Bulldog: Seat Removal

I have not been keeping you all up to date as well as I had wanted to. Of course life gets busy. When you add a big ol' bus conversion to the mix, things can really get interesting. Okay, so you all got to see our Bernadette "Bernie" the Bulldog when she came home.

At that time, she was very much a kid toting school bus, seats and all. Those seats were the first thing that had to go! I of course did not think to get a picture of when we had all the seats in Bernie, but we all know what that looks like, now don't we.







At first, Hubs tried many different ideas to get the seats out. It was hot, the bus was hot, and those seats, wanted to stay put. Hubs tried unbolting the seats much like they had just gone in. It worked on maybe one or two bolts. Boy was it slow and tedious!





Finally we went to a quick but hot and dirty method of seat removal: the grinder.
Every seat had to have its aisle bolts ground off. When on a hot bus in the middle of summer, the last thing you really want to be doing is using a grinder, but it had to be done. You can see Hubs taking a little break when he had about 1/2 of the passenger side done.

The kids loved when we got 1/2 of the seats out as they had more room to run around. That was their idea of helping. But hey, no way could they be on there while the grinder was going, so helping was a bit out of the question. While bummed, they did enjoy playing inside the nice cool house. 

 Finally, we got all of the seats out of the bus. I must say, Hubs got it done in record time once we (he) started just grinding those suckers out of there.

And now we had our first look truly at the amount of space that we had in our bus.
I think this is going to be one awesome adventure to go on. And then, it will take us to so many more! Continue with us as we keep working on the demo part of our dream camper build. Next up, our walls and floor get ripped out.

Our Newest Adventure

After much thought and discussion, we have embarked on a new adventure as a family.

WE BOUGHT A SCHOOL BUS! 

Yes, you read right, a school bus. No Hubs nor I are becoming bus drivers. 

     I would like to introduce you all to Bernadette "Bernie" the Bulldog.

"Bernie" after purchase, but before coming home.

She is a 1996 66 passenger International school bus. She will be stripped down (it is actually already happening) and turned into our dream camper. The official name for this type of thing is "skoolie." Skoolies have been around for decades, really.
     
     We are doing this as a family and the kids are so excited. In all honesty, they are bummed when we say they can't help with some part of the demo.

     You will be seeing a bit of this gal I hope, as I plan to chronicle this adventure on the blog. We are pretty excited for this chapter in our lives. I leave you for today with a picture of "Bernie" in her new home, until next time...

Time Lapse

More than a year has gone by since I posted on this blog. More than a year has gone by since I really gave much thought to this blog. So much has happened. It got me to thinking about what started this whole venture in the first place. LJ. When I started blogging back 2009, my little LJ was a wee munchin.

It always brings a smile to my face to see pictures when he was so tiny. And this is when he was 2 already.
It wasn't long after that we learned that LJ would be a big brother. He wasn't quite 3 when he did become a big brother, though he still was not really big at all.
Fast forward to today and my little LJ is growing to be such a little man. This spring was his very first season of playing soccer. Amazingly enough he was not the smallest kid on his team. There was one boy just a smidge smaller than him.

Even at the very first game, he wanted to try being a goalie. He did pretty well at it too. He really did enjoy soccer this year and we will be doing it again this fall. Even after his tournament day with four games in one day, he loved the game. Actually, he loves the games more than practices he says. Of course who wouldn't. Practices aren't always as thrilling as games. I get it.
Speaking of games, how about one good action shot?

That is my little man about to kick the ball back down the field. I don't know that he ever was one to make a goal, but he had so much fun. He ran, and played, and got all sweaty, and had fun.

Now, I know I mentioned by baby girl earlier in the post. I would be remiss if I did not give a glimpse of her since she has grown so much since I last posted. Here is a picture of my "Thing 1" and "Thing 2" at our town's annual fair. Thing 2 has helped her big brother come out of his shell a bit and we got him to try the tea cups, and he loved it! He spun their cup while she lounged back and enjoyed the ride.

Where has the time gone? The lapse in time from then till now has been astounding. In 6 years we went from a tiny little one, to two ever growing not so little ones. Before I know it, I will be registering Thing 2 for Kindergarten. Then I will have two in school! TWO!

