Atti: I want my daddy! Me: (Thinking this) I want your daddy too... Today we got the car. Lately we have been getting it once or twice a car whether or not I want to go somewhere. Today I had to get out of the house. Yesterday we all three felt trapped in the house. With the teaser weather on Sunday we all got cabin feaver. So we tried every form of indoor intertainment that I could think of... color pictures, numbers, sing songs, read books, dance time, made cinnamon rolls, watched tv, played with toys, naps...ugh By the time I was out of ideas and annoyed with 2 and 3 year old interraction it was only 3pm. Normally that would be ok but on Moondays Brandon doesn't get home till 8:30pm. What was I going to do for the next few hours with fussy kids? Well...they were in bed before 8. That is why I HAD to get out today. So we got dressed and cleaned up the house and headed out the door. First stop was the dentist to pay a bill, then the library. I thought it was 10 min later then it was so we had to stand in 35 degrees for 10 min. Ok for me but not for the kids. They were acting as if they were having the worst day of their lives even before 11. We got in and they did pretty well. We stayed form 11-12:30. WOW. I found a great one dish healthy meals book and have already thumbed through it all. Can't wait to make a menu. Then we went to the thrift store next to the library and didn't find anything except a really cute pair of shoes for Nix. I didn't buy them because her feet are so wide that I'm afraid they won't fit. Maybe I'll go back. Then we went to Subway. The kids were SO hungry! Atti ate 1/4 of a 12 in! By the time we got home it was almost 2 and the kids and I went down for a nap. Zzzz... Up again at 4ish. We got Beauty and the Beast in the mail fron Netflix so we watched that (they watched it while I cooked and cleaned the kitchen). Dinner is eaten and we read more books. It is now 6:52. Where are you Brandon? I need my break! :) I think I'll send ESP messages that you should get me chocolate on the way home....Hummmm Hummmmmmmmm... Oh yeah I have the car. I have to come and get you. I guess that means that I will have to get my own chocolate.

Heartburn...

Dear Heartburn, I have been wondering where you've been and last week you showed up. I no longer want to eat or drink even though I am hungry. ugh. You are not welcome here. I like my sleep and I do not enjoy feeling yucky all evening and night. Go away! Thanks, Brittany

The Changes...

Ok so lately I have been obsessed... We watched Food Inc. and I decided that I wanted to eat better and make better purchases. They said that the types od food that you buy at the store "vote" for what types of food the store provides. I am already kind of a hippy but I waver...this is why...It's expensive! So now I'm obsessed with finding a way to be healthy on a budget. Here are a few changes that we are making.... 1. Oatmeal for breakfast. It's inexpensive and I add much less sugar then they put in cereal. Some nights when we eat brown rice I make a lot and we eat that like oatmeal...YUM! 2. Cloth Diapers. They make them so easy to use now and we are doing prefolds so they are very cost effective. 3. Home made cleaning agents. 4. Home made whole wheat bread and tortillas. 5. Meat...that's a tuffy...We are eating meat less and beans more to have enough money to buy good meat. (Luckily we love beans!) 6. Finding ingredient replacements that are less expensive but more healthy. Ex: For chicken salad sandwiches replace chicken with mashed chickpeas. 7. make better purchases. good eggs and healthier brands. These are just a few things that we have been doing. There are still a few more things that I want to introduce to this family... 1. Recycle (it's hard to recycle around here because you have to drive 30 min to get to a recycle center!) 2. Upcycle things. I have seen where people fix up thrift store purchases so that they can use them and I want to try! Maybe clothes or home decor. 3. I am thinking about going back to rice milk vs cow milk...we'll see what Brandon says about that! I have also been looking for recipes that have less sugar and fats...more veggies. I think we will have more vegetarian nights. Wish be luck! Any suggestions???

My philosophy on mothering preschoolers...if you care.

