Goat Milk Stuff Soaps.

I have waited to do this to make sure I used the products for a while. It's been a little over a month since I made my first order and I just ordered more earlier this week. & I fell in love again! I've been telling anyone that has encountered me all about these soaps. I tell them to smell my samples haha. Someone even said to me, "Do you know how long that stuff has been around?" I brushed it off because I'm not trying to introduce something that is brand new state of the art. I'm just trying to spread the word about this amazing product and the amazing family that makes them. Jason, Matti & I don't use soaps or body wash from the stores anymore. We're a Goat Milk Soap family! :)

A little background. The family is from Indiana and they have eight children. All of them are homeschooled and ALL of them have a job when it comes to the production of these soaps--even the youngest one! One day, during bath time, they happened to look at the bottle of soap they were using. As you all know, it's filled with chemicals that help clean you. & as you know, they can be a little drying too! So, mom decided she wanted to try to make soap on her own & voila! Goat Milk Soap was born.

Okay, so onto my experience with this wonderful, wonderful product! I was introduced to GMS by one of my middle school friends. She has a Beauty Channel on YouTube & does reviews on a lot of products. I kept hearing about "Goat Milk Soap" & how fabulous it was. After hearing about it for a while, I decided to check out the website. I fell in love with the family. I ended up following their blog, on Twitter, Facebook. Yea, call me a creeper, haha.

My first order was a full bar of Oatmeal, Milk & Honey (because it's one of their best sellers) & a half bar of Purity for Matti. He has some mild eczema and I wanted to see if it would help his skin. With every order, you get three free samples. I absolutely love this because it gives you a chance to see if you like other scents. My three samples were: Luv Spell, Clean Cotton, and Pink Sugary. I checked my email three hours after I ordered and there was an email from PJ saying that my soaps will be packaged and shipped later today. WOW! That was fast! The next day, USPS told me it was in transit. The following day, it said that it reached the main center & it was on its way to me! By the time I got home from work that day, it was waiting for me. I was SO excited. First of all, I was amazed at how fast they were shipped! Jason put them in our room and shut the door. I went to get the soaps & the room was filled with this heavenly scent! I quickly opened the box to find our OM&H & Purity Bars. I couldn't wait to try them! They smelled sooo good & the bars look like you could eat them! haha. I was excited about the samples & wanted to order more already.

Oatmeal Milk & Honey.
I ordered this for Jason & me to use. We still have a pretty good amount left of it. It smells heavenly. It has a slightly sweet creamy scent. It just smells so good. I love how it pretty much doubles up as a freshener in our bathroom. It just fills the room with its smell. Jason really likes it and actually will tell people to try out GMS. It lathers up really nicely which is a surprise! & it's also super smooth when you are using it. It just glides onto your skin. I have pretty dry skin & especially in the winter. Other soaps & bodywashes, dry out my skin too much. (due to the chemicals) Keep in mind, GMS, has ZERO. Since using this soap, my skin does not feel "tight" after showers unlike when using regular store brand soaps. That had me sold! After using it for a month plus, my skin feels smoother and it just looks & feels better. I had some issues with my legs. They would get so dry that I would scratch them in my sleep without even knowing. I would then have scarred legs. Since using GMS, my legs look 10x better. It was really something I was hoping for and I'm glad to have found GMS because of this alone. The soaps really are moisturizing and that's something I really need. Aside from that, I love that throughout the day, I will get a whiff of OM&H and I find myself smelling my arm sometimes. The scent stays on your skin! I love it. A+ on OM&H. (I almost typed "OMG")

Purity.
This one we are using on Matti. He has mild eczema and I was afraid that in the winter it will get worse again. To start out, I wanted to try Purity. It's just a white bar & smell like nothing. It's just a clean & pure smell. Once he runs out, I might get him a different scent. Before GMS, he had rough patches on his wrist, elbows, and lower legs. Since using GMS, the patches have been under control. His wrists patches are gone, has a tiny bit on his elbows & his lower legs are gone. So far, I think it is working pretty well. I think he takes after his momma & gets the dry skin from me. Unfortunately. He's not scratching that much and I think that makes him happy. Which makes me happy. He does love smelling the scenty soaps, though! He wants to smell them over & over again.

I brought my samples into work and one of my co workers wanted to order some & so did my boss. On Monday morning, I ordered our soaps. I got a full bar of Pink Sugary for myself & a full bar of Nautical for Jason. My co-worker ordered two bars. She got a full bar of Pink Sugary & a full bar of Luv Spell. Just like last time, three hours after my order, I received an email saying it was getting packaged & mailed out later that day. Two days later, it was at my doorstep! Again, Jason put it in our room and when I got home, it was fulled with a beautiful scent. I opened it up and read over my order. It was so cute...one of the kids, the one PJ (the mom) said was going to package my order up, wrote a little note. "Enjoy! Brett :) " Every single one of the soaps smells sooo good! Nautical is the "manly" scent so I got that for Jason since Pink Sugary is a little more on the feminine side. A little. I'm sure he can still use it. Luv Spell is VERY feminine so he wouldn't use that. haha. My three samples were honeysuckle, cider press & black raspberry. We liked all three of them and I wanted to order more already, haha. Honey suckle is a very sweet scent and smells like summer. It smells just like honeysuckle. Go figure! Cider Press reminds me of fall. It smells very apple-cinnamony. Black Raspberry is one I liked too. It kind of smells like a raspbery smoothie & vanilla ice cream all in one. It has such a yummy smell. Matti wanted to eat it. I think he thought it was ice cream, haha.

So, overall, I love the Jonas family & I love Goat Milk Stuff Soaps. The price isn't bad either. It's about $5-$6 for a full bar and that lasts a long time! You can also get a half bar or the travel size! :) I like the full bars though because it comes in a cute little drawstring cotton bag with their logo on it. & if you order more than one, they will have a stamp saying what soap is inside. It could've been in my first order, but I didn't see it. Check out their website. They have other products aside from the soaps. They have lip balms, laundry detergent, bath bombs, & more! Check them out! http://goatmilkstuff.com/

I'm an Auntie!

Again. My youngest sister in law had her baby yesterday at 2:25 pm. It was an eventful day for everyone. Baby T decided he wanted to make his debut in 2010. His due date wasn't until 1/11/11. He also was coming feet first so she needed a caesarean section. She is doing wonderful, daddy is doing great, & baby is so cute! Did I mention he was 4lbs 8 oz? I thought I was a small baby at 4lbs 14oz, but Baby T is even smaller. He is tiny, but so unbelievable handsome. I don't know when we'll visit again, I vote tonight! He took everyone by surprise. Mommy thought she was having Braxton Hicks, but she was having the real thing! She did great though & daddy was a big help. So proud of you two <3

Feeling accomplished.

There's always a good feeling after paying bills. I usually take the Mondays after payday to go through our list of bills to figure out when they need to be paid. I like to pay them as soon as possible so that we can just have our fun money without worrying about spending money that should've gone to the bills. We are pretty good with our money management. I like being thrifty and saving where we are able to but at the same time still be able to enjoy things that we like.

This weekend was pretty busy. I had a headache most weekend and it's still lingering, but I tried not to let that bother me. I worked Saturday and the day went by fast. Santa was at the bank so it was fun seeing the kids & puppies come in to see him. My little man showed up and sat in his lap. He enjoyed the cookies more though ;) After work, I went home and started cooking my chili. We had a meeting that night at our house so while I cooked, Jason cleaned. I love him for that! We had a good meeting and good company but I was tired. Plus, my head hurt. That night we decided to have a sleepover in the living room so we got the futon mattress and placed it on the floor. Jason fell asleep way before Matti & me did so we watched The Hitcher. Matti loves scary/thriller movies!

The following morning, we went to Mass like usual. After that, Jason's family came over to have some chili for lunch. They were heading to the mall & Jason needed for them to take his boots back up because the worker forgot to take the security tag off. & of course, I had to let them try the chili! After they left, it was just in time for the Redskins/Cowboys game to start. I was really unexcited about it. McNabb had just been benched for the season & honestly, I like him! I don't think he's the whole problem and it just upset me that he is being treated the way he is. Rex Grossman, who is the starting quarterback now, had a lot to prove for fans. The second half was a lot more exciting, but we fell short after he threw an interception at the last few seconds of the game. He played a lot better than what I expected, but STILL. I want McNugget back :( After our loss, I wanted to go to Target. I saw a few things that I wanted and we managed to get a lot of our shopping done for our family. We got home and wrapped all the gifts and they are all under the tree now. We just need to work on his parents' gift & we have to put Matti's together. We both agreed that we did good with our little shopping run.

I hope this week goes fast because I'm just ready to have some good food & enjoy family time. =) Remember guys, Christmas doesn't begin until Christmas Day!

Until next time.

Let It Snow!