{31 Days} Day 12 - Missing

This is a tough topic today. What do I miss? There are plenty of things that I miss.Now the question I have to answer for this post is where do I want to take it? Do I want to go sentimental or keep things lighter? To be honest, I don't know. My first answer goes deep. It is a quick gut reaction to the question at hand, and I guess I should run with it.

The biggest thing I miss is my dad. After him, it is my Nanny. I lost my dad when I was 6. He died from lung cancer caused by smoking. It is hard to lose a parent at any age. When you are so young, it can be hard to really process your emotions that well and understand things. One thing I remember from that time is getting a big stack of hand made cards from the kids in my first grade class. I also remember being graveside. It was a rainy day and I hid my tears using my clear froggy umbrella. I loved the umbrella. I also didn't understand why I did not see his casket during the funeral. It was later that I found out he had been cremated.
I was very fortunate to then get a great stepdad. He is pretty great. :)

What is something/someone you miss? 

Until Next time.... Happy Living!

{31 Days} Day 10 - Our Daily Routine...?

 Our daily routine can truly vary from day to day. I keep some things fluid as it works for us. Hubby and I plan some things, but then when it comes to the little things, we like to let it flow.
Here is the basics of our routine each day.

Hubby gets up and goes to work by 630

Kids and I wake usually by 800

We get up and head downstairs

The kids get some milk and cereal (or what they might like for breakfast that day)

M/W/F LJ has school

School days, LJ is dressed and Mommom takes him to school @ 9

BG and I pick up LJ after school at 1130

Lunch

Nap-time starts at 1

Hubby usually gets home around 4

Dinner

Milk and some TV time

Bath time is around 730 (when needed)

Bedtime is 8 for the kids

I have told LJ and he now remembers that I enforce nap-time until Kindergarten. Both kids have to lay in bed for the duration of their lullaby CD. If I have to go up and make them get back in bed or stop playing/messing around, I restart the CD, so they are up there longer. This is some of my best to time to get work done around the house. 

Mornings have the greatest amount of playtime for us. That is most of what we do, unless I have to do some errands while LJ is at school. The kids are up from nap-time by 330 and then it is playtime until dinner, as well.

We keep our weekends very flexible. We still try to get the kids to nap at some point, but the weekends are family time and we usually don't plan that until the day of. 

So, there is our daily routine. What is your routine?

Until next time... Happy Living!

The Best Chocolate Sauce EVER!

I must say, Hubby loves his chocolate milk in the winter time. And LJ will only drink chocolate or pink milk; though this is partly due to us giving him two pediasure drinks each day. For many many years we have always had to have a fairly large container of Hershey's syrup in our fridge for those moments of chocolate need. 
As many of you may know already, I am a pinterest addict! A few months back I started seeing many ladies pinning recipes for chocolate sauce. Many said they would never go back to Hershey's because theirs was loved so much more in the house. Really?! Better than Hershey's? My curiosity was peeked. I had to try it at least one time. Wouldn't you know, not long after finding those recipes, our chocolate ran out. Time to try some homemade chocolate sauce!

I just used one of the first recipes I found. It only has a few simple ingredients and really simple directions. The recipe came from Jillee at One Good Thing by Jillee. 


Homemade Chocolate Syrup

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• dash of salt
• 1 cup water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla (or less if you like darker tasting chocolate syrup)

Now, In a small saucepan, combine the first three ingredients. Whisk them gently just to mix them well. Now, put away that whisk! Add the water and turn on your heat. Bring the mix to a boil, stirring occasionally. Be careful not to over stir and add too much air. I have made that boo-boo  and while it doesn't change the taste, the air bubbles just don't seem to want to go away even once in the fridge for a few days. Once I even just used the whisk to save on the number of dishes and it worked way too much air in. 

The original recipe says to turn down heat and cook for 1 minute. I change that. I let it bubble (be sure to not let it boil over) on the stove for a few minutes until I can tell that it is thickening up nicely. 

Once it is how you like it, take it off the heat, and add the vanilla. 

Let it cool, then store it in the fridge. This recipe fits perfectly into a pint jar. 

Just look awesomely thick that sauce can be. I do not add quite as much Vanilla as the recipe calls for because Hubby likes the darker flavor of less Vanilla.  

