observations

i've observed a few trends in the blogging world recently (and when i say recently, i mean it's been going on for a while and i just barely noticed).

1. bloggers photograph what they eat a lot.
2. bloggers take a lot of pictures of their feet.

this observation set cause for me to ponder. thoughts encountered?

1. i have funny looking feet.
2. i need to start eating real food.

this is all i got...

Neener Neener

We have two kids. Still. The male makes this face whenever the camera points to him. He also likes to tell people "you're bad!" and swing from varies surfaces.

The female (often confused for a male due to the lack of locks) likes doing female things like exfoliating her whole body (see below) and indulging in guilty treats and junk food, ie any food.

I like our kids. I'm partial to the female, mainly because I can relate to her passion for food and her tenancy to squeal or throw a tantrum to get food. Bret likes the male because he participates in boyish behaviors such as tooting and making fun of the uncoordinated individuals on Wipeout. It looks like we will own them for a bit longer so I suppose I should improve on documenting their growth and development.

I said I should, not that I would ;)

Royal Red Robin Burger

At the end of my birthday escapades Bret took me to dinner at Red Robin and SURPRISE Lisa and Barry were there with our friends Ryan and Bri. I ordered the Royal Burger of course! I love going out to eat, especially the eating part!

I forgot! Brad on a stick came also :)

I love birthdays.

Broken Arm

"oooouch! OUCH! mommy, my arm... it's broken" That's what Kingston informed me today. Where does he get this stuff? Don't worry, I tickled the broken arm away. Lately King is pretty into watching Wipeout w/ daddy and putting together beginner puzzles, fake sneezing and eating TREATS.

Lo just says "no" a-freakin-lot to everything and allllllll day long but fortunately there are enough "peas" (please) and "ganku" (thank you's) to make up for it. I also call her Miss Messes because she can destroy 2400 square feet in record time. oh goody. London has a toothbrush fetish and a radar for them so if she is near by lock yours up or she'll find it. She also likes making ugly messes, climbing, falling, coloring and TREATS.

Lo got this romper from Polka Dot Posh and got to wear it for just a minute before we exchange it for a bigger size.


Camera is still missing so I only have pictures from my phone. Kingston wont hold still enough for me to capture him without a flash. Looks like we need to face the music and buy a new camera. Frown.

Update

The update is that our camera is missing and it's too hot to do anything so not much is new ;) We did have our 4 year anniversary last week. I'm finally starting to realize that no matter what I do Bret is going to stick around. Poor thing. Anyways, sorry for the lack of interesting material but I will share this video (big surprise).

Just watch it. Geeze!

The Man

My Man to be more specific. He's the greatest. Swell enough to get me to blog again (So there, May 28th post.)

Today The Man stayed home for work. Not so The Man could relax but so he could help his panicked, stressed out, whiny, complaining, grief stricken wife with my bizzzz-ness. It was a rough night last night and The Man stayed up later than me for the 1st time in ages finishing what I couldn't face a moment longer. The Man lived through my relentless panicked cries of stress and worry and welcomed me this morning with happy words and cheerful sing song affirmations. The Man fed the kids and called tech support, and spent most the day testing every little nook and cranny of the new site, and even used my hamburger phone even though he hates it. The Man is a determined little genius and refuses to get discouraged which is exactly what I needed today. The Man took me and the kids outside to play in the rain and got soaking wet. The Man made mysterious phone calls which sounded like a suspicious surprise to me. The Man didn't say a word when I had more than 4 glasses of chocolate milk today aaaand a chocolate milk shake aaaand a Dr. Pepper. The Man rubbed my shoulders, fed the kids lunch and dinner, and got them ready for bed. Here I sit listening to The Man read books to my children. His voice impressions and sound effects make me smile. The Man can't help but to do everything whole heartily. I call him "The Man" because he's the only MAN and I love him!

-ily



it doesn't hurt that he's a dish too!

Reading is Good

I've had this grand idea to read 1 book per month for a while now and I am finally getting around to actually doing it. It's been so easy to convince myself there are other things I'd rather do I guess. BUT NO MORE! I hereby officially commit to read one book per month and then blog about it and give a little review, aka a book report on it. I might even go crazy and read one business-type book AND 1 religious book per month, but I'm only committing to you 1 for now. We'll see though.