Yesterday was pretty eventful as far as weather. I watch the news in the morning and at night--both local & national. I check their websites all throughout the day as well. For someone who does all this, I don't know how I missed that there was snow coming our way. Until Jason told me two nights ago. I didn't believe it would snow THAT much. It started snowing around 9am yesterday while I was cooking the lumpia meat. The flakes were small so again, I didn't think it would amount to anything. It had been so cold here though, I should've known better. After a few hours, the snow is building up. The schools were closed before the snow even started. I kept wondering if I was going to make it to work...I decided to stay home an hour longer and take Matti to daycare late. I figured by the time we would have to leave (1215-1230) that my work would've made a decision whether or not we're staying open. I was supposed to be there at 1pm. At noon, I started my car to warm it up and cleared some of the snow. There was an inch and a half on it already. My snow scraper was nowhere to be found so I was happy I just bought new gloves. I went inside and started to get our things ready. At 1230 we were ready to go. Except, snow had built up on my car again. I would say another half an inch. Matti was having fun watching me get the snow off the car haha. I called my job to let them know that I probably wouldn't be there at one. A six minute drive ended up being twenty minutes. I made sure to keep my distance from everyone because around here, they are pretty bad & also, I had precious cargo. After dropping a fighting toddler off at daycare--he wanted to walk & play in the snow--I made my way to work. Five minutes ended up being ten. I got behind a salt truck & a snow plow. I finally got to work at 115 & they told me that I was just balancing my drawer and heading home. Yep. They made the call, but it was after I was already on the road. I offered to stay until 4pm (the drive thru was staying open til then but the lobby was closing) since I am technically the drive thru teller. She told me to just get Matti home so at 215, I was back on the road to pick up Matti. On the way there, I saw the hot dog vendor packing up. I thought he was pretty brave for even being out there! Then, an accident so that made me nervous. I needed to pick up lumpia wrappers because today, Friday, is our work party & that's what I'm bringing. Thankfully, they were still open & it's on the main road where I was. The lady at the store has a two door BMW...I told her she should head home! lol..but she was sticking it out and having her husband pick her up. I found the cops outside and freaked out, but they were there for that accident. Off to get Matti. He is always so hard to get out of daycare. He never wants to leave! I told him that we would go play in the snow & he can make snowballs. That got him up and he gave his friend a hug & a high five. They are so cute. We made our drive home and 330, we finally were home. I let Matti play for a little bit, but he didn't have gloves, so I cut him short. We got all warmed up & cuddled up on the couch watching Cars. He's back to his favorite again. We were enjoying the movie when we heard banging on the sliding door. Yep, my husband was throwing snowballs through the screen. He decided to move my car so I would be able to get out of the spot easier and he put something in the car to help me in de-icing. haha. ..so technical. Matti & I met him outside and Matti ran around throwing snowballs (with gloves!). The mail man came & as he was leaving, Jason asked him about a package he was waiting for. Matti ran up to the mail man & threw a snowball at him! HAHA! The mail man made one of his own & threw one back at Matti. I'm glad he was still in a good mood after having to deal with the roads & terrible drivers & this nasty snow. After a half hour, we went inside & we made some hot chocolate. So good. I decided that since I was actually home EARLY, that I would start making dinner early. We had spaghetti and it was oh so yummy. After dinner, we just hung out and rolled the lumpias for today.  We only rolled half because we were tired and the rest was going to be for his co-workers anyway. Mine just needed to be finished so I can fry them up today. Which I will be starting in about twenty minutes. I hope the roads are better because I need to be at work at eleven! With lumpias in hand! 

My Kid is Funny II

Matti is almost 2.5 and he is SO MUCH FUN.

He likes to pretend that he's an airplane and will run around in circles with his arms extended to the side. He'll keep saying, "Mommy! Look...I'm flying!" until I actually look at him.

When he's not an airplane, he's a dinosaur. I'm not exactly sure where his fascination with dinosaurs started. It might've been a trip to the dollar store & he just picked one up without knowing what it was. Then, we got him a book where he has to find the animals on the pages. Well, in the back, there are a few pages of random animals. What groups of animals are called, mommy & baby animals, and of course dinosaurs. He looks through the books and finds animals but his favorite page is the dinosaurs. One day, one of his shows ended and we were too late at changing it so it went to the next show. It was a show called "Dino Dan." Honestly, we don't care for it AT ALL. Watch it & you'll see why, but it appeals to Matti and he LOVES seeing the dinosaurs. So lately, he will stomp veerrry slowly with his arms shortened like a T-Rex & roar. He'll loook at you & say, "I'm a dinosaur..rawr...I'm gonna get youuuuu!" Haha..his imagination is so much fun.

Then, today, he woke up a little after Jason left for work. I let him lay with me for a few minutes before we get up. I set my alarm again in case I fell asleep & I did. An hour later, I feel something hit my face. All I heard was, "Sorry, Mommy!" followed with a kiss where I was hit. I realize then that he's trying to put on my glasses. So, I took my glasses and put them on for him. & in a really loud voice he says, "Mooooornnaaaan Mommy!" I couldn't stop laughing so we ended up having a laugh fest first thing this morning.

He's now walking around saying, "Hee-haw!" like he is a donkey.

mornaan

ramblings.

A few things running through my mind:
-I've been seeing this everywhere & felt the need to reiterate. Christmas doesn't begin until December 25th and last until January 6. Twelve days later. The twelve days of Christmas is AFTER December 25th.
-It's snowing! My cousin missed it by a few days =/
-Jesus IS the perfect gift.
-We shouldn't stress out about shopping for our family & friends. Be calm and just enjoy the time with each other. & celebrate Jesus' birth!
-It bugs me when people go with what's "in." Or socially acceptable. They'll love one thing and when that one thing isn't the fad anymore, they'll turn on it saying they never really liked it anyway.
-Choose your Team and stick with it. Get off the bandwagon!
-I'll never lose faith in the Redskins. haha.
-I have the most energetic child known to man. Okay, maybe not, but he sure does have a lot of energy. Just today, he's almost run into something three times.
-When people question me about Matti's development/skills, I get defensive & start to question them about theirs. Big fault.


Weekend.

We had a really good weekend. It was early day off on Friday so I got out at 3pm. I was able to pick up Matti which I always look forward to. He wasn't ready to leave but an orange helped get him out of there. We went home and met up with Jake. We watched The Grown Ups and it is hilarious! I love it. We went to return the movie and it was so cold out. It had been cold all week. We went back on forth whether or not we wanted to get food. Only to find out that Jason left his wallet at work so that plan was squashed. I didn't bring my purse/wallet because we were just making a quick run. We went back home and watched the Life DVD we rented from the library. I'm glad Matti likes to watch things with us and that he enjoys learning about different animals. We learned a lot too :)

Saturday, we slept in which was much needed. When we finally got up, I decided I wanted to make some BLT&E's (BLT with an Egg) so I started working on that. Yummy brunch. We did a little cleaning and then decided we were going to get his wallet at work. We knew that we were going to the movies at 4 to see Despicable Me. It was a free showing and we would all enjoy it. Matti fell asleep in the car so we sat in the parking lot and had some Mickey D's :) I called a friend of ours and we caught with them. It had been a few months since we talked. Which made me want to visit them =/ Eventually the time came for us to go inside so we got Matti out of the car (who was still asleep) and got our seats. There were a lot of families there so I was happy that they would be a little more understanding if Matti decided to be loud. (Thankfully, he was perfect) Matti woke up just as the movie started and laughed along with the kids. It was a really good movie and it made us all laugh. After the movie, we decided to check out some stores because I didn't want to go home and sit around. We were driving when Jason mentioned he wanted to go to the mall sometime this week. Well, we made a quick decision to go to the mall that night. My brother met up with us and we were able to pick up a few things that we needed. We left just in time as the mall was closing and we were so tired that we went straight to bed.

Sunday we slept in again. Jason woke up and was like, "Fran, it's 10:30!" I replied with, "Sooo?" He said, "CHURCH! 11:15!" He forgot that there was a 5pm mass. Matti was in our bed and kept saying, "Moooornannnn Mommy! Moooooornnnaaaann Daddy!" We got up and we decided that the BLT&E's were so good the day before so we'll make more today. Yummy brunch 2x. We lounged around the house until the Game came on. We were doing so good the first half, but I don't know what happened in the second. Another loss, but true fans we'll stay. By the time the game ended, we had to start getting ready for Mass. Mass is always good and we were going straight home after Mass, but the food sucked us in. haha. We have sinigang here at home that needs to be finished, but we ended staying anyway. After we got home, we just watched some of Sunday Night Football until Desperate Housewives came on. We went to bed a little after that, but as usual, I kept the game on just in case.

Here I am looking at the week ahead. I have a six day work week. Friday we are having our party and I'm making lumpia. Then, I have work on Saturday. Santa will be coming to the bank so Matti & Teddi will be coming to see him. Soon it'll be the new year & that means I'll be an auntie soon :)

Little Did I Know..

Let me take a few minutes and talk about work. I've been at the bank for six months now, but it feels like I've been there longer. In that time span, I've seen and met a lot of interesting people. I've seen first hand just how much people are struggling out there. I've met some of the most generous people as well. Everyday is somewhat similar, but there is always something interesting that happens each day. Something I never realized about a bank is that you can be a family with the customers. I remember my first week there, a lady dropped off Subway for all the tellers. Myself included. I had been there at the most a week. I thought to myself, "Wow, that is really nice of her." I was told that this lady takes the time out of her day to think about us and brings us food once in a while. & let me tell you, when she cooks the food, it's amazing. Just recently, she brought us a tray of sandwiches, a pot of corn chowder & a huge dish of dessert of some kind. This past week, another customer brought us stuffed ham. Which we all love. & they even go as far as bringing us a loaf of bread, paper plates & utensils. We also get to know customers and their families. The struggles they are going through, sicknesss, death, but also their joys become our joys. Some of my co workers have known the customers since they were in school. There are many instances when they see a teenager or young adult, and they can remember when they were little babies. We see the same customers come weekly or daily and you get to know them and be able to joke around with them. I never thought that a bank could be like this. In the few minutes we have with them, relationships are formed. & because of this, I can honestly say that I love my job.

Elmo.

