Santa threw down the gauntlet

So, I tend to come up with some grand schemes, but lack the follow through needed to see them through to fruition. I was having one of those moments when I made my Christmas list this year. And Santa decided to throw down the gauntlet.

Oops.

Grand Scheme #1:

I am totally not a crafty person. I want to be, and I try to be, but somehow it is just not in my skill set. When Miss H was a baby, all I wanted to do was to be able to make pretty little bows for her instead of paying a fortune for them. So I spent a fortune purchased ribbon, a glue gun, and hair clips at the local craft store. And then I remembered that when they taught bow making in high school, I missed that day. I cannot tie a bow to save my life.

Anywho, I digress.

While pregnant with Baby B, I got this craving to learn how to sew. I would walk around the fabric store for hours just dreaming of all the things I could make if I could sew. I even took a sewing class.

Did I mention I don't own a sewing machine?

Not anymore, my friends! Santa decided to grant my wish and gifted me with a seriously awesome sewing machine. And I am deathly afraid to touch it. But, I will overcome this fear and break it out of the box....next week!

Grand Scheme #2:

Also while pregnant with Baby B, I was unable to exercise as much as I was accustomed. And thus, I began to crave any form of exercise, especially running for some reason. So I got it in my head that when the baby was born and ready to ride in the stroller I would "take up running."

Did I mention that I HATE running?

What was I thinking? Why oh why did I ask Santa for that heart rate monitor watch doo-hicky? Because there it was. Wrapped in shiny paper under my Christmas tree.

There it is folks; Santa called my bluff and now it's my turn to show him that I really do want and can meet these goals of mine.

Now, I'm off to sign up for more sewing classes and download the Couch to 5K program. Look out!!

Erin

My best post from 2009: "My terrible, horrible, no good, very bad mistake"

In order to commemorate the passing of 2009, the girls over at SITS are having a link up of your best post of the year. Since I just started this blog, I decided to copy one of my posts from my family blog here for your reading pleasure. I think it pretty much sums up my year with a two year old girly girl! Enjoy and Merry Christmas Eve!

My dear daughter Miss H is turning into one of those kids that doesn't want to ride in the cart anymore. She wants to walk around the store and pull stuff off the shelves. This morning we made our weekly trip to Target, and I convinced her to ride in the cart for awhile by "bribing" her with a drink of milk.

As we were nearing the end of our shopping trip, I caved and let the little "big girl" out of the cart. (Mistake #1.) She did pretty well listening to Mommy until we reached the cosmetics section at the front of the store. She was literally a kid in a candy store.

Why are women of all ages sucked in by the makeup aisle?

She was grabbing blushes, lip glosses, mascaras, and more off of the racks faster than you can say tornado. In my panic, I decided it would be a good idea to steer her toward the little girl "makeup." (Mistake #2.)

Darn you marketers of little girl makeup; why do you make the packaging so appealing to these miniature ladies? 

After selecting a relatively harmless package of chapstick, lip gloss, and nail polish, we headed home for lunch. As I prepared Miss H's turkey sandwich, she was screaming at the top of her lungs, "ME PRETTY, please!!!" So I caved and gave her the makeup package. (Mistake #3.) "Mommy, scissors open!"

ARGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!

So I opened it and let her have at the chapstick and lip gloss. Did I mention that they both taste like vanilla?

In the end, I took the makeup away, through many many tears and gnashing of teeth, because she would not eat her lunch. I can't believe that I caved so badly to make such a silly purchase.

But she did look pretty.

Wordless Wednesday - Year in Review 2009

Christmas through Rose colored glasses

Michele over at The Professional Family Manager is sharing holiday traditions with her readers, so I decided to give you a peek at Christmas from the Rose point of view. My husband and I have been married almost 4 years (our anniversary is Dec 31!), so we are just starting to form our Christmas traditions.

We always get a live Christmas tree, which we usually purchase the weekend of Thanksgiving. I know that live trees can be a pain to maintain, they dry out, they aren't always straight, etc., but I really love how they smell. They also just look nicer in my opinion.

We decorate our tree with ornaments that we have collected over the years. My Dad used to give me an ornament every year, and when I got kicked out my own place, he gave them all to me. Now, Mr. Rose gives me and the Rosebuds each an ornament every year. It is so fun to unpack all the ornaments and remember Christmases past.

I have a Lenox Nativity set that I have been collecting one piece at a time for about the last 8 or 9 years. It is so beautiful; I really love setting it up and rearranging the pieces.