My 1st book I read was in June and is called Conquer The Chaos - How to Grow a Successful Small Business Without Going Crazy.

It was written by Clate Mask, the CEO of Infusionsoft (where I've worked for the past 4 1/2 years) and by Scott Martineau, the founder. These guys are class act leaders who I admire and respect very much.

So here's what I thought: Section I called The Quest for Freedom talked about why entrepreneurs revolt against "the man," how and why chaos enters the small business, and that if the small business is to survive, it must grow. I thought this section was a little too much fluff for me, but I'm sure small business owners will identify very closely with this discussion. To me this section was only the appetizer when I was hungry for some meat and potatoes.

Section II titled Mindset Strategies: Achieving Balance was a very pleasant surprise. It presented the idea of investing in emotional capital before and during the process of becoming a small business owner. It says your emotional bank account is even more important than your financial bank account and is ultimately the strength of your business. Wow, what a profound thought that I think many entrepreneurs overlook when they decide to go into business. The inherent chaos that quickly consumes the business can easily dissuade an entrepreneur that has not invested sufficiently into their emotional bank account. You've gotta be in the right state of mind to jump up out of bed every day to face the challenges owning a small business presents. I think this topic was my biggest take-away from the book.

Another Mindset Strategy discussed is called Disciplined Optimism which is 1) an undying belief you will succeed 2) while confronting the brutal facts of your current reality 3) and attacking those facts because you want to, not because you have to. This idea could also be known as the Stockdale Paradox which the book mentions here. It's all about finding the right balance between knowing you'll end up on top, but also understanding there's a steep hill in front of you and it will require hard work to ascend to the summit.

Section III is all about Systems Strategies: Controlling Speed. This is what I thought the entire book was going to be about; the nuts and bolts of putting in processes and workflow strategies to begin to own your business instead of your business owning you. It talks about the importance of centralizing your data, following-up with your customers and prospects, and automating manual and repetitive processes. I was surprised that Clate and Scott didn't tout Infusionsoft more during this section, because frankly, this is exactly what our software is designed to do for a small business. During my years at Infusionsoft, I am 100% confident that using the software to accomplish the 3 systems strategies mentioned above will indeed Conquer The Chaos in a small business.

The last section is a quick reminder to the now Liberated Entrepreneur to not return to the old ways of doing busines and what to do now that you have found your freedom.

Overall, I highly recommend this book to all entrepreneurs who are tired of being overwhelmed by their business. Of course there is much work to be done, but the principles and strategies learned here will definitely give the business owner clear direction and a pathway leading to success.

I read this book with my wife's business Whippy Cake in mind and I am excited for her to read this book (no babe, this little summary does not count) so that we can really start to implement these ideas into her business.

Ok, first review complete! I've already read another book that I will blog about probably next week. This month I'm currently reading Stephen Covey's The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Anyone care to join me? :)

Why I don't blog...

that was a tricky title because I am blogging right now so technically I do blog. Got ya!

I haven't been blogging frequently because not much is going on.

Bret works and has been watching the Suns in the playoffs at Barry's house {we don't have cable. sorry Lisa}

I have been working and managing the house and kids. I did have 2 full nights of sleep IN A ROW this week and I made some huge progress at work with the help of some fantastically amazing ladies.

The kids have been working... against my efforts to keep the house clean and be productive.

London is turning into Kingston. Heaven HELP us all! The only difference is she is so clumsy she ends up hurting herself more than anything else. She has become a canvas of bruises from all her falling and bonking but she is still successful in her efforts to leave a trail of destruction and chaos. Awe, so sweet.

Kingston has been attached to me every second of the day with bronchitis, pneumonia and an ear infection. It's incredibly sad but I sure do enjoy the hours of snuggling and cuddling he has surrendered to. All I can say is "My poor baby!"

I hear my patient crying now so that's all for now.

C is for dog

I know you are all dying too see Kingston play with his alphabet letters.

I love the way he talks... "yetters!"

Video Blast

Since I work through the internet a lot of youtube videos pass through my in-box. Here are a few of my favorites I've seen recently.

