attention at that time.

Unfortunately I make these things more important than Bill. I know Bill would never tell me "stop cleaning" as he understands how busy I am during the day and knows that this is my chance to catch up. However, this is exactly why I believe these words hit me so strongly.

Recently I've been challenged by the Lord to really read & study Proverbs 31 - The Virtuous Wife. And in these verses I have found many areas that I fee the Lord challenging me to address.

vs. 11 "The heart of her husband safely trusts her; So he will have no lack of gain"

Bill trusts me with all his heart this I know, but does he lack? Yes, he lacks time with me. Time to share his heart, time to tell me about his day and his favorite "snuggle time". And by completing my "run around" I am missing valuable time with him. I am saying you aren't as important as these dishes. Again, Wow!!

The Lord really knows how to talk to me. Through blogs! No really, He hit home an area that he has been challenging me in for some time now. It's so cool how the Lord works - how he will use whatever measure he needs to get his point across to you. In my case - by reading a blog that I love and then hitting me with conviction right where I needed it.

Thanks MckMama for rocking this gals world!!!!

Not Me! Monday

Yes, it's that time again! It's officially Monday! And what could be better than getting a load off your chest. It's Not Me! Monday. Free therapy at it's funniest.

• This week I did not sleep on my daughters floor 3 nights in a row in an effort to get her to sleep in her crib. Who would do that when you are suppose to be sleeping in bed with your husband?
• Friday morning after yet another rough night on the floor of Addie's room this Mama did not wake up, get the girls dressed & head off to the mall & all it's Christmas craziness just to be around adults.
• And while getting dressed for the mall Ellia spilled a whole 32oz cup of water all over herself. This mama did not leave her in her wet clothes & take her to the mall that way. Nope, cause that would've been not a good mama thing to do. (Yeah, right do you know how hard it is to get two girls ready to go & myself. ) She dried off and what's a little (or a lot) of water on your jeans?
• Team D was late to not 1 but count em 2 birthday parties this weekend. Yeppers, we couldn't manage to get ourselves together and actually read the party start times on the invitations correctly.
• And on our way out to one of these parties we were late too I did not ask Bill to load Addie into the car failing to tell him she was on the porch in her car seat already. He did not run around the house looking for our daughter and then come out through the garage exasperated and ask "Where is our daughter??". It couldn't have been that I forgot to mention that she was on the porch & just needed to be loaded into the car.
  
• Finally, last night after getting the girls into bed I settled down for a mug of hot cocoa, a Christmas movie & the gas fire place on. Ahhh some quiet time - well it almost happened. The intent was there but how could I pass up this opportunity.... I got up and swept the floors, vacuumed & folded 2 loads of laundry while watching the movie, with the fireplace on and between sips of my cocoa. Now that is quiet mama time.
  

"Br-inner"

So anyone who knows me knows that I do not like to eat Breakfast for dinner - or what Bill calls "Br-inner". I don't think Breakfast should be eaten after 11am and since dinner time is after 11 you see where I am going. (Bertrand Family - you know this to be true first hand)

Now, Bill on the other hand loves all things Breakfast. Waffles, eggs, pancakes, cereal and he thinks it almost tastes better at dinner. His ultimate breakfast is Biscuits and gravy. And when Bill and I were dating he found this hard to believe but said he could live with not ever having breakfast for dinner.

So, last night I decided I would break my cardinal rule and make dinner for breakfast. I was going to surprise Bill and make Paula Deens Son's Biscuits and gravy recipe, eggs & hash browns. I chopped onions for the hash browns & peppers for the eggs. Got them all sauteed & ready to go. I've never made home made biscuits so I thought the recipe looked easy with only 3 ingredients. But I proved that 3 ingredients can be hard.

Let's just say my "Br-inner" idea was a bad- VERY bad idea. The biscuits turned out to be hard hockey pucks - that were so hard you would've broken a window. No joke! The gravy was too salty because I had a helper in my arms helping stir & I dumped too much salt into the gravy. I cooked the hash browns in my cast iron skillet thinking this would help brown them....ummm no they burned. About the only edible thing was the eggs.

Bill arrived home as I was dishing up the plates. I knew by looking at the plates that this wasn't going to be good. The presentation was horrible - and if the presentation looks bad it must be bad!! Even Ellia - a 14month old wouldn't touch the food!!! Bill sits down and I am already in tears crying. I mean boo-hoo crying. He is a good sport and takes some bites as I sit there crying. I then look at him and say "Can we go to McDonalds?". We clean up & throw ALL of the dinner away and drove through McDonalds.

Lessons learned:

1. Br-inner not a good idea in the Detlor home!!
2. Buy pre-packaged biscuits OR just stick with the bisquick recipe that you know works
   

Before we cleaned up I took pictures of my Br-inner attempt - what do you think?

The presentation OR attempt at presentation

Hard as rocks biscuits

Not Me! Monday

Yes, it's that time again! It's officially Monday! And what could be better than getting a load off your chest. It's Not Me! Monday. Free therapy at it's funniest.

• Did you hear the crazy news that Team D adopted a dog this week? I know isn't that crazy? Now why would a family with a 14 month old & an almost 8week old baby adopt a dog? I don't know either. Did they really adopt a cute, loving, well behaved and adorable chocolate lab? You guessed it they did.
• And this mama did not freak out when she found her 14 month old not only eating the dog food but playing in his water bowl all within 24 hrs of bringing home. Nope cause she would've known that this was going to happen and been prepared for it. (Are you ever prepared when your child eats your pets food?)
  
• On Saturday I did not sweep the hardwood floors 5x count em 5x!!! The dog hair doesn't show when you are looking down at the floor, but when you sweep it suddenly appears. And the first sweeping brought me so much hair that it lead to 4 more sweepings that day.
  
• And upon sweeping for the 5x time if you were in our house you most certainly did not hear this mama exclaim "This is ridiculous, I'm sweeping away my day" (And I thought I'd be cleaning up after children not animals.)
• Last night this mama did not say to her 8week old when she was crying "You are not the 1st child, you are the 2ND child therefore you have to learn to cry". Nope this mama did not say this at all to her sweet baby#2.
• This week this mama did not find Ellia eating off the mat under her high chair. And upon finding her eating bits of dried, old food leave her alone. Thinking to herself "it's only food from dinner last night & breakfast - what's it going to hurt"
  
• And finally, After visiting the dog park yesterday where Ellia got a little muddy - At home I removed her shoes but left her in her socks & shirt. Later when Addie began to spit up and I couldn't find a burp cloth I most certainly did not grab off one of Ellia's socks and wipe Addie's face with it. Nope I would've remembered to turn the sock inside out at least. Yeah, right who has time for that with a spitting up baby!