What’s a topic or issue about which you’ve changed your mind?
This is not true. Not all baby clothes are keepers.
Buttons… I despise buttons on the back of clothes for infants and toddlers. Snaps, good. Pull overs, good. Zippers….not infants but yes for toddlers. Buttons…nope.
Boys button up shirts are fine. But who decided that buttons as the clasps on infant clothes was a good idea. Did that person ever try to button clothes on an infant? Probably not.
I don’t mind buttons as decorative on the back, but it better be snaps underneath.
I used to like all clothes. When I just had my first daughter it was fine. I had time for the buttons. Now being on third child, there’s no time for buttons. Haha!
It’s a simple thing, to most. But to me it’s definitely a big thing. Haha!
I need to make a change. I hurt. I hurt everywhere. I’m only in my thirties, and I feel like I’m well into my forties. I need to do more.
The point of having our kids young, was so that we could enjoy them more. But I have no extra energy in a day; not even to go on a one hour walk at night. Key word: Walk! Not even strenuous. But I have no energy to accomplish that. I need to say it’s an hour walk, but about 30min in my son is tired and “needs” to be carried back. He’s about thirty pounds…so I’m usually dead when we get back to the house.
My night doesn’t end there; I have showers, bedtime, story time, baby feeding time, then I get to go to sleep. But do I? No. By then I’ve missed my window of being tired and I have to wait until the next window opens.
So back to changing. My husband feels the same. He wants to start exercising. He’s in his thirties too. He shouldn’t be hurting so much either.
So we are starting things. I’m going to try and cook differently. Not severely. But less carbs and more vegetables. Not the kids, they need carbs.
The husband wants to start a military month workout. I’m all for this plan. Haha!
But I want to swim occasionally. Try for three times a week. Swimming is the best exercise for me. It works my whole body. It will also help loosen my back muscles.
But something needs to change. This is usually when we make these decisions. At the end of the year. But we are hoping to try for our last kid this time next year; so I want to loose sixteen pounds before trying again. That’s not a crazy amount.
My doctor told me I was a little overweight at my last appointment; that if I lost sixteen to twenty pounds my BMI would be back to perfect. But when my doc told me that I was ten pounds heavier and I already lost that.
So my #1 priority is to change things. Like even this blog. I wrote a post instead of mindlessly playing my game, I decided to write instead. Make a change!
Cooking food for my family. Hearing my husband praise my food. Or even better, my kiddos yelling, “this is the best food ever, mama!”
Trying to be patient. I struggle with this one. But when I do succeed I usually get huge smiles from my kids.
The end of the day hugs. Usually at the end of a day I feel defeated. Like there were times I could have had mor patience. Or could have made better food. Or given my husband more attention. But usually at the end of those days I get my kids coming up to me saying, “you are the best mama ever! I love you,” and finishing with hugs and kisses.
Fitting into my skinny pants. When I’m good and stay within my healthy food intake I can fit into those clothes that should be packed away, but I keep them out to motivate myself. And as soon S I get to that point I….will be pregnant again. Haha!
Sometimes I just need a hug. When I’m feeling discouraged or useless, I need a hug from my hubby. His hugs gives me so much more energy, that I feel motivated to finish out the awful day.
Writing a post. Posting something on my blog makes me think that I’m having a more accomplished day than I might actually be having. But publishing something can motivate me to be extra productive. Which I have made breakfast, started bread, cooked food for my husband’s upcoming trip, started a load of wash, and have my kids ready for the day. Now I’m posting something. Pretty full first half of the day.
Swimming. Anytime I swim I feel rejuvenated and ready for life. I miss swimming. I really want to be in a pool.
Motivation can come from anything. Things said, things you do, things are done, memories, etc. It’s not going to be a generic motivation moment, you might have to look through your life and find unconventional types of motivation. They are out there!
God! Knowing He is always with me, gives me peace of mind!
My family. This includes everyone. My husband, my kids, my mom, husband’s family, my siblings, grandparents, etc.
My job. Even though I complain about being a mom sometimes, it is still the best job in the world. Just a lot of work.
Chocolate. Yes. Straight to chocolate! But that’s what I’m wanting right now.
Socks. Especially my Winnie the Pooh socks. My kids got them for me two Christmas’ ago.
