Why don't we...How about...

Yesterday, I found the perfect scenario of how I could've approached a conversation with D in a better way.  Remember I had posted previously about this "battle of the wills"?  I often hear myself speaking to D and really wish I had not used the words I used.

Endearing

The other day, I had a work meeting so I had to take D to my sister's office to play with her cousin for the day.  I dressed for the meeting in a button down shirt and some slacks.  Took D to the sis', went to my meeting then picked her up later.

You're Crampin' My Style, Kid

Am I the only person that ever reminisces...misses those days of yesteryear when I...didn't have a child??!  Yes, sometimes when I am driving around contemplating life, I think about those casual days long past that were so free.  I wasn't tethered to anyone.

On the topic of discipline

Sometimes, I sit and wonder, "HOW am I gonna get this girl to listen to me and stop speaking to either of us (the hubs and me) so disrespectfully??!"

Sometimes I feel like the "gentle" parenting approach is bogus.  All you get are a bunch of self-absorbed little brats.  I mean, I have found myself saying to the child once, "The world does not revolve around you, D...."  And of course have thought it a million times more after without verbally announcing it since she probably doesn't quite get it.

Horse shaped biscuits

Today was the last day of horse camp for the babe.  So I thought it fitting to make horse shaped biscuits for her to take for lunch!  Mmmm, these were delicious and so easy to make.  Recipe from Food Network.

#SirPaul McCartney

I feel so lucky to have a husband that is so into music.  Music of all kinds.  He's on top of everything that's in town so about three months ago, he came into my room and announced, "Honey!  Paul McCartney is playing at Dodger Stadium!"  Me:  "Oh, nice."  Literally, just nice.  Not super enthused but interested.

Water, water...

Water...there's an abundance of it all around, but good water is hard to find.  In Nashville, we had reverse osmosis water put in.  It seemed a good choice at the time but I don't think we realized just how much water was being wasted.  Plus, it takes all the good stuff out with the bad stuff.

The Elusive Pastured Egg

Having just moved to a new area, we are 'cessing out our local farmer's markets to find the best one for us.  Mainly, we are trying to find the best eggs as I hardly ever purchase eggs from supermarkets unless in a pinch.  In fact, having just come across this great blog post by Cheeseslave , I will now have to reconsider purchasing eggs from Trader Joe's!  I do not agree with factory farmed eggs.  We have driven by one of those and the conditions just look appalling even from the outside.  No living being should be subject to living without sunshine or mobility.

Non-toxic Plus

Image taken from A Night For Green Beauty - LA FB Page

The sis and I just went to this great event last night put on by La Bella Figura called A Night For Green Beauty.  Wow!  I wish they would have this every season!  It was so awesome to be surrounded by all these great non-toxic, earth conscious beauty brands.

I was made aware of this event via Beautycounter.

Bipolar, much?

Remember I said we just moved to a new house?  Yes, we did and the previous owners used a portion of the house as rental property.  So, we have a tenant that we share a wall with until she moves out.

When I first met the tenant, she gave me the whole rundown on the previous family...since she can hear them all the time...the father runs the mornings like a drill sergeant...etc.  "Oh boy..." I thought, "I better be on my best behavior."  The last thing we need is for D to have one of her terrible tantrums that she was having prior to our move...terrifying.

Now after being in this house for several days I am thinking the tenant must think I am a bipolar mommy.  One minute being sweet and kind and the very next, loooosing it.  Yeah, I have a pretty short temper and can fly off the handle.  Eeeks!  Oh this is so stressful.

Ha!  I should not care what the "neighbor" hears but truly I am embarrassed when I lose it at the most stupid things.  I try and try to be patient and kind, but it's truly not my wheelhouse.  The best I can do is try.

For the love of Dog...

That's my dog.  He's a real sleepy head.  He has short legs and a rather chunky body.  Despite his shortcomings, he loves to walk.  He really does.  When we get out he likes to walk far, but he is real slow.  So, what would normally be a quick 20 minute walk takes an hour with him.

We just moved to what I like to call "The House with a Thousand Stairs".  It's really just 55 steps to be exact but I like to exaggerate, and for as many times that I am walking those steps, it might as well be one thousand steps that I take in one day.  Now remember what I said about my dog having short legs.  Yeah...55 steps just really isn't gonna work for him.

So because I LOOOVE my dog.  I carry him.  Yes, I carry this 53 lb dog down and up the stairs TWICE a day every day so he can go do his business.  And on top of all that, he actually slipped off the stairs in the house once and twisted his back.  Got the formal diagnosis from the vet yesterday.  Thankfully, it was only a twisted back.  I was afraid he might have dislocated his hips!  That would've been terrible!  Instead the doctor sent us off with a "Yeah, he's hurt his back a little.  Just keep him from walking down steps and he should be fine in a few."

And what does my dog do?  Well, I decide to take my daughter and her friend to my dad's pool.  Good place to just have the girls play in the pool, I can get some work done and the dog can hang out.  No, Yoda can't just hang out.  He walks around the pool area sniffing around and all of a sudden I am hearing heavy panting.  I look over to the sound and there's Yoda!  Trying to paw his way out of the JACUZZI!  Yes! THE JACUZZI!  The crazy dog has fallen in, is probably overheating and hanging onto the edge for dear life trying to claw his way out.  I leap off my chair and rescue him.

Imagine what that little incident did to his recovering back??  Crazy.