One of Matti's favorite characters is the little red monster named Elmo. My brother got Matti a stuffed Elmo and it's his little buddy when he wants him to be. Matti is very independent, but sometimes he needs someone there with him. When we moved two months ago, Elmo got packed, and we ended up leaving the bag that he was in. I forgot in the chaos that he was in that bag. We've been looking for Elmo for the past two months. Two nights ago, I remembered that bag & before work yesterday, I went to go check it. & there was Elmo!  I was so excited to have found him and I couldn't wait to give him to Matti when I got home that night. I got home first and Jason&Matti were right behind me. We were on the sidewalk & I said, "Matti! Look who I have!" The biggest smile was on his face and he started running. He held onto him all the way to the door and into the house. He 'taught' Elmo how to turn on the TV. & I told him to show Elmo his room. & he very happily did. He showed him his bed, his slide and toys. Dinnertime came & I told Matti to get in his chair. He refuses to sit in high chairs or booster seats. He's a big boy now and would rather sit in a regular chair just like everyone else. Well, my grandma, Mama, gave me a cell phone holder a long time ago and it's a chair. It was on the table so we sat Elmo down in the chair while the three of us ate. Matti kept trying to feed him saying, "Elmo, eat!" After we were done, Matti had a little TV time and Elmo was back in his arms. You can tell he was happy to be back with his little buddy. I snapped this picture of him.

I can't believe Christmas will be here soon! I still need to get my Secret Santa gift for work. Anyway, it's Monday again and the three of us had a pretty relaxing weekend. Which was MUCH needed.

Saturday
I went to work at seven and got out at one. We had a steady flow of customers which helped make the work day go by fast. Everyone is definitely preparing for Christmas. I've been asked a few times for nicer bills so they can stick it in a card for grandchildren. Good thing I keep my money pretty ;) With that, I mean, I take the time to straighten out the wrinkled money so they are nice and neat. Me & one co worker are pretty much sticklers about that. Since working at the bank, I've made sure to keep money nice and neat. When I see wrinkled money or folded corners, I have the urge to fix it--even out of the work place. It's pretty bad. After work, I went home and found my boys coming in a little after me. I did a few loads of laundry which so badly needed to be done. While waiting on laundry, I decided to make seven layer bars/cookies to bring to the FCJ Gathering/Lord's Day celebration later that night. We went to the church and had dinner there as well as the Lord's Day.

Lord's Day is a celebration to prepare ourselves for the Lord's Day which is Sunday. Lord's Day is held Saturday evening so that it prepares us for Sunday. A lot of times, we are too busy to really focus on Sunday. & what Sunday should be. Sure, we go to Mass, but honestly, how many of you are itching for that hour to hurry up so you can: go to lunch? watch the football game? go back to sleep? do homework? etc... Lord's Day celebration helps us get ready for, you guessed it, Lord's Day.

I remember growing up that this was something my dad brought into our home a few times. It wasn't just for the big gatherings we would have at church. I hadn't gone to one for a while, so it was nice to be there again. What was neat was when the parents starting to pray over their kids. Growing up, that was something that was pretty emotional for me especially when it came to the times when the kids would pray for their parents. That night we didn't do that, but my parents were praying over me, while Jason&I were praying over Matti. & it just made me want Matti to grow up loving the Lord so much more.

After that, we went to my parents' house because Jessica was visiting for a little bit. We ended up meeting her & a few other people at Flat Iron Farm. We've wanted to take Matti there, but life has just been so busy. While we were there it started snowing! It was little, but my cousin was able to see it so I was happy. I wish the flakes were bigger though. My brother & his crew went to the house and we stayed for a little longer to take Matti around. We saw horses, goats, sheeps, donkeys, cows, alpacas, and even a cat! Matti had a great time saying hi to all the animals. For example: One of the many horses is named Beau. I would say, "Hi Beau!" & Matti would say, "HI BEAU! NEEEEIIIGHHH!" & so on with the many animals there. The lights were pretty as usual. They have one of the houses hooked up so it plays in sync with two (maybe three) songs. We walked around to the different shops and Matti had a blast seeing the trains they had. They had a lot of old things which me & Jason love to see. Old radio flyers, bikes, McCormick spice cans, old tools, farm equipment, cars...you name it, they probably had it. I wish we hadn't bought our Christmas ornament yet, because they had some there. I know where to go next year! We also ran into someone from high school and he seems to be at a great place right now. Three kids & owns his own business. Amazing. After the farm, we continued on to my parents' house where everyone was. We played a little Kinect :) Dance Central & the adventures game. Matti kept everyone entertained. Jason & I decided to see if the old Sega worked and it did! We played a little of Golden Axe, Toy Story, and Lion King. Good stuff. When we went home, we went straight to bed. It had been a long day for me.

Sunday, we slept in a lot later. We got up at ten and Mass starts at 11:15! Jason & Matti got up to eat breakfast within fifteen minutes. We have to fast an hour before Mass. I slept in five more minutes before I got up to make myself a cup of coffee to down in ten minutes, haha. We went to Mass and was happy to find that Father Bill George was celebrating it. I love our priests, but it's always nice to have him when we do. He is at Georgetown University most of the time. He always gives a good homily and he always thinks of the kids. He's the only that walks around the church during Peace to shake everyone's hand & hug the kids. I miss that. Jason likes him because he will tell us why they do certain things. Why they put a water in the chalice. He keep things light and throws in an appropriate one liner to make everyone laugh. At the end of Mass, he was giving us the blessing and he said, "When I nod, you say, 'Amen.'" He said the blessing and we said Amen three times & he was ending the Mass with, "In the name of the Father..." At the end, of course everyone said "Amen" outloud, and he chimed in saying, "But I didn't nod!" Hehe. I talked to a few people after Mass until Jason's dad said they were leaving to have lunch. We ended up going to a local restaurant called Linda's cafe. I couldn't remember if I had been there or not, but I think I have. I love going to locally owned restaurants because I love to support them. It turns out, the parents invited Father Bill to join us so that was fun. The food was amazing. I got a BLT with Egg. Don't knock it til you try it. It. is. amazing. Jason got his usual reuben and Matti got french toast which he scarfed down. After lunch, we decided to check out the antique shop next door. Again, Jason&I love to look at old things. We didn't get anything, but there were a lot of neat things inside. I was debating on getting a chest for Matti though. Didn't get it. We went home, but made a stop at the library. We decided to check out their movies, but they didn't have anything we haven't seen or were interested in. OMG. We've seen too many movies! lol. We picked up one of the Life DVDs. I decided to look around and found myself in the autobiography section. I picked up two books. One is Promises and it's about a woman who vowed to send a classroom of kids (kindergarten, I believe) to college. The other is Practicing Catholic and it's about a man's journey in the Catholic faith. It caught my eye, so I grabbed it. Not really sure if I will get into it. Matti went to the kid's area and he made a friend. He played for about half an hour and we didn't pick out any books for him. He has a few here at home he hasn't read yet. We went home to find that the Redskins lost terribly, again. =( Come on boys! Frustrated, I went to do another load of laundry, haha. We just relaxed the rest of the evening watching Saving Private Ryan. I made dinner and after we ate, Matti asked me to hold him while sitting on the couch. Within five minutes, he was asleep. We put him to bed a little before eight while Jason & me stayed up. We were watching Pearl Harbor and once The Game (Steelers vs. Ravens), I flipped it back and forth. Then, when Desperate Housewives came on, I flipped between that & The Game. After DH finished, I was tired so I decided to go to bed. I mean, the Ravens had been at 7-0 for most of the game. I figured I wasn't going to miss much. I kept the TV on in case I woke up. & I did after the game had ended. I checked ESPN to see who won and it took forever for it to come up. Steelers win. Boo. Oh well, at least they have nice jerseys. Oh, but I did see Big Ben's broken nose early on in the game! Ouch! But then that was about it. Redskins lose. Ravens lose. Cowboys win. UGH. Great!

So here I am soon heading to work. I have a pretty easy week (as far as schedule) at work this week. This Friday is my early off so I'm looking forward to that. I hope you all had a great weekend and a great week ahead.

Excited!

Since we found out Matti has eczema, I've been looking for something to use as a body wash/soap for him. Right now we are using Aveeno Soothing Relief Creamy Wash. It works great & has helped with getting rid of most of it. He still has some spots, but for the most part, he is clear. Still, I wanted something without all the chemicals in it. A few months ago we watch the documentary Food Inc. & since then, I've been on the lookout for more earth friendly goods.

Well, a middle school friend, who I lost touch with, but reconnected with through Facebook (run on much?), has been raving about this soap she uses. She started up a Youtube Channel & very recently made partner--congrats again! I watched her "November Favorites" video and again, she mentioned these soaps. So, I went online to their website and I couldn't resist ordering.

Here is the website: Goat Milk Stuff 

It is a family owned business and they do everything that comes along with making the soaps. The kids are adorable! Everything I read about them are all good so I couldn't help but order some. I'm pretty confident that I'm going to fall in love with them so I went ahead and bought two bars. Winter is coming up & our family's skin tends to get dry. Everything I read says it moisturizes really well & I'm also really excited about the smell of these soaps. Apparently one of the popular ones is Oatmeal, Milk & Honey so I ordered a full bar of that. I ordered a half bar of Purity which will be the one Matti uses. AND, AND, with your order, you get three free samples. So I ordered Clean Cotton, Luv Spell, and Pink Sugary. I tried to choose scents that weren't TOO feminine since I am hoping Jason likes these too. I've already received my confirmation email saying they received my order and that it will be shipped today. & it's only three hours since I ordered! So, I just felt the need to come on here and share my excitement about receiving these soaps. I know, I'm excited about soap...that may be a little crazy, haha.

I will try and do an update when I receive them and have used them. :)

My kid is funny.

He says the funniest things sometimes...no wait, a lot & I just need to document them somewhere.

The other day we just got home so we were getting out of the car. Matti likes to take off his socks & shoes while in the car sometimes & those were one of the times. I hear Jason back there say, "Matti, where are your socks & shoes?" Matti's reply?  "Shark bait hoo ha ha!" (From Finding Nemo) We all busted out laughing because it was out of nowhere. We weren't talking about Nemo or anything, haha.

