date night!

Last weekend my DH and I were blessed to get away for a night alone together. It was the first time since before Christine was born 15mos ago!

Thanks to a certificate that I got ages ago on Restaurant.com we had a lovely dinner at Chatham Tap in downtown Indy. We had never been there so we tried a few yummies off the menu: Thai Lettuce Wraps with a peanut sauce (messy but good), wings with their signature sauce (I'm not usually a wing girl... but I had a few of these for sure! I could have taken home a whole bottle of that wing sauce!), and The Robert Browning Pizza loaded with meat and fresh greens (yum!).Before we left downtown I ran into this adorable bakery next to the restaurant called The Flying Cupcake and picked up a chocolate-peanut butter and a s'mores cupcake for dessert. We had them later that night and they were melt in your mouth delicious!

Then we headed over to the Fort Benjamin Harrison State Park Inn on the eastside of Indy. Last Christmas we had bought a "family gift" which was a DNR package which included a pass to all the state parks in Indiana and a certificate to use at any state park inn. Almost 9months later we're finally using that certificate! We've stayed at a few state park inns before but this was definitely the nicest so far. The room had a sitting area with windows all around and the bathroom was definitely a few stars above the ones we've had at other state park inns (and other hotels for that matter). But we both agreed that some of the hallways reminded us of The Shining. Every time we'd walk down the hall one of us would say "red rum... red rum"... creepy! Here is a pic of the hallway:And this is obviously the real hallway from the movie:
So maybe its not exactly like it... but you'd have to be there. ;-)

The next morning we took in a little bit of the state park before heading home. There are so many cute nooks and crannies in the park. We are planning on returning with the kids sometime soon!

Anyway, it was a wonderful time to just relax and be together as a couple without having to worry about diapers and tantrums, etc.
Thanks to my awesome friend Jess for staying with my three crazy kids so we could have this time to reconnect!

30 Day Challenge - Day 8

•Day 08- Short term goals for this month and why
This month I plan to:

- start homeschooling first grade with Nate. We were pretty laid back for Kindergarten, but I'm looking forward to having a little more structure to first grade this year.

- complete my lesson plans for the paper-crafting class I'm teaching at our homeschool group. I was a class helper last year but this will be my first time teaching. I'm a little nervous but its something that I'm pretty good at and its a class of kindergartners and first graders... I think they'll go easy on me. ;-) I hope!

- start intentionally putting regular girls' nights on the calendar. I have been feeling disconnected from a lot of my friends and I have realized that I need to make those connections happen... they're not going to happen on their own.

- get some new doctor's appointments made for Joe and Christine. We're looking into some new docs to get some new perspective on their delays... maybe fresh eyes/minds could give us some new directions to go as far as finding a diagnosis and possible treatments.

- plan another overnight date for Isaac and I. We had such a great time on the last one (it was the first overnight date for us since before Christine was born), we need to make sure we do those more often! ;-)

30 Day Challenge - Day 7

•Day 07- A picture of someone/something that has had a big impact on you


Being Joe's mom has challenged and changed me in a lot of ways. He's a precious gift of God but sometimes (amidst the frequent pinching, biting, scratching and temper tantrums...) I have to purposely remind myself of that.

30 Day Challenge - Day 6

•Day 06- Favorite super hero and why

well... I'm not a big comic book reader or anything... but I do appreciate Elastigirl from The Incredibles. She finds a way to juggle it all, being a wife, mom and a superhero. Gotta love it! ;-)

"Either he's in trouble, or he's going to be." - Elastigirl

30 Day Challenge - Day 5

•Day 05- A picture of somewhere you’ve been to

Why settle for one picture when you could have more? ;-) Here are a few shots from our spring break trip to Albuquerque, NM. I love it there!

30 Day Challenge - Day 4

•Day 04 - A habit that you wish you didn't have, and/or something that you are looking forward to.

sadly I revisit the idea of deleting my account periodically but never actually do it. I really do use facebook as an escape from reality. The thing that keeps me from quitting is that its the only connection I have to some people. But what is that saying about those relationships? Its not really a substitute for actual human contact, I know.

I have wanted to go to Hearts at Home for several years now. It is an awesome conference for moms in all stages of life. Great speakers and workshops... so up my alley! But the one nearest to me always falls near or on the same weekend as my church ladies retreat. I've always chosen the retreat over the conference... but this coming spring I'm gonna do it! I'd love to get a whole group of woman to go! It'll be awesome!

Savoring the last of summer...

This summer has been crazy hot! We have still managed to make it out pretty often to the park. A couple times we made to parks with splash pads. Love it!

As you can see, those are not my hands holding my sweet Christine. I am ever thankful for the extra hands of my BFF who often joins us on our outings. She's the best!

While we have enjoyed the summer... I think we will be happy to get some relief from the heat when fall arrives!

