day 2

I made it to the next day!

And I am clearly having as much fun as a teenage girl with this photo booth business. (That's me being stressed by the way. It was either me or a picture of Cathy the comic strip stress lady.)

2. Something that stresses you out.

My first thought is what? Just one thing? How do I choose just one thing? I have have so many mini day to day stresses (like is my grammar correct on the ol blog? ) on top of the other unpredictable stresses that come up in all our lives (like the lady who was renting my house got a roomful of pet rats, true story)

-There is the kids factor and all the stresses that come with that. Everything from stressing about keeping the noses clean, (Just ask my mom, she says I cant keep my fingers out of there. So what I like them to be clean?) to how they are going to turn out and if it is all just too late and I've ruined them forever. Now there is some stress for any parent.

-Of course money, oh the money. I am so grateful that Derek and I both have such good secure jobs, but still, who couldn't use a little cush in the wallet to take away some of the day to day stress that the lovely money brings!

-Right now I've got house stress, but NOTHIN like it used to be! It's good stress, like are all my color choices going to look good? How much longer until that dang wall paper is off? When are we going to finish? ( I know we just started but I still want to hurry it up)

- I'm going to go out on a limb here and mention this because I am a woman (and as far as I know my reading population is rather low in the male department. and as far as i know males don't want to hear/read about this) and it is what we talk and stress about and if you don't, I am very jealous. The weight factor. I wish I didn't waste my time thinking and talking about it as much as I do, but I do. I don't know why my weight has such a central role in my life, but it does. It always has and always will I assume. I am very happy with my body and feel so blessed to have the health and strength that I do. So why do I stress about it? I don't know.

Which brings me to my final thoughts. Stress is very real and it is what we make it. We can get so worked up about any of the things on this list and hundreds more, or we can deal with it like the mature people that we are. Blaming others for our stress won't take it away. Focusing on the negative and dissecting every little angle about our problems won't make them much easier. So face the stress and be the boss. Don't let the stress run the life. Focus on how to cope with things, and hopefully in a positive way. And of course, really, the best way to deal with it all is hit up those scriptures and pray too.

Did I even answer the question?

i'm doing this

Well, I thought I'd commit myself to some serious blogging. Cristal is doing this 15 day challenge, so I'm joining in on the fun. I can pretty much guarantee that I'll get never er done in 15 days, but that is the plan for now! Here's the list. Also, I think everyone else should do this.

Day 1-Self portrait picture, and 15 interesting facts

Day 2- Something that stresses you out

Day 3-Your siblings and parents

Day 4- Something you're looking forward to

Day 5- pictures of things that make you happy
Day 6- A song that makes you cry and why

Day 7-Favorite movies

Day 8-A place you've traveled to

Day 9- Put your iPod on shuffle, first 10 songs

Day 10-Something you're afraid of

Day 11-Favorite tv shows

Day 12-What you believe

Day 13-Goals

Day 14-Some pictures you love

Day 15- pictures of your Dream house

So this is where the 15 interesting facts about me come in...

1. I think taking that self portrait was the most awkward thing I have done in a long time.
2. I am capable of falling asleep anywhere anytime. Give me 5 mins in any position and I'm out. It is quite possibly a serious problem.

(The most recent sighting, Thanksgiving weekend. I just found this picture when I imported my moms camera. I have no idea who took it , but thank you for the double chin view.)

3. If the person wins at the end of Wheel of Fortune I get that just about tear up goosebumps feeling.
4. I have size 6 feet. I hate your feet, but I love my tiny little things!
5. My husband claims I snore, but I'm preeeetty sure it is only when I'm stuffed up, which is rare for me...
6. I waste time trying on various outfits some days.
7. my friendships are very important to me.
8. I reeeeeaaaaaly like chocolate chip cookies, I think about them almost everyday. I don't make them very often because I'm actually not very good at it, and when I do I eat them all in a day.
9. I worked as a cashier at a grocery store my first year away in Edmonton and I loved nothing more than making that little thing bring the stuff up then beeping the items through and running that till, oh the till with all the buttons! and bagging the groceries so good. The bread was never squished when I was in charge.
10. When I was in junior high and Derek was in high school I thought he was totally cute (among many other boys. hey, I was in junior high)
11. If you ever want to feel funny, hang out with me. Not that I'll laugh at your lame jokes, but I have a loud bust of a laugh, it'll give ya boost.
12. I just love laughing and being around laughing people, and I'm so glad I have James to make me laugh everyday. (like today he said mom I know all the seasons, football, basketball, hockey, baseball and soccer. I don't know if someone taught him that or not, Derek said he didn't. Funny kid. 3 year olds are great.)
13. I don't like winter. I hate wearing coats. I'm with you Cristal, too constricting.
14. I hate when people leave time on the microwave...DEREK!...
15. I love to be around people. On those long winter days when I am in the house all day with just the rowdies I am not a happy or productive person.