Really, I don't know that we will ever have to buy the chocolate syrup in the store again.  If I use this to make chocolate milk for the kids, I can't help myself but add a little extra syrup to the spoon before licking it off. ;) 

One more way to save the family some hard earned money and make sure I know what we are putting into our bodies. 

Have you ever made your own chocolate sauce? 

What do you make homemade?

Until next time... Happy Cooking!

This post is linked with:

Meal/Menu Planning for the Unplanned Family

Being a mommy blogger, I have been following my fair share of other mommy bloggers. I see the events, enter the giveaways (only the ones I truly love, now), and I see the endless posts on frugality and menu/meal planning.

I am all for frugality. I need to be very frugal lately as we work to pay off credit card balances that crept up on us after moving and baby #2. I strive to be frugal anyway, as I see it as the way I should live the life He gave me. I love the frugal posts!
I have tried many tips on ways to be frugal with food and meal/menu planning. So often I read about planning out a week/month of food and then go from there. I see these really nicely printed our calendars with meals written in and hear of the grocery lists and prep work. I have tried it a few times, as typed out so nicely, and you know what? It doesn't totally work for us. To a point, planning is great, but as a family, we don't do a whole lot of planning in our lives. We do have some scheduling, but when it comes to meals, we fly more by the seat of our pants and it works, for us.
This year I have tried to hit hard my organization and frugal living ideas. Each room in our house is getting a major makeover, and the kitchen was the third room we hit. I even defrosted our chest freezer and did inventories of the freezers. We are still working on our pantry inventory, but we have like three pantries, so it takes some time. I am just glad that we have been able to re-organize the pantries so I have a better grasp of what I have in there at the moment.

Why do traditional menu plans not work for us? We are trying to keep the number of leftovers in our fridge to a minimum now. In the past we have become overrun with leftovers and many don't get eaten before going bad in their container in the fridge. This meas there are times when we need to eat leftovers after only two new meals. Other weeks, we can go almost all week until we have a "Leftovers" night.
Also, many times we get a call sometime during the day inviting us to dinner at my in-law's house. f course we accept as I love to let the kids see Mommom and Pop, and it is a nice change of pace. This makes planning dinner a challenge at times if you try to be by the calendar all the time. We keep ourselves very flexible. This is how we like to live, though. 

The picture is how I find it works best for our family. Yes, this is a white bard, and it has found a nice home on our freezer door. This is by no means a full list of meals that I can make at a moments notice, but it is a good working list of meals I want to make in the coming weeks.  One thing about these meals is that I already have everything I need to for them in the house. Those with"-P" after, mean they are new meals that I found through pinterest. I am addicted to that site!
As time moves on, I can share recipes for things we love and for those interested in some of the meals you see listed.

What kind of "Meal Planning" works for your family? 
Do you plan at all? 
Any recipes you are interested in? 
Feel free to share in the comments!


Until next time.... Happy Cooking!

Has it been two years already?

It is hard to believe that my BG turns two today. As I right this, we are within on hour of her birth time. I can't believe how big she is now. She has to do everything her big brother does. And she does it with total cuteness. She is saying more and more understandable words each day. She becomes more independent with each passing minute. If LJ does it, she will be right behind him or even next to him. Before we know it, she will actually pass him weight wise. Is he in trouble then!
Happy birthday to my Baby Girl. You are no longer a baby. You haven't been for quite some time, but to me, you will always be my baby. We love you so very much and I can't wait to see where the Lord leads you.

Shame on Me

Here I said I was going to try blogging a little more after the 31 day challenge was over. Then I promptly forgot about blogging and kept moving through our, what now seems the norm, busy life.

Photo by: Markusram

Spring has sprung and in many ways is more of summer before summer ever truly arrives. This week has finally dropped the temps a bit, so playing outside can happen without mommy melting. I do not do well in the heat and retreat quickly when the temps rise. I feel bad that this happens and LJ just wants someone out there to play with him other than his little sister and the dog. But, now we are making our backyard more of our own little oasis, so maybe I can do this a little more often without melting quite so much.
Last year we took the big Black Walnut trees out of our yard. I hated them and they came down. This left our yard with basically no shade. Not cool! We finally broke down and went out to buy one of those fabric gazebos. All of the really nice ones are pretty pricey. I hate spending that kind of money when I don't think the product is worth the inflated pricing. We ended finding and liking one of the portable/foldable gazebos, like really great for camping. It even has optional sun shade sides that can be added, and there happened to be two sides on the next shelf over. I wanted shade sides and not just netting since I need the shade, not all the bug control.
Then while doing some great yard sale searching we found a combo water and sand table for $5. I was excited. LJ was even happier because, well, he loves both of those things. Now, we can have shade, he can play in the sand or water, and I can still position it in the shade of our canopy. Between this and his awesome track, I think LJ is pretty set for the summer months. Of course, BG loves it all too. :)
I think things are shaping up for a fun summer and a great fall. I am excited to see what happens these next few months.

