We are all born into a community. Our family is our first community; our town, school, friend-base, etc. become our extended communities. Some of us excel at joining and forming these communities, while some of us just exist within them by chance.
When I was a child, i was a loner. Anyone who knows me now (with the exception of a few of you) may not believe that this could be true, but it is. I always thought i wanted to join in, belong, be part of things, but the second i got invited in, i would bail. I liked drawing, writing and playing my video games more than doing what the masses did. As i aged, through high school and college, the communities i belonged to were like extended families- we all formed by fate and we all worked well.
When i moved here, i did a complete 180. I wanted so badly to feel like i belonged, that i joined EVERYTHING i could find. I found a Womens' Group, i joined an Outdoors Adventure Group (before I was outdoorsy or adventurous), i joined book clubs and movie clubs and writing clubs and more! When M was born, i joined moms groups! i was constantly trying to find where i belonged. Now, nearly nine years later, i am extremely comfortable and grateful for the people that i found and the dear friendships i have gained from my constant search for community. I am also grateful that I have been able to stop the search. I am 100% satisfied in my life, with my friends, with my community.
And now, here i am, on the verge of this newest chapter of our lives (i.e. kindergarten- as you may have noticed it's the fresh topic around here), i am realizing that i am going to be propelled into a whole lot of new communities (welcome or not.) I am now part of the kindergarten class C4 community, the elementary school community, the neighborhood parents-with-kids-at-this-school community... the list may never end. While i am no longer searching for these vast communities, i am a at good place in my life where i will no longer turn them away. i will belong and do my parts to be active in these new communities. Who knows- i may even find a community that is once again formed by fate that we can all live well in.
Friday, August 30, 2013
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
I will Survive!
First day of kindergarten; first day of my REAL life starting, and not one tear was seriusly shed. Yes, there were a few renegades who held fast to the bitty corners of my eyes, but they held in there (i'm slightly convinced it was because i put on my mascara first thing this morning without thinking, and my subconscience knew i couldn't handle a tammy faye baker reputation on day one!)
Whatever it was, both M and i (and even the baby) accepted gracefully!
On a somewhat side ote, i am usually humbled by something daily. It could be the pink horizon at the end of a not-so-great day, reminding me that the future is bright. It could be a simple, but powerful giggle from one of my girls, reminding me to not take things so seriously. Today, i was truly humbled by the sheer amazingness of my family and friends. I don't think a few minutes went by without someone checking in on us via call, text or email. The outpouring of love that M and i received today was truly breath-taking. I am grateful, as always, for the very wonderful people i have in my life!!!
Whatever it was, both M and i (and even the baby) accepted gracefully!
On a somewhat side ote, i am usually humbled by something daily. It could be the pink horizon at the end of a not-so-great day, reminding me that the future is bright. It could be a simple, but powerful giggle from one of my girls, reminding me to not take things so seriously. Today, i was truly humbled by the sheer amazingness of my family and friends. I don't think a few minutes went by without someone checking in on us via call, text or email. The outpouring of love that M and i received today was truly breath-taking. I am grateful, as always, for the very wonderful people i have in my life!!!
Monday, August 26, 2013
Whole New World!
Some people are defined by distinct moments in their lives. Turning 16 marks an era of newfound independence. Turning 21 creates a virtually untapped world or whirl of fun. The other night, at my girlfriend's 30th birthday dinner, we spoke about the moment you feel like a real adult, with real responsibilities, and consequences. She felt that turning 30 was it for her. Another friend said having her first child, others may feel it's the day of their wedding or acceptance of a major job or profession.
I realize, as i am literally staring out over the precipice of kindergarten tomorrow, that this is MY defining OH-MY-GOD-i-am-for-real-a-grown-up moment. Not that i haven't lived through each of those other "adult" moments- i'm married, i worked my way through ladders of corporate mayhem, i've turned 30 and birthed two amazing kids. I've even moved nearly 600 miles away from my world to start anew! I'm no stranger to the definitive moments in life. But this one, this placing my baby in the halls of a foreign land, sending her off into the wild to fend for herself (ok, fine, slight melodrama, i know...). I just feel like this is it. For the rest of our lives, my children will officially spend more time away from me than with me. Another person will hear M's funny stories and her friends will probably elicit more laughs from her than we will.
I'm excited for her, because she's excited and she's smart and mature and ready (way more than her mother, no less) for anything that comes her way! For that, i am excited. For my own selfish wishing that i could spend the most time with her, i'm a bit sad. I know it will all be ok, i just wish it wouldn't be so hard to get through the now to get to the ok.
I realize, as i am literally staring out over the precipice of kindergarten tomorrow, that this is MY defining OH-MY-GOD-i-am-for-real-a-grown-up moment. Not that i haven't lived through each of those other "adult" moments- i'm married, i worked my way through ladders of corporate mayhem, i've turned 30 and birthed two amazing kids. I've even moved nearly 600 miles away from my world to start anew! I'm no stranger to the definitive moments in life. But this one, this placing my baby in the halls of a foreign land, sending her off into the wild to fend for herself (ok, fine, slight melodrama, i know...). I just feel like this is it. For the rest of our lives, my children will officially spend more time away from me than with me. Another person will hear M's funny stories and her friends will probably elicit more laughs from her than we will.
I'm excited for her, because she's excited and she's smart and mature and ready (way more than her mother, no less) for anything that comes her way! For that, i am excited. For my own selfish wishing that i could spend the most time with her, i'm a bit sad. I know it will all be ok, i just wish it wouldn't be so hard to get through the now to get to the ok.
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
End of the World as We Know It!
I just sat down with B's preschool calendar and M's kindergarten calendar. Holy Moly- are we going to be busy, batman!?!? How did one (as would be me) get to add even MORE social activities to my (and my children's) already over-filled social lives?!?!
We're already double-booked tomorrow and school hasn't even begun. Nor has sleep (for me. thankfully, my kids CRASHED hard tonight!)
I have to drop B off for ballet/acrobatics at 10, then rush M over to a kindergarten picnic, then actually miss the eating portion of the picnic to rush back to pick B up form her hour and a half class... Then we have every single day booked from now until then with my kids' activities! (with my one and only guilty pleasure s for myself: BRUNO MARS Concert!!!!!!) And all of this is okay, except i feel like i'm in one of those movies that is making fun of parents' lives who are over-taken by their overly social kindergarten and almost 3-year-old's lives!
so, there we go... all aboard the Kindergarten Express! As P and i said to each other yesterday (while looking through the mail and calendars and god-forbid-trying-to-plan-something-for-ourselves, etc): "This is the end of the world as we know it..." but i feel fine ;)
We're already double-booked tomorrow and school hasn't even begun. Nor has sleep (for me. thankfully, my kids CRASHED hard tonight!)
I have to drop B off for ballet/acrobatics at 10, then rush M over to a kindergarten picnic, then actually miss the eating portion of the picnic to rush back to pick B up form her hour and a half class... Then we have every single day booked from now until then with my kids' activities! (with my one and only guilty pleasure s for myself: BRUNO MARS Concert!!!!!!) And all of this is okay, except i feel like i'm in one of those movies that is making fun of parents' lives who are over-taken by their overly social kindergarten and almost 3-year-old's lives!
so, there we go... all aboard the Kindergarten Express! As P and i said to each other yesterday (while looking through the mail and calendars and god-forbid-trying-to-plan-something-for-ourselves, etc): "This is the end of the world as we know it..." but i feel fine ;)
Saturday, August 10, 2013
A long Day's Night
I think it's been nearly five months since i've written a post. five months of nothing to say? Or five whole months of excitement, action, fun, and the remainder of loveliness!!!!!
Here i am in the beginning of august. my daughter will be starting kindergarten in less than 3 weeks (and i praise those last 3 weeks, because up until two days ago, i thought she started in a week and a half...)
i'm not even writing about that yet, because i am in deep denial (1- that i have to turn my sweet angel daughter over to the state for 8 hours a day) (2- because i will miss her around me nearly 24/7) and (3- because OH MY GOD- my baby is starting kindergarten!!!!!!)
so, what am i writing about? well, i don't know, because i can act like this whole kindergarten thing isn't bothering me... (like all those other moms who say stuff like, "i CAN'T WAIT for kindergarten to start- why did they wait the extra week?" or maybe... "my kid starts in a week. what should i have done...?" or even... "yeah, i got it. kindergarten... whatever..." )
so, as you see, i don't discriminate on parental stupidity... if you WANT your kid in school full-time, this probably isn't the blog you'd prefer.... if you have no idea what to do with your kid to prepare for school, go on-line- there are seven billion resources (and then share them, please!) If you "already got it", well, you may not learn anything here, but you could help us to love and grow and learn and feel... (And, we'll happily take your encouragement and advice as we all go!!!!)
If you want to know where i stand (besides BIGGEST procrastinator and NEVER-WANT-TO-LEAVE-MY-CHILDREN), then stick around... because here i am. And there's that after my five month hiatus. Enjoy your end of summer, All!
Here i am in the beginning of august. my daughter will be starting kindergarten in less than 3 weeks (and i praise those last 3 weeks, because up until two days ago, i thought she started in a week and a half...)
i'm not even writing about that yet, because i am in deep denial (1- that i have to turn my sweet angel daughter over to the state for 8 hours a day) (2- because i will miss her around me nearly 24/7) and (3- because OH MY GOD- my baby is starting kindergarten!!!!!!)
so, what am i writing about? well, i don't know, because i can act like this whole kindergarten thing isn't bothering me... (like all those other moms who say stuff like, "i CAN'T WAIT for kindergarten to start- why did they wait the extra week?" or maybe... "my kid starts in a week. what should i have done...?" or even... "yeah, i got it. kindergarten... whatever..." )
so, as you see, i don't discriminate on parental stupidity... if you WANT your kid in school full-time, this probably isn't the blog you'd prefer.... if you have no idea what to do with your kid to prepare for school, go on-line- there are seven billion resources (and then share them, please!) If you "already got it", well, you may not learn anything here, but you could help us to love and grow and learn and feel... (And, we'll happily take your encouragement and advice as we all go!!!!)
If you want to know where i stand (besides BIGGEST procrastinator and NEVER-WANT-TO-LEAVE-MY-CHILDREN), then stick around... because here i am. And there's that after my five month hiatus. Enjoy your end of summer, All!
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Sooooo long gone.