30 Day Challenge - Day 3

•Day 03- A picture of you and your friends

This is by no means all inclusive. I have been blessed with many wonderful women in my life. I just do not have pictures with all of them. I will try to remedy that! More girlfriend pix is going on my to-do list! ;-)

30 Day Challenge - Day 2

•Day 02- The meaning behind your Blogger name
Well... its hard to really remember exactly where "WANI" came from. Its a nickname that a friend gave me - a twist on my real name. I think it was in college. If I had the nickname before college then it wasn't popularized until then. I used it a lot. I called my car the Wani-mobile. Its been interesting because it used to be just college friends called me Wani but when I started using it as my screen name more people starting using it. It could be worse. ;-)

30 Day Challenge - Day 1

Here I go...

•Day 01- A recent picture of you and 10 facts about yourself

Ok, so its not the best pix but it was the most recent pix of me by myself. As you can imagine I do not get a lot of pix taken of me alone. Usually my kids or hubby or friends are in them. This is me though. No makeup. No fancy hair or clothes. I like to keep it real. Most of the time. ;-) ok, on to the ten facts:

1 - I am the oldest of five kids.
2 - I am the shortest of all five of us. :-P
3 - I have always wanted to be a mom.
4 - I did not realize how hard being a mom actually was until I became one.
5 - I have struggled with my weight and self esteem for as long as I can remember.
6 - I am a very emotional person. When I feel something I feel it strongly. Its a blessing and a curse.
7 - I am a fan of the Twilight Saga and the Hunger Games trilogy. Don't judge. They're good!
8 - I'm on facebook far too much. One of these days I want to take the plunge and delete my account... but not today.
9 - I have a weakness for the Frozen Hot Chocolate at Dairy Queen. Try it. Like it. Love it!
10 - I know I am very blessed in my life but sometimes need to be reminded.

*Its just the beginning. I'm excited to do this whole 30day thing. Join me!

30 Day Challenge

I've been motivated to do this by my real life friend Mical's 30 day challenge on her blog Fun and Faithful Tales. Then I found a list of things on One Girl's blog. I'll be doing most of her list but might change a few if I feel like it. ;-)

HERE are the things that I will be writing about in the next 30-days…

•Day 01- A recent picture of you and 10 facts about yourself

•Day 02- The meaning behind your Blogger name

•Day 03- A picture of you and your friends

•Day 04- A habit that you wish you didn't have, or something that you are looking forward to.

•Day 05- A picture of somewhere you’ve been to

•Day 06- Favorite super hero and why

•Day 07- A picture of someone/something that has had a big impact on you

•Day 08- Short term goals for this month and why

•Day 09- Something you’re proud of

•Day 10- Songs you listen to when you are Happy, Sad, Bored, Hyped, Mad

•Day 11- a person you would love to meet.

•Day 12- Your Blog Story.

•Day 13- A letter to someone who has hurt you recently

•Day 14- A picture of you and your family

•Day 15- Put your iPod on shuffle: First 10 songs that play
•Day 16- Another picture of yourself (baby pic!)

•Day 17- Someone you would want to switch lives with for one day and why

•Day 18- Plans/dreams/goals you have

•Day 19- Nicknames you have; why do you have them

•Day 20- What does your future hold/where would you like to be?

•Day 21- A picture of something that makes you happy

•Day 22- What makes you different from everyone else

•Day 23- Something you crave often

•Day 24- A letter to your parents

•Day 25- What I would find in your bag
•Day 26- What you think about your friends
•Day 27- Why are you doing this 30 day challenge
•Day 28- A picture of you last year and now, how have you changed since then?
•Day 29- In this past month, what have you learned
•Day 30- Who are you?

mom had a bad day... what a day mom had...

So... I have my share of challenging days but the other day was a doozy. On top of having my own three kiddos I was babysitting my one year old nephew. He isn't away from his mommy very often and doesn't nap well anywhere but home. But that wasn't the bad part.

Joe pooped out the side of his diaper earlier today while in his walker so he ground it into the carpet real good... I handled that pretty well but then during his "nap"time he emptied all the drawers in their dresser, took off his pants, took off his diaper, peed & pooped all over his room, and smeared said poop all over himself...

Needless to say I was not a very happy mama at that point. I plopped a poop cover Joe into the bathtub. Christine had just woke up from her nap so I got her up. My overly tired nephew was screaming so I put him in Christine's crib - mainly just to keep him out of trouble but he ended up crying himself to sleep.

I let Joe play in the bath while I sat on the floor in the bathroom, nursing Christine and having a good cry.

Sometimes motherhood is just overwhelming. Its daunting, looking at a poop smeared all over a child and a room. What do you do on those days? Do you cry sometimes like me? This time, while I was sitting there on the floor nursing and crying I chose to pray. Sometimes its all you can do. And it truly helped. It didn't take away the frustration of the situation but I do think it calmed me down enough to be able to handle it without completely freaking out.

