Random thoughts

*I wish my kid would sleep...Ally has slept HORRIBLE since she has had her tonsils out
*I hope both of my kids stay in their own beds tonight...Lanie wet the bed and incidentally peed all over me last night, ugh.
*Why is my computer taking so long to back up?
*I'm heading to Kid's Hope training to be a mentor for a child at Warner. I pray that I am a good mentor.
*I miss my family in Texas...alot.
*Ally has the best teacher in the world
*My computer is done backing up, I'm out:)

I'm missed?

Who knew that anyone read my blog on a daily basis or when I stopped writing that they would actually miss me? My uncle let me know this weekend that he was bummed I quit blogging. He actually liked reading my posts it let him know what I was up to an what the girls were into. My lack of internet at home right now doesn't help but I'm going to make an effort...try to blog a little more regularly and jump off of facebook which is where my blog time went.

Uncle Danny this is for you:) But if you really want to keep up with me and a good portion of the fam, we need to on facebook.

Life As We Know It

So they are making a movie called Life as we know it. I'm a little nervous that people will stumble across my blog while searching it out and wonder why someone so boring would steal the name of the movie, which will be starring Jennifer Aniston. I would just like those people to know. I had my blog first boring or not!

Disgusting and Despicable

Chris Brown Beat Up Rihanna
We'll Give You FREE Prizes for YOUR opinions. Vote Below To Continue.
Will They Stay Together?

This is an actual advertisement on the sidebar of a site I was on today...This makes me sick, it should be illegal for them to post. The SAD thing is how many people are actually going to vote? I wish I knew which site it was so I never end up there again but when I came to blogger it was gone.

In my head...

Sandals on a 0 degree day, seriously I saw it this morning. Really? sandals, ridiculous.

I am a positive person most of the time, we all have our days but seriously if you are having a bad day do you HAVE to take it out on the rest of the world.

Why couldn't I have been born with the skinny gene?

I made toffee crack (probably why I wish I was born with the skinny gene) it is sooo good, you can find the recipe on this blog that references another great blog.

My heart breaks every time someone calls my office with a toothache and no money to have it taken care of. This morning I spoke to someone that cried when I told them we didn't take medicaid, my eyes welled up also as I gave her the number to the only place I thought may be able to help her but they are so busy chances are it won't be any time today. I would love to work on health care reform and I don't have 150,000 in unpaid taxes in my past (Daschle)...do you think Obama would hire me, I wish.

I LOVE that Obama is looking to put a salary cap on companies that the govt bails out. It think it is RIDICULOUS that execs with poor performance continue to get over the top salaries with over the top bonuses. If your company is doing well and you don't need a federal bail out then yes you deserve the millions!

Update...

If you have a facebook account you have been tagged, probably numerous times, for the 25 random things note, you may not want to do it but I love reading new facts about people. Here is my blogger version but I'm only going to do 10.
1. I have a couple addictions including facebook, food, my ipod touch and tv. I have actually decided to breakdown and get dvr to try to condense tv watching without commercials. What occupies my time?
Monday - The Bachelor and then I got sucked into True Beauty (stupid but I'm hooked)
Tuesday - The Biggest Loser and I can't think but I know there is something
Wednesday - LOST and of course they always have to recap the previous week LOST
Thursday - Ugly Betty, Grey's
Friday and Saturday - Nothing, I know hard to believe...another reason we think dvr will be good maybe we can watch some of the above shows on those nights when we are struggling to find something on our 200+ channels, it is amazing that you can even say "there is nothing on" these days.
Sunday - Desperate Housewives, Brothers and Sisters, Dexter but it is on hiatus and Trent wants to watch the Unit, which I also enjoy
So you see I watch WAY to much tv, and these are only the shows that I watch on a regular basis embarrassing but I can always have on the weather channel, yes I will sit and watch it, the food network, mtv, vh1 and E. WOW, I have a lot of hours in the evenings that I could be way more productive, I feel a bit embarrassed and am half tempted to delete everything I just typed!
2. Ally is doing very well at school and is no longer needing assistance with reading. We are so proud of her:)
3. Lanie has the biggest crush on a little boy at school. She told me that they had a conversation about how when they get to be older boys can be boyfriends and girls can be girlfriends, then she just smiled really big
4. Trent is on the hunt for a new job, if you hear of anything please let us know
5. Ally takes ballet and tap/jazz, she loves to dance and is super flexible. She can do the splits 3 different ways and often times when we are talking she will just kick her leg up on to the counter or wall, I don't even thinks she realizes that she is doing it.
6. We went to the Jonas Brothers concert a couple weeks ago compliments of my friend Amy. We had the BEST time and if you have an opportunity to see those cuties in concert I would highly recommend it, it was a great show. Lanie was a bit confused on why we couldn't go down and talk to them.
7. I HATE SNOW! I'm just so sick of the cold. I can't wait to get my flip flops out.
8. I have been feeling really motivated to eat better and exercise. Until I am tempted with something better, I'm a work in progress!
9. My sister in law (Travis' wife for those who know us) is going to have a baby boy any day now, I pray for them daily that she will have a healthy baby and a comfortable delivery, she has been in and out of the hospital with various pregnancy issues but things are ok. I also pray the transition from one child to two will also be smooth.
10. We went over to some friends house for the superbowl and had a great time. There is nothing better than a good laugh with good friends.

