Breastfeeding, Parenting gone lazy

I breastfeed my daughter.  I know all the rhetoric about how it's healthier and it's supposed to be better for them in the long run.  However in the right now it's because I'm LAZY.

Yes, I just said it's because I'm lazy.  I hate sanitizing bottles, mixing formula, and getting bottles ready in the middle of the night.  I breastfeed because washing the bottles means taking a shower and I don't have to make sure I pack enough formula when I go places.  Nor do I have to worry about whether the place I'm going is going to have a place for me to warm up the bottle.  I am a portable food source.  As long as I eat and stay hydrated I ALWAYS have enough food.

So, yes let parents tell you they breastfeed because it's better for their children.  I'm pretty sure part of the reason is actually because they're lazy too.

Wedding stuff

Periodically I work on planning wedding stuff.

Why you may ask?  Aren't you not getting married for at least another 2 years?  Starting to plan a wedding now seems crazy and Bridezilla-ish.

It might seem crazy, but I want to make sure I know what I'm getting into.  I don't want to be overwhelmed with details and trying to decide what I want.  I want to know what I want and to have a back up plan just in case things don't work out with my first choice.

Since I want an outdoor wedding so much I'm starting to thing a late summer wedding might be better than a fall wedding.  I just know that I don't want a church wedding.  The church has NOTHING to do with our relationship.

We both love the outdoors.  I have to admit that part of the reasoning is because I'm cheap.  I figure if we have an outdoor wedding that I might be able to get away with a more minimalistic decor.  My Aunt was going to take me to Eau Claire Dells this summer.  I saw an outdoor wedding there and it was beautiful.

I'm thinking purple, green, and silver for wedding colors.  I told my maid of honor...yes, I have already picked one because she's hardcore awesome.  Either way I told her that I want the bridesmaid dresses to be dresses they could easily wear for other events.  Shoot, I'm considering going for a colored dress for the same reason.  I hate the idea of investing money into something that I'd only wear once.  Also I don't care what color dresses my bridesmaids go with as long as it's one of the wedding colors.  I know I'm awful.

I just like going over these details.  Though I honestly can't seem to decide if I want wedding pie or wedding cheesecake because both are very appealing.  I just know I don't really want a wedding cake.  I'm not a huge fan of cake honestly.  I am more of a pie kind of person.  The summer is a good time for pie after all.

Dedrick issues

Lately we've had issues with Dedrick when it comes to contributing to the family.  He doesn't feel that it's fair for him to do chores on the weekend or fair for him to do chores when his sister doesn't have to.  Though we plan to start introducing Lily to her own responsibility since she's three now.  I just haven't decided what it's going to be.

He will drag his feet and take as much time as he possibly can.  Having him clean for just 5 minutes a day caused him to go even slower in hopes that he won't actually get anything done and I'd let him go at he picked up a piece of trash.  Not the case.  So, he's been promised an allowance and a chance to save up for a new fishing pole if he does the chores he's been given and actually makes a real effort when he does them.

Though we've run across a new issue.  Well, not so much new, but an issue that's become worse.  Lying and obvious lying at that.  He's a terrible liar.  He tells you that things that could not have possibly happened happen or that he's done things that he couldn't have possibly done.  No, Dedrick, we know you didn't put the wipes in the truck because you never left the house when you were cleaning the living room.  No, Dedrick, we know you didn't put the wipes in the backpack because it was in the truck.  Dedrick, we know you were eating off of your sister's plate because we saw you doing it.  Not to mention the fact you threw a piece of bread that was hers back at her plate in an attempt to get rid of the evidence.

He's a cute kid and when he's good he's really good.  I know he can be good.  He is so well behaved in school.  He's constantly bringing home those good behavior tickets and stopped getting bad behavior punches in school.  Shoot I know he can behave for my inlaws and my parents.  He's the perfect child at their house.  Yet, he can't behave at home.  Though...based on behavior of some children I know that can't even behave when other people are watching them I should at least be glad that he behaves when he's with someone different right?

Lily's party

I am so very glad that Ella is my last child.  I had to call in my mom to help me with the party.  Though her helping ended up being her holding the baby because her breading the fish sticks was driving me crazy.  It's okay to get your fingers dirty, Mom.

Also is it wrong that I got annoyed with her because she brought a present for each one of the children?  She said she didn't want Dedrick to feel left out.  It's not his birthday and he needs to learn that it's not always about him.  Especially since he's been screwing up lately.  *head desk*

Either way Lily's birthday went well.  I can't say the whole day went well.  Dedrick moved something and forgot that he moved it.  He couldn't just say he forgot.  He lied about what he did with it.  We had a discussion with him that things would have gone a lot better for him if he hadn't lied about it.

