Raining Cats and Dogs.

My current Facebook Status is;

When it Rains it Pours

I am not kidding...here at the Anderle house it is Pouring...or should we say "POOR"ing. All this said "raining" of cats and dogs is costing us lots of money. LOTS.

Do you know that Pomeranian's bark? I mean they bark a lot and often. Our dog(I use the term "our" very loosely) barks at everything. She barks when keys are jingled, when she sees a leaf

blow by, and she even barks when I shift positions on the couch. I do not kid. So one would think that Amelia might bark when our barbecue is being stolen off our back patio right? No, she doesn't. But she does bark when I exclaim "Holy Crud, Our Grill is GONE!"

Thank you Amelia, thank you.

I was really excited to be bringing our youngest pet-child to the vet to check on this horrible limp that she has had all weekend and while I was packing up Keira so I could drop her off at my mom and dad's

I took a quick peek at our calendar. I noticed that today our middle pet-child was turning 6. Happy Birthday Bindi. Most people would do something nice like cuddle their cat, maybe get them a nice gift or even sing happy birthday to them. Me? no, I sigh and begin to feel depressed that she is only six. This means she will be around for, what, like another FIFTEEN years? I

though she was at least like 10 years old...and then I did the math and realized that our oldest pet-child is only 10.

So after packing everything you need to survive an entire 1/2 hour at grandpa and grandma's house, holding my 30 pound one year old, and my "obese" Pomeranian I lock the door and leave. Noticing one more time that we don't have a grill. I drop Keira off and make it the vet

with ten minutes to spare! (in most cases wonderful excepts the vet is not a fun place to spend an extra ten minutes). They did the exam on poor Amelia, who, is in obvious pain and find out that she has a "football" injury. This is VERY ironic for a couple of reasons;

1. See photo on the right. Amelia's "daddy" is a former football player.

AND

2. She got the injury while chasing a football this weekend at the

cabin.

Turns out Amelia has a ruptured ACL. Also what they would call a "football" injury. This is something that we HAVE to do surgery on, and I feel horrible because all I can see when I look at her now is money. You know in the cartoons when the wolf looks at the sheep in a field and they see a rack of lamb steaming on a plate? Yeah, I see a pile of money barking at the place my grill use to be.

When it Rains it Pours...Cats and Dogs. Cats that are far too young and "obese" dogs with ruptured ACL's.

I had to have one shot of the "oldest" pet-child and our

Favorite, most beautiful, most wonderful human-child too!

Guilty Mommy Monday

In an attempt to make myself write more I have decided to start a series titled,

Guilty Mommy Monday

There are so many times, days, occasions that I feel guilty that I thought, what a better outlet than to share it with my readers! Please add your guilty mommy story in the comments below, I am sure everyone would love to hear it!

I've got a doozy...a real doozy for my first one. So Last weekend my husband took Keira to

visit grandma for her Birthday. They had such a blast and grandma was so surprised. I have to admit I was pretty lost with out the two of them. I wandered around aimless for a few hours when I decided to go get a pedicure and grab a dinner with my bestie.

I was explaining to her how worried I was about Keira and how this was really "off" her normal routine. (I sometimes wonder what it would be like to live with a drill sergeant mom...oh wait history repeats itself right?)

I told her all about how he didn't pack the right shoes, the right clothes, the right sippy cup, and he didn't even pack her tooth brush! She reassured me that Keira was with her FATHER...her F.A.T.H.E.R . and I should enjoy my mini vaycay. When I got home and had finally calmed down I fell into the middle of our king-sized bed and was able to get my first night of uninterrupted sleep for over two years.

Soon after expressing all of my fears that Keira just couldn't survive with out me Matt and Keira came home happy and unscathed (minus one shoe damn-it). She really wasn't even happy to see me-she could have cared less. My husband was still irritated with all the calls and "one more thing's" rolled his eyes at me when I was almost in tears smothering her with love and kisses. (because I am sure grandma and dad gave her none)

With life getting back to normal, Matt and I were thinking about what we would have for dinner. I had to make a quick run up to the corner grocery store to pick up a few things and on such a beautiful night Keira and I decided to walk the 1/4 mile. On our way out Keira was walking right next to me and I asked her to hold my hand...reaching up for my fingers she hit a spot in the uneven pavement and went down...HARD.

