a parenting fail

Here is how I've failed as a parent:

My children cannot pick up their toys.

Okay, they can. But they rarely do. And here's why:

1. I cannot stand mess. I constantly follow them around, picking up after them, because I can't even stand to look at the toys all over the house.

2. I'm a control freak. The toys have to be put back in the correct place or I about lose it. Just ask Darren what we were doing the other night 5 minutes after it was supposed to be Natalie's bedtime...he'll back me up on this one, I promise you.

3. It is SO PAINFUL to watch them pick up their toys. They are SO SLOW. I mean, c'mon kids, let's PICK. UP. THE. PACE. I don't have all day to stand here and watch you SLOOOWWWLLYY put that Mickey Mouse figurine in the basket. And by all means, please, let's have twenty billion distractions along the way, as well. "No, you can't play with that now. Pick up your toys. No, we aren't going to color right now. Pick up your toys. Stop messing around. Don't play with that. Easton! Don't dump that out again! NATALIE. Pick up your toys! Easton, put it back. Natalie, for the love of all that's holy, pick up your toys right now or Mommy is going to lose it." And then I start picking them up just to keep myself from blowing a gasket on the kids and/or banging my head against the wall.

So here is what I've decided: no more toys. My children aren't allowed to have toys because I just can't handle it any more.

I mean, probably I should just learn to have more patience and teach them to clean up after themselves, but let's face it, it's just easier on everyone involved if I just start exiling the toys. They can just watch TV all the time, anyway, right?

my new toy

I got my Fitbit Flex over the weekend. I ordered it for myself for Mother's Day.

Thanks, honey! 

It was back ordered, because it's so awesome, so I finally just got it a few days ago.

IM. PRESS. IVE.

Darren thinks the government is secretly tracking me through it. I think if I'm ever abducted then maybe they can use it to find me.

The Fitbit tracks activity levels, and when synced with myfitnesspal it's a pretty powerful weight loss tool.

I've been using myfitnesspal off and on since I had Easton, and let's just say the Fitbit bumps it up a notch.

The things they can do with computers these days. Wait, computers? More like phones.

Now, if you're wealthier than I am and have an iPhone 4S or better, your Fitbit can sync right to your phone through passive bluetooth technology. Which will then sync to your myfitnesspal app. Or, if you're poor like me, your Fitbit will sync to the "dangle" (yes, that's it's name), which you leave plugged into your computer, every time you are within 20 feet.

The Fitbit battery supposedly lasts 5 days or so. Mine was 60% charged when I put it on 36 hours ago and it's still going strong. Fitbit is water resistant, so you can wear it in the shower. You can also buy additional bands to coordinate with your outfits. 

That is next on my priority list.

AND, by far the most interesting thing Fitbit can do is track your sleep patterns. Sounds crazy, no?

This is me, last night.

Look at that, logging my solid 8 hours!! Mostly. Please notice that I was restless for a total of 22 minutes, over FOURTEEN different episodes. I literally looked at the clock every 30 minutes from 9pm to midnight, I swear. I also woke up once in the middle of the night because Easton's monitor went crazy.

But isn't that COOL?! So interesting to see.

Pretty fun, huh?

Devil in the White City

No, not my sister.

Last fall my sister, mom, aunt, and I went on a girl's weekend to Chicago.

Arts, culture, history, architecture, shopping, what's not to love?

I'll tell you what's not to love...the heights.

I think my sister almost peed her pants.

But aside from that, we had a blast seeing the sights and soaking up all the arts/culture/architecture we could. Which I have to say, isn't a lot. Three days was perfect. Give me the lake over a skyscraper any day, but it's still fun to see new things.

Our favorite thing in Chicago was our Segway tour.

And yes, we totally did that. And yes, those people always look ridiculous, but I have to say, it is so.much.fun. (And yes, that is a crown on my sister's helmet.)

During our tour our guide mentioned the book Devil in the White City, a book set in old school Chicago during the World's Fair, and I put it on my mental to-do list. And being that I have so much free time on my hands, I immediately started it.

Not quite.

But I consider the fact I have e-borrowed it from the library a good step in the right direction. Never mind the fact it's still on my computer and hasn't even made it to my Kindle.

I'll get there. On the plus side, the awesome thing about having such an old-school Kindle is that books can only be put on via download, which means my library books never expire, as they are stored on my computer! Does this happen to everyone? Is this a major fail of the e-lending library? Or is it just me and my first edition Kindle benefiting from this lack of technology?

I kind of feel like, why would I ever buy a book again?

Answer: the library doesn't have every book. Sacrilegious!!

But I digress. Devil in the White City. It's on my short list. I'll let you know how I liked it.

Book Review: the blue bistro

I've read a few Elin Hilderbrand books this year, on the recommendation of my mom and sister.