Organization! Not my own stuff. Other people’s stuff only. Like when my husband makes a mess in his shop, and I get to clean it up and put things away, that makes me happy.
Art!! I forgot art. Art should have been before chocolate, but it can be here. All kinds of art. Painting, drawing, markers, pastels, paper machete, sculpting, etc.
Playing with my babies. I asked my kids what makes me happy, and they insisted I needed this on the list. And it’s true. But it was funny that they insisted this made me happy. Not them happy. Haha!
My car. My husband replaced my car that we had to sell. He got me a seven seat car!! It’s so awesome. I can separate my older kids. I can fit all my stuff.
Cooking. Cooking does make me happy. I love cooking. The cleaning up after cooking…not so much. Haha
Dried mango. Mango is so delicious. And for a while it was awesome because my husband doesn’t like mango. However, my son loves mango, and now my daughter likes mango. But my kiddos only like the sweet pieces. So I’m stuck with the sour ones.
Being married to my husband. This one should have been first. But… my hubby!! He is the best person that ever came into my life.
Chocolate Pudding. I know that should count towards chocolate. But my homemade pudding is in a category all by itself.
Watching movies. I know this is kind of generic. But I do enjoy watching movies. But the same movies over and over again. Like I just watched the new Godzilla movie. I like that movie.
Yard work. I love being in dirt. Mud. Mud is fun!! But planting a garden. Keeping up on flowers. I’m excited to being in my mom’s yard.
Skorts. I like shorts. And I like skirts. But something about wearing a skirt, and knowing your underwear’s won’t show is a nice feeling.
My new black shoes. My husband bought me a nice pair of shoes and I wear them everyday. I used to be someone that like to wear a different pair of shoes, but now I wear my black shoes with shorts, pants, skirts, and even dresses.
Swimming. This should be an earlier number too. But swimming is what makes my body relax and feel energized. Or at least that’s what I remember.
Dancing. I like to dance. But I also like to watch dancing. Any style that is done tasteful. Which doesn’t surprise me that my daughter also loves dancing.
Seeing my husband with his son. To me seeing a man with his son is one of the cutest things. My husband with his daughters is super cute too. I guess seeing Father’s with their kids.
Cardboard boxes. I guess I’m still a kid at heart. But when we get a large cardboard box, I instantly want to make a little house. With a door and windows.
Reading my short stories. I actually read through my short stories often. When I want to read something. That I know has nothing inappropriate. Just feel good stories, that what I reread.
Finishing. Seems like an easy thing to do but for me it is sometimes impossible. Like even writing this post. I’ve had to stop four times. Finishing a painting. Finishing a short story. I never seem to finish my long stories…but I will someday.
Creative writing. I’m assuming you know this. But I really do love writing. And I do really get my ideas from dreams. Or when I daydream.
Ross: Dress for less. I really do like that store. I haven’t been for a long time, but I remember liking finding gems in the chaos. But I also like thrift stores. The thrift store in our town is every item is $1. I’ve gotten great things over the years that I would have never been able to buy originally.
Wandering. I like wandering in stores. We don’t have to buy anything; but I like looking at things with no crunch for time. This was my husband’s and I’s normal date, while first dating. We would walk around Home Depot and Lowe’s. Costco, Bass Pro, etc.
BBQ ribs. Another food that should have been listed farther up. But yes, I love bbq ribs. My husband’s recipe. If my hubby didn’t stop me I could eat all of them! And I don’t use a napping until I’m done, my bbq stained face is my medal.
Baby animals. Almost all baby animals make me smile. Tiger cubs, kittens, and baby hippos. Those are just my kids favorite animals, so I see those pictures often. But puppies too.
Doing my daughter’s hair. When she allows me to braid, put up, style, her hair; it makes me happy. When she became the age to want to do her hair I was huge pregnant with my newest daughter; so I was exhausted. So sadly she taught herself. And now she wants to do it by herself, even when I have time. But I’m happy when I get to.
Rain. I’ve come to realize that I’m not a huge fan of snow. Living in the North has shown me I don’t like being wet and cold. But rain is the exception. I like to run around and play in the rain with my kids. Or find worms the next day. Rain is fun.
This was actually really hard to fill in. But I like these types of prompts. It makes you think about what truly matters.