On Christmas Eve, we get all dressed up and head to Church. I love singing the Christmas carols and celebrating the birth of the Lord. After mass, we usually have a light dinner (this year I am making Shepherd's Pie......get it?) and eat snacks while watching age appropriate Christmas shows.

Christmas morning we will open gifts and just spend the day being lazy. We usually have a big meal, but it is just the four three and a half of us this year. I have a precooked, presliced ham, but I am going to cook our traditional Paula Deen's Sweet Potato Casserole (say it with me....Mmmmmmmmmmmmm!)

I hope you all have a Merry and Blessed Christmas!

Erin

Christmas in Florida doesn't seem like Christmas at all

You know that song from the modern version of "The Grinch." You know the one that goes, "Where are you Christmas? Why can't I find you? Why have you gone, aaaaa-waaaaaay?" (Think Faith Hill...)

Yeah, I thought you'd know that one. That is sort of how I am feeling right now.

What is wrong with me? I LOVE Christmas. I always have. But this year, I just can't seem to get into the Christmas spirit. I am excited to go to Christmas Mass and celebrate in the joy of Jesus's birthday, but at the same time, it doesn't feel like it is time yet.

The shopping is done, and wrapping to boot. Santa has been visited. Carols are on the radio in the car. Our house is decorated inside and out.

However, it is 60 degrees outside and my husband is at this very moment....mowing the lawn.

Say what?

That's right. It is December 21st here on the west coast of Florida and Mr. Rose is mowing the lawn. Last night we packed up the kiddos in the car, and drove around looking for Christmas lights. We had the air conditioning on in the car. (Insert disapproving sigh.)

I know there are many, many people in the Northeast cursing me right now as they dig themselves out from a blizzard. But Christmas in Florida just doesn't seem like Christmas at all.

Click here to see the video of "Where are You Christmas?" (Notice the SNOW?) It's one of my new favorites. Enjoy!

Things that make me happy

I have been hearing so many sad things around the blog world this week, I really wanted to reflect on what makes me happy. I have been blessed with so much, but it is easy to forget sometimes. So here you go:

1. The big hug and cuddles I get from Miss H first thing in the morning when I get her out of her crib.

2. Baby B's big stretch and smile when I unwrap her from her swaddle blanket in the morning.

3. Listening to my husband wrapping Christmas gifts upstairs.

4.  Knowing how lucky I am to have such beautiful, happy, healthy, loving children.

5. Bare Escentuals Happiness Collection

6. Holding and rocking Baby B to sleep. I love how she snuggles up against me. It must be such a wonderful way to drift off to sleep.

7. Singing Christmas carols along (poorly) with the radio. And when I don't sing, hearing Miss H in the back seat say, "Sing Mommy!"

8. Talking to my sister on the phone.

9. Talking to anyone on the phone (did I mention I don't get a lot of adult interaction.)

10. Going to sleep with a happy heart and a prayer of thanksgiving.

What makes you happy?

Erin

Today has totally rocked! (And it's only lunchtime!!)

Last night when I went to bed, I had absolutely no plans for today. No school for Miss H, no errands to run, nada.

This morning started a bit earlier than usual. Baby B woke up at 6am to nurse, and instead of falling back asleep decided to be awake. Okay, so now I'm up too.

Mr. Rose was hogging the bathroom busy getting himself for work, so I lay in bed with the babe thinking about what I should do today. Hmm, that shower needs cleaning. In fact, the whole bathroom could use a good scrub. And look at that pile of laundry over there. I should work on that. And maybe, just maybe, I can get my hiney back to the gym after a LOOOOOOONG hiatus. Sounds ambitious, you think? I think so, too.

While the baby plays in her bassinet, I take a shower and scrub it down really well. Then, I tackle the sinks. Next up, laundry. I am a cleaning fool. Seriously. I have no idea what got into me. I was motivated and I have a large amount of energy.

During Baby B's morning nap and Miss H's marathon strict limit of morning cartoons, I managed to post to BOTH of my blogs, visit the Featured Blogger of the day on SITS, and check out some of my other Mommy blogger friends' sites.

Then I started thinking, is it possible? Am I seriously thinking about attempting to go back to the gym since way before Baby B was born with both children in tow? Baby B has never been left in the care of strangers before. But I hate the way my body looks right now. I am still rocking the dreaded post-baby belly pooch and it sickens me. My thighs and the backs of my arms, well, let's not go there. I. MUST. GO. TO. THE. GYM.

And go, I did!

