Blocker Boys On the Go!

     Now don't get me wrong I love the cable guys.  Obviously I have an addiction to cable internet.  I however do not like seeing them at my neighbors house.  They were there all day fixing something.  No matter how bad I felt for my neighbor having some kind of technical difficulty in their home. I was totally irked when fixing it involved turning off the internet to my house.

     Yesterday I spent numerous hours resetting my router, and unplugging the cable modem.  I even took the time to ask the toddler if he had touched anything in the area of the modem and router.  Lets just say I thought I was loosing my mind, and would need to call the cable company.  Yet another thing I dislike sitting on hold for people to answer my question. Calling when the kids are awake is pointless so I waited.

     There is one point in the day where I get both kids napping at the same time for a few hours. In this short window I prefer to take a little me time I shoot for 30-45 minutes of what I want to do.  My time is usually used to play on the internet or read a book.  Yesterday I spent the entire time working on the internet.

     Then nap time was over, and I realized I did nothing else.  Now I have to begin dinner preps while the kids are both awake.  I was working at the sink when I hear "Mommy look a big truck."  So I meander on over to the window which my toddler is now occupying.  Sure enough there sits the cable truck.  Why did I not look outside all day?  I was certain we were having an equipment malfunction, and I was determined to fix it.  I watched for a while, and they made several trips up and down the poles.  Every time they went up I check my cable modem sure enough it went dead.  Now why did I not notice a dead modem all day?  They only flick it off for about a minute and then they turn it back on.  So all day by the time I would reach the modem after noticing a loss of connection to the computer, and it would be back on.

     To ensure my sanity I wandered down to ask the cable guy how long they had been working here.  The guy told me they had been there most of the day. Conclusion I am not crazy, and the modem and router work just fine.

     Here is to hoping for a cable guy free day.  So in those brief times where both kids are sleeping or occupied I can sneak on the internet.  I know all my mom readers out there appreciate their mom time during nap time.  So here is to nap time!!! The only quiet part of my day.

     I hope everyone's quiet down time goes smoothly today!

     I know everyone is entitled to there own point of view on everything. I just wanted to share my point of view on family and housekeeping.  I have two little boys that are ages 2 1/2 and 11 months.  A little background on myself.  I was in the Navy for 6 years, and my husband still is.  Serving in the military teaches you a lot of different things, but flexibility is a major point. Who knows when you will get the call that you have to report to leave in 24 hours.  I think that has carried over to my take on being a MOM. 

     Being the mom of a toddler means anything predictable in your life just got tossed out the window. Throw in a baby for added excitement, and the roller coaster you just got on is off at full speed.  I for one LOVE roller coasters.  Around our house you never know when a ball might fly by your head, or some crazy toy will start blaring music all on its own.  Now my house is by no means perfect. I would never suggest that my way of parenting is the way it should be done.   This is a reminder to take a step back, and look at the important things in your life.

     However my kids know they are loved!! When is the last time you took a look around your house, and said you know what all these things are here because of someone I love.  My kids have way to many toys I will be the first person to tell you this.  For some reason they have grandparents that love to send them more toys.  When I come from the kitchen after retrieving a sippy cup of milk to see that the living room toy box got turned up side down.  I just take a deep breath sit back and watch, usually there is moment of sheer joy about to happen.  You see when my 2 year old finds a toy at the bottom of the box he has not seen in a few days he gets terribly excited.  Most of the time he will rush over to me, and show me his great find.  Now days he typically has a little shadow that comes right behind him full of excitement, but not quiet sure why. 

     So my house has piles of toys, dishes that need to go in the dish washer, and laundry that needs to move from the washer to the dryer.  If I spend all my time worrying about keeping the house spotless who knows what I would miss. Morale of the story take time to enjoy your family.  Families are an every changing dynamic so if you miss it now you will not get it back.

     Here is a post from I'm A Silly Mami as she views a change in her family dynamic.  Take time to enjoy your family as it is now.  I also enjoyed this post from 24/7 MOMS. In her post she steps back to reflect on some of here families favorite memories. She reminds us that it is important to take time, and make new memories to cherish with your family.

     Take time for family.  As a military family we are always trying to squeeze in extra good memories to keep us going when we are separated by deployment.  So even if the sink is full of dishes take your family to do something fun.  Memories last a life time so go make more.

     On October 6th I had the pleasure to sit in on a tele-conference with Mama Fusion.  Below you will find my overview of the call,and my interpretation of Emily's plan.

