Seven Quick Takes- I slept last night!

1. The part of being sick where you have to watch your kids suffer, not get any sleep, and spend a ton of money on doctor's visits and prescriptions is no fun. The part where they recover and sleep 13-14 hours at night to make up for what they lost is positively delightful. I think if I showered I might actually feel like a normal person for the first time in... weeks!

2. I swear I feed my kids, I SWEAR it. But yesterday I found Juliette face down on the ground licking up a piece of old banana. It was one of those moments that if we were in public I'd be all like, "Weeeird where is that kids mom."

See! Proof that I feed her (mashed up bananas! super healthy!) AND that she sleeps! All in one neat little photograph.

3. I've learned a new form of exercise that you don't have to leave the house or put on a DVD for. You lie back, hoist your toddler up on your legs, and pretend she is an airplane. It provides lots of entertainment and giggles and leaves your legs with a wicked burn afterwords.

4. My sister is coming in from college for her spring break so we will be heading down to my parent's house this weekend. I found a Groupon for a photo shoot at JC Penny so (yet again, because it's not like we just did this at Christmas) I can document the crud out of their younger years. I would say, "Sorry kids." but since each of them pose like they are competing for the cover of Baby Vogue so really, this is a treat for all of us! And I will be putting the pictures up on her ASAP.

5. Speaking of my sister, she currently attends Franciscan University and was asked by Stella Mariae household to be part of their lip sync by channeling her inner Taylor Swift since she is a dead ringer for the country-pop icon. If you forward to about the 4 minute 30 second mark you'll get to see her rock her part. I'm so proud of her because as an introvert being up in front of crowds is not her thing and she did an amazing job.

6. Just a friendly reminder-
I think that according to NFP and one of those nifty online due date calculators, next week might be the last week to make your efforts. But ya know, it would be pretty cool.

7. I really, really, really love my family. God is so, so incredibly good to have given me such an amazing husband and such beautiful daughters. I feel like I write this all the time but really it's that His goodness leaves me in awe every single day.

For more fun go to http://www.conversiondiary.com/!

Seven Quick Takes- Maybe if I had more coffee I would be coherent.

1. Juliette Marie will be the death of me. She started walking this week (hooray) and today while we waiting for Kyle to show up she carried a chair around Carters looking for something to climb. I spend most of my day trying to prevent her from diving headfirst off of chairs and couches... or from choking the one small magnet that slip down the fridge to where she could reach it. I'm gonna go grey sooner than I thought.

2. Right now Madeleine is playing with her ABC puzzle, Juliette has climbed up the couch and is leaning over the box with their cardboard blocks in it, removing them one by one and laughing/grunting happily. (Not that I just put them all back in there five minutes ago or anything. Really, that was just a stupid move on my part.) Madeleine looks over periodically, shakes her head, and says, "No Ju-etch. No baby."

3. Madeleine is now interested in TOYS. This means while we shop she reaches over and puts something she wants in the cart. If I take it out, she tells me, "No. Madeleine like (insert toy/movie/sock here)." This makes check out interesting. She places the item on the belt and I stealthily signal to the check out person that said item will not be going home with us. I distract Madeleine with my awesome dance skills or something equally embarrassing to us all and we get out of the store without incident. I know I could explain it to her and just tell her no from the beginning but I'm tired and just want to shop without the screaming. My system works for now.

4. With her new found interest in TOYS, Madeleine requests on a daily basis to go to Toys R Us to play with the trains. She hasn't figured out yet that we can actually buy stuff there so I'm usually good with it. She also has no idea that SANTA is getting her a wooden train set for Christmas! Until then we are making our weekly pilgrimage to visit Tomas and his friends.

5. My kiddos are tough. While we play with the train sets little boys twice their age and size usually show up to do the same and they always try to push my girls around. They hold their ground without pushing back. I am a very proud momma. We need more strong women in this world.

6.I've recently realized the power of phrasing things the right way. For instance, "Madeleine you need to eat your fruit." gets an emphatic, "NOOOOO". However, "Madeleine if you eat your chicken I'll let you have some fruit." gets an "OH YAY MOMMY." I'm hoping I can use this power on Kyle, "Babe if you do the dishes I'll let you sweep the floor!" Brilliant.

7. I'm trying to figure out ways to involve my two year old in Advent this year. I'm praying I come up with something soon... my theology and catechetics degrees should be able to help out with this. I mean, hopefully that knowledge isn't stored in the part of my brain that was wiped out when I gave birth and replaced with Goodnight Moon and every book by Sandra Boynton. Actually, I think that was the "math" and "reasonable hormonal responses" sections so I think we should be good. Advent here we come!

See more at http://www.conversiondiary.com/

7 Quick Takes- Volume Two

We've had a big week here at the Behr cave so I'm not sure how quick these quick takes will be... but here it is anyway.

1. I joined a gym! Even though I've lost the baby weight from both girls I still need to gather my strength for the next time (God willing! Whenever that may be...) The personal trainer asked me my goals for my workout routine. After first joking that my goal was to have Pippa's bottom (well, half joking really) I told him that I have a two year old and a nine month old and I want to be healthy in case I get pregnant again. Poor trainer thought I was joking. That's life with NFP, always preparing for next time.

