I want a minivan so bad I can smell it

When I was 16, the first car I ever drove was a 1990 Dodge Caravan. Not exactly the stuff 16 year old dreams are made of. I hated that beast car. Once when I was driving my younger brother to swim lessons, it completely broke down on me as I pulled out in front of someone turned left onto a busy road. That was the last day of the Caravan and I swore to myself that no matter how many kids I ended up having, I would never, repeat NEVER, drive another minivan.

Fast forward 16 years: I want a minivan so bad I can smell it. I am salivating over the sliding rear doors, the third row, the smooth drive of a sedan rather than the bumpy truck like ride of my mid-size SUV.

Mr. Rose is a Harley-riding poker-playing man's man. He has the same stigma against the minivan that I did when I was 16. It is going to be an uphill battle convincing him that I need this this is the best thing for our family.

A few months ago, I talked to one of my fellow Mommy friends about how I was coveting a minivan. She was also expecting her second child so I thought perhaps she could relate. She replied, "Ugh, my husband wants me to get one and I totally do not." End of conversation. The very next month she excitedly ran up to me at one of our children's school functions and said, "Oh my gosh, I got a minivan and I LOVE IT!"

Surely, if she can be converted, so can my husband.

On Saturday, I took a giant leap forward and drove a 2011 Toyota Sienna. Oh. My. Gosh. Spacious seating areas and storage areas. Steering as smooth as butter. And a gorgeous new body style.

   Image courtesy of japanesesportscars.com

Isn't it beautiful?

The first page of the brochure says,

"Along with its more spacious interior, powerful yet efficient engines, and enough technology to impress a rocket scientist, Sienna offers something most minivans don't: a responsive feel wrapped in a sleek shape."

Are you listening sweetheart? {Did I mention that my husband is indeed a rocket scientist of sorts?}

I need one!!!

Erin

Saturday Summary and Blog Awards

Is it just me, or is this year FLYING BY already? I cannot believe that we are about to turn another page on the calendar in a couple of days.

The past couple of days I have really been feeling the need to get organized. I did ALL of our laundry yesterday (including putting it away which is the part I hate the most). Today, I sorted through the girls' clothes and put away the sizes that don't fit anymore. We also organized the toys and such that were cluttering up the living room. Now the room looks more like a living room than a playroom which was the objective.

Both girls took awesome naps this afternoon which gave me the opportunity to visit a bunch of my bloggy friends {and leave them comments} and to return emails from the commenters from the past couple of days.

And now it's award time. I am TERRIBLE about thanking people when they give me awards. Katherine Anne at Medical School Mrs. is one of THE sweetest bloggers out there. She is a newlywed married to a medical student. She blogs about cupcakes, crafts, and her cutie patootie puppy dog! Recently Katherine Anne gave me not one, but TWO blog awards!

For the Beautiful Blogger Award, I am supposed to tell you 7 interesting things about myself.

1. My cat is an orphan. His mother literally dropped a litter of kittens on my friend's back porch and ran away.
2. My husband is eight years older than me.
3. My daughters are the only girl grandchildren on my husband's side of the family.
4. I LOVE mustard. All types: Dijon, honey, spicy...Love, Love, Love!
5. I have my MBA, but I have never really used it. I would say that it was a waste of time, but that is where I met Mr. Rose sooooooo.....
6. Mr. Rose stole me away from my college sweetheart that I really thought I would have married (at one point in my life. At the end, not so much.) Best decision of my life letting him steal me away. Seriously. That is another blog post entirely!
7. I love all things Disney. Good thing since Miss H is a Disney fanatic!

As for the You're Going Places Baby Award, "This award means you're really going places, Baby. You'll still be blogging about your great adventures 10 years from now, and I'll still be reading them."

In ten years:

• My kids will all be in elementary school. (All as in I don't think we are quite finished making them yet....)
• I will own my own business, TBD.
• I will be the Girl Scout troop cookie Mom.
• We will own our dream house.
• We will be as happy as we are today!

Annissa at A Page from my Book gave me the Sunshine Award. She blogs about her four boys, a couple of whom are preemies just like my Rosebuds!