Until next time... Happy Outdoor time!

Happy Mother's Day!

I want to wish all of my readers and their mothers a very Happy Mother's Day. We are either one or we have one. Some day you may become one. In one way or another we are all affected by Mother's Day. Whether your mom is with you or you wish she still were, take this day to think back on all of the good times you spent with your mother. All of the good times you have been a mother or like a mother to someone.

Source: andreasteed.com via Emily on Pinterest

Thank you to my mom for being such a great mom. To my mother-in-law for being such an awesome mother-in-law and not the cliche stereotype. To my sister, you are such an awesome mom and I know your boys love you for it.

Happy Mother's Day!

Disney Fever

Well, I cannot contain my enthusiasm much more. Mommom and Pop couldn't devote their time to planning our Disney World trip until they got back from taking a big trip with mommom's mom and sisters.
Guess what... that trip is over! They got back very very early Sunday morning (think 1am). This means we are going to start planning our big trip that is going to take place this fall.
I am so excited. I wish it would be here sooner! We are beginning to plan what Hubby and I will do to get the kids ramped up for the trip. I am thinking "the 60 days of Disney" personally. We would start 60 days before we leave and start by watching Disney movies like Snow White, Cinderella, etc. Then as we get closer, adding more to what we are doing to get ready for the trip. We aren't sure exactly what it will all look like but we are all just so excited we can't help but try to get the kids just as excited.
I just couldn't contain my excitement any longer.

Do you have big trips planned for summer or otherwise?

Until next time... Happy trip planning!

{31 Days of Blogging} Day 2 - 20 Facts

Today is day two of the Blogging Challenge that I am joining. Today's prompt? 20 Facts about yours truly. I will admit that when things like this are asked, I really don't know where to go with the facts. So, with that in mind, let's see where this post takes us....

1. I am currently 29 years old. 
2. I have been with my husband for 12 1/2 years. 
3. We have two children 4 years and 15 months.
4. Unknowingly Hubby and I moved into our family homes within a month of each other. 
5. I spent all of my schooling years in the same school district. 
6. Growing up I wanted to be a mommy, teacher, and nurse, all at the same time. 
7. I later decided nursing was out when I found I really don't like blood all that much and HATE needles.
8. I went to college for Secondary English Education (was originally thinking elem. ed. but changed that too)
9. My first job I started when I was 14 and held for over ten years.
10. My first teaching job was an ESL aide that lasted less than a year when my students both moved.
11. I lost my dad when I was 6 years old, he died of lung cancer.
12. My son knows three great grandmothers and three great grandfathers. 
13. I love sewing almost anything I can think of or find an idea for. 
14. I am really running out of facts to put down already.
15. I credit Hubby with saving me as God put him in my life when I needed it most. If we hadn't met when we did, I am not sure I would be here today.
16. I have suffered from depression and anxiety. While one has gone, I struggle with the other a few times each year. 
17. We are not sure if we are done having children or not. Some days, I say more, and others I say, NO MORE!
18. I love blogging, and wish I made more time for it.
19. I have big dreams for my business, Lynifer. (yes I know that was a shameless plug)
20. I really hope I can keep up with this Challenge, and for me it will be a challenge.

I hope you enjoyed those 20 facts about me. Like I said, I really never quite know where to go when asked for facts about me. I usually like more direction or I tend to ramble. :) 

Until next time... Happy Living!