2. I went to the dentist! Okay so this may not be big news to most people but I haven't been in like three years. So my teeth are super white and I'm even flossing. Go me!

3. The biggest news of the week by far... MADELEINE WENT PEE PEE ON THE POTTY! Oh, we had a celebration that involved affirmative words, clapping, waking up daddy, calling the relatives, and COOKIES! It was so fun that Madeleine has spent much of today just sitting on the toilet with a book hoping it will happen again. I am so proud of my little girl!

4. But it wasn't all fun and games on the potty this week. While I brought in the groceries this week the girls decided to use my distraction to their advantage. After the last trip back and forth I heard giggling coming from the bathroom. The girls were standing at the toilet, elbow deep in toilet water, splashing each other. The thing is, Juliette was the bad influence there. Madeleine would never DREAM of doing such a thing on her own but her mischievous little baby sister is just the type... ohhh Juliette my pet.

5. On Wednesday night I introduced Madeleine to Barney on DVD and Oh. My. Freaking. Goodness. was she impressed. She woke up the next morning yelling, "Moooooom! Watch Barn! Watch Barn!" And when I finally put a Barney DVD on the TV later that day she ran around the room SCREAMING, "OHHH GOSH BARN!!! YAY!!! OH GOSH OH GOSH BARN!!!" On the plus side I got a lot of cleaning done during that DVD. On the negative, the songs are stuck in my head and won't get out. Prayers are appreciated

6. Juliette had her nine month check up this week. She is 19 lbs, 3.5 oz, and 29 1/2 inches of dinosaur fun. Today the little monkey learned how to climb. She scaled her princess chair and attempted to get a cheerio off of the china cabinet that I had previously taken away from her. Tricksy, tricksy baby girl.

7. And today we got a NEW COUCH! It's a very early Christmas present but it is leather, has back support, and has never been peed on. So major upgrade from what we have now. It will be delivered next week.

Well, that's all this week. I hope you enjoyed my adventures as much as I did.

7 Quick takes Friday- Volume One

Since this is my first "Seven Quick Takes" I figured I'd make the theme about me and things most people don't know about me.

1. I'm obsessed with shower products. I currently have 5 pairs of shampoo and conditioner, 3 body washes, 2 face scrubs, and a hydrating hair mask in my shower. And that doesn't include what Kyle and the girls use. I like to change it up and use different things and I pick what I use by which scent I feel in the mood for that day. It's weird, but I love shower products.

2. I've been in an ambulance twice. One time was after I hit a UPS truck with my car at the end of senior year of high school. The other time was at the end of my pregnancy with Juliette when I thought I was in labor at four in the morning and Kyle was at work and I was in way too much pain to drive. It turned out to be a gall bladder attack. Of course the one time I almost died, the ectopic pregnancy, I wouldn't let my husband call an ambulance and told him to drive me. Go figure.

3. I'm not a huge sugar person but I could probably live off of M&M minis. I'm not sure why I love them so much but I am absolutely obsessed. I'd usually rather have them over an other type of candy in the world.

4. I'm not particularly great at holding down a job. Here is my record.
Remax Winner's Circle- four months until I was fired. That's a blog post in itself.
Stop and Shop- six months until I got bored and quit after they kicked me off the registers because I talked too much and ruined check out times and then kicked me out of the bakery for eating the frosting and stuck me on bagging the groceries duty so I probably wouldn't have last much longer anyway
Dunkin Donuts- two months until I left for college but they had relegated me to the back room on dish duty so I wasn't long for that world anyway
Daycare center who's name I have forgotten- one summer and then I went back to college but I was actually good at the job! Hooray!
Quality Care Daycare Center- One summer and then I got an internship, then took summer classes, and then got married but I was good at this job too so they gave me a lot of reference letters
Jasmine's Coffee House at Franciscan- got hired and never actually started working. I'm pretty sure I left to go get my ID for tax purposes and just never came back
St Luke's Methodist Preschool- 4 months until I got mono and was forced out. I was super pissed.
Ann Taylor- Four months until we moved to Massachusetts. It was a terrible job for me anyway because I just spent all the money I earned.
Youth Minister at Saint Peter's parish- One and a half years. Longest job by far! Go me! I would have stayed longer but the parish went broke and had to cut my job. But that meant..

STAY AT HOME MOMMY- You kids are stuck with me. MWHAHAHAHAHA

4. My foot is crooked. My right foot turns slightly outward when I walk. I am convinced that this is why I cannot wear heels.

5. When I eat I cannot bite with my front teeth. It weirds me out. I chew everything on the side.

6. I had a mole removed on my right leg when I was about ten years old. They knocked me out and for it I got a big scar, a stuffed pink pig, and my mom took me out for the Italian food that I demanded in my delirious post op state. I may not remember much of the journey home but I do remember my mom joking that every time she went to the hospital she went home with a little pink pig too. Thanks a lot MOM.

7. I invented a drink that I am now going to go partake in. It's called "Mommy's Night In" and it's made up of equal parts orange juice and pineapple juice, a shot of tequila, a shot of vodka, and peach schnapps and blue curacao to taste.

And now, off for the drink!