Where do I even begin again? How about Hi!

Hi and Welcome back!
I've had this blog for years now and I took such a long time off, it's a little weird to start up again.   I think the new design will help...to me it feels less busy and I love how it just feels like a brand new blog.
I know I haven't gained new followers but maybe who I am or what I write about has been lost in the time I have spent away from here.  So I thought I would kind of do another introduction.
Of course you get the little "about me" blurb on my sidebar and I have the "about me" page, but that needs a serious update as well.   There are the most common things about me like I am married, live in Wisconsin, and am a stay at home mom to a FOUR (ahhhh- can't believe he's 4) year old boy named Mason.
So now that I have refreshed your memory that way, today and tomorrow I am visiting past posts that actually talk about me and more about who I am.  Before that though, I included 2 pictures of Mason.  No longer a baby or toddler but a boy...a kid...a child who started going to school.   Time sure does go by fast.

Mason & his iPod.  This boy is obsessed with music.  Literally obsessed.

Here are posts from the past that are pretty much short and random but for sure capture me.  Many of them weird :)


250 words about me
10 random facts about me
Even more random facts
And even more facts

Pool League Anyone?

So what does one do when they have never played pool (sober) and know literally nothing about it?   (I even forgot what it meant to 'scratch' was).   

You join a pool league.   Yes, that's right, I am in a pool league.    

I actually was roped into it.  My friend Mandy mentioned being in it, and I kind of shot down the idea because I have never played.  Well "be a sub then".  "Ok" I say.   

Fast froward 1 1/2 months later...Oh hey Miranda, our pool league starts the 26th.  

Me - "     .....................  . Oooook."

So here I am, about to go play pool for the second time ever on a team.   I will say I am either a somewhat good player that didn't know it, or I had beginners luck.  We are second in the league and we won 6 out of 10 games last week.   

So now I am trying to learn terminology like "kitchen", "english" "double railed/s?" 

Now I ask, any pool players out there?  Tips?   I mean the other teams I play against bring their own sticks/cues whatever.    One even lit up last week.    They mean business.   

And I just hope I don't embarrass myself.

*Now I'm debating adding a picture.   Just to make this post more interesting....hmmm let me go see"

This speaks the truth.

* Peace & Pool *

He's Still Talking --- Part II

Alrighty.  I'm sure you are all just dying waiting for the second part of Guss talking about me.   :)  

If you missed it last week, here is part I.   Here is Part II.  Where he shares the things about me that drive him crazy.  Don't worry...I still love him.

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Not all of these things are "good", some are just annoying. You know stuff that you might bring up in a room with a marriage counselor or something. But that's OK not everything is perfect. As my grandpappy once said, "life isn't all lollipops and gumdrops son!". Okay he never said that in fact I'm confident he has never used the word lolly pop or gumdrop. 

* My wife has a condition that I call iPod ADD. Can we please here the end of a song or hey here is a thought how about the middle. Always changing the song half a verse in. I don't know how she knows if she like the song or not she never listens to it.  Next song..next...next, I would say it's the most annoying thing.

* But if she doesn't hear something on the TV she has to rewind it. It's never something important to the plot that she misses either. "What was the dogs name?". Who cares, it doesn't matter, lets finish this show I need to go to bed! Even the commercial will get rewound. I thought that was the purpose for the DVR so we don't have to watch bad commercials for Big Al's Carpet City. I don't know why she cant do what I do, just assume its unimportant and move on and if it was try and piece it together later. 

* Have you ever had someone ask you a question that you are pretty sure they didn't care what the answer was. The best example is two different shoes, one on each foot. What shoe looks better. "I like the one on the left foot!".  Next thing I know the pair that was on the right foot is being worn. I really do assume it's because that's the one I didn't pick. This is done purposely just to be annoying and frustrating. But what can you do right?

* The thing that starts an argument the fastest in this house happens right away in the morning. 

Miranda is not what anyone would refer to as a morning person. I would even call her a noon person. I on the other hand am a morning person, well a 7 or 8 o'clock person, my employer seems to think that 4am is the morning,  I disagree. 

