I created a monster

Emma had not watched any tv until two weeks ago. I'm not anti-tv but she wasn't interested and was such a great independent player, I kept putting it off. When Adam went back to work and I was home alone with two kids, I kind of panicked and started recording Little Einsteins. She was a little slow to like it, but soon it was on 3-4 times a day and she would bring me the remote. ("Dis! Dis!") She would even pat her lap to let me know what she wanted. I was having a hard time remembering just how we got through the day without it so two days we quit Little Einsteins cold turkey. There were tears but I don't want my child throwing a tantrum multiple times a day because the show isn't on. So we've gone back to how we were before and it's totally fine. Emma plays in the play room while I hold or feed Ethan.

Now. She is friggin' adorable when she watches it. Her face lights up and she gets so excited about "Seatbelts buckled!" and "Blastoff!" So I think we will watch it some but not get so carried away again. I should keep her as free from that addiction for as long as I can. . . because I'm sure it won't be long! Oh and plus, I'm pretty sure we will have a Little Einsteins theme birthday party come May. . . . Can I just add that Annie (on the cartoon) cannot sing. Quincy can play any instrument, June can dance well and Leo can conduct and leads the gang. Why did they have to give no talent to the most important character? We have to listen to her off pitch singing the whole time. Geez. I don't get it.

The weather has been so nice lately. Emma brings me my shoes and it's not to say, "Dear mother, your feet are cold, have some shoes." It's a not so subtle hint to say, "Get off your ass, woman! Take me outside!" She loves being outside and luckily there is a park nearby that no one goes to so we're the only ones there. I think people don't go because it has no swings but it has everything else. Emma's old enough now that she can stay on one side of the teeter totter while I'm on the other. That is very fun. Emma does love to swing but it's not like she notices it's not there.

I really would like to buy a nice swing set for the backyard. We can't get anything too big because 1) it won't fit and 2) they only install if it is six feet away from the fence and house. Well that puts it in the middle of the yard with very little wiggle room.

We've definitely been looking heavily at our finances lately and just sick at the money we spend. We have only been buying from the grocery store for a few weeks now. Our one exception is buying ice cream from Braums. (Droooool) We've also cut back on just buying in general and really thinking about whether we need it now or at all. It's been so liberating! It's awesome to think about the money you're NOT spending and how that just saves it up for other really important things (Like a swingset!). Sounds like Dave Ramsey? It is a little but we're not really doing his method. No money in envelopes or doing things in his order. We're just trying to be more aware. And it's exciting that we're both on board. I'm sorry to say I think I teased Annie and Michael for selling their stuff per the Dave Ramsey method but HOT DAMN it is fun to sell things! It de-clutters the house AND you get money. Bam. Born-again-moneymaker.