Contentment Therapy

I found this blog via another blog I read written by Tootsie (the link to her blog is on the right hand column). This blogger writes about "Contentment Therapy." She's trying to get other people to join her on her journey to contentment and I decided I am going to give it a go.

She wants us to blog on it daily and I am definitely going to try and do this. I've been wanting to blog on a more regular basis anyhow and this might just be the way to help me do it. Also - I had also planned on straightening up my house and I want to use this challenge to help me do so. Clutter and chaos in my house just causes me to stress. I've never really been that great at putting things away or doing things on a routine and I want to get better at it. I can't stand having things all over the place! Although really, I am the one to blame for most of that! I want to be able to do my laundry on a daily basis so it doesn't turn into a huge task. Right now I have piles upon piles in my room and I am dreading doing it!

So for November I am going to share my journey on getting my house put together with you! I'm going to try and get the many, many projects that I've wanted done ... done and also work on others around the house (and being frugal while doing so!).

We're supposed to start on November 1st but I'm going to try and start today. It should be interesting. Wish me luck!

So please go vist.... "THE 30DAY CONTENTMENT THERAPY SESSION "

Upside-Down Apple Pecan Pie

I found this recipe on allrecipes.com about 2 years ago. It has quickly become my most favorite apple pie! I love it because I am a HUGE nut fan and I love that the top of this pie is FULL of carmely nuts!

Bryce and I went apple picking a few weeks ago and came home to make our apple pie. I used Golden Delicious apples and 2 other kinds of apples. I can't remember the names of those 2 other types of apples for the life of me right now! Anyhow - here is how our pie turned out:



and here is the link to this FANTASTIC recipe! Upside-Down Apple Pecan Pie

I need to update!

Wow - I haven't blogged in awhile. Sorry to my readers out there - if there are any at all! It gets quite busy here with an active 4 year old and 2 VERY needy dogs! Although really, I should be blogging more because when I'm on the computer Zena (our 1st dog) doesn't bother me. It's when we're downstairs that she's constantly asking for something. She's my little piggy. She wants food all the time (not that I give it to her all the time but she's ALWAYS asking for it!) and if it's not food - she wants a rawhide. She asks by scratching the floor, cabinets or appliances. Oh yeah, btw... remember, I have hardwood floors. So when she scratches the floor I pretty much go nuts! It drives me crazy!! Although, she's my first "baby" and I love having her around to keep me company.

Well, it just got busy again... the painter guy just called and he's in the neighborhood. We need to get quotes on getting our house trim repainted and some it needs to be replaced (so not a fun thing to spend money on!). He needs me to walk the house with him SO since I haven't posted any pictures recently I will leave you with some pictures from Bryce's first day of preschool this year.

Here he is trying to be a bug (waffles over the eyes make a very good fly costume!). He insisted on me taking this picture!
And here is the little cutie pie before we headed off for school. He is doing much better this year and I think actually even enjoying it!Well, the doorbell has rung.... blog you later!

Moms Night Out! and Potty Present!

So I'm feeling better. Still a bit sore but better than yesterday! Of course now - I think I'm getting a cold. Fun, eh? I'm really hoping it's just allergies though! All 3 of us have stuffy heads, runny noses and sneezing.

Today we spent the day toy shopping. We left at about 2 and got home at 6:30. Today was the day to get the potty present!! I created a chart for Bryce a few weeks ago and every day he stayed dry he got a sticker and every time he went #2 he got a sticker. Each thing had 14 places to put a sticker. So after 28 stickers I told him he could get whatever toy he wanted! Today was toy store day! First we went to Target but he said he didn't see anything he liked. So then we went to Toys R Us. He ended up getting the True Heroes Military Island Playset. It's got a bunch of plastic "army guys", tanks, airplanes and barricades. He LOVES those little army guys. He takes them with him everywhere and loves to line them up everywhere. He's probably got a good 100+ of them. He's SOOOO happy right now.

Tonight I have another Moms Night Out at my girlfriend Tracy's house. Last night was Bunco - tonight MNO. It's a rough life but someone's got to live it! ;-) It actually just so happens that my 2 MNO's this month land on the same weekend so Dave is watching Bryce both nights. Although because I feel a little crappy I don't know how late I'm going to stay out. I have a feeling I won't be going wild and crazy tonight!

Well, Bryce is calling for me to help him carry all of his army guys upstairs so he can line them up in his room on his furniture. I better get down there and help him!

HSG

Wow... a lot has gone on since my last posting. It's been a whirlwind of fertility! No... I'm not pregnant... but I have started seeing a specialist. I don't mind people knowing because I can use all of the support I can get! I was the same with my last pregnancy... I told a lot of people early because I figured if I did miscarry I would be telling them anyway... I needed the support and that's exactly what happened. It's been about 18 months since my miscarriage and no luck so I figured I'd go and see if anything was wrong.