{31 Days of Blogging} Day 1 - Intro

Hi all! Today is May first and that means day 1 of the 31 Days of Blogging Challenge with Boy oh Boy. Today's prompt is "Introduction and Recent Photo." The intro is easy, the photo, well, that is another story. :)
My name is Lyn. I am a stay at home mom/ work at home mom. I married my high school sweetheart on our 6th dating anniversary. We were engaged for 4 years while I went to college, getting married the November after graduation. We will be celebrating our 7th wedding anniversary this year.
We have two wonderful children, a boy, LJ, and a little girl, BG. I have heard people call it a rich man's family, but adding a girl, in my book, makes it a poor man's family, seeing as boy can having a little girl get expensive. :::tee, hee::: We don't know if we are done having children yet. Some days, I think at least one more might be in the cards, and then other days, my angels become monsters, and I say I am done having kids. I know all families have those moments though. I do think that my kids are actually pretty darn well behaved over all.
I started my own little business of sorts when my first child was in his first year of life. If you can imagine it, I will try to sew it. My business is called Lynifer, which is the nickname my best friend used to call me in high school. She is like a sister to me, and was my maid of honor, so it seemed fitting to use that nickname.

I guess now it is time to move from the intro to the "recent photo." I am usually the one behind the camera. There is a reason for that and that reason is that I tend to really hate photos of me. This photo is from our most recent trip to Sear's photo studio for some Christmas pictures. I have had some people say that this was a pretty good picture of me, so I guess I will use it. :)

Fighting Mommy Burnout

This year is flying right on by. We have been so busy, I don't know where the time is going. The end of April and now the beginning of May is meaning Hubby is out of town more than either of us would like. After being so busy and not really having time to unwind or be a couple, now he is gone for work.

(pardon the blur, but fussy kids rarely stop for clear pictures to be taken)

Being a stay at home mom is a job I love and would not change for the world. One of the biggest things with it though is mommy burnout. Now, I am not saying that working moms do not get mommy burnout, or dads (working or stay at home), but I cannot speak from those angles. I can only speak from the SAHM angle, because, well, that is what I am. I think every parent can attest to needing breaks every now and then. No matter how much you love your children, sometimes you just need time away from them to feel human again and like an adult.
Hubby was gone for work for a week, is gone again (this time only a day or two) and then he will be out of town again for who knows how long by the second week of May. This does not give much time for mommy to be anyone but mommy. I am very thankful that both sets of parents live very close to us (within ten minutes each), but even with "reinforcements", I still have to be mommy and deal with all the mommy issues. When Daddy is home, he can fill in and give mommy even a few minutes of time to not be mommy. Even if it is just time to take a shower without feeling rushed, or do anything in the bathroom with the door closed and locked. I think so many of us can understand where I am coming from.
When Hubby is home, he is very tired from work and not sleeping well when out of town, that I tend not to get those breaks that often for a few days after he returns. With him going out of town so frequently, with little time between, it means those times are all but non-existent. I would also be lying if I did not admit that Hubby going to see a midnight showing of the Avengers movie the night it opens does not make me a little jealous that I am not going with him. I will be staying home with the sleeping kids. The next day will be making sure they let Hubby sleep a bit and relax since he will not sleep the night before.
All of this and more adds up to mommy burnout. I wish I had more ideas on how to fight the burnout, but I don't. I know Hubby wants to take me out for a dinner without the kids, but he said he wanted to do that before his last week long trip out of town, but it just could not happen. Busy lives do not always work out for nights out without kids. (wow, the word "out" was in that sentence alot). A dinner out is nice, but then I begin to feel bad to be asking our parents to watch the kids so often, even if it is only once a week. I hate to admit but there have even been times that I have thought even a sip of an adult beverage might be nice. Of course, I am quick to dismiss seeing as BG still nurses at night.

How do you cope with mommy burnout? What advice can you offer me and other moms out there who could use the help?

4 Years. Where has the time gone!

I cannot believe that my little man is 4 years old! His body may still be little, but inside he is such a big boy! I love watching him grow and develop into a little man. A gentleman at times too. The unprovoked " I love you mommy"s and the snuggles he randomly offers are so sweet and melt my heart.
The four year old attitude is one that plenty of times, I could live without. I am so grateful that those moments are not all that often in the grand scheme of things. I also know that my LJ is such a good boy compared to some out there. I think we all know those kind of kids. The ones that make you happy your little one is acting so well. :)
Anyway, back to topic....
LJ is 4. This year was the first year we had a "low key" party with just great grandparents, grandparents, aunts and uncles. Of course this still meant we had a total of 20 people including our household. When my grandmother heard we were having a low key affair and then heard the number and saw the party, she did think that was so "low-key" but our definitions for many things differ. I like to celebrate our kids' birthdays with more of our family because it is such a happy thing. I know there are families that will just have those living in the house at the "party" and it is just a cake after maybe a special dinner. I like doing more because I find it fun and I love seeing the kids all get together and play together. That doesn't happen as much as I would like it to, even though my sister only lives 20 minutes away with her two boys. When "the boys" get together, they always have a blast. Sunday was no exception. I guess it did help though that LJ has a brand new racetrack in his backyard.

