ODE TO MY TREADMILL

~Rewind, Review, Replay~

You stay in the bedroom, alone in the dark, until I need you.  Once plugged in you spring to life ready to give me whatever it is I request of you.  Whether a leisurely walk or a heart-pumping sprint is in store, you are there for me, providing the means to get my daily dose of cardio in.

I sometimes wish I could watch TV while spending time with you, but staring at a magazine or out the window while listening to Pandora on my iPhone works just as well.

I'm thankful that my ever-loving husband ordered a belt to fix you. The excuse, "I can't workout because my treadmill is broken" was growing very tired.  I will never use you to hang clothes from, or allow you to collect thick layers of dust.  I can't promise that my son will not one day use you as a jungle gym, but please know that you are loved.

Treadmill, you are my friend. My heart, brain and over-all health thank you for what you are. You rock!

On to the week~

~We got a bit of snow Sunday and on into Monday. Most of you think of Alaska as this big ol' frozen snow globe. You are partially right, except for Fairbanks is usually too cold to get snow dumped on us. Sub-zero temps are the norm for us. Our local newspaper, The News-Miner, stated this;

More than a foot and a half of snow fell Sunday and Monday, filling roads, driveways, sidewalks and parking lots with more snow than has been seen from one storm in more than 25 years.

Wind gusts of 15 to 30 mph caused blowing and drifting snow that reduced visibility to zero at times, making driving — or even walking — a serious challenge.
Read more: Fairbanks Daily News-Miner - Sixth largest two day snowfall in Fairbanks history dumps 18 5 inches

It was/is beautiful.  I'm so thankful that I am a Stay At Home Momma, though, and don't have to  brave the roads each day!

Maggie and Tanner watching and playing while I take pictures of the piles of snow.

~We went to the transfer sight because we had a lot of garbage in the back of the truck that really didn't need any more snow piled on top of it.  On our way back home there was a 4-runner stuck on the side of the road, so Brandon pulled him out. While we were pulling 4-runner guy out another guy in a pickup got stuck in the snow behind us, so we pulled him out next.  Further down the road car #3 was stuck so we pulled it out as well! 

~I really wanted a fun picture with Tanner in all the fresh snow.  We got a few fun pictures, though Tanner didn't have such a great time.  By the time I got him into the house he was screaming.  Poor baby!

~I'm not one for using cookbooks much.  I like to look a recipe, get some ideas and then turn to the kitchen and make that recipe my own.  My sisters were both raving about The NEW! Abs Diet Cookbook. I went out and bought it since I already had The Abs Diet for Women book which has lots of great recipes as well.  I've cooked quite a few meals out of the books now and follow the recipes to a T.  The concoctions have all turned out tasty!

GOD-DIDN'T-MAKE-LITTLE-GREEN-APPLES HOME FRIES
(Potatoes, Turkey Ham, Granny Smith Apple LOTS OF SEASONING!)

~We had a great play date over at my friend Susan's house.  She has two little guys, Sean and Spencer.  Our friend Verna was there with her two little guys Simon and Sammy.  Tanner and Spencer are only about three weeks apart. They don't quite play together yet, but sharing some Kix was a pleasant enough experience!

S + S + S + S+ T = A passel of rowdy boys

~Tanner and I try to get some skype time in with my mom and niece Ella every Wednesday.  Wednesday's are the days that my mom makes the 60 mile trip from Superior to Missoula with my dad then another 15 miles or so to Lolo where my sister and her husband live, to watch her sweet grand-daughter. My dad makes the trip from Superior to Missoula and back 5 days a week for work, so it works out perfectly that my mom can hitch a ride to go play with Ella!  

Tanner and Ella will say "HI! HI! HI! HI!" to one another and show each other toys and food.  Then they get bored and wander off.

~I took Tanner to the play area at the Community Center on Eielson Air Force base for the first time.  We had the place to ourselves for quite awhile then school got out and lots of kids came to burn some energy. Tanner loves watching other kids playing and enjoys going and trying to interact a bit.  It's lots of fun to watch him socializing, though needs to be reminded a lot that "We don't pull, push, bite, scratch our friends".

~Tanner has been screaming for two weeks straight.  OK, not straight, but it sure feels like it.  Brandon and I get so stressed out not knowing what is up with our little screech owl!  

