30 minute Sunday

A couple of weeks ago, after church, Ken and I had just put Finnegan down for a nap and I requested 30 minutes of his time. Although he was hesitant at first, he finally agreed and I was very pleased. Thirty minutes later, the dishes were done, all the toys were picked up and even the vacuum had been run. It was great! So ever since then, I have requested 30 minutes, called "30 minute Sunday". Although my husband works very hard each day at his office, my job as a house wife is never done (i know, the complaint of every mother). My husband works 5 days a week, and I work 7. Meals still have to be prepared on Saturday and Sunday, bottles still need to cleaned. Dishes begin to pile up and the toys don't ever find their way into the toybox until Monday. Ken has told me for years... "When I'm not going to school full time, then, I'll help with the house work"... "When I'm not writing my thesis, I will help with the house work"... "When we get our own house, I will help with the house work." Well, now there's no reason for him to help with the house work because we have a live in house keeper and "that's my job." But not for 30 minutes on Sunday!! :) Granted, I have to pull him out of his chair to help, but once we're done, the house is so nice. There are some installments that we work in the bedroom hanging up all of our clothes (that don't ever seem to make it to the closet) and changing the sheets on the bed and even had time to clean our bathroom, all in 30 minutes. I set a timer, so the time doesn't linger on, and we know when he has "put in his time". And I even heard this week that doing light cleaning work is good for the brain. It gives you mental stability. You should try it some time.

To top off my wonderful 30 minutes - I also enjoyed a couple of episodes of one of my favorite television programs - "Run's House" on MTV. This is a reality show about the Simmons Family. Not Russell and Kimra Lee Simmons but Joseph "Rev Run" Simmons - His brother. Rev Run is the "Run" in Run DMC. And he is all grown up. He has 6 kids and is in business with his brother Russell in NYC. It shows his family and how he "runs" his household (yes, that was a pun). He is an ordained minister and works in the fashion/music/pop culture industry. He may not have the exact same beliefs as I do, but I appreciate someone who is successful who brings up his children (three of whom are young adults) with love and discipline. He (nor his brother, Russell) hand these kids anything. Yeah, he allows them to work in the "family business" but they have to work hard just as he and his brother did to become the moguls that they are. Granted, rap isn't my favorite kind of music, but the laughter and straightforwardness that he brings to life is refreshing and enjoyable.

Now, tis time for me to return to my episodes before Finnegan is ready to be up and play some more. :) So I will sit and enjoy my "sweet tea" and "Run's house" in my clean house!

Teething still...

Finnegan continues to have bouts of teething. Today was the worst so far. This wailing that comes out of no where, from my happy little guy, is very disheartening. But we are making our way through and enjoying the laughs and smiles that we get in between.

Today was a beautiful day!! A beautiful sunshiny day, with a temperature nearing 80 degrees. It was great. We took a great walk around the neighborhood with Finnegan in the stroller and the dogs in-tow.

We continue to prepare for Oreo's surgery. She'll be having surgery in about two weeks on her hind-quarters. Hopefully it will remedy the problems she's been having.

Tuesday's Update

I have so many thoughts in my brain today. Many I want to share, and some I don't. So we'll do the bullet format this time around (These are not listed in order of importance)...

• Murder: Oh, it bothers me so. Recently a eighty-something year old women was killed by a health care worker at an assisted living facility where she was making one of her two daily visits to her husband who suffers form Alzheimer's. Police say that the women put up a good fight and had many defensive wounds but there is still no idea what the motive was for the murder. Really, why did this young kid have to kill this elderly woman and put her in the trunk of her car? Why did he feel that that was the best option at the time? Oh, it makes me sick and baffles me! It enrages me. Oh, how frustrating!!
• Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael Monsoor (a Navy Seal) was honored today with the Medal of Honor. His parents accepted the award on his behalf as he was killed two years ago in Iraq. This man's courage and sacrifice is indescribable, other than to just explain the story. May God Bless his family as they carry on without him. We are forever indebted to him and the other servicemen from this and previous wars.
  
• Monsoor was in a sniper position on a rooftop along with two other SEALs when a grenade flew into his location from out of nowhere. It bounced off his chest and landed in an area where it probably would have killed or seriously wounded all three of them.

  Monsoor was in a position to escape before the explosion but instead leapt on the grenade.

  "He recognized immediately the threat, yelled 'grenade' and due to the fact that two other SEAL snipers, our brothers, could not possibly escape the blast, he chose to smother it with his body, absorbed the impact and lost his life in the process," said Lt. Cmdr. Seth Stone, Mansoor's platoon commander.

