Psst. It's OK to Be a Mom with a Smartphone.

Ok, I've had several mom friends sharing this blog:   http://www.handsfreemama.com/2012/05/07/how-to-miss-a-childhood/.  I've also heard conversations about how we're too plugged in and that you can't possibly get away from work if you're constantly connected.  Well I'm coming in to defend the smartphone as a mom.  I can't imagine life without it -- I'm addicted to technology and I'm not afraid to say it!

Let me pre-empt this with why I think this posting rubbed me the wrong way (well, part of it).  It's not that I think it's wrong -- but we'll get to that later.  I had an insecure mom day the other day.  Am I the only one that gets those?  I took Addie to a birthday party for a schoolmate -- to basically my dream house, where we were welcomed by the butterfly themed party with decorations, costumes for each girl (wings, wand, necklace, and net), fancy themed food, planned activities, and way better toys to play with.  Now it's not that I think material things make a good mom -- but there's something to throwing a great party and having a beautiful house that seems to speak of you has a "housewife".  But that's really not what bugged me -- maybe just started it.  No, it was Addie backtalking me.  And again, not just here, but it had been a few instances.  Happened again the other night at a neighbor's.  She's 3 (almost 4).  I can't believe she argues with me already!  And I have yet to figure out how to handle it well in public.  Then she was rude to another little girl there.  And I wonder, how did I raise such a rude kid?  Do I talk to her inappropriately?  Do I not discipline her enough?  Now, she's not that way all the time (really, it's rare -- especially to talk to another kid that way -- it just seems to be a bit more frequent lately).  Maybe I just haven't been around kids enough to know if it's more than the next.  But anything she does that is "wrong" (believe me, I use that term lightly) instantly triggers me blaming myself.  She was also the most "clingy" -- do I coddle her too much? I realize that I have never been so insecure about anything as I am about being a parent.  Why is that?  Maybe it's because every parenting style is as different as the child.  Or maybe because it's the most important job I've ever had.  That triggers self-doubt at just about every waking minute.  Now add blogs like these to just push those guilt buttons a bit more, because we don't do it to ourselves enough.

So, as a working mom going to school, I love my smartphone!  Yes, I have a career.  Yes, I have children.  Yes, I'm finishing my degree.  No, I don't need to give up any of those to do one better.  Yes, my life is crazy, I'm constantly stressed, and I don't spend every waking minute with my children.  But I love them all, and life is all about experiences.  And my smartphone lets me do all of the above.  I regularly take days off work to be with the kids -- with my phone in hand to keep tabs on email and any work issues.  I keep a task list and regularly take notes on my phone.  I capture wonderful moments with my camera and can share these moments with friends and family in an instant.  I can stay current on what is happening in my friends' and family's lives when I don't have time to visit or call.  I love texting so that I don't have to be distracted on someone else's schedule.  I do take advantage of checking my phone in the morning, when my house is quiet and free of distractions.  Now, I will say some of the examples in the above blog are a bit extreme -- I don't ignore my kids to play games, spend my time at the zoo on my phone, scoff at a request to push them on a swing, or pass off a chance to say hello or goodbye.  If you're going to be a distracted mom -- guess what, you'll do it with or without a phone.  Our generation isn't the first to ignore our children. You think "uh-huh" started with cell phones?  I also have to address the driving one (talking on the phone in the car) -- at least for little kids like mine.  One, Hayden can't hold a conversation.  Yes, I can talk to him, but let's face it, that gets old pretty quick (when you can't look at him and use hands).  And if you've ever had to understand a toddler, it's a bit challenging to do while driving when you can't look at her directly.  So yes, I sometimes use drive time to call people because guess what, it's one of a few times that my kids are usually quiet.  I could, instead, call them when I get home and then force a conversation over screams and the incessant "Mom!  Mom!  Mom!"  Again, another reason I love texting.  Now, the final point of the above blog is good -- "How to Grasp a Childhood" -- this I'm down with!  All of the above.  And yes, it does take putting the phone down every now and then -- but it can also take the freedom smartphones give you to be mobile and available to your children at times that might otherwise be unavailable.