~It's so nice when he puts himself in a quiet corner with the dogs.  Most of the time the dogs will get up and move to a different quiet corner. Tanner follows, obviously the dogs' subtle hints are lost on him.

PINT SIZED PREDATOR

~REWIND, REVIEW, REPLAY~

Half-filled coffee cups, sleeping dogs, the TV, the dogs' water bowl, iPhones, wallets, my makeup drawer, laptops, all fall victim to my son, the Pint Sized Predator.  Warnings of "No, no", "Off-limits", "No thank you", "Uh-Oh", "Please stop!!!!", "HOT" fall on stubborn little ears.  Well intended advice I've received from friends, family and the internet to steer my son in the direction of righteousness cover a full spectrum of actions;

• Spank
• Time out
• Do to him what he does to you (pull hair, bite)
• Redirection
• Smack/flick hand
• No disciplining a 1 year old
• Blowing in face
• Ignore because a 1 year old doesn't know any better

I have dabbled in all of the above.  Most resulted in tiny tantrums; covering the face and sobbing, hiding his face in the wall and screaming.   I've found that ignoring the indiscretion leads to total destruction and no lesson learned.  I'm not ready to "raise my hand" to Tanner regularly.  I'm not ready to just throw my hands up in the air and say "boys will be boys".  I am saying that Tanner is busy exploring his world and is going to do things he isn't supposed to. No good can come from yelling and "trying" to discipline him in a way that he isn't responding positively too.  Redirection and patience are going to be the name of the game... until the game changes again.

~Brandon lost his wedding band a month or so ago.  I lost the diamond out of my wedding ring last summer.  Bad luck, huh?  I fell upon an awesome deal on a new diamond before we left Montana and we bought Brandon a band for a great price.  Good luck, huh?

~I absolutely adore taking pictures of Tanner eating.  Maybe it's the mess he makes.  The pleasure I get out of creating healthy meals for my son and witnessing him enjoy them.  How they are real and unposed.  Whatever it may be, the nosh pics are my fave.  

~ Duckie running is funny.  Duckie running in the snow is funnier.  She likes to try to race Maggie and always has to be the leader of the pack.  If she happens to get distracted and fall behind, she hauls butt to catch up and pass us by. 

~I want to eat them. I want to put those chubby little hands and thighs in my mouth and just gobble them up.  He's always on the go and I'm starting to see the legs thin.  I want him to slow down, sit more often. I don't want him to lose those rolls.  I think I'm fighting a losing battle.

~ We went to our friend Sean's third birthday party at Gymnastics Inc. I have to say this is the most fun I've ever had a birthday party, for kid or adult. It was a relaxed environment, lots of laughing, running, screaming by everyone!

~First fort of Tanner's life!  Best fort of Brandon's life!

~Cuddle time is hard to come by these days.  Since discovering that a few cartoons on the web will hold his attention for a few minutes I find myself wanting to play those cartoons over and over again.

~ Matching daddy and son!  So much better than matching momma and son or matching momma and daddy.

~Oh Maggie.  She used to be the baby.  The one we doted on.  Our one and only.  Then we got Duckie.  Duckie is a little tyrant who doesn't let Maggie show any emotion. Then we had Tanner and Maggie got pushed back out of the limelight just a little more.  

Recently Tanner has started loving on Maggie.  He hugs her, pushes his head under her chin, tries to ride her like a pony. Tanner shows our Mag-Pie more attention that Brandon and I put together. 

~I finally caught a smile. I can't seem to catch those little buggers on camera these days.  He's turning into a little boy who despises the camera.  When I do catch those pearly whites it's like sunshine.

My goals are going great... loving the down dog of my sun salutation! Time spent in the bible is rewarding.  Logging every morsel of food  I eat is tedious!

My Aunt Kathy found out a few weeks ago that she has colon cancer. Surgery is February 16 at 12:00pm EST. My thoughts and prayers are with her.

LOVE & VALENTINE'S

Oh sweet Valentine's Day with your Hallmark cards, Chocolates, and Flowers!  Heart-shapes, Cupids, and Doves!  Kisses, Embraces, and Love!  How I adore you!


~ Perfectly Timed ~


Wikipedia describes Valentine's Day as an annual commemoration held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions. 


