A few musings about blogging... + {SMB} : Confessions of a Toddler Mom

So, I have a problem.  And that is: I am having more and more and more trouble coming up with anything to write about for SMB...  Our days -- while blessed (don't get me wrong) -- are pretty mundane.  I have lots of toddler chatter and repeated toddler questions and repeated toddler books running through my head... and while these sometimes turn into decent in-person topics among my mom friends, they do not necessarily a great public-blog-post make.  

Sometimes I try to brainstorm topics.... and they are all lame or overly obvious.  Or else I don't know enough to actually write about them.
For example:

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"10 Reasons Why Daniel Tiger Is Much Less Annoying than Peppa Pig But My Kid Insists on Peppa Every Dang Time"

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"Why Phoenix's Summer Shouldn't Make You Such an Angry Person"

(I have zero perspective on this)

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"Taming the Pickiest Eater"
(again: zero perspective)
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"Why I Can Only Talk On the Phone for 10 Mins During Sacredly Silent Nap Time"
(while probably an embraced topic, being the one to put it in writing makes me sound like an introverted jerk)
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"Please Just Go Ahead and Fall In Love with Beautycounter: You Know You Want To"

(while heartfelt, maybe not the best angle)

-

"How To Live On PBJ's Alone: A Story of a Husband On Call"

(living the dream.)

...Not exactly fodder for a huge following...  And my editor would surely have words for me.

So then I wonder if I'm getting boring to read.  Oh well.  If that happens, I guess they'll kick me out. And then I won't have to worry about what to write on next!

So...... there was your inner tangent for the morning.

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Speaking of kicking people out --- I never submitted a post for March.  I wrote 2 for February instead of saving my cards, so when it came to March, I was all dried up.  Even so -- they actually didn't fire me.

Aaaaaaanyway.... here's my post for April!
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http://www.scottsdalemomsblog.com/2015/04/06/confessions-of-a-toddler-mom/

Motherhood.  
You don’t get it until you do it.  

Several times I’ve called my dear friends (who all had kids before me), simply to say, “I’m sorry… I just didn’t know!!!”

Some habits that toddler moms (and I suspect any-stage moms!) might employ to make it through unscathed are…. less than lovely. And the time has come for me to confess a few of mine to you, Dear Reader.  

Just please — someone, anyone, tell me you know what I'm talking about…

– I hand my toddler random items while shopping in Target to keep him occupied and happy. Worse? I simply discard said items to the nearest shelf when he bores of them. (I’m sorry, Target employees of America…)

– I have been known to have apple peel, PB&J crusts and a fistful of rejected raisins for “lunch.”

– When Dad is home, I may have once or twice feigned nature’s call to merely sit behind a closed door for a minute. #or10

– Aside from my 20-Minute Cleaning Ritual, I do not believe in accomplishing anything meaningful during nap time. That is sacred ground for ice cream consumption, blog reading and Modern Family viewing. Well…. maybe some Beautycounter work — but that’s not work, it’s fun.

– I am now that bizarre person who rises without difficulty at 6:00 a.m. for the mere pleasure of drinking a whole cup of coffee while it is hot. College-version Rebecca is appalled.

– Once in a rare while, I might put my tiny beloved in the gym’s childcare….. then camp in the cafe, read a book and drinking a smoothie. (It’s cool, it’s cool – the smoothie is green, so it’s basically a workout.)

-My 2-year-old can open my iPhone AND navigate to his ABC game. *Cringe.

– In conjunction with the previous admission, my iPhone has a cracked screen…

– My belief in folding kids’ clothes is faltering.

– The verdict is out on whether I believe in folding my own clothes.

– I once called the dog “Peppa Pig”.

Most importantly?  
I would never trade this wonderful and blessed job.

What can you dish???  Time to ‘fess up!

{SMB} : Ode to Girl Scout Cookies

Here was the extra post I wrote for Scottsdale Moms Blog in the month of February.  I was munching on Thin Mints and it just came to me. :)

http://www.scottsdalemomsblog.com/2015/02/18/ode-to-girl-scout-cookies/

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There are these girls,

they call themselves “Scouts,”

and they make a big splash once per year.