I haven't run more than a tattered mile in over a month. Until today. A glorious 46 degrees and a bright, brilliant sun gave me the stamina i needed to make it 3 1/2 miles this afternoon. i was shocked i could do it, because it's been so long! it was like this amazing shedding of stressed-out skin for me! i haven't felt that good in... well, over a month. i love the runner's high! i just need to promise myself to make the time/energy to give that gift to myself as often as possible!
Friday, March 15, 2013
The Seven year (& 3 week) Itch
Most of you know that i've been playing single mom for the last three weeks, as my husband gets trained on all the exciting ins and outs of his new business adventure! On a whole, the girls and i have kept sane and very busy! Honestly, we have potentially done more in the last three weeks than we have done in a very long time! Most of which- we've missed P terribly...
The major event over the last three-week-long-adventure was my experiencing whole-heartedly the Seven Year Itch! I had heard and read and wondered about this phenomenon, but boy oh boy, did it hit hard!!! (By the way, i've been married for 10 1/2 years...) The itchy-itch is with my house! Home sweet home and i are having some issues...
On feb 11, 2013, we celebrated our seven-year-anniversary in our home! Seven years seems impossible as i remember in vivid detail every moment of that day!
But, here we are, one month later, one able-body down, and the house may as well be crumbling around me...
In these last three weeks without P at home, my dishwasher broke, then worked, then it broke again. It was just fixed after two visits from the technician, an hour ago! Horray!!!! The dryer broke, but did not regain a short-lived second wind like its cousin. Thankfully, my hoarding has come in handy as we have lived well over a week and a half on clean clothes... But it's going to be a long day of laundry when we finally get a new dryer!!!
I was convinced that our super-state-of-the-art sleep number bed broke the other night, too- but it's just tempermental and is fine now!
In and amidst the decline of my home, I also had to complete my final three weeks of my coursera.com class (including 2 papers), i consigned over 200 items at a big sale, cleared out our old storage unit, and have managed to get the kids to school (somewhat on time), me to work (mostly on time), and the dog fed (nearly on time) every single day!
We survived a three day surprise trip to PA and a 48 hour fever...
At some point, i managed to throw out at least eight trash bags full of junk that my genetically-induced hoarder children have stashed throughout my house, and even managed to keep my husband's work space clean!
Whew! that sums it all up in a nice and neat package! and, rIght now, on this gorgeous afternoon in march, awaiting the arrival of my long-lost husband (in 9 or so hours, that is...) i am relaxed. And enjoying it!
And i can finally say, as they always say, all's well that ends well!!!!
The major event over the last three-week-long-adventure was my experiencing whole-heartedly the Seven Year Itch! I had heard and read and wondered about this phenomenon, but boy oh boy, did it hit hard!!! (By the way, i've been married for 10 1/2 years...) The itchy-itch is with my house! Home sweet home and i are having some issues...
On feb 11, 2013, we celebrated our seven-year-anniversary in our home! Seven years seems impossible as i remember in vivid detail every moment of that day!
But, here we are, one month later, one able-body down, and the house may as well be crumbling around me...
In these last three weeks without P at home, my dishwasher broke, then worked, then it broke again. It was just fixed after two visits from the technician, an hour ago! Horray!!!! The dryer broke, but did not regain a short-lived second wind like its cousin. Thankfully, my hoarding has come in handy as we have lived well over a week and a half on clean clothes... But it's going to be a long day of laundry when we finally get a new dryer!!!
I was convinced that our super-state-of-the-art sleep number bed broke the other night, too- but it's just tempermental and is fine now!
In and amidst the decline of my home, I also had to complete my final three weeks of my coursera.com class (including 2 papers), i consigned over 200 items at a big sale, cleared out our old storage unit, and have managed to get the kids to school (somewhat on time), me to work (mostly on time), and the dog fed (nearly on time) every single day!
We survived a three day surprise trip to PA and a 48 hour fever...
At some point, i managed to throw out at least eight trash bags full of junk that my genetically-induced hoarder children have stashed throughout my house, and even managed to keep my husband's work space clean!
Whew! that sums it all up in a nice and neat package! and, rIght now, on this gorgeous afternoon in march, awaiting the arrival of my long-lost husband (in 9 or so hours, that is...) i am relaxed. And enjoying it!
And i can finally say, as they always say, all's well that ends well!!!!
Monday, February 25, 2013
Day One Down!
Today was our first day of Daddy's new job. One where he is out of the house and not able to help us do all of the menial morning chores that he has always helped us do. While it is an amazing opportunity for us, and one that we have been hoping for, and now celebrating, the girls don't quite seem to get why we are celebrating daddy being out of the house... all the time!
It's been quite an adjustment period over the last 24 hours, but i will say that i seemed to have gotten more done since yesterday afternoon than i have in possibly two years. Keeping the girls and myself in motion has seemed to lessen the blow a bit!
Yesterday, I mentioned the fact that when i got the double-jogger cleaned up, we could all go for a spin... thanks to the endless encouragement of my 5.5 year old, we pulled the old thing out of the gunk, cleaned it up, drove to the gas station to fill up the tires, and i even managed to run a slow and grueling 1.5 miles with them around the track at the Y! Impressive for pushing a whopping 65 lbs of children plus the probably 20 lbs of my old rusted not-state-of-the-art machine and two whole years of unaccompanied running!
Today, I managed to not only get M to school (with lunch, snack, homework, teacher appreciation gift, and a full belly), but we were on time... something we don't normally achieve even if the whole wide world is pitching in! I even fed the dog and enjoyed three whole cups of coffee before we left the house! After that accomplishment, B and I headed to the mall to return a few items, window shop for even more, and a quick spin on the carousel- it was fun and somehow relaxing! we made it back with plenty of time for me to wash all of the dishes that had not been cleaned since Sat (because, i stupidly hadn't noticed the error message on the dishwasher, and just kept trying to re-run the load when it didn't come back clean.) Yes, I had dishes piled up since Sat, and i had to hand-wash every single one! I don't know how my dad and his clan have managed this long without their's running! Thankfully, though, after picking M up from school, the girls graciously offered me their help with the dishes and we got so much MORE done in so much less time!
We then headed out for a playdate at Monkey Joes, where i thought letting off all of the their steam would equal instant bedtimes, but no- alas, i was wrong. my children, much like me, feed off any and all excitement. the fun they had at Monkey Joes was only a small taste for them (even after two full hours of non-stop jumping, running, climbing, playing...) No, they wanted MORE. and More and More and More fun and excitement and entertainment- straight through until almost 10:00 tonight!
Once they were asleep, I worked on my course, which i felt i had been slacking on a bit on. And now i am 100% up-to-speed! I am heading off to dive head first into a novel (yes, actual entertaining reading- no more journal articles about mentally ill patients displaced in Uganda for tonight!) and then to sleep!
Day One - Success! Thank God (in every aspect; in every way!)
It's been quite an adjustment period over the last 24 hours, but i will say that i seemed to have gotten more done since yesterday afternoon than i have in possibly two years. Keeping the girls and myself in motion has seemed to lessen the blow a bit!
Yesterday, I mentioned the fact that when i got the double-jogger cleaned up, we could all go for a spin... thanks to the endless encouragement of my 5.5 year old, we pulled the old thing out of the gunk, cleaned it up, drove to the gas station to fill up the tires, and i even managed to run a slow and grueling 1.5 miles with them around the track at the Y! Impressive for pushing a whopping 65 lbs of children plus the probably 20 lbs of my old rusted not-state-of-the-art machine and two whole years of unaccompanied running!
Today, I managed to not only get M to school (with lunch, snack, homework, teacher appreciation gift, and a full belly), but we were on time... something we don't normally achieve even if the whole wide world is pitching in! I even fed the dog and enjoyed three whole cups of coffee before we left the house! After that accomplishment, B and I headed to the mall to return a few items, window shop for even more, and a quick spin on the carousel- it was fun and somehow relaxing! we made it back with plenty of time for me to wash all of the dishes that had not been cleaned since Sat (because, i stupidly hadn't noticed the error message on the dishwasher, and just kept trying to re-run the load when it didn't come back clean.) Yes, I had dishes piled up since Sat, and i had to hand-wash every single one! I don't know how my dad and his clan have managed this long without their's running! Thankfully, though, after picking M up from school, the girls graciously offered me their help with the dishes and we got so much MORE done in so much less time!
We then headed out for a playdate at Monkey Joes, where i thought letting off all of the their steam would equal instant bedtimes, but no- alas, i was wrong. my children, much like me, feed off any and all excitement. the fun they had at Monkey Joes was only a small taste for them (even after two full hours of non-stop jumping, running, climbing, playing...) No, they wanted MORE. and More and More and More fun and excitement and entertainment- straight through until almost 10:00 tonight!
Once they were asleep, I worked on my course, which i felt i had been slacking on a bit on. And now i am 100% up-to-speed! I am heading off to dive head first into a novel (yes, actual entertaining reading- no more journal articles about mentally ill patients displaced in Uganda for tonight!) and then to sleep!
Day One - Success! Thank God (in every aspect; in every way!)
Thursday, February 21, 2013
why?!?
why did i dream about a rooster last night? one called very affectionately as a cockaroo... and why, when i was just now watching a lecture for my coursera course did they just call the rooster a "cockaroo"?
i know i always look way more in to dreams than most people, but this one has kind of freaked me out. i don't normally dream about roosters. i don't normally hear speeches about roosters. and i, for sure, do not have intertwining dream/lectures where we all call rosters the very cordial name of "cockaroo."
so, there's that.
i have so much more to write, but i may have to wait until i dream again and see what i hear about tomorrow...
i know i always look way more in to dreams than most people, but this one has kind of freaked me out. i don't normally dream about roosters. i don't normally hear speeches about roosters. and i, for sure, do not have intertwining dream/lectures where we all call rosters the very cordial name of "cockaroo."
so, there's that.
i have so much more to write, but i may have to wait until i dream again and see what i hear about tomorrow...
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Overjoyed and overtlyThankful!
Today God smiled upon my family! A welcome and eagerly awaited change has ocurred for my husband and my family, and i honestly cannot explain the joy and thankfulness in my heart!
A life can only be what we make of it, and by God we have made this one rxactly as it was meant to be! And i hope we can continue on this route! Thankfully and earnestly! Amen!
A life can only be what we make of it, and by God we have made this one rxactly as it was meant to be! And i hope we can continue on this route! Thankfully and earnestly! Amen!
