59/365 Good Day!!

Today was a really good day! It rained quite a bit last night, so Rob didn't have to mow today. I love days like today, Rob is home due to the rain the night before, but the sun comes out so it makes for a beautiful day and we all get to enjoy it together!! Today was my cleaning day and I had a lot to do. Brendan loves to help me clean, so he got his rag (wet wipe) and we started cleaning. I said before that I HATE folding laundry so Rob folded the laundry while I was busy with my cleaning. Now the house is spotless and I am happy!!! I LOVE a clean house!

This evening, once the ground was dry, Rob mowed our yard and Brendan and I went outside to help him. I am particular about our house and Rob is particular about the yard and his equipment, but he did let me edge the yard. Let's just say I will stick with the inside work. You would think it wouldn't be too hard to edge along the cement but I couldn't keep the edger straight so I ended up messing up the yard. It actually was quite comical. I asked Rob if he would hire me to be on his crew and he said "no". :) While Rob tried to clean up the mess I made with edging, I went inside and cooked dinner. I tried a new chicken recipe and it was delicious!! :)

55-58/365 SLACKER!!!!

I have been quite the slacker as far as this blog is concerned but this week I AM going to get back on track. It seems like life has been especially busy for us since getting back from vacation. We started potty training Brendan and he did great for a few days but now, since the newness for him has worn off, he would much rather continue playing, rather than stop what he's doing so he can use the potty. He is in pull-ups for now but is doing pretty good with the potty if we tell him to go sit on the potty. Im not rushing it, we are encouraging him and he will do it eventually. I had it in my head that he would walk, talk, be potty trained, etc. all by a certain age but that's just silly and quite ridiculous for me to think that. He started talking earlier than I had expected, walked later than I expected, and will pee in the pot whenever he's ready! Being a Mom really is such a learning experience. The older he gets, the less I stress about those little milestones. Of course I am biased, but he's the smartest, cutest, sweetest 2 year old ever!!! :)

Rob and I had been discussing the idea of getting another dog. Although we still miss Chex tremendously, we felt it was time for Scarlet to have another dog to play with. After picking Brendan up from MDO on Friday, we decided to "just look" at the Bossier pound and....we adopted a dog! She is a lab/ shar-pei mix, she is 2 yrs. old, and we named her Ellie Grace. She is such a sweet dog and is fitting into our family very well. Scarlet is getting much more exercise now, and that is a definite plus!! We went to Pet Smart today to get new collars and name tags for Scarlet and Ellie Grace and I convinced Rob to get pink ones! I really need a daughter!!!!! :)

Mowing season has started for Rob. It has been soooooo nice to have him home so much for the past 5 months but he has to start back and I just remind myself his business is the reason I get to stay at home with Brendan. This summer I have several projects im working on, 2 baby showers im hosting which then will result in 2 new precious babies to visit, a wedding, VBS, and of course Brendan's birthday party to keep me busy.

This week is looking like it will be a busy week, and busy is a good thing...usually! :) Cleaning house, planning for a shower, playdate, vet, appointments, and.... My wonderful Dad turns 59 on Feb. 29th, so we will be celebrating his Birthday on Tuesday. Happy early Birthday to my Dad and Happy 1st Birthday to my niece, Sophie!!

54/365 Mardi Gras

This afternoon Brendan and I went to a friend's house for a Mardi Gras party. Brendan had a blast!! There was a "parade" and the Moms threw treats to the kids. We also ate (too many) sweets. I love Mardi Gras season however, I am not a huge fan of the parades. I know I sound like an old lady, but everyone is drunk and there really isn't anywhere for people with young kids to be. I do love the Highland parade though. It is much more of a family parade, and it runs right my my parents' street. We decorate a wagon for Brendan, Mom cooks cajun food (ya better keep that tradition Mom!!!) :) and we all enjoy the parade and end up coming home with lots of treats!! My Mom invited us to the bead loading party this weekend for the Krewe of Centaur (I think) so im curious to see what that's all about. It should be a good time! I may try the parade this weekend with some friends, I just hope there is a good area for Brendan to play.

53/365 Menu

We were out of EVERYTHING so Brendan and I headed to the grocery store so we don't starve (slight exaggeration). Before heading to the store, I decided to make a menu for the week with hopes that we would quit going out to eat so much. One of my New Years resolutions was to eat healthier but I just can't seem to stay away from my favorite restaurants! Since I now have a plan of what I will be cooking each night, hopefully that wil keep us home more. Tomorrow is cranberry chicken over rice, steamed veggies, and fruit salad.

