Mom Bloggers Rock!

Who would have imagined I'd have so much fun blogging and meeting so many wonderful mom (and a couple dad) bloggers!

For my final post of 2009, I wanted to thank three mom bloggers who helped me get my blog started this year. All three of these women have been so patient and kind. I truly consider them friends. In no particular order:

Kim at Mom Tried It. She is one crafty mama! She comes up with a variety of fun things to do with the kiddos. Every day there's something new to try. She also has Mommy Moments where she features other mom bloggers. Kim helped me with my template and gave other advice on the whole social networking thing. Thanks Kim!

Jenney at TheDraysToday. We initially connected through emails as she gave me advice on blogging. Little did I know her DH is a police officer too. She has two little boys and is pregnant with her first girl! Thanks Jenney for putting up with me!

Esther at The Mommy Diaries. She too initially met me through my emails for advice. She has a feature called Menu Plan Mondays. I love it! She's a pastor's wife and mama to three young kiddos. Esther, thanks for all your wonderful advice (even if you are a Packers fan :-)

Please visit their blogs and show some bloggy/comment love!

Happy New Year Everyone!

PLEASE...BUCKLE UP AND DRIVE SAFELY! (Ok, I'm done being a cop now :-)

We, however, are staying home! What are your New Years Plans?

Welcome to the Himalayas!

No, we didn't move to Nepal.

This is my DH out snow blowing our driveway on Christmas Day. What a man! And yes, that snow bank is over his head. We live at the end of a cul du sac, so all the snow gets piled up right in front of our house.

When I uploaded this photo, the first thought that popped in my head was, "Welcome to the Himalayas!" Guess the movie? Anyone? Anyone?

Hint: Mike Wazowski

Mama Guilt Mondays

Ten Hours.

That is how long Sprout and Cubbie have to be at day care today.

I hate it.

Normally, it's only for eight hours. And only three days a week.

But when the Chief tells me I have to be at a meeting an hour and a half AFTER the end of my shift, I don't really have a choice.

This is where my two worlds collide. I try my best to balance career and kids, but sometimes they are in direct conflict.

There's no other option. I have to be at this meeting. It's regarding one of my investigations and I'm the only one who can answer all of the Chief's questions. It will be a bit intense and I will have to be confident that I have investigated every possible angle. At the same time, I have to try not to worry about my little guys.

I know the boys will be fine. We have an excellent in home day care provider. But it still makes me feel guilty, like I'm choosing my career over my children.

This only happens maybe two or three times a year, but it's still hard. So, needless to say, it will be all cuddles and hugs when we get home tonight.

Do YOU have any Mama Guilt today? Feel free to share in the comments section or blog about it and link back here.

My BOY Got a PINK Camper!

We did it. We listened to everyone's advice, let go of the whole "Pink is for Girls" mentality, and got Sprout the Pink Camper he wanted. (If you have no clue what I'm talking about, click HERE.)

So here she is...Sprout's Pink Camper in all her glory.

She talks and sings and lights up, to Sprout's delight!

So what's a boy to do with a Pink Camper???

Well, of course....

Put your tow truck driver guy on the potty!

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas!

So, what was YOUR child's favorite gift this year?

Merry Christmas

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

John 3:16

Cop Chronicles

The Big City

I was born there.

I lived there for half of my childhood when I stayed with my dad.

It's where I've been a police officer for fifteen years.

So why don't I live in the Big City proper anymore?

For many reasons. Here's one:

One day, when I had been on the job for about two or three years, I ran in to the local grocery store chain to get a few items. When I turned a corner to go down an aisle, I came face to face with a suspect we had arrested two weeks prior.

Not just any suspect, a 6'2, 280 pound He Man. He had a felony warrant for Aggravated Assault. When we went to go arrest him, the fight was on. At one point, one officer was on his back, one (me) was trying to take him out at the knees, and another was using his mace. It ended when all three of us and the suspect went crashing through the coffee table, shattering it into a million little wooden pieces. Somehow, once on the floor, we managed to double cuff him and get him under control. Once out to the squad, he was ticked. He kicked at our squad car doors, spit all over the back seat, and even struggled with us as we brought him in to jail.

So here I was, middle of the grocery store, face to face with this He Man that had gone a couple rounds with us. And guess what I was wearing???

Shorts, flowery tank top, flip flops, and a tiny purse barely big enough to hold my check book. (It was July.)

Needless to say, it was quite obvious I was not carrying my handgun. Heck, I wasn't even carrying my mace. Nothing.

"Oh Sh--" was what went through my mind. But I stayed calm, acted like I didn't recognize him, and boogied down the aisle as quick as I could. In my mind, I was thinking, "How the heck did he get out so quick?"