Ok, that took a long time. Turns out it's hard to think of 15 interesting things about oneself.

And if it wasn't awkward enough, here is one more! Maybe I did have fun in photobooth this fine evening.

Also, speaking of moms and self portraits, mandybakerblog.com is having a GIVEAWAY! It looks like the most fun giveaway, and i want to win it!

it's halloween, it's halloween

Ok, the token halloween post. James only wanted to be Batman for Halloween (he also wants to be Spiderman for Christmas) and Alli didn't really ever decide. So I hit the local wal-mart and just let her pick whatever she wanted, Snow White it was. I have always done matchy costumes for the kids in the past as noted here, here and most recently here, since I couldn't find a super hero girl costume I didn't do matchy, I thought it would bug me but it didn't.

Derek and I hit up a couple of fantastic halloween party's. We were the Spartan cheerleaders (from snl, if you don't know who they are, we probably shouldn't be friends) and as on top of things as I am, I have no pictures of us. I'm kinda bummed, because we pulled it off...kinda...the homemade way... I kinda didn't do so well in the picture taking department this year.

Anyway, we had so much fun at the party's. I think that is why I like Halloween, I love any excuse to go to or throw a party. I'll even talk people into having a party at their house which isn't quite finished and they don't live it yet, haha, thanks whit! (It's pretty much done anyway, you wouldn't have wanted carpet for us to spill on right!?)

The kids went to a birthday party on halloween in the afternoon. BOTH of them gone for 3 hours. (you know I took a nap in there and folding laundry was the most productive thing i did) That is a great neighbor having a loooong party the day of halloween. Way to load them up on sugar before the night of sugar, a good prep you know.

(james wanted to be a football player for the birthday so he could play better at the party, i know, he's weird.)

Halloween night was on Saturday in these parts. (how can you not love that about small town raymond!) It was so nice out. I wore a sweater, a SWEATER! James and his older cousin took off and hit up a couple blocks while we were still having the pizza party at Grandpa and Grandma Baldry's, they came back with tons, TONS! Then Derek and I took around Alli and James with 2 cousins. When we finally were calling it quits, they were chanting 'more houses, more houses!' I figured out later that I totally dressed them too warm. Not good, gotta make them cold so they are ready to quit after a block.

Today, I let the kids go crazy with their candy. They didn't even go too crazy, which is weird for them, but thank goodness. Then, my master plan came into play. I traded them all their candy for Silly Bands! The kids have been wanting them for weeks, I don't really know how my 3 and 5 year old found out about silly bands, but they did, all the rage you know. So while we were walking home form school today we stopped and got silly bands and the candy is done and gone. I do consider myself a genius, yes I do. I went right ahead and had Derek take that candy OUT of the house, because I had been going crazy eating it all over the last couple days myself. I should buy myself something for the trade too.

Well, that was Halloween at the Baldry house. Maybe next post will BE the new Baldry house, maybe, i don't know.

good times, good times

Ok, so things are so great right now. I'll let you know why.

We sold our house in Cardston, YAY!

(we went to the corn maze a couple weeks ago with the Vaz's and it was a perfect night to get very lost in the corn for 2 hours. I wish Bentley was in the picture, he is THE cutest child ever! But he also can't stand still, 2 year olds!)

I could go on and on, but it's done and gone and I couldn't be happier. In the mean time, we bought a house. YAY! It's just a little fixer upper in a perfect little culdesac that we are going to take on right away here. It's just fun fixing up, not crazy, I hope. So hopefully Derek and I won't kill each other in the process, oh renos. Once we get started you know I'll do the before and afters and it will just be so fun.

The weather has been fantastic, just perfect. My kids and I have spent more time outside in the month of October than we did in July. It is a party. James has only took off on his bike to unknown destinations a handful of times or so. He seems to think it is ok to leave the block if he is wearing his helmet and shoes because that is what I have to constantly harass him about. I am going to miss this quiet little street with the most fun group of kids.

(note the just socks, which is a step up from bare feet, but not great because of the dirty socks and all.)

So I've been thinking and that always makes for a good post.

-What' s the deal with yogurt. Why is it always such a dream to eat yogurt in the commercials? Seriously, all of them. Like it is some stay at home moms secret escape of the day. Yogurt? I mean sure the real stuff is ok with the cream and sugar and all, but it's still this tiny thing of yogurt is not going to make me smile like that even if it does regulate the ol digestive system...

-The waitress's are getting younger and younger, I am not getting older. I am perfectly fine with the thought that my waitress is 14 and I am 25.

