Quick thinking and I saved my own ass

I get my hair done once every 10-12 weeks or so.  Mother Nature isn't so kind as to give me the blonde locks I used to have or that my children have.  My pregnancies jacked up my hair as much as my body.  Anyway, once every 3 months or so I go and sit and chat endlessly with my girl while she spends 3 hours or more making me blonde and giving my hair a bit more shape.  Pretty simple.

EXCEPT.  Chris is a guy to the Nth degree and doesn't understand WHY it takes so long and WHY I have to do it so often and WHY it costs so much and WHY I think I look different when I come home when in fact, according to him, it looks exactly as it does as when I left.  "You don't have to understand it, you just have to respect it."  Done with explanation.  BUT, here's the tricky part.  It costs $160 total for this youth restoration process.  I knew a few years ago he'd shit a brick if he knew that it cost so much so I paid $100 in cash and put $60 on the debit.  He couldn't believe that it cost $60 to get my hair done.  *snort*.  Right?  I'm not going to say he's an idiot because he's my husband and I respect him completely but... c'mon.  So, I've never let up and everytime I go I give her $100 bill and my card is run for $60.  The girls at the place get a kick out of it still.

Here's the thing.  Chris has a girl who has pulled some strings for him for his business and he knows she lives in town and thought this salon would be a good place to get a gift card as a thank you.  He told me when I went today to pick up a gift card for, "Oh, what's yours cost, Ashley?  $60?"  Shit.  She may be able to get a bottle of shampoo or something but that's it. 

Ends up I "forgot" to get it and will another day - when I can bring cash back to do it so there is no record of the real amount.

Idiot.

You like my 60 dollah 'do?

Lunchless, almost

This is the third week of school.  For the first two weeks, Drew left her backpack and lunchbox in the car after school every single day.  Every night when I went to make the kids' lunches for the next day I'd have to ask her where they were and then send her out to the car to go get her backpack and lunchbox.  As each day went on it pissed me off more and more.  She is responsible for one thing, that's it.  Chris asked me why I didn't just make sure she had it when she got out of the car in the driveway.  I told him that I cannot be responsible for 3 kids, my pocketbook, the mail, a grande skinny caramel macchiato AND their backpacks.  Let's keep it real.  Plus, she's 7.  Bring in your own backpack! 

Over the weekend I told Drew that if I went to make lunches and her backpack and lunchbox weren't in the kitchen where they were supposed to be, I would not be making her a lunch.  She'd be lunchless at school the next day.  Pretty simple.

Yesterday, Monday, she left her backpack and lunchbox in the car.  I went to make lunches last night and there was nothing pink to be found.  I stood for a minute in the kitchen wondering if I should really send her to school with no lunch.  From a practical point of view I know that this is going to do nothing but cause grief for the teacher who will scramble to put enough snacks together for her to eat.  Her school has no hot lunch so that's not an option. 

I went to take a shower and do my thang before finishing up in the kitchen for the night.  I came out probably 30 minutes later to find... Drew's lunchbox.  The kids were in bed, how could this have happened?  Well, Miss Drew realized once she was in bed that it was in the car.  She made Chris a big I LOVE YOU DADDY card or some bullshit and brought it down while I was in the shower.  Not knowing the enormous life lesson I was about to pull off, she asked him to go to the car and get her stuff and he did.

This morning. 

Stinker.

So, she headed off to school this morning, lunchbox full and unaware of how close she came to really being lunchless.  I've decided that shall it happen again, and it will, that I'm sticking to my word because she's like her mommy.  She enjoys a good meal and one day without one will turn this girl into the most responsible backpack/lunchbox keeper in the land.  

 

Crossfit begins, Popcornopolis ends

For the last 4 months I've been doing a bootcamp 3x a week.  It's intense and fun and so hard.  I've loved it.  I've never worked harder or been stronger.  Now, if I'd altered my nutrition and continued to eat clean, I'd likely be 30 pounds lighter.  Instead of dwelling on that, I'm just pleased to be so much stronger and know that I can enjoy working my ass off (not literally) often.

Because of Lauren's school schedule, I can't fit bootcamp into mine anymore.  I'm so disappointed because I'm ready to commit to the nutrition part and combine the two.  Convenient timing, right? 

So, tomorrow I start Crossfit.  That works with my schedule and I didn't want any lapse time so I signed up right away.  (One of my besties and I are doing it together).  Anyway, I've read up on it and have talked to a few friends who have done it and it sounds really similar to my bootcamp I've been doing so I'm not too scared.  But I kind of am.  But not really.  I don't know. 

Nutrition + Crossfit and I'm hoping to be the old me that has been swallowed by the current me.  Like this:

I know.  Ridiculous.

I would never be caught wearing leg warmers.

Anyway, it's good to be working my ass off during the week.  It's good to be strong.  It's good to push myself.  It'll be even better if I stop having Popcornopolis (if you haven't had this yet you haven't lived) from Costco for lunch.