AND...thanks for you encouraging comments about Ally, it is sometimes so hard to know the right thing to say to your kids.

Mom..."I'm fat"

Ally said this to me last night and my heart broke. We talked about it for a bit and when I asked her why she thinks this she said she didn't know she just feels fat. (I have struggled with my weight my whole life but it is an internal battle that I just don't talk about.) I asked if someone said this to her and she said there is a little boy at school that calls her names, she said he doesn't call her fat but I just can't help but wonder...
How do I give my seven year old a healthy self image? She is at a point where she has a little "baby fat", and we have had a hard time finding things to fit, especially pants. When we have a hard time finding a pair to fit or that she grows out of we talk about growing and that she is going to grow taller and stretch and her body will take on lots of different shapes. We also talk about making healthy food choices and that it is ok to have a cookie we just can't eat ten at a time. I pray that I'm not the one making her feel this way when we have a hard time clothes shopping, that in my frustration to find clothes to fit I haven't said something that has damaged her self image. If there is anyone out there that can help, I'm looking for advice if you have it.

Return to blogging...

Maybe it is time to make a return to the land I seem to have abandoned in September. After school started there just didn't seem to be enough hours in the day to do anything but I guess four months later I feel like we are a little more settled. Another reason I seemed to abandon the blog was quite honestly due to facebook...Are you a member? Are you addicted? I seem to spend lots of time "stalking" people and updating what I'm doing. Which I guess it was what I used to here. So I do enjoy blogging and I think it will be fun for my girls someday to look back at the ramblings of their mother so I'm going to try to be a bit more consistent. More later, lots to update:)

School Days

School has started and at the very last minute we were informed that Ally and Lanie would be able to transfer back to Warner from Parma. Ally did K at Warner and was moved to Parma for first grade. We are delighted to be back at Warner and the kids have the best, most wonderful teachers. Lanie ended up with my cousin Melissa and Ally has Mrs. Valentine, whom everyone loves! So far school has gone very well. Lanie knows quite a few kids in her class including her cousins Madi and Caylee. Ally has been re-acquainted with friends from her first year at Warner and a couple friends from church.


It is hard to believe I sent my babies off to Kindergarten and second grade this year. I'm just trying to take it all in and enjoy it all. Activities are beginning and will fill our days to the max. Hopefully we'll be able to keep everything running smooth and we'll have an excellent school year.

Shoes, shoes, shoes

Spending money on shoes used to be so much more fun. Not that it isn't fun to buy shoes for the kids, it just used to be more fun to buy them for myself. New soccer cleats, new tap shoes, new tennis shoes, new dress shoes and a new pair of "cool" shoes...Oh, my!

Summer Cold

VBS was a fantastic week and I feel honored that I was able to be a part of it. I will post pictures this weekend but there were close to 300 kids in attendance,45 of them kindergartners that were able to head through my super messy craft station. Friday and Saturday were totally recovery days for me. I think that the long days actually wore me down and I have been suffering from a cold/sinus infection since Thursday night. Every time I get sick I think man I shouldn't let the kids drink after me but that rule usually lasts about a week and then we are all drinking out of the same cups again. I think Ally is going to be the next victim hit by this summer cold. More later...