Sorry, that was my soapbox for the day.  So to my fellow connected moms, it's ok.  Make a call even when you're with the kids.  Take a second to check your email or Facebook.  Occasional adult conversation is allowed.  ;)

I'm back baby!

Oh blog, I write to you everyday in my head, but it just never seems to make it to my fingers.  I have so much to update...  I'm going to start selfishly with myself.  A few weeks ago I had a bit of breakdown at work.  It was just one of those highly emotional days, which I really hate having at work.  First, a bit of history.  The promotional ranks at a university start at Lecturer, then Assistant Professor, on to Associate Professor, and finally Full Professor.  Promotion is based on performance in teaching, research, and service.  I started as an Assistant Professor in 2008, which means I'm eligible to go up for Associate Professor.  I was actually eligible to go up last year, but decided to wait another year to try to build up my portfolio a bit more.  A couple months ago I was told that I may no longer be eligible because I don't yet have my doctoral degree.  When I first heard this, it didn't bother me much as I will have my doctorate in a couple years.  But something set me off that day when I was again told that I might not be eligible.  I was just devastated.  But I wasn't really sure why.  Part of it was just burnout, I think.  I had this false impression that having the kids in daycare full time would open up so much more time for me.  But I feel more overwhelmed than ever.  Mornings are now filled with not only getting myself ready, but getting both kids (I selfishly claim that when Loren often does more of the work) ready and out the door in a timely manner.  Work time is repeatedly overtaken by errands (more on that later -- I'll admit that these are self-inflicted), attempting to work on my classes (done now!), and all-too-often, sick kids.  I'm rarely home before 5:30pm and the evening is consumed with dinner, attempting to tidy up a bit (how does a house get so dirty when we're not even here?), getting ready for the next day, and attempting to find some relaxation time while feeling guilty about every second not doing what the kids want since I haven't seen them all day (and Addie is currently obsessed with riding her bike, which continues to turn into a battle concerning going to neighbor's houses and/or attempting to keep Hayden out of trouble while keeping her from traumatizing herself).  Weekends are filled with get-togethers, more errands, and the never-ending cleaning and homework catch-up.  So yes, burnout was part of it.  But a few days later I was overwhelmed by a feeling of peddling and peddling with no end in sight (or swimming/drowning or any other metaphor you'd like to insert).

• 1.  I've been working towards this promotion since 2007, to find out it may be suspended another 2+ years.  
• 2.  I jumped at the opportunity to attend ICD-10-CM/PCS training in 2009, only to find no one else interested (well some are, but not enough to warrant and sustain all the effort I've put in for training) and then have the deadline pushed back another year (to 2014).   In the meantime, mind you, I have to pay $200/year to keep my training status with AHIMA, which seems unfair since I'll be paying it for 6+ years.
• 3.  I worked on my PhD at U of I for 2 years only to have them withdraw the fee waiver, causing me to switch gears to pursue my EdD at BSU (where I'd be done with classes had I started 2 years ago).  