Stay tuned.  You may see me upside down on a kettle bell before the end of the year. 

Instagram? InstaGENIUS.

Do you Instagram?  Or have Instagram?  (I'm not quite sure if it's a verb yet.)  Anyway, chances are if you have a smartphone you do.  If you don't (mom), Instagram is a photo app that allows one to alter, apply a filter, and/or share one's photo.  Or, as I said to Chris when he asked what it was, it's a genius program that makes us moms who snap quick pics of our kids on our phones look like damn good photographers.  In fact, I think I may add my definition to Wiki because it's the most accurate.

The instagram app looks like this

I'll post a few of my instagram photos with the before photos as well.  You will then agree with my definition, I think.  Also!  If you wanna follow me on mine, I'm firewife511. 

Before, Little Miss swimming in a plain ol' pool

After, giving the illusion that she's practically in the Carribbean

Chris's office before.  Not only is he a Lt. in the fire department but he is also the founder, president, and head instructor at LifeSaver CPR.  *braggy braggy*

After with the dramatic blur...

Before.  Sorry to totally gross you out but this has been my week PLUS I thought the bubble at the end was amazing.

After, I made it a bit softer to be a bit less gross before sharing with a few select friends who I knew would appreciate this yesterday.

Before.  Drew fell asleep on William's floor one night and this is how I found them.  My reaction?  STFU.

After, just as sweet.

Before, taken when we were on vacation.  My friend, Kristin, and I take pics and send them if we have something to say but can say it in pics.  This was me telling her that I got sunburned.

After, trying to make it look notsobad while bringing out my freckles

Before, Uncle Brandon with Lauren and a beer can

After, minus the redneck prop

See?  Now I've disclosed my secrets.  I am really a shitty photographer with some good help.  Thank you, Instagram, for making my memories more dramatic, colorful, and romantic than they really were.

mini post ~ a quick shout out

Smooches to Erika C. and Robin G. whose brief, kind words made today special for me!  Thanks, girls.  It's the little things sometimes.  It helped me to remember that words make a difference and to speak what you think.  It could change someone's day.  Well, if it's kind that is...

Mwah.

Where ya been?

42 days since my last blog post.  What the hell is wrong with me?  If you're checking in and reading this now, thanks for not forgetting about me and writing me off.

I love you and I've missed you.

So.  School has begun here.  Seems to start earlier and earlier every year.  For the first time ever all 3 kids are in school.  Lauren only goes 3 times a week for 3 hours but I'll take it.  I have a wee bit of sadness that my baby has left me but for the most part I'm just enjoying knowing that after bootcamp on those days I don't have to rush home. 

Yeah, it kind of sums it up.

This summer was busy with stuff, but I won't bore you with the details.  A few little trips here and there, lots of swimming, lots of sibling fighting, a few ear infections, and some of the latest bedtimes these kids have ever known.  School nights mean strict bedtimes again, ironed uniforms, lunches made before bed, and out the door at a crazy early hour.  Callmecrazy but I like it.  Not the early part but the consistency of it all I like very much.

No, this is not mine.  I'd have post its everywhere because who has only one thing happening on a Monday?  C'mon.  Pinterest has good ideas, but realistic?  Notsomuch.

 

I'm an Auntie for the second time!  My brother-in-law and sister-in-law are the new parents to little Miss Payton.  I'll meet her in a few weeks and I can't wait.  I hope my kids are awful and whiney and fighting a lot before I hold new little Payton so that I won't get that baby bug I tend to get when I have a baby in my arms.  I'll rely on my own spawn to kill that this time around.

Miss Payton

I'm going to play around with the format of my blog which is neither here nor there but I thought I'd mention it.  It's been the same for over a year now and even though I NEVER look at my actual blog, I'm kind of over it when I see it.  Is there something you hate when you look at a blog?  Patterns, contrasting colors, weird font, etc?  I'm pretty boring simple so it may end up looking veeeerrrryyyy similar to how it is now.  Whatever.  

Honestly, thanks for checking in.  I hope your kids have a great beginning of the school year and that you are as happy as I am that it has all begun again.  Before I know it I'll be posting my favorite Fall candle and my pumpkin apple bread recipe.  Can't wait.

The first time... ever I saw... your face

In the next 6 weeks the Peters family will be growing by one.  My sister-in-law is due with her first baby and I think we all can remember how that felt.

Drew was born on February 10, 2005.  I went into labor with her on the morning of February 9th.  The labor was long and rough and by the time she was born I had a fever of 103* and so did she.  She also wasn't breathing.  They wisked her away to the NICU and thankfully it didn't take long to get her stabilized.  It wasn't until 4 hours after her birth that I was able to hold her.

I remember it like it was 10 minutes ago and I feel this in my heart like it's happening now. 

Those first moments with your newborn are intimate and special and no matter how many thousands of times you hold your child after that moment there isn't anything like the first.

I envy Kristen for being able to experience that in the next few weeks.

Is there anything in particular you remember about your first time holding your new little one?