     Do you feel lost in motherhood? Does it feel like society is pushing you to be June Cleaver?  Come see how one mom over came the pressure, and wants to help you break out.

     After the birth of her second daughter Emily felt lost.  She was unhappy, and generally felt that she was being a bad parent.  Her brain was telling her to do better at things like cooking gourmet meals, and having a pristine house.  Her heart's desire was buried under it all.

     She found she had been crushed under society's perfect picture of being a mother.  When she found the courage to step out, and be the mom she wanted to be life was better for the entire family. The relationship with her husband, and her kids improved.

     Before she found her focus she just stumbled through her everyday motions to try and fit society's picture.  Now she is spending more quality time with her kids and husband.  She had spent a large "quantity" of time with her family before, but the quality of that time was poor.  She spent it trying to decide what was the next step to fill the mold she thought she needed to fill.

     God made Emily to be a spunky free spirit.  What was God's design for you?  Sit back for a minute and think about all the things you like to do.  Does the world's perfect mold of parenting keep you from being the person inside that you miss and love?

     Is your inner self caked with the dirt of society's ideals?  Join Emily at Mama Fusion for Finding the Focus.  She will show you how to break free of the dirt and grime that society has thrown at you over the years.  Don't be what people have told you that you should or can be! Be the unique person that God designed you to be.

If you would like to hear a recording of the entire call.  Visit Mama Fusion's Monthly Call tab.

If you would like a chance to attend Finding the Focus for free the entry for is here.  The winner will be drawn on October 14th.

Right-click & save to your computer to pass it on

•  Thank the blogger who awarded me with a link back to him/her.
•  Share seven things about myself.
•  Pass the award on to fifteen other newly discovered blogs.

1. I was in the United States Navy for six years working in nuclear power.  I met my husband there.
2. I was born and raised in Texas. I love to go back, and visit all my family.
3. I have lived in Texas, Illinois, South Carolina, Virginia, and North Carolina. Now we are back in Virginia at least for a little while.
4. I have visited a handful of foreign countries: Crete, Spain (3 times), Italy (2 times), Greece, Turkey, Slovenia, and Dubai UAE.  I think that is all of them.
5. I have 2 little boys with unusual names, Korvin and Kenaniah.
6. I love to: read, garden, play with my kids, cook anything, surf on the internet, and spend time with family and friends.
7. I am currently on a self improvement kick. I am working on taking time for me, eating better, and hope to start a fitness routine soon.

1.  A Day in the Life           
2.   Mama Fusion         
3. A Mommy's Lifestyle        
4. Back Porchervations 
5. Memoirs of a Mama              
6. Busy Julie            
7. Average Moms Wear Capes 
8. A Little Simplicity            
9.   Glo Sews                 
10. Julie Everyday          
11. Mindfully Frugal Mom 
12. Sassy Saving Moms         
13. This is no Ordinary Kid         
14. Margs for Mommy      
15. Emily at Home

 WARNING: Do not read any further if you do not want to hear about potty training type information.  This post includes poop, pee, and frustration.   



     My dear 2 year old is going to drive me off the deep end with this venture.  We started with the typical 3 day training plan.  I stared at his crotch for hours, and we ran to the potty all day for 3 days.  That worked for a bit he would run screaming to the potty after awhile, and there was no mess to clean for a few days.  He began to falter so we added M&M rewards for pee, and little toys like a new matchbox car for a poop success.  Our poop success ratio was very low.  I mean this kid must love pooping in his pants.  We finally got to about 2 weeks with an excellent potty record.  I for one am overjoyed.

     This triumph was however short lived.  I have tried everything I can think of to get him back to where he was.  Now days he just sits where ever he is  and tells us after he pees that he "Pee bed" or whatever may be the case.  Friday and today have me climbing the walls with frustration.  For the first time in 2 1/2 years he has decided to play in his poop, and put it on the wall.  So as to not encourage the behavior by getting upset I remained calm, and placed him in the shower to contain the poop.  Now add to the factor that my nearly 11 month old is every where and into every thing.  Now I have to catch and contain the little man before I can even begin cleaning the poop.

     So now I am asking for advice.  What do I do?  I am terribly tempted to just put him back in diapers, and throw my hands in the air.  This has been over a 2 month battle already.  Am I just rushing the process?  I knew when we started that even when he was doing really well we would still have occasional accidents.  Should I just take a few weeks off, and start all over?  Help I am grasping to the last threads of my sanity here.

