I did it!!!

I usually brag about my kids on this blog but not today, today Im taking the spotlight. Ive been taking a bootcamp class for women at my local gym and the instructor is ex military who combines his style with PX90 and Insanity to basically kick our butts. I can tell a huge difference in my body since these classes but what I was able to do a move yesterday that blew my mind. Our instructor is all about strengthening our core so he always makes us do planks, which is balancing yourself on your toes and forearms only with nothing else touching the floor so you basically use your own strength to keep yourself up off the floors. He makes us do this for 2 minutes which doesnt seem like a long time but it feels like a lifetime. Everynow and then he challenges us and see's and if we can do the plank with weights vertical so each hand is holding onto the end of the weight and the other end of the weight is on the ground. You then lower yourself into a half pushup position so that your elbows are straight with your shoulders. I have never been able to do this more than about 45 seconds because my body would shake and give out. Yesterday however something came over me and I did it for 2 minutes. My instructor told me that I am the first girl in 4 years to be able to do this. I know it might not be exciting to most people, but to me its huge. Ive been struggling to do that move for 6 months. I love challenging my body to see what it can do and to be able to do this just challenges me more. Whats next? Huh maybe body building.. NAH just kidding!!!

Bring on 2010

Christmas is over and the tree came down the day after because lets face it, having the tree up for the past 6 weeks and rearranging all of the furniture and removing toys from the living room was just chaos. I needed normalcy in my home, I needed my house back in order. I needed to put up the stuff while I had the energy and hubby could distract the kid and dog so I could get work done. Now I'm wishing I had taken down the items from outside because we got blasted with a bunch of snow and cold weather all of the sudden.
It was a great Christmas but now on to 2010. I got the best present this year the day after Christmas, my brother and sister in law are having a baby!!!! I couldn't be more excited if I were pregnant myself.
I have already made my resolutions for the year and usually I only make one if I make any at all but this year I need to stay motivated and focused so I made several that way if I fail at accomplishing one then no biggie cause I have backup resolutions. Think of it as the cheaters resolution guide.
My resolutions:

• Get more organized
• Eat better
• Make more time for those in need
• Read more books
• I asked Lowel if he would like for me to change anything about myself that involved him for a resolution and he said No,I like you just the way you are so I guess my idea of giving him more (yep Im talking about you know what) isnt needed. I bet after reading this he will change his mind.

Christmas day 2009

Its Christmas day and Santa came to our house and Im not sure what he was thinking but he left more transformers for Preston, as if he needs more and doesnt have 100 already, Littlest pet shop stuff for Trinity that is so small that many have already been stuck to the bottom of my feet and loud squeeky toys for Jazz. I also got my own toy, I got a cricut for scrapbooking. We also got a new tv that we put into our bedroom but Lowel has already claimed it as his own. All in all its been a great Christmas and the kids have made it really fun this year. I hope the spirit of Christmas is with them forever.

Christmas Eve 2009

Today my inlaws came to our house for Christmas Eve for presents, food, family and fun. I dont believe that Santa could of left any more presents at Grandmas house if he wanted to for her to bring to our house today for the kids.
Everyone had a great time and it was nice spending the day with family. Here are pics from today and pics of tonight, after bathtime, waiting to go to bed before Santa arrives at our house.

Pre Christmas countdown

Both kids are out of school and Lowel is working from home so schedules are a bit off, tempers are bit off and kids are a bit off and if I hear one more kid ask me if tomorrow is Christmas I just might scream. In the meantime, of countdown till we can use the better be good or Santa will find out little white lie, we are trying to keep the kids busy. Today we went to World of Bounce which is basically 2 large rooms with tons of inflatable bouncy stuff for the kids to bounce their energy out. It was fun for us too because we also got to bounce. The family that bounces together stays together. Tomorrow we are going to the movies to see Alvin and the chipmunks the squeakquel and my sister in law and niece may come spend the night. Thursday is Christmas Eve and Lowels family is coming up for the day. This year however Im not going to spend my entire day in the kitchen and instead we are ordering food from our neighbors Italian restaurant so bring on the lasagna. I still have lots of presents to wrap so gotta go.