My first appointment with the Dr. was last Wednesday and apparently all the testing they do starts on Day 1... and lucky me.... Day 1 was appointment day! So needless to say, in the last week I've had plenty of tests done. Yesterday was my HSG or hysterosalpingogram. During this test they shoot some dye into you and then do a series of x-rays to see if any tubes are blocked. I read up on the procedure the night before and the nurse informed me all about it. I knew there would be some pain but I read that it wasn't that bad. A few months ago I had cryosurgery and everyone seemed to advise that that procedure was much worse. HA.

I hurt. I don't know if it's because I was expecting pain with my cryosurgery and therefore it just didn't seem bad. With this one I wasn't expecting much at all so maybe it's worse because it does hurt! It's not intolerable. Although I would say it's a tiny bit worse than monthly cramping. It's just extremely uncomfortable and my whole body is very achy. Sigh.

Onto some good news - Bryce is totally potty trained. He goes by himself now and I dont' have to remind him. It's AWESOME!

Well, I have to go get ready now for another Dr. appointment (fun!) but I'll update again soon.

Dry and CLEAN!

For the past week I have been working on potty training Bryce. It has been one of the hardest things I have ever done!! I thought getting him to stay in his big bed boy was hard but I only had trouble with that once a day. With potty training - it's been multiple times a day!!

Bryce thinks going potty is boring and he doesn't have the time for it. He has told me "It's not fun!" and "I'm too busy to go potty!". Well last Monday he put himself in big boy underwear... coincidentally it's also the day I ran out of diapers in the house! Well, for the past week he has been peeing and pooping in his pants and he could care less if he sits in it! Plus, whenever I tried to get him to go it was a HUGE fight! He argued that he didn't have to go and then would proceed to go in his pants.

Enter the trusty kitchen timer. For some reason he will listen to the timer! I set it for 40 minutes and when it beeped he would go directly into the potty and relieve himself. It was like one of Pavlov's experiments! So for 2 days I relied solely on the timer and chocolate. I told him that he could get a mini snickers or twix whenever the timer went off, he was still dry and he pee'd in the potty.

Well, that did the trick! He remained dry for those 40 minutes and he got his chocolate. He now gets a sticker on the potty chart for every day he's dry and one for every time he poop's in the potty. After 28 stickers he can get an "expensive" and "big" toy! He's getting very excited.

Yesterday he went potty all by himself... without the timer! He just had to go! Yay! He also did that all this morning. Plus... he poop'd in the potty yesterday!!! Finally!!! I'm so excited.

Yes, I understand there will probably be more accidents. That's fine.... it's only been 3 days dry and clean BUT.... HE'S GETTING IT! I am SO happy!!! There is a light at the end of the tunnel! No more temper tantrums for 45 minutes to try and get him to _try_ and go (at least I hope!).

YAY! :-)

Okinawa, Japan

So - if you scroll down my page you have probably noticed that I have the time in Okinawa, Japan on the right hand side of my page. You might be wondering why in the world I need to know the time in Japan... well, both Bryce's and my best friends live over there. Kelly and Tristan have now been in Japan for almost a year (it will be a year in about 2 weeks). Kelly's husband is a pathologist in the military and so they were stationed there for 2 years. 1 year down... 1 to go.

Kelly lived 2 houses down from us when we lived in our townhouse. She and I had our sons 3 weeks apart and they instantly became best friends. She stayed at home for a year before she went back to work part time and during that time we practically lived together during the day! It was SO nice to have someone to share that new mom thing with. Even when she went back to work full time we still stayed super close. She would call me every day on her way home from work to talk and occasionally even called on her lunch hour!

Before she left for Japan she came to live with us for about 2 weeks because their house had sold and Arash (her husband) had already left to set things up in Japan before she got there. We then drove together in her car to Wisconsin so that she could leave her minivan at her mother's house. I stayed and visited with them in Wisconsin for 2 weeks. It was awesome! I loved Wisconsin and they have amazing cheese!

So basically, I use the time on my blog so that I can call her at a decent time. Lately though no time is good. She's been working more lately so not available during the day (my night) and I am so not a morning person so I haven't really been able to call her in the morning. She's called a few times recently but I've missed every call. I miss her desperately!

I can't believe they've been gone for a year. Bryce still talks about Tristan A LOT and is constantly wanting to send him stuff. He's also always talking about what he is going to tell Tristan on the phone but Tristan doesn't really like talking on the phone yet.

Anyhow - here are pictures of the 2 boys (best of friends):

Here is a picture of all the 4 of us right before Bryce and I left Wisconsin:
Kelly was also the one that I told everything. The night I had my D&C from my miscarriage she came over with desserts and wine - she was always over with wine whenever I had a problem. I really miss having her nearby!... but I am so glad that her and I became such close friends. Next September she returns to the states and I'm so hoping that it's somewhere close! But at least wherever they move to will be a much shorter flight to get to!