Just saw this one today on my customers blog all the way from Norway. I might be weird but I feel so envious of the individuals who got to participate in the making of this video. They look so HAPPY, it just makes me so happy to watch it, especially the janitor. The pink glove dance has started a trend on youtube and I was happy to see so many people enthusiastic about the cause and eager to make their own videos. Nothing short of AWESOME!


My daddy sent me this one. It's one of those videos where you doubt it can be "that" cool but then the coolness comes out and slaps you in the face over and over again. AWESOME all the way through to the end folks!


This video made it's way all the way around Bret's office at work and then to me. Mother, father AWESOME! When baby number 3 makes a debut I will rally for my own swagger wagon for sure!


and here are some oldies that I just NEVER get tired of....

kumquat


Shameful, but this one is memorize by now.


I like em too.


My little Croissant! You have to click {HERE} to see this one. Best and only good video by MadTV.

I'm stopping now, but you are welcome for wasting your time.

Free to a good home

Free to a good home:

• 2 year old male
  
• eats pizza, cereal, milk and treats
  
• very playful
  
• needs obedience training
• not housed trained
• keep away from small animals and children
  
• comes with soap and toys
• diapers not included
  

just kidding! We love him too much to give away for free. He's at least $100 ;)

Help us Rent our Condo!

Hey Blog World our condo is for rent. It's available on May 1st (yes, that's this weekend). I posted it with both the ASU & MCC Institute a few weeks ago when we found out for sure that Tami and Ryne would be moving out, but no hits yet. So yeah we really need to get it rented and we would love to get people we know (or people who you know) that promise to be good renters and we promise to be good landlords. Here's some stats and some pics. Please email me at bcrosbyasu@gmail.com if you or someone you know might be interested. We appreciate your help in spreading the word!

2 bedrooms
2 full bathrooms
1000 square feet
new appliances (I'm in a new home and I seriously miss the dishwasher in this condo!)
new Laminate flooring from Home Depot
washer/dryer
storm door
1st floor
10 minutes from ASU & MCC
Super Clean
Super Cute (my wife's words, not mine)
Super Awesome Landlords (my words)
Community Pool
Community Volleyball Pit, Tennis Court, Basketball Court,
Community Big Open Grassy Area
Asking for $750.00-ish (negotiable depending on how cool we think you are)
Pets must be approved (no 800 pound bears please)
If a group of students wants to rent it we are cool with that or a couple could rent it too. Whatev.
Pics:

The Alternative to Junk Punching

In reference to my previous post and the comments and emails I've received I decided to take a spin around that block once again and dig in a peep deeper. While acknowledging that my desire to look better, be better, feel better will never go away {I assume this is because we were created to progress}, I have since devised a plan that doesn't focus so much on vengeance against Punk Face and New Guy but more so on the deeds that will actually make me a better person and make me feel better about myself in every way. After all, I can compare and contort myself in an effort to aspire to that unreachable satisfaction for my appearance and consumption but I imagine that will only result in more self rejection and insecurities. The opposite of that is doing things for other people. Simply put, the more you do for others the better you feel about yourself. It's so simple that it's actually difficult {for me anyway}. Shall I continue on my rant? I shall...

My Mom used a spoon as an analogy for me once. If I faced the spoon inward on myself my reflection was upside down and contorted. However, if I turned it outward {toward others} the reflection was right side up again and a little more clear. Holy slap in the face, DUH! When we focus on ourselves we loose sight on where we are going and it's hard to see much of anything else and then after a while everything seems like it's upside down and you just don't know what to do anymore and pretty soon you find yourself buying giant bags of frootsie rolls on Amazon.com! Sooooo, using the basic laws of opposition I'm thinking it's not a bad idea to spend a little more time and effort on making other people feel happy and beautiful. It's so easy it's hard people!!! Honestly, raise your hand if you've ever spent the day helping a friend {insert act of service here} and then went home and ate a pound of butter because you felt empty afterward? That will never happen! Doing stuff for other people and making them feel better about themselves {NOT WORSE, girls} only makes YOU a better person. Let's talk about the ELEPHANT in the room. Girls will initially dislike someone who is beautiful and talented simply because she's intimidating and we feel threatened. I sometimes want to laugh {out loud} when I go to female gatherings because of all the look-e-loo glance-a-roo's I see. You know, when one girl looks another girl up and down, and allllll around and then glances away real fast before the victim notices. I don't know about ya'll but I NOTICE, and I notice it e v e r y w h e r e! I'm sure it's partly because the offender is checking out the victims clothes and accessories and coveting the crap out of it all, but we all know she is busting out her mental scale and comparing herself to someone she probably doesn't know very well. I suspect this has happened to me a number of times {sadly, I see it at church the most} and truth be told I think that act is wiggity-wack it needs to hit the road Jack! I mean, at least give me the chance to win you over with a knock knock joke or somethin! But anyways, the point isn't to dwell on how others treat you or what they think about you but to really change the way you think about others and how you treat them.

