Why Do I Eat Them All?!?!

So there we are... Tuesday night... It's small group and I need to cough up some sort of dessert. So I browse the pantry and find some good materials to whip up some cookies.

You may think this is leading to a cooking blog... but it's not. I'm not much of a cook... and I scour the world for easy, little prep time recipes (thanks L for that blog... I can't wait to use some of those easy recipes). Anyway... I get the cookie show on the road, and soon enough I'm looking at a couple ridiculously tasty chocolate peanut butter chip cookies. They are moist and SOOO good (Did I mention the 10 cookies I had already scarfed in dough?). Anyway.... I serve them to the group and the baby-sitters with a 2 cookie minimum. I can't be having cookies sitting around the house... and here's why:

After they were all gone and safely tucked in their homes... I put the cookies away in the container (after eating 1-2 "broken ones" because obviously those don't store as nicely as the others... or something). I counted a good 12 or so in there. The next day... before I even got to breakfast I was munching on cookies... WHY? Not sure.. I'm pretty sure they were calling my name, and it's hard for me to say no! Then at lunch...what's a meal without a bit of dessert to follow? Then after dinner? You get it... To say the least... they are gonzo... They were gone yesterday. How did I feel... GROSS and totally HORRIBLE.... Why do I do it? Because.. for some reason I think if I don't they will disappear. Or I'll miss out on my chance... Or I just LOVE sweets a LOT.... Or I feel I deserve it... pretty much all of those feelings at once.

I can be the first to say that diets aren't my thing. I can't do things where I just can't eat certain foods... But in the same way... I can't do things where I can eat anything... because I don't have portion control. I feel like... it's a learned thing when you're younger. As we get older we either have control and restraint or we don't. How do you try to break down your thoughts you've grown up with and call BFF and make new ones? What's the magic trick? Because... I don't want or need any more eating rules... I need mind transformation! How can I work my tail of... and run and lift and get workouts in every day without a second thought, but I can't contain myself from eating a whole package of cookies?

In the end... I praise God I even have food. I praise God that I have a body that CAN work off the cookies I ate the day before. I praise God for friends like you who can empathize with me and listen to my random rant....

Blessings

I went to Mexico... and I came back with no tan, but THOUSANDS of mosquito bites...

I want to clear up any confusion and let you know right away how lucky we are to have amazing parents like KW and BW. They are awesome and loving... and probably the most generous people I've ever met... EVER. They decided to take us to Mexico for our 5 year wedding anniversary. It was a great idea! Time to go to the beach and relax and drink. These ideas filled my brain.... until about.. 1 week before we left. Then I remembered... we have a baby... and we are going to have to travel... this is going to be a bit stressful. You must also know I'm probably the worst at being a Debbie Downer and pre planning the crap out of something... it's no longer fun! So keep that in mind as I talk about our "vacation" (see previous blog to understand the quotations).

Anyway.. We get to Mexico (see previous blog for traveling detail). We arrive there... and it's off to do what everyone wants after a long day of travel.... GET A MARGARITA (or drink of your preference). We did. We had some booze. Had some food... Then reality quickly set in when the Bash was squirming in his seat. We look at our watches and it was about 8. Time for him to start getting ready for bed. So, off we went... getting the man we love more than ourselves prepared for another awkward sleep in the pack 'n play. He went down without a peep (due to the long travel mentioned in the previous blog...) and we all gathered in parents room for some down time talk/ catch-up. Looking at our watches about an hour later or so we realized that WE better get to bed... due to the fact that the Bash gets up (if he does sleep through the night) bright and early! So.. we sauntered off to bed.

"Are you having a good time?" The husband reluctantly asks the Debbie Downer.
"Yea...." She comments...
"Good..." He quickly responds trying not to give DD her time to complain...
BUT.... don't worry... she got her time in...

The Debbie Downer took over... and it was not cute. Why she always turns up at the worst times... I don't know. Who has time to complain at a resort in MEXICO with a beautiful ocean? DEBBIE DOWNER! So... she took over... which promptly left husband to be upset and how much of a bummer the wife (me) was being... Needless to say.. DD prayed hard that night for a mind/heart change...

LET LOOSE! DEAL WITH IT! BUCK UP! YOU AREN'T 10! Kept playing in my mind... But then I would feel sorry for myself again...


Anyway.... it was a hard battle all week between having a good time and enjoying myself and fighting off the Debbie Downer in me...