So every morning that I am home starts with the first wake up call... "uuuugggggghhhhhh just a half an hour more".  This wish is granted and met with..... "come back in ten minutes". OK.. ten minutes pass and I let my impatience be known. Another few minutes pass and I'm proclaiming loudly "get up",  "I'm awake", "but you're not up". 

* Hey! I guess I got one more in me. So as my dad's friends used to say, "Here's one for the road!". They really did say that...what it was a different simpler time...don't judge. You know what just take the Pabst Blue Ribbon OK!?

 I don't not believe that as of the 11th grade she has written a research paper. Except for maybe an art or German paper. I have written all her papers in 11th 12th and 4 (or more) years in college. Boy did she do good on them too. ( I deny this vehemently    do you think I want to lose my Bachelor's degree?!?!?! )

Well that's all I have. I don't really know how to end this.........that's what she said

---------- He's so classy.

Guss Talks About Me - Part I

So I warned told you Guss was taking over this week.  I was gonna make a few comments but thought I would let his comments stand on their own for now and I would input later.   

Just to preface - this is us.   At times it may seem like he is being mean or picking on me....but he's not.  I pre-read everything....and it fits.   I just wanted honesty.   So *lord help me*...

Take it away ....

(P.S. I'm posting this on my iPad so if it looks weird or things are spelled wrong, then sorry, I'm incompetent  on here without my laptop.)

(P.P.S.  I added the photos on these posts, not Guss :) 

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I do not know what you are calling this blog subject. But I am giving it my own title: 10 things I know about you. I of course know more than 10 but it seemed like a good number. It worked in the movies right.  I mean the y made two movies that used the number 10 in a list. Maybe its not as good of a reason as that Kate Hudson chick and I don't really remember why Julia Styles chose it. Yea that's right, I watched those movies. 

* First of all she is the most wonderful women alive, she just lights up my life....mmm threw up in my mouth a little.. If you know anything about Miranda you know she is not a mushy person. Anything "lovey dovey" is meet with distaste. Oh and PDA is plain unacceptable. We both happen to agree on this subject. 

* The best way to put the next thing is she is an IMDB brain. I, as well as her mom and sisters, can begin a sentence with "who's that lady who was in that movie?". She will promptly reply "Oh Emma Roberts!"  Or I will be talking about Ann Hathaway and she will reply with "you mean Natalie Portman?", "yea I cant keep these people straight.". Don't worry she's caught up on all these peoples whereabouts...who's dating who, who broke up so on and so on.

* If you are counting the * as numbers, here is 3 and 4.  One thing I love most about he is she really dose like sports, well playoff basketball, baseball and especially football. However she is very superstitious, and has to knock on wood if you say that something to benefit the Packers is going to happen. Even if you think it. A first I thought this was bogus but went along with it.  That's when we decided to test this theory. I am sorry to tell any Packer fans listing that we are responsible for the 2005 season where they went 4-12. I don't know if it works or not we aren't testing it again. She also talks to her dad on the phone after every touchdown. The only problem with this is sometimes we are being due to pausing because of a toddler or the refrigerator calling. There's nothing like watching the game wondering whats going to happen and the phone ringing "oh I Bet they score here!".

*When Eminem released the Eminem Show we were there. Miranda instantly began memorizing the lyrics to Superman and before to long we could rap the whole song, her mostly without the music playing. We began learning other songs on the CD and would have rap offs in the car. I would always lose by messing up the fast raps in Cleaning out my closet. I still screw up those parts even to this day. 

* I wouldn't say that I am always wrong and Miranda is always right, that's just nonsense. However, she does have a knack to make me wrong. Example 1: We have some ribs from a BBQ restaurant. I thought the dog would enjoy a rib bone or two and I proceeded to give him one. I heard "he's just going to puke that up", "why would he puke this up we gave bones to our dogs growing up all the time" "OK you better hope you are right". The next morning rib bone puke on the bed, Thanks Bailey!  No more bones for you!  Example 2: about the beginning of the 2006 football season I declared that neither Manning would win a Superbowl. Football fans know what happened, Peyton went and won it that year and for an encore his little brother Eli won it the next year. Yep they went back to back just to make sure I was wrong. I am convinced if I said the sky is blue and she said no it lime green I would look up and it would be lime green!