Anyway...to Lily's birthday party.

The cupcakes went over well.  We did a "cupcake war" though only one of my judges actually gave his opinion about it.  I didn't get any points for appearance though...not that I was going for points for appearance.  I have a ton of the potato salad my aunt made left over.  My inlaws ate the potato salad that my MIL brought.  That's okay.  I didn't want to share my potato salad anyway.  My aunt made it special for me.  Yeah, Lily's birthday party, but it's my favorite potato salad.

Lily got clothes, a sleep over bag, two books, a stuffed horse, and a bubble blower.  She was thrilled with what she got.  She has been wanting a new bubble blower since the last one she had broke.  Though I really wish if people are going to ask for what size you need for your child that they would get that size and not the next size up.  She's just now growing into 3T stuff.  Buying her 4T summer stuff will guarantee that I'll have to store it somewhere until next year.

She had a lot of fun too.  She got to hang out with cousins she doesn't normally see and she got to go stomp in puddles outside.  She loves to play outside.

I'm definitely not having anymore children.  Two birthday parties a year is enough for me.  It's too loud and crowded.  Especially since my house is crowded with just our immediate family in it.

Cupcakes and potato salad

I baked one of the batches of cupcakes tonight.  It was not easy.  Thankfully Greg "volunteered" to help me bake the next batch tomorrow as well as frosting them.  I'm considering volunteering him to help with the fish sticks.  I kept trying to figure out how I did this for Dedrick's birthday without any help.  Then I remembered by the time Dedrick had a birthday Lily was almost one year old and so much easier to pawn off on Greg.

I almost made the frosting tonight, but I didn't want to have to worry about refrigerating them.  My fridge isn't that big and it's already full of food.  Yay food!

My Aunt won't be able to make it to the party tomorrow.  My cousin needs to have surgery on his nose so he can actually breathe through it.  Wish him luck?

Either way...she dropped of the present Alesha made for Lily and my potato salad.  I know it's for Lily's birthday party, but it's still my potato salad.  It's the best potato salad.  Apparently it's what she calls a loaded baked potato salad.  As far as I'm concerned it's an orgasm in a bowl.  It's good stuff.

I would post pictures today, but I'm tired and yeah...it's not gonna happen.

I've lost my mind...

It's official or at least semi official that I've just plan lost my mind.  I'm probably over planning and over doing for Lily's birthday party.  It's out of guilt.  I have been lazy on her last two birthday.  I like to pretend it's because I was adjusting to having to plan two birthday parties a year instead of just one.  I tend to do a lot for Dedrick's birthday, but when Lily's rolls around I'm too tired of dealing with relatives to really do much for hers.

This year will be different...even though now I have an infant to contend with.  This year I will do something special for her birthday.  Something extra special to make up for two years of crap.  We'll have two kinds of cupcakes and homemade fish sticks.  I'm not completely crazy at least.  I'm having other people make the sides for me.  That's what relatives are for though...right?  I'll just have to remember to ask what's in everything before I eat it or just stick to what my family members make.  Here's to hoping my Aunt will bring her awesomely special potato salad or send it with my grandmother.

I mean after all...look at this face and tell me she doesn't deserve an awesome birthday.

You can't can you?  I thought so.


In other news we have Dedrick issues.  Issues of Dedrick not wanting to help out.  Issues of Dedrick watching as we clean up even though it was made clear that he was to help out.  Please tell me this is a boy thing or a phase thing.  For the most part if Lily sees you cleaning she'll help out unless she's tired.  Either way this has lead to a crack down on Dedrick.  No oatmeal for breakfast.  I won't make special efforts for someone who can't even do his basic chores.  There's a chance he won't be attending Lily's birthday party.  Yes, even though it's going to be going on in the house if he doesn't change his attitude he's going to spend the whole time in his room.  No cake and no fish sticks.  I'm obviously going to feed him, but he's not going to get anything special.

Thanks to Angela I don't have to cut the rest of the family off from special treats though.  I'll just serve him plain chicken, plain rice, and plain veggies while the rest of the family gets the awesome food.  Going over board?  You live with him for a while and see how he feels he should be entitled to this stuff.  Not saying this isn't my fault.  I'm just trying to break him of this before he gets older and it gets even harder to do so.  Blargh.  Either way it's going to be a rough year.

It also makes his Judd Nelson shirt all that more appropriate.  Breakfast Club anyone?

Now a question.  Do you have a sister?  How do the two of you get along?  What's good advice for someone who has daughters?  Is there anyway to head off the little sister stealing the older sister's clothes issue?  Am I over thinking this issue?  I don't have a sister personally and everyone I knew hated their sister.  So, yeah any advice would be appreciated.