Enjoying myself:
Laid around and read the funniest book: Bossypants By: Tina Feyh
Listened and watched the ocean with my loving husband
Ate some good Italian food
Walked through the markets
Swam in the pool with her loving baby and family-in-law
Drank MARGARITAS and fountain soda like water
play sand soccer on the beach


The Debbie Downer:
Had to go inside 2 times a day to nap with her baby...
Go to bed early with the baby (although the loving parents did take baby duty 1 night to let husband and I.... go to bed early... we take sleep when we can these days...)
Not get to GO and see things or DO things
Felt like we could have stayed home and done a lot of the things we did there... for a lot less hassle.
Buffet food... blah!

In the end.... Bash had a GREAT time. He made tons of friends. G-ma and G-pa got TONS of quality time with their little grandson. I got a book a 1/2 read. Husband got a back/ shoulder burn and some tequila for cheap. We all got to brush up on our Spanish. And we are home safe... and a bit tired! Will I do it again any time soon... NOPE! But it was a good trip, and I'm grateful for the time and the lessons! :)

Vacation- The First Installment- Traveling

I realize that I'm not the first, nor the last, person to travel with a baby. But I must say... those who have traveled any amount of distance with a baby knows, that it is the least relaxing situation you may go through in your life! :) (maybe a bit dramatized there....). Our family got to go to Mexico this last week for a "vacation." (I put it in quotes mainly because if you've every traveled or stayed elsewhere, other than your house, with a baby you will ALSO know that there isn't much vacationing done... but that is for yet another blog... maybe the second installment.) Paul's most amazing parents bought us and Asher a trip to Mexico. Where we met them, and stayed at an all inclusive resort. It was SOOOO nice of them, and I am very thankful to have such amazing in-laws. They have been an amazing father to Paul. Awesome in-laws to me. And WONDERFUL grandparents to Asher.... anyway.. that's besides the point. For us to even GET to this "vacation" we had to travel quite some way... with a BABY... duh duh duh (also a bit dramatized).

So here's the breakdown... we live in a small town.. about 2.5ish hours away from the airport.... The loving husband got home from ANOTHER trip the Sunday before we were to fly out (Monday at 6:30 am). We thought it would be the smartest idea to go and stay right by the airport Sunday night. We are super smart, because if we HADN'T done that... we would have had to be up and driving to the airport at like 2:30ish. So first travels with a baby was the 2.5 hour drive to Kansas City. Our baby is weird... because he HATES car rides about 89% of the time. And will cry... non stop... for the entire drive. Which he proceeded to do until we pulled into the parking lot of the Hotel. We had a little respite when we stopped for dinner (which had no baby seat... what place doesn't have ONE baby seat?!?!). Anyway.... nothing we aren't used to... and nothing we haven't learned to turn the music over! (I'm only kidding!... mostly). So there we were starting our time away from home. Believe it or not... Asher does NOT like to sleep in that crappy pack 'n play as much as he likes sleeping in his own bed! Hard to believe I know! So we set off to trying to get him to settle into some sleep.. then we did... By about 8:27 pm Bash, Husband, and I were in our beds, tucked in, and sleeping...

4:00am came quick and we were all up. Bash crying, because I'm pretty sure he had NO idea what was going on. We were getting everything ready to go and we were out of the hotel (with breakfast in hand) at 4:30. We arrived at the airport 1.5 hours early (which is MORE than enough time at the KC Airport... I love that place). Anyway... this started our wait time. Now... Asher is a very happy baby. I thank the LORD for this daily. So he made smiles while he wandered around aimlessly with Paul or I taking turns chasing him. Asher has a great way of making everyone smile. We got the first bottle ready for the flight. And the 1.5 hours passed by quick enough. We boarded the plane.. and as you get on you can see the people's faces turn to a relaxed sleepy look... to an.. OH NO! Not a baby on flight! This 2 hour trip is going to be a disaster! Which in turn turns on the pressure. I can't stand people looking at me like this. So... we get settled in. Asher makes some friends, while people cautiously smile at us and tell us we have a cute baby. The plane gets going. Asher gets the first bottle... and he SLEEPS! Success! Success....

In our entire trip we had: 2.5 hour trip to the airport, 2 hour flight to Atlanta, 2.5 hour flight the Mexico, 30 minute car ride to resort... and that ALL over again on 4 days later. Not to mention layovers! 

