Owner: Up in the Night URL:http://belknapkids.blogspot.com Join Date: Sun, 09 Sep 2007 00:26:23 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: I am a single, work-at-home mom trying to raise healthy, happy kids. I freelance to pay the mortgage and fill the fridge. If you know where I can blog for food, let me know--I would love to earn a living writing about vomit and poo. It is what I know best Site statistics:Click here
Project Playroom-Makeover, Part One 2007-12-09 00:24:00 Sit down, people, this is going to be a long one (but totally worth it, I promise).I had quite the weekend planned. The ex had the kids and I had a list of Honey Do's (yes, I call myself Honey) longer than Santa's naughty list; and my list had nothing to do with Christmas.I had decided, in the middle of the most hectic time of year, to prep the playroom for a makeover. My in-laws recently moved out and the room was nearly empty so, I said to myself, why not paint it while the painting's good? I know—these monologues of mine are nothing but trouble.Sooooo, if you've ever done a home improvement project you know that before you can accomplish said project you must do 20 other things first. It's a rule or something.Here's my list in reverse order so it makes more sense (stay with me—the good part's coming):10. Paint playroom9. Prime playroom8. Sand-down baseboards and window casings7. Empty playroom and put books in my bedroom6. Move beautified bookshelf into my bedroom5 Read more:Project
, Makeover
The Diapurse 2007-12-22 10:20:00 2000 BC (Before Children) I used a strappy purse. You know the kind—the wallet on a rope. Everything I needed fit in that tidy number: cash, credit cards, pictures of friends and family, lipgloss. Never would I arrive somewhere and think, Dang, how could I have left the wetwipes? Or, please tell me there's a Lightning McQueen in here somewhere. I was childless and streamlined, coming and going without much forethought. And then I had babies.I was never much for diaper bags but being the sharp new mom I was, I soon realized my strappy purse was no longer going to work. So I upgraded to a Mother Purse that was big enough to carry diapers and sippy cups but not big enough to double as a beach bag.Enter Purse Party. Finally I had the time and inclination to hand-select a bag that would carry all the stuff I was starting to accumulate as a frazzled and disorganized mom. This is the first purse I picked:And then my mother gave me this one (recognizing that I was a little jealous of my be
The Because-I'm-a-Loser MEME 2007-12-19 20:29:00 Over a month ago Candygirlflies at I Can Fly Just Not Up tagged with a meme I was actually excited to do (I'll admit, I'm not a fan of the MEME). I realized it was the same MEME that Rachel at Like a Star tagged me with two months earlier (no, I didn't do it then either). But I got a little sidetracked (I'll blame it on getting locked out of my house shortly thereafter) and never did it. So in efforts to push the Collateral Damage post down a bit (as always, thanks so much for all your words of comfort and support) and to fulfill my blogging obligations, I will share 6 random facts about me:1. I'm obsessed with Britney Spears.Don't ask me why. I was never interested in her life before it became a train wreck. Maybe it's because regardless of what I'm going through I can always say, "At least that's not me" Or maybe it's because we're watching, in real time, what happens to a media darling who's told she's sexy before she's old enough to watch R rated mo Read more:Loser
A Rose by Any Other Name Still Smells Better Than Cat Puke 2008-03-04 22:06:00 Is it just me or do all moms test far too many things with their noses throughout the course of the day? Just yesterday I sniffed at the milk to see if it had turned, checked some bed sheets to see if I could smell pee, followed a nasty trail to the basement where our cat had gotten sick, sniffed through a pile of clothes to see if they were dirty, and tracked down my son’s moldy snow boots. (Picture me, the ginormous nose with a Sherlock Holmes cap on top…)Was it pregnancy that heightened my sense of smell? I can root out the one poopy child in a room of twenty. I can find that one (okay, maybe two...all right...three!) rotten Tupperware containers at the back of my frig. I can walk into a room and within seconds drop to my knees in search of an accosting odor. (This superpower only s Read more:Smells