I have heard her fall and cry before but nothing like this. When you hear people describe a head hitting the ground like a "ripe melon" they aren't kidding. I still get a little vomit in the back of my throat thinking about it.

After calling the nurses line, both grandmothers, an uncle (who has suffered several concussions) both grandmothers again, we finally decided that she would survive. We did, however, have to wake her up every four hours to make sure she was ok. Getting a toddler to bed once a night is hard enough but an extra two or three times? Needless to say, she made it through her first klunker and night following a klunker.

My husband had to, of course, remind me that this happened on my watch and that she was fine the entire time I was off worrying about her visiting grandma. Thank you Matt, thank you.

PS-I know you didn't brush her teeth after you gave her that sucker because you didn't pack her tooth brush...HA take that.

Complaining

A Few complaints on this beautiful day.

1. I feel fat, ever since I stopped nursing Keira my body has decided to store an extra eight pounds. I like to pretend it is eight pounds of stored milk but it just isn't.

2. I tried to work out but can't. Yesterday when Keira was pretending to be a "Scary Bear" at the park I slowly ran away. I wasn't even running...I was more walking fast or bounding joyously away from the growling "Scary Bear". I had to stop because it was hurting my cellulite. If running, or in my case walking fast, hurts cellulite where does one start to exercise?

3. I am tired. Apparently at 15 months Keira decided to assert herself and show us that she means business. This means tantrums, and the tapering off of naps. I can't decide who needs these naps more, me or her.

4. I am anxious. I am going back to work in the fall and can't stop thinking about it. When most teachers are counting down the last week of school with excitement I was counting my districts

days with dread. Everyday closer to the end of school meant summer was here, which meant fall was approaching, which meant school was just around the corner. When your 68-week maternity leave is coming to an end one might have some confusing feelings...no?

5. I feel guilty. I feel guilty about EVERYTHING. I feel guilty about going back to work. I feel guilty about putting my daughter in daycare. I feel guilty not contributing to the family's finances. I feel guilty that my daughter doesn't interact with more children her age. I feel guilty that I stopped nursing when I could have kept going. I feel guilty that I don't think I will nurse my second child as long. I feel guilty that I am sitting inside on a gorgeous day. I feel guilty that I don't want to go out because I hate the tantrum sunscreen causes. I feel guilty, I feel guilty I feel guilty.

5. I am stir crazy. My house is messy and dirty (two VERY different things) and I don't want

to pick up or clean at all. I look around and don't know where to start. I then get mad that my husband's dirty socks are scattered (in what seems like) every room of the house. When I tell him this, he then walks into each room of the house proceeding to pick up (no less than) one half full or empty (optimist or pessimist?) can of Diet Coke and showing me my mess around the house. Apparently when it is your mess you don't see it.

And now I am done. I feel much better and will now take a rest from all this hard work.

16 and Pregnant

Don't let the title scare you....too much.

Any of you that know me on a personal level know that I am obsessed with Reality Television.  It can be anything; Real Housewives, ANTM, Survivor, True Life, Real World, The Hills, etc.  I recently saw an advertisement for a new reality show called 16 and pregnant.  It is on (the ever so educational) MTV, so I HAD to watch it.  

Unfortunately (really?) I was in California at the time so I totally missed it.  As I was sipping wine in Napa I even had a fleeting thought; "I am missing 16 and Pregnant right now".  (Please don't tell my husband-apparently he doesn't read the blog? hmmmm, maybe he has lived with me too long and has to "Survive"  my stories)

ANYWAY

As I was watching it I couldn't believe how amazing little Maci was, and yes I can call her "little Maci" because she was only 16.  Sixteen years-old people!  She had a little boy named Bentley (that's a whole different blog entry...BENTLEY?). 