     I have received some suggestions from mom friends, but they do not really fit our military life style.  My husband is gone at least twice a week for around 40 hours at a time.  I do not have the ability to just hand him the baby and devote multiple days to potty training.  Our first attempt at the 3 day method was over a holiday weekend when my husband had a rare 3 days off.  Now I know there are plenty of families that have similar situations that are not in the military.  So please give me all of your tips!! I will try anything once in this case. Thank you for reading this much of my insanity.

     So busy day around these parts.  Hubby is on duty so no break from the kiddos in sight until some time on Friday.  We made it through are day safely, and with only minor potty train accidents.  That screams victory at our house.  Dinner was left overs because Daddy was on the ship, so no reason for me to cook myself a meal.  The kids still really do not eat enough for me to justify cooking a meal with no other adults at the house.

    Then my friends tells me I should market one of my skills.  She may be right on with that thought.  So my brain is spinning 90 miles an hour with questions.

1. What would I call my business?
2. Is that name already taken on the web?
3. Would people really want to buy that from me?
4. How would I start it off?
5. Do I build a client list first, or start on the product?
6. When is a realistic goal to launch my product?
7. Will my husband think I am insane?
8. Will this benefit my family in the long run?
9. Why did I never think of this my self?
10. Then just a general AHHHHHH??? As I sit here pondering all of the above.

I love to experiment in my kitchen with everything. I will take a new recipe and twist around to make a new dish. I take my old recipes and twist them around for a new taste. Today I am going to attempt the latter. I am going to take my classic oatmeal peanut butter balls and coat them in white chocolate. I will post the recipe for ever one tonight if it works out to my liking. Really what could go wrong with peanut butter and chocolate. Well I am off to experiment with my two year old in tow. I hope you all have a great day with the weekend blog hops.

Well I spent what time I got to myself today out on the blog hopping circuit. There are some awesome blogs out there. Hoping to find a few more blog friends out there in the world wide web. I hope everyone else had a good day. The two hops I saw with badge links are posted on my blog hop page.

My husband has duty so he is gone for about 36-40 hours.  He will then come home exhausted because he rarely sleeps on duty.  Korvin is potty training, and Kenaniah is cutting a tooth.  Really could use some adult conversation right about now. 

I wonder some days where I got the idea that homeschooling might be for us.  I feel confident that I will make a good teacher.  The thing that bothers me is will I be able to maintain the house, direct school, and still make time for myself?

I just started putting time for myself back on the list of things I need to do.  Kenaniah is just now 10 months old, and playing by him self a bit more.  Korvin is turning out to be an awesome big brother. In fact so much so that it is making bed time a circus at our house.  The boys share a room so if Kenaniah starts crying at bed time Korvin gets up and gives him a toy.  If that does not work he reads him books.  All the while I just want them to both lay down and SLEEP!! Korvin likes to have the light on as he has recently started waking with bad dreams in the middle of the night.  Kenaniah seems to prefer the room to be pitch black, cold, and quiet so he can go to sleep.  Just another never ending battle right there.

Now the good news for the blog.  It turns out I have bouts of insomnia when the hubby is on duty.  So I will have plenty of time to write stuff, and keep it up to date.  The bad news is that the next day I might not be so up in the SUPER MOM rankings.  One day at a time! We have been dealing with duty days for months, and I still get very little sleep on duty nights.  That leaves me to wonder how I will survive an entire deployment with kids. That however is an entirely different blog post.

I hope everyone out there in the blog world is doing well.

Well I needed a new place to vent so taking up blogging again. It did me a world of good the first time when I kept up with it.  Tonight my husband is out a Navy conference until sometime tomorrow.  My almost 2 year old son is in bed, and my 2 month old is in his swing.  So I currently have a little time to try to set up a new blog.

So a quick bio before I go do a little more blog setup.  I married my husband in 2007 (to be known in the blog as B).  We met while we were in the Navy, and Stationed in Norfolk, VA.  In early 2009 we had our first son (to be known in the blog as K1), and we had our second son in late 2010 (to be known in the blog as K2).  Our family also includes two greyhounds, a chihuahua, and 2 cats. We are preparing to move due to Navy transfer in a few months.  I am mildly worried about getting everything ready to move in a timely manner.  I have a million things to put on craigslist, and stuff that just generally needs to be clean out before we move.  I am extremely grateful that the Navy will be paying for movers to move our stuff.  I can not imagine getting it all packed with a 2yr old and a 4 month old.

So if you decide to follow this thanks.  I will try to keep it more organized and consistent this go round.  I like to post recipes, and our daily life happenings.  Thanks for reading this far.