So my efforts for the last 5 years were feeling a bit futile.  But, enough of my boobing.  I think sometimes we just get in funks.  (let me also note that I acknowledge the hard work I have put in the last 5 years and know that not everything has been a waste -- heck, I accomplished the 2 best things I have and will ever achieve -- 2 beautiful babies!)  But I've had a fabulous week!  :)  I finished my stats class last week and found out Tuesday that I aced my final (44/44)!  Yesterday I took the final for my Learning and Cognition class, only to find out at the last second that we could use our notes (score!) and leaving class with a complimentary conversation with the instructor.  Upon submitting it (and thus ending my semester), I found an email from the Dean telling me that I am indeed still eligible to go up for promotion (woot!).  Then, after I got home I found a letter from BSU telling  me that I've been accepted into the EdD program in Curriculum and Instruction (double woot!).  :)  So after a couple weeks of being a bit withdrawn and bitter at work, I think I'm back baby!  Loren is always reminding me when I get upset about things that "it will all work out".  Why don't I listen more?  :)  Anywho, I want to end on a positive note.  I love my job, I had some personal growth experiences with peers, I felt supported by coworkers, and I'm so proud of my students that stuck out the year with us and are GRADUATING in a week!  I'm thankful for so many wonderful opportunities I've been given with my work and all the amazing people I've met.  Even with all the political junk that goes on, I never forget that I get to help people change their lives and that's why I can't imagine doing anything else.  I am a true nerd at heart and again, although I was devastated at the news about the fee waiver at U of I, I am so much happier with the BSU program.  It's home to me, I love the faculty, and I feel like my passion has again been sparked, inspiring me to try new things in the classroom and remember that there is so much more to education than the tests and grades at the end.  Oh, and have I mentioned I have the two cutest kids in the world to enjoy when I'm not at work or school?  :P  So I'm going to blissfully ignore the insane summer schedule I have coming up (oh, just teaching 3 classes, taking possibly 4 classes, offering a study group, finishing at least 2 manuscripts, attending a week-long convention, and attempting to create 2 brand new courses for the Fall...) and enjoy a weekend of taking 18 4-5yo's to the zoo, seeing our new kitten (more later), celebrating my hairy baby's (Lucas) 9th birthday, and hitting a graduation party and birthday party.  Happy weekend friends.  :)

Besties 2.0

I'm still playing catch-up with old photos (hadn't unloaded the camera in about 6 months!) and ran across this adorable batch.  It's my girl with her bestie, Miss Kyndell Paige.  This was for Kyndell's 3rd birthday back in September -- we celebrated at the zoo and then delicious food and of course presents at the park afterwards.

Are they just adorable!?!

They held hands most of the day.

My only shot of all the (little) girls.

Addie's kind of a zoo regular, so she was showing Kyndell the ropes.

The sweet birthday girl.

Addie snagging a gift (I think she played with them all, and may have opened a few...).

It was a baby doll that pees -- the girls were quite fascinated.

Anywho, just a quick pic blog.  Love that our babies are besties too.  ;)  Just a bit terrified of them as teenagers (oy!)...

Miss Mom Guilt

Oh the mom guilt.  Anyone who is a mother knows exactly what I'm talking about.  And, I'm sorry, but those of you who are not mothers, just don't know.  This is one I'll have to exclude you from.  I'm not even quite sure I can include dads in this.  I've been wanting to write a blog on this for awhile, but that darn guilt keeps preventing me from taking the time to do it -- but man it is THICK this week!  I've seriously never felt as guilty as I do now that I'm a mom.  And it's constant!  I actually wasn't sure what it was at first.  For a couple years.  I just always had this guilty feeling, but assumed it was no different than anyone else's.  Then one day my mom nailed it -- she mentioned "mom guilt".  After having kids -- wait, not even after -- as soon as we started even trying, the guilt begins.

You feel guilty you're not doing everything exactly right for the baby.  Every deliciously sugar-y or fatty food brings a pang of guilt that it's not nutritious for the baby.  Every remotely unhealthy habit (or just a lack of a healthy habit) carries a guilty nudge that if you're not the healthiest being possible, what are you doing to your baby?  My first labor was guilt-ridden with the epidural and what effect that had.  Every second I didn't want to hold my baby, that I wanted to sleep or just wanted a minute to myself, brought a little voice telling me there was an ounce of selfishness in that desire.  The joy I felt to return to work was overridden by the guilt of leaving my baby at home and, even worse, of *gasp* being happy about it.  As a mom, it seems you feel guilty every second you're away from your babies, but guilty when you're with them that you're not really spending quality time, or you're not feeding them the absolute best diet, or that they're not learning all the things they should.  Every setback for your child (potty training is a great one for me) is met with the overwhelming guilt that it's all your fault because you did or didn't do something or said or didn't say something.