I Heart Like-a-Star 2008-03-04 13:08:00 Some people are on the ball, I tell ya. But boy am I glad Like-a-Star is one of them because she just made my day.I signed up for GustoGirl's Easter swap and got my gift today. And look at what Rachel, aka Like-a-Star, sent me:Included:An adorable apronA calendarEaster candyEgg-shaped sidewalk chalk (Leah is going to be estatic!)A "spring" decorationAn egg-decorating stamp kitI know! Not only is Rachel punctual, but she totally went over the 5-item limit. I heart you Like-a-Star. Now I'm totally excited to get my Easter Swap package in the mail today. (Thanks, GustoGirl for coordinating the whole thing). Isn't the blogosphere fabulous?! Read more:Heart
I Heart Aidan Shaw 2008-02-29 23:01:00 First, a confession. I watch Sex in the City. Okay. So that's not the whole of it. I am a Sex in the City fan. I know. That’s a shocker considering I’m a straight-laced Mormon girl who is small-town celibate and probably will be for years to come (ouch!). But I watch the reruns (edited, of course) on TBS and feel like Carrie Bradshaw is my best friend. Go ahead—roll your eyes. But can you blame me? I have no social life (no offense, guys. My virtual social life is booming but my real social life is on the skids).And I love Aidan Shaw. LOVE. HIM. Would marry him if he were real. And liked me. Enough to propose.For those of you who are unfamiliar—Carrie, amidst all her Mr. Big angst, dates Aidan Shaw twice. And breaks his heart twice. Each time she does I cry out (as if in slow motio Read more:Heart
Sunday Musings, Hosted by Leah Belknap 2008-02-28 15:53:00 Those of you who read Up in the Night regularly (and I thank you for the volunteer effort) know that my daughter has some of her best moments in church. In fact, I like to call them her SundayMusings
.This past Sunday was no different. Assigned to give a talk in sacrament meeting, I arrived about 20 minutes early, my rowdy crew in tow, so I could farm my children out to sit with different families before church started. We could hear the choir practicing in the chapel as I hung up Zack’s coat and the kids loitered in the foyer. At the precise moment the choir ended their song, Leah yelled at Kaleb, “I’m going to kick you in the penis!” The elderly woman walking past seemed to clutch her heart and stagger a bit. Two older boys stood by stupefied, waiting to see what I would do.I whi Read more:Hosted
Big Boy Pants 2008-02-27 14:46:00 Some of you may recall that I’ve tried training him 5 times already; one of the “sessions” I detail here. Some of you may recall my complaints of failure; one of which I detail here. So it seems appropriate that I publicly announce that my youngest offspring, Zackary William Belknap, has officially been potty-trained, and it took place in one day.Please, people, hold your applause. The kid is four months shy of his fourth birthday and most potty-training over-achievers are diaperless by two. This kid was determined to do this on his own schedule, taking control of this one thing, regardless of all surrounding him that remained out of control.You know what? I take that back. Stand up! Give the kid a hearty round!And then, one day (Friday, February 22nd to be exact), he announced, “I Read more:Pants
, Big Boy
An Introspective Meme 2008-02-27 10:23:00 The Prairie Preacher has tagged me with this interesting meme. My Own Woman created it and these are her instructions:1. List ONE desire that you have if you could live in a perfect world.2. Then send a link to ONE person who will then copy your desire and add ONE desire of his own that he/she would want in his/her perfect world.3. He/She will then link ONE person who will add his/her perfect world item.....and on and on. Make sure you leave the name of the person you linked to everyone can see who you linked and what the perfect world will contain."Because this meme hasn’t gone too far yet, I thought I’d include all participants’ descriptions of their perfect world."In My Own Woman's perfect world people of all sexes, creeds, race, and sexual orientation would live in perfect harmon
Why I Suck at Love and Logic 2008-02-26 10:47:00 For eight weeks now I’ve been taking this class based on the fairly popular series of books on Parenting with Love and Logic
