So, here's what I've been working on!

For the past month or so, I've been working on launching a new site and it's up and running. The new site is called tomboymom.com! It's a spin-off of this site, but, with a few changes. Please check it out and enjoy!

Working on something...

Okay, I know that I haven't posted in awhile and that's because I'm working on something new. So, that's where my time has been spent recently. Stay tuned, more details to come soon!

Can’t believe all the firsts we crammed in this past weekend….

Fishing with Daddy!

Over the weekend, Dave, Ryan and myself crammed in all sorts of activities that included a boat load (yes, boat load is a technical term for a lot, ;0) of firsts for our little guy. So many in fact that he spent most of Monday napping!

However, the firsts for Ryan actually started before the weekend even began when my mom and I took Ryan shoe shopping for the first time on Thursday. I have purchased shoes for him before, yet, this time he actually went with me to try them on at the store, this time we went to Kohls, and thank the lord that my mom was with us because without her, I wouldn’t have been able to do it. I mean, it is tough to get a little kid to try on shoes. One, all he wanted to do was chew on them, two, he didn’t want them on his feet and did everything he possibly could to keep them off his feet, and three, he wouldn’t sit still so one of us had to hold him while the other put the shoes on his feet. After about a 20 minute struggle, we managed to find one pair of grey Nikes for him and one pair of sandals. They both look cute and hopefully, he’ll be walking in them soon! 

 

On Saturday the firsts for Ryan continued when we went for a car ride and stopped at a park in Ashwaubenon, WI. We decided that it would be fun to see if he would like swinging and sure enough, he did. He laughed the entire time and the more we pushed him on the swing, the more he laughed. It was sooo much fun! After the swinging, we headed over to the teeter-todder and gave that a go as well. Again, he completely loved it and couldn't stop laughing.

First time on a swing, he loved it!

Then on Sunday, Ryan experienced one more first when we took him fishing for the first time at Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary during Wisconsin's free fishing weekend. Now even though he couldn't fish himself, we let him check out the fishing pole, look at the water, and take in the whole vibe of what fishing would be like. It was just interesting to see him check out everything that was going on around him. There were times that he just sat in my or Dave's arms without even moving, starring at the trees swaying back and forth in the wind or the birds flying overhead. Basically, we just had a nice, relaxing time together enjoying the beautiful weather and we're thinking about going fishing again this weekend because of how much fun we had!

Along with all the outdoor activities that Ryan did for the first time, a few of the other things he experienced included trying to walk in his new shoes (which didn't turn out all that well), trying to change the channels on the TV (which wasn't encouraged by us, but discovered on his own), petting Beaver our pooch without assistance, and eating some new foods like cheese and scrambled eggs. At first, he didn't really like the scrambled eggs, yet, when he got a few bites down, he didn't mind them so much. My suggestions is to make them light and fluffy. To do this, add a little milk to them while whisking the eggs up before you cook them. This makes them a little easier for your kid to eat, which seemed to help out Ryan when he ate them. 

Anyway,  for the most part, Ryan seemed to enjoy all of his firsts and it's going to be a complete riot to watch him experience more. I'm actually really looking forward to it and can't wait for what's to come!

My Memorial Day weekend was pretty cool!

Proud Grandpa and his grandkids! They're all smiles
during our Memorial Day weekend cookout!

I know, I'm a little late with this one since the Memorial Day weekend has been over for a few days now, but I had to post about how much fun the weekend was with my family! Each day we did something special together, plus, I was able to get in some tomboy time when I took part in the Christy's Race held in De Pere, WI on Sunday. For my second race after having Ryan, I think that I did okay since I ran nine minute miles. However, I still have a lot of work to do to get back into the same shape I was before I actually had him. My goal is to possibly do another triathlon this summer, but we'll see if that will happen!

