What were we thinking?

This post is 100% totally inspired by Military Mama . She did a ridiculously awesome post about her fashion sense over the years and it got me thinking ... if she thought she was bad, HOLD THE PHONE, because I think I may have been worse.
Prepare yourself. This could get ugly.

Let's start with this gem from a Father-Daughter Dance. I was probably at least 10. Crimped hair and all. I can tell you that I remember loving this dress because when I spun around the dress was very whirly. Loved it.

Let's move on a year or two. WTF is in my hair. I remember that bow (if you can call it a bow) it had a metal clip on it and I would put it on my side ponytails. Sweet, right?

Flash Forward into my real teen years. I know I could not yet drive in this photo. I was 15. In short shorts, a cami tank top(that I sometimes wore a white fitted tee under) and you cannot see them but these foam platform sandals from Old Navy. Hey, this outfit got me my first long-term boyfriend. He was hot (in my mind anyways) so I must have been doing something right. But really what could be right about this? Wrong, it's all wrong! (Pictured here with my fashion impaired sisters and my best friend who apparently loved sporting the midriff!)

This next one is Embarassing, with a capitol E!

I am about 16 here, bangs, roots, the whole works. 

Now, that's hot. : /

Moving right along. Here is me at my HS graduation with my two besties. I know this does not show clothing, but it does show my unfortunate hair. I could never get it right. (I have since learned the error of my ways)
My Freshman year in College. Abercrombie track pants and a tee (and a bottle of Hooch, lol) and Easter that same year - over tanned, over feathered, and over flowered. Laugh - it's OK.

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And just for kicks. Who wears their homecoming dress to a wedding. Aparently I do. 

Now with short, short hair, bangs, and really not much makeup. 

Also, I ended up at homecoming in the same dress as the girl who stole above said boyfriend from me. It was tragic. Like my hair.

 

My own personal "you know when you're a mom" isms'

- When I am in the grocery store alone, and yet still rock the cart back and forth as if soothing Brody. 
- 5 out of the last 6 movies I have seen feature a taking train. (a la Thomas)
- I know every song on his Laugh and Learn Puppy, but have not a clue the words to most popular songs on the radio.
- Following the theme from above - Baby Einstein "World Music" is what is residing in my CD player at the moment.
- I can reach into my coat or jeans pocket on any given day and pull out a soothie (pacifier), baby wipe, singular sock, teething ring, maybe even a cheerio.......
- Looking over "family" photos of the past year and realize that in the well over 2000 photos I have, I am in maybe 10 - I am always snapping photos of the boys in my life!
- A bottle of wine and a movie other than "G-rated" is a "big night" for us.
- At dinner while putting Brody into his high chair, I smell something funky, and sniff his bottom.... With other people present.
- The most rewarding part of my job is no longer getting praised by a boss, it's getting BIG Brody smiles when he gets up in the morning!

Baby Giggles are the best!

Baby Giggles are the best!, originally uploaded by SweetMemorybyLea.

I caught Brody in the act of being naughty (he knows he is not allowed to climb on the entertainment system) and said "hey" which inspired Brody to have a massive case of the giggles that continued on until I got my camera and for 6 minutes after that!

You're Fired.

Yeah, just like that. Donald Trump style. I was fired. Only, it was not totally DT style. At least he has the decency to do it in person. My boss : Chickened out in a and did it while I was driving into the office, for our 930am meeting that she set up, over the phone. Coward. That is all I have to say.
I have had a pretty rough few weeks. Not that this post is going to be all negative nancy, because rough or not, I have had so much time to spend with my two favorite boys!
I hurt my back on 4/21 at work helping a 407 lb patient out of his car. He normally can do everything independently (for those of you who are wondering why I was doing this - I work in Home Health Care, in Physical Therapy) and just decided to be lazy this day and made us do all the work. He did not follow my instructions, and in turn hurt my back. My doctor put me on 100% restriction from working for a week. Which was fine with me, more time for Brody, but I was only getting paid peanuts for my workers comp claim (WI - this is why I hate this state. You have to wait 3 days, 3 BUSINESS days, to even get paid benefits, and then they are only 60% of what you make.) So I decided to talk to my doctor, and go back 2 days early.
To get put on suspension. WTF? I was shocked. Suspension- unpaid - after a workers comp claim. Pretty suspicious if you ask me.
Well I took my 3 day suspension and was on my way to my meeting on Monday morning, when my boss called me and fired me in the car. Nice.

Anyways, That was on May 3rd. I have already had one interview. Got the job!! Woo hoo! But not what I was looking for. (It was as-needed work, and they already have 16 as-needed employees. Why they even interviewed me was beyond me!) So I will probably work once a month.
I had another interview today, which ROCKED! She said they would most likely be calling me with an offer in the morning!!! As long as my background check comes back OK (and I am certainly not a criminal- and 100% positive that I do not have a record) and my drivers record comes back OK - I think I may actually have a job! Fingers crossed, and I do not want to jinx it, but I am hopeful at this point!
I do have a 3rd interview set up for Wed afternoon, if I don't get this job tomorrow. But I really want this job!