They head door-to-door

and block grocery stores

with their smiles that reach ear to ear.

“Hello!” one will say,

as cute as a button.

“Support us and buy some cookies?”

You pause for an inkling —

oh, who are you kidding?

You know you won’t leave without three!

Decision time comes,

Now, what’ll you have:

Lemon, caramel or toffee?

“I…. uh…. hmm…” you stammer,

not sure what’s the matter.

Jan 1 Resolutions a faint memory…

Do-si-dos are half PB,

so there is your protein.

Cran-Citrus sounds healthy enough

to pass for a salad…

Rah-Rah Raisin!

You’ve got it!

That one is all fruity stuff!

Thin Mints are no brainers;

Just like Tagalongs.

The husband would never forgive

if you came home without.

So, in truth, there’s no doubt:

These two six are for your marriage.

Lemonades add some freshness…

Toffee-tastics, why not?

Toss in a box or four.

Samoas – you know it!

Can’t even control it!

When they’re gone, I’ll cry for some-mo-a.  (Snort! See what I did there??)

Finally: Shortbreads,

the overlooked gem

in the crown of the Girl Scout regime.

“What of us??” they boo-hoo;

You don’t want to be rude!

So you tag on a box, too, of these.

Your order is placed,

then the dad of the Scout

delivers the verdict and grins:

“Let’s see; that’ll be………….

Seven hundred and three.”

…And now you’re too poor for the gym!!

{SMB} : 4 Reasons Why YOU Want to Join SMB as a Contributor!

My February contribution to SMB is a little weak, but it was an easy angle to knock out...

Not long after, our editor put out a request for anyone with extra ideas to please consider writing an additional post this month, due to some of our contributors stepping down.  Since mine was this tiny one -- and I once again sent my submission late (for good reason: our Rochester Reunion girls' weekend got in the way!!), I found it in my heart to write another post.  That one isn't yet published, but is more my style...

http://www.scottsdalemomsblog.com/2015/02/09/4-reasons-why-you-want-to-join-scottsdale-moms-blog-as-a-contributor/

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The word is out! Scottsdale Moms Blog has opened a casting call for new contributors — **Squeee!**

Here are my own Top 4 reasons why YOU should take the plunge
and join us!

1) You get a bunch of new friends who (a) live near you, (b) are relatable and real, and (c) know how to party like a 2-year-old hyped up on Cheetos and maple syrup. …. Never mind that we all have kids and, so, are in bed before 10 whenever possible… We’re fun!  I promise.

2) You get to be you, written down for all the world to see.  Funny, pensive, how-to, poetic, quirky, reflective, what not to do, crafty…. The blog is your oyster.

3) I, for one, got one of the best haircuts of my life thanks to a SMB preview of a new salon. So, in other words, you get hooked up.

4) You have a voice to impact, uplift, amuse, advise, and otherwise influence your very own community in a positive way. Networking, brainstorming, and learning on the fly. It’s exciting and always changing.

So come aboard! Don’t forget: You only have until tomorrow, February 10th, to make it happen.

Read THIS for the full scoop. Can’t wait to meet you!

Perfectly Late.

So, I don't know if anyone out there knows this about me, but I can be something of a procrastinator. Like, Jedi-level.

I can also be an intense perfectionist.

These two qualities do not overlap well.

Case in point: Silly as it is, when you somehow lose your footing on your own "family scapbook" blog and the events and photos start back-logging and the items you wish to include keep racking up and the holiday happen and the wonderful, wonderful visitors start arriving in droves (my favorite thing, PS.) and your 2-yr-old gets a little busier and your schedule gets a little fuller because, I mean, the weather is amazing so you aren't sitting on the couch, but when you are sitting on the couch it's because it's nap time or after the kid's bedtime when you should be catching up on the blog but you aren't because, I mean, the TiVo is full of Bachelor and Biggest Loser and Modern Family and you think "I could tackle this thing that is super far behind and meaningful to me which will surely take hours upon hours to improve and no one is even checking it anymore because it's gone cold........ or I could zone out and watch this delicious TV," you know which one wins because Blog = perfectionist mental work and some emotion and heaps of time, while TV = deliciousness.

