I’mmmm Baaaack!

January 7, 20192 Comments

Ooof. It’s hard to look at the last post on The Goon Room. 18 months. E-i-g-h-t-e-e-n months since my last post. How does that even happen??

Well, I kind of know how that happens. It starts out getting busy, then deciding to jump back into posting by making a list of the things you’d want to post about / should post about (i.e. kiddo milestones, holidays, etc). And all of a sudden the list seem reeeeaally long. And then the phone rings and now the list is pushed back. Then the list just seems too daunting to tackle and well, 18 months goes by.

So here we are; January 2019. A perfect time to create a resolution to get back into posting. I spent two full days last week creating a master to do list for several areas of our lives and then compiling due dates and schedules together into one, color coded calendar. It’s so pretty. And organized. And just realistic enough I should be able to stick with it and actually catch up on all the life that has happened in the last 18 months + post about all the stuff happening now too. If all goes as planned, I’ll be caught up by June if not earlier. Keep yo fingers crossed.

It could get a little nutty trying to keep track of old information (i.e. birthdays) and new stuff, so I’m working on a system of titles. Hopefully it will make sense, if not, comment and I’ll clarify!

In the mean time, if you want to see what I’m up to work wise, click on over to my business IG page; @bw_concepts1 or my new business blog; www.bw-concepts.com. I’ve got some lofty business goals for both BW Concepts and the water company – and my color coded calendar is going to keep me on track to reaching those goals. So like and follow and comment and tell your friends who need my skills – please!

Thanks for reading – sorry it’s been so long and I promise to make it up to you!

Ribbon Wrangling

July 24, 2017July 24, 2017Leave a comment

This swim team season has been the best yet! Having both kids on the team, happy and working hard was amazing.

And this guy.

Youngest on the team by almost a full year and he crushed it! In his first meet, he got splashed big time during the back stroke warm up and got a serious case of butterflies. After a snack, observing other swimmers, pep talks from us, several other parents, his teammates and coaches, he reluctantly lined up to swim his heat. Swimming in the 6 and Under category, he was 1 of 5 kids in the heat, two of which were 6 years old. When they handed him his 3rd place ribbon, his mind was blown. He did it! He walked around swinging the ribbon saying “oh this? It’s just my ribbon. It’s a 3rd place. No big”. It. Was. Amazing.

He went on to swim the rest of the season in both individual and relay races and worked his little butt off to do it. He was crushed when he didn’t make the cut in the finals, but showed up in his uniform any way “just in case”. I love his hustle and can’t wait to see what he does when he’s the big kid in his group.

Big scoops, buddy. Biiiiigggg scoops!!

Also, it appears that while he sometimes has some hesitations about swimming races, his confidence with the ladies has no issues…

This girl. This girls pushes past the limitations that asthma puts on her and works hard to swim fast. If there were style points, she’d win every time. Her strokes are gorgeous. This season, she worked on trading some of her skill for speed and she crushed it. She made the cut for breaststroke in the finals and took home an 8th place medal. She was supremely disappointed. While I felt bad that she was mad, I was also a little excited to see her get some competitive fire. Once she figures it out, she’s going to be unstoppable!

Now, what the heck do we do with all these ribbons?!

Two years ago I assembled B’s ribbons into a shadow box for her. It makes a great back drop on her shelves. We added in her medal this year too.

*one note – if you have multiple kids, save your sanity by marking the ribbons as they get them. The fights that broke out over sorting ribbons at the end of the season were legendary.

(as you can see, I got this gem on sale at Hobby Lobby)

I use a cool iron and press them from the backside to get all the wrinkles out without damaging the print. In addition to pinning them in, I also put in a little hot glue to make sure they don’t swing around.

Voila! Start to finish, this is a 15 minute project. And a great display piece for all that hard work.

More Montana 2016

December 29, 2016December 29, 2016Leave a comment

The rest of the week was jam packed. Did I mention that the Dehaven’s came to visit? They always bring the fun. And Jeff shared his pictures too!