So anyways, I have been diligently working on my photography site and finishing up my final portfolio, even if I totally bomb the final, I will still have a 91% in the class, and earn my certificate in photography! So excited about that.
And I have been spending every single minute of the day with Brody, which has turned him into a clingy mama's boy, but that, I can definitely live with :)
All in all, job loss included, life is not too bad.
Accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative. I hated my old job (well boss to be specific) anyways!

My Blog is undergoing major construction.

I pressed the wrong button and LOST EVERYTHING on my blog. I actually cried, real tears. I was working on a new layout, with pages, and lost it all. Well keep your eyes open for a new and improved Mini-pingers blog.... coming soon.


EDIT!!! Yay, I recovered it! There will be some changes still to come, but I am so happy all is not lost!

He is getting to where he needs to go!

Go Check out Military Mama and her Bum Essentials giveaway!!

Exploits of a Military Mama

She is an avid cloth diaperer, and has been pretty helpful to me while making this transistion!
She has a great giveaway from Bum Essentials
They have some awesome dipaering goodies, and great diapers. I cannot wait to try them out!

Diapering Mishap!

I am always prepared. Always! We're going away with Brody for 3 hours - I have 5 diapers, 2 changes of clothes, and 3 bibs packed. Ok, maybe you can call me over prepared. but, HEY, you never know.
I am also always the one to be prepared, my husband, just does not have to do it, because, well, I don't really give him the chance. I just do it.
Well last week, I planned on taking Brody to the Children Museum on Friday.  I asked Corey to please check the diaper bag and tell me if there were diapers in there. He looked and said yes. In an attempt to let go of a little bit of control I didn't even bother to look, and the next morning away we went.
Like any typical baby, once we parked, paid for parking, paid for admission, walked around to find the baby-toddler area, and started playing, I smelled something foul - of course it was coming from Brody's diaper.
So I take him with our diaper bag to the restroom to get changed. Laid our our traveling changing pad on the table and went to take off his diaper.
Problem #1 - The wipes container was empty! Oops. Oh well, I thought, so I wet some paper towels and proceded to clean him up. Then I went to get a diaper out of the bag.
Problem #2 - There were diapers in the bag alright - about 5 swim diapers, still in there from our vacation! Not a single regular diaper in the mix. Uh oh.
If you have ever worked with a swim diaper, you would know, they do not hold in the pee like other diapers do. What to do? We had literally JUST paid to get in, we were a half hour from home, downtown (I have no clue where to go to get diapers downtown and was not about to leave to go search.) When I remembered: (now please, don't judge.) I used the diaper bag for my stuff as well in the hospital when I had Brody and I still had a super pad in there. So what did I do? I stuck that bad boy right into the swim diaper, suited Brody up and got out of there as fast as I could (so no one would see the crazy mommy putting a feminine pad in her sons diaper).
I think from now on I will stick to the Girl Scout Motto : Be Prepared. (or was that Boy Scouts? I have no clue, but I would rather be safe, than have a baby running around the children  Museum with a pad stuck inside of his diaper!)

We're going green!

So we have made the decision to lead a healthier lifestyle around here. Not just for us, but for the planet as well!
I guess when it comes to Brody, we were already on the healthy lifestyle road. I considered my self a part-time crunchy mama. I am a baby wearer  (I wear him in my organic cotton Lovely Dud Wrap.).  I make his baby food.
It is as easy (literally) as 1,2,3!
1) Steam Veggie/Fruit
2) Puree said food.
3) Store and feed!
and he eats organic applesauce (no sugar added) and Yo Baby!   yogurt from Stonyfield Farms.

Well a few weeks ago after watching Food, Inc. we decided we had to get healthier about our eating habits and choices as well. So we started slowly going organic. Oh my gosh, the biggest difference I can tell is the taste of apples. They taste so fresh!

Well now we are going to {try} to switch to cloth diapers. We are going with Bumgenius and I just got 6 for 40 bucks! (They would be 120 normally!) and with some great advice from really awesome mommies, I feel like we are ready to give it a try. If we like it I will order more (I know we need at LEAST 6 more!)

Here's to a healthier {for us and the planet} lifestyle!

Pretty Please.....

Hi Everyone! It's been sometime since I have updated. I have been hard at work finishing up my portfolio and final for this semester.
I have been hard at work on my new photography website as well and I would love if you would go visit and share your thoughts! Sweet Memories by Leanne - Family Photography 
is where to find me. Tell me what you think and be critical!

Please go check it out and become a follower (it's a pretty sad total of 2 as of now), and if you are in WI or IL tell your friends as well!

I hope everyone in blog world is having a great spring and more blogging to come soon!