Three Things That Are Wrong With Me

Today it's all about your top 3 worst traits.   It was hard to narrow it down to just 3. ;)

So here they are...from my point of view.

I'm sensitive.

Being sensitive is not always necessarily a bad trait, but for me it is.   I'm so sensitive, there is a story my mom tells me, I was getting talked to sternly by my dad and he slammed his hand on the table and I burst into tears.   Mostly all it takes is a nasty look and I'm bawling.   

I'm a horrible procrastinator.

I mean soooooo bad.   I'm talking 10 page papers written the night before they are due.   I'm talking having to catch the train at 7 am in Germany to fly home and furiously finishing packing at 6:30 am and almost missing my train.

I stay up way too late for my own good/I am a perpetual night owl.  

Let me tell how you much sleep I lose because of this.   Lately Mason is getting up at 7 am (normal yes for any other child, but wasn't for mine) and so I am averaging 5 or 6 hours of sleep a night!  And I can't stop!   I get a second wind around 10 pm and I play games/watch TV/read until early in the morning.   My eye is twitching at this moment because of lack of sleep.    Also Guss is the complete opposite, he is bouncing around at 8 am while I could sleep till 1 pm....and get to on Mother's Day! :)

Have a great Friday lovies!!!

Me & A day in my life . . .

So yah I've been slacking with this everyday in May....no surprise from the biggest procrastinator known to live.   

However I wanted to participate in a few in the past few days and hope to at least do the rest of the month.  

A favorite photo of yourself and why.

I love candid photos.  The two photos I chose were both when i didn't know when they were being taken.

 I used to use this photo for my blog and about me but since it was 2007 I finally switched it.  However I love it.  It was taken by a friend when I was studying abroad.  We were atop of the Frauenkirche in Dresden Germany.  

Then there is this one.   It was our (Guss & ours) second annual housewarming party and someone took this after I crawled under the table.  I just love that everyone in this photo is laughing.  We don't even know someone took the picture.  

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A day in my life.  I did this awhile ago and for the life of me, I can't find the link.  So here is a day in my life now...with a 3 year old.

 My alarm clock wakes me up and plays with my iPad, while I struggle to open my eyes.

 We (he) feeds the dog.  His chore.

 We eat.

 We learn German.

 We go for a walk. (Now that there is nice enough weather.)

We check out our Thrift sale findings.

 We hang out.

 Mom drinks relaxes while watching TV.

Everyday is a variety of the same including, cleaning, downing caffeine, playing games on the iPad, blogging, and chasing around a very naughty 3 year old.

I think...a lot.

Today's (yes I'm doing it late again in the day) topic for "Blog Everyday in May" had me stumped. - If you couldn't answer with your job, how would you answer the question, 'what do you do'?

I thought and thought and thought.   What do I do besides being a stay at home mom?   Besides my hobbies like reading or watching TV (yes that is a hobby).   And then after thinking...it came to me.

I think.   A lot.

I have always been inside my head, thinking about everything.   Every situation I am in I think about the good and the bad and every scenario you can think of.

For example:  When I'm driving and I'm by a lot of water,  I start thinking of my escape plan if I happen to lose control and fall in.   I'm going to roll down my window and unbuckle my seat belt while I'm going down so I can get to my son.  

Crazy, right?

But I like to have my bases covered.   I'm constantly thinking about literally everything.

And this would probably be the reason it takes me forever to fall asleep at night...I can't shut it off.  

So what do I do?  I think.  Too Much.

What a weird answer, huh?

My life - 250 words

So I'm doing this. 

  I'm going to try the Everyday in May challenge from Jenni's blog.  

First off...my life story in about 250 words.  (251 here).

I was born July 25, 1984 in La Crosse, WI.  I was raised in a small town in Wisconsin called Tomah.   My parents are still married and I have sisters..the number of how many is a topic I plan to elaborate at a later date.  I grew up taking dance, then in High School I played soccer and was a Co-Captain of the Cheerleading squad.

(Look at my dad's 'stache!)

