Toothbrush Replacement Time

How do you sanitize a toothbrush?  No, really, I want to know.

I'm pretty good about keeping doors shut in the house.  We figure its just easier this way than trying to baby proof everything.

Well, the bathroom door was left open.  Usually she goes straight for the toilet paper.  But there was something more enticing this time.  The toilet lid was left up.  Oh my.  By the time I got to her I could hear the clang clang of her toy bracelet in the toilet bowl and water was splashing everywhere.

And as if that wasn't enough, I take her to the sink to wash her hands but before I could get those little fingers under the faucet she grabs my toothbrush.  Straight on the bristles.  Full grab.  With toilet bowl water.

oh my...

I might have to break out the Auburn toothbrush that sings.  I don't know that I'll be able to look at my old toothbrush, much less use it ever again.

Stickers are Like Potato Chips

You can never have just one...

End of the Day Highlights

After a long day full of lots of (insert productive here) work there were a few moments that made me smile.

Hubby went for a run after work.  Part of his training for the Seaside Half Marathon coming up in March.  (best part of this race is the Vera Bradley bag you get at the end!)  LB wormed her way in his lap during his stretches.  My family is too precious.

And a package came!  I love mail.  My lovely sister-in-law and her hubby sent me this fabulous candle for my birthday.  Even the UPS box smelled scrumptious.

Please note the beverages of choice in the picture - one in the foreground and one in the background.

On the downward slide to the weekend.  Yay!

Our Words Revealed

Revealed and painted, waiting to dry and hang.

Already looking forward to making this a tradition.

Paci Hunt

Where is the strangest place I've found a pacifier?

A) in clean, folded up, and put away laundry


B) inside and underneath the washer machine


C) in a shoe in my closet


D) all of the above


E) nothing really surprises me anymore

A Word to Define 2011

I can hardly wait for tomorrow.

Hubby and I have a date night planned (still looking for a babysitter - minor detail).  We are revealing our words for 2011.  The idea came to us through one of Jon Gordon's recent newsletters.  Through prayer and reflection, pick a word that you want to define your life in 2011.

There are so many words.  And so many things I want to accomplish this year.  But it can only be one.

It has been really cool to see how my word has morphed and changed over the course of the week.  Yesterday I found my word.  It encompasses so much, that I have no doubt this is the right one.

To give us daily reminders we plan on painting our words and hanging them in the house somewhere.  The kitchen perhaps?  I do spend most of my day there.

Eek!  I can't wait!

The Pioneer Woman's New Book

Does anyone else love the Pioneer Woman?  Well, she is giving away 5 copies of her new book, Black Heels to Tractor Wheels.

Check out her blog here to enter to win!

Looks like a great read.

3am

3am - usually if I'm awake at this hour it's to hunt down a pacifier.  But if I'm being honest, I rarely do that anymore - my hubby is the most awesome paci finder in the world and he jumps on the hunt before I can even roll over and say, "maybe she should cry this one out."

But this morning I awoke for a different reason.  A nightmare.  I can't tell you the last time I had a real nightmare.  The kind where you wake up in a cold sweat and you don't want to go back to sleep for fear of drifting back into the scene you just left.

I lay there for a second listening to the house, the gentle breathing of my husband next to me and even a few murmurs of my baby girl in the next room.  I got up to use the restroom and to try and shake the dream.  I had even managed to bite my bottom lip and draw blood.  It really got to me.  It was too vivid.

As I crawled back in the bed, I told Grant that I had a bad nightmare.  In his less than awake and primarily sleepy state he snuggled up close and told me that everything was fine.  We laced our fingers and fell asleep holding hands.

Goodness gracious, what a night.  Paci hunting at 3am doesn't seem so bad after all.

It's Great to be an Auburn Tiger

Wow, what a trip.  It almost seemed surreal.

It all started with a text from my dad over New Years that said, have 2 extra tickets...interested?

Excuse me, um, YES!!!

And from there all the stars seemed to align for us to make it to Arizona and watch our beloved Auburn Tigers play for the National Championship.

Scottsdale is fabulous, truly a beautiful city.  Great restaurants, shops and things to do.

We stayed at the Phoenician (on the pull-out couch in my parents room, but we didn't care!)  It was a wonderful resort.  We rubbed elbows with ESPN while waiting for cabs, walking into our hotel and getting off the elevator.  ESPN had about 6 jet-black escalades lined up waiting to take them to the game on Monday morning.  It was fun running into them everywhere we walked.  We tried to get Corso to tell us who he would pick to win, but he wouldn't spill the beans.

Our seats were on the 45 yd line, 17 rows up.  In the Oregon section.  But we had friendly Auburn fans all around us.  And we have to say that all the Oregon fans were pretty nice.

We stood up the entire time, except for timeouts and TV timeouts.  Our feet were sore the next day.  But it was so worth it all.  We were nervous and excited all at once as it was another nail-biter to the finish.  Toilet paper trailed from the upper deck after Wes kicked the winning field goal as the final 2 seconds ticked off the clock.

I received this pic in an email this week.  Pretty awesome!

We hung around the stadium for a while after the game ended.  We watched as coaches' kids made confetti snow angels on the field, players ran around the stadium giving fans high-fives and waving flags, and slowly as the players made their way into the tunnel.  