Yes, a racetrack. Pop came over on Friday and did everything needed to make a racetrack in the back portion of our fenced in yard. By Friday night, LJ had a blacktop track to ride bikes, skateboard, race RC cars, etc. It was a big hit on Sunday at the party, even for Uncle B and Uncle J. We fixed up two 12" bikes for LJ but as you can see, big boys rode them as well. Good times were had by all.

I think LJ likes the track because it is so much like Lightning McQueen having a racetrack to drive on. The movie Cars and Cars 2 are big in our house right now. Even the cupcake cake was Cars themed.

I can't believe my Little Man is 4 years old. Time has really flown by. Before I know it he will be in regular grade school and then all grown up. *Snif*
Wish they would stay babies always, but I also love watching them grow and mature and see where the Lord takes them in their walk with Him.
Until next time... Happy Living!

My Nursing Journey

Warning: If you do not feel like reading any details you may feel are TMI, stop reading here. This is a post to help other moms know they are not alone. I am not going to hold too much back when it comes to my journeys with breastfeeding my little ones.
After reading another blogging Momma's breastfeeding story, I was pulled to write this post even more. I already wanted to write a post about all things nursing, but wasn't sure. Now, here I am. You can see more about the original prompting post over at Mom Spotted.
So may posts, articles, forum chats, etc. either focus on the perfect breastfeeding story or the terrifying stories. One makes you think it is going to be the easiest thing in the world, "It's completely natural". There are so many of these out there, you may not even see the others that focus on the terrifying stories that make you think you should go with formula from the moment they are born. I will admit I don't see many of those around, ever.

I have had two very different journeys in nursing.
LJ was a delivery we were not expecting and he was in an oxygen tent for hours after birth. He didn't get the idea of latching and as the incredibly not helpful LC at the hospital pointed out, I was flat. Truly it came in the form of the question, "have you always been this flat?" I did not know I had flat nipples, but according to her, I did. There are things that can help with women who are flat, but she did not want to offer those as they were reserved for women who had too much trouble nursing and I hadn't given it enough time yet, I guess.
Nights were terrible for us in the hospital. They would bring LJ in crying terribly. We would try everything, including glucose dripped on my nipple to try to get him to latch. Finally, the second night nurse saw how much trouble we were having and how much I needed help. She took it upon herself to get me a nipple shield and help me learn to use it.
LJ was able to nurse the best he could when I used the shield. The biggest thing for me was that it was not very comfortable. The suction he would create would hurt. The second LC that I saw in the hospital helped me learn to use some of the pump accessories (as I had the main pump parts at my house from my sister) so that I could pump and still be able to feed my new son. She was very helpful, but never saw me nurse, so I never got the help I could truly use. We left the hospital supplementing with formula. That supplementing gradually became more and more and by about three weeks I was only pumping my milk and LJ would get bottles with mommy milk and formula. By four months, I stopped pumping, and my supply lasted until about five months. From then on my little LJ was purely on formula. I was just happy I could offer him some milk in the beginning of his life.
Better some than none, right?