I graduated in 2002 then took a year off of school to work.   I attended University of Wisconsin Stout for a 1 1/2 years and then transferred and graduated with a BA at the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire. My major was Art and my minor was German.  While in college I got to study abroad in Germany and it was one of the best times of my life.  

Throughout my life I have only had 3 (paying) jobs.   I was a Manager at McDonald's (worked there for 7 years), Lifeguard (3 years), and Petco employee (5 years.) Obviously there was an overlap.

 I met my husband Guss in the 10th grade, started dating in the 11th grade, got engaged in 2005, married in 2006 and had our son in 2010.  Whew. We also have 2 gigantic Golden Retrievers!

Right now I am a stay at home mom and I love it and hate it all at once. :)
I hope to someday work in the Art History field which is my passion.   Other interests include TV, reading, watching football (Go Packers!), and baseball (Go Brewers!).

Well I think that about covers it!   Any questions, feel free to ask!

Jealousy is Ugly

It really is.  An ugly, ugly thing.  In my opinion, jealousy is one of the worst feelings ever. 

Besides depression, anxiety, OCD, I feel like this is the biggest thing I have always struggled with.

However, at times,  I am confused why I struggle with this.   I had a good childhood, parents who gave me attention and loved me, sisters who acted like siblings should, was always encouraged and never put down growing up.

The only thing I can think is being continually bullied and lack of self confidence.

My bullying is a whole other post but I believe it makes you feel smaller, like you aren't as good as everyone else. 

My main struggles include:

* Friendship - Having your friend go out with other people without you or without even asking you.  Having fun without you.   Doing more things with other people, than you.  It is absolutely ridiculous...but you can't help but feel it.

* Love

* Blog - more followers, more comments, etc.

* Looks - look at how pretty she is, skinny she is, how cool her clothes are

* Family - (this will completely confuse you but makes sense to me) why do my sisters have another sister they can be close with/make her the godmother of their child even though we are closer.  And the fact that my other sister is pretty much a stranger to me.

- sounds like High School, huh? -

I am sensitive person.  Always have been, always will.  I don't always see it as a problem but when it comes to jealousy I do.  In ways I have been getting better.  I was seriously jealous when Guss & I first started dating.  Now I am comfortable in my marriage, and trust him so it isn't really a problem.  However I struggle daily...literally daily, with the rest. It bothers me, angers me, and shames me to think that something so small in certain cases can affect me.  

I will probably work toward being free of jealousy my whole life.  I wish I could just turn it off, but I can't

Do you struggle with jealousy?  If you don't I envy you and I would love to hear some advice/tips.  

Birth Story Part one'ish

...I accidentally added 'y' to 'part' to make it party.  Ha.

So this part of the birth story is actually not the birth.   My story starts around 36 weeks.

My 36 week appointment was a two-parter.   First we met a with a maternity counselor to go over our birth plan and take the Group B Strep (that one is sooo not fun).   

She asked about bathing the baby after birth, Guss cutting the cord, pain medication, etc.   Then she examined my belly.  

Two minutes later we were in the Ultrasound room.  Since I had Gestational Diabetes I got one more ultrasound than I should.  The only high point of that situation.  We were excited to see our baby boy moving around again but after 30 seconds she got a little quiet.   Then she tells us, looks like your baby is upside down! 

The last hour with the maternity counselor went out the window, totally wasted time.   

The surprising thing?  I wasn't shocked.  It actually all made sense now.   I never imagined my self having a vaginal birth.  I just never did.   And then I started to realize...that's why I only felt movements on my right side.   Duh.  That is why I am peeing every 5 minutes.  He is literally sitting on my bladder.  

The doctor told us that the baby was actually frank breech, not the most common breech/upside down position.   Here are 2 creepy pictures of what that means. (and if you really want to freak yourself out google frank breech and look at the pictures)

Our doctor gave us the option...external version or c-section?  Thankfully he gave us a few days to think about it so I could figure things out.

External version?  Extremely painful.  They literally move your baby, using their hands, on the outside of your body.  Plus, it's a 50/50 chance the baby could move back, 50/50 it wouldn't work, and I would have to be admitted because it can force labor.   Um....no thank you.