She was just darling with her southern twang and soft demeanor.  I wanted her to live in my city so we could go to ECFE together or maybe have a play date-But then I remembered she is 16! 

When I was 16 I still had stuffed animals on my bed, and I may have still had my baby blanket under my pillow where no one could see it.  Maci probably wouldn't be able to come over for a 

play date because she wold most likely have been taking a college class (went to an accelerated high school), at dance (joined six weeks after giving birth) or maybe at work (part time for her father).  

This brings me to my point.

How can I complain...literally how can I complain?  When I go back to work this fall and am a littler irritated when a parent can't make it to a meeting or a conference on time I am going to remember this girl.  I also have to remind myself that I am 30 years old and I still struggle to get out of the house on time even though I have;  1. A vehicle to get me places,  2.  A supportive husband that works so I can stay home with my daughter,  3.  The ability to get online, use my house or cell phone to ask for help, and  4. Over 20 people in my family that would jump at the chance to babysit my dear daughter. 

I love it when I get a piece of Humble Pie whilst watching MTV.  Some people may get their fulfillment from Church, meditation, or reading a good book...no, not me. MTV

-a couple of footnotes-

1. I do not endorse anyone 30 or younger to have a child.

2. I do not endorse anyone 1-9 months pregnant to ride a "quad" as she called it.

3. I plan on sending very strong hate mail to Ryan. (see photo and watch the show)

4. Bentley is a good name if your like...16.

5.  I just broke a promise I made to myself never to make fun of a baby name (Keee-aira?) (Key-ra?) come people it is not that friggen hard!

6. Maci if you happen to stumble upon this please call me, I really want to hang out with you. 

7. You.Must.Watch.This. Show.  Thursday 7:00 pm Eastern time. (or online like I did)

Pretty in Plaid

So I searched and searched and couldn't find any great pictures of myself wearing 80's clothes. It could be because of one or more of the following reasons;

1. There weren't digital cameras in the 1980's.

2. I didn't have facebook in the 1980's

3. All my photos are stored some place at my parents house (thank GOD!)

4. I was only 1-10 years old in the 1980's.

I pretty much wore what ever my mother put me in and unfortunately still do to this day. I hate shopping and love going to visit my mother because she will have piles and piles of clothes from sales at the mall, sales at speciality stores and even sales in peoples garages ;) I have been getting less and less now that I am 30 years old-or maybe it's because she now has two granddaughters to buy for. Either way, I am thinking it is time I start to buy my own clothing once in a while. She is a hard act to follow and I am resisting it to the end-any woman that can find a Gucci bag (no joke) at a garage sale is going to stock my closet until I am in the nursing home.

I did, however, find this shot circa 1987. I like it because of my beautiful perm,

bangs that start at the back of my head, and the Red and Blue Plaid dress.

The reason I am having flash backs to the 1980's is because tonight I am heading to Borders in Roseville to see Jen Lancaster speak about her new book: Pretty in Paid-A Life, a Witch, and a Wardrobe, or the Wonder Years Before the Condescending, Egomaniacal, Self-Centered Smart Ass Phase.

I have been following Jen Lancaster's Blog for about three years now and literally laugh out loud when I read it. If you haven't visited Jennsylvania yet please do. You won't know what you did before there was Jen.

Also, if you haven't yet read a book by Jen Lancaster you are TOTALLY missing out. You must start with Bitter is the New Black, followed up by Bright Lights Big Ass. If you have ever struggled to lose weight or find the energy (or even desire) to work out you must pick up Such a Pretty Fat. Let's not forget the reason I get to meet her tonight, Pretty in Plaid.

They are all great summer reads and you will not be disappointed with her hilarious, smart-ass, know-it-all style.

PS- she has requested we wear clothes from the 80's! Any ideas?

Congratulations Rob!

Rob has won the Amelia Bee Blanket Giveaway.  He picked the Shadow Monkey fabric for his 9 month old son.  Rob has another son (4 years old)  that had a blanket that he brought home from Guatemala.  Rob stated that this blanket has provided his 4 year old with comfort and calmness.  Rob has tried many blankets for his 9 month old, none of which have been a hit.  He is hoping (as well as I am) that the Shadow Monkey Amelia Bee blanket will be a source of comfort and calmness much like his older brother's!