Not sure that anything will top this trip for a long time.  Its great.... to be.... an Auburn Tiger....

Bringing Home a W!

What can I say...

We're pumped, ecstatic, over-whelmed, over-joyed, can-hardly wait excited!

Headed out to Arizona early tomorrow morning.

Looking forward to hanging out with my parents; meeting up with some great Auburn fans; and bringing home a W.

WAR EAGLE!

Another Christmas Toy Put Together

I'm not sure what gave me the idea to put together another one of LB's Christmas toys this morning, but I jumped on it with gusto.  My sidekick was much more interested in playing with the clothes hamper however.

I opened the box and there was a bright green sticker saying you could watch the toy put together online.  Hmmm - sign #1 that this would probably be another "challenge" like the first toy I put together for her - mentioned as a not so favorite moment of the holidays here.

Step 1 - well, lets just say that it was hard to understand.  And, secondly, I wasn't strong enough - or at least I thought I wasn't at the time.  But it turns out that I wasn't even using the correct pieces.  (maybe why they made an instructional video)  Anyway, I packed everything back up in the box and waited for my knight to return home to help me figure this thing out.

Lunch rolled around and Grant and I put our heads together and got the ball rolling.  He felt confident that I could do it by myself and with my trusty sidekick glued to my side he left for work smiling.

Rolling we were, until we had to take a timeout for a stinky.  (I think that sentence pretty much sums up my days sometimes!)  LB wouldn't leave the kitchen without her new toy, which was only 1/3 put together.  We rolled it down the hall.  But instead of rolling it back, she thought it more efficient to just carry it back to the work room/kitchen.

Back to work.

We tightened screws and pushed pieces in (later realizing I forgot to add a washer) so we pulled pieces back off.  And while I worked, I think LB sat in every individual piece to test out its comfort.

Finally we're getting close.  The toy is starting to resemble a shopping cart - a princess cart no less.

Daddy - we're going to have to work on LB's driving skills.

Why don't stores just sell pre-assembled toys?

A Few Minutes to Myself

For as long as I can remember I always took showers in the morning.  I'm not sure why other than it was a hair thing.  After LB was born showers became a hot commodity, but rarely were they fully enjoyed.  Usually it was a hurry up and get out shower before baby girl wakes up.  I now shower in the evenings and I must say that I am a huge fan.  Grant has taken over bedtime, reading the same stories repeatedly and hunting down pacis so that I can have a few minutes to myself and checkout.  I stand under the hot water and slowly unwind.  It is a great way to end the day.

Blogging Stats

Only since I started blogging have I become an avid blog reader.  My list of favorites continues to grow as I spend time reading others and often times stumbling upon great ones along the way.  Some blogs worth checking out are Today's Letters and The Pioneer Woman.  Fabulous reads.

My blog dashboard has this fun little button with Stats, filled with little things like

• average 800 - 900 page views per month
• most popular posts are Debt Free Reward and No, Its a Horse
• readers hail from the US, Canada, Australia, Brazil, United Arab Emirates, Colombia, Germany, Guadeloupe, Russia and Argentina

If you like Geez Louise and check in here all along, please become a follower.  I would love to know who you are!  

To Do List in Chalk

I have always thrived on To Do Lists.  I love making them and I love crossing items off.

Grocery List - makes me efficient and saves money
Work List - keeps me focused on the most important task at hand
Packing List - so we don't forget our essentials

LB's list for New Years at the Lake

As a mom, sometimes I have to be resourceful.  Wanting to pack for the Lake and LB wanting to play outside ended up with my To Do List in chalk.


But it worked.

Jon Gordon's Weekly Newsletter

20 TIPS FOR A POSITIVE NEW YEAR

(Updated 2011 Version)

1. Stay Positive. You can listen to the cynics and doubters and believe that success is impossible or you can know that with faith and an optimistic attitude all things are possible.

2. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement: My purpose is_______________________.

3. Take a morning walk of gratitude. I call it a “thank you walk.” It will create a fertile mind ready for success.

4. Instead of being disappointed about where you are think optimistically about where you are going.

5. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card.

6. Remember that adversity is not a dead-end but a detour to a better outcome.

7. Focus on learning, loving, growing and serving.

8. Believe that everything happens for a reason and expect good things to come out of challenging experiences.

9. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.

10. Mentor someone and be mentored by someone.

11. Live with the 3 E's. Energy, Enthusiasm, Empathy.

12. Remember there’s no substitute for hard work.

13. Zoom Focus. Each day when you wake up in the morning ask: “What are the three most important things I need to do today that will help me create the success I desire?” Then tune out all the distractions and focus on these actions.

14. Implement the www.NoComplainingRule.com. Complaining is like vomiting. Afterwards you feel better but everyone around you feels sick.

15. Read more books than you did in 2010. I happen to know of a few good ones. :)

16. Get more sleep. You can’t replace sleep with a double latte.

17. Focus on “Get to” vs “Have to.” Each day focus on what you get to do, not what you have to do. Life is a gift not an obligation.

18. Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements:

I am thankful for __________.

Today I accomplished____________.

19. Smile and laugh more. They are natural anti-depressants.

20. Enjoy the ride. You only have one ride through life so make the most of it and enjoy it.

Reprinted from Jon Gordon's Weekly Newsletter.  To learn more about Jon and his great books, check out his website at jongordon.com.