1. This is the best time. 2. Moms make mistakes...the biggest mistake is not owning up to it. 3. There is a time to discipline and a time to love. 4. Now is the time to build a relationship with your preschooler. 5. They learn through example...they learn to do by doing things with you. 6. There is never a wasted day, even pj and Dora day is filled with hugs and tickles. 7. Nutrition is important!! (I won't get into it...) 8. Activities mean a lot to kids...for 2-3 minutes. 9. You always have time to sing ABC and 123 songs. 10. Books are better then toys. 11. Kids need to be dressed and look nice. It makes me and them feel better. (Plus people in public treat you better based off of how "together" you look. 12. You HAVE to do what's best for you and your kids. Don't listen to family, neighbors or even professionals if you know what you should do...just do it. 13. It doesn't matter what you do to have fun...just have FUN! 14. It's important to be firm and constant. You buckle, they buckle. 15. I have learned that you have to separate yourself from the situation a lot. I can be firm or discipline but loving immediately when it's over. Can't hold grudges. I'm not saying that I am perfect at all these things but this is what I want to be. Also all these things work for me...maybe not everyone.

40 Degrees!! Woo Hoo!!

So I took the kids outside to the park today since it's warming up...sorta. Well at least the snow is gone. I bundled them up and they had a blast! I froze but they didn't seem to. We were out for 45 min when we decided that we needed to go home for hot chocolate. What a fun time! On another note...I am on a decluttering rampage!! I feel like I want to get rid of everything and get organizers for all the closets. We'll see how far I get before I get tired. Also I baught diapers for the baby. I ended up getting size small all in one cloth diapers that will fit till the baby is 16 lbs. Then I'll use the ones that I'm using with Atti. They had them for $9 because they are discontinuing that style. Woo Hoo! I also get a wet bag so they threw in leggings for free! $123 total! I figured that we'd have it paid off in less then 2 months. Brandon doesn't know this yet but I'm going to take our old towels and cut them up to use as cloth wipes too. I figure I'm washing poopy diapers...why not poopy wipes? Sounds crazy I know... Atti is trying to potty train and it is going well so far. Whenever I put him on the potty he goes #1 and I'm so excited that he's doing so well. I don't have my hopes up that he'll get it done in 3 months but I don't think he'll wait till he's 3 like Nix.

I can't wait till...

I can't wait till the kids are older because

no more diapers

I won't have to make all their meals

no more morning sickness

no more carseats

no more Dora and Diego

no more fighting them to get their clothes on

no more toothbrush wars

no more crying at night

then I'll have to worry about

boyfriends/girlfriends

I'll never feel a baby inside me

they will drive and worry me

they'll want to watch questionable shows

they'll want to wear immodest clothes

they will lie and way they brushed their teeth but didn't

I think I'm in the best time of my life. Everyone tells me that "It'll get better". I don't know what could be better then this. We have our hard times but I get to color, play games, watch tv, take naps, eat snacks and snuggle all day!

The baby has now moved in...to my rib.

THIS IS NOT MY TUMMY!!

Doc...are you sure there aren't two in there? Really sure? No but you are measuring 2 weeks bigger then you're supposed to. Um...That would explain why I feel like this baby is taking up so much space. I'm not complaining because it doesn't hurt but it feels like this week the baby is practicing staying awake, soccer, and bungee jumping. Funny thing though...the baby never kicks when I want it to. Like when Brandon or the kids want to feel it.

Leg Cramps

Two nights ago I woke up with a cramp in my leg. It was not my calf or my shin but on the side of my leg. I pulled my foot inword and got rid of the cramp. I was sore throughout the day but it was ok. Then last night I got another one in the same place. It went away then came back 3 more times. By the second one I was crying and trying to keep it together. It was 5am and I was sore and tired but I couldn't sleep. My leg felt so tight and painful that I was scared that it would happen again. Needless to say...I'm tired and sore today. I feel like my whole body is sore from all that.

I went online to read up on leg cramps and there are a few things that I can do to prevent them...

bananas

stretches throughout the day

warm bath

calcium (has not been proven to help)

So I have been stretching before and after workouts but I quess I'll have to do it before and after bed too. I already take calcium but I can add a banana a day. (Half in the morning and half at night because all that sugar makes my tummy hurt.) Baths...I told Brandon that I would only bath if he cleaned out the tub (not that it's dirty but I don't like taking baths because it feels yucky) so I'll get a bath tonight.