BG was a different story all together.
Within the first hour after birth she was with me and nursing. She latched on right away and was a pro at nursing. I wanted to be sure that things were not just a fluke. The LC came in when BG was nursing and said everything was perfect.
When I learned that I was expecting I began researching how to nurse even if flat nipples are involved. I found that I could start using nipple shells to prepare my body for nursing. The biggest issue with the shells is that I had to go up a size in my bras and make sure they were padded so the shields were not too noticeable when I was wearing them.
If you have troubles with your latch due to your body, I HIGHLY recommend getting a pair of nipple shells. They can also be used after birth to sooth sore nipples. 
Back to after BG's birth. She was a pro from the start. After we left the hospital not too much changed, but man did a I get sore! My body was not used to a baby nursing and it hurt. After she got into her rhythm, things would settle down and not hurt anymore, but the first few minutes could get pretty sore.
It did not help anything that my milk came in while still in the hospital. Talk about engorged! The only thing that made things better was pumping or hand expressing milk.
After a few weeks both BG and I were pros at this nursing thing. Now she is going on 14 months old and still nursing at night. I am not sure when weaning will happen. She likes her time with mommy, and I love that time bonding with her.
Breastfeeding does not always come easy, no matter how natural it may be. If you are having trouble, talk to someone. Anyone. I suffered in silence with LJ and didn't get the outcome I originally wanted. If you are set on nursing, get some help, even if only from friends who have experience with nursing and nursing problems. It could change everything.

Until next time... Happy Breastfeeding!

Weaning - It's not all roses

My Baby Girl is not a baby anymore. She has turned a year old (and then some), has begun her version of talking, and walking, and drinking regular whole milk. We love our nursing relationship, but I am realizing she is demanding the breast when she doesn't need it. Many nights I have woken up multiple times with her just to have her nurse for 5 minutes or so before passing back out. I am not sure why she is waking so many times these nights. I know she can sleep through the night or wake just once, eat a little and then go back to sleep for the rest of the night. She has done this as well, but it is rarer than waking 2-5 times a night.
We have already gotten ourselves down to nursing just at night, but I am not so sure that this is best at this point. I have loved nursing, and all the benefits for both of us, but I also look forward to nights spend fully in my bed without trips to LJ and BG's room to rock and nurse she back to sleep. I know she needs to learn to sooth herself, and I am having the hardest time with that as well.
This mommy is so torn about what to do and how best to do it.
How did you wean your baby from nursing for the sake of the feel of it? How old were your little ones when you weaned or they decided to wean?
And on the other note: How did you get your nursing child to learn how to sooth themselves to sleep at night?
It seemed so much easier with LJ because he was already on a bottle, so that never changed for him. He also got used to not being in my arms every time to fall asleep. I need your help!


Until next time.... Happy mommy-ing.

Big Plans for Childrens' Church

So, if you are a regular reader, you may remember me mentioning something about a party Christmas morning for the kids in one of my rooms at church. Well, I thought I would write a little post explaining this party a little more. I love this idea but completely forget where I got my inspiration. It may actually be from some curricula that I have been going through lately for the room.

photo courtesy: Wikipedia

Well, first off, the real reason we celebrate Christmas is what? Jesus' birth.
What do we all do when someone has a birthday? Have a birthday party!
Yes. We are having a birthday party for Jesus. I thought this could be a great way for the kids to remember more of why we have Christmas and that this really is the best time of year. (Well, now and Easter of course)

I have a cute little game for the kids to play (still all in my head). I am going to make a "pin the star on the tree" game for the kids, of course using tape instead of pins. We will play Christmas music during their time in the room and when they leave they will all get to take home their "Shepherd staff" candy cane. I taped the canes to a little picture that they can color in when they get home. I am hoping this will start to help them remember the shepherds that were watching their fields the night Jesus was born. I love finding the traditions that are so linked to the Christmas story, but are not always thought of in that way.

I also made poms-poms for the kids to play with and take home as well. I know LJ loves shaking some Penn State Pom-Poms that are at my mom's house, so I think the kids will really get a kick out of this.
I am really excited for this Christmas Birthday Party. I have to go over to the church sometime before Christmas to make sure I have it all decorated and ready for the party. Since Christmas is on Sunday, we are not having Sunday School before church like we normally do so that I will not have that time to set up.
Time is flying by quickly and there is much left for me to do.

Until next time... Merry Christmas Preparations!

14 Days!

I can't believe that time is marching along so fast! We really don't have that much time left before Christmas is here. We have been doing more and more to get our house ready for Christmas, all along finding ways to link what we are doing to God and Jesus for LJ.