Anyway, back to my fun Memorial Day weekend with my family. Like I said, each day we did something special together as a family. On Saturday, Dave and I went golfing, my first time out in almost two years, while my parents watched our little guy. (Thanks Mom and Dad!) We had a great time together and the new clubs that he got me for Mother's Day worked pretty well. So well in fact that I'm actually looking forward to heading out golfing again! Once we were done golfing, we went to pick up Ryan and spent the afternoon together just chilling and having a good time. On Sunday then after the Christy's Race, Dave did some yard work and then we went to my brother's house for a family cookout with him, his two kids, and my parents. We just grilled out some brats and burgers, yet before we could pig out we all played in the backyard. The highlight was when my Dad was swinging on the swing-set with Ryan and my niece and nephew. It was just a really fun time and I'm super happy that we were all able to spend time together! :0)

Our holiday came to an end on Monday and just like on Saturday afternoon, we all just took it easy at home and relaxed a bit. All in all, it was a super fantastic weekend and we ended it the right way with fantastic meal that Dave cooked that included steak, baked potatoes, and grilled zucchini! MMMMM! Thinking about that meal is making me hungry, I think it's time to get a snack before my little guy wakes up! Check ya LATER!

I'm becoming soooooo responsible!

Yups, I Carla M. Lee am officially turning into a bonified adult and parent because last week, Dave and I purchased a Gerber Life Grow-Up plan for Ryan. We also started him a savings account for college too!

My parents suggested that we get him some kind of life insurance policy/college savings plan deal quite awhile a go now and after looking over all the options, both online and offline with our regular insurance person, we decided to go with the Gerber Life Grow-Up plan for three main reasons. One, it was pretty affordable. Two, it can be cashed in for its full value, or more, by Ryan when he's 25 years-old to give him some money to start his life after going college. (Yes, I've planned out his future, LOL, and it includes him going to college and also becoming an NFL kicker where he'll make millions! LOL, again! But seriously, I do want him to go to college and being a realistic person, this might be a motivator for him to go and complete school given that we could tell him, "if you complete school, this incentive is waiting for you." Maybe it will work, maybe it won't, yet at least we know that we have something like this to offer as an incentive).

Okay, I got off topic there, anyway, the third reason we went with this plan was because if he doesn't cash it out, he can actually increase his life coverage when he gets older and use that as his life insurance instead of purchasing something else. It was also pretty easy to purchase for him and since I'm set up for automatic withdrawal with it from my checking out, we don't have to worry about writing a check for it every month. Basically, it was super convenient and from time to time, I believe that all of us like it when things are easy!

To learn more about the Gerber Life Grow-Up plan, check out their website at: http://www.gerberlife.com/.

With that, I gotta run! My adult self has decided that while Ryan is sleeping, I should get some housework done instead of playing on the computer! Boy, I feel so grown-up!

Now this is a Mother's Day gift that I can get excited about!

Check out my new golf clubs!
They're not brand new, but new to
me! Hardly been used Dunlop clubs!

In my last post, I was talking about Mother's Day gifts for tomboys and went into how frustrated my husband Dave was because he was having a hard time trying to find something for me. Well, I must say, he came through big time and got me an awesome Mother's Day gift...I mean, totally awesome.

What did he get me you ask? Well, he got me a new set of golf clubs! Oh yeah! I've been needing a new set of golf clubs ever since we met and not having new golf clubs has actually been the main reason I don't like golfing anymore. So, to get new clubs for Mother's Day was super duper kewl, especially because now I'm excited to get out on the golf course again. Hopefully, the weather will cooperate and it will be nice enough to get out in the next few weeks.

The best thing about Mother's Day though, aside from the golf clubs, was how I was able to spend the day with my family. In the morning, Dave and I went out for breakfast together with Ryan at Bay Family Restaurant where my mom works. When we got there, we were able to surprise her with a Mother's Day card from Ryan and then we ran into the rest of my family who were also having breakfast together. So, we got to see my Dad, brother and his kids! It was a nice little treat! When breakfast was done, we headed home, took a nap, and then it was off to my brother's house for a cookout with both him and my parents. We had a nice meal together and Ryan enjoyed being around everyone. He's such a happy little dude! After dinner, along with watching a little golf, we headed home and just chilled since we were exhausted from the day. It was kind of nice to just sit back, relax and unwind!

Me and my little man on Mother's Day...Love you bud!

All in all, it was a good Mother's Day and one that I'll never forget!  And to all of you mothers out there, Happy Late Mother's Day! :0) All of you ROCK!

What a tomboy wants for Mother's Day...