VBS at Spring Arbor Free Methodist Church
Spring Arbor, MI
August 10 - 14
6:30 - 8:45
We would love to see you there! This year I am in charge of the crafts for the Kindergarten department so I doubt you'll see much of me this week! I'll post about it later~

Wednesday Tip of the Day

I work for a dentist, here are some tips to hopefully make your visits a little easier...
1. Be nice, especially to the front desk girls. Who do you think decides who gets to come at the best times of the day! Just kidding but seriously get in good with the girls at the front desk and they will take care of you. Treats help but mostly just being nice will go a long way.
2. Schedule appointments first thing in the morning or just after lunch. In my experience these are the times in the day the office is running on time and/or ahead of schedule.
3. Ask for a discount. You may just be surprised (especially if you are nice). If you pay cash ask if there is any courtesy when you pay in full we almost always give 10%, if not a bit more.
4. Don't be afraid to ask questions. There are lots of things in the dental world that gets said between the workers that sounds like another language. If you want to know what the Dr. and staff are talking about, just ask. Sometimes we get talking all technical and forget that patients don't know the difference between amalgam and composite. Earth speak: amalgam = silver filling, composite=white/tooth colored filling.
5. Be honest about what you can afford. If you don't have the money in your budget right then ask if you can work out a payment plan or if there is anything that can be done while you are saving up. Keep in mind if you have a cavity it isn't going to go away or heal itself. It will only get worse and more expensive!

Hope these little tips help, if you have any questions please feel free to ask.

The A-Z's, random facts that you now know about me!

A - Apples - if I eat them with the skin on, my lips swell and get all itchy.
B - Boys - I was always nervous to mother a boy, not sure why, God blessed us with two girls.
C - Cats - We used to have two, they were Satan in the form of animal.
D - Dentistry - When I was little I wanted to be a dentist, my grandma told me that was the most disgusting job ever and I wouldn't want to spend my day digging in people's mouths. Now I work for one.
E - Econ - I failed micro economics once and macro economics once, not my finest college moments!
F - Fair food - I love it, too bad it doesn't follow my healthy eating guidelines, this is why I will be avoiding the fair this year.
G - Green - My favorite color besides black.
H - Horses - My brother and sister had horses, one time I went into the barn to see the kittens and let all the horses out of the barn. That was fun, I was the only one home and they were running through the town.
I - Ice Cream - My grandpa took me for ice cream every night one summer, no lie, every night. My first job was at an ice cream place, I am a master scooper:)
J - Jokes - I hardly ever get them, my husband says my hair is really blonde, that's why both our girls ended up that way.
K - Korea - I am 1/2 Korean. Maybe someday we'll visit.
L - Limes - Besides being my favorite color, essential ingredient in guacamole.
M - McClintic - My maiden name.
N - New Car - I have never owned one.
O - Overwhelmed - How I feel a lot.
P - Pampered Chef - I love their stuff, I only use stones when baking.
Q - Quiet - Something my voice is not.
R - Rob Bell - He makes me think. Velvet Elvis is a great book.
S - Snakes - I HATE them, though I try to be casual about it with my kids, I don't want them to have the same fear.
T - Tahiti - My dream vacation.
U - Ugly Betty - One of my favorite shows.
V - Volleyball - I played in 8th grade, I could nail an overhand serve!
W - Western Michigan University - Go Broncos!
X - XOXO - I love hugs and kisses.
Y - Yellow - This is not a good color for me.
Z - Zoo - What else is there besides the zoo?
Now you have to copy and post on your own blog, with your own A-Z! Have a great day.

Fabulous

So we had the best weekend!
Friday - Our great day in South Haven
Saturday - We had some little projects around the house that we needed to work on and got quite a bit done. Trent's parents kept the girls for us and we had a night to ourselves. We decided at the last minute to head to Eastwood Town Center in Lansing for dinner and a movie. We went to PF Chang's for dinner which was ok. Normally I would be more excited about dinner there but I didn't love what I ordered, always a bummer. It was kind of like eating stir fried jerky, so if you have this on your list of things to experience, try the Beef A La Sichuan. I thought it was going to be more like the Mongolian Beef but spicier, I was WAY off base.
Trent was all excited about seeing the Dark Knight so that was next. Have you seen it? Now it is breaking records all over the place and almost everyone I have talked to has said how fantastic it is, but I didn't love it. I know I sound like I am complaining; dinner now the movie but I really did have a good evening. Don't get me wrong, I didn't hate it, but I think it was just a little too dark and twisty and long for me. Would I see it again probably not, will I see the next one, probably will rent it.
Sunday - Trent's aunt Jann extended an invite to all family that was available to come for lunch and hang out by the pool for the day. I was so happy we were able to go and we had the most relaxing fun day. The kids just had a blast playing with each other, it is so fun to have cousins that love to be together. Trent took the kids home and I went to a water aerobics class. I'll be honest I wasn't expecting a huge workout from the class but again I was way off. I feel like I spent about 15 minutes treading water alternating between just using legs, then arms, then only the right or left sides ~ it was tough. Then we had to kick across the pool using only our legs, I didn't think this was going to be that difficult, wrong again. I will definitely do this workout again.
All in all it was a fabulous weekend and I am sad it is over, tomorrow begins a new week and a new weekend to look forward to!