We rodeo’d in Livingston…

We creeked…

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Creek cooler

Which lead to a lot of this….

Do you see the fish right in front of Baylor?!

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And after taking a year off from our last Yellowstone Park visit, we again braved the winding roads with all 7 of us. This trip went far better and we even made it all the way to Old Faithful without murdering each other and only one person vomiting. Success!

Stephanie studying the warnings carefully…

The amazing Grand Prismatics

I’m so bummed – the colors of the pools are amazing – but it was barely 32 degrees and so the steam made it hard to see.

Old Faithful

A tourist died earlier this year jumping into one of these pools. It’s so hot, by the next morning, they could only find a few bones….

We also got to see the Beehive Geyser. It’s less predictable than Old Faithful, erupts for a shorter period of time but is as intense. Plus you can get a lot closer!

And the Old Faithful Lodge was fantastic. At 112 years old, it’s seen some amazing history. Also I’m sure it’s haunted.

And it wouldn’t be Montana without visiting the Long’s for some horseback riding lessons. The girl’s favorite, Duke, was donated to a school to be a therapy horse. They get reports once in awhile about how happy he is to be ridden every day! Thankfully the ladies were happy to give Heidi a try – and they now have a new favorite.

Auggie is still not sure he’s a fan

Auggie with the safety check

And we drove kids and a dog around in a gater. While taking selfies. This looks safe, right?

Happy Birthday(s)!!!

October 4, 2016October 4, 2016Leave a comment

It’s once again birthday week in our house and what a week it was! We celebrated Peter’s 30something birthday and the Auggie boy’s 4th. It was jam packed with a friend birthday party, family brunch, family dinner and then the family party! Needless to say, we are wiped, stuffed, are over run with new toys and have way too much left over cake.

This guy. Where to start.

Since the day he was born, just his presence gives my anxious self a sense of calm. He has the most expressive hands; they pat when they are happy – pat your back in a hug, pat his legs when he’s smiling or singing. His sweet hands wring when he’s nervous and they flap when he’s frustrated. You can always tell what he’s thinking by what his hands are up to.

And I think he may have gotten his momma’s imagination. He creates worlds to play in, sees bad guys to fight, fires to be extinguished and loves to design with Legos. His descriptions of what he thinks feels much bigger than a four year old’s thoughts. When describing how he felt listening to a sad song, he said “this makes me feel like I lost something, but I know I didn’t”!

Auggie boy, you bring endless happiness to our lives. I think 4 is going to be a great year and I can’t wait to see what the next 100 years bring!

And this guy.

I can’t tell you how lucky, blessed, fortunate – you name it, I am it – to call him ours. Always the supporter, cheerleader, listener. He’s first to deescalate a fight and always comes around to compromise. He is the very best dad, quick to encourage, motivate and love. Ever the dreamer, planner and socializer – he keeps our calendar packed. He’s always got the comeback that makes me laugh and the big hugs that let me know how loved I am.

Happy birthday PW and thank you for loving us!!

Missing June

July 22, 2016July 22, 2016Leave a comment

Before I get into the fun we had in Montana, I neglected a few of the things we did in June this year. I normally do a post for B’s birthday, my birthday, our anniversary…and yet here we are, staring down the barrel of school starting and not a post to be seen.

In my defense, it’s been busy.

The house is coming along – you can actually see where the new walls are going to be. And with a whole new sewer line that runs through the entire house, we shouldn’t ever have to use the phrase “shitter’s full”. So there’s that. This is all a long way of saying instead of blogging, I’ve be housing. Yes, it’s a verb. Ask anyone who has remodeled.

So, without further delay, the missing June posts.

Sweet Baylor turns Seven.

You, my gorgeous daughter, are by far the smartest, most challenging, loving and wonderful girl. Your potential will only ever be limited by your desire – you will move mountains.