52/365 Potty time!!!

It's potty time at the Bernth house. Brendan is doing so well going to the potty. This is his first day to go commando and he has done really well. Of course, he has had a few accidents but i'd say he's done great for day one. He has his own potty but he'd much rather sit on the "big potty" so tomorrow we are going to buy a child's seat for the toilet so he can use it by himself. His favorite part about going tee tee in the potty....the flush! Not sure why flushing is so amazing but Brendan is amazed with it!! My little guy is growing up soooo fast! Where did the time go?!?!?!

46-51/365 Our Disney World Vacation

I've really been slacking on my blog due to being on vacation but I am back in the real world and back to blogging. We all had a blast on our vacation and if money grew on trees then we would go back tomorrow! We had breakfast and dinner with various characters almost every day and then we had the most delicious steak dinner on Thursday night. The steak was so tender, it fell apart when you cut it. All of the food was delicious, especially the desserts. The hi-light of our trip was of course watching Brendan having so much fun. His face lit up when he would meet a character, especially Minnie Mouse. He also loved the parades at the Magic Kingdom. One thing he did not care for was the princess dinner. He wanted nothing to do with them and would much rather be with Minnie, Mickey, or Woody. The weather was perfect in Florida; not a cloud in the sky! We went to all of the parks, shopped, ate a TON, and had the best time!!!! I cannot wait to go back, especially because they are opening a "Beauty and the Beast" restaurant in 2012 and Belle is my favorite!!! You are never too old to eat with your favorite princess!! :)

45/365 DISNEY WORLD

WE LOVE THIS PLACE!!!!!! What an exciting day today has been. We spent the day at Magic Kingdom, saw 2 awesome parades, several Disney characters, and ate enough food to feed an Army!! Brendan was so exhausted, he fell asleep in his stroller for an hour or so. He is having such a great time and is loving all of the characters. We are all tired and have a busy day again tomorrow! This place really is the best place ever!! Also, Happy Valentines Day!

44/365 VACATION!!!!!

We are headed to Dallas today since it is significantly cheaper to fly out of Dallas than out of Shreveport. When Brendan woke up this morning, we asked him if he was ready for vacation. His response, "no, im ready for breakfast." Once he ate breakfast and we reminded him what vacation meant, he was sooo excited to go. We couldn't get the bags in the car fast enough. I have always loved to travel and now it's so much fun since Brendan is getting older and can really enjoy things, a hotel room being one of them!!! It doesn't matter if we stay at a resort or Motel 6, Brendan loves hotel rooms!! Whether it's a quick road trip or a long plane ride, I love traveling with my sweet family. So many fun memories are made!!

43/365 Busy Saturday

Saturday was a busy day!! It was the finals of the wrestling tournament so Rob was busy with that and Brendan and I, as well as my parents and nephew, watched the tournament and really enjoyed it. I had a hair appt. in the afternoon and then finished laundry and started getting things ready for our trip to Disney World!!!!!

42/365 Never say never

Rob is a coach for the local high school wrestling team and although I support him, I never really cared for that sport; that is until today. The state wrestling tournament is going on this weekend so Brendan and I went to the Century Tel center to watch for awhile. It was so exciting and Brendan loved it. It was much more exciting than the regular duals that they have. There were 8 different matches going on at a time and there were tons of fans. Nothing against other athletes, but wrestlers really are the hardest working athletes, both physically and mentally. It is amazing and quite admirable what these guys put themselves through. I really thought i'd never be a fan of the sport wrestling, but never say never because I am a fan now!! Wrestling doesn't get near the respect from north Louisiana that it deserves. Hopefully, one day that will change. Tomorrow is the finals and the best thing about it is that Rob will be wearing a suit. My husband RARELY wears a tie, much less a suit but coaches have to wear suits to the finals and I can't wait! ;)

41/365 Thank you, Oral B!