Earlier this week, my husband Dave and I had a conversation about what I would like for Mother's Day. He started complaining a little bit because he said it was hard to shop for me since I didn't like those typical gifts a mother would want on this special day. He listed off that I didn't like perfume, flowers or jewelry and that he didn't know what to get me, saying that he was a bit frustrated about the situation.

Me being me, I laughed and thought it was funny since he was actually pretty annoyed by how I was so hard to shop for and because he was totally right, I don't like perfume, flowers or jewelry. I find each to be pointless and pretty much a waste of money. So, I got to thinking about what I would want as a gift on Mother's Day and after a little bit, I came up with a few gift ideas for moms who are tomboys like me who don't like frilly, girly things that don't make any sense. They include: 

• Sweatshirts or t-shirts with the tomboy's favorite sports team on them. 



Now this is a Mother's Day gift I can
get excited about!

• Anything else related to the tomboy's favorite sports team. Hats (like the one to the right available at: Modell's Sporting Goods) are always a good idea along with souvenirs like bobble heads, signed memorabilia, and posters. 
• Game tickets to the tomboy's favorite sports team or game tickets to any sporting event that might be coming up. 
• Sporting goods of all kinds. A new softball bat is always a cool thing along with a sleeve of golf balls or a punching bag maybe? I don't know, the sky is really the limit with this one. 
• A gift certificate to a sporting goods store. 
• Dinner out at a sports bar, however, you could take this one to the next level by going out to a fine dining restaurant, provided that you clear it with the tomboy first. 
• New running or athletic shoes. 
• Books, magazines and movies about sports. 
• Video games.

Now, these are just a few of the gift ideas that a person could get a tomboy for Mother's Day. I would say that there's one exception to the frilly, girly gift rule too, which is that tomboys do like candy. Well, this tomboy does anyway. I'm always up for chowing down on some chocolate, MMMM!

Anyway, that's all I have for today, so, to all you Moms out there, Happy Mother's Day!

Loving the warm weather....

It feels like I've been stuck in the house for years and years because of how long the winter has lasted around Green Bay, WI. So now that the weather has finally warmed up, I'm super excited.

As a Tomboy, I've always enjoyed spending time outside doing outdoor activities like biking, running, walking, and occasional yard work. So now that the weather is heating up, that means that Ryan and I can finally get outside to do different things instead of moping about the house, wondering how we're going to pass the time. I mean, come one, I've watched so much reality TV over the last few months that I'm almost going insane! I've become an addict and I need to stop!

The first flowers Ryan ever saw!

Anyway, I digress. Now, some of the things we've done outside so far include going for long walks throughout the neighborhood, walking about the yard taking in the sights and sounds like birds, flowers, and trees, and going for car rides with the windows down and the music cranked up! Well, the music isn't super cranked up since that would hurt his ears, but it's loud enough for both of us to jam out! LOL! What's cool is that I've discovered that he really, really, really likes music and will actually dance from time to time in the living room listening to it. So, when we get the opportunity to drive around and listen to some tunes, we go for it!

With the little man being so little at the moment, there are some limitations to the activities that we can partake in together. For example, it would be cool to let him crawl around the backyard and enjoy himself while I get some yard work done. However, since he is so small and needs to be watched like a hawk in fear of him eating something random or getting into something that might hurt him, I haven't been able to. I know that at some point, that will all happen, yet because I'm not a patient person, I'm a little bummed that it hasn't happened quite yet!

Anyway, the sun is again shining outside and due to the fact that the weathermen in the area have said that it's going to get chilly and probably rain later in the week, I'm going to shut down my computer and get outside to enjoy it! I suggest you do the same because I've learned that sunshine + warm weather = a good mood!

Not gonna lie, this would be pretty sweet!

