19 Questions With My Girls....

It is always fun to follow other bloggers with three girls and one of my favorite bloggers is Winey Mommy. Recently, she asked 19 questions to her older girls and had them answer them. I loved the answers that her girls had so much that I had to ask my two older girls as well.

I asked them each separately and here are the answers they gave! Enjoy!

1. What is something mommy always says to you?

Zoelle: That sometimes I have to read books if I don't nap.
Meridian: Umm...treats?

2. What makes mommy happy?

Zoelle: When I be good.
Meridian: Somebody loves you.

3. What makes mommy sad?

Zoelle: I don't know.
Meridian: I can't tell you, I only want to eat gum!

4. How does mommy make you laugh?

Zoelle: When you be funny.
Meridian: When I tickle you.

5. What was mommy like when I was a little girl?

Zoelle: To go play outside.
Meridian: In school.

6. How old is mommy?

Zoelle: 18
Meridian: 17

7. How tall is mommy?

Zoelle: Very big!
Meridian: Tickle.

8. What is mommy's favorite thing to do?

Zoelle: Umm...cook.
Meridian: I'm not going to tell you, I only want gum.

9. What does mommy do when daddy takes you all out to the park or to lunch?

Zoelle: Feed Meridian and Xiomara
Meridian: Stay there.

10. If mommy was to be famous, what would it be for?

Zoelle: I don't know.
Meridian: Tickle.

11. What's mommy really good at doing?

Zoelle: Sweeping the floors.
Meridian: Hold with two hands.

12. What's mommy not very good at doing?

Zoelle: I don't know.
Meridian: Umm....feeding Xiomara.

13. What does mommy do for a job?

Zoelle: Help clean.
Meridian: Go to a different work.

14. What is mommy's favorite thing to eat?

Zoelle: Spaghetti
Meridian: Pizza

15. What makes you really proud of mommy?

Zoelle: When I do all the things upstairs.
Meridian: Proud of you mama.

16. What is mommy's favorite tv show?

Zoelle: Umm...I don't know.
Meridian: Umm..play with the Kindle.

17. What do you and mommy do together?

Zoelle: Clean.
Meridian: Feed Xiomara.

18. How are you and mommy the same?

Zoelle: When we be very good.
Meridian: Holding me and you.

19. When we leave the house, what is mommy's favorite thing to do?

Zoelle: To go to a hotel.
Meridian: I like you to go shopping.

Oh my goodness!! Talk about making me laugh!! My favorite answer from Zoelle? That I like to cook! Has she forgotten how daddy does a good majority of the cooking?!? Maybe she needs to read this! ;) My favorite answer from Meridian? That it makes me happy when somebody loves me. Too sweet. Oh and did you notice a trend for wanting gum and the obsession with tickling? It made me laugh and yep, I gave her that piece of gum when we were done! :)

Thanks for reading and feel free to play along and if you do, make sure you link up in the comments so I can visit your blog!

A Peek Into Our Bedrooms

We did a little bed/room re-arranging this weekend! Meridian at 2.5 was still in a crib and it was actually quite comical because depending on where she put her head, her feet would come out the end. So after much talk about what we officially wanted to do with the beds/room situation, we decided to do some switching.

Meridian and Zoelle have been sharing a room with Zoelle in a toddler bed and Meridian in the crib. This weekend, we got Zoelle a new twin bed (which is actually a bunk bed separated) and let Meridian have Zoelle's old toddler bed. The whole day we were setting it up and re-arranging the room, the girls were beyond excited. They could barely sit still, but by nap time the beds were up and ready! We didn't officially use the room until bedtime and this mama was nervous. While Zoelle never dared to get out her bed when she was 2, I knew Meridian is a much different girl and very adventurous. I was pleasantly surprised that she ended up sleeping all night. Night two she did get into bed with Zoelle (which was adorable), but that did have her waking up multiple times at night. However, she didn't do any exploring, she just came right to me. Being that I am a light sleeper I was happy that each time I heard her wake up and was there to meet her right away. Meridian once again did well last night and although she is getting up about a half hour earlier in the morning than she was before, I am very surprised at how well the transition went.

Zoelle has done wonderfully in her new big bed and while mama thought it was going to swallow her up, she seems to love it! Plus an added bonus is that we can do extra snuggle time together before bed! We both love that!

When we took Meridian's crib down we were left with where to store it? Our house is not large and we are slowly running out of storage space. Xiomara, when not co-sleeping with us, has been sleeping in a pack n' play in a spare bedroom. Chris had the bright idea to switch that bedroom around a bit (we have a piano in there as well) and set up our crib. So that is just what we did! I LOVE it! It's been a few years since I've been able to have the canopy on our round crib and it just really ties her room together a bit more.

I hope now that the next time we have to do any re-arranging it will be in a new house! :)

At what age did your child switch to a bed? Did you go straight to a big bed, or did you transition first with a toddler bed?

Wordless Wednesday: Lunchtime Model

Hot Damn Girl!!