Another time, we were getting out of the car at the apartment complex. Jason & I are getting things out of the car & Matti is standing there waiting. He sees two people & he says, "HEY!" The people turn around and Matti says, "What's up maaan?!" They thought it was cute and I couldn't help but laugh.

So, those are two that happened recently. I'm sure there are plenty that he has said & even more to come.

Night wakings.

Last night was terrible! Matti woke up at 1:30 in the morning, and I walked him back to his room like normal. I ended up falling asleep on the floor & I went back to bed. It had been thirty minutes since he woke up. Something in the kitchen made a noise as I was getting in bed & as my head hit the pillow, he started crying. I waited to see if he would soothe himself back to sleep, and of course, he didn't. He walked into our room, crying while carrying a book with him (which I didn't know). Jason got up and walked him back and at this point, he is crying louder and just plain upset. Jason is usually a lot better with putting him to sleep in the middle of the night, so I stayed in bed. After a few minutes, I rolled over and found a book underneath me. Yes, the poor boy wanted me to read him a book. So, I walked to his room and he keeps asking to read a book. I went to him & told him to calm down. I wiped his face and you could tell he was tired. I told him I'd read ONE book as long as he stopped crying. I sat on the floor and started reading to him. When I finished, he was laying down, but still awake. Jason was on the floor and I laid down next to him. He waited about ten seconds until he started crying again. At this point he was just making things up so that he would get his way. We stood our ground and stayed on the floor. After about ten minutes, he was still whining and we were exhausted. Jason got up to change his diaper to get him comfortable and I got up to get his milk. I figured his mouth was dry from all his screaming. He took a tiny sip and said, "All done." So I put the milk back and said good night to him. As I was getting on the floor, he starts whining for his milk. "Milk, milk, milk, milk, milk." I knew it was either a distraction or he really was thirsty. So I got up asked him if he really wanted his milk & so I went to get his cup. He drank a little more and laid down with his cup. I usually do not agree with this, but I was tired. Bad, I know. He said, "All done milk" and I asked him if he was sure. I said good night again and laid on the floor. After a few minutes, he fell asleep. We waited a little bit until we got up and went to bed. Time check? 2:45. After we said good night to each other, I told Jason, this isn't working, I'm ready to move his mattress on the floor next to our bed. I did some research on how to help Matti adjust. This was one way and it worked for a week or two, but I'm not so sure anymore. Jason wants to keep trying this way so we will see.

My back aches, my neck aches, and I'm tired. If I'm feeling like this, I know Jason is feeling it twice as much. We gotta figure something out before we start walking around looking like zombies. haha.

But I do have some fun news. I told Matti I wanted to do his ABCs with him and he fought me for a while. He is at that point where it's his way or the highway. He will ignore your requests because he is able to, but we aren't putting our guard down. Finally, he was interested in doing his alphabet. He used his finger and pointed to each letter and knew all of them. With the exception of: G, N (I think "em" & "en" after each other confuses him), V, W. The last two he knows but I think the way they look confuses him sometimes. Also, he will call Hs "hippopotamus" and Ms "monkey" but he knows the actual letter name. Sometimes Zs are "zebras" and the letter O is a "zero." I think it's cute, haha. Then, we moved to his numbers and he knew 1-10. I need to get a shapes chart and the 11-20 numbers up. Also, colors. I know at daycare he does well with all of these because the boys all like to compete and be the first one to get the right answer. They are sooo boys!

We spent last night with good friends who are expecting their first child very soon. It's exciting because they have left the sex of the baby as a surprise. I know they are excited and anxious as is everyone that knows them. Best of luck to the soon-to-be new parents! You guys will be fantastic!

sports.

Growing up, I was never a big fan of any sports team, because I just didn't understand it. My brother was the one that had his favorite teams that he rooted for. He's a huge Washington Wizards fan, seriously, he's like the number one fan. I remember sitting down and watching the games with him because basketball was easier to understand. A few years ago, I finally sat down and watched a football game with him. Football was too confusing for me with all the rules that they have. He was patient enough to answer my questions to help me understand that game. "1st & ten...what's that mean?" I knew nothing about it. Once I figured out how the game went, I was hooked. He always cheered for the Ravens & Redskins---we live in  Maryland. Naturally, I fell in love with the Burgundy & Gold. Sundays, Mondays & Thursdays had a new meaning. It meant football. When hockey season would come along, I found him watching the Capitals and soon enough, I was there watching the games with him. All the while cheering for Ovechkin (who I decided to call "Ovenchicken"). I have to admit that half the time, I don't know where the puck is...haha. To add on to my journey to becoming a sports fan, a man rose to the top. & just like before, I had to watch. I'm talking about none other than Mr. Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao. Yes. Who knew that I would be cheering for a sport when they beat the crap out of each other. When Pacman turns his opponents' face to 'hamburger.' My co worker was so surprised to find out that I was planning on watching his most recent fight. That I, Frances, was into that. Manny's a good man and a good fighter. 'Nuff said.

So, this brings me to the whole reason I started this post. November 15 Monday Night Football. Once again Burgundy & Gold was playing against their NFC rivals, Philadelphia (I almost typed Philippines lol) Eagles. We were also coming off a bye week and in the last game, we lost to the Lions when McNabb was benched with two minutes left. It was a big deal. Now, I could care less that they were rivals. We beat them in their home turf when Vick got injured at the beginning of the game. Whatever. Any team we play, is a team I don't like for those few hours. BUT. The Eagles have Michael Vick. Yuck. We played terrible. We didn't even show up to play. We dropped passes, offense got nowhere & our defense just let them run by. Tough....but aside from how they were playing, the commentators were annoying the crap out of me. Left & right they were praising Vick. Yuck. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND how people can get behind that player after what he admitted to doing. It makes me sick. I admit that he's a good player, last night showed that, but I have zero respect for him. It sickens me that he's paid millions upon millions. Animal abuse is not okay. He did his time, but I can't wrap my mind around how someone could support someone who has done such a thing. I don't know...I feel like I'm the only one that feels like this. & it's sick.

My Redskins didn't play well, but it's okay. I still believe in them. 

New happenings

Another week has gone by and we're just a week away until Thanksgiving. Yay! Let's see...my cousin is here for a few weeks. He was in Maine for about six months for an internship and he has a few weeks before he has to go back home. Hopefully we can make the most out of the time that he is here. He came with three of his room mates but my dad dropped them off in Virginia yesterday, so it's just my cousin now. My brother took them to DC on Friday, and I wish I could've gone. The original plan was for Thursday, but that didn't happen.

 Jason & I still haven't been able to visit Heavenly Presents and I feel that each day that passes, I find more things to look for. I want to look for possible Christmas gifts, wall decorations (really want), books and CD's. I thought of a brilliant idea of finding podcasts or teachings to listen to while I'm at work for two hours. It's usually slow so I think that will help pass time and at the same time expand my knowledge in my faith. Which I'm really into right now. So hopefully we'll make the trip soon.

I think I've mentioned this before, but Matti has been struggling with sleeping in his bed/room since we moved. He was able to take himself off the pacifier, but sleeping has been such a struggle. We're all tired because of it, but we're getting there. We've found that us reading Mother Goose helps him sleep while soft music is playing in the background. He falls asleep before the book is over. Which is great because we don't have to share beds anymore. No more aching backs or necks because Matti is stealing the pillows. We don't have to worry about him falling off the bed because he sleeps in such strange ways. I just wish that he would stay asleep longer & be able to put himself back to sleep. Some nights we can get away with four hours until he wakes & we wake up to his crying. I'm not sure if he's dreaming, but sometimes I think he's waking from bad dreams. So we walk him back to bed, turn on the music & start reading again. He will whine, "Read book! Read booooooooooook!" & he'll fall asleep again. Like I said, some nights he will stay asleep and other nights, he'll be up in a few hours. Last night, it was half an hour before I had to walk him back to bed. I'm hoping that he is slowly adjusting to his new room. He used be an awesome sleeper & was able to self soothe, but when we moved into my parents' house, he was used to waking up and seeing us in the same room. I know it's a big change for him. I know he can do it though and this is a big improvement compared to a week ago.

& just because. Matti & I were eating breakfast this morning having a little conversation about cars and cereal. I looked over and said, "Matti, I love you." He responds with, "I love you, Mommy." Heart. Melted. <3

Where did the weekend go?

I'm looking forward to Thursday because we have a day off and I want to take full advantage of being with my boys. & my veteran, of course! ;) This past weekend was pretty uneventful but we kept semi busy & it was a productive weekend for the most part. Friday, I got off work early (2pm!) which are my favorite days of the month lol. I was able to pick up Matti which never happens so those days are special. Vivien was also there so we got to catch up some and I ended up dragging her to our new place so she could see it. For once, I was able to wait for Jason to get home. Eventually, Ashley showed up and we sat around talking eating Ritz crackers with tuna. So simple & yummy. Our initial plan for the weekend was to visit Heavenly Presents which is the new Christian bookstore down here, but that didn't happen. We did end up going to the store to pick up a few things for Matti's room. We are trying to decorate it so he knows it's HIS room and that he loves it. We picked up an alphabet banner, a Lightning McQueen poster, glow in the dark stars, and a Cars road carpet. The room is coming along, but I think we did pretty good for that little trip. Matti loves the moon & stars so the glow in the darks were perfect. He had fun watching Jake put them up. The past few nights, he's been asleep in his bed for a lot longer. I'm hoping it stays that way.