So, I posted earlier this week on Facebook about this contest that I entered Ryan and I with the Green Bay Packers. It’s a contest where you can actually have a picture of yourself printed on real Green Bay Packers tickets…Needless to say, I entered that contest in 2.3 seconds! LOL To check it out, follow this link:
http://www.packerseverywhere.com/ticket-takeover

It would be so amazingly awesome to be on a Green Bay Packer ticket and I knew immediately which picture to submit. It was the one that Dave took of Ryan and I when went shopping to get ready for the Packers play-off game at the beginning of the year. Ryan had on his Packer hat that we, I mean Santa, bought him for Christmas. I was holding him, Dave got him to smile by calling his name, and then he snapped the picture, capturing the fun moment that we all had together. Check it out:

Now I know, we probably won’t end up on a Packer ticket. However, it would be super kewl if it actually happened and my baby boy and I were on one! I think we have a decent shot at it due to the fact that both Ryan and I are wearing Packer gear, particularly our hats that had big “G’s” on them. Ryan was even wearing his new Packer onsie that day too and I had on my Packer sweatshirt. My fingers are crossed and hopefully the stars will align so we can make some Lee family history…GO PACK GO! :0)

Three hours and counting!

I'm getting a quick blog post in right now because, drum roll please....My son is taking a nap and he's been asleep for THREE HOURS!!!!

Why is this such a big deal? The reason is, he never takes naps. NEVER. He always is up from around 5:30 in the morning to 8:30 at night without napping in between. Okay, he might sleep for 20 minutes here and there, yet that's it. He never ever sleeps for extended periods of time and I've checked on him repeatedly to make sure that he's okay. Every time I've checked, he's find, snoring away, and getting in some good rest that he apparently needed desperately!

So now that he's sleeping, I'm actually getting some things in that I've been meaning to get done for the last few days. Some of it's work related, like writing some articles for the De Pere Journal, some of it has to do with school such as getting my final presentation done that I need to complete for next week, and others are for fun, like starting my new blog called Reality TV Wombat. I made the decision to start a new blog due to the fact that I watch a lot, I mean, a lot of reality TV and I think my husband is getting sick of me talking to him about it. Thus, instead of boring him with how I feel about Teen Mom 2 or The Real World, or The Real Housewives of Orange County, I'm just going to write it all down and let people read about it if they want. To check it out, head to this link:

realitytvwombat.blogspot.com.

With that said, I'm going to go check on my little man again to make sure he's okay and if he is, then I'm going to continue taking advantage of this long nap time to get more things done! :0)

We got our first walk in, oh yeah!

The weather finally got warm here in Green Bay, WI and on Monday, Ryan and I finally got our first walk of the year in! It was awesome to get outside and get out of the house for awhile! I mean, you can tell that I’m excited about it just from the fact that I’m using so many exclamation points! LOL

Anyway, it was a lot of fun from the standpoint that he got to look around and see what the outside world was all about. Sure, he did make it outside as an infant, but that doesn’t really count since he was pretty oblivious to what was going on. I mean, he basically just sat there and slept when we rolled around the neighborhood while I tried to get back into shape! Occasionally, he did whimper and open his eyes, yet, that was about it.

Ryan looking at Beaver to his right,
and yes, that's sun on his face!

So when I took him out this time around, he could actually check things out. At first, the only thing that he did was look and laugh at our dog Beaver walking next to us It was hilarious, every couple minutes, he would just giggle at him and clap his hands. And, he would giggle and clap even harder when Beaver would bark at something or jump up on the jogger that Ryan was in. It was nice to see them get along something that bodes well for Beaver's future! :0)

Ryan finally looked up,
he's checking out some trees!

Then towards the end of our walk, Ryan finally looked up and saw what was happening around him. It was completely cool to see him just be in awe of everything. I pointed out the trees to him, the houses, the mailboxes, the cars, and basically anything he saw, I told him what it was and then spelled it out to him. It’s not like he understood what I was saying, but I used the experience as a way to start teaching him things. It was a fun bonding moment between us that is something I’ll remember for quite some time. When we made it back to our house, it was almost like he didn’t want to go inside because of what he saw and it was almost like he wanted us to keep going. I told him that there’s always next time and I’m hoping that the weather heats up enough for us to make it out again today!

Well, that’s about all that I got right now about our walk. On a side note though, if you have a little one, give him or her a hug and hold on to them tightly. The bombings that took place yesterday at the Boston Marathon have made me realize even more that life is precious and not something that can be taken for granted. My heart goes out to the everyone involved in that horrible incident and if Ryan and I are able to get out for our walk today, we’ll be thinking and praying about all of you while being thankful for everything that we have. God Bless.