I had my yearly check-up/cleaning at the dentist this morning and...NO CAVITIES!!! I've been told by hygenists, dentists, oral surgeons, and the orthodontist that I have a very crowded, small mouth and because of this I am prone to cavities. Well, ever since I switched 3 years ago from the regular old toothbrush to the Oral B vibrating toothbrush, I have been cavity free!!! Whether there is any relation or not, I am thrilled to not have any cavities. When I was leaving for the dentist, Brendan kept saying he wanted to go see his dentist. Hopefully, in July, when it is time for his yearly appt. he will still be excited...its doubtful but ya never know!

40/365 A (no) Snow Day

The city pretty much shut down on Wednesday because snow was predicted. Schools were closed as well as several businesses. It did get cold, but the snow never showed. I spent the day getting the cleaning and laundry done. We had extra laundry this week but it's now all done and put away! Rob started his vacation yesterday, so he has 2 weeks off wth us! We are headed to Disney World in a few days and we are sooo excited! Rob cooked delicious hamburger steaks and sweet potato fries for dinner. We all had a great day together!

39/365 Errands

Brendan slept in today, which was awesome!! After we ate breakfast and got dressed, we ran some errands. We needed to get some things for our Disney trip so we went a few places, then picked up a ring that Rob got for me. It's a band with diamonds and peridot (Brendan's birthstone). I had been wanting that ring ever since Brendan was born and I finally got it and am so excited. I highly recommend Lockhart Jewelers. They are so friendly and do a great job!! After errands we stopped by Mimi and Papa's house for awhile, and then headed home. Brendan is sleeping in my bed tonight, that sneaky little boy! He knows when Daddy isn't home and he always ends up in bed with me. :)
It looks like we may get more snow tomorrow so we will see what tomorrow holds.

38/365 Who Are You?!?!

Have you ever been to church or somewhere where there is a speaker and you feel like the message was meant for you? That's how I felt on Sunday. The title of the message was "Who are you?" God gives everyone a talent/gift and calls you to use that gift. You need to use that gift to do what YOU are meant to do, not what someone else thinks you should do. Some people are called to be teachers, physicians, attnys., and some are called to be stay at home Moms. When the Pastor said that, it really made me think! I always knew I wanted to be a Mom and before Rob and I even discussed having kids, I told him when we did have kids I wanted to be a sahm. Being a sahm is so important to me and Rob sees how important it is too. We make sacrifices so I can be a sahm and I truly feel that is what I am called to do at this time in my life. I have really been struggling because Rob and I know how important my job is but there are several people who think im"just" a sahm and need to hurry and finish my degree. Its as if im looked down upon for being a sahm as opposed to having a career outside of the home. When I was touring private schools while looking for pre-schools I really thought that someday I could see myself teaching there. I absolutely love kids, especially the 3/4 year olds. They are still little but are old enough that you can really teach them things. Teaching at a pre-school doesn't require a 4 year degree but thats okay. If im happy with it then thats all that matters. Im back in school now but really have been doing it for other peoples approval and not for myself. The level of someone's success should not be determined by the level of education someone has. If you are happy and can live a happy, financially comfortable life, then that is what I call successful. Not to say I will never go back to school, but after this semester my focus is going to be what makes me and my family happy. For now I am going to do the job that I know I have been called to do and that is being a sahm to the child God has blessed me with.

37/365 Close, But No Cigar...YET

Well, registration forms and deposits for pre-school will start being collected at 8am TOMORROW and the first person was there at 5:50 am TODAY, waiting to get a spot for their child! By 2pm today all slots for the 2 day class (which is what I want) were filled BUT I am the first person on the waiting list for that class. The director told me that usually at least 3 spots open up between now and the end of summer, so she really feels certain that I will get a spot especially since I am 1st in line on the waiting list. I was disappointed, REALLY DISAPPOINTED at first since I didn't get a guaranteed spot, but I do feel confident that one will open up. I got there at 12:30 pm today and there were 4 guaranteed slots left for the 2 day class, but if you claim a guaranteed spot then you have to stay at the school until tomorrow morning when they start taking registration. I had to get Brendan down for a nap and by the time I could get back up there to stay, all the spots were filled. If it's meant to be then he will get a spot and I sure hope he does. This is such an awesome school and I pray he gets in!!!

P.S. PACKERS WON!!! I WISH IT WERE THE SAINTS AGAIN BUT PACKERS ARE MY #2 TEAM AND THEY WON!

36/365 TOMORROW IS THE DAY!!!!