. Now I’ve gotta say, I like me some love and logic. Everything I’ve heard and read resonates with me and is thus far the best parenting approach I’ve encountered. Unfortunately, I suck at it.Now you’re going to have to contact Professor Dewey about the particulars, but my limited understanding of love and logic goes something like this: enable your kids to be accountable for their choices and love them through each and every one (of course that’s the bare bones crib-notes version, but heh, I suck at it, remember?).So tonight was my last class. Sadly, if today had been finals I would have failed (Sorry, Professor Dewey). And here’s why:I asked my kids to
The Soundtrack of My Life 2008-02-22 01:25:00 I have decided there’s something that would make my life easier. And it doesn’t involve the lottery or prescription medication. I need a soundtrack.Let me explain.Would a romantic comedy “work” if it didn’t include a musical montage showing the couple falling in love? Can you imagine Rocky running up the steps of the Philadelphia Art Museum without his own personal serenade? And admit it, you’ve always wanted to burst into song and dance complete with your own chorus line reminiscent of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, right?A soundtrack would rock my world. Literally.One of my most embarrassing moments involved me singing the Pointer Sisters’ “Jump” into a purple hairbrush. I was fourteen and dancing to the radio, full-blast, in front of our hallway mirror. I didn’t kn Read more:Soundtrack
The Anatomy of Divorce 2008-02-20 11:21:00 My lawyer’s legal assistant called yesterday to tell me the divorce was final as of February 15th. A bittersweet milestone. Nothing to celebrate except perhaps a better chapter in all our lives.After yesterday’s post I got an email from a concerned reader/friend wanting to know if my ex and I could work things out. I genuinely appreciate her interest in the well-being of my family. She’s someone who recognizes the tremendous impact a divorce can have on children and their parents. And I’d hate to think that anyone might mistakenly believe I have flippantly moved forward on this decision, taking marriage and the well-being of my children lightly.So this is just a quick post to say none of the following reasons caused me to file for divorce:· I was “unfulfilled” in my ma
Roof Update, #1 2008-02-19 11:26:00 Last week’s epiphany coincided with the pity party I was having over (well, really “under”) my roof. Yes, I was in the middle of a divorce. Yes, my pipes had just burst the previous weekend. Yes, I was a little strapped for cash and just barely making ends meet. And yes, the roof fiasco was poorly timed. How much can I take, really? That’s what I kept asking myself. I was practically shaking my fist heavenward.But then God shrugged. Get over yourself, Shauna. It’s a little leak; you can handle it. No, I don’t think God is mean enough to tell me to get over it. But I did feel a gentle nudge that came with a mild message: You’re tough. I know because I made you that way. And that was it. Pity party cancelled.So I climbed to my rooftop and chiseled away at the ice dam. It’s no Read more:Update
When Children Hijack Technology 2008-02-18 08:17:00 This weekend Kaleb added his thoughts to an article I was typing in Word."Kaleb puld hes toth owt."For those of you unfamiliar with first-grade phonetics, that would be: "Kaleb pulled his tooth out." (He's incredibly obsessed with loosing his teeth). And to answer that question: No, he has not (yet) successfully extracted another tooth.In other news, Zack hijacked my digital camera on Saturday night, taking roughly 35 pictures. Here's a glimpse into what I like to call the BlairZack Project: A budding photographer, no?[By the way, Kaleb's pink tongue is courtesy of his teacher's Valentine: a tooth-care kit which includes a tablet designed to determine where kids still need to brush. Hence the pink residue on his tongue...]So now you know two more things about us:We've paid a pretty penny f Read more:Children
, Hijack
, Technology