I posted about t hese cramps on facebook and Danielle (my sis) said that I should try a strawberry/banana/yogurt shake! YUM!

The latest...

Before Christmas I decided that I wanted to learn how to knit. Well...I decided that it looks too hard to I decided to crochet instead. So I started and I love it. I used to crochet a lot but I kinds forgot how to do it. I have been watching how to do it on youtube and have made a few things. This is what I'm working on now...

Cute huh? (No I havn't found out the sex of the baby!) I have also made 4 different baby hats and am really having fun learning. Thank you YouTube!!

Our Babysitter

When we first moved here I wanted to find a good babysitter. Up until then we would just leave the kids with another couple who also had kids the same ages as our kids. It worked out fine but I felt like they didn't really want to watch our kids. Either that or they didn't leave their kids with us as much so we felt like they were annoyed with us. Anyways...when we got here I starting keeping an eye out for teenagers that would work out. I noticed Caroline because she was so sweet to our children. We tried her out and realized that she is the BEST! Here are our favorite things about her... 1. She is sweet. Really sweet. 2. She is upbeat and makes us happy. 3. She is almost 18 so she's experienced. 4. VERY RESPONSIBLE! She will come last minute if we need her. 5. She plays with the kids, she doesn't just sit and ignore them. I find that she colors and plays games with them. 6. She cleans up the house and always does the dishes. 7. temple trips are FREE!!! (we pay for the extra time we go out to eat or shop) 8. most important...she genuinly loves our kids. If she doesn't see them for a while she races to give them hugs. There is one thing that we hate about her...but it's not her...She lives all the way out of town! UGH!!! But we love her so much that we take the drive anyways. Her mom is so awesome that she usually drives her over and we take her home. WE LOVE OUR BABYSITTER!!!!

Cloth Diapering...here's how I do it and how much I spend...

I decided that since everyone is asking me how I'm cloth diapering I would blog about it. I wasn't sure if I was really serious about doing it so I decided to go the easiest and least expensive way possible. First of all there are lots of different ways to cloth diaper... cloth diapers with inserts all in one diaper covers one size hybrids I chose to go with the diaper covers because I already had one and I didn't want to wash the entire diaper each use...just the trifold. The All and Borax are both from Walmart. I have read that they aren't the best for cloth diapering (3 stars out of 4) but I don't want to pay tons for detergents and shipping. Most people get a wetbag for their diaper bag but I havn't yet so I just use an old grocery bag and a cloth bag that I had around the house. The Cloth Diaper inserts were from Walmart at $1 each I think. The Diaper covers run from $10-15 each but I got 3 for $41 including tax and shipping. So here is how I do it...open the diaper... Put the trifold in the diaper...

Open the top of the trifold (where the baby's back is)...

Add a liner. (I use half of a Viva paper towel but most use rice paper. Again I'm trying to save money.)

Fold the front up...I have a boy!

Close it up!

Here is the finished product!! Cute huh! SO Here is what I do when there's a stinky..

I change him just like normal but leave the wipes in the diaper.

I reuse the diaper cover all day unless it's dirty. (You can wipe them out)

I go to the trash and throw away the wipes and the liner that caught the stinky. (The trash has to be taken out every day!) Then just drop the trifold into the laundry. There it waits till I have a half load of whites or towels. When they come out of the laundry they never stink and I havn't had a stain yet.

So...I didn't spend an arm and a leg to get started and it is working great so far...even at night!! BUT the best news of all is after I use these for 2 1/2 months I will have paid these off and will be saving about 45 cents a day including laundry costs! (Until the baby comes then we'll save LOTS more!)

One of my goals before the baby comes is to get caught up on our family newspaper. I started after Nix was born so I wanted to do her pregnancy and birth. I also havn't done one all year long! I'm terrible! I would enjoy it more but the program that I use is terribly slow. Anyone know of a program that I can use to make these newsletters that might be better then Scrapbook Factory?