• Class Reunion: We are in the beginning stages of planning a 10 year class reunion. So much to do, from half a world away. If you're from OCS class of '98, email me your contact info (address, phone and email) and I'll put you on the list... We want as many people to join us as possible.
• Teeth anyone? Finnegan is starting to teeth again. The doctor told me that they are ready to come in, we have yet to see them yet. But he does have one in the upper left side... its poking through and everything. Finnegan has been drooling all day today, whinny, and not sleeping much. Poor kiddo.
  

I suppose thats it for now. Maybe I'll share more of what's on my heart later.
Hugs, all!

Drunk Girl!

So, Ken and I LOVE the SNL parody of "drunk girl". We think it is so funny. Probably because it is so stereotypical of a drunk college girl... and its just... well, funny! Any way, Ken and I realized that we have never had "one of those friends" who got drunk and then threw up on us. We are very pleased to have this accomplishment. However, now that we're parents, we tend to get "spit up" on from time to time. At the first thought of it, its not so bad. But, now that our precious boy is now eating solid food, that baby "spit up" has successful turned into grossness... And Ken and I have both encountered it close up during this past weekend. We both had our blessed child in the same position... We were laying on the floor, holding the bundle up above us, playing. Although Ken received more of the showering foul, I received it in my hair... so gross... And the smell is just what you remember of "throw up" when you were a kid. I am sure this is not the last experience we will have with kiddie meals revisited, but it makes for great stories and fun memories as first time parents! :)

Debt, Cupcakes and BL

So many topics to share today... So I'll just pick a few thoughts to share...

First, some exciting news! Ken and I are once again debt free. Other than our mortgage, which Suzy Orman says is "good debt", we are debt free. No credit card debt, we own all our cars, no school debt nothing! Yippee!!

Cupcakes abound!! I am in love with cupcakes, and have been for a while. It is apparent that America is also gaining an infatuation with them as well. I stopped at Indulge Cupcake today and purchase several cupcakes for this weekend... I have only eaten half of one cupcake. It was cinnamon in flavor and I have a few other classics to try later with my hubby. Martha Stewart enjoyed "Cupcake Week" this week on her show and featured cupcake parlor in Seattle called Trophy Cupcakes. Oh, I think I'll need to make a trip to that small place for a cupcake or two... or three... or four :)

I am the Biggest Loser. I love that show. I have loved it from the beginning. To watch these people fight and work hard and then be rewarded with new bodies. (Ok, I realize that I just talked about my love affair with cupcakes, but stay with me here) :) After much talking and planning, the Stepleton's are constructing our own Biggest Loser Competition. There will be a weekly weigh-in and a cash prize at the end. The first "weigh in" is on Monday and already the trash talk has begun and I'm sure that alliances will be formed. But no "voting off" with happen in this "house". Only losing weight for us! Think Thin, Think Thin!

April Fool's...

Of course, this is the day that people play practical jokes on one another... So from the moment I woke up this morning, I reminded myself to think twice before hearing something outrageous. It lasted for most of the day until I spoke with my folks later in the evening. I called my folks to let them hear Finnegan laugh... When dad answered the phone, he said that they were just getting home... from the hospital. I should have known, with it being my dad, but he continued, "your mother fell down the basement stairs and the EMS had to come take her to the hospital." All I could think is that she'd broken her leg or her hip or something... I said "Really??" Dad says, "No, April Fool's!"

And of course I fell for it!
Thanks, Dad! You never let me down!

6 month appointment

So Finnegan turned 6 months during the month of March. Unfortunately, I just took him to the doctor for his 6 month appointment yesterday and I now have the statistics that you all have been waiting for.

Born: 7lb, 6oz.
6months: 19lb, 12oz - over 50% in weight

Born: 20 inches
6 months: 27inches - 75% in height

I was sure he was over 20lbs but I guess not!! :) We have another month or two before we'll have to move him out of his carrier into a convertible car seat.

Our little boy continues to amaze us with his temperment... He sat perfectly still while they did a prick of his toe and gave him one shot. But He did not want to lay down while the doctor examined him. He became very upset and didn't want anything to do with the doctor... until he began to tickle him! :) Hopefully he'll get used to seeing the doctor.

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As an extension of the Vaccine discussion that I've been having, I have decided that we will do an adjusted vaccine schedule. Finn has been fully vaccinated through his 4th month according to the CDC's requirements. But now he will follow an adjusted schedule that will require us to visit the doctor every couple of months to see the nurse and get a vaccine or two. This new schedule will require him to only get one or two vaccines at one time. He will have more than 20 vaccine visits under the new schedule rather than the 13 than the CDC has set up. I don't mind this as it won't cost us any more money, just a little extra time to visit the nurse for shots (no co-pay even). Again, all of our children will be vaccinated just not under the schedule of the CDC. I respect this organization for all their work and research and know that there are a multitude of reasons to vaccinate. And I don't agree that not vaccinating is the answer. So that is what we've decided... Vaccinating with caution. :)