-Not too long ago I took the children out on a beautiful day. Got them dressed decently (as in James in jeans!) to take some pretty fall pictures. We get out of the car and the kids instantly go into these perfect poses. I pull out me camera and NOTHING! Dead battery. I never did get it together again for those fall pics and now the fall prettyness is gone.

-I went to a junior high football game the other day (my husband coaches, I'm not weird) there was a mom with her full out face painted. I mean more of the face painted than not. A MOM! I cannot even imagine how embarrassed her son must be. And while I'm on the subject, do not cheer like a lunatic at your childs sporting events, again, that would have to be embarrassing for the poor kid. I know I was embarrassed for her.

-Speaking of me being 25...what's with all the wrinkles I have?! I'm too young for this. I don't care if they are 'laugh lines.' Laugh lines are crows feet to me!

-can't do a random thoughts bit without a celebrity bash, and it is you Miss Rachel Berry. ( I don't know her real name) It is you I am very disapointed in for your GQ magazine spread. That's just gross, I thought better of you. Here I am never have devoted myself to a teen show like this since the days of Saved by the Bell and this is how you deal with the fame? Scantaly clad pics?! Well, I'm quite sure Kelly and Jessie would not have done that to me. (please tell me that my sis and I were not the only ones who cheered for the Bayside Tigers.) Please know, my respect of Glee has waivered, but my love for it has not.

-I 'made' cereal for supper the other day. It was glorious. Derek was not impressed and made something else. My mom was almost in disbelief and I loved it. And it wasn't that I didn't feel like making supper or that I couldn't think of anything to make which is usually the problem, it was that the kitchen was clean all day and I just wanted it to stay that way. So cereal it was and not even a healthy cereal either, Frosted Flakes all around! I should do that more often.

-And just to keep you updated on my latest because I still don't craft or sew or bake anything out of the ordinary, but I do work out as my hobby, I am in full swing. 6 days a week at 6:15 I am working out with a friend. I have never sweat as I am sweating now. You have no idea. It's glorious. I can't wait to be so strong. I'm also doing a yoga class once a week and quite like that too!

(James and his partner in crime last week!)

Well my friends, that is all. Have a great Halloween week. I keep hoping that one of these years they are going to just ban trick or treating so that I don't have mental children the days following. A simple party will do for the season, no?

still 4

Just so you know, this gal is still 4...for a few more days. And I'm just sick about the day I have to say my child is 5.

I've never cared about my kids growing up, it's fun. But this time I am quite distraught over the thought of a 5 year old. It's all too much. When you are 5 you can still shop in the toddler section at most stores, but you might as well go to the kids section size 5 for a bit bigger to make the clothes last longer. no more toddler girls?!! WHAT? I miss that. When you are 5 you are in preschool. (am so glad of the cutoff here, it would be all too much to have her in kindergarten right now.) A five year old is smart enough to figure out what her parents are talking about when they spell words like p-a-r-k or m-o-v-i-e. But not so smart to know

d-e-s-s-e-r-t at least! 5 year olds are way to independent sometimes, which is good and bad I have decided. And on the bright side, 4 year olds can be bossy, demanding and kinda mean to their brother too, so I'm sure this 5 year won't be...

Alli Loves her preschool. It is only 2 afternoons a week but she looks forward to them with much excitement. She walks in like she owns the place and doesn't take a second look back at me. I'm happy that she does so well. She has already told me she doesn't need me to walk her to the classroom, that I can just drop her off from the car. I'll be wishing I was allowed to do this in the winter. She loves riding her bike to preschool and wearing the gigantic backpack they insist the 35 pound children wear.

I have to write this story to remember. The first day of preschool I was the snack mom and the snack mom is welcome to stay as long as she likes. So I showed up right before snack time and when I didn't leave after handing it out Alli was told me in a loud whisper, "Mom, you're not supposed to be here! I go to preschool by myself now!" I told her I was going to stay for snack time and she was ok with it, and then when James sat down for the snack too she was all, "Mom, what are you going to do about James, You gotta get him out of here! He's 3!"

Slightly excited?!

So I'm just going to soak up my 4 year old until Monday. And if people ask how old my child is I might still say 4 not because I'm really this lame and denying my child to grow up, but because I sometimes forget. I told someone at church a couple weeks ago James was 2, oops!

We had Alli's birthday party yesterday with her friends. I have decided, if i ever didn't feel like planning a birthday, I could just turn on some music and I think the girls would just dance the whole time. But I did plan a party and it was fun, a tea party at that! We used my mom's tea cups and had mini cupcakes and made necklaces and fans and of course a parade, because who doesn't have a parade at their party? I also a couple 10 year ols come over to help with the crafts and party what nots, best idea ever!