6 Days Sober and Counting 2008-02-15 15:05:00 I don’t think I knew how addicted I was until I quit (and I’m using the word “quit” loosely—you know, the whole “counting chickens” thing).Last weekend I ran out of Diet Coke, and because I refuse to break the Sabbath to purchase my caffeine juice, I went to bed with a migraine starter. Two hours and one bucket o’vomit later I was sound asleep, on the tail-end of a prayer vowing never to drink again (you know, Diet Coke).But that wouldn’t be my last fit of withdrawals. Wednesday morning, a whole 4 days sober, I woke up with yet another head-splitting migraine. I realized that if I was THAT addicted that two detox migraines were necessary, it was time to leave the Diet Coke behind. For good. (loosely speaking, of course)And this morning my body demonstrated just how close Read more:Sober
, Counting
An Open Letter to Mother Nature 2008-02-09 17:20:00 Generally I appreciate a woman with your spunk, but, Mother (if I can call you that), it’s time to give it up. From one woman who knows bitter, I’m not afraid to tell you, you’ve got a chip on your shoulder the size of the ice dams on my roof. Did somebody hurt you in a past season? Because I believe the gracious citizens of this fine state prefer you key a car or TP a house than continue with this icy behavior. You know what I’m saying?And it’s not just me that’s noticed. There are the overworked snowplow guys. The mail carriers. And that poor girl down the street that walks to school. And did you know—it’s nearly impossible to buy a snow shovel. This is Idaho. We’re out of snow shovels in Idaho!So on behalf of the entire state I’m leading your intervention. Winter mus Read more:Letter
On Sabbatical 2008-02-05 12:00:00 Okay, so maybe it's not that bad; I might not be gone that long. But I recently discovered leaks in my roof which are causing me stress (something about ice dams compromising metal roof joints. Who da'thunk?). And stress is really not the word for it. Heart failure, maybe? Despair? Tunnel-vision where I've yet to see the light? I'm not sure. But right now it's all I can muster to make a living and take care of my children (Last night that I-am-mamma-so-everything-will-be-okay-because-I-can-manage-it facade slipped from my face and I began to cry. It was a weep-fest and we all cried together. --I'm still feeling guilty for letting my children in on that little secret--I CANNOT manage it all).Whatever doesn't kill you, right? Read more:Sabbatical
Too Sexy for My Boots 2008-01-31 15:44:00 Take a gander at Idaho Falls standard-issue winter footwear. Fabulous, right? Sexy, no?No.Not at all.I got these nearly a year ago after realizing that shoveling the sidewalk in fuzzy slippers wasn’t working for me. Those toes? Kinda like to keep ‘em. Call it a foot fetish.But the other night at my parenting class (I’ll save that for another post) I saw a woman in fancy black boots, with heels. How she got from her car to the class without falling on her keister, I’ll never know. Me? I require Michelin-like treads on the bottom on my boots in order to make it up my front steps.How do women manage to look fabulous in inclement weather?Not only am I a jean-and-t-shirt kinda girl, I’m a clutz. So wearing heels of any kind, even in summer, becomes an exercise in staying alive. I avoi Read more:Boots
Broken Pipes, Part II 2008-01-30 14:34:00 It wouldn’t be fair for me not to share the rest of this story, because it does have a happy ending.About five minutes after I turned the water main off (the point at which I had decided the camel was indeed dead), the Primary President (Mormon Lingo Alert--MLA) called to ask me about my plans for the quarterly activity (MLA). I must have had that I’m-having-a-nervous-breakdown lilt to my voice because she asked, “Are you okay?” To which I immediately broke down into a weepy mess. Of course she asked if there was anything she could do. Of course I made light of the situation and told her I’d just call a plumber. (Note: she later brought me pizza and salad for dinner because, “what can you make without access to water?”)About five minutes after hanging up the phone, it rang ye Read more:Broken
An open memo to the handsome Sonic drive-thru guy 2008-01-29 07:56:00 First, I must say your customer service was impeccable. You were enthusiastic and friendly as you took my order for a Route 44. And even though it was not required, you still gave me a tasty mint to go with my drink. But, attractive and well-mannered young Sonic
worker, as you man the window of this great American drive