So we scheduled our c-section.  And that part comes tomorrow, including how I spent my last day knowing it was my last day before having a baby.

Also some random notes on the this post.

* A great thing about having a breech baby...never having to get internal exams in the later weeks of pregnancy.

* I believe I was given the diabetes because Mason was breech.  If I didn't have it, I wouldn't have had that extra ultrasound.  My doctor admitted he couldn't tell he was breech and neither did the maternity counselor 5 minutes before that ultrasound. 

* I thought of if I had lived in older times.   I don't think I would have survived labor having had trying to give birth to a frank breech baby.   

Good times.   :)

It's OK...Mostly

  

Linking up today with Neely & Amber.
 

 

it's ok...

 

...that all the pictures I take of myself are incredibly awkward and send my left eye into some kind of panic, so it hides.

 

 

...that while i get to sleep in at my parents house, they are shoving Mason's face full of oreos for breakfast.

 

...to want to take home my parents cats.   They're entertaining.

 

They are obsessed with luggage.

 

....to remember you owned a cat once and hated it.  (sorry cat lovers - I love them, just can't live with them)

 

...to take full advantage of the fact i still get to pick my kids outfits.   Pictures to come on a super cool outfit. :)

 

...to paint said (male) kid's toenails.   He asks for it and even loves to choose his own color! 

 

...that I can't wait to watch "Scandal" tonight but might not because that means I will be watching it with my mom.  And with those steamy sex scenes...that could be uncomfortable.

 

...to read a few blogs that actually annoy me.  Maybe that isn't ok.  But I can't help it.  I can't stop reading but they bug the crap out of me.

 

...that I got nothin else.

P.s.  I got a few new followers (hi!).  And I can't wait to share a giveaway I am doing soon for everyone!

Let's Compare Shall We? (V-Day Edition)

Sara from You and Me Are We, is co-hosting this V-day link up!  Seemed like fun so here are mine & Guss's answers.

How long have you been married?  

Me:  6 1/2 years, I like to be specific

Guss: 6 


Where was your first date? 

M: official was at the movies

G: movies "Me, Myself, and Irene"


Where was your first kiss? 

M: my basement

G: don't know (seriously?)


Who first said, "I love you"?

M:  him, almost immediately, over ICQ 

   :) 

G: me


What were your wedding colors?

M: brown

G: brown & champagne (I'm impressed)


What is her most commonly used 

phrase? 

M: Seriously? (I say that at least a

million times a day.

G: don't know.  


Who is her celebrity crush?  

M:  Bill Clinton, Ryan Gosling

G:  That president guy 

(how very patriotic of him)


If she was ordering drinks for both 

of you what would you each get? 

Both: beer (Him Coors, Her Miller Lite)

What is the best meal she has ever 

cooked you?

Both: manicotti, recipe here.


What is the worst meal she has

 ever cooked you? 

M:  I made some spicy pasta and he

 couldn't eat more than one bite.

G: Nothing.  (thanks baby)


What is the most-played song on her 

iPod? 

M: Whatever song I'm loving that week.

G: Her German music.  He really hates 

the songs I brought back with me.


What would he say is your most 

annoying habit?

M:  Nagging - I really hate that word.

G: his words "Sleeping in, wait no

 there's another one"  gee thanks.  He

 hates when we are watching TV and I 

don't hear something so I rewind it so I

 do.  

His?

M: His quick temper

G: She thinks I'm a hypocrite.  (He is!)


What is the last thing she does

before she goes to bed? 

Both: Play a game on my phone.  What

 can I say?  I like a good game of

 Yatzee or Solitare before bed.

What would you say is your favorite 

thing about her? 

M: Obviously my natural beauty, genius

 IQ, and cooking abilities.   *cough*

G: She likes sports.


What's her go-to drink at

 Starbucks? 

Both: caramel machiato - funny he

 knows my Starbucks drink but not

where our first kiss was. 

What's her blog's name?

G: Aimless Translation.  Unbeknownst

 to me, apparently he googles it every

 once a while.  Good thing I don't say

 anything that I wouldn't say to his

 face...or have said to him.   :)


Happy Valentine's Day Lovies!