Maybe its just me, but there are times when I have to remind myself that God cares. He does. God cares about the big things and the little things just the same. And even when I don't feel like He's close He is right there waiting for me to reach out to receive the comfort He has to offer. I'm glad that I chose to reach out to Him on this day. He blessed me with a certain amount of peace and calm about the situation. He also blessed me by allowing my hubby to come home 15min early to help me finish up the mess. And He blessed me by allowing me time to go out with a dear friend for some girl time. What was a very difficult day ended rather nicely. Thank you God. :-)

Top 100 update

Awhile ago my hubby and I starting watching the AFI's Top 100 movies together. Honestly it has changed the way we watch movies. We're still working our way through the list. We have found a few that are movies that we may not have watched if it were not for the list and that are now ones we will definitely add to our personal favorites list. Here is an update of the ones we've seen and what we thought of them. I'll try to post more detailed reviews another time.

#	MOVIE	our personal ratings
1	CITIZEN KANE	Wani dislike - Hubby like
2	THE GODFATHER	Wani dislike - Hubby like
3	CASABLANCA	Both LOVED
4	RAGING BULL	1980
5	SINGIN' IN THE RAIN	1952
6	GONE WITH THE WIND	Wani LOVE
7	LAWRENCE OF ARABIA	Wani dislike - Hubby like
8	SCHINDLER'S LIST	Both agree good
9	VERTIGO	agree good
10	THE WIZARD OF OZ	both love
11	CITY LIGHTS	1931
12	THE SEARCHERS	1956
13	STAR WARS	agree good
14	PSYCHO	agree good
15	2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY	1968
16	SUNSET BLVD.	1950
17	THE GRADUATE	agree good - not great
18	THE GENERAL	1927
19	ON THE WATERFRONT	1954
20	IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE	agree great
21	CHINATOWN	1974
22	SOME LIKE IT HOT	1959
23	THE GRAPES OF WRATH	1940
24	E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL	agree good
25	TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD	agree good
26	MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON	agree great
27	HIGH NOON	Wani dislike - Hubby like
28	ALL ABOUT EVE	1950
29	DOUBLE INDEMNITY	1944
30	APOCALYPSE NOW	1979
31	THE MALTESE FALCON	Wani dislike - Hubby like
32	THE GODFATHER PART II	1974
33	ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST	1975
34	SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS	good
35	ANNIE HALL	1977
36	THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI	1957
37	THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES	1946
38	THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE	1948
39	DR. STRANGELOVE	agree dislike
40	THE SOUND OF MUSIC	agree great
41	KING KONG	1933
42	BONNIE AND CLYDE	agree ok
43	MIDNIGHT COWBOY	1969
44	THE PHILADELPHIA STORY	agree LOVE
45	SHANE	1953
46	IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT	1934
47	A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE	1951
48	REAR WINDOW	agree great
49	INTOLERANCE	1916
50	THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING	agree great
51	WEST SIDE STORY	Wani like
52	TAXI DRIVER	1976
53	THE DEER HUNTER	1978
54	M*A*S*H	1970
55	NORTH BY NORTHWEST	agree LOVE
56	JAWS	1975
57	ROCKY	1976
58	THE GOLD RUSH	1925
59	NASHVILLE	1975
60	DUCK SOUP	1933
61	SULLIVAN'S TRAVELS	1941
62	AMERICAN GRAFFITI	1973
63	CABARET	1972
64	NETWORK	1976
65	THE AFRICAN QUEEN	1951
66	RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK	agree great
67	WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF?	1966
68	UNFORGIVEN	1992
69	TOOTSIE	agree good
70	A CLOCKWORK ORANGE	1971
71	SAVING PRIVATE RYAN	agree great
72	THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION	agree great
73	BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID	agree good
74	THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS	agree good
75	IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT	1967
76	FORREST GUMP	agree good
77	ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN	1976
78	MODERN TIMES	1936
79	THE WILD BUNCH	1969
80	THE APARTMENT	1960
81	SPARTACUS	1960
82	SUNRISE	1927
83	TITANIC	agree epic ;-)
84	EASY RIDER	1969
85	A NIGHT AT THE OPERA	1935
86	PLATOON	1986
87	12 ANGRY MEN	1957
88	BRINGING UP BABY	1938
89	THE SIXTH SENSE	agree good
90	SWING TIME	1936
91	SOPHIE'S CHOICE	1982
92	GOODFELLAS	1990
93	THE FRENCH CONNECTION	1971
94	PULP FICTION	Wani dislike - Hubby like
95	THE LAST PICTURE SHOW	1971
96	DO THE RIGHT THING	1989
97	BLADE RUNNER	1982
98	YANKEE DOODLE DANDY	1942
99	TOY STORY	agree great
100	BEN-HUR	agree good

Anyone seen any Top 100 movies that they'd recommend?