As soon as I was out of sight, I ditched my grocery cart and took the fastest route to the front door. I kept an eye behind me to see if he was following, but he didn't. Once I was out to my car, I took the farthest exit out of the parking lot and kept an eye on my rear view mirror. Luckily, no cars followed me out.

Now, would he have really tried to do something? Probably not. However, as cops, we need to always have the upper hand. It's how we survive. This was the first of many incidents that convinced me that living in the Big City where I worked was probably not a good idea.

Mama Guilt Mondays

Cubbie is officially a big boy.

Out with the highchair 'cause he's movin on up to the booster seat.

See this green tray?

Well, me in a mindless mama moment, left the tray off and scooted Cubbie up to the table. I forgot about the monkey-like moves of my little guy.

So what did he do?

He put his feet up against the table and pushed himself backwards.

I watched in horror as he tipped over backwards. It was in slow motion. I couldn't get to him fast enough. My turkey burger went flying as I attempted to dive for Cubbie before he hit the floor.

Thank the dear Lord...


When he hit the floor, this little backrest created just enough of a gap to keep Cubbie's precious little noggin from making contact with the floor.

Oh I felt so guilty!

Needless to say, other than taking this photo,
I ALWAYS put the green tray on now.

Do YOU have any Mama Guilt today?
It's okay, just share/vent/get it off your mind in the comments section
or blog about it and link back here.

Sunday Funday

We're home from church, so I thought I would join in on the fun at Keely's Sunday Funday over at MannLand5. Here's my answers:

1. Middle name?

No Middle Name, just Cop Mama ;-)

2. What do you think is your best asset (physical)?

Oh geez, I have no idea :-) My blue eyes, I guess.

3. If you could only eat one type of cuisine for a year, what would it be (Mexican, American,Chinese..etc.)?

White Castle (totally kidding)

4. Walmart or Target?

Target. That's actually where I'm headed after typing this.

5. Favorite State besides the one you live in?

Colorado. LOVE the Fourteeners!

6. What side of the bed do you sleep on, left or right?

Right, it's the closest side to the bathroom.

7. King or Queen size bed?

Queen Select Comfort all the way!

8. Beer or wine?

Only occasionally, but beer with pizza for sure!

9. Water..ice-cold or room temp?

Depends on if I'm swimming in it or drinking it :-)

10. Christmas..love it or hate it?

Jesus' birth - of course, LOVE IT!

Babyproofing the Christmas Tree

The one ornament

that's


Cubbie proof!

I Miss My Mom

My mom was killed in a car accident when I was 14.

Some Christmases are harder than others. This year, for some reason, she's been on my mind a lot.

I will never have an ornament on my tree from her. I have no recipes or cookbooks from her. Because, at 14, who really collects those things?

Sometimes, when Sprout yells, "Nana!" to DH's mother, I think about how he will never yell "Grandma" to my mom.

My mom never got to feed Cubbie a bottle. She wasn't here for my pregnancies or either child's birth. She probably would have been surprised to see me nurse both boys for as long as I did.

I wish she was here to watch my boys grow, to watch me grow into a mom myself.

She wasn't there when I walked down the aisle. She wasn't there when I took my oath to become a police officer and had my badge pinned on. She missed my high school graduation and never even saw me drive a car.

It's sad that at times, I have to take a second to remember what she looked like. She's always there, though. In my heart, in my soul.

I miss my mom.

Is there a loved one on YOUR mind this Christmas? Please do share by leaving a comment.

Skip The Drip!

Tired of your drip coffee maker? Ever heard of French Press Coffee?
The richness can't be beat.

This is a French Press.
My DH first exposed me to it back when we were dating. Now, I am hooked. They are sold in almost any retail store.

Here are the step by step directions.
Trust me, the little extra work is worth it if you love coffee like I do.

First, grind the beans to coarse, NOT fine. Place in the pitcher.



Second, boil the water in a separate pan. Pour the boiling water into the pitcher.



Third, place the plunger on top. Let it seep ten minutes, then push the plunger down slowly.



Voila! Delicious, rich black coffee.


Or, if you're like me, drown it in Pumpkin Spice creamer. Yum!


That's what works for me! Check out more "Works For Me Wednesday" ideas at We Are THAT Family.

Mama Guilt Mondays

We are never skipping church again.

Yesterday, as we dropped Sprout off at his Sunday School room, his teacher casually said,

"Oh, they're going up on stage today."

Huh...say what?

"They are?" I asked.

"Yes, we notified all the parents LAST WEEK." (The week we skipped.)

You mean to tell me my three year old is about to go on stage in front of 1,500 people and sing a song he knows nothing about? And his hair is sticking straight up from taking his stocking cap off! And...

I DIDN'T BRING MY CAMERA! Because, seriously, who brings their camera to church? Unless, of course, their child is about to go up on stage FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME! We said good-bye to Sprout as he walked away and had no clue what he was about to do.