On the funny side…
My son said, going potty. Haha! It was a good laugh!!
Leaving in two days. So I had a chance to write this post, but I won’t for a while. Unless is one of my many drafted short stories. Those are easy for me to write.
“Sailing In The Clouds” Photography By: emily2jane 08-04-25
It really looks like a sailboat is sailing on the cloud waves. Also looks like a moon…
Apples. I love apples. I always have. You know the scene from Harry Potter and the Sorceres’ Stone…where it’s the grand feast; I called out apples the first time I watched it. Haha!
Cantaloupe. I love cantaloupe as well! I love it dipped in vanilla moose. So delicious. But my daughter is allergic to it, so the only time I get to indulge in cantaloupe is when I’m visiting my mama.
Peaches! Fresh! In the summer, they just melt in your mouth. You can make peach sherbet….now I want peaches!!
Strawberries. Straight off the vine, is best. But I love strawberries. Fresh from a farm in late May is the best! Strawberry jam is also divine, but no chunks! My son usually steals my strawberries.
I think my 5th would be blackberries. Off the vine as well. Blackberry jam, blackberry ice cream, in yogurt, just plain. So yummy!! But do you ever get to make these things with fresh blackberries? No. Instead they end up in my tummy.
So I am the youngest of three daughters. So hammy downs. Lots and lots of hammy downs!
But since I’m traveling, I’m wearing exercise pants that are 15 years old, always mine. Socks that are 5 years old. A shirt that is only 3 1/2 years old. But also a long tan colored sweater thing. I don’t really know what to call it. It’s one of those sweaters that you wear with a dress so that your spaghetti straps don’t show in church. But this one is long. Long enough that it covers my butt. Which I planned for, because of my exercise pants. (I don’t like to wear form-fitting exercise pants in public.) But sweater thing saves the day.
But this sweater was my oldest sister’s. And she gave it to me maybe 6 years ago. She was cleaning her closet. But she had it since junior high. So 27 years ago. Wow! But that is awesome!! If it survives I’ll pass it down to my daughter. It will live on! But these exercise pants are a bit snug… three babies later, I’m not as small as I used to be at 15. But I’m traveling; I didn’t want seams.
But my niece would approve of my socks, they are Winnie the Poo characters.
Have a blessed weekend 💕
My outfit
Forgive me. I’m drawing on my phone, with my finger, in a truck, on a bumpy road. Haha 😂
Do you have a quote you live your life by or think of often?
1) The golden rule: Treat others the way you want to be treated.
2) “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” — I Corinthians 10:31
3) Live action Cinderella: “Have courage, and be kind.”
4) Speed Racer Movie: “Pfannkuchen sind Liebchen” Pancakes are love.
5) Speed Racer Movie: “We’re changing your plan, that changed our plan, which changed your plan. Right Boss?”
-changed to: The new plan is the old plan, which was the first plan.
6) Avatar The Last Airbender: “Secret Tunnel! Through the mountains!”
I am sure there are more. But these quotes, rules, verses, and at a constant in my life. But the speed racer ones get quoted a lot. Especially since we have changed our plans several times.
And whenever we go through a tunnel my son sings “Secret Tunnel!“
I really like the Cinderella one. Have the courage to be the real you. And be kind to others. Two very important lessons to learn.
Do everything for the glory of God. Be the example. Live your life the way He wants you to. Live knowing He knows all, and forgives all. It’s easier said than done, but it is something to strive for.
.-.-.-.-.-.
I will be making a pancakes are live sign and hanging it up in the camper. 😎
You’re going on a cross-country trip. Airplane, train, bus, car, or bike?
Well technically a 3500 large cab truck. The husband will be driving so that I can totally doze off in the front seat. Haha!
We actually were just talking about road tripping. But what I’m excited about it we are going to be getting a camper trailer. So eventually when we go on trips we will tow that around as well.
Which means no more hotels. No more random bathrooms. No more waiting for food.
The hotel one is a big thing. Because my husband and I are slight meat freaks. In the sense of, the hotel room is still not clean; not matter how much they do. So having a toddler run around touching everything. Licking things occasionally. Rubbing their face all over the floor. This makes my brain explode. But being in a camper trailer will mean the toddler is doing all of this in our own space. If it’s not super clean; I at least know the dirty.
