I'll Lie Around the House Til Noon and Wear my Pajamas All Day

According to my husband and brother, being completely anonymous is not necessary and may be a bit off-putting. So, henceforth I will be referring to myself as Kristen, which is my name.

I'm kind of obsessed with song lyrics, so many of my titles will come from song lyrics. Bonus points to anyone who can name the song without Googling it.

I think the only activity I like almost as much as dancing is sleeping in. I don't sleep all that well at night, but I'm a champion sleeper from 6 AM to 11 AM. Lucky for me, my kids sleep until 8:30 most days. I know moms whose kids wake up at 5 AM and I feel so very sorry for them. Most days I don't go anywhere until I have to teach Zumba in the evenings. Because of this, I see no point in getting dressed. Sometimes I stay in my PJ's until 5:30 PM. At times I even go in the backyard to play with the kids in my pajamas--provided none of my adult neighbors are also in their backyards. I'm not ashamed of this. That said, some days I end up feeling like a loser slob. A major over-achiever in my pre-kid days, I've tried to embrace my laziness, but don't always succeed.

I frequently let my kids wear PJ's all day as well. Or, if I do get them dressed, I let them sleep in their clothes. I figure it cuts down on laundry that way. And don't even get me started on laundry! It never ends!! I try not to wash dirty clothes until all the clean ones are folded and put away, but that actually rarely happens. Cleaning is just so far down on my priority list. The poor girl who cleans for me on Saturdays ends up spending most of her time folding and putting away our clothes--including my unmentionables. Because of this, our bathrooms rarely get cleaned... because I'm certainly not going to do it!

I used to think this lack of a clean house made me a bad mother, but I try to remind myself that as long as the house is reasonably free of flesh-eating bacteria, my kids probably won't be any worse for it. I do worry that they will grow up to be slobs that don't know how to keep a house clean, but I fear that trait may be in the genes already.

About Me

Because I've decided to make this blog public, I will be referring to myself simply as K. I've been married for almost 13 years to C. I'm not afraid to admit my age (32), but I think I'll keep my weight a secret. I have two beautiful children, R and L. R is a boy and L is a girl. They are both 3 1/2. Yes, they are twins and, no, they are not identical. My husband and I have lived in the Kansas City area for about six years. I was born in California and spent my childhood there. My teen years were spent in Salt Lake City. I went to Brigham Young University and The Ohio State University.

Currently I am a licensed Zumba instructor. My day-job is that of a stay-at-home mom. My passions include dancing, music, reading, and video games. Yes, I am a Mormon mommy gamer. I mainly play role-playing games, although I've been practicing my Mario Kart skills so I can keep up with R. That kid is a Mario Kart prodigy, I swear!

I absolutely hate cleaning. I do not scrapbook and will probably never join a book club. I do, however, quite enjoy cooking. I do what I can to provide meals for my family that are both nutritious and delicious. The twins, however, usually end up eating the usual suspects: chicken nuggets, mac & cheese, pizza, and hot dogs. I love dark chocolate, but I can usually pass up ice cream... unless it's Ben & Jerry's Cinnamon Bun. That stuff's amazing. My favorite way to shop is online. Amazon.com is my friend. If I never had to set foot in a mall again, I would be thrilled. My latest shopping addiction is Zumbawear. It's a bit pricy, but I don't wear jewelry or expensive shoes, so I figure it balances out.

So, that's me!

Not Your Ordinary Mormon Mommy Blog

Apparently, Mormon Mommy Blogs are all the rage these days. I've read a few myself, and have been really impressed by what amazing lives some of these moms have. It's almost as if they live idyllic lives with perfect children, perfect marriages, and perfectly clean houses. That is so not me. That's not to say that I don't enjoy being a mom or that my marriage isn't happy. I do and it is. Sometimes as Mormon women, we feel pressure to always put our best face forward and never admit our mistakes or struggles. I think that's a shame. It leads to the misconception that nobody else has any problems, or if they do, that their problems are relatively minor.

I dedicate this blog to all the moms out there who struggle. All those who need to be lifted up from time to time. I plan to keep this totally real and totally honest. I want to share both my triumphs and my insecurities, my blessings and my difficulties. I hope you like it! :-)