To top it off, Cubbie's nursery was overflowing with babies, so he had to go on the waiting list. We brought him into the sanctuary with us and hoped and prayed he would be content. Luckily, during the worship time, his name/number flashed on the screen. Once I dropped him off, I was literally doing a sprint in my one inch Mary Janes to reach the sanctuary in time.

By the time I entered, all the three year olds were already on stage. I slowed my gait as to not scare anyone into thinking I was some deranged person and made my way up front. There he was, my little baby boy, front and center, and loving every minute of it. He didn't care what song they were singing or what motions they were doing with their arms. All he knew is he had the attention of everyone in the audience and he was LOVING it, jumping up and down, clapping his hands, and wearing the biggest smile ever.

AND I DIDN'T BRING MY CAMERA!!! I fought off the tears as I felt so guilty missing this chance to document such a wonderful event in my son's life. It never occurred to me to ask one of the other parents to take a picture of him for me.

Once the music stopped, they hearded the children off the stage and back to the Sunday School area. I tried hard to focus on our pastor's message when suddenly it occured to me, I have a camera! MY CAMERA PHONE!!! Oh goodness, it did not even cross my mind to use it. Double guilt! Now, any chance of paying attention to the message was gone. And I swore to myself...

We are NEVER skipping church again!

So, do YOU have any Mama Guilt? It's okay, just share/vent/get it off your mind in the comments section or blog about it and link back here.

Catching Up

• The Pink Camper - DH and I made a decision, but you'll just have to wait until Christmas to find out :-)
  
  
• Mama Guilt Mondays - Every Monday, I'm going to give moms a chance to vent their Mama Guilt, so feel free to stop back. I should have it posted before I go to work, so pretty early. If there is enough interest, eventually maybe I'll do the MckLinky thing? Any thoughts?
  

• A couple of you have asked what I look like??? That has to be the funniest thing I have ever been asked. But good point, I guess I haven't really posted any images of myself, even side angles. I guess I'll have to dig around in my photos and see what I can find. I'm typically the one behind the camera.
  
  
• Finally, I have to say, I'm having a blast blogging and making so many wonderful new bloggy friends! You guys rock! From commenters to followers, from tweeters to emailers, I'm enjoying meeting all of you!

Look, I'm Pretty! (My Blog, I Mean)

Oh my goodness, that title sounds vain, doesn't it?

I'm not trying to be.

I was thinking more of that song, "I'm pretty, oh so pretty!"

Oh wait, that still sounds vain.

See, you have to realize I'm in a male dominated profession and I have a house full of males, so I love any chance I get to be girly, frilly, or downright flowery!

Oh, I digress, it's the 5 AM before coffee and before going to work stream of consciousness...sorry.

It's just that I'm so excited to have a new blog design!

Thanks to Designer Blogs, I have this fun new look.

This was my only request: "In the title, maybe use a block font (deep blue, since blue is usually associated with police) for "Cop" and then a cursive type font (Deep Pink?) for Mama, indicating a strong feel to the Cop and a more feminine feel to Mama, which would be symbolic of my two worlds :-)"

So, I was wondering, What do YOU like best about your blog design? Any funny stories? If you don't have a blog, feel free to give a shout out to your favorite blog in the comments section!

Little Guys

This little guy

came first.

Then, this little guy

was next.

I am thankful every day!

Have something you're thankful for? Head over to "Welcome to the Nut House" and post your "Thankful Thursday" link there!

Just One of Those Days...

We had a pretty major incident at work today. I can't really go into it here, but please just keep your police officers in your prayers regularily. As a Sergeant in my current assignment, I'm somewhat removed from the actual incident, only involved after the fact.

As a police officer, you know the dangers of your job, but in the back of your mind, you never think anything will happen to you. You have to or else you wouldn't be able to do your job. You put that vest on thinking, "Do I really need this?" Because it's heavy and cumbersome and well, being a female, not comfortable. Then something happens to a fellow officer and the next time you put that vest on, you strap it on a little tighter to make sure the panels are touching so there's no gap in between.

I'm so tired of all the people who want to second guess our police officer's actions. Who puts their life on the line every day they go out the door? Certainly not those Monday morning quarterbacks who want to second guess and judge, but who have probably never had to enter an apartment where a woman says her boyfriend just pointed a gun at her, and he's still in there.

Thankfully, our officers are going to be okay, physically at least. This time we were lucky.

Mama Guilt Mondays

Do YOU have anything you feel guilty about come Monday mornings? Are you a SAHM who has to focus on the tasks at hand? A WAHM who has to make time to get some work done? A mama who works outside the home, like me, who feels guilty going to work? Please do share/vent/get it off your mind in the comments section or do your own post and link back here.