{I'm not rambling am I? I don't ramble, especially not at 2am. I'm rambling huh?}

Summation:
The road to ultimate beauty, talent, weight loss, accomplishments, acceptance, most original, DIY, shabby chic, retro, leopard print, vintage, bling makeover etc... leads to a dead end, self doubt and selfishness. The happier, friendlier, blissful, light of Christ version of you is not achieved by doing stuff for yourself. And there is absolutely with out question, undoubtedly NO purpose or outcome from comparing yourself to someone else because in the end you will ALWAYS be you, so get used to it because YOU is a really good thing to be!

My Plan of Action:
Do and say anything and everything that is uplifting and helpful to others. More importantly I want to teach my children to be loving and serving.

On the contrary here is a list of things to do if you want to be self loathing and miserable.

• talk about yourself a lot and never listen to what others have to say.
  
• go out of your way to be fake-friendly to someone and then talk trash about them behind their backs.
• pretend to be a friend to get stuff for yourself.
  
• always expect others to help you but don't waste your time doing stuff for them.
  
• only think about the way you look and what you are wearing.
• only talk about the way you look and what you are wearing.
• hold a grudge instead of repairing a friendship.
• 1-up anything anyone says.
• spend more money than you have, especially on things that don't matter.
  
• intentionally say things that are belittling or judgmental to others.
• intentionally try to make other people jealous.
• always ask yourself "what's in it for me?".
• try to be like everyone but yourself.
  
• listen to or watch noise all day long.
• ignore your kids for less important things.
• persuade others to think badly of other individuals.
• keep score of what you do for other people and what they didn't do for you.
• always blame other people for you problems.
• act like everyone is out to get you.
• think that you have the worst life ever.
• treat your husband like dirt.
• encourage your friends to gossip.

This list could easily grow wildly out of control because a certain Bad Guy works hard to make sure it's easier to do the wrong thing at all times. Some of the stuff on this list are things that I have done that made me feel horrible and some of them are things that others have done to me that made me feel horrible. Either way all parties involved wind up feeling horrible. The whole reason I posted anything about this topic in the first place was because ALL of it is a struggle for me. I am so far from being perfect it's depressing but I've finally reached a point where I realized that it is more depressing not to speak up and make some changes. So thank you for your comments and emails of encouragement and for letting me know I'm not the only one who feels this way. After only a few small changes I have already felt so much happier and peaceful and I am actually excited about being me, without feeling guilty or inadequate or anything of the sort and it's pretty much the best feeling ever. So I'm going to bed happy tonight because I know I am going to wake tomorrow and try even harder to be a little better.

{I am so completely sorry for the bad spelling and grammar that lurks within this post. That weakness of mine is certainly magnified in the wee hours of the morning}

What the FRENCH toast?

You know what bugs me? I mean REALLY bugs me. Comparisons. Who was the Punk Face that said "Hey World! I have an idea, lets get people and more specifically women to compare themselves against each other. Better yet, lets get the media involved so not one woman misses a day without feeling inadequate or UGLY!"

Hey world! Here's my idea, lets find that guy and give him 1 million punches to the face!

Attention Men: now's the time where you tune me out because you can't relate.

Attention Ladies: Ever listen to the conversations you have with your friends? How many times did you say you were going to work out, start a diet, change something about your appearance, remodel/ makeover something in your house etcetera etcetera? Don't you just get annoyed with yourself? Wouldn't it be great to just let yourself be for a day or two? I feel like blogger and typed pad have joined forces to speed up the spread of insecurities, jealousy and my favorite, FRIENAMIES!