But let's face it, none of us really know what we're doing.  Everyone has a different theory, different method, different ideas for raising children.  We just do the best we can and hope we don't totally scar them for life.  ;)

Oh, and let's not forget all the other guilt.  It's not just about the kiddos.  There's a new guilt about yourself.  Now anything remotely unhealthy is still a problem, because if something were to happen to you, where does that leave your kids?  If you want to enjoy something faux pas like *gasp* tanning, what kind of example are you setting?  There's the guilt of not spending enough time with your husband, not being attentive enough to your marriage, not being as attractive or fun as you once were.  The guilt of leaving him with the kids so you can enjoy some *gasp* time alone.  The guilt of taking time away from work to be with your family, to tend to sick littles, to enjoy some *gasp* downtime.  The guilt of not spending enough time with friends or other family, of missing engagements because you simply don't have the energy to deal with the little ones, of forgetting special occasions because your brain simply can't hold another thing.

So today, as my babies sit at daycare while I'm here at work, not working, daunted by the concept of how short life truly is, I feel my oh-so-familiar friend Miss Mom Guilt.

To all my mom friends, you are absolutely amazing.  You are the best mother your children could have which automatically makes you the best wife you can be, your true friends will love you no matter how many times you blow them off, and you deserve time to yourself -- guilt-free!

To the dads, the same applies -- it just appears the "dad guilt" isn't quite so powerful (at least from my understanding).  So you go ahead and keep on living guilt free (or let's just say, with a lighter load), because us moms seems automatically equipped to take it.  ;)

Being a parent is a ton of work.  But all parents say it's the best thing ever.  But we can rarely put it into words.  It's so many things, but one perk I realized this morning (it was one of those great parent moments)... It feels pretty darn amazing to be the world to a beautiful miniature person.  When I left Addie at school today I realized that no matter how wonderful her teachers are, no matter the awesome stuff they do, no matter how many friends she makes, she would rather spend her day with me.  And that makes me feel pretty darn special.  ;)  (and yes, I realize this will shortly change and she will do anything to get away from me, but hey, I'm going to enjoy my moment!)

Oh, it's already been brought-en.

P90X boys and girls.  It's X time!  Yes, this is how Mr. Tony I-Don't-Know-His-Last-Name talks.  But I actually don't mind him too much.  So Loren and I started our P90X venture last week.  If you haven't seen the awesome (sarcastic) infomercials (are any awesome? ok, maybe the shake weight), it's a semi-new workout craze based on muscle confusion.  Really, it's the fact that you're working out 1+ hours per day!  Anyone is going to see results with that.  Anywho, it's workout videos (12) - you rotate each day (varies by week), for 90 days.  And it, of course, goes along with special equipment, a special nutrition book, a special recovery drink...  We cheated and snagged the DVDs from a friend and are winging the rest.  ;)  But I wanted to give an update on how it's going.  We initially planned on doing it in the mornings before work (my usual preferred workout time), but when I realized I'd have to get up at 5am I changed my tune.  So we're doing it in the evenings, usually about an hour after dinner.  Here's our first 3-week schedule:

