The wild adventures of public bathrooms

Ok, I have to confess that as a mom there are few things I dread. Most bodily functions don't bother or upset my stomach too much. I don't like sassy talk or rude actions that my kids may sometimes try to get away with. But one thing that I really detest are public bathrooms.

My children, specifically my youngest, is newly potty trained and stands two plus feet tall (or short) depending on your perspective. She does not know not to touch everything she sees in every bathroom we enter. She is the perfect height to be a bit over eye level of the toilet, and the handle, and anything that may come flying out when flushed! Hugs in a toilet stall are not my favorite, but somehow hugging mommy and gasp, touching mommy's face after just going potty, have happened! Can you say Purel?

My kids are all fascinated by what color and what smell the soap maybe at the sink. At least they like washing their hands! It's also extremely common for them to describe or ask questions in an always loud "toddler" voice, many things you would rather not have all the other stall occupants hear! And inevitably, no matter how much prep and planning we do, most outings result in having to use a public restroom usually requiring  some measure of urgency.

So while I know that this is just a fact of life, and one I manage to try to grin and bear, I don't have to love it.  I don't even have to like it, especially the lovely face grabs by cute, unsanitary hands!

Rooting for Miss Wisconsin

This coming weekend is a big one in a lot of Wisconsin households. After all, our beloved Packers are playing a huge playoff game, lose and they go home, win and they move on!

Our household, and many others also have a duel reason to watch TV on Saturday night. It is the Miss America pageant. I know there are several groans when reading this, and some may also be delighted, all depends on what you enjoy. But our local area has a real reason to be excited, as Kate Gorman, a local Onalaska native, is representing the state of Wisconsin as Miss Wisconsin. She also happens to be a dear family friend and former babysitter to my kids.

How many of you can say that you had Miss Wisconsin as a babysitter? Pretty cool right? She also happens to be an extremely poised, talented, beautiful and genuinely nice woman. We know personally how very hard she has worked to make it to be crowned Miss Wisconsin, how hard she has worked this past year as Miss Wisconsin, and what an effort she is making to be Miss America.

She has a wonderful platform of combating childhood hunger with healthy foods, a very useful and meaningful thing that she has worked hard to promote in the Coulee Region. We have seen her out and about in town, my girls think she is walking, talking princess. She always takes the time to chat and hug the kids. So while your focus maybe more green and gold this weekend, don't forget to think ball gowns and crowns either!

Give Kate Gorman a shout out and may she bring home the Miss America title to our neck of the woods.  She is a person we can be proud is representing our state!

Learning to ski

I learned one thing over the past few days, you are never to old to learn! I set out to try cross country skiing, specifically skate skiing for the very first time.

It was a very humbling experience, but one I really found myself enjoying after the first ten or fifteen minutes!  Although it does require a bit of ability, it is mainly technique driven, the better the technique, the better the skier.

I am fortunate enough to know someone about to set out to do his twenty fifth Birkebeiner. He agreed to meet me and give me my first lesson at the lovely Hixon Forest.

What a beautiful place, and such a fantastic asset to this city. There were a handful of other skiers out that day, all of varying ability, all much better than me!

While I skied, my husband had the kids on sleds trying out a few of the sledding hills. It was a perfect way to spend some time outdoors and try to enjoy all the beauty that winter has to offer. It sure is a great mood booster to be outside and breathing the crisp air, and one huge plus to keep in mind NO BUGS! Better yet, it's much easier to justify the hot chocolate with extra marshmallows when you are done!

The winter blues

Well the winter season is in full swing.

My kids have embraced it, me, not as much. I need to be a bit more excited about the white stuff and the plummeting temperatures. I don't feel like I get the winter "blues" but let's just say it isn't my favorite season.

I've gone sledding with the kids a few times, and yes, we had a great time. We have made it to the ski hill once, and I've looked at my snowshoes, but I'm not sure that quite counts! I've made several kinds of soups and even baked cookies. But I think it's the hassles of dressing, and weather preparations. It's the constant cleaning of a wet kitchen floor from puppy feet, all four of them!

I do love it when we are all snuggled inside with a fire going and it's cold outside. So cozy! I love the clothes of winter, an old pair of jeans and a nice sweater. I've even taken to wearing long underwear on occasion! Don't tell anyone.

My dog loves winter, he sits on the snow and looks as happy as a dog can. I guess being a native of the area, I knew what living here was like all year round, so I only have myself to blame. I do love the four seasons, and not so sure I'd want to give that up. But if I had my choice, winter would last a month or two and then jump straight to spring. I would not complain, unless the mosquitoes came too. I guess that's another thing to be thankful for this time of year.

For more information on battling winter blues check out balanceyour7.com.

A new year and a clean beginning

A new year is upon us.

With it comes new possibilities, new goals, a blank slate. What will you do this year? Will you try to set a resolution or two and work to complete it? Or do you turn the calendar and it's just another day?

I've never really been a resolution maker, nothing concrete anyway. I do like the feeling of a new year, and a clean beginning. There are things that I wanted to try or accomplish that maybe I never completed in the past. French lessons? Well counting to ten is all I've managed so far, I think I have quite a way to go!

I am trying to focus on being a more patient parent. Especially following in the wake of the Connecticut tragedy, I am focusing on my children and how I interact with them. I'm trying not to take things for granted as much as I know I did before. This is much easier said than done, and some days are far more difficult than others. I returned to the gym and it was packed with all the new resolution members. But I give them credit and hope they stick with it! Whatever your new year brings, I'm trying to look to the future with a positive, I-can-do attitude.

Only time will tell what tomorrow will bring, but then again, it is only January!