And let's be honest: It's a bit silly anyway.

So that happens.

And then one day you realize you haven't made an entry in 4 months and the Perfection side of you is all, "WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU? DON'T YOU LOVE YOUR FAMILY ENOUGH TO DO THIS ONE TINY THING?!  I MEAN, NICOLE IS BLOGGING 14 TIMES PER DAY!!" while the Procrastinator side of you is all, "Girl, you're good."

Anyway, it can feel overwhelming to get it caught up.

So here you go - my first post.  The pebble in the ocean to start the ripple.

Plus, it's Sunday and nothing's on on Sundays.  Lucky for you.

{SMB} : New Year's Resolutions of a 2-Year-Old

Well, this month was a little fun and interesting.  After kind of a downer in December, it was encouraging to see not one, but two of my SMB posts get picked up for publish on the Huffington Post!  The one that follows, plus a slightly amended version (per my choosing) of "20 Ways an AZ Summer = a MN Winter".  Fun to feel a little "15 minutes of fame", but sure would have been nice if it came with a few perks -- like maybe a paycheck!  ha!

Posting both links for January's post here for fun:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rebecca-hubanks/new-years-resolutions-of-a-2-year-old_b_6446312.html

http://www.scottsdalemomsblog.com/2015/01/08/new-years-resolutions-of-a-2-year-old/

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Ah, a brand new year. A clean slate. Fresh beginnings. A chance to cast off the old and put on the new. Just like a diaper.

2014 was a particularly big year for me -- a milestone year, if you will. I learned to walk and open doors. I mastered the fork. I single-handedly discovered the recipe of Nutella and potato chips dunked in pool water. Peppa Pig and Daniel Tiger applied to be my personal BFF, and I reached full-blown Construction Truck Groupie status.

Now, as I ponder the impending bloom of 2015 from my 7:30 New Year's Eve bedtime, I am filled with toddler-esque determination in the face of what lies ahead.

To that end, I give you: My 2015 Resolutions.

The Obligatory Diet Nod
Every good New Year's Resolution begins with a renewed subscription to the world of food abstinence. Therefore, I will shun any food purporting to be a vegetable. If it looks, feels, smells or is positioned too closely on my plate to a vegetable, it shall be spurned in my heart and then donated to the nearby waiting pooch. As for the pooch food, that's fair game.

New Boundaries: Electronics
We live in a society that is increasingly distracted by electronics. We fail to heed warnings, blocking out the voices of those around us, and we have no concept of delayed gratification -- EVERY thing must be immediate EVERY time. This is conveniently in exact keeping with the toddler mindset. So it only makes sense to resolve that by 2016, that currently forbidden iPad will somehow be mine.

In a Word...
At a recent playdate, this gym-clothes-clad woman I call Mama was describing her Key Word for the coming year. She mentioned "Brave" or "Give" or "Whole." I like this idea, and so I too have adopted a word for 2015.

And that word will be: NO.

No. So small, yet so very powerful...

• It pertains easily to a wide variety of scenarios. Sometimes, this Mama lady even seems happy to oblige. For example: "NO banana" -- while pointing to an apple will most often yield you an apple. Brilliant!
• Yet, "NO banana" -- while pointing to an Oreo does not seem to result in an Oreo. Unless your audience is the babysitter. Or Dad.
• It can be personalized, as in, "NO, Doggie" -- "NO, Grandma" -- or "NO, Mama" (this last one being a particularly potent combo).
• Oh, the places that "NO" will take me...

The Will-Nots
In keeping with my Key Word, and in recognition that character comes not only through what one does but also through what one resists in the face of exacting pressure, I would be remiss to discount these Will-Nots.

To the best of my ability and skill, I assert that in the year 2015, I WILL NOT:

• potty-train.
• relinquish the binky.
• sleep past 6:30 a.m.
• forget where they hide those Oreos.
• keep the lid on my sippy cup, nor the straw in its hole.
• go willingly into the car seat.
• play with any toy for longer than seven minutes...
• ... unless that toy makes a huge mess and boasts a triple-digit decibel level.
• keep my fingers out of my mouth.
• keep my fingers out of my nose.
• keep my fingers off of my friends...
• ... or out of their mouths or noses.
• ride in the stroller when I could be walking.
• walk when I could be running.