Here's my Mama Guilt list:

1. We skipped church yesterday. I know, it was because we were running around all day Saturday and I wanted some family time, but still.

2. In my absent mindedness, I sent Sprout to preschool in GREEN on Tuesday. However, I realized this weekend that THURSDAY was GREEN day! Ugh! (Yes, I'm still holding on to that one.)

3. I'm off today and I'm still sending the kids to day care so I can thoroughly clean the house, return some items to the store, and get my hair cut. (I know, Bad Mommy!)

4. I can hear Cubbie talking in his crib as I write this and I still haven't got him up!

Whew, that feels better! Thanks for listening. Like I said, feel free to do the same in the comments section, or if you would rather do your own post and just link back here, you can do that too!

What's That Noise?

Before I get to today's post, I have to thank all of you who commented on my last post, "My BOY Wants a PINK Camper!" Please, if you need a good laugh, go check out those comments. You people are hilarious! Stay tuned to find out what we decided :-)
**********************************************************
I was running on my treadmill in the basement while DH was watching Sprout and Cubbie when I heard,

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

"Not good," I thought. And I was right. This is what I found:

OH sweet boys, were you going to cook dinner for Mama?

Can YOU relate? Please share your experiences in the comments section.

My BOY Wants a PINK Camper!

I blame Target.

It all started the day we received the toy insert in the mail. Sprout pounced on that like, well, a three year old.

AND then it happened, he came upon a toy camper, a PINK girly camper that talks and sings and says some tree hugger type mantra....I digress, sorry, just a little miffed.

He HAD to have it. He was so excited, he ran over, insert in hand, and had to show me this PINK camper he fell instantly in love with.

See, we love camping (take a look at our camper here) and Sprout cannot wait til spring to go again.

So now, whenever anyone asks him what he wants Santa to bring him, he says, "A PINK Camper."

Now, I'm open minded and the first one to allow my son to play with whatever toys he wants. We don't force gender rolls on him but somehow, he and his brother have just naturally gravitated towards trucks and cars. But a PINK girly camper with flowers and whatnot???

So, like any good parents, my husband and I have SCOURED the toy sections of various stores looking for more of a "boy" type camper, to no avail. At least nothing that is three year old proof with a 18 month old baby brother messing with it.

What's a mama to do? Give in and get my little guy his PINK camper that his heart is set on? Or try to distract him by getting him interested in something else more "boy-ish?"

Who Am I?

I've been blogging for almost two months now and something occurred to me...I've never really introduced myself :-)

So here goes...

I'm 36 years old. I've been married to my DH for six years. We have two boys we love dearly; "Sprout" who is three and a half, and "Cubbie" who is 18 months. Both boys are highly energetic, active, crazy, funny little guys. We live in the Midwest in a fairly decent sized metropolitan area.

Both my DH and I love the outdoors. Before boys (BB), we kayaked the Apostle Islands, hiked the mountains of Colorado, laid on the beaches of Mexico (honeymoon), mountain biked, skied, and camped. Now, AB (after boys), well, we pretty much stay home. It's just too much work right now to go anywhere, other than short trips in our camper that I blogged about here. I get in a run or an elliptical workout 3 to 4 times a week. My DH is a road and mountain biker (pedal bike).

I am a police officer in a fairly large city. I'm currently a Sergeant assigned to investigations. I've been with the same police department for fifteen years. I started when I was 21 years old. At the time, I was the youngest officer on the department and one of the small percentage of female officers. I am intentionally vague about my job because, well, it is the Internet :-)

My DH is a Dr. in the natural health field. He has graciously condensed his hours at his clinic so he can be a part-time stay at home dad. We both attempt to eat healthy, organic meals when we can. We believe in the body's natural ability to heal itself (to a point). We don't vaccinate or immunize our boys. We also do not believe in circumcision. I nursed both boys until they each voluntarily weaned themselves. That being said, I would never force my views on anyone else. Each to his own.

If I was to describe myself, I guess I would say I'm a Christian, I believe in Jesus and the Bible. I try to be the best example of God's love that I can be, but oh do I fall short! I'm a positive person for the most part. I care about others and try to be uplifting, encouraging, and a good listener. I have a heart for the hurting. If I could do it all over again, I would probably be a counselor to troubled adolescents. I just have a heart for teenagers. But for now, any extra time I have is spent loving up my boys and being a wife to my DH.

So, that's me! Any questions/comments/concerns please do share by either leaving a comment or emailing me. Thanks for listening to the nutshell version of my life!

In the Line of Duty

On Sunday, four Lakewood, Washington police officers were killed in an ambush-style attack. Please pray for their families, and, if you feel led to, donate at the Lakewood Police Independent Guild's website.

I have no connection to this police department or these officers. However, when you wear a badge, it doesn't matter what state seal is on it.