Thanks for the blog love ladies. Now, I am not playing by the rules here. If you commented in my Friday Follow post "Hear ye, hear ye!" you can have any or all of these awards! Happy Saturday!!

PS - I ALMOST FORGOT! Cheryl at Take A Second Glantz awarded me the Beautiful Blogger Award too! I am doubly blessed. Thanks Cheryl!!!

Erin

Hear ye, hear ye! Where could all my followers be?

If you check my Google Friend Connect over there in the sidebar, it says that I have 80 followers. Huh? Really? There are 80 people following me?

That rules! (Yes, that's right, I say "rules!")

What rules even more is when you leave me comments. I love comments. One of the reasons why I love comments is because I get them in my email inbox, and then I write you back, and we have a conversation. Because that is what blogging is all about, right? Having a conversation. Getting to know each other.

Now, I will be the first person to tell you that I do not comment on every blog that I follow. But if someone writes something that touches me or that I find really funny, I reach out and tell them.

So could you do me a favor? Just this one time, if you are following me, could you please (pretty please with a cherry on top) leave me a comment and let me know that you are at least reading what I write occasionally. That would really help my blog ego. Mmmkaythanks!

This week I'm joining up with Friday Follow, organized by One 2 Try, Hearts Make Families and Midday Escapades. Click the button below to link up and find some fun new blogs to follow! And leave them a comment too! Let's get this conversation started!

Erin

Turning off the Television

Before I became I Mom, I swore my kids would not watch more than 1 hour of television a day. I *just knew* that I would be a better Mommy than that.

Ha.

My 2 year old is a television junkie. She would sit and watch the tube all day long if I let her. Disney channel, PBS Kids, nickjr., she does not discriminate.

Miss H zoning in front of the television.

And what's worse is that I have come to rely on the television as a pseudo-babysitter when I am feeding or putting Baby B down for a nap. But then, it doesn't get turned off.

I try to schedule outside activities, art time, and book time. But everyday there is a good deal more TV watching than I would prefer.

More TV time.

On Monday after her temper tantrum, I told her that there would be no television for the rest of the day as her punishment. This was harder on me than it was on her! A couple of times she asked to watch a movie, I simply reminded her of her punishment and she went about playing with her toys.

I think what I am trying to say is that I need to have more self control when it comes to turning on the tv. I need to try to rely on it less and not turn it on automatically every morning.

This is my next challenge to myself. I'll let you know how it goes!

Erin

Time out for Theta Mom and Top Three Thursday

Today I am linking up with Theta Mom's Time Out for Theta Mom Thursday. The challenge, should you choose to accept it, is to spend 1 hour without your kids - taking care of yourself. What a concept! I have to say, I am absolutely terrible at taking time for myself. Right now, my husband is on an extended travel assignment and the Rosebuds and I are staying with my parents so that I have help with the kids. My mom is constantly offering to babysit so that I can do something for myself, but I feel guilty for pawning my children off on her. EVEN THOUGH THAT IS THE WHOLE REASON WE ARE STAYING HERE. What is my problem?

So, I am going to take her up on it. I have a hair appointment to get my hair cut and colored (yes, I have gray hair which you can read more about here.) I even got my trusty pump out this morning to make sure that there will be plenty of milk for Baby B if it takes a little longer than she can go without me. I'll post some before and after pictures in another post.

 

Elizabeth at Confessions From A Working Mom wants to know: What are the Top 3 reasons why you blog? Here I go:

 

#3 To get things off my chest: More often than not, my blog is an outlet for me to write about what is bothering me or to celebrate something great that happens in my life. Putting myself out there is a new thing for me because I tend to keep everything all bottled up inside and because I am afraid of what people with think of me.

 

#2 To distribute information: Like I wrote about in my guest post yesterday, I used to work in the baby and child industry and I feel like I have a lot of valuable information to pass along to my tens of readers. If I can help one person by something that I write on my blog, I will feel justified in writing.