If you are not a winner this time around don't worry! Amelia Bee is going to be doing another Giveaway very soon.  We are introducing Nursing Covers and are hoping to do a giveaway next month. Be sure to follow www.lifewithkim.blgspot.com so you don't miss the give away!

Thank you all for entering and showing support.

Kim 

Amelia Bee Giveaway

I was planning on keeping this blog a "personal" blog but I have to make a plug.

Amelia Bee is a business I started up when my daughter was born. I made her a cozy Amelia Bee blanket to keep her warm on the cool Minnesota nights. The blanket was so popular when we went out in public, I decided to make business cards. I wasn't really sure what I would do from there but when people started asking me how to order a blanket I decided to create a website. 

I am currently doing a blanket give away to one lucky follower. You will receive one

large blanket from Amelia Bee of

your choice.

How to win it!

1. Visit --------and pick your favorite fabric.

2. Leave a comment on this post including;

- the name of your favorite fabric

- why you want an Amelia Bee original

- your email address.

3. Follow Life with Kim blog.

**Amelia Bee supporters have reported having a difficult time leaving a comment.  

1.  Below the comment box there is a drop down tab labeled Comment As.  

2.  Chose the Name/URL option.  If you have a website or blog be sure to include it!  If not you can leave that option blank. 

3.  Press submit.

- If it doesn't let you submit your comment, simply press submit one more time.  I hope this helps!

-Kim

Want an EXTRA entry? Follow us on Twitter @ameliabee

This contest will be closed on May 8th 2009 at midnight. Be sure to include your email address so we can contact the winner!

Good Luck, happy blogging!

Whack-a-Mole

I'm just wondering why I wasn't informed that Whack-a-Mole was installed on my roof.  

Apparently the Association is allowing some men from a roofing company come and play this fantastic game right above all three of our bedrooms.  

Because it wasn't enough that my daughter was up at 4:00 am to nurse 

they thought it would be great to start "playing" at 7:00 a.m.  

 It is now 10:22 and I don't see any sign of them finishing up.  As a matter of fact it now sounds like they have taken up Curling and instead of brushes they are using metal rakes.

I am tempted to go up there and either begin dancing to their crazy Latin Pop Music and scare them off the roof or start accidentally pushing them off.  Oops

PS-Yes I did call my husband and "gently" asked why someone would think of re-roofing a house at 10:30 a.m. on a Monday.  Don't they know that people have to sleep?  His response was that there are approximately 35 people that live in our unit and it really wasn't  all about me.  WHAT?!

Is this normal?

I really don't have much to say about this because I am quite embarrassed but please look what I noticed while I was sitting at my computer this morning.

Yes, that would be a large hole worn in the sole of my dear husband's size 15 Cole Haan's. I feel bad, very bad. The poor guy can rarely find dress shoes in his size and when he does I make a big stink about how much they cost. He wears dress shoes to work EVERY DAY, while in my former life I wore tennis shoes and flip flops to work. So this would explain why I have 45 pairs of shoes right?

These are just my "winter" shoes

Oh but wait it gets worse....

These are just the ones she has outgrown.

Again, I feel really bad for my husband.

I technically won't be 30 yet

In October I went to the New Kids on The Block concert. October of 2007, not 1990. I had the time of my life-I screamed for Joey Mac, Lost my voice, and the next day had a killer hangover. Just like when I was 10-minus the hangover. The reason I am admitting this to you is because I have a new adventure coming up in April. A little concert called The Circus.






I have to admit that I am a little too excited for words. My best Friend Tracy called me this morning to ask if I would go with her, really? You don't have to ask me twice. I kinda felt bad taking the free ticket and asked if there was anyone else that she would rater take. "Kim, there is no one else in this world that will see Britney Spears with me." Fools I tell you-you are all Fools. This is going to be 100 times more fun than the NKOTB concert...