During the week, I declared Saturday as a day to catch up on cleaning & organizing. That was somewhat done. I got to shred & file a bunch of papers. We hung out at home most of the day because I just wanted to chill (hello, a Saturday off!) and get stuff done. We were trying to go the new store, but I got ready too late, and by then, it was time to go to his co-workers' party. Before we left, I felt a headache coming, but I didn't want to take anything just yet. We stayed for a few hours, but after two hours, my headache was present and I was ready to go. Matti was getting tired and starting to act up too, so I was really ready to go. It was good to meet his co workers and it was fun seeing all the kids play. I just need to step out of my shell a little more next time..haha. We came home and I took some Tylenol.  I folded up some laundry while we watched State of Play.

I love when we Fall Back! I woke up and layed in bed for a few extra minutes and I was happy to find that it was only 8ish and we had some time to enjoy the morning before getting ready for church. Jason & I attempted to make breakfast--which needs major work! haha. I told him I'd never made bacon before and he didn't believe me. I'm not much of a bacon eater, but it's growing on me ;) I fried up the first two pieces and knew that I was doing it wrong, haha. Then, the eggs. We're both particular with the way our eggs are cooked. I liked them fried with crispy edges. He likes the yolk runny & the while completely cooked. We have yet to master his eggs. & I just didn't want to deal with cooking them that morning so he was in charge. In the end, it was somewhat successful and was still yummy. Matti approved so that's what matters, haha. We got ready for church and we got there on time--we're getting good at that! haha. Matti fell asleep at mass so it was nice being able to give our full attention to Mass. After Mass, we checked out the stores in the classrooms. We saw Christa's posters and made me want to think of stuff to buy from her. We found really cute favors for Ashley's baby shower, but we walked out without spending money. We opted against going to the Fall Dinner...maybe next time. =/ We picked up some Chipotle and headed to the Jason's parents' house to eat. His parents came home and Matti was awake by then and Pop Pop wanted to take Matti to see some horses. So, we all went and yea...horses still scare me. Matti had a good time and so did Jason's dad trying to make one of the horses love him again. Apparently, they were BFFs but for some reason, that horse wasn't too happy with him that day. We left because it was getting chilly and we decided to get Matti some much needed Fall/Winter clothes. We headed to Kohl's and went with a mission to find good deals.We walked out with a BUNCH of clothes for Matti and spent a small amount. We even found some things to hang on our walls. Jen texted me while we were there telling us to come over that night and so after Kohl's we picked up Teddi & headed to Jeanie & Richard's. oh & Mojo's! Mojo is so cute and Teddi is just super curious about him. He started to get on Mojo's nerves I think. We had dinner and sat around watching football. I was ready to watch the Cowboys lose, haha. A little after the game started, we made our long trip back home and watched most of the game there. Terrible. haha. Now, it's Monday and I'm ready for Thursday to come. & then Sunday. All I know is, weekends need to be longer!

Matti madness

I really do think about this blog a lot but I just haven't had much time. I like to sit and be able to write out a good amount. I have a little bit of time now while Matti is slowly eating a bowl of noodles while we watch Sesame Street together. In our month old apartment!

Yes, apartment. We changed our mind again and just felt that it was best that we move now rather than in a few months. I know I wrote about finances before, but in the weeks before moving, we calculated everything and saw that it was possible for us. So, we moved out! In a few days, it'll be a month :) We absolutely love it and are so happy with the decision. We all miss my family though, but we see them every week so it's good. Matti has his own room and I have my kitchen lol. We're slowly getting it together and slowly decorating.

Matti has adjusted pretty well. Since we moved, he took himself off his pacifier which is amazing! We struggled with that for a long time, and all it took was for us to move. So that's great, but he's having trouble sleeping in his own room/bed. The first night he slept great and out of exhaustion, we just let him sleep with us for the weeks following. For the past two weeks, we've been trying to get him to sleep in his bed/room. It's a hit and miss each night, and I know he will do it when he is ready. Last night, he slept there half of the night until he woke up and came into our room. Some nights (when we're not too sleepy), we'll move him back to his bed and he will stay there til morning, but last night was not one of those nights. I know we need to be consistent. We're working on it though. We also plan on decorating his room more so that he feels comfortable in it. Right now it's just his name and a Cars traffic light on his walls. We plan on hanging airplanes from the ceilings because he loves them. It's still a work in progress. One night we spent three to four hours trying to get him to sleep. It was a lot of back and forth from our room to his and a lot of crying on his part. Obviously, that method didn't work lol. The very last time I asked him what was wrong he told me he needed to go pee pee. For those that know Matti, know that he has avoided his potty for the past few months. He used to love it, but one day, he just hated it. SO...thinking it was one of his distractions, I sat him on his seat. He read his book like he always did and next thing you know he went! Two o'clock in the morning, dead tired, I was jumping up and down and cheering for him so hard. LOL. I was so excited, but sad to say, he hasn't gone in it again. I think he'll be ready soon though.

Anyway...moving on from Matti, haha. This past month really solidified what a friend and I constantly tell each other when we're having issues. Happiness is what we really should strive for in life. No matter what others may think, no matter what path you take to find that happiness. Not meaning to say that you should make decisions without thinking them through. Definitely think things through and if it's something that you can make happen, MAKE IT HAPPEN. Who cares what others may think? Only the people who truly care will still be by your side in the end. Everyone else, you don't need. No one else in this world has EVER been in your situation with the same circumstances so they can't say, "I've been there."

catching up.

Dude. I'm awful at this.

We've been kind of busy the past few months and just trying to enjoy the little bit of summer we have left. So much going on! I was going to blog sooner, but I knew I would end up writing about something that wasn't set in stone yet. We were thinking about moving out earlier this month. We went to look at houses & apartments and we were SO CLOSE to moving. In the end, we decided to stick it out a little longer here at my parents' house. We're on super saving mode & we have a "moving date" of March. There's really no reason why we picked March--if it were up to me, I'd choose February lol. So yea, we're saving money like it's nobody's business since we had to use some of our savings *sigh* when Jason was unemployed. I'm just really excited knowing that we'll be moving soon. So that's the big thing that I didn't want to start writing about.

Work has been going well. It was really quiet for a few weeks until last week when it got really busy. I'd rather have it that way though. We also found out a few weeks ago that our bank was bought out by another Maryland based bank so that's the new news at work. Everyone has so many questions and frankly, we don't have answers to them. We'll find out on Thursday though when we have a meeting with the other bank. I just hope to have a job and maybe higher pay, but I'm not complaining if it doesn't change. It's better than nothing! For the most part, I'm back to my 1-6pm schedule which is great for mommy&Matti time. Since I get home late, my wonderful husband has been cooking for most nights. He's amazing. I could very well do it, but he's been a sweetheart about that. & he's a good cook! Last night, he made sinigang which is my FAVORITE. This also makes me wish that I had "normal" work hours so I can do those things for him. It stinks I come home, eat dinner and by the time all that's done, we've got maybe two hours to just be together. That's why I look forward to weekends so much because I just want to be with my boys. & I just got done working two weekends so I'm excited for this one because I'm off!

Jason's doing great. I haven't heard complaints about his job at all which is good news lol. He's passed his 90-day mark with them, and pretty soon I believe he is going to try and move up to a mech. So, I'm excited for him. For the past weekend (week?) we've been going to stores buying all the tools he needs for work. Which is a lot of money! But, I'm happy he has them, because every man needs a good set of tools! =) He's been so good to me...did I mention that he also bought me this netbook that I'm typing on? Yes, yes he did! lol. Also, he HAD to get me 'top of the line' tires because we have to be safe & have the best. Little things like that make me smile.

Matti is well into his "Terrible Twos" and it keeps every day interesting. Honestly, he's not too bad. He has his moments, but as long as we catch whatever it is that's going to make him upset before it happens, we can avoid it. He's been SUCH a sweetheart though. I'm glad he still likes to cuddle with me or Jake. That he'll wake me up in the morning with, "Mommy?" ....."MORNIN!" with the cheesiest smile a kid could have. He'll go up to you and tell you he loves you. His 'thing' right now is calling out your name & when you answer, he'll say, "Dooen?" That's him asking you what you're doing. & he'll ask you again in 5 minutes or less guaranteed. He's learning so much everyday. He can count all the way up to ten, sings his ABCs (he doesn't know all the letter just yet, but he knows some), knows animals & the sounds they make, says please & thank you, can tell you (nicely) what he wants & if he doesn't want something, knows his body parts, can recite lines from the movie Cars, sings Twinkle, Twinkle (it's his lullaby), and so many more. He's constantly moving and has tons & tons of energy--and it's addicting! He was put on soy milk a month ago because he showed signs of peanut & milk allergy. That just reminded me I need to make hi follow up soon. I'm not entirely sure if he gained weight, but his legs look a lot better! & he enjoys soy milk. The potty training was held back again because he's still refusing to let us put him on it. I don't know what happened, but we're not going to push him. We're going to try again around December. He loves to flush though! lol. One day I heard him saying something like, "eeet amen..eeet amen." So I found him in the bathroom making the sign of the cross trying to say, "In the name of the Father, Son, Holy SpIRIT, AMEN!" All the while dipping his hand into the toilet as if it were Holy Water. He got washed up quick, but I'm happy to know he's learning =) He knows who Jesus is and actually kisses all the crosses/crucifixes that he can reach.

I've got to end it here because I still need to do some things before I get myself & Matti ready for the day. Until next time =)

:)

I have been slacking on my updates. Sorry, but I'm here now :) A lot has been going on the past few months, but at the same time, not much has been going on. Make sense? I've also been thinking a lot and just evaluating life. Truly blessed is the conclusion I came to. I may not show it all the time & I may not realize that all the time, but it's what I am. Sure, things are always perfect and things don't always go my way. 99% of the time, they don't and I'm okay with that. I have good friends. Friends that I don't see much, but they are really the best. Yesterday, we were with a friend who was leaving for a good year or so. We decided to watch a movie and have dessert at the house. Somehow, we ended up in the prayer room because he was wondering about the decals on Jason's car. Then, he says, "Let's pray the rosary." Jason, my brother & myself kinda looked at each other and were like...'okayy...' But we did. & after much distractions from Matti, we finished & it felt like it was the right thing to do. Happy Birthday & we'll miss you!