Friday, February 15, 2013
Homeward Bound!
We drove from 2:15 this afternoon until 11:30 tonight... We arrived not only in one piece, but somehow happily and mostly still sane. My girls were amazingly awesome on this trip... Holding on to the hope of seeing their cousins and family SOON!!!
We survived five states and about one hundred songs, stories, games, and a seriously minor case of the whinings or the flat-out blues!
P & i even managed to listen to some comics on the radio while the kids played some games!
And how well the hours in the car paid off!!! Although the cousins were asleep when we got here (they thankfully don't have M's & my genetics...), we had a warm welcome (filled with pint glasses of cold welcoming beverages) from aunt j and uncle m! B went straight to bed, but M relaxed, played, and enjoyed the adults to herself!
My sister and i had conversations that just can't be justified over the phone- making me miss ber that much alreafy (even though we just arrived and aren't even leaving for a few days...)
I love when we're homeward bound, the excitement of the road trip all around. But there is nothing nicer than pulling into this driveway, being welcomed at the door, and sitting down to real live family life! Thank you, God, for my family! Thank you for getting us home to them tonight!
We survived five states and about one hundred songs, stories, games, and a seriously minor case of the whinings or the flat-out blues!
P & i even managed to listen to some comics on the radio while the kids played some games!
And how well the hours in the car paid off!!! Although the cousins were asleep when we got here (they thankfully don't have M's & my genetics...), we had a warm welcome (filled with pint glasses of cold welcoming beverages) from aunt j and uncle m! B went straight to bed, but M relaxed, played, and enjoyed the adults to herself!
My sister and i had conversations that just can't be justified over the phone- making me miss ber that much alreafy (even though we just arrived and aren't even leaving for a few days...)
I love when we're homeward bound, the excitement of the road trip all around. But there is nothing nicer than pulling into this driveway, being welcomed at the door, and sitting down to real live family life! Thank you, God, for my family! Thank you for getting us home to them tonight!
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Psychological overload
I don't remember how i used to do it- take five pretty intense courses, keep facts and dates and assignments straight, and still manage to have an active social life. I'm not even trying for a social life here... or more than one course, yet my brain is fried.
I have a whole new respect for parents who go back to school, or take classes, or who have jobs that require advanced thinking (as opposed to which color construction paper should we use tomorrow!). My brain is fried from only two lectures and one journal article- i still have four more lectures, another journal article and a 600 word essay due by monday- not to mention valentines day, family road trip, and a wedding to attend!
Ahhhh- it will all get done. I know this. I just wish i could remember how i used to do it so effortlessly!!!! I guess that's the almost 20 year difference :|
I have a whole new respect for parents who go back to school, or take classes, or who have jobs that require advanced thinking (as opposed to which color construction paper should we use tomorrow!). My brain is fried from only two lectures and one journal article- i still have four more lectures, another journal article and a 600 word essay due by monday- not to mention valentines day, family road trip, and a wedding to attend!
Ahhhh- it will all get done. I know this. I just wish i could remember how i used to do it so effortlessly!!!! I guess that's the almost 20 year difference :|
Monday, February 11, 2013
baby battles... baby babbles...
My sweet Baby B had me on a super roller coaster today. Super sweet smiles first thing this morning led to an all-out battle of the bulge in the dollar store (and not because she wanted to buy something or i said No. simply because she wasn't ready to leave the aisle we were in, so she dug in her heels, and i dug in mine.) at least 10 minutes worth of us refusing to give in led to me grabbing her, and her screaming the entire rest of our shopping trip. then we had valentine's playdate #1, which began with her moaning and crying to go to the playroom upstairs, even though everyone else was downstairs. we battled for a while until sweet aunt L let her go on up... she was fine again for a while... until she wasn't. which was about the time she spotted the M&M packs of valentines. which she screamed for, repeatedly. in case you haven't gotten the gist yet, i don't give in to screaming. in fact, it turns my stomach in a thousand different ways and makes me madder and meaner than we all started. i nearly left her there i was so mad, but sweet aunt K gave her the M&Ms and then she was happy for a while... until she wasn't.
She slept on the way home from our playdate and then continued to sleep on me for another hour. this, my friends, was absolute heaven to me! i can't even remember the last time that baby so much as sat still for 30 seconds, let alone slept on top of me for an hour! this was the wonderful, wonderful part of the ride today!
Until she woke up, screaming bloody murder as if i had just held her in restraints against her will for that last hour. somehow we recovered and made it to valentine's playdate #2. thankfully, D had so much excitement going on that B and i could have a bit of separation from each other and not get too into each others' ways. besides a few minor melt-downs (she refused to say please, threw her popcorn on my feet when i told her she couldn't bring it to the playroom... you know, the norm), we survived the chaotic fun of that party!
Fast-forward to dinner time, when I told the girls that they could watch Ice Age while we ate (but not "Peppal Pig*," which they had just watched anyway, but are both obsessed with. M happily accepted the movie. B screamed BLOODY MURDER for over 25 minutes. seriously, seven minutes into her screaming, i removed her from the table and put her in her room. i told her she could come back when she calmed down. she never calmed down. all we heard was wailing and moaning and "PEPPAL PIG" being beckoned from the back of the house. i tried to bring her back out to eat dinner, but she could not stop screaming for one second (can we say stubborn?!?) and so after the full 25 minutes of insanity, i put her to bed.
once she finally calmed down in my arms, rocking in her chair, reading books, we did all right. then i turned her light out and that's when her sweet baby babbles filled my heart up again. to the tune of, "1-2, buckle my shoe," she sang - "6,7,8- ginger-ale;" "6,7,8- banana;" "it's raining, it's pouring, daddy come in here now. no. sleeping." "6,7,8- chocolate milk;" "rain, rain, go up the hill..."
anyway, you get the point. her sweetest little heart came through in her babbles, and i truly felt like an angel's voice was coming through... thankfully, since i was somewhat convinced someone from another place was trying to emerge earlier.
ahhhh, the ups and downs of motherhood, especially with a baby like B!
*My children call the tv show- Peppa Pig- "Peppal Pig." It sticks.
She slept on the way home from our playdate and then continued to sleep on me for another hour. this, my friends, was absolute heaven to me! i can't even remember the last time that baby so much as sat still for 30 seconds, let alone slept on top of me for an hour! this was the wonderful, wonderful part of the ride today!
Until she woke up, screaming bloody murder as if i had just held her in restraints against her will for that last hour. somehow we recovered and made it to valentine's playdate #2. thankfully, D had so much excitement going on that B and i could have a bit of separation from each other and not get too into each others' ways. besides a few minor melt-downs (she refused to say please, threw her popcorn on my feet when i told her she couldn't bring it to the playroom... you know, the norm), we survived the chaotic fun of that party!
Fast-forward to dinner time, when I told the girls that they could watch Ice Age while we ate (but not "Peppal Pig*," which they had just watched anyway, but are both obsessed with. M happily accepted the movie. B screamed BLOODY MURDER for over 25 minutes. seriously, seven minutes into her screaming, i removed her from the table and put her in her room. i told her she could come back when she calmed down. she never calmed down. all we heard was wailing and moaning and "PEPPAL PIG" being beckoned from the back of the house. i tried to bring her back out to eat dinner, but she could not stop screaming for one second (can we say stubborn?!?) and so after the full 25 minutes of insanity, i put her to bed.
once she finally calmed down in my arms, rocking in her chair, reading books, we did all right. then i turned her light out and that's when her sweet baby babbles filled my heart up again. to the tune of, "1-2, buckle my shoe," she sang - "6,7,8- ginger-ale;" "6,7,8- banana;" "it's raining, it's pouring, daddy come in here now. no. sleeping." "6,7,8- chocolate milk;" "rain, rain, go up the hill..."
anyway, you get the point. her sweetest little heart came through in her babbles, and i truly felt like an angel's voice was coming through... thankfully, since i was somewhat convinced someone from another place was trying to emerge earlier.
ahhhh, the ups and downs of motherhood, especially with a baby like B!
*My children call the tv show- Peppa Pig- "Peppal Pig." It sticks.
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Planning in Advance!
Tonight my girlfriends and I stole away for a few hours of girl chat and wine! in the midst of our normal mom-hood banter, we somehow got to talking about summer plans. everyone took out their planners and began thinking about august! AUGUST!!!! i can't even grasp the fact that we're in 2013, let alone start planning out the 8th month of it!
how do we get here? how does time fly so fast? how can we stay somewhat grounded where we are, when we're already thinking several months in advance?!?
how do we get here? how does time fly so fast? how can we stay somewhat grounded where we are, when we're already thinking several months in advance?!?
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Valentine's Week!
We love Valentine's Day in our house! I try to go all out with heart shaped pancakes or waffles, pink milk, and lots of little love treats theoughout the day! We're starting our celebrations early this year and pretty much planning on enjoying the holiday all week!
I'm making mini strawberry cupcakes for the two valentine-themed playdates we have on monday! We'll also exchange valentines there!
I've got to get on the ball because i usually make the girls shirts or hair bows or something for their parties, but i have yet to even begin a thing! We've also got to get moving on all of the handmade valentines the girls need to have done for monday! I'm guessing tomorrow is going to be a pink and red explosion around here!
What are your family holiday traditions? Enjoy all the love with whatever plans you do or don't alreafy have made!!!!
I'm making mini strawberry cupcakes for the two valentine-themed playdates we have on monday! We'll also exchange valentines there!
I've got to get on the ball because i usually make the girls shirts or hair bows or something for their parties, but i have yet to even begin a thing! We've also got to get moving on all of the handmade valentines the girls need to have done for monday! I'm guessing tomorrow is going to be a pink and red explosion around here!
What are your family holiday traditions? Enjoy all the love with whatever plans you do or don't alreafy have made!!!!
Friday, February 8, 2013
Thinking... Writing/ Writing... Thinking...
When I think, I write. When i write, i think. thank God for circular life.
Unfortunately for my blog tonight, i've been thinking a lot, and (again unfortunately) not about my blog... I have been thinking a lot about that novel i started writing seven-ish years ago. i think about it a lot, like a long-lost friend that i always think of contacting. like that stash of clothes you still need to sort, or iron, or depart from. like that pack of love-letters from a long-time-gone love that needs to be gone. Although those are negative connotations; my novel (if you will) is anything but to me. My novel is a spring of hope, love and growth for me...
so, maybe, for some reason, tonight has brought it really to my forethought. so, i should go and write and think... About something all that is hopeful, loving and growth-inspiring!