Matt and I have been debating the date of Keira's birthday party for a few weeks now. I want it on Saturday and he wants it on Sunday. (who, by the way, has a Sunday party? No daughter of mine.) He was thrilled when I told him that I was ok with Keira's party being on Sunday..."as I will be too hung over for her party on Saturday!" (I say in a sneaky voice making sure he knows he hasn't "won" this debate...I merely changed my opinion.) He asked what crazy idea I had come up with this time. I would not come out and say it...All I told him was to Google April 3rd,2009 Target Center. I know for a fact he has nothing better at work to do than spend time on the phone with me and googling things.



Being a better person than I, he was genuinely happy for me. "You guys are going to have so much fun...just don't blog about it...I am a little embarrassed for you."


oops

Wrinkle in Time

Being a SAHM I rarely put on makeup. There are times when I don't even remember where I placed my makeup bag. There are also times when I rejoice because it is a sunny day and I can wear my sunglasses. This means I only have to put a little powder on and a touch of lipstick. No need to use the make-up remover tonight!

I literally get angry at myself at 10:00pm on the evenings where I find myself falling into bed and realize that I HAVE to wash my face tonight because I am wearing eye liner and mascara. I feel it is so unfair that my husband can plop into bed and subsequently fall asleep within seconds (no joke, seconds!-more to come).

HERE COMES AN EXPLANATION OF MY NAMESAKE (in this case Blogsake-"life with Kim")

I like to wake him up and tell him I am about to wash my face. Yes, I honestly feel better knowing that he is awake thinking; "wow, she sure puts a lot of work into looking beautiful for me." When in reality he doesn't even remember being woken up at all. I will often come back into the room after washing my face and announce, "Humph, I JUST finished washing my face!" Hoping that this too will wake him up and he will smile, and say; "wow, I can't even tell the difference, you looked beautiful before but even more so now!"

Yes it is a pain to live with me and he is often irritated at the fact I even put makeup on in the first place. He thinks it is a waste of time and it always makes us late for anything that we are trying to get to on time.

Believe it or not, this is not what I intended to write about today. My topic, Wrinkle in Time refers to the fact that I have wrinkles. There is no way around it anymore, I TOTALLY have wrinkles. I thought it was because I was tired and the bags under my eyes made it look like I had wrinkles but it wasn't. I found my wrinkles last night while washing my face. The mascara that I had put on to go to Baby Story Time at the library had seeped down my face and settled in the crows feet around my eyes. I hate this, I hate this a lot. I don't notice it as much when I am not wearing any makeup, probably because the wrinkles have nothing to collect. Which brings me to my final decision;

I will no longer be wearing makeup. Just sunglasses and lipstick.-take that Baby Story Time Mommy's

PS-see photo above of myself without makeup and crows feet. I still look happy but I was just smiling pretty for the camera.

Baron Von Raschke

I was attacked at Costco today by Baron Von Raschke.

For those of you who don't know who he is, Google him. I may or may not have been a huge wrestling fan in my childhood, this being solidified by actually meeting him at the Galleria in Edina when I was about eight.

Why you ask was I attacked? Let me explain. Keira and I decided that we needed a few important things from Costco and with the weather finally thawing out I thought what a great day to run some errands! So off we went, knowing nothing of what was about to happen to me.

We love going to Costco because they have great samples and we often end up eating lunch there, I eat the strawberries-she eats the blue. I drink the broth-she eats the veggies. I drink the milk-she eats the cereal...you get the idea. We were having so much fun pointing at everything and naming it (Her new game, tiny index finger pointing into the sky-"uh uh uh"-as if saying what's this?) Kite, Beans, Ugly Easter Dresses, Giant Coffee Can, More Godiva Chocolate Than a Human Could Ever Consume etc. She was so into the game today that when she started pointing at her face I pulled my cart over and we were naming eyes, nose, mouth. Then she pointing at my face, how sweet right? NO while pointing at my face I leaned in closely so she could touch my nose and I could appropriately name it. Little did I know that an 11 month old could have talons longer than a Bald Eagle....literally. Her thumb nail found its way into my right nostril and gouged. Not like, "ouch honey let go" but "if you were a grown woman we would be boxing right now."