Now... I would LOVE to walk through each plane flight... but it just isn't worth it all. Here are some travel lessons we picked up along the way:

1.) Have FOOD for your baby.. bottle, snacks, water, and really anything to please the baby
2.) Plan for your child to sleep on the plane, which may include keeping your child up WAY too long at the airport lay over. Which is fine.... you have more room to roam, and more space for your child to throw a fit
3.) You make some people's day with your baby. Baby smiles could quite possibly bring world peace... and I'm sticking to that statement!
4.) Make cards that say: How old your baby is, How long they've been walking for, and Yes... you know they are big. Another one you could make: Thank You... this saves you saying the same thing a billion times.
5.) Running in the airport with a baby is a GREAT workout.
6.) Don't make eye contact with the people as you load the plane, and you won't see their disappointment as you board
7.) Try to NEVER get the last seat on the plane.. You are right by the engine, there is NO room for your legs (let alone a baby), and the bathrooms are right by you... so there is a weird smell lofting in your area the whole time (or maybe that was me... smelling myself... Which brings me to my next point...)
8.) Wear tons of deodorant

We made it to Mexico safely

We made it home safely.

Traveling isn't the best. It isn't even close to being good...

But the smiles we got from people and the complements about how cute the Basher was super helpful in getting us through! :)


2 life lessons here:

1. Next time you see a baby on a plane... try and give the people a welcoming smile.
2. When you run across an airport with a baby and your arms are on fire and you are sweating a lot.... you will always find out that the flight is delayed and all that hustle wasn't worth it! :)


Travel shares?!?!?

You don't realize it until it's gone...

My wonderful and loving husband has been gone all week at an amazing camp with some youth from the church. There have been a few things I realize whenever my husband has to leave me...

1.) The Bash conversations are not as good as husband conversations
2.) Husband has a lot of people counting on him to help for RANDOM things throughout the week and on Sundays. I got to be the fill in DCE for the week, as various people called telling me either A.) Husband had told them he would help them... and is gone. or B.) Husband USUALLY helps them with this item, but he isn't here.... It helped me understand what his days, weeks, and even Sundays are like... Not even in full... just a tiny glimpse.
3.) I tell Husband pretty much everything, which makes life hard when I can't talk to him... I have so much to say... nothing of big importance, but.... TONS of things to tell him about... hope I remember them all....
4.) I'm a bit more productive without him around to distract me!
5.) Being a "single mother" is hard, and I have the utmost respect for ANYONE and EVERYONE who does it full time...
6.) Walks around the block at night.... just aren't as exciting without him.... and Nala wishes Husband was there... because she gets left behind

Now.... today I was thinking about how excited I am that husband is coming home, and that I'll get to FINALLY talk to him tonight. Then I got to thinking about how we get married to have support and someone to share our lives with. It's hard when they are gone. It's lonely when they can't fill those spots that we expect them to fill, or are used to them filling. Then I thought.... there is one that is ALWAYS there.. Never goes on vacation. Never takes a break. Never gets tired of us... Thank goodness we have a God that is the same today as yesterday. Thank goodness we have a God that doesn't go on vacation. Thank goodness our God loves us, cares for us, and is there for us every second of every day. So after thinking these things... I prayed. I talked to God... I'm sure He was missing me from my "business." I shared things He already knew, but it was good to talk to someone... ESPECIALLY someone who cares and loves me (even more than my husband) :)

Amen

HOORAY!!!

Don't smiles just bring smiles?!?!? When you see a big smiley face, you can't help but smile... I put about a MILLION smiley faces in my texts and emails when I write.... It's habit. But truly I am smiling when I say it! :) (oops there I go again). Everyone responds better to the positives. When working with the Basher I notice that he will work on something, and once he gets it... I celebrate with a HUGE smile, clapping, and a yeaaaaaaaa! Once he sees that, he can't wait to try again... and again.... and again. Every time looking at me for my celebration routine once he gets it. Pretty soon I'm not the only one celebrating. He start to clap and give himself a HUGE smile. Which in turn makes me smile more because his smile is so super cute! Anyway.... he'll try that thing over and over again... each time clapping for himself once he has completed it! How awesome. On the OTHER hand... there are some things he likes to get into that I don't want him to. Or places he likes to go that he shouldn't be going in the house. I firmly and loudly with a frown say.... NO! He shakes his head.... then pauses for only a moment... Then continues on doing what I had just said NOT to do... I've realized... Although negative reinforcement does work, it isn't HALF as effective as a smile, a clap, and a yeaaaaaaaaa! 

Think about GOD. Think about his love.... You don't go to church or study the Bible or have fellowship with other Christians because you are scared of Hell (although that would be a really good reason). God wants us to do those things because we are overwhelmed with the love that He has granted us. He gave us His son on a cross so that we can have eternal life. That is the reason we celebrate and worship! Because of His amazing love! It's much better to worship a God who isn't trying to scare us into it. He loves us no matter what. Every day of our lives! Thank you God for smiling at us, clapping, and saying yeaaaaaa! Every time you look down at your creation! Hopefully we can continue to spread your love to others! :)