Unfortunately for my blog tonight, i've been thinking a lot, and (again unfortunately) not about my blog... I have been thinking a lot about that novel i started writing seven-ish years ago. i think about it a lot, like a long-lost friend that i always think of contacting. like that stash of clothes you still need to sort, or iron, or depart from. like that pack of love-letters from a long-time-gone love that needs to be gone. Although those are negative connotations; my novel (if you will) is anything but to me. My novel is a spring of hope, love and growth for me...
so, maybe, for some reason, tonight has brought it really to my forethought. so, i should go and write and think... About something all that is hopeful, loving and growth-inspiring!
Thursday, February 7, 2013
7:30 going on midnight...
It feels like it's hours (and i truly mean HOURS) later than it really is. I made all attempts to go to bed early last night. Got the kids to bed early, worked a little on my course (early), and even shut down the house to go to bed (early.) Unfortunately, as is always the case, the cosmos had quite a different plan for me... So, I ended up sitting up with my sick dog until almost 1:00 this morning. I can't really explain what was wrong with him, because i honestly couldn't tell. he looked more terrified than actually hurt, but he was definitely in pain. somewhere in his hind quarters, because he yelped that god-awful dog yelp whenever he jumped up on the bed or couch, or if i touched him there. it was so bad that we actually carried him out to the yard to let him do his thing before bed, and he waited for us to come and pick him back up our two steps to come back in... it was quite pathetic.
but, it's only been just over a year that my kitty died. and i still feel guilty that the whole night before he died he was trying to tell me something, because he was so much more clingy and attentive than usual. so, i sat up with this pup waiting for him to seriously telekinetically communicate that he was either okay, or that he was going to die. i just needed to know.
he did not. so, i went on pinterest and watched my dog from about 10:30 to 1:00 a.m. last night, just waiting for some sort of sign. the kind that doesn't really come.
he is much better tonight. still not 100% back to his playful self, but definitely not the terrified and pained animal i saw last night- thank God! i'll just have to keep a watch on him. he is getting old; maybe he just twisted his leg the wrong way and it took a day to get over. who knows. i'm just glad he's okay...
and so here i am, at 7:45 at night, having already put my children to bed (hooray) and i am about to finish up some work on my course, slip in to bed and attempt to read some of the new Gillian Flynn i finally picked up from the library, and then i am going to sleep! i hope! God Willing!
but, it's only been just over a year that my kitty died. and i still feel guilty that the whole night before he died he was trying to tell me something, because he was so much more clingy and attentive than usual. so, i sat up with this pup waiting for him to seriously telekinetically communicate that he was either okay, or that he was going to die. i just needed to know.
he did not. so, i went on pinterest and watched my dog from about 10:30 to 1:00 a.m. last night, just waiting for some sort of sign. the kind that doesn't really come.
he is much better tonight. still not 100% back to his playful self, but definitely not the terrified and pained animal i saw last night- thank God! i'll just have to keep a watch on him. he is getting old; maybe he just twisted his leg the wrong way and it took a day to get over. who knows. i'm just glad he's okay...
and so here i am, at 7:45 at night, having already put my children to bed (hooray) and i am about to finish up some work on my course, slip in to bed and attempt to read some of the new Gillian Flynn i finally picked up from the library, and then i am going to sleep! i hope! God Willing!
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Non-stop Action.
We woke up at a reasonably normal 8:15a.m. I got the girls together surprisingly well considering P had a meeting, so i was on my own. We were able to drop M off at school (only 11 minutes late) and make it to Target, Michaels, a kid's consignment store to look for new (sic) swings, and to the park by 10:15 for B to have a play date with her two friends. It was gorgeous out- 65 degrees by 10:30! We played and played and played until it was time to go. We picked M up from school and met up with friends to then play on the playground for another hour and a half! We got home around 2:30- only to have to girls attack their new swing set with a vengeance! They played and played and played until it was time to leave for gymnastics. I dropped B off at the Y's child-watch for the first time in almost two years. She cried and cried and cried (approximately 27 out of the 30 minutes i left her- in which time i tried to record-breakingly run the outdoor track... only to have to respond to several seemingly important texts and answer a damn service call from the credit card company...) We picked M up from gymnastics. Made it home by 6- what did they want to do, head straight for the swing set! hooray! ran them ragged! they crashed like two big bricks at bedtime! hooray!
so, now why do i feel like i just ran ten marathons, when all i did was watch them play all day? i have no idea... but i'm beat! good-night to the action!
so, now why do i feel like i just ran ten marathons, when all i did was watch them play all day? i have no idea... but i'm beat! good-night to the action!
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Baby Blue...
Tonight wevhad an extremey imptromptu dinner party (which equalled pizza party) to celebrate a new life into this world! One of my very best friend's found out that she is having a BOY today!!!! While we had planned for her to reveal her big surprise to our other best friends and me on Friday night, it turned out that none of us could wait... So we had to throw together an extremely last- minute dinner party (ok, pizza party) to be able to be all together to find out!
L's reveal was super sweet with a creative play on words and a beautiful appetizer tray full of dyed-blue tahini dip, a block of cheese carved into the word BOY and little pinned bue diapers!
We all pretty much screamed snd jumped and danced around! It wouldn't have mattered either way if the tahini had been blue or pink- as long as we'd heard that healthy report, whivh there was! The celebration is so much more about one more little life about to join this crazy clan we have!!!!
Love to my families away from family!!!! Congrats on the baby brother, L!!!!!!
L's reveal was super sweet with a creative play on words and a beautiful appetizer tray full of dyed-blue tahini dip, a block of cheese carved into the word BOY and little pinned bue diapers!
We all pretty much screamed snd jumped and danced around! It wouldn't have mattered either way if the tahini had been blue or pink- as long as we'd heard that healthy report, whivh there was! The celebration is so much more about one more little life about to join this crazy clan we have!!!!
Love to my families away from family!!!! Congrats on the baby brother, L!!!!!!
Monday, February 4, 2013
Successful day!
My coursera essay is complete (a whole 11 hours before the deadline... Well, original deadline. They changed to deadline to weds, because so many people were having technical difficulties...). But i'm glad i'm done!
The girls' swingset was built today (only after two months of sitting in our yard in pieces...)
Now, if only my children would stop fighting bedtime, we'd have success all around... We did have a good friday, sat, and sunday nights, so at least a good roll of three... But tonight, i'm about ready to plop my earplugs in and shut the door and pretend they're already asleep!
The girls' swingset was built today (only after two months of sitting in our yard in pieces...)
Now, if only my children would stop fighting bedtime, we'd have success all around... We did have a good friday, sat, and sunday nights, so at least a good roll of three... But tonight, i'm about ready to plop my earplugs in and shut the door and pretend they're already asleep!
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Heavy lids...
I have to give in and go to sleep. I have been reading psychiatric journal articles for the last two hours and i cannot keep my eyes open any longer.
My 250-300 word homework assignment is due at 11:59 p.m. tomorrow night. i really wanted to be done it yesterday, which did not happen. So i really tried hard to get it done tonight, but my eyes are not cooperating. so, thankfully, i do have tomorrow. not that i wanted to really be that uber-procrastinator that i know i am, but at least i do have tomorrow... there's always tomorrow (thank you, dear scarlett, for leading me in my procrastinating life!)
My 250-300 word homework assignment is due at 11:59 p.m. tomorrow night. i really wanted to be done it yesterday, which did not happen. So i really tried hard to get it done tonight, but my eyes are not cooperating. so, thankfully, i do have tomorrow. not that i wanted to really be that uber-procrastinator that i know i am, but at least i do have tomorrow... there's always tomorrow (thank you, dear scarlett, for leading me in my procrastinating life!)
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Bedtime
Crafternoon turned out to be a huge hit- and not just for me, for everyone involved (or so i've heard...) it was a great afternoon full of fun and creativity and lots of inspiration for everyone else here!
i hope that sometime again we can have another crafternoon with everyone being so creative and as helpful and as happy... i mean, seriously, do days like this really happen in the real world? i love happy, creative people, especially when they're my close friends!
i hope that sometime again we can have another crafternoon with everyone being so creative and as helpful and as happy... i mean, seriously, do days like this really happen in the real world? i love happy, creative people, especially when they're my close friends!
Excitement!!!
I'm finally rolling into bed after a very long, but very fruitful, day! In a nutshell, i was able to shop for two whole uninterupted hours while P took B to gymnastics. I got some new running clothes and a new pair of jeans (which, no joke, the last new pair of jeans i bought was 5 years ago, when m was 10 months old. I remember it very clearly!)
i went to trader joes, which would have been great, but i did not have my shopping list, and it was lunchtime so 7 million people were milling around me. But, i was alone, so i didn't even care!
I also cleaned my house top to bottom and prepared everything for my fun crafternoon party that i'm hosting tomorrow! Basically, p is taking the girls out and my girlfriends are coming over so we can get crafty!!!! I won't begin to describe my crafting horrors tonight when i realized that after i had painstakingly measured, cut, painted, etc. every piece of cork i needed, i came to find out that it's virtually impossibly to adhere cork to itself. I haven't completely given up on the project, but i can't do it for tomorrow...
I am going to fall asleep with visions of glue guns, beads, scissors and ribbon i. My mind! I cannot wait to get my craft on with my girls!!!!
i went to trader joes, which would have been great, but i did not have my shopping list, and it was lunchtime so 7 million people were milling around me. But, i was alone, so i didn't even care!
I also cleaned my house top to bottom and prepared everything for my fun crafternoon party that i'm hosting tomorrow! Basically, p is taking the girls out and my girlfriends are coming over so we can get crafty!!!! I won't begin to describe my crafting horrors tonight when i realized that after i had painstakingly measured, cut, painted, etc. every piece of cork i needed, i came to find out that it's virtually impossibly to adhere cork to itself. I haven't completely given up on the project, but i can't do it for tomorrow...
I am going to fall asleep with visions of glue guns, beads, scissors and ribbon i. My mind! I cannot wait to get my craft on with my girls!!!!