I can't help but feel a little sour every time I hear someone say "I don't have any talents" or "I am not as good as so and so". Who the heck IS as good as so and so, show me one person! Yes, I hate to cook and I sleep in like a bear, does that put me in the trophy wife hall of shame? "Hi, I don't scrap book and I never ran a marathon, yes I know, I'm a mutant"

So I say, "Hey world, bite me." I could just sit around and do nothing and refuse to try anything in life but I know there is someone out there who will still be a better blob than me so I won't try because AGAIN with the comparisons.

Introducing New Guy who says "Hey World, Let get the kids involved!" Our poor children don't stand a chance. Not unless they memorize all the "My Baby Can Sign" videos and recite the presidents in order. {Walter, She's 6 months old and can't walk yet. WHAT DO WE DO!?!?!? It's too late Sally, She's a menace to society, we'll have to move and change our names. Noooooooo!} Dear Kingston and London, you better not suck at anything or I will be shamed in the blogging world forever.

My Solution? Lets find Punk Face and New Guy and junk punch em!

My new philosophy: Regardless of what I can and can't do or the abilities of my children I thinks it's my right to be happy the way I am and to be proud of my kids no matter how fat London's head is or how many times Kingston gets kicked out of nursery for being a Ninja. So move along world. Go ahead and do your comparisons and smile at me facetiously as if you're my friend, assuming that you are better than me. I will be over here enjoying life regardless. So HA!

(if you read this and are thinking "wow, she must be really insecure." you would be RIGHT. Yes, I get jealous of other people. Yes, I compare myself to to other girls. Yes, I know people who are my so called "friends". Yes, I am not oblivious to the fact that there are individuals who smile at the thought of making me feel bad. All of which are reasons why I am insecure. {I'm only human} Tired of it much? AbsoFREAKINlutley. Do I feel the need to keep up the facade that I don't care? Not so much :)

Experimenting

Today I used my engagement photo as a form of ID when using my credit card. It worked. "Hmmm?" I wonder, What else can I get away with while playing dumb and innocent? I shall experiment and report back!

I spy

... a stinkin cute kid. It's no mystery that I don't relate to my two year old. He is into kicking, punching, ninja chopping, cars, batman, grammar and he is TWO. Yah, can't relate to a single one of those but we still have a lot of fun :) Kingston is teaching me all the best ways to play and have fun, oh goody!

Easter

Let's see, there were eggs, lots of candy and baskets with little toys. All the eggs were smashed, all the candy was eaten and all the toys are lost. It was awesome!





And now I have two candy grubbers.

Sometimes

Sometimes I like to sucker punch Bret when he is innocent and unsuspecting. I think it's good for our relationship, especially when things are going perfectly fine. Sometimes Bret likes to creep up on me like a predator and scare the gklrofprlc out of me. I think he secretly likes to keep me on my toes so that I will be prepared should I ever be attacked. Sometimes when we sleep we spoon like college students all night and sometimes I tuck my toes between his feet like a blanket. Sometimes I want to be mad at Bret even if the reason evades me. Sometimes {lets be real, all the time} I change my mind or do something spontaneous that makes Bret "upset" even though he knew I am about as consistent as Christy Alley's weight long before we were ever married. Sometimes I count every minute until Bret comes home to relieve me from our children. Sometimes when our children go to sleep I get them back up to be with them. Sometimes Bret leaves for long hours to play sports at church for his "sanity". Sometimes I think that excuse is getting old. Sometimes I want to hide all of Bret's shoes so he can't go to work :) Sometimes when we play games I have anger problems {towards Bret} but sometimes I play anyways. Sometimes I am immature, sometimes Bret is unreasonable or stubborn but usually both. Sometimes I'm not quite sure how I landed in the perfect life.

Kingston

I love that turd.

Short and Fat

This is our new puppy and she is short and fat and covered in hair. We are already in love with her. She lets Lo pick her up and Kingston chase her around the yard frantically. She must think she is so tough because she is not afraid. She has no name yet but still cute to say the least.