Christmas break

Today is Prestons last day of preschool for 2009. He is patiently awaiting Santa. He got a call from Santa the other day and he informed him that he wanted lots of lots of Transformers. Big shocker there. Our local gym also has a senior center attached to it so they were making the calls as Santa and you could inform them of what toys your child likes, what his pets name is, etc so when the big man called he knew all about Preston. Preston hung up the phone and said I must be a very good boy to get a call like that.
Since its Prestons last day of school they are going to walk around downtown Canal Winchester and sing Christmas songs and then have a party. Im going to go watch and walk with kids as they go caroling. Preston has been practicing his songs for 2 weeks now and its so cute to hear him sing. We are going to try and do lots of things while the kids are out for break and keep them busy and mostly keep their mind off Christmas so they wont ask us every 15 minutes if its time for Santa to come and bring them presents. Have a great day I know we will.

Gift ideas

I saw this great gift idea on another blog and just had to share it. This one is for neighbors but it could be for friends as well.

Purchase refrigerated roll of cookie dough
1 to 2 cookie cutters from the dollar store
Maybe even cookie gel to write on the cookies or anything else you can think of.

"Sugar and Spice and everything Nice!! That's what GREAT Neighbors are made of!" is what you are going to attach to the roll of cookie dough along with any accesories with cute ribbon. You could write that saying on a christmas card, christmas paper, scrapbook paper, anything would work.

You could put thats what great friends are made of, great families are made of, great babysitters are made of, the skies the limit on this one.

The day after

The neighborhood party at our house went very well. I made about 10 homemade desserts and even though we had leftovers it was so much fun to make them. It was worth the 3 days of cleaning and baking. Right before the party started I said that I didnt think I would do this again next year but after the party I changed my mind. One party down one more event to go.

My inlaws are coming up Christmas Eve to our house so thats the one event to go. I will be cooking all day for that as well but lucky for me I enjoy it, except for the cleaning up afterwards part. I could do without that.

Meltdown, bribes and drama

Preston had the biggest meltdown in karate last night that I just sat there watching not sure what to even do or say. I felt bad for him but at the same time wanted him to get tough. He was in formation and all of the sudden burst into tears. When I finally went to get him out of formation, mind you with everyone in the entire gym watching, and his instructor asking whats wrong and neither one of us answering him just walking out, I took him outside where he was screaming I want to go home. After talking to him a bit trying to figure out what is going on he said the boy beside him was being mean to him but didnt tell us what he said. Lowels approach was to tell Preston to punch the boy out, my approach was to ignore the boy so since we couldnt agree on what to do next I simply said "Bolins dont quit". He finally stopped crying went back in and had a great time. He still hasnt told us what the boy said but Im very proud of him for going back in, sucking it up and not quitting. Ok so he didnt really have a choice because I reminded him that if he quit that Santa was watching. I wonder what Im going to bribe him with after Christmas is gone and I cant use the Santa excuse. Have to think about that one. In the meantime this morning Preston woke up and said "Mom Im sorry about last night, Im just having a rough time right now but its almost over". Thank goodness cause there can only be one drama queen in this house and its me.

Someone please tag in and clean for me

In preparation for our annual neighbor Christmas party I have been cleaning and cleaning and cleaning. I keep waiting for someone else to tag in but no such luck. All carpets have been cleaned, some rooms have been straightened up, a lot of dusting, a lot of touching up paint, a lot of sorting through stuff to figure out where I can hide it. 25 homes have been invited so I'm not sure how many will show up but last year we had about 25-30 people and that was with 20 homes being invited. I have 9 desserts on the menu that I will be making from scratch, that's the fun part of it is the baking I get to do and just in case someone doesn't turn out the way its supposed to Walmart is 5 miles away. I would write more but its almost time to start dinner and get ready to take Preston to karate. Have a great evening.

Santa sighting in Canal Winchester

I love this town, especially during Christmas. I think its so great that Santa comes into town each year on the firetruck and drives through our subdivision and then you can follow him into town for hayrides, carriage driven horse rides, train rides, and many more activities. Here is Preston, Trinity and Prestons best buddy Riley waiting in the back of the car for Santa to arrive.

Waiting on the train ride. Brrr it sure is cold in this caboose!!!

More decor

The outside of the house, front and back

All in a days work

Today Preston and I had lunch with a neighbor who also just happens to the be wife of the Vice President of HR at Lowels work. It was a nice lunch up until the point that Preston asks her to pull his finger. Luckily she laughed out loud and said that was the funnies thing she had heard all day. She wouldnt survive in our house.


This is the conversation I had with Preston during his bathtime:

Me-Preston if your going to put your face under the water hold your breath so you dont swallow the bubbles.