Wiggle your toes in the sand

Sometimes I complain about living in Michigan. Sometimes it is the weather, sometimes it's the lack of a booming economy and sometimes for no good reason. Yesterday we went with our friends/cousins to South Haven, MI and hung out all day.


The beach that lines Lake Michigan is so beautiful and the homes are absolutely gorgeous. When you are hanging on the beach is is easy to forget where you are and about "regular" life.


It felt great to spend the day with no where to go or nothing to do. We got the the beach around 10:30 and played until about 4:00. Then we went to dinner at Clementine's, where they have the best Ranch dressing ever! We wandered around the town just going in and out of local shops that had lots of fun stuff to drool over.
We ended the day at a fantastic ice cream place and had two very sleepy children on the ride home! Though Lanie made her intentions fully clear "mom, I'm just going to shut my eyes for a couple minutes, but that doesn't mean I am sleeping"


With the sandy beaches of Lake Michigan less than 2 hours away we definitely need to get there more!

The good, the bad and the yucky!

So eating healthy is good and bad. Let me break it down...
The Good
1. Feeling better
2. Weight loss
3. More energy
4. Hmmm...I'm sure there are more good but just not coming to me right now
The Bad
1. It is EXPENSIVE
2. It can be a bit restricting
3. I miss Diet Coke, Aspartame and all
4. Did I mention expensive?
5. Time consuming, it is much quicker to go through the drive through or purchase a pre packaged, preservative filled meal
6. Organic fruits and veggies don't last as long, they need the preservatives to last more than 2 days without wilting/molding
7. Requires a lot of thought and label reading
8. Vegetable based breakfast sausage
Yep, I bought frozen veggie breakfast sausages. What do they taste like you ask? How about a mixture of goo and cardboard, yeah I think that about sums it up. I'm really making a good effort but this is where I will definitely have to draw the line. They were super disgusting and I think made Trent almost lose his appetite which is a difficult task. So I think I still had a good dinner minus the cardboard and goo rolled up to look like a sausage, Trents dinner I don't know you be the judge.
My dinner...
egg whites scrambled with reduced fat cheese, mushrooms and onions
whole wheat english muffin - I only ate 1/2 of one of the halves
turkey bacon and about a tablespoon of hashbrowns, I just needed a little taste...
coffee (black) - my new lifeline to caffeine
Trents dinner...
6 egg omelet (the whole egg, not just the whites) with mushrooms, onions, like 5 pieces of bacon and cheese. Oh yeah, don't forget the package, yep an entire package of sausage gravy
A huge mound of hashbrowns
coffee, with more creamer than coffee
I guess the healthy eating for the family is a work in progress...

Fun New Blog

Blog hopping has led me to this great site. Right now they are having a contest to win an ipod, you can learn how to enter here

Wednesday Tip of the Day

After you wash and dry your sheet sets put them into one of these large Ziplock "Big Bags" with a couple dryer sheets. The next time you change your sheets they will smell freshly washed!

We Can't All Come and Go by Bubble!

Last night my friends and I went to see Wicked at the Wharton Center in Lansing. "We can't all come and go by bubble" may just be my favorite line! We were in the very last row of the entire place but the show was so amazing it didn't even matter. I had heard from several people that it was a great show and they were so right. If you have an opportunity to see it, I would highly recommend it. I don't want to give any of the story away in case you haven't seen it but if you have and you can remember some of the other great one liners feel free to comment! **A piece of advice, if you do go and are tempted to buy the soundtrack there, don't. It was $28.00 and everywhere from wal-mart to itunes carries it for around $10.00.