I am so proud of the hard work you put into school, into making new friends, into learning to read and do math. I love your enthusiasm for swim team this summer and for your ability to conquer your fears. Your hustle for sports is growing and it’s amazing. You are so beautiful and your outer beauty is only eclipsed by your beautiful heart. Watching your faith in God grow and your kindness spread – especially to strangers in need – makes my heart happy.

Year six was a pretty amazing year. But I think seven is going to top it.

Love this kid. Gangsta face in a doughnut float.

The Momma turns Thirty Something….

So this is one of those birthdays that makes me feel old. Not as much physically, but the number is a little up there. However, I really really really like my birthday. So while the number can be a little shocking, I’m always grateful for one more year to celebrate. And having good health, a happy family, fantastic friends, a good wig and the realization of a few dreams while still having time to dream up new ones? Well that’s just the icing on the cake.

Also? This is the kind of old person I plan to be. Just bat shit crazy in the best way. Good news is that I think I’m already there. Check. Mark.

Happy Anniversary

Every year when I bring up our anniversary, Peter argues with me about the number of years we’ve been married. He always thinks it’s less than the actual number. Which I think is better than him feeling like it’s been much much much longer.

We celebrated 11 years married and this year marks 17 together (also the other reason I’m feeling real old). We will have been together more than half my life this year, which is a nutty statistic and yet such an awesome one. It’s amazing to think how much we’ve both changed – we’ve grown up together. We’ve watched each other go from nerdy (ok, just me) teenagers, to college coeds, to young adults, graduate student, newly weds, homeowners, parents…and thankfully the list keeps growing.

The traditional 10 year anniversary gift is tin, but since we redid our pool last summer we decided the gift would be PebbleSheen. Which is not really romantic, however very enjoyable. We say “happy anniversary!” every time we slide our feet over the smooth surface of the pool.

Thankfully the traditional 11th anniversary gift is far more appropriate for us this year. As the contractors were bracing a new steel beam in our living room, I pointed and said “happy anniversary!”. Maybe 11 years is when most married couples go broke on a remodel so they made the gift steel. Makes sense to me.

Happy anniversary PW!

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Keep on Washin’

July 14, 2014Leave a comment

I got an email last month that a post I wrote for Scottsdale Moms Blog had been picked up as part of an article for SheKnows.com. It was really exciting! Totally the boost I needed to keep writing AND a new place to start shopping some articles! On to find all that creative writing time…

Check out the article here: Cool Down with these Fun Water Games for Kids

Momversation

August 22, 20113 Comments

While at a Scottsdale Moms Blog playdate last week, I was standing in line to get a balloon animal for Baylor. Yes, I was standing in line, Baylor was running amok near the wild animal table. She pretends to like the animals, but really, she’s just there for the hand sanitizer. I had an eye on my wild woman and was chatting with my friend/neighbor and another mom who were also waiting in line.

After a few minutes, I stopped to let the ladies I was speaking with know that I was in fact listening to them, I just needed to keep both eyes on B so that she didn’t free the Chinchilla or something more creepy crawly from Jungle Jill. They both laughed and said “I haven’t had a conversation while looking at the person I was talking to since my oldest was born!”. It dawned on me – this was not a conversation, but a momversation.

A momverstaion is a conversation between two or more mothers that A. does not require eye contact with anyone but your kids B. is paused more than once to wipe a hand, pick up a crying kiddo or yell “stop with the hand sanitizer already!!” only to be picked right back up like nothing happened and C. can be had doing any kind of activity including nursing, feeding, changing a diaper, etc.

It is a skill that is honed among moms. It’s difficult to learn and requires much patience and practice. Especially when there is a severe drought of sleep in the household. But it is a necessity if one ever wants to have a meaningful conversation with a friend, husband or anyone for that matter. So next time you’re talking to a friend who is a mom and she does not look at you, just know that she is using her honed skill of multi tasking, or momversating.

The Goon Room

A little of everything and nothing, all in one blog

Tag: blogging