Hello...it's Me

Whoa. So normally I kind of hate the "sorry I haven't written" type posts, but considering the fact it's been about 2 years since my last post, I suppose there should be SOME sort of catchupiness happening here. 
So. It turns out blogging when you have 2 small boys is hard, yo. I mean, I had a lot of balls to juggle, and blogging seemed like the best one to drop. Because the other two were my boys (and that isn't a good thing, I am pretty sure we can all agree), or my ever-loving mind. I have managed to escape with that one somewhat intact, though it hasn't been without a struggle. 
Depression and anxiety are not great for my creative juices. I had opened my laptop many times and stared at the blank screen with my hands ready to type and literally nothing came to mind. It was almost like someone had deleted the writing program from my brain. I have not really written much of anything for 2 whole years, and that is pretty crappy. Because I do love to write, even if it is dumb little anecdotes. 
So, here we are. 2 years later. After therapy, and group therapy and medication and many, many, many tantrums (both from the kids and from me), and tears and laughter and joy and fun and sadness. We have made it through, and are at a point where I can put them in front of the TV to watch Penguins of Madagascar (I mean, how hilarious is Dave?!) and sneak upstairs to write this. Because the days of my children needing 140% of my time and attention are gone, and now they only need about 110%. So maybe I can use that -30% to concentrate on myself for about 20 minutes until someone needs something. I mean seriously, how many times a day can you hear the words "Mom, I'm STILL hungry!!"!?!  You are tiny little humans with stomachs the size of lemons*. I mean how much can you actually fit in there for crying out loud?? 
*please note, I have no idea what the actual size of a preschooler's stomach is. 

You know what? Parenting is hard. Being a person is also sometimes very hard. It's even harder to be a parent and also a person at the exact same time. I haven't got it mastered yet, but I am getting better at it. 
I'm sure it's been hard, in my absence, to not know what my thoughts were on (trying desperately to think of parenting issues that have happened in the last 2 years...) the Royal babies, celebrity baby names and *insert hot-button parenting issue here*, but I am sure you managed somehow. And thank you to all who wrote me a note to check in and see how I was doing, and to those who requested I start to write again. I am sure you will regret your decision soon enough. 
So here is where we are at now. Peanut (Finn) is turning 4 next week. New Baby (Q) is now 2.5 and Hubby and I are still basically the same, just with a few grey hairs. Also, Kitty is still alive and well (she is still not quite right in the head, but that is her normal, and we generally love her anyway). We moved into an awesome house last year where we finally feel completely at home. Despite my terrible past as a plant serial killer, I am trying my hand at growing some fruit and veggies in our gardens and not completely failing. So far my success rate is about 60%. The plants are being lulled into a sense of safety. I am still at home with my boys, which means I basically sit on my butt all day and watch Maury Povich (is that guy still on TV? Because Oprah isn't, right?) and eat bon-bons. 
So there we have it. When written down it sort of sounds like I haven't done much these last 2 years. Which is basically true, lets be honest. Sometimes just surviving is all the busy you can handle. 
Much love to you all. I've missed you, darlings.  xoxo

Lately

Lately I have been really bad at a few things:
Posting regularly on the ol' blogResponding to your wonderful (and much appreciated!) commentsTweetingCleaning the houseGoing to yogaKeeping my outfit clean for longer than 20 minutesResponding to emails in a timely fashionGetting a full night's sleepChanging a diaper on a wriggling octopus while trying to avoid a mess (ick). 
But, I have been getting really good at a few things too:
Watching Peanut like a hawk as he climbs a flight of stairs for the 10th time todayTeaching him how to sign "more" and working on "all done"Cooking some healthy and pretty delicious meals and snacksChasing my son around the house and attempting to minimize the damage he will cause to himself/furnitureTidying up after the disaster "Hurricane Peanut" leaves in his wakeTrying to reduce our spending and stay "on budget" (example: I made our own flour tortillas for dinner tonight instead of buying some, and they were delicious and easy! I am converted!)
So please excuse the bad. All the good is getting in the way lately. And that's just fine with me! 
Here are some other things that have happened lately:

I cut off my hair. I got pretty fed up with the damaged, thinning hair I was left with after having the babe, so I sucked it up and went and chopped it all off. This is the shortest I've ever had it, and it's been an interesting adjustment. It's not long enough to put in a ponytail anymore, which was my go-to style, so I have to learn some new tricks! 

My Mother's Day gift from Hubby was a cooking course with Chef Xavier Lacaze from Top Chef Canada!!! He's also the executive chef at Muse Restaurant here in Calgary. I am a Food Network addict, so this was the best gift ever! I went with my momma, which was awesome, and we cooked and drank wine and ate until we almost burst. It was phenomenal. The menu was right from Muse's kitchen, so we learned how to make some deliciousness that will now be in my regular rotation. And Chef Xavier was amazing! Also, I tried escargot. Honestly, they looked like the hideous little snails they were, and that was pretty tough to get over. But they just tasted like the butter and cream sauce they were cooked in. I doubt I will be eating them in the future. But glad I tried them! 