This was following the dress up parade.

snooze fest

I got sick like a month or so ago. The old sore throat stuffy nose, sinus thing going around. Not too long after Derek got it, (I still have the stuffy nose) he hardly had a voice for a week, not so great when you are a school teacher and football coach. Then before I knew it James was sportin a fever ( i still had the stuffy nose) and most recently we have added Alli to the list. I keep thinking they are over it, then suddenly it's back. Pretty lame. Also, my reoccurring nose business, pretty lame. But overall a decent sickness to deal with because of the sleep and all. Note the photos below. My only regret is that I couldn't time my sickness and the children's to all be at the same time so we could have done some serious slackin around. Instead, I was draggin my feet way back when and now that I feel better (with a dang stuffy nose, it's embarrassing) I'm twiddling my thumbs while they, (mostly Alli, James seems to be over it) carry on with the fever.

Although the clothes or locations are sometimes the same, these were taken on separate days. Poor little children.

And the saddest part of it all. We had to cancel our family date for Derek's birthday tonight. I thought as both children were sound asleep at 5pm that it just wasn't going to be a good day for that.

So I made supper just for us and Derek's favorite cake. I knew Alli was really sick when she didn't even care about cake. I dragged her up to sing happy birthday. She's gonna kill me someday for this pic, but it is too funny not to share. You can't fake this look.

She is trying so hard. And like I said James isn't really sick anymore, but still sportin the ragged look. He is still up at 10 pm because of that nap so he is not so sick anymore. But the sick kid cuddles over the past week have been great!

Couldn't do a birthday post without telling Derek what a great guy he is. Not every dad lets the kids give him a haircut. The snapshots aren't great, but bathroom light at night is non ideal.

Derek really is a great guy. He is just all around swell. Probably the nicest, most patient, non judgemental, non complaining, guy with no temper I know. (what a sentence) Just what a gal like me needs! Frankly, I quite enjoy spending time with him. Happy Birthday, Love you!

And 'Anon' from the last post. I meant I beat 772 overall for the running, not the whole thing, jeesh. Who are you rootin for anyway? It's my blog and I'll brag if I want to.

i don't know why i'm doing this...

I could skip over this event like it didn't happen, but what would be the fun in that?!

So a few weeks back Derek and I decided to do a triathlon. That term is used pretty loosely around here. I mean, you do all 3 events, but the distance can be quite varied as in short enough for me. We decided to support the local village of Stirling because when you don't train you don't feel so bad about only spending $20 to do it. It was 300meter swim, 10km bike and 3 km run, so nobody needs to be too impressed with me.

I hit up the local pool once the week of. I almost drowned. The lifeguard handed me a flutter board. I didn't even ask for one, what does that mean?

(that's just me doing a leisurely back stroke during a triath)

These days when I ride my bike I am getting zero benefit. The kids love to ride their own and those little legs of theirs can only go so fast. So gone are the days of pulling them in the trailer and getting a workout while doing my errands around town. I'm pretty sure it's the equivalent of sitting on the couch and shifting positions in the calories I burn while riding with them. Therefore, it is safe to say that I am not in bike shape.

So I was holding out for the run to do ok in, but that is the last event you do so I didn't even know if my legs would work by that time.

ANYWAY, long story short, and I mean swimsuit short, I forgot my shorts. Yep, I get out of the pool and go to the 'transition area' and put on my shirt and my shoes and NOT my shorts. Because I forgot them. ( I wore sweats there if you are wondering if I just showed up in my swimsuit ready to go and they were in my car over in the parking lot.)

(there's me in the background most likely asking that guy if he has any shorts. and there's derek finishing his bike as i start my bike)

What else could I do but carry on and ride my bike in my swimsuit. (and tell everyone I saw that I did in fact forget my shorts and that I wasn't some sort of triathlon poser) It was a little cold so I had a long sleeve to put over my shirt. Yep, 2 shirts, no shorts. I'm awesome.

(your welcome for the faraway shot of no shorts me. my dad thought this was great and kept snapping away the closer i got! not pretty)

I'm hardcore, but if there were no shorts for me when I finished my bike I would not have done the run. I do draw the line somewhere, because no one wants to see that. My nice husband Derek took off his running shorts and put his swimsuit on after he finished (because he was in the 1st heat and freakishly fast and was done the whole thing by the time I rolled around) so I could look so cute in his giant basketball shorts.

(here i am beating this guy, but not really, because i crossed with my right non chip timed foot and he crossed with his left chip timed foot and so his timer went off first. but my overall time was faster than his so HA! to random stranger on my blog.)

So there you have it. I hope you laughed because I did and that's all you can do!