The blue bistro was by far my favorite (so far!).

I wouldn't go so far as to say it's the best book I've read so far this year (I'm currently reading my fave author's newest release, Undetected, and it is already taking the cake), but it's a good read.

And So It Happened.

Easton has been referred to the ENT specialist.

This was not a shock to me. My poor little boy has had more than ten ear infections this past winter.

According to the all-knowing internet, rule of thumb is greater than four per year puts you in the category "may needs tubes."

And we all know the internet never lies. HA.

But still, more than ten?? That is excessive. Extreme. Ridiculous. I blame those other germy kids at daycare for spreading their colds around. Never mind that mine are there more when they are sick than when they are well. (I have to say, this winter has given me a new appreciation for parents who bring their children to daycare sick. Hey, man, I get it. It happens. A lot.)

We have an appointment towards the end of this month for a consult. I am hoping that tubes will help solve our problems, but I am dreading them at the same time. Oh, the horror stories.

But in the end, if it will help with the infections, I am all for it. No one likes to be sick all the time, and now those doctors scare you half to death with stories of antibiotic resistance. As someone who is allergic to most antibiotics, that's not a picnic either.

Hopefully my baby will get some help soon.

May Day

Happy May Day! Spring is here! Let's celebrate!

Or not.

Okay, confess, who delivered a May Day basket today?

I always thought that would be kind of fun...dropping off a basket at someone's house, ringing their bell, and then running away. Hiding somewhere and watching while they try to figure out what the heck is going on.

Haha...

Okay, another confession, who got a May Day basket today?

I DID!!

I have an awesome coworker, who actually doesn't even work here anymore, who gave me a yummy bowl full of candy. That was the candy was yummy, not the bowl. The bowl was styrofoam. I didn't try it.

The candy, I ate. All of it. In about 30 minutes and then I felt sick.

I LOVE MAY DAY.

Valvoline

Since I started my new job, I have been taking the vehicles to get oil changes at the Valvoline near where I work.

I love the Valvoline. So quick. So convenient. So reasonable.

Today I took the truck. Now, I have had a few embarrassing oil changes in the truck before; namely when I have not been able how to open the hood, or when I don't know how to get the mirrors in and the poor guys have to keep crawling under them.

But not this time. No, sirree. I double-checked that I knew how to open the hood (it's a hidden lever, I swear!) and I knew that the mirrors just needed a good, solid push to fold in.

I was ready.

I managed to pull into the garage without hitting either of the side mirrors (a gold star if there ever was one) and parked the vehicle. Got the spiel on Valvoline from the tech, who I recognized. I recognized them all, which worries me a little, because it's possible they recognized me. Or at least, they will now.

During the all-point inspection, or whatever the tech called it, it was noticed that I had a brake bulb out. The tech said he could replace it and I told him to go for it. This was the beginning.

After he had replaced it he instructed me to turn the key "two clicks" and tap on the brakes. I obediently turned the key one click, which turned on the accessories, and then started to turn to the second click, only WAIT! There ISN'T a second click. I started the vehicle. This immediately led to a lot of "WHOA, WHOA" from all the guys, including the one who was lying beneath the vehicle. Sorry, man. Probably about gave you a heart attack, huh? I turned it off before it even finished starting, but STILL. That was embarrassing. But c'mon, I can't take full blame for this, can I? I say we come up with a less confusing way to ask people to put the vehicle in the accessories position. Maybe like, "TURN YOUR VEHICLE TO ACCESSORIES." I mean, doesn't that seem reasonable?

You know what else was embarrassing? Having to sit there while they finished, just knowing they are thinking you are dumber than a box of rocks. Granted, I'm sure I'm not the first one to do that, and I probably won't be the last.

So then, everything is all finished up and I am having them reset the "OIL CHANGE" flashing annoyance on my dashboard, which I had forgotten the last time, so literally it had been there for a solid 5,000 miles or so. The tech is telling me how to do it since the select/reset switch is on the right side of the dash, too far for him to reach easily. So we get her all set and they tell me it's good to go, only there are still things flashing up there, which I am distracted by. The supervisor opens the door and starts motioning me to pull out, only when I put my foot on the gas nothing happens. What the heck? Does this have anything to do with the flashing lights on my dash? I try the gas again. Nothing. I put the truck back in park and tell the tech that nothing is happening, while pointing at the things on my dash asking if that's okay. I can only hope he was moderately confused by what I was saying (although I doubt it). In any case, the next words out of his mouth were "it's not on" and "yes, that's okay."

Yes, the truck wasn't on. I was in FLIPPING ACCESSORIES, of all things. These people probably wonder how I even managed to obtain a driver's license.

SO EMBARRASSING.

You know what's better? I have to take the Escape later this week. And let me tell you, having worked in customer service before, you remember the idiots.