Happy Bloggy Birthday to Me!

Can you believe it? It's been exactly a year since Up Mommy Creek came into being. It's pretty exciting for me! When I started this little blog, I had no idea what would happen to it. In this past year I have learned a ton, met so many wonderful people, and gained so much from this little piece of me on the internet. It's been an awesome journey, and I want to thank you all for coming along with me! Your support, your comments and your emails all mean so much. Moving forward into this next year, I hope to keep growing and learning, and as I do, the blog will hopefully grow and flourish with me. Here's to more adventures to come! 

A little update: Life has been a little bit crazy lately, but in a great way. This week has been full of new experiences. On Monday we had a film crew at the house, and we put in 8 hours of shooting, all for a 2 minute little feature for a corporate video I was lucky enough to be a part of. Unfortunately, it won't be publicly available, but the experience was insane! I felt like a celebrity for the day! I definitely have a new respect for actors. It's actually tough work! 
I am also filming a spot for local TV tomorrow. That one will be public, and hopefully I will be able to post it here, for those who are interested in seeing it. Pretty crazy! I've never been filmed before ever, and now it's twice in 1 week! 
So anyway, the poor little bloggy has been slightly neglected this past week. Hopefully she will get the attention she deserves once this celebrity lifestyle is over with! 

2011: A Year in Review

Well, it certainly has been an interesting year! It's always a little bittersweet to look back over the year and see it come to an end. While I am so happy and proud of everything we have accomplished this year, it's also sad to see the years flying by so fast. 
So, in the spirit of the new year, here's a little reminiscing, a couple resolutions, and a year in photos.
2011: It was a very good year! 




2011 began for me in a pub surrounded by good friends. I was a couple months pregnant and trying my hardest to stay awake and make it to midnight. 


It will end with Hubby and I at home, probably trying our hardest to stay awake and make it to midnight. Hopefully Peanut will be fast asleep though...






In 2011: 
I had a baby. Officially the craziest thing I have ever done. I did not travel farther than 3 hours from my home. :( So strange. I turned 30. I witnessed the marriages of my good friends and of my sister-in-law. So much love! For the first time since I was 16 years old I do not have an official "job".We bought a new car. I learned how to use a sewing machine and created a retro masterpiece. Well, masterpiece might be a little inaccurate. I celebrated a year of marriage with the love of my life. I started this little ol' blog.I lost my heart to the cutest little man around. 

My Top 3 Posts of 2011 (according to how many times they've been viewed)
#1: The Best Pregnancy Books (According to Me...)#2: Our DIY Maternity Photos#3: How to Get A Good Night's Sleep While Pregnant

2012: Some "Resolutions"
I hesitate to use the word "resolutions". I do not have a very good history with making resolutions. In fact, I can't think of one I've ever kept. So, I would rather call it "Things I would like to accomplish in 2012" but it's less catchy...
Blog related:
1. I would like to learn how to use our DSLR and start taking better photos (already enrolled in a photo class in January...yesssss...). This one is also a personal goal. 2. I would like to try and attend a blog event. 3. Reach 100 followers and 100 Facebook "likes". Definitely really close on this one, so hopefully it's attainable! 4. Continue to see some growth with this little space of mine in the vast internetland. 5. Make some more meaningful bloggy friendships with the awesome people out there in the blogosphere. 

Personal:
1. I would like to get back into doing yoga on a regular basis. 2. I would like both Hubby and I to "get healthy". Basically, lose some weight and eat healthier. I have a bad track record with this though.3. I would like to actually go on some adventures again! On my list of "must-dos" this year? Camping, and a trip to Mexico to see one of my favourite people get married. 4. I would like to try and find a way to avoid putting Peanut into daycare so that I can work. That, or find a job that I love so that it will be worth it. 5. Possibly try and tackle painting the house so it's more our style. 

Wishing you all a happy, peaceful, prosperous and joyful New Year!!

Eclectic Six

When I started this blog, my thought process was "I like to write. Blogging would be fun!" So I started a blog. I was sort of surprised to realize that eventually people other than my friends and family were reading it, and it has slowly grown over the 10 or so months that I've been writing. What I didn't know when I started was just how much there is to know about running a blog. From design to networking, to Search Engine Optimization (I still don't really know about that one...) there is so much out there to know. And I have found that it can be really hard to learn it on your own. 
So, when a blogger I follow posted that she and other like-minded bloggers had formed a "Blog Alliance" called Eclectic Six, and started a forum for bloggers, I headed over to check it out. It's exactly what I was looking for. A community of bloggers ranging from very experienced to newbies like me. A place where you can ask questions about blogging and people actually answer you. And truthfully! There's tutorials, help with design, sharing of opportunities, and most importantly a community of other bloggers to draw support from. 

And the best thing is that since the forum is just starting up, it's not intimidating to join. It's small and supportive. But of course there is strength in numbers, so I definitely encourage you to head on over and check it out. See you there!