Oh glorious fitness center, how I have missed thee! Treadmills, Ellipticals, and weight machines, oh my! Two children in the play center, only one call back to help them figure out how to settle Baby B (pacifier), and thirty minutes of pure bliss of cardio activity (on the elliptical machine - get your mind out of the gutter, people!). Thank you very much!

So today has totally rocked. And it's only lunchtime.

Wordless Wednesday - It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Faith and Rejoice

The third week of Advent is meant for rejoicing. Our priest had us sing a hymn during his homily yesterday and I have had it in my head ever since:

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice! Rejoice! Rejoice! Again I say Rejoice!"

It is based on one of the scripture readings from this past Sunday:

Philippians 4:4-7 (New American Standard Bible)
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

This passage really spoke to my heart. I tend to be anxious about many things, and this was the perfect verse for me to hear.

I saw this on Faith and Family Live! today and it really made me happy. I hope you are enjoying your preparations for Christmas, and I hope you are spending some time in the hustle and bustle of the holiday season to prepare your heart as well.

Faith & Family Live! : Advent Music Meditation

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A Bit About Me

How do I start this? I have no idea what you would like to know about me, so I'm just going to ramble. Sorry.

I love my family. I dearly love my husband who is patience to my temper, reason to my crazy, thrift to my urge to spend. He is an awesome Dad to our two girls and he works really hard to make sure that I can continue to be a stay at home Mom.

I am very close to my parents and my sister and brother. I talk to my family just about every day, even if it's for no reason at all. My sister is without a doubt my best friend. I feel so blessed to have such a loving family.

I am addicted to stories. When I find a really good story, be it in a book, television show, or movie, I find myself physically unable to pull myself away until I have finished it. Recently I read the book Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane. I couldn't put it down. Literally. I read the whole book in two days. I have to really watch that this addiction doesn't cause me to neglect my children.

Books that I love include Pride and Prejudice (I could read it over and over), Gone with the Wind, The Count of Monte Cristo, The Harry Potter Series, Twilight, anything by Dorothea Benton Frank, and anything by Pat Conroy (especially Lords of Discipline and Beach Music).

Television. I seriously love some TV time. My favorite shows as of right now are Grey's Anatomy, Glee, Heroes, and V. I actually used to watch V as a small child with my Dad and now we are so excited that it is back.

Right after Baby B was born, the only way she would sleep was if she was laying on me. One day, I discovered an NCIS marathon on USA network. Oh. My. Gosh. I LOVE that show! I can't get enough of it. I have 6 seasons to catch up on so I DVR it everyday and watch it when I can. Everytime I watch it I feel like I am part of Gibbs' team trying to find the bad guy and hanging out with my buds Leroy Jethro Gibbs, Tony DiNozzo, Ziva, McGee, and Abby. I seriously wish that I were friends with these people. Gee, that sounds a little lame.

I wish I were a crafty person. I could walk through Michael's and JoAnn's all day long just looking at the beautiful things that people can create. I'm just not that girl. I actually asked for a sewing machine for Christmas so that I can try to learn how to do something productive. Sometimes I get these ideas of things that I want to learn how to do, and then I don't ever follow through.

I need to get my hiney back in the gym. I LOVE exercising. Body Pump is my particular favorite, even when it makes my body hurt. The reason I haven't been back since the baby was born is because I am seriously paranoid that she will catch some evil virus. Her doctor assures me that she is more likely to get sick from something Miss H might bring home from school with her, but still. I'm paranoid. What can I say. But I am definitely going to go back after the first of the year. Promise, promise, promise.

I am a cradle Catholic, which means that I was born and raised in the Catholic Church. I haven't always understood what that means, but in the last few years I have been delving deeper into the Catholic faith. The more I learn, the more I love being a part of the Catholic Church. I find my faith tested on a daily basis, but I keep on moving forward.

I am a silly girl. My best friend came to visit me this summer and we sat on the couch telling old stories from high school and just giggled. The same thing happens with my sister. When we aren't talking in movie quotes, "What's with today, today?", we are just plain being silly.

That's all I can think of for now. If you want to learn more about me and my crazy life, keep reading this blog.

Blog you later!

Erin

2009: The Year of Little Miss Rosebud

The other night as I was rocking my four month old to sleep, I took the opportunity to reflect on what I had experienced through the course of the year to get me to this place with Little Miss Rosebud. Let me take you on a journey....

December 2008 - My husband and I discovered we were pregnant a few days before Christmas. We were overjoyed at the thought of bringing another child into the world and it truly enhanced our Christmas.