 

#1 For the community: In the short amount of time that I have been blogging, I have made some really great connections with other bloggers. Sometimes being a stay-at-home-Mom can feel a bit like being stranded on a deserted island. The girls at SITS call the connections we make in the blogosphere your tribe. I consider the bloggers in my tribe to be the ones who comment on my posts and whose blogs I frequently visit and comment on their posts. We also chat via Twitter and on email. The bloggers who are in my tribe are the ones I feature on my blogroll. I honestly feel that my life has been enriched through these connections and that is the #1 reason why I blog.

 

Happy Thursday friends...it's almost the weekend!

 

Erin

My Favorite Children's Products

Today I am guest blogging about my favorite products for children over at Making Lemonade. Come check out some of the best products I have found from working in the baby and child industry. Carrie also has seven giveaways open right now and more coming soon!

So go! Go now!

Thanks!

Erin

Temper Tantrum Tales

Okay, I really need to get this off my chest. So here goes:

Today I decided to go back to the gym. It's been...awhile. I am not making good on my resolution to do the Couch to 5K running plan and have been feeling guilty about that, but that is another post entirely.

So I bundled up the Rosebuds and headed out. Everything went smoothly. The girls had no problem going into the child care center and I had one glorious hour all to myself to sweat it out.

Good stuff.

While watching HGTV exercising on the elliptical machine, I ran into a mommy-friend whom I met last Friday at the library story time. Her boys are the same ages as my Rosebuds, and we struck up a conversation. She invited me to join her and her kids in the children's playspace after our workouts.

Sounds like fun!

I have never visited the playspace at this gym before, and let me tell you, it is amazing. If I weren't thirtysomething, I would be all in this thing. It is seriously cool.

Well, don't you know my little monkey, Miss H, loved it! She played for over an hour. She loved it so much she did not want to go home. She did not want to go home so much that I had to carry her out of there literally kicking and screaming.

Can you picture this:

Worn out, out of shape mom, carries sleeping Baby B in the infant carrier AND kicking and screaming two year old AND gym bag out of the gym to our car. She was not only kicking and screaming, she was flailing her arms trying to hit me and pull my hair.

Awesome.

I have only been more embarrassed one other time in my life and it involved another temper tantrum by this same child almost exactly one year ago.

When I got them both in the car (with Baby B still asleep thank goodness), Miss H continued to cry and scream for about 5 minutes. When she settled down, we talked about her behavior and she apologized.

I am still mortified, but I managed to somehow keep my cool. I just don't understand why she does this every once in awhile. Most of the time she is a very well behaved kid who listens and obeys. But sometimes, the temper tantrum rules.

Can anyone relate?

Erin

Friday Follow

This week I'm joining up with Friday Follow, organized by One 2 Try, Hearts Make Families and Midday Escapades. Click the button below to link up and find some fun new blogs to follow! And leave them a comment too! Let's get this conversation started!

Erin

Gymboraddicts Anonymous

Hi, my name is Erin, and I am addicted to shopping at Gymboree. It all started around 2007 when I gave birth to a little girl. I wandered in there during one of their "sales," and wandered out over $100 later with a dazed look on my face.

What in the world just happened to me? I spent more money on some clothing items for my child than I would normally spend on myself!

I thought I had kicked the habit about 6 months ago. And then I walked in there last week. Oh. My. Gosh. The cuteness astounds me. Everything is all beautiful springy colors and pleats and ruffles...how I could I not be addicted?

I did end up taking some back to the store today that was just too big and discovered that they are having a GINORMOUS sale on everything....including NEW Easter and spring styles.

Oy vey, I am going to need to go to rehab I think!

Erin

Making Lemonade's Stork Report

Have you met Carrie at Making Lemonade? She is a super sweet bloggy friend of mine with an absolutely adorable toddler. Since she is pregnant with Baby #2, Carrie has decided to devote the month of February to all things baby in her Stork Report.

All month long she is having guest bloggers with topics ranging from cute baby shower gifts and nursery decorating ideas. I'll even be guest blogging next week, but more on that later!

Carrie is also have a TON of awesome giveaways. This is the one (so don't you dare enter it) that I want to win, but there are seven giveaways so far. So head over there right now to check her out, and tell her Erin sent you!

Erin

Adventures of a Nursing Mommy

This past weekend I found myself standing in the handicap stall of the ladies restroom at my local Panera. What was I doing just standing there, you might wonder. Nursing Baby B. That's right, I was nursing my six month old standing up in the bathroom.