I'll do the usual updates in paragraph form.

Myself.
Seems like everyone's questions is: How's your job going? or Do you like your job? Answer is yes. I'm getting the hang of things and I've been there for almost three months now. I'm getting to know the customers. I still get confused about about different paperwork that needs to be done with certain transactions, but for the most part I think I'm doing okay. I think my weakest point is making change out for businesses. I was over $5 in dimes (a roll of dimes) because I'm pretty sure I forgot to give a roll to one of the businesses. UGH! I don't have much to complain about, I do what I need to do & try to do my best. I'm Switzerland! If you know what I mean ;) There are days when I really wish I was at home with Matti at this crucial time when he is such a sponge. I want to teach him his alphabet, numbers, the different shapes & colors...I want to be there for him, but I know me working is the best thing for us right now. Job is great. My longing right now is getting our own place. I want to move out so bad because I feel my role as a mother isn't complete without our own place. I want my own place to clean, my own kitchen to cook our meals in, our own space...just something that is ours. I want that so bad...I feel so old saying that because I want our home! Haha. So, that's my battle & not to mention everyone's second question being, "When's the next one coming?" In God's time. We need our own place first. But OMG, Matti is two and the gap in ages is just getting too big! In God's time.

Jason.
Jason started his job on base in June just like I previously stated. Another question people ask me: Does Jason like his job? My answer: Go ask him yourself. Just kidding. Yes, he likes his job. Way better than Kohl's! I haven't heard a complaint from him about his job so that is a good thing. Trust me on that. I think he's glad to be back working on 'birds' and trying to do his best at his job. There was a pot luck for his work the other day & he made pancit by himself. (I've never made that, haha) & it was yummayy! His longing for our own place isn't as bad as mine, but he's a lot more patient than I am. He's been really amazing with helping me with laundry & doing a lot of things around here because I really am awful at keeping up with chores. Another reason why I feel we need our own place, I would be more motivated to do things, haha. His longing? Baby number 2.

Matti.
This little stink butt turned two last month. His party was fun and we made a train cake that we worked so hard on. Pics on Facebook ;) He is definitely in his "terrible twos" but I know it's something every child goes through, and not something he is doing on purpose. He's growing up so fast and learning at such a fast pace. He's a rebel and still so independent. He loves cars, trucks, school buses, airplanes, trains, and all that good boy stuff, but he will put a baby doll in a toy stroller and push it around. When the time comes, he will be an amazing big brother. For now, he can just be the best big cousin :) He has two younger ones ;) One of my favorite things that he does is sing the "Clean Up" song while putting his toys away. My second favorite is when he makes up his own stories while playing with his beloved truck & cars. So cute. My baby is no longer a baby and that makes me sad. In my mind, he will always be my baby. & he knows this. I love when he's tired or in the mornings, he will come lay with me and he will hold my hand. He knows in the mornings Mommy needs her glasses and he will get them for me so I can wake up. & then he hands me my "Amen" book so I can say my morning prayers. He may not know his letters or number or colors that well, but he is so so smart. I love that little boy & he will never understand just how much I do. His longing? His pacifier. UGH.

Teddi.
I never usually have something for him and I really should. He is baby boyyyy of course! He is 4 years old today. Happy Birthday! He isn't as spoiled as he used to be and he doesn't get as much lovin as he used to get and I feel so bad. He is Matti's dog-BFF though. He is still the barky little dog that he is who thinks every single person is a bad guy. Matti likes to feed him food so I think that's why they're BFFs...they have a little agreement.

Us.
Overall, we're doing great. Can't complain too much. Our house is on the market so hopefully it will get some people interested in it. That's our main concern right now. To get the house sold, but it's such a bittersweet moment for me. I love that house and the memories in it. It's our first house and we worked hard on it, but we really have to let go of it. 38BSt, you hold my heart always. It's been majorly hot here so we're not doing much. Jason's always really good about getting out of the house, but it's just soo hot. Our longing? To be better people.

changes!

So much has been going on lately that I don't know how short I can make this, but I'll try my best. Let's start with me.

I've been loosely looking for a job & sending my resume to places when I see something I'm interested in. Mostly receptionist & bank teller jobs. I kinda gave up on the bank jobs though since I had the last bank bail on me. I was scheduled for a phone interview & it never happened--as many times I tried calling back. I figured that it wasn't in the plan for me. Three Thursdays ago, I sent in my resume to a bank for a teller job right next to my house. Again, wasn't expecting much at all.The following day, the HR called me to schedule my interview for Monday. I was terrified of my interview because it has been five years since my last one. It went well & I left with a good feeling. The following day, Tuesday, I was offered the job which I of course accepted. That Wednesday & Friday, I had my orientation in Waldorf. Last Monday, I started at my branch & I have been there for the past week. & I really like it. The ladies are all so nice & sweet & the customers are great. I never realized that a bank could be such a family. There's always something going on & we get some interesting people coming through like the man with a deer head in his passenger seat, haha. Definitely loving the new job & I miss Matti terribly while we're not together, but I know he's in good hands. God is truly great.

Onto Jason. He is still working at Kohl's for the time being. For the past six months, he's waited patiently for a job on base. His name is all over that company's HR office it's not even funny--he's had so many people take his application & resume to hand off to their bosses & to the HR reps. It was funny...when I got the job, Jason told me I couldn't quit because I was making more money that him, haha. Well, finally, it was Jason's time. He turned in his application & resume last week & not even a day later, he got a job offer. In the field that he wants to go into. Of course, he accepted & he starts in the beginning of June. I am so happy for him & he's even more excited to know that he won't be at Kohl's much longer. Nothing against the company, but Jason, prior military at a retail store? It's far from where he wants to be, and he's so ready to work on planes again. God is good.

Baby boyy Matti. He went into daycare the first day I started at my branch. I take him in the morning & he stays until noon & Jason picks him up. He loves it. He hates when I leave, but they said he recovers quickly. He seems so much happier & I love getting pictures of him playing with other kids. He needs that & it makes me happy. He's turning two in a month & he's absolutely perfect.

The Roof family has definitely gotten quite a lot of surprises in the past week, but they're all blessings. All this just solidifies that God does have a plan for us & that it will happen when it is supposed to. Our patience was tested & it still is to this day, but it all works out in the end.

Anxiety and then peace

Lately, I just feel like there's so much I want to write about, but once I click "New Post," everything disappears. Not much has changed since my last post and I am still happy. Happy with what I have and although there are many things I wish I/we had, I'm still just happy.

Matti had an appointment yesterday. Since I found out that Jason had to work & I would have to go alone, I was in panic mode. I made it through, haha. Ever since I had Matti, I've become anxious about having to go out alone with him. I got over it when Jason was deployed. When Jason came back, I didn't have to worry about it anymore because he was always with us. Yesterday was the first day we went out alone. Somehow my mind blocked all the anxiety out & we made it through the appointment. It wasn't as bad as before...seriously considering canceling the appointment and putting it off...so it was okay. I think a lot of this is because 1. I don't want him to get hurt and 2. I don't want him to act out. Mostly the second one though. I hear stories from mothers who encounter people who are really against children being in public places. When they think that children cannot make a single noise while in public. Matti is not a "bad kid" but he is a kid & his mind is constantly ticking, but his body isn't able to keep up with it. When that happens, he will get upset. I just don't want people to look at me (their first thought probably is that I'm a teenager who had a child out of wedlock) & think that I can't control my child. He really is a good kid and it makes me sad when people think otherwise. Anyway, Matti's eczema 'passed' since it's under control. He gained a pound which is really good news because he's on the small side according to the charts. We'll be back in two months for his 24 month appointment. Hopefully, he'll have more weight gain by then.

Yesterday was a nice & slightly windy day. So, we took out our kite & attempted to fly it. We got it to fly a few times, and for me, it was relaxing. It made me realize how I'm truly okay & happy with our life. We may not have all these nice things, but we have what we need. We have each other. We live a simple life and we live it following Him. We don't need to live up to anyone's expectations, because in the end, it doesn't matter. The only one whose expectations we need to live up to and who it matters to is Him. And that's who we live for.


Lord,

Help me become a better person for my family, my friends, and to those that I don't know. When words affect me more than it should, help me remember that it doesn't matter. Help me remember to live my life according to Your will. Hold my tongue when it wants to lash out. Calm me when my temper is at its worst. Guide me so that I can be an example to those that see me. Use me, Lord, to lead others closer to you. Even if it's just one person. That's one more person. Thank you for everything that I have and all that you have blessed me with. I know that you have a plan for me and for us. Grant me patience for I know that it will come on Your time.... because a lot of times, I forget. For the times when I can't seem to wait, give me patience. For the times I worry and have anxiety, help me remember that it will be okay.

Babba

I'm doing a lot better than a few days ago. I've come to the realization (and really believe it) that I don't need to live up to the expectations of other people other than myself. As long as I'm happy with what I am doing...and to be honest, I am happy. My husband is home and we're not limited in the days that we see each other. We don't have to wonder, "How long until we have to be apart again?" It's no longer in the back of our minds. Now it's, "What can we do today to show our son this amazing world that we live in?" That makes me happy. I'm happy I have good friends. Life brings us all in different paths, but whenever we do see each other, everything is fine. I'm thankful for my friends and even more to those that chose to stick with me after all these years ;) I'm happy because Matti is growing up to be such a smart little man. As each day passes, I think to myself, "This is my favorite age." I've loved the past 22 months (plus the 9 months he was in my belly) he's been in our lives & I can't wait to see what's ahead. He's grown up so much. I've been told that he talks a lot for his age & I really don't know if that's true, but hearing that makes me happy. Everyday is something new to him and everyday I learn a little more about life because of him. He completes us & he has a total hold of my heart. I'm thankful to have this time with him to watch him grow & I find myself just sitting back to see what he's going to do next. That's when I think to myself, "I am happy."