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Procrastination Nation
i have never been the type of person to receive an assignment or project or whatever and just do it. i wait and wait and wait, or think about it a lot, for a long time, and then all of a sudden it's go-time, and i go. and go and go and go until i crash. and 99.9 % of the time i get everything done and i'm happy with the results.
i mention this procrastination because i am watching project runway instead of doing my online course, with the work that's due on monday. i know i will do it. probably on sunday. but it will get done. and i'll be happy about it. i hope.
i mention this procrastination because i am watching project runway instead of doing my online course, with the work that's due on monday. i know i will do it. probably on sunday. but it will get done. and i'll be happy about it. i hope.
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
When it Rains, it Pours...
As in torrential downpours potentially flooding my house and drifting us off to sea! It's CRAZY out there! Which means it's crazy in here... I have one baby who fell fast asleep (in her crib!) Another daughter who is terrified of the sound of the rain on the window (typing fast so i can get in there to help her...) and one dog who is insane when there is any prospect of thunder, lightning, wind, drizzles...
also, speaking of downpours, i have to apologize for the downpour of typos in my recent posts. If you all continued reading through them, you are much more patient than I. I have been typing on my phone, which is quick and easy, but clearly not the most efficient form of writing. I also have not been reading the posts before publishing, which i need to be better about. Stick with me, folks. I'll work on it!
And now i'm off to listen to the rain with my girl!
also, speaking of downpours, i have to apologize for the downpour of typos in my recent posts. If you all continued reading through them, you are much more patient than I. I have been typing on my phone, which is quick and easy, but clearly not the most efficient form of writing. I also have not been reading the posts before publishing, which i need to be better about. Stick with me, folks. I'll work on it!
And now i'm off to listen to the rain with my girl!
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Several updates...
1- my children are settling in nicely to their new living conditions. It was about 24 hours ago that B managed to a) impress me by singing her full ABCs (whilst jumping up & down in her crib after we said good-night... Something that has never happened in 2+ years until she gained her roomate.)
She then b) impressed her sister/new roomie as we heard M exclaim, "OH, how did you do that?!?" Only to find out that meant B was staring M face-to-face because she'd climbed out of her crib (also, 1st time evvvver!). Then, c) impressed a of us after i thought i had them all settled back in to beds, but three minutes later, i saw a not only freely released baby from her crib, but a naked one at that!
By 10:00 last night, they were sound asleep, thank god!
Second update, my coursera class is HARD! I spent almost an hour and a half watching lectures, reading assigned readings and taking notes last night, yet i am no where even near to where i should be. And i have a 250-300 word essay due by monday (wow!)
Last update, and not exactly an update as i don't nirmally talk music on here, but i have two recent epiphanies: 1- Frances England. She's amazing! Kidsy, folksy, nice to listen to music for the whole family! We kust got two of her albums and i (& the gorls) do not want to stop listening to her!!!!
2- chubby checker radio on pandora... Greatest mix of music EVER!!!! The girls and i danced all night!!! Lots of favorite songs from yesteryear!!! I've already warned my co-teacher that we're going to be rwisting and limbo'ing the day away next achool day!!!
She then b) impressed her sister/new roomie as we heard M exclaim, "OH, how did you do that?!?" Only to find out that meant B was staring M face-to-face because she'd climbed out of her crib (also, 1st time evvvver!). Then, c) impressed a of us after i thought i had them all settled back in to beds, but three minutes later, i saw a not only freely released baby from her crib, but a naked one at that!
By 10:00 last night, they were sound asleep, thank god!
Second update, my coursera class is HARD! I spent almost an hour and a half watching lectures, reading assigned readings and taking notes last night, yet i am no where even near to where i should be. And i have a 250-300 word essay due by monday (wow!)
Last update, and not exactly an update as i don't nirmally talk music on here, but i have two recent epiphanies: 1- Frances England. She's amazing! Kidsy, folksy, nice to listen to music for the whole family! We kust got two of her albums and i (& the gorls) do not want to stop listening to her!!!!
2- chubby checker radio on pandora... Greatest mix of music EVER!!!! The girls and i danced all night!!! Lots of favorite songs from yesteryear!!! I've already warned my co-teacher that we're going to be rwisting and limbo'ing the day away next achool day!!!
Monday, January 28, 2013
Geekfest
So, I'm a geek. I've been a geek since the minute i came out of the womb. I have always loved to read, learn, excel, etc. you name a class, and 99 out of 100 times i aced it. (except for dr. h's Shakespearean theory, in which i got a D, by principle, because he wanted junior english and literature majors to regurgitate his primeval thoughts instead of thinking for ourselves. not that i hold any of that in still... sixteen years later...)
anyway, all of this leads in to my newest adventure in learning- Coursera. it's an online school where you can take college courses on nearly ANYTHING! from real live professors all over the world! i start my first class tonight (which i believe entails watching a video of a lecture and answering a few questions. there is also a discussion board!) my first class is called "The social context of mental health and illness." most of you know i am extremely interested in any context of mental health, so this is very exciting for me! this class is 6 weeks long, approximately 5-7 hours per week! i know i already have my hands full with life, but this is one thing i am so excited to make time for!
i also have two more classes to come! the next one is called "Nutrition, Health, and Lifestyle: Issues and Insights" and the one after (which, will actually overlap) is "Writing II: Rhetorical Composing."
I honestly don't think i've been so excited for a class in a long, long time! Maybe since i enrolled in that sewing class 12 years ago, only to have to bail week 2 because my stupid job scheduled dinners every other day... but this time i can really do this! i am so excited!!!!!
Off to put kids to bed, then watch my very first lecture!
anyway, all of this leads in to my newest adventure in learning- Coursera. it's an online school where you can take college courses on nearly ANYTHING! from real live professors all over the world! i start my first class tonight (which i believe entails watching a video of a lecture and answering a few questions. there is also a discussion board!) my first class is called "The social context of mental health and illness." most of you know i am extremely interested in any context of mental health, so this is very exciting for me! this class is 6 weeks long, approximately 5-7 hours per week! i know i already have my hands full with life, but this is one thing i am so excited to make time for!
i also have two more classes to come! the next one is called "Nutrition, Health, and Lifestyle: Issues and Insights" and the one after (which, will actually overlap) is "Writing II: Rhetorical Composing."
I honestly don't think i've been so excited for a class in a long, long time! Maybe since i enrolled in that sewing class 12 years ago, only to have to bail week 2 because my stupid job scheduled dinners every other day... but this time i can really do this! i am so excited!!!!!
Off to put kids to bed, then watch my very first lecture!
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Quick Update!
I say "quick" because my eldest is sitting in my bed (yes, i said "MY") in my room (again with the "MY" as in not hers...), wide awake. and when i say wide awake, i mean she just chatted my freaking ear off for twenty minutes about god-knows-what because all i kept screaming in my head was GO TO SLEEP!
so, i am out here "closing up the house", which means typing my blog and then daring to read my book out on the couch, since i have a pitch black room now. i have a feeling i'll get through about five pages before i see a sweet-looking dirty-blonde head pop around the corner wondering what's taking me so long.
on a separate note, i have whole-heartedly enjoyed this winter's restaurant week. i was fortunate to have gotten to eat out three times this week with three separate groups of friends, to three completely different places! and while i truly enjoyed every bite of food i ate, and every sip of wine or in-house-brewed beer that i partook, i am happily done with my gluttony. I am actually very much looking forward to going back to my running and calorie charting regimen again tomorrow. but, while i was gluttonous this past week, i have eaten some really great food. my favorites were the baked beer cheese at the Brewery and the braised short ribs tonight at the italian restaurant. and, well, everything at the spanish tapas place.
maybe my next career should be food critic, or food blogger. except then i'd have to run about 20 miles a day to be able to keep eating the way i 'd have to. i actually think that would be a perfect world ;)
so, i am out here "closing up the house", which means typing my blog and then daring to read my book out on the couch, since i have a pitch black room now. i have a feeling i'll get through about five pages before i see a sweet-looking dirty-blonde head pop around the corner wondering what's taking me so long.
on a separate note, i have whole-heartedly enjoyed this winter's restaurant week. i was fortunate to have gotten to eat out three times this week with three separate groups of friends, to three completely different places! and while i truly enjoyed every bite of food i ate, and every sip of wine or in-house-brewed beer that i partook, i am happily done with my gluttony. I am actually very much looking forward to going back to my running and calorie charting regimen again tomorrow. but, while i was gluttonous this past week, i have eaten some really great food. my favorites were the baked beer cheese at the Brewery and the braised short ribs tonight at the italian restaurant. and, well, everything at the spanish tapas place.
maybe my next career should be food critic, or food blogger. except then i'd have to run about 20 miles a day to be able to keep eating the way i 'd have to. i actually think that would be a perfect world ;)
Friday, January 25, 2013
The Big Move!
We finally did it! After so much talking, planning, waiting, wanting, preparation, hesitation, procrastination, and finally just pure dumb on the spur-of-the-moment, we moved the girls into one room tonight! We have been talking about this for a really long time. i have researched bunk beds, and mattresses, etc. but something was always holding us back. the baby slept too well in her crib. M didn't want to change anything. We just didn't have the money at the time to dump into an entire bedroom set of furniture, mattresses, bedding, etc. (and of course, i have loads of plans for bead-boards, hidden reading nooks, etc.)
Several people had recommended just jumping right in. getting it done. even moving M's bed in to B's room while the crib was still in it (a thought that i had never wanted to entertain...)
and, for those of you who don't know my house, or know my inner workings in my head- the girls rooming together = a playroom = no toys in my living room= all the crap laying around in our semi-storage upstairs can become my craft room! so, yes, ulterior motives may be in the mix... that and the fact that M needs a warm body near her. she just does. it's just that simple.
so, it finally hit me today- with the "wintry mix storm" causing schools to close early, and dinner plans to be cancelled, i just said to P, i have a crazy idea, why don't we just move the girls together tonight. and, he said ok. things don't usually work that way. but they did and we started moving, and cleaning, and sorting, and sweeping (you don't even want to know how many dust bunnies were bred under M's bed in the last 3 years!) and we're no where close to done, but we're somewhere!
the funny part of bedtime, which went phenomenally well, was that both P and i agreed that we were only worried about one of the two girls. and then, as if on cue on a movie set, we both name a different child! he was worried about B and i was worried about M. but both of our girls surprised us and did a great job! B actually fell asleep in my arms while M still read through her spanish/english dictionary (thank you aunt J! it's one of her favorite things to read!!!) and both have been pretty well silent since we left them alone (although M did come out to check on the new night light i added to the hallway for her- so she could come to our room if she needs us, instead of screaming bloody murder!) we'll see how night 1 goes! i'm equal parts excited and nervous as hell! fingers crossed!!!!!