Also, it will be our own bathroom. So if it has a weird smell of pee, I know it was one of the four of us. Unlike when you go to rest stops, fast food, or an unfortunate porta potty. Again think little kids. And bathrooms are full of germs. Blah!! So gross. Camper toilet sounds awesome.
Food. Food is hard now since I make everything from scratch. So the only place we can eat is cafe Rio. Only bowls. Cafe Rio is not popular everywhere. Also for some reason food seems to take forever. Especially when the whole car is hangry. So when we are hungry, we just pull over and I can whip up a lunch! More work for me, but less stress.
But yea definitely a truck. Airplanes are short, but the process before the flight is long and unbearable.
Train would be fun. But not realistic when the husband only has so much time off.
Bus…no. Nope. Can you imagine two wired kids, one infant, and two frustrated parents?? “And a partridge in a pear tree.”
Bike. Haha! Bike. Me biking. That’s funny. Maybe motorcycle, 8 years ago, with no kids. Again hubby in charge. But bicycle…I can do a trail and bike for a bit. Especially if I have a motor, but more than that, no thanks.
I first saw this prompt and said, nope and skipped over it. But then I read some of the responses and discovered that I do indeed do some of the various things. But I would say it’s more lighthearted or comical; its just always done throughout my life, so it has just stayed.
I do the “knock on wood”. Haha! I never thought of this as superstition. Because I think everyone does this. You say something and in panic you knock on wood. That’s normal. And when I was younger my older brother would knock on my head instead….I figured out years later that he was calling my head wood. I was not a happy one…
My husband says that if he helps with the dishes then the weather will drastically change. Like if it’s a sunny day, it will suddenly snow! Or if it was calm, the wind would erupt and go crazy. Haha! But to his credit, when he does help occasionally it does snow, or pours, or the winds get up to 70mph.
True for me too. If I fold the socks… I have a basket for clean laundry, and in the bottom it naturally collects all the socks. And on a rare day I decide to fold them. I always say the weather is going to change since I’m messing with the socks. And it does sometimes, but less often than my husband.
I trust my gut. I don’t know if this superstitious, but everyone knows: when your gut squirms you listen.
These were the ones that stuck out to me the most.
Knocking on wood, doing dishes, gut, and socks. Those pesky socks…
We’ll have a fun weekend. If you want the weather to change, fold your socks or have your husband load the dishwasher, it might work.
Reading a book. I know before I said I rarely get to read, but when I do, I can’t put the book down. Even being a mama of three I have occasionally stayed up until 3am reading a book. That’s why it’s rare. Because I always feel terrible the next few days as I’m trying to recoup after my bad decision.
Painting. Drawing. I can just paint for hours. Once life is less crazy, I hope to just disappear to a shed and paint, paint, paint. Like I had a college painting class that was 6hrs long. Several of my classmates would complain that it was too long; whereas, I wanted more time in a day to paint. like yesterday I painted a Spider-Man painting for my son, and it took 3hrs to complete. But it only seemed like 2hrs.
Swimming. I love swimming. Even to this day. Yes, I’m out of shape, but I love swimming laps. I tend to forget about everything, as I enter into my bubble of the pool and just swim. Once I can swim more, I hope I could spend about 1hr a day swimming. It would be the best and safest way for me to get back in shape. Hopefully soon!
Dishes. Strangely enough I can lose myself in doing the dishes. I don’t like doing dishes, but if you have the right tunes, alone time, and the soapy water.
Folding laundry. Since I’m constantly doing chores I’ve tried to make them more enjoyable. I lay my new baby on the bed, I have music playing, and I get to folding. Again. I really dislike folding laundry, but if you have to do something you might as well make it fun.
Sitting in bed. When I finally get to sit in bed and relax, I tend to stay up too late. Like 11pm-Midnight. Just because it’s my first chance that day at complete silent alone time. I should be sleeping, because I’m exhausted. But instead I want to watch a movie, or write a blog post, or just be.
So I don’t know three of the six things I listed count as “activities” but that’s what my life consists of. When I’m not cleaning, cooking from scratch, changing diapers, homeschooling, or giving hugs.
Enjoy your Friday!! I had to just look to see what day it was. Haha! I wonder if that will ever change… but FRIDAY!!
emily2jane 