One of the first ways Christmas time became noticeable was when Hubby's brother put a bow on the front of our van. I quickly forgot it was on our car too. It was almost a week before I saw it again and thus remembered it was there. Oh my! A couple days after the last Christmas post I did, I was able to get the garland going up our stairs. LJ helped me too! He loves finding ways that he can help mommy and daddy. It wasn't much that he helped but it made him feel good to be able to say he helped me out.
One big way that he helped me with Christmas decorating was with the tree. I would put the branches out of the bag they were in and he would put them in the correct color pile. Then when I was ready to put the branches on the tree, LJ would hand me one at a time from the pile I needed. I know this made him so happy because he was telling everyone he saw that he helped mommy with the "mimis tree." I love how he says Christmas. Brings a smile to my face every time. Part of it may be that he is so in love with everything Christmas, and not just presents.
We have been getting more and more Christmas not just in the house too. LJ has been enjoying Christmas shows (especially Curious George's A Very Monkey Christmas) and Christmas crafts in Sunday School at church. Well, Shepard's Flock really. Since I am one of the two ladies that handles the nursery and toddler rooms at our church, I have been working on putting together more of a curriculum for the toddlers, with bible stories, crafts, and so much fun. Many times it is a little rushed as I am getting it together during the Sunday School hour to be done during the service. Either way though, the kids seem to really be enjoying it. The other week LJ made a little manger with a baby pop stick wrapped in a tissue blanket.  One thing LJ doesn't know yet though is that all of this fun Christmas stuff he is doing in church is going to end in a big party Christmas morning. :) More on that later.
For now, I will leave you with one of my favorite Christmas pictures from our house. There really is no more cozy scene than a burning fireplace (stove) and a lit and decorated Christmas tree!

Until next time... Happy Christmas Prepping!

I Love Christmas Time!

WARNING: This post will be a bit of stream of consciousness from an extremely excited lover of Christmas and all that it means and entails. 

Okay, I am getting so excited for Christmas it is not even funny. Now that I am hearing the music more, going to Christmas concerts, and having Thanksgiving/Christmas Dinners at church, I am completely ready for everything Christmas. At the end of the week, I brought down our one box of Christmas decorations and got our mantle all decked out. I also put up all of our stockings, including those of loved ones that are no longer around. Okay, so yes, one of those is for our late cat, but hey, we loved him too.
I have not quite Decked the Halls, but that will be done soon I am sure. If I can wait until Hubby gets home one afternoon this week, maybe then. Otherwise I may just have to find the bag with our lit garland and do it myself while he is at work.
You know, now my head is swirling with other ways to incorporate carols into this post? All because I said "Decked the Halls." Oh my. It also doesn't help that one of the blogs I read is having a really great event and one of her latest posts was about caroling. I of course now have to put in a nice little plug for that blog. ;) I would highly suggest AYearwithMomandDad.com if you want to follow along on her very own Bloggy Advent Calendar. Each day she is having something new to help get in the Christmas spirit, or get things ready for Christmas. It is a lot of fun and it is fueling my love for this season!
I am in love with watching LJ and BG fall in love with Christmas and this season as well. Right now BG is more into the lights and all things shiny, but LJ is learning what Christmas is all about and he loves it. He likes helping me decorate, learning about Baby Jesus and how special he was/is, and everything else we are doing this time of year.
Our next big thing will be putting up our tree and decorating it. I am excited to have LJ help us decorate the tree again this year. Yesterday we put up our outside lights, and it is too early to bake, so the tree is our next step. Yes, baking. That is a whole different part of this season. I tend to do a bit of baking of cookies and making of treats for friends and family and neighbors. It is something to show we are thinking about them and we love having them in our lives, but it is something more thoughtful than buying little trinkets at a store. Maybe LJ can help me a little more this year with that as well. If you have been reading this blog since last year, you may remember that we make fudge annually. Well, I am sure that is going to happen again this year. I know I have two batches of fudge to make myself, though it will not quite be like my mom's. I have two different flavors of morsels and at least one batch will have little yummy treats added into it when it is being made. I like to do things a little different at times.
The days are marching right along and there is much to do between now and Christmas. Some of those things are Christmas related while others are not. What are those "nots"? Well, right now I have two ladies who are pregnant with girls and due not too long after Christmas. Knowing my line of business, and you can figure what might be going on. Well, one lady even asked me to make her a diaper bag. So, that still needs to be done too. Of course I cannot stop there though. Of course.

Well, I better get back on track with preparing my heart, house, and family for this great Christmas Season.

Until next time... Happy Christmas Season preparing!