Hello, again!

Well, I noticed that I pretty much stopped blogging as soon as I started Cosmetology school last September.  I don't think I had any idea how busy I really would become.  I'm attending the Aveda Institute Des Moines.  I'm in school 30 hours a week and then another 20 hours a week I spend working for Hospice of Central Iowa.  I love doing both things but I am looking forward to just having 1 job!  I should graduate sometime in February of 2012. While I can't promise that I will be a regular blogger again I will try to be back before another 10 months go by!

Recap of the VMA's

Watching the Video Music Awards is an annual tradition at our house and we always spend it with our good friends the Kaisers. We have entirely too much food and a lot of fun.  This year was no different!
You can always count on the VMA's to have great performances, drama and crazy outfits.  Here are my thoughts on this years awards.
The VMA's kicked off with a performance by Eminem and Rihanna. Loved it! Give me anything Eminem and I'll love it.
I loved Chelsea Handler as the host.  The woman is so funny although at times she almost seemed nervous while hosting, but I can't blame her for that.
Over all I was pleased with the results of the awards given out. I think everyone that won was deserving.

As for the outfits... Lady Gaga as always had the craziest outfits.  I thought her first 2 were pretty tame. You could see her face and see how pretty she really is.

Now the last outfit. The meat outfit.  Totally gross in my opinion and I honestly did not get the statement she was trying to make with it. This is what she stated in her interview with Ellen yesterday:
"Well, it is certainly no disrespect to anyone that is vegan or vegetarian," Gaga said. "As you know, I am the most judgment-free human being on the Earth. However, it has many interpretations, but for me this evening if we don't stand up for what we believe in and if we don't fight for our rights, pretty soon we're going to have as much rights as the meat on our bones. And, I am not a piece of meat."


Moving along... Kanye and Taylor.  How could we not address THIS after last years "incident". Incase you missed it last year, Kanye stormed the stage while Talyor Swift was accepting her award for Best Music Video. He took the mic away from her stating that Beyonce's video should have won.
Fast forward a year later and Taylor sang a new song with lyrics stating "who you are is not what you did" among other words of forgiveness. Then Kanye performs a song with lyrics about "you've been putting up with my Sh*t for too long" and toasting "d-bags and a-holes" so I guess this is an apology?!? not really sure.  I'm team Taylor and personally don't think that MTV should have allowed Kayne to perform. I don't think that an apology on this level needs to be made in public it should be between the two of them. I suppose MTV achieved what the wanted because everyone is talking about it. Including me :)  I will be ready to tune in again next year!

Growing up

As some of you know we have been trying to sell our house for the past year.  We have recently decided to pull our house off the market and stay put for at least another year. With this decision it's time to get Carter a "big boy" room.  His room is currently still decorated in it's baby theme as I didn't want to change it with the anticipation of moving.  This is what his room currently looks like.

It's kind of hard to see but it's a Laura Ashley Whales and Sailboats theme.  I loved it for my baby boy, but now it's time to move on.

Let me tell you a little bit about my decorating preferences when it comes to things for Carter.  I cannot STAND decorating with cartoon stuff!  Now I know this may sound a little extreme.  Kids love their cartoons! I have given up some of my controlling habits when it comes to some cartoon things. After all, Grandma's love to by things for their grand kids and if he likes a cartoon then cartoon stuff he gets!

Ok back to the topic at hand.  I'm breaking my own rule!  I want to decorate Carter's room in this theme.

DR. SEUSS!

It's cartoon, but it's pretty timeless and classic. I think I dislike many other cartoons because they are always changing and then you buy all this stuff and 3 months later your child is in love with a different cartoon.

Carter actually does like Dr. Seuss also.  He has several books, puzzles and movies and he knows all the songs on the movies by heart.

I don't think I will go crazy with the colors or a custom bed but I think I can have a lot of fun with this.  Across from his room is another room that looks exactly like his that is set up as a media room. I think I'm going to continue with the Dr. Seuss theme and turn it into a play room.  I'm so excited to see this vision come to life! I will be sure to post pictures when I'm done.  So far I have the "Big Boy" bed ordered!

Carter Quote of the Week

Carter has been saying some pretty funny stuff lately so I need to get it written down so I will remember!  I really don't know where he learns this stuff.  He speaks so well for his age, I'm not sure where he gets it from, but the kid is just FUNNY!

A couple weeks ago we were at Taste of Hope (a carnival of sorts at church) and Carter was running around playing with empty water bottles. He was having a friend of ours take the labels off so he could swing them around. One of the labels was particularly sticky and he runs over to me with it hanging from his hand and said "Mom, this is a sticky situation!"

This is the same night, he wanted daddy to throw the empty bottles at his head :)

Mini-Vacation

A couple weeks ago the 3 of us took a little mini trip to Omaha for the night.  We had planned on going to the zoo but the heat index was over 100 so we found something else to do.  We ended up going to The Children's Museum.  Carter had a blast! They had a Clifford exhibit, so we spent a lot of time in that area.

This was a dog bowl conveyer belt that Carter loved playing with.

Carter in the dog house

We spent the night in a hotel which was Carter's first time.  We went swimming in the pool and went out to dinner. We all stayed up as late as we wanted, and as we were sitting watching cartoons Carter said, "Mom this is really a lot of fun!"  It was a nice little get away from the craziness of life and spend time together as a family!

Carter Quote of the Week

**Disclaimer** If you don't want to read a conversation about poop don't read below.  I have boys in my house so poop is a frequent topic of conversation :)

Hubby was overseeing potty time for Carter before bed.  I overheard the following conversation...

Carter: Dad, I have to poop!
Chris: Ok bud, just go
Carter does his business and has to check it out in the toilet
Carter: Dad! It's floating
Chris: Uh...yeah I guess it is...
Carter: Well, boats float...
Chris: Yeah, they do...
Carter: So....it's like a poop boat!

I can just picture him processing this information and putting all the pieces together. Haha :)

Confession

I have to get something off my chest that has been bothering me for about 3 years.... I DON'T KEEP ALL OF MY CHILDS ART PROJECTS  ::Gasp:: I know! I'm a horrible Mom! Lock me up now!

So, before you judge me, and I know some will, but that's ok- let me explain.  Carter goes to daycare.  Everday. From 8-5.  That's a LOT of time for crafty little projects.  If I kept ALL of his pieces of paper with a little scribble on them I would be swimming in papers and my husband just might file for divorce...maybe...ok probably not but you get the point right?
I do keep some of them.  Usually the ones that has some sort of body part imprint on them like hands or feet.  I like to see how he grows over the years. Sometimes we will hang something on the fridge that he's made for a week or 2 and then in the garbage it goes.  Does anyone have an alternative though besides the garbage or keeping everything? How do you decide what stays and what goes?  I've heard of some people that take pictures of the project and then make an album or scrapbook of the pictures.  I could try that route.
My Mom kept a lot of my projects but I don't know if she kept ALL of them (Mom  you can weigh in on this because I know you're probably reading it!)  I just found a bunch of stuff in storage that my Mom kept for me and it was a lot of fun to look through, but now what?  Do I get it out every few years and say "Oh I remember that?" I'm pretty sure Carter won't care to look at a picture that his Mom drew when she was 12. That's the thing with boys too, Is he really going to care if I keep this stuff for him when he is 26? I'm thinking not.
So Mom's out there weigh in on this for me.  Do you keep everything your child/ren make and what do you do with it?  Non-Moms,  do you have stuff that your parents kept for you? Do you care that they kept it and do you think you will keep your kids stuff if you plan to have children?

Okay, commence the judging...I'm ready for it. I think. :)