I'm on Week 3 of my bible study and it's titled Greatest of These is Love.  What a great thing to have both Valentine's day and this week of Bible Study devoted to love.  I'll be studying Eros: Grasping Love, Philos: Friend Love, Agape: Caring Love and Agape in Action.  The study starts off with these thought provoking words;
We talk about it. We sing about it. We praise it. We seek it, and we long for it. Love. "The fruit of the Spirit is love"  God's kind of love is foreign to us.  How can we love the unlovely-not endure them, but love them? How can we genuinely desire the best, not for ourselves or our friends, but for our enemies?  Love challenges us. It frightens us, and it embraces us.  Ultimately only love can change us so that we become people who love.

Brandon and I deeply love one another. The greatest evidence of this is love is our son.  I think that Brandon and I needed seven years of marriage and sharing our love, for one another, before having Tanner to understand the awesomeness of watching love exist outside of ourselves.   To feed that love, nurture that love and let that love change us is what we've been waiting for our whole lives!  Love will always be growing and maturing and I'm so thankful for that!

~LOVE~

     

COMMITMENT

~REWIND, REVIEW, REPLAY~


I started this weeks blog with the intent of the subject matter being goals, and in a way it still is.  I believe it is important to set goals and have hopes and dreams to strive for.  I'm having problems setting and sticking to goals though. It's causing me to really take a look inward. I started January, like most people, setting a few goals or resolutions.  I even have a group of girls that I email once a day to report how I'm doing with my goals.  I have taken my few goals and altered them so much that they are no longer even my original goals that I started January with.  It has me wondering if I have commitment issues.  Not only can I not commit to a few self-improvement goals, there are many other aspects of my life being touched by this.  I was a part of a local momma's group and less than a year later I quit.  I agree to play dates only to cancel them last minute.  I start craft projects and quit, usually when I'm nearing the end.  Brandon and I found a great church here in North Pole and attended EVERY Sunday, then a year later stopped completely and haven't been back in two years now.  I can't stick with a workout regimen or stick with healthy eating habits.

I don't have a problem being faithfully committed to my husband or to being a devoted mother to my son.  If I failed at these two commitments I'd be so lost in darkness I'd have a hard time finding my way out.  I have managed to publish this blog three weeks in a row now.  I have NOT chopped my hair off, though I've been tempted on numerous occasions (I'm growing it out).  Maybe it's not commitment issues that I have.  Maybe it's the fact that this is the first time in my life that I have not had a teacher, boss or any other authoritative figure telling me what to do.  Maybe this is me just trying to explore my new roles in life.

I'll be praying on the issue.  In the mean time, I'm going to commit myself to the goals that I report to my friends about daily;

• One hour of bible study five days a week
• Daily food journal
• Incorporate five sun salutations into my daily routine

Instead of calling them goals I'm going to call them aspirations.  Not as much pressure that way. ;)

On to the week...

~For the last three Friday evenings Tanner and I have been driving out to Eielson Air Force Base to visit Brandon at work since the flight line is usually pretty slow on this night. He is currently working swing shift which is from 4:00pm until usually sometime after 12:00am. We have dinner and watch Flying Wild Alaska and Gold Rush: Alaska on the Discovery Channel with him and his co-workers.

~ Our nephew Isaiah spent the weekend with us.  We took him to his soccer game, his soccer practice and Brandon helped him with a school project.  Isaiah really looks up to his uncle.  They share a passion for airplanes.  Isaiah even says he's going to join the Air Force like his uncle when he grows up.

~We have been going to Pete and Lisa's home to watch the TV show Big Love on HBO.  Pete usually makes a yummy meal and I make a dessert. This weekend Pete made fondue and I made a tort!  Delicious! Fun!

~Tanner has a portable high chair that attaches to the table.  The contraption fell from the table with him in it. YIKES! We bought a normal high chair that he eats his meals at now. He has snacks in his portable highchair at the kitchen counter now.

~ I've been making smoothies in the afternoons for snacks. We have tried some really great combinations.  One of Tanner's favorites was banana, raspberry, spinach!

~ We've had some really fun play dates the last 1.5 weeks.  I'm really working on getting Tanner around other kids.  It's hard this time of year for me to want to get out and socialize, but for Tanner's sake and my sanity it's necessary!

Trying to share with friend Brody

Looking out the window with friend Dan

Playing with friends Adam, Sammy and Simon

~I have been trying to do laundry when Tanner is busy playing or napping otherwise it is virtually impossible to get anything done!

Hopefully next week I'll know how to post pictures side by side.  If anyone has tips on this please clue me in.