.

So once again, I am waiting for the dryer.

http://hamptonroads.com/2010/04/downed-navy-pilot-honored-norfolk-sacrifice#rfq
http://www.wavy.com/dpp/military/Memorial-service-held-for-E-2C-aviator

The memorial was today. It's still hard to believe. I didn't even know him but Jason knowing him & having worked with him is enough. I still feel so much for this family & it makes me so sad. Today was when I found out (through these articles) that his children are two & four years old. Seeing the picture of his wife holding their daughter while the flag was being presented to her BROKE. MY. HEART. A friend of ours (Jason's former first class) went to the memorial and on his way back to Maryland Jason talked to him. The articles say it...he was a hero. He stayed with the plane to get the three other crew members out of the plane safely. Jake's friend also said that the ship did a memorial ceremony on the ship too. They did the memorial right over the plane which is underwater. I got goosebumps when I heard that & my mind is just constantly filled with questions. I keep thinking of the wife, the kids, and I just can't imagine all this. I keep praying for them because that's all I know to do. =/

Jason's birthday was yesterday. We didn't do much. We had a get together last weekend to celebrate it along with his brother's birthday. They've always celebrated their birthdays together (with the exception of the last year or two?) ...I think it's cute. Anyway, the three of us went out for ice cream and went to the store because Jason wanted to eat at home. So we got steaks & ingredients for homemade pizzas. It all turned out really good! He had some cake too, but we were so full we didn't even eat it & then ended the night with a movie. A simple man & I love it.

Matti had an appointment today..finally! Everything is fine with him. As always, his weight is low. He's a string bean. Tall like daddy & skinny like me. He got some medicine for his eczema since it got really bad on his legs & I hope it'll help clear it up. The weather is so nice & the poor guy is in jeans because of it. The doctor said he is doing great developmentally & physically (minus the weight issue). I have a list of Matti's words & when I told her he knows 50+ words, she seemed impressed :) Apparently, he's pretty talkative at his age?  He was terrified of everything they were doing which was a first for Matti. This is the age when he starts knowing what fear is & boy did he show it today. He was a trooper though as soon as it was all done.

P.S. I know I need to do a March update..maybe. lol.

Ramblings of a housewife.

While I wait for the dryer...

Today is such a nice day & I can definitely tell that the weather affects my mood a lot. Jason's at work so I am catching up on housework I've neglected since he's been off for a few days. I don't like doing them when he's home because I like being with him. It's a thing I have, haha. Later on we'll meet Jason at the playground when he gets off work so Matti can play. Today is beautiful & I want to enjoy it, but my mind constantly goes back to the plane crash. I'm constantly checking for updates to see if they've found the last sailor & nothing changes. I think of the families because I'm sure they are all waiting for that phone call with the two words they want to hear: "I'm okay." When there was a fire onboard the USS George Washington, those were the only words I wanted to hear. I didn't care if that was all he said, but I just wanted to know. It's night time over there now...I hope they find him/her soon. Or that they have found him/her & that articles haven't updated yet. I sent Jason a text message letting him know, but I'm not sure if he's read it yet. We went to the museum yesterday because Matti's in love with planes. They had an old E-2B (?) and Jason spent a good while just checking it out. I can tell he misses some aspects of Navy life. =/
Anyway. Just pray.

Last night, I forgot to lock the door to our room. We lock it so Matti doesn't wander around while we're still asleep. Well, he wandered around this morning, but I was already awake so I just listened to see what he would do. I heard him go to the prayer room (we have an Altar there with Jesus, Mary, the Holy Family, etc) & then run back into the room, shut the door, and climb back in his bed. Eventually we all get up & Jason takes him to get his breakfast. I usually take a little longer to put my contacts in, brush my hair & teeth & clean up a little. I go to Matti's bed to fix his blanket & what do I see? Mother Mary laying next to Elmo. I'm assuming he grabbed her out of the prayer room & took her into bed to hug her like he does with Elmo. He is so fascinated & in love with Jesus, the crucifix, and Mary. He wants to kiss them whenever we pass one. & I love it. He may or may not understand, but I know that he loves them. Which makes me happy. The other day at Mass, we were praying the "Our Father" & in the middle of it, Matti does his version of the Sign of the Cross (straight line from his head to his chest) and yells out, "AMEN!" When he does things like this, I can't help but smile & feel blessed.

My heart is heavy.

http://www.wavy.com/dpp/military/E-2C-Hawkeye-from-USS-Dwight-D-Eisenhower-crashes-in-North-Arabian-Sea

This was Jason's last squadron. We consider them as our family. One is still missing & three have been rescued and are okay. I hope they find the last one, and I'm keeping my hopes up.

Four things.

1. I know a lie when I hear it. & if I don't catch it at first, I will figure it out. 99.9% of the time, I let it slide because I'm just too nice & I hate confrontations. Or it has nothing to do with me, haha.

2. I keep secrets extremely well. I've kept a friend's secret for 10 years this year. The secret may have faded, but the point is, I never told a single person what it was. I don't appreciate being doubted if I tell other people things they shouldn't know. The answer is no. I keep all secrets with me unless I am told that I can say something. BUT. Once I feel crossed, betrayed, lied to, or hurt (really, really hurt), it takes a lot for me to fight spilling my guts. Again, I've never ever done this, because I'm just too nice & I'd feel too much guilt. Who's to say that won't change? Eventually I have to stop being way too nice right? I know it's not right though. & no, this isn't about you (if you're even reading this)

3. I'm not stupid. I will figure things out if I haven't already. I can name times that I have put pieces together & made people wonder how I knew things. This is also another reason why I've never been surprised--with the exception of the times Jason would show up at my door step years & years ago. He's the only one that's ever really surprised me. Other times, I sensed something was up, I would think of what could be happening, and in the end, find out I'm right. This is also a reason why I love shows like Law & Order: SVU & The First 48. How badly I want to be a detective or work in any job where I can just solve things. That's another post though.

4. I can now confidently say that I do want to move somewhere different. Sure it's nice being near family, but as the days & weeks have gone on, I can see more & more why I just want to be somewhere different. & be with different people. & I will admit that I do miss Virginia because I miss the friends that we have there. We may not have much, but they are amazing. We have some amazing friends here in Maryland too but we are all trying to get out of this place & onto something better. I know that when we move, I'll miss them too. It's nice to know that there are people I could go to & feel comfortable & know that there are no secrets. *I was going to add something else, but it was kind of harsh..lol*

Guh. I feel so much better now :)


PS: This isn't about you ;)

big boy.

Jason & I have been discussing switching Matti into his toddler bed. Jason wasn't really into it & I was trying to convince him. I gave up since we just bought him a little table & Matti has been asking to go "potty." Which really means he wants to sit on it--he's tinkled once, but it was a drop, haha. So, I didn't want too many changes for the little man. I was making dinner last night (baked corned beef brisket & sauteed cabbage/onions) & Jason was running around doing something. After I was done, I went to the room to find Matti's crib into a bed! & Jason rearranging the room. We made a late run to the store to get him bed rails & quickly assembled it. We showed Matti his new bed & he got SO. EXCITED. He climbed right in & started squealing! We're currently in the same room with him so we told him it was time for bed cause Jason has work today. He kept climbing out to mess with the portable heater so we finally moved that. We had a night light on, and eventually just turned it off because he never used one before so it was distracting him. He got up about ten times & each time, we put him back to bed. The last time, we didn't get up just to see what he would do. He walked around & climbed right into his bed & was out for the night. I didn't sleep that well because I was just waiting for him to fall or get back out again. He didn't until about 5 this morning. I heard him go to Jake, but he was knocked out lol & he was making his way over to my side. I tried to put him back & he wasn't having it. It might've been a bad idea, but I brought him in bed with me. I was tired lol. When I thought he was asleep, I tried to lay him down & nope, he wasn't having it. So, he stayed with me. I think he did pretty well for it being his first night in his big boy bed. Now, I have to figure out how I'm going to shower while he's awake & see if he's going to even nap in it. I just see him getting in & out  since there is no rail to keep him in anymore. We'll see..Jason says if it's too much or if he doesn't do well (which I think he's handling it quite fine), we'll switch it back. I just need my shower time lol.

Also, I've been thinking about what I want to do for his second birthday. I want it to be something nice & something special since we didn't get to have a party last year. Jason was deployed & I wasn't about to have a party without him there. The plan was to have it after Jake came home, but that never happened since things didn't turn out how we expected them to. Everyone is like, "Chuck E. Cheese!!" but I don't know. I wanted something where we could have people & we could just hang out and still make Matti feel special. I'm leaning towards having one at a park down here..maybe. Or at my mom's house or even Jason's parents' house since they have a fenced in yard. I want a bounce house, but I don't know if that's something Matti would be able to enjoy at that age. & plus, we don't really know a lot of kids lol. We can use it though. I know I don't want a clown or a magician or any of that. Then, someone mentioned they were taking their two year old to Sesame Place: http://sesameplace.com/sesame2/  That would be heaven for Matti! We're debating if we should wait a year, but I'm just worried he won't be into it as much as he is now. He loves  Elmo. I mean LOVE. At least at 3, he would be able to go on a little more rides, but I think he would love it no matter what. Also, I'd want for him to remember it. If we do it, we'll do it on or before his birthday. (23 months & under is free, haha) & have a party that weekend or something. All I know is I want him to have fun. I love this kid too much, haha.

P.S. He can eat his bowl of oatmeal in less that 3 minutes.

weird.