I'll be scrolling along on my Facebook page and I'll inevitably come across your Facebook profile picture. You know the one of you in your prom dress, or tanning on the beach in your bikini. You look beautiful. You are beautiful.

Image via Tumblr

And then I see it, the comment 5 comments down that makes me want to puke.

"Hot Damn Girl!!"

To which you normally reply with: :)

Me? I'm dying inside realizing that you are selling yourself short. Far too short!  You are worth so much more than a hot damn girl, or some other variation in reference to your body.

If I could, I'd sit down with you over coffee and share with you how much more valuable you are than that.

Of course you'd roll your eyes at me or smile and nod all the while thinking how old I am at almost 30 with three little girls. You'd tell me, or you'd wish you could tell me that I "just don't get it".

But hon, I do.

It wasn't that long ago that I was seventeen and I was that girl that was the hot damn girl. I remember clearly how it made me feel to be told I was hot, sexy, or hot damn. While it felt good for awhile, I can tell you this: rarely do the hot damn guys marry you.

Instead it is the guys that love you and value you, more than to label you with a shallow "hot damn girl" comment on your Facebook page.

Because girl, the hot damn girl can come later and it will be well worth it!

On Mwedian

It's time I do a little blog post on this girl. Being the middle child, she doesn't often get talked about on this blog. After all she isn't being homeschooled so I don't blog about her like I do her big sister, and she isn't approaching major milestones like her little sister.

Thus she gets lost in the middle.

Not so much at home though.

Mwedian as she calls herself and only likes to be called that, is a sweetheart. She loves to give kisses and hugs. Sometimes randomly during the day she will seek me out, kiss me and walk away. It melts my heart.

She likes her low, gravelly, voice to be known. If she doesn't feel as if she is being heard, she will yell, "Mama, mama, MAMA!!!", until I finally answer in which she will just say something like, "Wuv you mama.".

We still have to watch her closely or else she does make messes. I'm also noticing that she is finding a partner in crime with Xiomara. Thank goodness big sister Zoelle is around to help me watch them both!

She still loves to nurse and honestly, sometimes I still am surprised. I once said I didn't think we would make it much past a year nursing with her. Instead, she wakes up around 5 or 6 every morning and comes to snuggle and nurse with me. Sometimes, we fall back asleep together. Other times she will tell daddy to bring her back to her bedroom.

Anywhere we go, people always stop her to comment on her gorgeous hair. She smiles and, secretly inside, I'm grateful that one more person positively commented on her curls.

I look at her and realize how close we are to three now. My heart grows a little sad wondering how it could have gone this fast. I want time to stop right now. I feel like I just want to remember forever the feel of her little arms around me. I want to never forget how she smooshes her little body right up against mine while we sleep.

My heart skips a beat realizing that my love cannot be contained in a short little blog post on my precious Mwedian.

Wordless Wednesday: Porch Picnic

Cloth Diapering On 19 Cents A Day!

During my two year anniversary giveaway, someone mentioned that they would like to hear more about cloth diapers. I decided not to make this into one of my "Let's Talk" blog posts, being that I have already blogged about why we chose cloth diapering and 5 cloth diapering tips.

However, one area I haven't blogged about and one that I am asked a lot about, is the financial cost of cloth diapering. As I mentioned in my first post on cloth diapering, when I started cloth diapering I researched and tried out many different kinds. Most of that was via Diaper Swappers as I had every question under the sun and not a lot of money to make a mistake and buy the "wrong" diaper.

Part of my stash of Bum Genius diapers that I use today. Most of my organic ones are currently dirty as I use them daily!

From the very start of cloth diapering in early 2008, I wished that someone would make an all-in-one diaper that was one-size and organic. Turns out someone did and still does. That someone is Bum Genius. I was one of the very first people to buy their All-in-One, Organic, One-Size diaper (which has now become known as the Elemental cloth diaper). From the second I tried it on Zoelle, I knew this was the diaper. It was trim, held a ton, was one-size (so it would last us for years), and most importantly, it was affordable. Basically, I wanted a diaper that was just like a disposable, but healthy for my baby's body and the environment, all while being inexpensive enough to afford a dozen. After trying one and realizing that this was it, I bought a dozen from Cotton Babies, my go-to cloth diaper store!

The original Bum Genius Cloth Diaper on Zoelle in May 2008

I'm not positive on what I paid for a dozen of those diapers 4 years ago (I tried looking it up, but couldn't find it), but if I bought a dozen Bum Genius Elemental diapers today it would cost me $264.95. It seems like a lot of money upfront. However, if I told you that four years later I still have those same dozen diapers and they are still working excellently, would you believe me??

Well you need to, because right now Xiomara is wearing one of those diapers! Of course I've added to my stash over the years and as I mentioned, I also have Bum Genius all-in-one sized diapers along with a few other brands. However, my main staple in diapers have always been those original 12 diapers that have now gone through three girls.