Several people had recommended just jumping right in. getting it done. even moving M's bed in to B's room while the crib was still in it (a thought that i had never wanted to entertain...)
and, for those of you who don't know my house, or know my inner workings in my head- the girls rooming together = a playroom = no toys in my living room= all the crap laying around in our semi-storage upstairs can become my craft room! so, yes, ulterior motives may be in the mix... that and the fact that M needs a warm body near her. she just does. it's just that simple.
so, it finally hit me today- with the "wintry mix storm" causing schools to close early, and dinner plans to be cancelled, i just said to P, i have a crazy idea, why don't we just move the girls together tonight. and, he said ok. things don't usually work that way. but they did and we started moving, and cleaning, and sorting, and sweeping (you don't even want to know how many dust bunnies were bred under M's bed in the last 3 years!) and we're no where close to done, but we're somewhere!
the funny part of bedtime, which went phenomenally well, was that both P and i agreed that we were only worried about one of the two girls. and then, as if on cue on a movie set, we both name a different child! he was worried about B and i was worried about M. but both of our girls surprised us and did a great job! B actually fell asleep in my arms while M still read through her spanish/english dictionary (thank you aunt J! it's one of her favorite things to read!!!) and both have been pretty well silent since we left them alone (although M did come out to check on the new night light i added to the hallway for her- so she could come to our room if she needs us, instead of screaming bloody murder!) we'll see how night 1 goes! i'm equal parts excited and nervous as hell! fingers crossed!!!!!
Thursday, January 24, 2013
38.22
So far, since i declared my goal of running 500 miles in 2013, i have run 38.22 miles. that's not too shabby. i ran a solid five miler today and i haven't felt better! the cold air in my lungs kept me moving! as much as i'm missing the real winter season, because i really want to see snow, i am enjoying being able to run outside in these temps!
And speaking of winter, they're calling for a wintry mix tomorrow- we'll see if there are any flakes in that mix... fingers crossed! and my kids are doing a "snow dance", so hopefully they'll summon something up!
And speaking of winter, they're calling for a wintry mix tomorrow- we'll see if there are any flakes in that mix... fingers crossed! and my kids are doing a "snow dance", so hopefully they'll summon something up!
My Friends!
tonight- i had one of those nights that you think about having... everything was good. everything was fun. one of those nights you think about having, but it rarely ever exists! i just laughed, and talked and enjoyed my girlfriends' company like i haven't in years., sometimes we need this. this laughter, then followed by deep talk, then followed by a laugh, or proclamation that no one would ever expect! i missed my girlfriends! a LOT!!!!! i am so thankful that i got to spend a precious few hours with them! i wish we could do it every week! Thank you, D, L, B! Love you girls!!!!
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Someday!!!
I've decided that in about twenty-some years, when my kids are well on their way, i will go to Johnston & whales culinary institute... Because i love food. Love it! Ok, i'm done because this could make mr want to cook st 10:30 at night... Another night- i'll describe good food!!
Monday, January 21, 2013
Sick and tired...
I'm sick and tired of feeling sick and tired. I had to work today- thankfully without kids (it was parent/teacher conferences.). The whole time i sat in our awkwardly small seats talking to awkwardly seated parents, my head throbbed and throbbed. I needed to lay down, which i thankfully got to do when i finally got home from work at nearly 3... But the kids missed me (no school today), and i had missed them, so my rest was scattered with conversations and fetching things for them (sometimes patenting is no different than waitressing at a diner- or wait, waitresses get tips.)
I am feeling so lazy and blah from this cold (it's definity downsized since yesterday, thank God.)
I want to run tomorrow. I want to feel like playing with my kids. I want to want to be at school. I want to be able to lift my head up without feeling like it weighs 5 million pounds (which it doesn't weigh that much, m pointed out to me. That'd be impissible...)
Thank God for my girls for keeping my spirits up, and for P making dinner and cleaning it up so i could lay around.
I'm off to bed. Hopefully i'll wake up rejuvenated tomorrow! I hope!!!!
I am feeling so lazy and blah from this cold (it's definity downsized since yesterday, thank God.)
I want to run tomorrow. I want to feel like playing with my kids. I want to want to be at school. I want to be able to lift my head up without feeling like it weighs 5 million pounds (which it doesn't weigh that much, m pointed out to me. That'd be impissible...)
Thank God for my girls for keeping my spirits up, and for P making dinner and cleaning it up so i could lay around.
I'm off to bed. Hopefully i'll wake up rejuvenated tomorrow! I hope!!!!
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Not too shabby for a sick day...
I'm pretty sure i woke up with a sinus infection- or some sort of icky head/nose/eye/ear achiness.
The girls have been amazing and helpful in my sickness, but we still had stuff to do. So, while i needed to sit down, i had them paint. And stamp. And paint some more.
Then we had to make the rest of our gingerbread men, so that gave me a slight repreive while they rolled, cut and decorated (of course clean up was not fun...)
Then i had to make muffins for school tomorrow, so i attempted to put them in front of a movie, but our internet was out (why?! No idea). So no netflix. But the muffins got done.
Then i had to make them dinner, which they devoured "dippy eggs" and toast, and then wanted more. So i made homemade chicken noodle soup (for myself to feel better), and they ate that up!
And now, i'm done and heading to bed... Good night!
The girls have been amazing and helpful in my sickness, but we still had stuff to do. So, while i needed to sit down, i had them paint. And stamp. And paint some more.
Then we had to make the rest of our gingerbread men, so that gave me a slight repreive while they rolled, cut and decorated (of course clean up was not fun...)
Then i had to make muffins for school tomorrow, so i attempted to put them in front of a movie, but our internet was out (why?! No idea). So no netflix. But the muffins got done.
Then i had to make them dinner, which they devoured "dippy eggs" and toast, and then wanted more. So i made homemade chicken noodle soup (for myself to feel better), and they ate that up!
And now, i'm done and heading to bed... Good night!
Saturday, January 19, 2013
A long day's night...
I began cleaning my house at 11:30 this mirning. I am still not done. P even took the girls to the park for a few hours to give me some much needed time to work without them undoing everything i did...
We have way too much stuff and way too few places to put it all. I may consider just trashing everything and starting from scratch...
Anyway, P and are have a "date-night-in" planned for- well, an hour and a half ago. He is finally coaxing M to sleep, and i'm about to mix up a drink. Well, better late than never. Off to cook dinner with my husband. And actually, hopefully, eat before midnight!
We have way too much stuff and way too few places to put it all. I may consider just trashing everything and starting from scratch...
Anyway, P and are have a "date-night-in" planned for- well, an hour and a half ago. He is finally coaxing M to sleep, and i'm about to mix up a drink. Well, better late than never. Off to cook dinner with my husband. And actually, hopefully, eat before midnight!
Friday, January 18, 2013
A day of days...
We woke up to no snow, despite M waking up an hour earlier than normal just to run to the window to see green.
The baby had her first gymnastics class and basically ruled the YMCA gym like she does every thing else in her life. She acted as if she owned the joint, and by the end was even helping orher kids (older than she, no less) do the obstacle course!
After, B and I ran to to target for cereal and milk. I spent clise to $100 on a cartful of godknowswhat!
We spent the afternoon makng valentine's (not the real ones, just pretend), and then i went for a 3 mile run. On my way back, I tripped within about .1 mile of my house... My knee is killing me- swollen with scrapes that match my kids' knees in the summer...
We took the girls to Uncle K's birthday dinner (they were the only kids there...) and they did exactly as we asked. They played games and kept to themselves, and drank gingerale (heaven in a cup...)
We treated them to hot cocoa when we got home and they still managed to crash by 10:30!
P and i are about to watch this week's American Horror and begin to unwind from the week.
Happy friday, happy weekend, happy nght to all!
The baby had her first gymnastics class and basically ruled the YMCA gym like she does every thing else in her life. She acted as if she owned the joint, and by the end was even helping orher kids (older than she, no less) do the obstacle course!
After, B and I ran to to target for cereal and milk. I spent clise to $100 on a cartful of godknowswhat!
We spent the afternoon makng valentine's (not the real ones, just pretend), and then i went for a 3 mile run. On my way back, I tripped within about .1 mile of my house... My knee is killing me- swollen with scrapes that match my kids' knees in the summer...
We took the girls to Uncle K's birthday dinner (they were the only kids there...) and they did exactly as we asked. They played games and kept to themselves, and drank gingerale (heaven in a cup...)
We treated them to hot cocoa when we got home and they still managed to crash by 10:30!
P and i are about to watch this week's American Horror and begin to unwind from the week.
Happy friday, happy weekend, happy nght to all!
Thursday, January 17, 2013
sometimes you win, and sometimes you lose...
For the last week, I have been prepping my girls about the start of gymnastics classes this week (which really, they started last week, but i worked every day last week, and M was sick, so we just put it off to begin this week. Class is at the Y, so starting a week late isn't really the end of the world. Especially since I'm signing our next 20 weeks away for these classes... missing that one week won't kill us.)
M was planned to take the Thursday afternoon class for 3-5 year olds, and B is planned to take the Friday morning class for 1-3 year olds. No problem. Well, for any of you who know me, you know two fundamental things about me.
1- why on earth would i ever do anything ahead of time, when i can just do it on-the-way, or at the time of, or even possibly a few minutes late?!?
and
2- I hate our local family YMCA. Or, I have a major love/hate relationship with it, if you will. i hate it, but my kids love it. or, i love its programs and pools, but i hate driving there... and parking. anyway, strong word, but i pretty much hate it.
So, leaving the house at 3:50 (although i had in my head thought it was still only 3:35), we drive the the torrential downpours, through the 750 stop lights (all of which are red for me), through the school busses and what-nots to pull in to find not ONE parking spot. Not even ONE. so, we park at the far end of the earth and RUN as fast as we can through pelting freezing rain. We make it in to the reception area with actually 7 minutes to spare before the 4:15 class starts (a small miracle considering the hell it took to get us there.) M is beaming her beautiful smile and i present my member card and ask to sign up for the class that is starting in... now six minutes. Click, click, click... the very nice man typed rapidly into the computer.
