Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Is this real life?

Insurance Sucks.  Our bike gets stolen.  I file a claim.  Allstate decides the bike and iBert with depreciation is worth $300.  After they take away our $250 deductible they are sending us a check for $50.  So . . . is it worth it?  All the hassle, filing a claim, considering at what point our premium will go up, what effect this claim will have on future home owners insurance, etc.  If Allstate pays out more than $250 to us our premium will go up and just filing the claim at all may effect our future premiums if we move in 3 years.  THAT MAKE SENSE RIGHT??  THE WHOLE DUMB REASON I HAVE INSURANCE IS SO THAT IF SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPENS I AM "COVERED".  What a joke.

Thursday, July 25, 2013

On My Mind

1) Cleo and EC 2) Chris the SAHD 3) The wedding cake flavored Little Cow icee I am eating.  :)

I am so happy that we discovered Elimination Communication for Cleo.  She has been doing fabulous with it.  She goes in her little potty most times.  When we're out and about we put her in a diaper and sometimes it is amazing how long she will go without soiling it.  (Trying to use nice words while talking about this type of thing is kind of difficult.)  She most often naps without a diaper on.  I love the idea of her being clean, airy, and comfortable while she sleeps.  She has started to make the cue noise when she needs to go to the bathroom - which will be a HUGE step up when she can verbally communicate her needs.  I have also gotten very comfortable taking her in her carseat without a diaper on.  The first few times I thought for sure we would get home and have pee in the liner, but it has never happened!  It isn't always convenient and definitely hard for me when other people seem uncomfortable because she isn't wearing a diaper, but I am so thankful to know that we can be pretty confident because of our own experiences with EC and Cleo.

I work as a dental hygienist and Chris stays home with the kids.  It is great great.  Now that I've gotten over the unrealistic expectation that I'll walk through the door at 5:15 with a spotless house and dinner on the table it is anyway.  Heck, I'm a clean freak and I certainly didn't have the house that way when Chris was working.  Anyway, while I am working and I talk with patients oftentimes it comes up that I have kids and some people will ask who watches them while I'm at work.  Something like this follows -

"So, who watches your kids while you're at work?"

"My husband is home with them."

"Oh, what does he do?"

"He's a stay at home Dad - full time."

"Oh . . . " (silence).

 I get this feeling that they think it is better (at least more socially acceptable) if both parents work and kids are in daycare, than if the wife works and the husband stays home.  I always want to respond, "Don't you think that one parent being home is better than none??"  I'm sure I'm reading into the reactions of others based on my own insecurities but DANG it bothers me.  Me working and Chris staying home has been wonderful for our family.  Chris is a very loving and attentive father.  He is always out riding bikes and doing activities with Cam and Cleo, feeding them spinach and broccoli all day.  We feel good about me working, it results in more time that we can spend together as a family.  Chris was working 40 hours a week at a job he hated for us to still be scrimping by with finances.  I am able to work half the time as him doing something that I truly enjoy and we can be together as a family more often.  Ain't nothing wrong with that.

There you go Kels.  A blog update.  As rant-y as it may be.

Saturday, March 16, 2013

Julie & Julia

As many of you know I am big on functionality/efficiency and not so big on design/fashion.  I've been forming a plan to put a pegboard in my kitchen because I felt like I was always drying/putting away/getting out certain pans to cook with.

Before


Priming/Painting on the Patio


The base boards
 
After


 
In Use
I have many people to thank for the completion of this project.  Julia Childs for the idea.  A YouTube Video of two guys putting up a pegboard in their garage.  McKelle Nilsen for the idea to sand the label off so I could paint on a certain side, also for providing me with some sandpaper.  Brooke Dickson Motes my painting consultant.  Shane and Kenzie Stratford for letting us borrow their electric drill.  Christopher Allen Moody for helping to put it into the wall.  My downstairs neighbor for being at work during the extremely loud drilling into the wall for a few hours (we had a few troubles).  Project Complete.

Thursday, March 7, 2013

Hairyman

Gug and I independently got the urge to chop our hair on Valentines Day!
Here is the story in pics.











Ta Da!!

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

In LOVE

I'm kind of in love and obsessed with THIS site right now.



Friday, January 11, 2013

Elk


For Christmas my mom had us all go up to Hardware Ranch to see the elk! It was super fun, mostly just being together.

All three grand's in their matching jammies.  Not even planned!

Grandma hiding out in the back seat.


These two sleepers made the ride more enjoyable!

Nursing mama.  You go girl.

Even Cam was out!!

Stylin Gug.

The ELK!

All bundled up!




Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Co Sleeping Reality

My artistic rendition of our bed at night. And Chris complains about not sleeping well. Ha!