This girl took hold and tore my nose off. My eyes started watering and my nose started running, or so I thought. Pulling out one of the many napkins from our plethora of samples I reached up and wiped my nose only to see the napkin full of blood, FULL of blood. I quickly ushered our cart over to a secluded corner where I could nearly pass out. After giving birth to my daughter I though I could handle a bloody nose, but I can't. I can't even handle a finger prick.

The thoughts running through my mind were nuts! "I am going to pass out and they are going to take me away in an ambulance. Then what will they do with Keira? They will take her to child protective services, they are going to think I have been doing drugs...my eyes are watering, my nose is bleeding, can I lay down right here on the floor? No, must remain calm..don't they sell beds here? I can just pretend...." You get the idea. It was very lucky that we had eaten about fifteen samples today because my nose bleed took every last napkin I had stored in our cart.

I dug into my purse looking for my compact so I could survey the damage, forgetting that I don't have enough money to keep two compacts anymore. I only have my one in my makeup bag at home. I tried to look in my sunglasses to see if I was all cleaned up so we could check out and go home. Nope, too dark, I couldn't see my reflection. Then I found my cell phone. There I was, standing in the corner of Costco taking pictures of my bloodied face. Here would be a great place to post the pictures I took but no, I will not do that to any of you. It looked like I was in a fight, blood was dried around the whole circumference of my nostril and down to my lip...this after I thougt I had cleaned it up! I pulled out a wet wipe from the diaper bag and wiped my nse and mouth...Did you know that they have alcohol in them? If it feels this way on a cut nose I can not imagine what it feels like on diaper rash. (mental note)

Felling VERY proud of myself for not passing out, Keira and I checked out and went home.

I must have been a little more stunned than originally thought because this is what we came home with. Can you get concussions form nose rips? Could this possibly explain why I came home with such odd merchandise?

Life with Kim....my new blog

I spent so much of my time on facebook, myspace, (or as my mother calls it MyFace) and twitter-I thought I would create my own blog to keep it all in one spot.
I am new at this whole thing so please be patient with me while I get it up and running. My sister-in-law is a wonderful writer and she does such a great job at her blog http://www.notesfromthenest.com/ , that I am a bit anxious about creating this. I have so many videos and pictures of Keira that I want to share but don't know a good way to do it so here I go!

3-5-08 Swimming with Mommy

Tonight Keira and I went swimming, again. It has become a routine for us. I find that the most difficult time for a stay-at-home (SAHM) is the 3:00pm - 6:00pm block. It is after nap, before dinner, and you have run out of all ideas. This is why I got online and found open swimming at our local swimming pool. It is great, I pay $2.50 and we can stay in the pool for hours, although we only last for about 45minutes..."Swimming" is hard work!

My understanding was that things became weightless (or at least lighter) in the water?!...nope, not my 25 pound daughter. It is a good work out for both of us. She gets to practice her kicks and splashes while I get to hold a thrashing 25 pound banshee in 4 feet of freezing cold water. It is really hard to look cute while doing this and I had an epiphany tonight that I am officially a mom.
Now, I know I have been a mom for almost a year now but it really sunk in when I walked through the dimly lit, slimy, damp locker room and caught a glimpse of myself in a full length mirror. (A full length mirror in a swimming locker room!?!?) I will spare you much of the details but I have to admit that I haven't shaved my legs in weeks, my skin is dry and pale and I had beautiful lines around my ankles from where my tube socks were moments earlier cutting off the circulation to my feet. (feet that had chipped nail polish too) My new "mommy veins" match my blue swimsuit beautifully. Thankfully I have a nice little skirt on my suit-which brings me to my epiphany. What woman wears a swimsuit with a skirt? A MOM DOES!!! But as I said before I am going to spare you the details of what the full length mirror showed me and I will go straight to the video. Don't say I didn't warn you!

Keira has become quite a daredevil lately. Enjoy!