1. Chest and Back/Ab Ripper X - Monday.  We don't have a pull-up bar, so we modified with a resistance band.  Not near the intensity, but we were feeling things out.  Got in the rhythm pretty quickly (although I suck at push-ups!).  I was surprised at how many breaks there were, just because of the hype ("whoa, p90x? are you crazy? those dudes are ripped!"), and at how easily it could be modified to your fitness level.  It was a bit of a comfort.  Then came Ab Ripper.  Whew!  It's 16min of straight abs -- 349 total ab reps.  Ouch!  I decided that my goal by the end of the program is to complete the entire video.  Although it's intense, I love nice abs, so I'm excited.
2. Plyometrics - Tuesday.  Okay, when we talk "X", apparently this is it.  Or so the video says.  He talks it up so much, I was a bit intimidated.  It's basically cardio with a lot of squatting and jumping.  And I totally rocked it!  :)  Granted, I didn't do everything at the highest intensity and have to modify one exercise (1min of hot foot on each side - bleh! - I did jumprope instead), but I made it through the whole thing on day one!  Loren, not quite there yet.  It seems there's a theory that this is easier for women.  ??  (def easier for a non-smoker) Either way, I was rather proud of myself.  And not so scared of P90X anymore.
3. Shoulders and Arms/Ab Ripper X - Wednesday.  This uses either free weights or a resistance band.  We have the easiest band and 2lb and 5lb weights.  We kill it!  :)  I definitely think we need some heavier weights for this, but are still at least doing something (and making sure to do max reps).  And the dreaded Ab Ripper again.  No, definitely not easier the 2nd time.
4. Yoga - Thursday.  Oh bore!  This one is 1.5 hours (yea, I can spare an hour, but that's all you're getting) and so repetitive!  I really think yoga is just not my thing.  Just like running.  I've really tried to like both, because people that like them are so darn convincing that they're just fabulous.  Not so much.  It has 30min of downward dog (gag) to runner's pose to warrior (multiple variations) and repeat and repeat and repeat and repeat...  Ugh.  Give me plyo with 30seconds of high intensity and let's move on!  We did the first hour (admittedly a bit half-assed).  This week I think we'll try the last hour of the video and see if we like it better.
5. We were rebels and skipped Friday.  It was the day Loren found out he got the job (more on that later) and we were in celebration mode.
6. Legs and Back/Ab Ripper X - Saturday.  Not horrible.  Does a lot with your own body weight, so the equipment issue wasn't there.  Still dead on Ab Ribber.  :)
7. Kenpo - Sunday (should have been either a day of rest, or Stretch X, but since we skipped Friday we swapped).  I liked this one.  :)  Basically kickboxing.  And I have a newfound appreciation for boxers.  Those combos are hard!  And I have a choreography background (well a little).  Every time we did more than 3 moves I got lost.  Maybe I'll get it down by the end.  :)

Looking back it doesn't seem that bad, but man were we sore!  I think Thursday was the day I had a bit of a hobble-walk (but we hurt every day).  And on to this week...

1. Chest and Back/Ab Ripper X - Monday.  Back at it.  But we don't seem to be getting as sore this week.  Granted, we're not really stepping up the intensity yet (we need some more equipment and are just trying to get settled right now - I figure anything is good).  And yes, I'm still doing "girl" push-ups.
2. We skipped Tuesday.  It was Valentine's Day, I got Loren beer he wanted to drink, I ate a delicious sundae...  It just wasn't a workout day.  :)
3. Plyometrics - Wednesday.  Killed it again!  Prob my favorite video.  And yes, it seems that most other people hate this one (Loren included). :P
4. Shoulders and Arms/Ab Ripper X - Thursday.  Again, not too bad.  And not nearly as sore today.  Even stepped up my game a bit in Ab Ripper (and we're noticing that we're not sore in between).  :)

So today will be the dreaded yoga - we'll see if the last hour is any better.  And then we'll continue with the same schedule to finish out the week, and again next week.  After that is a rest week, so it will be a bit different combination.  But overall thoughts -- totally love the muscle confusion, love the variety, Tony really isn't that annoying (he's actually kinda funny) and gives good instruction (but once we have it down I'm thinking we're blasting some Gaga instead), and it's not as insane as everyone makes it out to be and is easily modifiable to your level.  I thought I'd hate working out at home, but although it's a bit of a challenge with the kids (trying doing sit-ups with them chasing each other in a circle around you, doing tricep kickbacks without hitting one of them, or doing push-ups with one on your back) it's nice to spend the time with Loren.  It's a dedicated hour to spend together every night, that's not just zoning out on the boob tube.  In summary, I highly recommend it (now we'll see what kind of results we get).  :)

New Year - Why Not?