Just recently I thought about selling those diapers and buying some new ones. However, as I thought more on it, I just couldn't do it. Xiomara is about a year away from being fully potty trained and I want to say and know that my original investment was worth it. Outside of my original investment, I have only had to invest in a bag of soap every six months, and then the cost of actually laundering them (which we have maybe only noticed a few dollars per month difference).

So based on today's price for those same dozen diapers, cloth diapering from May 8, 2008 (the day I first put Zoelle in one of those diapers) to today has roughly cost us:

19 cents a day

Versus, the size 3 cheap Target brand of disposables costing 14 cents per diaper.

I would say that was definitely a wise investment 4 years ago. Thank you Bum Genius and Cotton Babies!!

Did you know cloth diapering can be that cheap? Have you ever considered it yourself? What factors are holding you back from taking the leap?


Disclosure: No compensation is being given for writing this post and my thoughts are 100% honest and true. However, by writing it I am entering both myself and one person who comments on this post to win a dozen one-size cloth diapers via the All I Want For Christmas contest.

Tablet Time {NOOK Tablet with Cover OR $275 Cash Edition} Giveaway

I'm linking up with Measuring Flower, Surviving Motherhood, Life with 2 Boys, and a whole bunch of other great bloggers to bring you this incredible prize!!

Prize Details:

NOOK Option

One lucky person will get their choice of

Nook Tablet

7" VividView Color Touchscreen
16 million+ colors, IPS2 display

High resolution display (1024x600, 169 pixels per inch)

Built-in Wi-Fi

Color Field Cover

Dimensions: 8.5" x 5.75" x .75"

Rayon bookbinding cloth exterior

Stone faux suede interior lining

Interior slide pocket

3-point clip device to securely hold your NOOK Tablet

4 colors to choose from: Turquoise, Tangerine, Vivid Pink, and Storm Gray

Cash Option

Entrants intending to select the cash option MUST have an active PayPal account.

$275 will be remitted to the winner as a gift via PayPal.

How to enter:

Enter via the Rafflecopter form below.

Giveaway Rules:

Each entry must be accomplished exactly as it is stated.

You can perform each entry type ONE TIME ONLY unless otherwise specified.

If there is a "leave a comment" entry type, be sure the name you type in the comment's name field is EXACTLY the same as the name you use in the form (this is so I can verify your comment).

Make sure to leave a VALID email address in the email field so I can contact you if you win.

If you already follow/like me or the company via G+, Google Friend Connect, Twitter, Facebook, etc., that's okay–the entries still count.

Giveaway Ends:

Friday, January 20, 2012 at 11:59 PM EST

Open to U.S. Residents Only.


Good luck! I'd LOVE to see one of my readers win! :)
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Start of the year homeschool update

Since it's the start of the year, I thought I would do an update on our homeschooling with Zoelle. Last year we did the preschool curriculum via Heart of Dakota Publishing. I loved it, Zoelle loved it and it worked well for our family. This year we finished up the preschool and started in on the kindergarten level in the hopes that she can do part of it this year and part of it next year if we homeschool.

I'm still absolutely loving the curriculum. While the kindergarten level does take longer, it is so nicely laid out for me as a busy mom to 3 little girls, that it is easily doable.

But here is the thing.

In my heart, I'm a perfectionist through and through and because of that perfectionism, I'm not sure I am doing the best job possible in schooling Zoelle. It's hard for me to admit that. After all I am her mom and I have a teacher's license in K-8 education.

But the thing is, school ends up being the last thing on my mind during the day. Instead by the time we are up, fed, dressed, cleaned up, and ready for the day, I have to lay Xiomara down for her morning nap, exercise, prepare lunch, then it's naptime in the afternoon, sometimes I prepare supper, and then Chris is home from work. Somewhere in there, the house gets picked up and the laundry gets done.

And that doesn't include the mornings we aren't home!

To be honest, right now I'm feeling very frustrated with our choice to homeschool. One of our biggest desires in homeschooling is to make sure that education is a priority and for lack of a better term, that it is done properly.

Maybe every homeschool mom goes through this, but I feel right now like I am failing.

I'm not sure if Zoelle has picked up on my frustration or if she is just gaining some independence, but this year she has fought me on a lot of our school. Except that she loves math, handwriting, and reading. She would do those three things all day long if I let her. My perfectionism seems to have rubbed off on her and there are many, many moments of frustration between the two of us. Which again leads me to more frustration.

On top of that, it is hard for me to teach with the two little girls around right now. They are either into our homeschool stuff or off causing trouble elsewhere. I'm still searching for the perfect solution to that.

So as of now, this is where I am at. It's honest, but I told you I would be. I wish with all my heart I could come here and type that I am loving it. But if I did that I would be lying.

I'm not exactly sure yet where next year is going to take us, but we are looking more closely into our local private and public school while still keeping homeschool in mind. I'll definitely keep you updated.

Wordless Wednesday: Expanding her mind