Preston-why

Me- Because they could make your tummy ache and you might get sick

Preston-So I might throw up

Me- Yes

Preston- So I might throw up on myself, you, dad, or Trinity

Me-Yes

Preston- So if I throw up on the floor and if Jazz (our dog) eats it will he throw up

Me-Im not sure but maybe

Preston-So if I throw up how long will it last

Me-Not sure

Preston- So if I throw up. (At this time I interrupt the sentence.)

Me-Dude I dont know if you will or wont throw up, I dont know how much, I dont know who you will throw up on, I dont know if the dog will eat it and if he does will he get sick so either finish your bath or take your chances and eat the bubbles so we can move on from these questions.


Minutes later:

Me-Preston put the dog brush down so you dont get dog hair all over you.

Preston-But I want to brush my hair with it.

Me- No because you will get dog hair on your hair

Preston-So I will turn into a dog

Me-No

Preston-So if I do get dog hair on my hair and turn into a dog then a tail will grow from my butt right?

Me-No

Preston- So if I have dog hair, have a tail grow from my butt and then eat dog food will I be a dog?

Me- Yes

Preston-Im not ready for that so can you get me my brush.

Me-Gladly if we never have to have this conversation again.

I give up

In the past 2 weeks I have managed to destroy 2 expensive electrical devices. The first being our wireless dog collar. I didn't so much destroy as the dog did. I accidentally left it on him while he was in his crate and he some how managed to get it off his neck and eat it. Yes eat it. Not cheap to replace, in fact the collar itself cost more than the entire wireless unit.

The second is my carpet cleaner that I LOVE. I just replaced the water tank on it that was leaking and causing problems which was about $50 dollars to replace. I used it for the first time yesterday in about 3 months with new water tank and the motor went out. Im sick to my stomach with the thought that I dont have a carpet cleaner in the house. Im pretty sure that now someone will spill koolaid or something worse on the carpet or the dog will suddenly decide to revert back to his puppy days and tinkle. Ok now Im really sick to my stomach.

I am not touching anything that needs to be plugged in, programmed, or is expensive.
Other than my laptop which I need to look on craigslist for a new carpet cleaner and wireless dog collar and my car of course, ok those 2 things dont count they are a necessity in life.

Indoor 2009 Christmas decor

Just a few indoor Christmas decorations, its raining outside right now so outdoor pics will have to be later.

Dining Room

Family end table and kitchen

Family room tree and small foyer snowman tree

The "B" wreath that I made

Fun things to do while visiting family in TN:

• Eat at Loveless cafe http://www.lovelesscafe.com/
• Eat at Catfish Kitchen
• Say "down in the hallar" and everyone know exactly what you mean.
• Drink spiced tea and any type of tea
• Eat sausage balls, pumpkin bread, banana bread for breakfast
• Ride a carousel inside a mall
• Hug everyone including strangers you just met because thats how you greet someone down south
• Hold my new cousin
• Watch my family spend time with Preston and see how happy he is.
• Roast hotdogs and smores on the fire outside the day before Thanksgiving because its still warm in TN
• Wake up by the sound of roosters crowing

Funny things my son says:
One of Prestons teachers was out last Friday and again today, when I picked him up from school he told me that one of teachers hasn't been there for 2 days and then he informed me that she was on a date. When I said "a date are you sure". He said yes mommy its a really long date at a really long restaurant.


Sometimes to get Jazz the dog into the house we offer him a treat so that he will just walk in, because sometimes its like pulling teeth to get the dog to come inside when we need him to. Prestons job sometimes is to open the door and yell for the dog. Today he asked me if were going to give him a treat. When I said no Preston yelled out the door "Jazz come in but your not getting a treat this time but come in anyways".

Full view of kitchen

I must admit something....Im a closet Christmas decorator. Im only in the closet about it because I started putting up stuff on November 8th. I havent put out anything outside. I dont want my neighbors to think Im strange. Here is sneak peak of the whole kitchen and just a little bit of the decor so far. This way you can see the whole kitchen with the new countertops and backsplash with warning that I have some Christmas stuff out already...you have been warned.

This is what Preston told me today on our way home from his school "Mommy I got into trouble today from my teacher but I dont know why, she didnt tell me but Im sure its because I was playing quietly and doing what I was supposed to do".

Learn to tile=done

For the past 3 days my sister and I have been tiling my kitchen backsplash. What a job!!! I learned to tile and to run a wet saw which was actually fun. I love the end results and I love that I can now say yes I can tile and look what I did then it gives me an excuse to showcase with my hands like the lovely ladies of Price is Right or Vanna White. Everything looks better when you showcase it with your hands. The girls on Price is Right make aspercreme look lovely.