I think we all get sucked into the idea of new year's resolutions.  I know, I should be able to do it any time of the year -- why wait until New Year's?  But I think it just gives us an excuse to pick a day to make some changes.  So every year I think I won't make any, but every year I come up a few.  And like just about everyone else, I have some that are focused on exercise, eating, and healthy living.  I did great this fall with exercise when riding my bike to and from work a couple days a week, but once the cold hit and it was pitch black when I left the house, I decided to give it up.  And out went all other exercise.  November got crazy busy and when the cold hit in December I went into hibernation mode.  All I wanted to do was eat and sleep.  And it was great.  :)  But the lazy guilt kept weighing on me, so I recruited my girls Leisa and Amy to start a new "super us" routine.  It lasted about 3 days and I fizzled out again.  :P  And yet again, I'm back with a new goal.

This last week I did a Shakeology cleanse - recommended by Amy.  It's 3 days of 3 shakes + 1 fruit snack + 4oz lean protein + plate of veggies + 80oz water (each day - about 900 calories).  It's recommended for losing a few extra pounds (not my motivation), to "kickstart" healthy habits, and to renew/energize.  My experience?  Day 1 wasn't too bad, but I was definitely hungry by dinner.  A salad had never tasted so good!  Day 2 I definitely got hungry earlier, and nearly passed out a few times.  Day 3 I was feeling more run down than ever.  So, renewed/energized?  No.  Drained/exhausted?  Yes.  My overall reaction - I'd rather feel shitty from eating deliciously bad-for-me food than for starving myself and eating good-for-me food.  But it was something I had never done, and I always appreciate new experiences.  Now I can say I've done a cleanse, and that they're just not my thing.  If you're trying to trim up a bit though, I can see the benefit.  I lost 3 pounds (a rough estimate based on near-cleanse-time weigh-ins at my mom's, since we don't have a scale) and some inches.  I actually did before pics with measurements.  These were both for pre-cleanse, and for my current venture - P90X (a big thank you to a great friend for lending us the discs!).

Can I just say, I'm totally loving the slogan.  You better b-ring it!  ;)

Now I'm not doing this to lose weight.  I'm back to pre-pregnancy weight and very happy with it.  I really am just looking for some exercise and would like to tone up a bit more.  I do have a gym membership, but I've had that same membership for the last year, and we can see how much that was used.  :)  So I'm challenging myself to this current exercise fad, just for s&g. ;)  And guess who is joining me - Loren!  So we had our first workout tonight.  Now, we definitely did a modified version, but I think we did pretty good for Day 1 (chest/back/abs).

My other goal this year is to start putting more things out there.  If I can find the time, I'm going to start a new series in my blog titled Confessions of a Working/Student Mother.  Now don't go getting too excited -- these aren't drama-filled juicy soap opera types of stories.  Just those things we tend to not share openly with others, even though I think we're all quite familiar with them.  Stay tuned for more to come.

Anywho, in the spirit of sharing, here are current measurements and my official "before" pics.  The P90X recommendations are that you take pics at the 30-, 60-, and 90-day marks (yes, they actually instruct you on not only the timeframes, but the poses -- FYI, I did not do the prescribed poses - rebel!).  I haven't talked Loren into the pic part, but I'm just happy he's working out with me. :)

Now, I have to put a caveat on these measurements.  First confession of a mom - I can't find anything in my house.  So we couldn't find a tape measure anywhere.  Nor could we find the yardstick.  So we went with a piece of yarn and my knitting ruler (a whopping 6 inches).  So these are not the most accurate measurements (we did find the yardstick by the second set, so those may be a bit more accurate).

• Thigh - 19.25 (pre-cleanse), 19 (post-cleanse)
• Arm - 8.75, 9.5 (I know, this makes no sense)
• Butt - 36 (36-24-36? Only if she 5'3"!), 35
• Waist - 24.5, 24
• Bust - 29.75, 28 (yep, this would be another downside of the cleanse - I don't think it was quite this dramatic of a difference, but still not a plus)

I got to have a beautiful model with me when taking my pics.  :)  I was also messing around with the photo editing software on my tablet.  And yes, I know you're supposed to do an ugly sports bra with some non-matching tight short shorts.  But my swimsuit is so much cuter!  ;)  Got it last year at Old Navy.  Great place to get separates for those of us who need an extra small top, but an extra small bottom ain't gonna cut it!