-thru, could you please not call me ma’am? I understand that my bumperless mini-van (yes, I lost the bumper shortly after Christmas, although patches of duck tape remain), permanent furrowed brow, and frumpy attire completely warranted this courteous greeting. But FYI, it totally killed my Sonic buzz. Read more:handsome
The Camel Is Dead 2008-01-25 15:38:00 It was the pipe. And this is what happened.I was taking Leah and Zack upstairs for naps when I heard what sounded like a fan. A hissing fan. A hissing fan with a bad case of rabies.I looked at the wall curiously for approximately 5 seconds before I realized what was going on. That’s when I freaked. out. I can’t remember where I went first. To the garage where I could access the pipes and see the water flow? To the basement where I knew the water main shut-off was? Or upstairs to puzzle over which toiletry appliance was causing me grief? And this is when I started to swear. Sorry, gentle readers. I know you expect more from me. But I said the “S” word (if my kids were reading this they would say, “You said ‘stupid’?” Unfortunately, no. That’s not what I said). I said the O Read more:Camel
When it Snows, it Blizzards 2008-01-24 19:07:00 Let’s say you’ve been having a bad week. Let’s imagine you freelance for a living and need a few hours everyday sans children to write. Let’s imagine the public school system and a good babysitter provide you with just that. Now let’s imagine that on Tuesday the wind chill factor is such that school gets cancelled. Now let’s imagine that because your youngest child throws up on the way to the sitter’s on Wednesday you don’t get much work done (now two days running). Let’s imagine it’s now Thursday and you are sick along with your little boy.What do you imagine happens next?a. Your other two children throw up at school and must come home.b. The extreme cold causes a pipe in your home to burst.c. Your ex starts dating a model.d. You win a million dollars through Ed McMann
Taking a Load off – 20 Loads of Laundry, To Be Exact 2008-01-22 21:35:00 Last weekend my sister Denise and cousin Lusina came to help me paint my playroom. Only I had a nervous breakdown and they ended up doing my laundry instead. And I promise—I didn’t pull a bait and switch. For weeks I had been looking forward to a DIY girls weekend. But it had been a tough week and on the day they were scheduled to arrive I called my sister blathering on like a nutcase (I’m not sure she could even understand me—I couldn’t even understand me). And you know what? They came anyway. They came, they saw, they kicked my laundry room’s butt.I once overheard someone say that one person could never make a difference in the world. All I can say is that although my sister and cousin didn’t establish world peace last weekend, spending 48 hours worth of their time and ener Read more:Taking
, Loads
, Laundry
My Daily Dose 2008-01-22 14:22:00 Karen over at Pediscribe has nominated me for this fabulous award!Xander, creator of this award, had this to say about it: This little award is called The Daily
Dose - and here is all the important info to tell you what it is about and where it came from. This is a tribute to all the blogs that you’ve discovered that you can’t possibly live without. They make you laugh, cry, think and feel connected every time you read a post. They give you a thrill as you see them loading into your browser and you get an equally satisfying thrill when you see that they have commented on your blog. Thanks so much for that, Karen. It means a lot to know I'm someone's daily dose! And now to spread the love. While I've been a deliquent blogger of late when I do sit down to blog I have a few daily doses of
A little court-ordered fun 2008-01-17 21:07:00 Yesterday I went to a court-ordered co-parenting class with my soon-to-be ex-husband. And lest you suspect otherwise, it was actually quite pleasant. Like taking a nice warm bath. With a blow-dryer.For those of you unfamiliar with divorce in the state of Idaho (May you always stay that way, amen.) all couples with children who are getting divorced are required to attend this co-parenting class. Not only that but you are scheduled to take this class together. So imagine, if you will, a room full of divorcing couples. And not just a room, but a courtroom full of divorcing couples (because apparently, the classroom they use for traffic school is unavailable). Needless to say there was nary a warm-fuzzy in that place.But I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s start with registration because yo Read more:little