So that got me reminisicing about all the places I have nursed my Rosebuds. I have never been fond of exposing myself in public, so I have learned to be creative when it comes to nursing discretely. Here are some of the places I have nursed:

• In my car (this is my favorite when out and about)
• In a dressing room at a retail store. I have even been known to go into a store just to use their dressing rooms to nurse even if I am not shopping there.
• Just about anywhere in public using my nursing cover, including in Church and all over Walt Disney World.
• The family restroom/lounge at my local shopping mall. I have actually found the number of these types of lounges increasing. I even found one at the Florida Aquarium.
• At the ACC Football Championship game in December. I nursed her while sitting in the stands and also while sitting on an unoccupied pretzel stand. (It was REALLY cold that night too.....brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!)

Where is the strangest place you have ever nursed your baby? What is if your favorite type of nursing cover? Just curious!

Erin

Snowmaggeddon Saturday

Here in South Carolina, snow is a rare treat. When it does snow, it is usually a dusting or maybe 1-2 inches. Last night we accumulated 8.6" officially, but it was more like 4-5 inches where we live. Holy snowfall!

Miss H had a blast playing in the snow this morning. We do not have snow gear, so she got bundled up in two jackets and socks for mittens. After the first hour of playing, the "mittens" were drenched. So we came inside to warm up with some hot chocolate and redress. The next time out, we put plastic sandwich bags under the socks to keep her hands dry. Whatever works, right?!?

Out in the snow, Miss H said to me, "Mom, God made the snow!" She had fun making tracks and building snowmen. Here are some fun pictures of the snow.

This was the view from my bedroom window this morning.

Taken from the back deck overlooking the neighbors yard.

First touch of snow. Notice the "mittens!"

The snow is up to her knees!

Climbed up a little hill.

Making a hat for the snowman.

 

All done!

Erin

Valentine's Day Blog Exchange

A few weeks ago I discovered a lovely blogger, Holly at Domestic Dork. Holly decided to hold a Valentine's Day Blog Exchange on her blog and I happily signed up to participate. She put us in pairs by geographic region and I was paired with another lovely blogger, Judy at The Green Hanger Shop. Miss Judy and I have so much in common. We both spent years living in the same town where she was a teacher and I was a student. She is retired now, but has started a small business, The Green Hanger Shop, with which she is "Saving the Earth one dress at a time." She has a great business model that helps ladies who want to sell their "wore it once" wedding and party attire find buyers.

Through this blog exchange, Judy and I learned that although we are in different life stages (her two girls are grown while mine are very small), we have very much in common. We both love to read, and while I am learning to sew, she is re-learning! I have to say she is way more advanced than I. Just look at what she made me!

 

It is a reading pillow that I can use with a book or with my laptop. In fact, I am sitting here on the couch with it right now. She even made it out of my school colors: orange and blue for Clemson University! GO TIGERS!. (Too bad she's a Gamecock fan!)

She was also kind enough to send teddy bears for my Rosebuds, a lavender filled sachet that inserts in one of the pockets of the pillow, and a book, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo. I am so excited to read this book because I loved another of DiCamillo's books, The Tale of Despereaux.

I am so blessed to have met Miss Judy and I am truly thankful to her for all her lovely gifts. If you want to know what I sent her, please do me a favor and visit her blog. And, if you know anyone who needs to buy or sell a dress, refer them to her.

Happy Valentine's Day Y'all!

Erin

Ode to my gray hair

O wiry unsightly gray hair, How I deplore thee,

For nearly a decade have I waged this war.

Plucking, highlighting, and dying

You never cease to annoy me!

At the very young age of 24, a friend of mine walked past me as I sat at a desk and said, "Erin, YOU HAVE A GRAY HAIR!"

What the????

"Pull it out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" I squealed.

And he did. Later that day I scheduled my first appointment to have my hair colored.

At this point in my life, I have plucked them, "hid" them in blond highlights, and covered them in semi-permanent hair dye. Nothing is working. They inevitably rear their ugly follicles in 6 to 8 weeks. I am hesitant to go the permanant color route, for fear of having to color roots every 6 weeks, which is both expensive and time consuming.