January 2009 - I had my first OB appointment just before I was 8 weeks pregnant and got to see the glorious little heartbeat on ultrasound. It was so emotional for me to see that there was something living inside of me.

February - Princess Rosebud and I spent a few weeks with my parents in South Carolina while my husband traveled for work. It was so nice to have the help with my two year old. I wasn't really having morning sickness; just a general *blech* feeling and being really really tired.

March - Because Princess Rosebud was 8 weeks premature, I had my first visit with a Maternal Fetal Medicine specialist. He recommended that I get an injection of progesterone every week to help prevent the onset of preterm labor.

April - My hubby (I need a nickname for him, too!) and I started taking the Bradley Method of Natural Childbirth classes. I learned so much about how to handle the pain of childbirth naturally. And it was nice to have one night a week to spend with my husband preparing for this little life.

May/June - We had lots of visitors during the late spring/early summer including my father-in-law, my sister, and my wonderful friend Kay. It was so nice to have visitors to break up the monotony. Princess and I also signed up for Kindermusik classes to have a fun Mommy and Me activity to do before the new arrival would interfere with our one on one time.

July - The 32 week mark came and went, and I breathed a huge sigh of relief. At this point I was seeing the doctor every two weeks. In the wee hours of the morning on July 28, my water broke at home. Little Miss Rosebud made her appearance at 6:23pm after 6 horrible hours of pitocin induced labor (endured without pain meds, might I add!) She weighed 6lbs, 4oz and was 18 inches long.

Little Miss would then spend the next 7 days in the NICU. She had a slow start breathing on her own, but quickly was moved to the Level 2 nursery where we focused on breastfeeding and gaining weight. I was given a room to stay in that connected to the NICU so that I could be there around the clock. It was a stressful week with many ups and downs, as is the norm when your child is in the NICU. As far as preemies go, my preemies tend to be pretty healthy. Little Miss is 4-1/2 months now and our pediatrician says she is all caught up, even if she is a bit small!

It is amazing to me when I look at her and see how beautiful and perfect she is that this time last year she was in the very beginning stages of formation. One huge lesson I have learned from this year is that God is so good. I have known that my whole life, but sometimes I forget. He walked this whole road with me, and I am sure he carried me that first week of August. My goal for 2010 is to not forget that, and to trust in Him with my whole heart and soul.

Erin

Princess Rosebud

I would like to introduce you to Princess Rosebud. That is my nickname for my firstborn as of now, but I'm not sure that I like it. The reason I picked that is because she is totally and completely princess crazy. My husband has always called her Sweet Pea, so maybe that would be better. Sweet Pea Rosebud? What do you think?

Anywho, I digress. This little lady is nearly three years old, and I am having a very hard time wrapping my brain around that fact. She is more little girl and less baby everyday and it is SERIOUSLY FREAKING ME OUT. She says things like, "I have an idea!" and "Mommy, I paint now, pwease?" When did she start speaking in complete sentences?

Back to the princess thing. About a year and half ago, I began introducing my daughter to the library of Disney movies that I had accumulated over my 30 some odd years. We started with Mary Poppins and The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, and have moved on to just about any princess movie we can get our hands on. I have to say, in the beginning, this was a dream come true for me. I grew up watching Disney movies and every time I hear Ariel sing "Part of Your World," I feel like I am visiting an old friend.

But now I have created a monster.

Everyday, it's another Disney movie. Or Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. When one movie is over, I inevitably hear, "More movies!" It is very easy to just let her watch movies all day, but I know that isn't good for her. So I try and break up the day and limit the amount of time she spends in front of the tube.

She has a set of seven Disney princess figurines that she plays with constantly. When you ask her what she wants Santa to bring for Christmas, the answer is "Castles and Princess dolls." Got it.

So that's my girlie. I'll have to firm up the nickname in the next few days. Let me know if you have any ideas!!

Erin

Introduction

Dear Blog Readers,

Today I begin a new journey, a journey of starting a new blog. My first blog was started with the intention of being a "family" blog, but has grown into more of a forum for me to write about things that I care about, things that my family generally doesn't care about reading. We are also in the process of having a huge upheaval in our family for the next few months, so I am planning to keep my family blog private.

Thus, I felt the need to begin this new public blog. You can expect to read things about what brings me joy and what frustrates me beyond belief. You will read about products that make my life easier and occasionally recipes that I find my toddler raving about. As the mother of a toddler and a small infant, I expect there will be lots to write about in the days and months to come. I hope you will join me on this journey!

Toodles!

Erin