Tomorrow is the Superbowl (GO PACKERS!) but what I am referring to in the title is tomorrow is the day we find out if Brendan gets in to our 1st choice pre-school! The pre-school that we want is such an awesome place! I looked at just about every pre-school in Shreveport/Bossier and the one I like I REALLY like. Rob came with me and he really likes it too! The teachers are always interacting with the children and the children are always engaged and seem excited to be there. I visited the school 3 times and never once saw a child who looked like they were bored or didn't want to be there. Art projects are hanging everywhere, there are tons of toys, the rooms seem open, and it doesn't seem like the children are just being "babysat" . The teachers have a curriculum that they follow and the children really are learning things. They also have parent/teacher conferences to let the parents know how their child is doing throughout the year! In order for Brendan to get into the program, I have to literally camp out at the school (the director actually lets us camp out inside) to insure that he gets a spot since only a few are available. Five years ago I would have thought someone was nuts if they told me they were going to camp out at a pre-school so their child can get into it but now, as a Mom, I see how important it is to give your child a good education, especially from the start. If you read this, do me a favor and please say a prayer that Brendan gets in! Hopefully, tomorrow's blog will be about Brendan getting a spot at the school!!!!!

35/365 SNOW DAY!!!

Yesterday it snowed!!! Really, it did snow, not just ice! I think the weather report said we received 4 inches. Brendan had so much fun in the snow and we even built a snowman! Although we had fun, we were both ready to come inside to warm up!! It sure was beautiful and so much fun to play in and Scarlet even liked it too! The roads were really bad yesterday and it was even worse because so many of us southerners don't know how to drive in the snow!! :) I will post pictures from our snow day soon. I am so behind on posting pictures but I promise I will do it soon!!!

34/365 Lazy day

Today has been a lazy day. Partly because Brendan got up VERY early and partly because it was sooooo cold outside! We stayed home today in our pajamas and enjoyed the warm, crackling fire in the fireplace. One thing we did do today was we booked our Disney World vacation!! We are leaving in 11 days!!! Rob did leave the house once today when he went to Sonic to get us ice cream. Ice cream is still delicious even when it's 20 degrees outside!!! It looks like it's going to snow tonight and tomorrow so schools are closed which also means MDO will be closed tomorrow too. I sure do hope it snows tomorrow so we can play in the snow and maybe even build a snowman!!

33/365 DISNEY!!!!!!

We are going to Disney World!!!!!! Yeahhhhh!!!!! We told Brendan that we were going to fly on an airplane and go see Mickey Mouse and he got a huge smile on his face. We are leaving in 2 weeks and I am sooo excited!!!

32/365 Bedtime....HELP!!!!!!!

Rob and I are so close to putting Brendan's crib back in his room and letting him sleep there! Not really, but it is very tempting!!! This whole big boy bed thing is horrible!!!!! Actually, the first few weeks were good but these last couple of weeks have been far from good...or even okay. He used to go to bed around 9pm and wake up anywhere from 9-10 am then have a 2 hr. nap. Now, he gets up around 8 takes 2 hr. nap, we put him in bed around 9 and he doesn't go to sleep until around 12am or later!!!!!!!! Usually, he is singing or talking and then gets out of bed over and over and over again. At first I would nicely put him back in bed, but now Momma is tired and much more firm after the first time...super nanny approach lol. Well, tonight he got out of bed 2x and then stayed in his bed and we thought he was asleep but fat chance! He started screaming!!!!! Not fussing or whining, he was screaming so hard he almost made himself sick. His sheets were wet from his crocodile tears. I checked on him numerous times and even laid with him to calm him down but when I left he freaked out!!! Finally, after 2.5 hours he fell asleep. This is soooo tiring!!! I guess im finally getting my share of bad sleeping habits. Even as a nursing baby, Brendan would sleep 5 hours in a row,which is amazing. When we transitioned him from the bassinette to his crib, he did great; no problems at all. He has always been a great sleeper, except when he was teething or sick. Transitioning from crib to big boy bed...AWFUL!!!!!! Like I said, when he first started in his bed he did fine so when he started this madness I just assumed it was due to him not needing naps anymore. We cut out naps for a few days to see if he would go to sleep earlier but that didnt help. He was still awake until midnight! Thankfully, he hasnt outgrown naps, atleast yet. He is going to sleep so late at night, the only time rob and i have together (if he is home) is during brendans nap. I know this is just a phase and "this too shall pass." Im ready for my good little sleeper to return!