Am I going to wage this war for the rest of my life?

You can bet your gray hair I am! My vanity will not have it any other way.

Gray hair...all I have to say to you is it is ON and you are going down!

Erin

Nutritious, Delicious Kid Friendly Food

Is anyone else sick and tired of feeding their kids, how do I put this, well, CRAP! Miss H seems to subsist on hot dogs, chicken nuggets, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and "cheesy noodles." I try to get her to eat what we eat for dinner, but that doesn't usually go over well.

I know, I know. She is a toddler. She is too busy to eat. Pick your battles, etc., etc.

But guess what? I feel guilty about letting her eat that stuff. So I got a little motivated today to try out some kid-friendly nutritious recipes to try to get some vitamins in the little lady.

(Did I mention she has a hacking cough and a fever? This could be the reason for my motivation....)

I found these recipes in my baby cookbook, Baby Bites by Bridget Swinney.

First up I decided to try a Maui smoothie. Whenever I purchase a smoothie for my enjoyment, Miss H inevitably ends up drinking some all of it.

• 1/2 Cup pineapple packed in juice, frozen (I used one bowl of Dole Pineapple tidbits)
• 1/2 Frozen banana (I cut a whole banana up into slices and put it in a ziploc bag in the freezer)
• 1 cup plain yogurt (I used Vanilla flavored)
• Honey to taste (for babies older than 1 year)
• Blend all ingredients and serve.

Perfection! It was thin enough to sip through a straw, which Miss H loves. Chock full of Vitamin C, B12, B6, Riboflavin, and Zinc. How much did she eat? Two sips...

Next up, Oven-Fried Zucchini Sticks. When we lived in Colorado, I used to go to this restaurant that served Fried Zucchini. I am normally not a fan, but they were de-lish! So I decided to give this a try.

• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
• 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
• 3 medium zucchini
• Milk or beaten egg yolk

1. Slice zucchini into rounds or long sticks. Preheat oven to 450. Spray cooking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Mix bread crumbs, Italian seasoning, and cheese together in large zipper bag.
3. Dip each zucchini slice in milk or egg, then drop into bag and shake until coated with crumbs.
4. Bake 10 to 15 minutes until tender and brown.
5. Serve with warm marinara sauce or ranch dressing.

They really tasted a lot better than they look! But how much did Miss H eat? None...

She fell asleep on the couch!

Maybe I'll have more luck when she isn't sick....

Erin

I made something with my own two hands!

(And my sewing machine!)

One of my New Year's Resolutions is to learn how to sew on my super duper fancy brand new sewing machine. Well, I actually did it. So far, I have learned how to thread my machine and sew straight lines - ha!

I decided to try to make one of those rice hot/cold compresses. Isn't it cute????

Erin

Escape to Great Wolf Lodge

This weekend I took the girls on a mini-vacation to Great Wolf Lodge in Concord, NC. If you have never heard of it, Great Wolf Lodge is a mountain-lodge-themed hotel whose main draw is its indoor waterpark.

As we drove up Friday evening, we hit the "wintry-mix" forecast for the Charlotte area. It snowed and sleeted all night long. It was a good thing that this place has everything you could ever need because there is no way we were going anywhere on Saturday.

We spent most our time exploring the indoor waterpark. Miss H had a great time in the Toddler Pool playing on the pretend jet-skis and going down the little slides. She wanted to go down the big kid slides, but she was too small to go down them by herself. Miss H also enjoyed the wave pool. I held her with the water about waist high and whenever a wave would hit us, she would laugh hysterically.

When we weren't in the waterpark, we were either eating at the buffet style restaurant, playing in the arcade or Cub Club, or back in our suite watching TV taking a nap. There are lots of other activities geared toward the elementary and middle school crowd that we did not participate in. We had so much fun with the limited amount that my two year old could do, I can't imagine how much fun a family with older kids would have.

If it is any indicator, Miss H slept in until 9:45 this morning (almost 3 hours late!), and she took her regular 2 hour nap this afternoon. Long story short, we are EXHAUSTED!

Erin