"Hmmm," he hums. I tap my foot unbeknownst to him. He couldn't find the correct class. We now have four minutes remaining. M stares up at me with her big hopeful full-moon eyes.
"Oh, here we go," he smiles. I smile. I pat M's smiling head.
"Only thing is, there's a wait list." I stop smiling. M stops smiling. In fact, M goes from smiling to a small kitten mewl in half a second. I hadn't planned on this. I hadn't even thought about this. I had to come up with a plan B, since my sweetest was standing in he full gymnastics outfit now full on crying, intermittingly getting out the words, "Do... I ... get... to... go?"
Long story less long, I got her in to the Weds afternoon class, and B had plenty of space in her "funnastics class" (as she calls it) tomorrow.
Sometimes we win, sometimes we lose. Today we got a little of each. All it took was a trip to the snack bar and a purchase of a chocolate milk and oreos to get M's spirits back up (oh, and the promise of buying a new leotard tomorrow... procrastination isn't cheap!) But she's on the roster for next week, and that is really all that matters!
on a complete side note, i had a really nice post that i had intended for last night, and i have no idea why i never sat down to write it. i'll save it now, for a future post. it was a fun memory about gingerbread and the outerbanks. my immediate family will probably know the rest of that story anyway. enjoy!
M was planned to take the Thursday afternoon class for 3-5 year olds, and B is planned to take the Friday morning class for 1-3 year olds. No problem. Well, for any of you who know me, you know two fundamental things about me.
1- why on earth would i ever do anything ahead of time, when i can just do it on-the-way, or at the time of, or even possibly a few minutes late?!?
and
2- I hate our local family YMCA. Or, I have a major love/hate relationship with it, if you will. i hate it, but my kids love it. or, i love its programs and pools, but i hate driving there... and parking. anyway, strong word, but i pretty much hate it.
So, leaving the house at 3:50 (although i had in my head thought it was still only 3:35), we drive the the torrential downpours, through the 750 stop lights (all of which are red for me), through the school busses and what-nots to pull in to find not ONE parking spot. Not even ONE. so, we park at the far end of the earth and RUN as fast as we can through pelting freezing rain. We make it in to the reception area with actually 7 minutes to spare before the 4:15 class starts (a small miracle considering the hell it took to get us there.) M is beaming her beautiful smile and i present my member card and ask to sign up for the class that is starting in... now six minutes. Click, click, click... the very nice man typed rapidly into the computer.
"Hmmm," he hums. I tap my foot unbeknownst to him. He couldn't find the correct class. We now have four minutes remaining. M stares up at me with her big hopeful full-moon eyes.
"Oh, here we go," he smiles. I smile. I pat M's smiling head.
"Only thing is, there's a wait list." I stop smiling. M stops smiling. In fact, M goes from smiling to a small kitten mewl in half a second. I hadn't planned on this. I hadn't even thought about this. I had to come up with a plan B, since my sweetest was standing in he full gymnastics outfit now full on crying, intermittingly getting out the words, "Do... I ... get... to... go?"
Long story less long, I got her in to the Weds afternoon class, and B had plenty of space in her "funnastics class" (as she calls it) tomorrow.
Sometimes we win, sometimes we lose. Today we got a little of each. All it took was a trip to the snack bar and a purchase of a chocolate milk and oreos to get M's spirits back up (oh, and the promise of buying a new leotard tomorrow... procrastination isn't cheap!) But she's on the roster for next week, and that is really all that matters!
on a complete side note, i had a really nice post that i had intended for last night, and i have no idea why i never sat down to write it. i'll save it now, for a future post. it was a fun memory about gingerbread and the outerbanks. my immediate family will probably know the rest of that story anyway. enjoy!
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
thank heaven for little girls!
i talk about my girls a lot. great things, little things, funny things, aggravating things... the talking seems to run the gamut of topics. but tonight, i just seemed to take the girls in. i didn't talk about them, i didn't interrupt their bickering, making up, tickle fight (then real fight), food-stealing, attention-stealing evening. i just watched.
M is five and so amazingly smart and beautiful. She is so literal that you have to lay way too many "small details" out for her to even do the simplest of tasks sometimes. Her smartness seems to crave a bit of common sense, but her heart makes way for where her brain may not lead. She is sweet and humble and loves her sister (and her family) to pieces. Tonight, she wrapped herself up in a pink ribbon and hid for me to find her. When i finally did find her (squished under one of my living room chairs- which could not have been comfy), she sang me an "I love you, I heart you" song. those were the entire lyrics and it made my heart melt. She is truly an angel sent down from heaven.
B is two and is truly going on twelve. She is smart, and I use the word smart for lack of a better word. She is the opposite of her sister in that she may not have the book smarts (every color is still 'pink'), but she is smart in the way that she knows how to read people, then work people, then get exactly the results she wants at any times. and i don't just mean that she gets what she wants as in candy (or the latest want in life... "ginger ale") she gets what she wants in that if i'm upset about something, even not having to do with her, she will comfort me to make me smile. When M gets hurt, B is the first to get to her to soothe her pain. If i am frustrated with both girls, she will become the silliest of sillies to make all of us laugh and i will realize that my frustrations aren't nearly as important as the sound of those synchronized giggles. She is so funny, so sweet, and so smart. She blows me away when i realize that she is not even two and a half! her force in this world is more powerful than many i have seen in much older, more powerful people.
I am truly blessed to have been given these shining gifts of life. They brighten even the darkest of days. I love these girls more than words could ever describe. Just even writing that has made me smile... :)
M is five and so amazingly smart and beautiful. She is so literal that you have to lay way too many "small details" out for her to even do the simplest of tasks sometimes. Her smartness seems to crave a bit of common sense, but her heart makes way for where her brain may not lead. She is sweet and humble and loves her sister (and her family) to pieces. Tonight, she wrapped herself up in a pink ribbon and hid for me to find her. When i finally did find her (squished under one of my living room chairs- which could not have been comfy), she sang me an "I love you, I heart you" song. those were the entire lyrics and it made my heart melt. She is truly an angel sent down from heaven.
B is two and is truly going on twelve. She is smart, and I use the word smart for lack of a better word. She is the opposite of her sister in that she may not have the book smarts (every color is still 'pink'), but she is smart in the way that she knows how to read people, then work people, then get exactly the results she wants at any times. and i don't just mean that she gets what she wants as in candy (or the latest want in life... "ginger ale") she gets what she wants in that if i'm upset about something, even not having to do with her, she will comfort me to make me smile. When M gets hurt, B is the first to get to her to soothe her pain. If i am frustrated with both girls, she will become the silliest of sillies to make all of us laugh and i will realize that my frustrations aren't nearly as important as the sound of those synchronized giggles. She is so funny, so sweet, and so smart. She blows me away when i realize that she is not even two and a half! her force in this world is more powerful than many i have seen in much older, more powerful people.
I am truly blessed to have been given these shining gifts of life. They brighten even the darkest of days. I love these girls more than words could ever describe. Just even writing that has made me smile... :)
Monday, January 14, 2013
Serve 'em up!
So, tonight, we came home much later than we normally do from our monday afternoon playgroup. The dinner I had planned (linguine with an avacodo-cream sauce) was going to be just too much...
So, P threw chicken nuggets in for the girls and some frozen (sodium-laden) meal for himself, and I- in my newfound-heath-consciousness, decided to create something. I threw 2 cups of water on to boil, added chicken bouillons, a cup of black beans (from the can), and a cup of frozen veggies in. I cooked it for a while, but then decided I'd need a little more substance (because i, in fact, ran over 4 1/2 miles this afternoon!) So, I threw in 3/4 cup of spiral pasta and boiled for 8 more minutes (per the pasta instructions)... that was it. it was ready in less than 15 minutes total, and it was sooooo good! and easy! and healthy! and filling! and one of my children loved it (i'll let you all guess who... the other, just like her father, screamed ewww and ate her chicken nuggets happily!)
i love when things just happen to come together- especially with food! i guarantee i will be making this dish again- and on purpose next time!
So, P threw chicken nuggets in for the girls and some frozen (sodium-laden) meal for himself, and I- in my newfound-heath-consciousness, decided to create something. I threw 2 cups of water on to boil, added chicken bouillons, a cup of black beans (from the can), and a cup of frozen veggies in. I cooked it for a while, but then decided I'd need a little more substance (because i, in fact, ran over 4 1/2 miles this afternoon!) So, I threw in 3/4 cup of spiral pasta and boiled for 8 more minutes (per the pasta instructions)... that was it. it was ready in less than 15 minutes total, and it was sooooo good! and easy! and healthy! and filling! and one of my children loved it (i'll let you all guess who... the other, just like her father, screamed ewww and ate her chicken nuggets happily!)
i love when things just happen to come together- especially with food! i guarantee i will be making this dish again- and on purpose next time!
A Day Late and a Dollar Short...
"Has always been the story of my life..." (Quoted from mike ness)
So, not sure that daily blogging is for me. I've been trying, but i feel like i just don't lead that exciting a life anymore. Yes, swinging at the park on a 73 degree day is truly something to write about, but really. Who needs to hear every nitty gritty detail when i'm stretching to write just somethig down.
But i know as a writer, i'm supposed to be disciplined and writing daily. So, we'll see what happens...
So, not sure that daily blogging is for me. I've been trying, but i feel like i just don't lead that exciting a life anymore. Yes, swinging at the park on a 73 degree day is truly something to write about, but really. Who needs to hear every nitty gritty detail when i'm stretching to write just somethig down.
But i know as a writer, i'm supposed to be disciplined and writing daily. So, we'll see what happens...
Saturday, January 12, 2013
A high of 73!
Normally, i'm the first person to complain when the weather gets unseasonably warm in winter. I'm a snow-girl! I want to bundle up and eat steaming soup in january, not get myself all sunscreened. However, today i was different. Today, i embraced the spring-like day and threw all of the have-to-do's out the window! I went for a 3 mile run (& it waa hot), came home, showered and packed a bunch of sandwiches up for a picnic lunch at the park. My kids were ecstatic!
We drove with the windows down and the radio up!
It was a day we all needed after the cold and rainy january we've been experiencing. Now that we've had it, and thoroughly enjoyed it, i'm ready for the cold front to move in. One big snow that will shut the city down for a few days! I'll be waiting, mother nature! Any day now!
We drove with the windows down and the radio up!