Move over HGTV here is a girl that can lay down hardwood floor and tile. They could call my show Heather Helps, Handy Heather or this could go on and on so I will end it right here and now.

If I could....

Here is a great short story that I found from another blog that was so good I had to share it.

If I Could Live My Life Over
I would have talked less and listened more.
I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained, or the sofa faded.
I would have eaten the popcorn in the “good” living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.
I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.
I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.
I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.
I would have sat on the lawn with my children and not worried about grass stains.
I would have cried and laughed less while watching television-and more while watching life.
I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband.
I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren’t there for the day.
I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn’t show soil, or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.
Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I ‘d have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.
When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, “Later. Now go get washed up for dinner.”
There would have been more “I love you’s”…
more “I’m sorry’s”…
but mostly,
given another shot at life,
I would seize every minute…
look at it, and really see it…
live it…and never give it back.

Written by Erma Bombeck,

Rules of the dog

The rules of the house goes that whoever (me or Preston) says let the dog in or out first ,then the other person has to be the one to let the dog in our out to do his business. The kid is fast...he has me beat each time!

Health discoveries from the mind of a 4yr old

Preston has been learning about germs at school probably from all of the h1N1 stuff going around. Anyways, they have been taught that if you sneeze or cough without covering your mouth that you could get someone else sick because your germs would land on them. I had really bad hiccups while in the grocery store and Preston turned to me and said that I should hiccup on someone in the store so that my hiccups will go to them instead. Not really the message I think his teachers were going for but he has the concept down to a science. And if it would of worked I probably would of tried it...those hiccups were rough.

We are a lot like pumpkins:
God scoops out the yucky stuff from within us and replaces it with a light to shine through.

Halloween 2009

(you can click on pics to enlarge)

Preston and his best buddy Riley trick or treating and eating smores that one of our neighbors sets out everywhere with fire pit, table and fixins at the end of the driveway for the kids.

We had our trick or treat night on Thursday (Ohio doesnt trick or treat on weekends). Great weather, family and friends, and neighbors pass out candy while sitting in their driveways. Gotta love it. Prestons preschool on Friday had a parade downtown Canal Winchester where store owners and employees pass out candy to kids while they walk down the sidewalks.

Prestons preschool class. The little girl on left hand side 2nd row dressed up as princess with tiara is Claire-Preston calls her "his girl". He said she doesnt know it yet but that its girlfriend.

Things I learned this week while visiting my family in TN..

1. Life is short and you should tell everyone around you that you love them.
2. You only see some family at weddings and funerals.
3. My sister always makes me laugh and its just what I need when Im sad or frustrated.
4. My brother and sister in law always have a theme for dinners. We had dinner one night and they had a bag of candy, Halloween toys and Halloween cupcakes for Preston. Not to mention the plates, napkins and cups were Halloween. So cute and so fun!
5. TN has some bad allergens floating around their state and I caught them.
6. TN leaves are just now turning while OH has already changed and fallen.
7. Cooking smores outside is always a good idea.
8. I do miss having my computer even if its just for a week. No internet or cable where I was.
9. My sister got my son hooked on mini Ben and Jerrys mint chocolate cookie.
10. My son looks a lot like my brother and is built like him....scary!
11. Santa Clause shops at Old Time Pottery. We saw him there shopping and because Preston and I were staring at him he came over and winked at us and said see you in about 60 days. He was the cutest Santa ever.
12. There is no place like home.

Sad news

Last night my Grandaddy passed away in his sleep. I can not think of more peaceful way to go than in your sleep. No more suffering, no more pain. I can picture my grandmur up in heaven now saying "shit, what took you so long". Shit was her favorite word. We are packing today and will be heading to TN tomorrow. Im sad and thankful all at the same time. Im so glad that we spent time with him each time we visited and Im so thankful that Preston remembers him. I will miss you more than words can say and you were truly a great grandfather.

Ladies night

Last night I had a girls night out with several other women and we had a blast at PF Changs. Im pretty sure they were glad to see us leave because we arent exactly quite. It was nice to get out of the house, wear something other than sweat pants and hang out with some wonderful women. Before you start feeling bad for hubby he had his own boys night out, granted his night out included 2 boys that were 4 and another friend but nontheless he got wings so his night was good as well. Last night I laughed my ass off with the ladies but when I woke up this morning it was still there, darnit. Good times, good times

Fall 2009 Decor