So. We're supposed to be at the church right now...well like two hours ago for the Area Gathering. Jason didn't get up from his much needed nap until 530 & I was a grumpy face. I actually got ready early today so we could go somewhere & 530pm, we're still at home. So, we stayed home. It actually feels good to have the house to ourselves, and just be able to chill. Do whatever--at the moment, putting together Matti's table & chair set that we just got. At the same time though, I feel bad. We're SUPPOSED to be at the church right now. & my parents will come home & wonder why we didn't go. "Oh, you built a table...hmmm spent money...more clutter for the house..." Crap. lol. We wanted to go & Jason asked me if I still wanted to go, but I was just grumpy & lazy & just wanted to chill...So I feel weird. & I feel bad. I don't know why, but I do. Dumb post. Today has been weird. I should go help with this table now...

What a weekend.

This weekend was an emotional roller coaster. Saturday, we found out that a family friend might have leukemia and was being sent to a hospital in Washington D.C. We were going to head up there, but Auntie told us to stay home & to come on Sunday. We went to our household & we discussed the Prodigal Son. I really need to brush up on the readings. I still get nervous when speaking out so I didn't have much to add. =/ Overall, the discussion went well. It was hard to focus because all I thought about was Uncle & his family. Is this really happening? The next day, we waited for my parents to get out of mass to finally head up the road. We didn't get there until close to 3pm & spent the rest of the day there. He has leukemia. To be honest, I had to look it up because I wasn't totally sure what it was. I knew it had to do something with blood. Earlier that day, another family friend drove up with his wife & kids so they were there when we arrived. We went to mass & it was one of the most moving masses I've been to. Maybe it was due to the recent news & seeing so many people there praying for their family members. I almost cried a couple of times. After mass, we went back to his room & we just hung out there until the drugs kicked in & made him sleepy. We hung out in the lobby for the longest time before we all finally left. The people in the car with us went to dinner with Kennelle in Georgetown & we eventually made it home a little after midnight. I still need to thank my parents for watching Matti for us.

Now, Jason is at work & Matti is taking a nap so I have time to myself & all my thoughts go to this family. I met them through church & through Jason's family. The parents hang out & it used to be every Sunday after church, we'd go to lunch or someone's house. & stay there all day. Also, there were yearly family trips with these families. Last summer, we went to Tennessee! Of course, things happen & it's not as consistent, but when we do get together with everyone, it's still the same. Just a good time--we play a lot of Hand & Foot & end the night really late. I consider these families my second families. We're not really really close, but they hold a place in my heart. & this (Uncle having leukemia) is a shock to everyone. Like, really? My first thought was his family. & me & Jake wanted to go up Saturday night when we first found out. We wanted to be there for him & for his family. I've always seen them very close as a family & in each one of their individual relationships. To me & Jake, praying & being there for them was a priority. At the hospital they kept saying "thank you" for coming, for the support, for being there, etc. I/we didn't see where else we would be. Stay stRONg.

taxes.

Hello, tax return! Now, I can breathe a little easier.

work.

I applied to a few places this week. I also gave my resume to someone & ideally, I would love that job. They have free daycare for the employee's children! & I think it would be a good stepping stone for getting back into the 'work force.' Today, I found another job that I want to apply to, but I keep putting it off. They want references and I was going to list the same people I always do, but I needed to make the reference page. Off to Google I went & I found this: SAHM. & I feel like I'm never going to find a job that's not Walmart (the last place I worked). My resume sucks and I know it does because I just put it together when I decided to apply for one job. Also, I've worked two jobs in my life (Asahi as a hostess & a cashier at Walmart) and there's not much I can say I did at those jobs. I sat people down & gave them their menus. I rang people up at Walmart. Not to mention, I worked there FIVE YEARS AGO. Most people that I worked with aren't there anymore & I have no idea where they are--well except for like one person. In the five years, I moved somewhere different, took time off school (I had enough of it at that point because school was drilled into my head since I was in Pre-K), moved again, started online school, got pregnant & had a baby. I don't feel that I wasted the past five years, but I think that I really did need that time to just relax. That sucks for me now, because I have nothing to show (except for the 2 years of online school that I still need to get my certification for) for it. I applied to a few Pharmacy Tech jobs (which I went to school for), but I don't know if that's a career/path I want anymore. I still don't know what I want to do & I am going on 24. & I think that's why I want to work so bad. Aside from wanting to buy things & moving out, I want to find out what I'm supposed to do with my life. I know I want to stay home & raise Matti (& all future kids), but at this point in my life, we need for me to work. & I feel like I need to work. It just sucks because I don't feel like I'm going to get anything. I know God has a plan for me. & I know I shouldn't worry about this because He's got this. I just want to take some of the load off Jason's shoulders. So yea, I'm kinda 'meh' today, but I know that in the end, whatever that's meant to be will find its way.

February.

& here I am for my monthly update. With pictures! February went by so fast, but it was a good month =) I started looking for a job & I actually had a phone interview with a bank set up. I don't know what happened, but the lady I talked to never called me for the actual interview. I tried for two weeks (calling & emailing) to see what was up and I never got a response back to anything. So, I moved on. I've found a few receptionist & bank jobs so hopefully one of those will come through. One of those jobs actually has a daycare in the building for the employees so I'm praying something happens with that one. God's in control, though. There's a new Kohl's opening up down here & we went to take Jason's aunt to her interview. His mom called & told him to come back & do an interview since they were taking walk-ins. He hesitated for a little bit & decided to do it since he was supposed to apply to two jobs anyway (to receive unemployment--which eventually got denied anyway!). In he went with jeans & a collared shirt, haha. A few days later, he got a job offer. It's not much, but it's something. We're still praying for a job on base. Lent also started and I am focusing on spiritual growth. Something's happening because I've been waking up at five in the morning to make Jason's his breakfast before work. & today, instead of going back to bed, I stayed up & spent a few minutes with Him. Also, Sunday after Mass, I went to confession. I used to AVOID going at all costs & I just went. I freaked out a little bit when there was no screen, but in the end, I felt a lot more comfortable without it. So, I am trying to keep up with this because I've never felt better. And so at peace. So anyway, here is a look into my February.

My dad's birthday was on February 3rd! He's a hard working guy and has done a lot for our family. I look up to him a lot and I hope to be like him in the way that he serves the Lord. We went to Oga's for sushi & when we came home, we surprised him with this cake.

Matti was/is so in love with this hat. It's a New Year's hat. He walks around the house with it on. Sometimes, he covers his eyes with it & walks around blowing raspberries, haha. I don't think he wanted me to interrupt him and his hat. Also, the outfit is ridiculous, haha...the paw print onesie was an undershirt.

 

  

We had a "blizzard" early in the month & I had fun taking pictures of it. I also started my obsession with (naked) trees.The bottom picture is my favorite tree here at my parents' house--I don't know why! Jason says I need to take a picture of it in all four seasons. Smart man. 

Matti LOVED the snow. We finally bought him some boots so he could actually walk in it. It was so hard to get him inside! He definitely takes after his daddy on this one. 

 

Whoever invented this game (Hand & Foot) is a genius. We pretty much got all of our friends & family addicted to this game. I've been told it's a lot like Spades because you have to make books & whatnot. Hand & Foot is just love love love love and we played a lot of it =)

I think this was day #3 in the snow for Matti. It was after we got the second part of the storm so a lot of the snow on the ground went away. I snapped this picture of babylove when he heard an airplane fly by. We live close to a base & they're constantly flying over our house. & Matti stops what he's doing, looks up & says, "Ayplayne!"  Sometimes, he makes his hand "fly" in the air while he makes an airplane sound. Back to the picture: He was looking very, very hard to find the "ayplayne."

 

I love that Matti loves books now. This is one of his favorite books--Cars--because there's cars all over it. This is also one of his favorite pages. The other page he loves has Lightning McQueen with dirt all over him. The page reads, "Dirty car." & Matti says, "Ew! Ew! Ew!" everytime. He has a new book that he loves called "Wheels" which has cars on it too, but one page has a train (choo choo) AND an airplane on it. Along with Elmo, those things are his favorite. Oh & firetrucks too. 

One of my favorite things that Matti did this month was him finally calling me "mommy." He would say "mama" but it was never consistent & he would call my mom that too. I know he wasn't doing it intentionally, but I wanted to be called something, too. He was sitting in his high chair eating & as I walked away, he said, "mommy.." When I turned around & he was looking right at me with a smile on his face. Now he says, "mommyyyyyy" with a cheesy grin & it melts my heart everytime.

And to end February off, Jason, Jeaniffer, Marisa, Ashley & myself decided to make some sweet treats. So we made rice crispy treats, cupcakes (a la Jason) & chocolate covered strawberries. & they were all delicious!

So, February was pretty good. I look forward to March. I started it off pretty amazing & I hope it gets better. I've got big plans for Matti. I'm going to attempt to take away his pacifier this month. He has an Elmo that he hugs at night so I'm hoping that will help him with the big change. I've also started teaching him the Alphabet. I made the mistake of using the Alphabet song for one of his lullabies, and he doesn't like singing it. So, I changed that and hopefully he won't hate it anymore, haha. We started with the letter "A" last week & hopefully this week we can go to "B!" He's learning more & more words and I just love it. I love seeing him learn new things. Sometimes, he picks up a book & starts babbling like he's reading. He has my heart, completely. Jason & I have a few things we want to do. One of them is start the process of going back to school. We're hoping that maybe in the summer we can both take a class (maybe together?) and the latest we'll go back is in the Fall. We both really want to start up soon though. I also have been wanting a DSLR camera even more. I told Jason to forget about the Imac & the Dyson, I just want a camera. All in God's time, Frances. & that is the end of February :)

Hello, March!