There you have it: My list of resolutions for this sparkling new year. With that, I lift my lidless sippy cup, and clink you **CHEERS** to happiness and health!

And if you like that, just wait until you see my list for 2016, when I'm THREE!!! Until then, if you need me, I'll be in time-out.

Christmas Sights 2014

* written May 2015

The Christmas season 2014 was blessed.  It was our first Christmas spent in our new home, and we had the pleasure of hosting Debby who kindly made the drive all the way from Oklahoma.

Our tree was HUGE and full and beautiful!  ...It looked much smaller in the tent -- and we had to make a second run for more lights.  Oops!

Mokie's nativity fit beautifully on my dining room table, and I loved looking at it every day.  I have adored nativity scenes ever since I was a little girl.  There's just something about them.

The Fairmont Princess resort in Scottsdale does a huge Christmas display every year.  Nolan loved this musical, blinking tree with the gingerbread house projected behind!

Tho the days are lovely, the evenings have called for a fire -- much to the pups' delight.

And our outings call for a sweater!  Love this cheesy grin.  :)

With the addition of a few front porch accessories, this was the extent of our outdoor decorating.  Next year I'll skip the red lightbulbs.  While a good idea on paper, the final product looked like we were conjuring something more sinister than Santa...

David and Marion Henry visited a few weeks prior to attend a family wedding in the area, and gifted us this beautiful print done by a local artist in Rochester.  We love it, promptly had it framed, and hung it on the first wall you see when you enter our den.  A place of honor in our home for our nod to our MN years and friends.

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This was also our first time to attend the Christmas Eve service at our church.  I still struggle a lot not to long for Calvary - especially the music ministry, and ESPECIALLY on occasions like this.  Nonetheless, thankful for a church family with whom to celebrate our Savior.

Cruised round to look at Christmas lights a bit after service.  This house is kind of famous in our neighborhood.

"What's with the giant empty sock, guys?"

2-yr-olds are hard to photograph

Ready for tomorrow!

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Christmas morning meant sleeping in, a breakfast of biscuits and gravy (made Grandma style - the best), and opening presents.

Nolan got a toy stroller and a razor scooter from Nana and Papa!  2 big hits!

Had to FaceTime the fam, of course

 

The awesome reindeer (or "rain-day-deer") jammies were from Aunt Lizzie.  She always gets Nolan the sweetest Christmas jammies!  I'm loving that little tradition.  Thanks, AL!

And we have been giving Nolan an owl ornament each year.  Here was this year's

Christmas morning bed head

Mikel and Nolan, both in their funny houseshoes

And a very fancy present from Grandma -- the firetruck!  Writing this now, this thing has a lot of miles on it!
Also big this year from Grandma, a play grill, complete with accessories.  I delayed putting this one together, in favor of lengthening the new toy enjoyment.  (Sorry, Gram!)

And as of Christmas Day this year, trampoline time is a daily occurrance.  Mikel had a trampoline growing up and has long said he wants one for his kids.  I was less sure.... so we compromised on this smaller version.  It's perfect for Nolan.  You were right, Mikel.
Mikel put this beast together all by himself late Christmas Eve night.  I really should have helped him.... but it was cold outside!
He is the hero of the day, as far as gifts are concerned.  :)

https://youtu.be/yGQwN9TCvQw

https://youtu.be/63glR6iUzWo

Not exactly the same Christmas scenery we previously knew...

Sweet old lazy Khaki

And of course Scarlett

Present-opening.  Thankful for all of the blessing we are given.

Rachel and her family sent us a whole box of Sicilian food goodies, including the best olive oil, blood orange marmalade, and pistachio butter!!  I loved this!! (okay, we all did) :)

You might think a blender is a dull gift, but this was on the request list so we were justified.  ha!

This year's tree.

Nap time was enjoyed by all.

...and the evening took us back outside!  We had the heat lamp roaring, and Nolan was very content on Grandma's lap.  

A sweet sight.

Every day is a reason to give thanks for our Savior, but Christmas with dear family reminds us of the biggest blessings of all.