So in a month I'll post new measurements and pics.  We'll see what is to come!  :)

Christmas 2011

Needless to say, after being gone for a week, Christmas was a bit hectic.  But isn't Christmas always hectic?  I'm really trying to figure out how to have a relaxed, enjoyable holiday.  It never ceases to completely stress me out, which doesn't make it overly enjoyable.  The kids did have fun though.

Friday was our first day home and Loren worked while I stressed about Christmas shopping.  Ideally I would have had it all done before we left, but again, I can't ever seem to get my act together for Christmas -- the end of the semester this year was particularly chaotic.  Addie had asked for a "real frog" for Christmas, so Loren picked it up on his way home.  We hid in the bathroom (the hallway one that Addie doesn't use -- that stays really nice and warm) until the big day.

Saturday I hit the stores again, alone, shopping for the kids.  I had put this off hoping that Loren and I could do it together, but we just hadn't found the time without the kids to go.  So I headed off alone, with a few key things in mind.  We weren't trying to go overboard, but Addie had requested a few items.

That evening, Christmas Eve, we headed out to my mom's for dinner. We got to spent the evening with her and Domonic, Kris, Domonic's daughters Wendy - with daughter Dresdyn - and Sarah - with son Elijah and boyfriend Tom - and my Grandma Dean and Ray.

Dresdyn and Addie are reading Grandma's new Christmas book.

We enjoyed some delicious food and the kids went crazy opening presents (I think they were done in about 10 minutes and the living room looked like Santa's sleigh had exploded).

After we got home that night and put the kids to bed, Loren and I stayed up to wrap all the gifts and get the stockings ready.  We had checked on the frog before our wrapping adventures and then, much to our disappointment, in checking in on him again before bed, found him lifeless.  Poor thing was already gone.  :(  We think it was the water we used in the tank.  I was super bummed that he had gotten Addie her frog, but couldn't get a new one until after Christmas.

Christmas morning we were up and ready to see what Santa had left.

The kids' stockings were knit by Loren's Grandma Dee, and both have their names on them.  :)  The dogs both have stockings too.

Yes, Hayden got a mop.  He broke our old one, and although he was happy with this for the day, he seems to still prefer the broken one.

After pillaging the stockings, we moved on to the wrapped gifts.

After Addie opened her presents, I decided to show her the frog to let her know we'd get a new one on Monday.  To my surprise and Loren's disgust, she was actually quite thrilled with a dead frog.  It let her hold it and didn't hop away!  So my morbid little girl enjoyed her dead frog for the morning, until dad finally took it away.  She seemed quite fine with it and was excited to pick out a new frog the next day.  We had some breakfast and were joined throughout that morning by Uncle Ryan and Aunt Cassie, and my dad and Denise.  Addie was happy with present after present...  :)

The kids put on their new pjs.  These dino jams glow in the dark!

New froggie jams for Addie, but the little squirt can't keep the pants up around her tiny waist!  :)

That evening we went to Rick's house for dinner.  I think the kids had a great holiday.  Definitely made a haul, and got to see the whole fam.

We headed to Zamzows the following day and she picked out a fire-bellied toad, which she promptly named Hoppy.  We got him set up in his new home and I'm happy to say that he is still alive and well.  :)

My brother and Erin were out of town for Christmas, so we got together the following week.  Addie was more than happy to keep the festivities going.  We went to their house, with my mom, Domonic, dad, and Denise, and had another nice dinner (seriously, I think the food is my favorite part of the holidays!) and I think we finally finished opening the last of our gifts.  It took a bit for Addie to understand Christmas was over, but she knows she has a birthday to look forward to, so she's ok.  :)