And the winner is... 2008-01-14 07:41:00 You guys are good, I gotta say. And I had lots of favorites, including (but not limited to) Zellmer's "See Dad. I told you this Power Ranger shirt is a chic magnet." Rachel's "Ladies, ladies. There's enough man here for everyone." Eileen's "KALEB STRIKES GOLD IN SAN FRANCISCO." And how could I not like Shawn's "DAD !!! How can you even THINK these girls are prettier than MOM???" But I have to say my absolute favorite was Candygirlflies':"HELP ME!! My sister's barbies have COME ALIIIIIIIVE!!"So Heather, I'll be emailing you to get you your Amazon giftcard.Thanks, everyone, for playing. This was a lot of fun and it's gotten me thinking about another great contest I'd like to try -- so stay tuned for the details. Read more:winner
Up in the Night's First Contest! 2008-01-09 11:28:00 I’m so excited I can hardly contain myself. I got this idea from Confessions of a Pioneer Woman and I think it’s a great way to let all of you know how much I appreciate you reading my lil o’ blog. I’ve got this picture and I want you to write a caption for it. While I may not be able to give you a $500 gift certificate to Best Buy, I can offer you a $25 Amazon card. Yippee!So here’s the backstory. Mid-summer, shortly after the soon-to-be exHub and I separated, he took Kaleb to California to watch a couple football games. After returning he handed me the digital camera and lamented that he hadn’t taken many pictures. I forgot about said pictures until uploading the frozen pumpkin to my computer. I found this:It was the first of about 5 pictures and was by far the most interesti Read more:Night
, First
, Contest
In which post Shauna gets over it 2008-01-08 10:33:00 Okay, so not really, but it was good to vent and now I’m moving on, post-wise that is. Thanks so much for all the great advice—it has been incorporated into my action plan. Following my dear mother’s suggestion I put my kids to bed early Sunday night, took a long, hot bath, and got a little me-time (see Suburban Correspondent's comment). Meds (St. John’s Wart chased with some B complex—for starters [thanks, Carrie and Karen from Pediascribe] – as suggested by my lovely pharmacist sister, Jen) to commence on Wednesday. If that doesn’t work I’ll be trying the stronger stuff. Thanks Tola (Mom and my brother Jason) for volunteering to help me fold laundry--there are no better friends than those willing to brave my dirty clothes. Thanks also to the exHub who brought me a Diet Co
No, I'm Not Dead 2008-03-28 14:37:00 Sheesh, one entire month is even a record for me. But it’s been a month full of freelance, two roadtrips (one with, one without children), a sickness (recycled), a post-winter snowstorm in which I cursed the heavens and was cursed in return, a dead laptop (see?), a new and improved laptop, the termination of cable, the panic attack following the termination of cable, a revived Diet Coke addiction, and Spring Break (in which my children were reunited for much fighting and chaos—it’s amazing how many hours are in a school day).Thanks so much to everyone who posted, emailed, or called wondering if I were 1) dead or 2) a recent winner of the lottery (thanks, Karen!). I’m neither. But for awhile I was too depressed or distracted to blog; I’m still uncertain which it was. But here I
Revisiting the Frump 2008-04-03 13:06:00 You may recognize some of this from a previous post. I stole the first two paragraphs for a column on my frumpiness. But it talks about my new haircut so I decided it was fair blogger game.Okay, I’ll admit it. I’ve let myself go. I’ve let myself go far into the frump.At the peak of this slippery slope I was well-intentioned. I had three children in three years; I was surrounded by little people who loved me with or without good makeup and hair; and the only adults I “interacted” with were guests on Oprah and Dr. Phil. But my oldest is now six and I must admit that I’ve slid off the slope to land, belly-up, in the frumpy gully. It’s a sad day, folks. Can’t look away though, can you? It’s like a train wreck. With cellulite.So as a newly divorced woman who’s had people thr
Recommend Site To A Friend