It was a day we all needed after the cold and rainy january we've been experiencing. Now that we've had it, and thoroughly enjoyed it, i'm ready for the cold front to move in. One big snow that will shut the city down for a few days! I'll be waiting, mother nature! Any day now!
and so it goes again...
today, i subbed in B's classroom, although she wasn't there. it was great until i got thrown up on. and then had to clean it up. and that took a long time.
and sometimes i wonder if the time, sweat, love and tears i put in to work really pay off somewhere in the long run. yes, i am happy working where i work. yes, i am thankful having a job. but really, the last two days have put me in a whirlwind that i am thankful for saturday for...
and sometimes i wonder if the time, sweat, love and tears i put in to work really pay off somewhere in the long run. yes, i am happy working where i work. yes, i am thankful having a job. but really, the last two days have put me in a whirlwind that i am thankful for saturday for...
Thursday, January 10, 2013
end to a long day.
i have vented to many today. and i hate to whine or complain, but my goodness, i had a really bad day.
in a nutshell, every single kid in my class was bad, to the point of i actually was hit by one of my students today- first time ever. i feel exhausted, angry, frustrated, and confused, because mostly my kids in class are great! it was just a really off day. and then, one of my favorite kids is leaving tomorrow, so i spent all night (actually, the last two nights) working on a good-bye book for him. it made me sad and nostalgic in a weird way. i thought of all my students last year, and how it won't be long before i have a whole new slew of kids come in...
and then, i did something today that i never thought i would do... i actually ASKED to be back with the two-year-olds next year. i never thought i'd ever want to be back with them (no offense to 2-yos, but having 10-12 of them at once is quite insane!) but out of either craziness, or just sheer love for these kids, i chose, yet again, to be in this room again!?! wow! so, i guess next year around this time, you may hear another rant of insanity from my class... but really, the insane one is me... and i'm okay with that.
in a nutshell, every single kid in my class was bad, to the point of i actually was hit by one of my students today- first time ever. i feel exhausted, angry, frustrated, and confused, because mostly my kids in class are great! it was just a really off day. and then, one of my favorite kids is leaving tomorrow, so i spent all night (actually, the last two nights) working on a good-bye book for him. it made me sad and nostalgic in a weird way. i thought of all my students last year, and how it won't be long before i have a whole new slew of kids come in...
and then, i did something today that i never thought i would do... i actually ASKED to be back with the two-year-olds next year. i never thought i'd ever want to be back with them (no offense to 2-yos, but having 10-12 of them at once is quite insane!) but out of either craziness, or just sheer love for these kids, i chose, yet again, to be in this room again!?! wow! so, i guess next year around this time, you may hear another rant of insanity from my class... but really, the insane one is me... and i'm okay with that.
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
running on a mission
Thanks to several of my "friends" from facebook (honestly, they are friends of mine but i haven't seen or physically talked to them in years), i have decided to really get back on the running track *pun somewhat intended* i started running exactly two years ago. I never thought i would enjoy running or ever consider myself a 'runner.' But i have to say, there is really nothing in the world like a good, hard run. i love it! i enjoy pushing my muscles, pushing my mind to push my body, every ounce of sweat that drips from my pores feels really damned earned! i love it!
so, as i've been watching and reading the developments of my "friends'" running schedules, goals, successes, etc., i decided to make myself my own little goal. it's not that little, actually. i decided to go on a mission to run 500 miles in 2013. this seems like a big number, but the girl whose progress inspired me is running over 1,000 miles this year...
i did some math and it really equals about 1.37 miles per day. obviously i don't run every day, but when i do run, i usually run an average of 2-3 miles, sometimes pushing myself to 4-5. my goal is to get to a normal run of 4-5 miles each time... this would mean that i should be able to run at least every other day, to every two days depending on my mileage. anyway, that's the goal!
so far, in 2013, i have run 5.32 miles. not too shabby, but i really did only come up with this plan yesterday, and i ran 3 1/2 miles today. so... there it is. 500 in 2013! anyone in with me? should be fun ;)
so, as i've been watching and reading the developments of my "friends'" running schedules, goals, successes, etc., i decided to make myself my own little goal. it's not that little, actually. i decided to go on a mission to run 500 miles in 2013. this seems like a big number, but the girl whose progress inspired me is running over 1,000 miles this year...
i did some math and it really equals about 1.37 miles per day. obviously i don't run every day, but when i do run, i usually run an average of 2-3 miles, sometimes pushing myself to 4-5. my goal is to get to a normal run of 4-5 miles each time... this would mean that i should be able to run at least every other day, to every two days depending on my mileage. anyway, that's the goal!
so far, in 2013, i have run 5.32 miles. not too shabby, but i really did only come up with this plan yesterday, and i ran 3 1/2 miles today. so... there it is. 500 in 2013! anyone in with me? should be fun ;)
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Technological Break-down
So, i'm not technologically stupid, but i'm clearly not a whiz-kid either. but there is something going on with my computer that i cannot seem to figure out what it is. all of my storage is being used up. like seriously, every last byte (or bit, or whatever.) i know i have a lot of music and photos, but i dump them into my hard-drive and within a month, i'm at capacity again. it really doesn't make any sense. i went through a zillion old files today (reminiscing mostly about my baby class last year as i cleaned out the bazillion photos i had of those sweet kids) and it opened up about 1 byte of space. not KB, not MB, not GB... just B. and that B stand for blah...
i think i need to make an appt with the mac doctor, so they can teach me some geekery and i can know what is going on with my friend. because at this rate, i won't even be able to write my musings here, because there will be not one ounce left of memory to work with... yikes!
i think i need to make an appt with the mac doctor, so they can teach me some geekery and i can know what is going on with my friend. because at this rate, i won't even be able to write my musings here, because there will be not one ounce left of memory to work with... yikes!
Monday, January 7, 2013
she's crafty...
on a quick aside (although i haven't even started), i think i am recycling post titles. but i guess since i've been doing this for a while, so it's bound to happen...
on the real topic, i just found my new favorite medium EVER! salt dough. it's like a super quick sugar cookie dough (with no flavor but salt) that you can shape and bake and then decorate! you can work with it as soon as you make it (no waiting in the fridge for two hours) and you don't have to eat the finished product! horray for my waistline!!! it's AMAZING!
okay, back up- i know i am a complete and utter craft geek. i get my kicks on anything dough-y, sew-y, paint-y, glue-y, etc-y! i love any and all mediums, projects, outcomes- you name a craft, and i'm in! this is probably why god created me to be a mom AND a preschool teacher! i have carte blanche to just create! ahhhhh- the power!
anyway, i just put in the oven 22 little gingerbread men made out of this salt dough. they'll take about 2 hours to set, and then tomorrow at school we'll decorate them with paint, glue, glitter- whatever. then we are pretending to "bake" them, and while we wait, they will all run away... then we have to follow crumbs (which i also made tonight and am baking) throughout the school back to our classroom and back to their cubbies, where each kid's gingerbread man will be waiting! i am so excited for this! probably more than some of the kids! but that's ok. it happens. like i said, i'm a geek, and i've come to terms with that!
anyway, i am also excited for the infinite possibilities of what my kids and i can make with salt dough! i already have a pretty lengthy list in my head (family members, be on the look-out at Valentine's day! heck, friends can even look out- that's how FREAKING COOL this stuff is!) okay, i'm done standing on my salt dough soap box. but seriously, it's amazing!
on the real topic, i just found my new favorite medium EVER! salt dough. it's like a super quick sugar cookie dough (with no flavor but salt) that you can shape and bake and then decorate! you can work with it as soon as you make it (no waiting in the fridge for two hours) and you don't have to eat the finished product! horray for my waistline!!! it's AMAZING!
okay, back up- i know i am a complete and utter craft geek. i get my kicks on anything dough-y, sew-y, paint-y, glue-y, etc-y! i love any and all mediums, projects, outcomes- you name a craft, and i'm in! this is probably why god created me to be a mom AND a preschool teacher! i have carte blanche to just create! ahhhhh- the power!
anyway, i just put in the oven 22 little gingerbread men made out of this salt dough. they'll take about 2 hours to set, and then tomorrow at school we'll decorate them with paint, glue, glitter- whatever. then we are pretending to "bake" them, and while we wait, they will all run away... then we have to follow crumbs (which i also made tonight and am baking) throughout the school back to our classroom and back to their cubbies, where each kid's gingerbread man will be waiting! i am so excited for this! probably more than some of the kids! but that's ok. it happens. like i said, i'm a geek, and i've come to terms with that!
anyway, i am also excited for the infinite possibilities of what my kids and i can make with salt dough! i already have a pretty lengthy list in my head (family members, be on the look-out at Valentine's day! heck, friends can even look out- that's how FREAKING COOL this stuff is!) okay, i'm done standing on my salt dough soap box. but seriously, it's amazing!
Sunday, January 6, 2013
The Epiphany!
Today is the holy feast of the Epiphany. The day when the three wise men finally got to the baby Jesus and presented their gifts. Last night, i told the girls to lay their shoes out for the three wise men to leave small treats in. We used to do this in school when i was a kid and i always loved it! My smart kids brought out their big boots so the kings could leave LOTS of treats!
They awoke this morning to find silly putty, M&M's, hershey kisses and twizzlers! It was like christmas morning in the hallway (which made me realize that santa could probably bring a whole lot less and they'd be just as excited)!
We then said, "good-bye christmas" (with way too many tears from M) and we packed everything up! It feels so great to have my house back! I adore christmas and i think my house looks way nicer fully decorated, but i definitely am done by the time the epiphany rolls around. So thank you, wise men, and good-bye christmas! Now to look forward to pulling out the pink and hearts for valentine's day- yet another of my favorite holidays!!!
They awoke this morning to find silly putty, M&M's, hershey kisses and twizzlers! It was like christmas morning in the hallway (which made me realize that santa could probably bring a whole lot less and they'd be just as excited)!
We then said, "good-bye christmas" (with way too many tears from M) and we packed everything up! It feels so great to have my house back! I adore christmas and i think my house looks way nicer fully decorated, but i definitely am done by the time the epiphany rolls around. So thank you, wise men, and good-bye christmas! Now to look forward to pulling out the pink and hearts for valentine's day- yet another of my favorite holidays!!!
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Baby B
In my life, i'm sure i will tell thousands of stories about my children. Maybe millions. A lot of them will be happy, hopefully very few of them will be sad. But i'm sure that in two and a half short years i've already told quite a few about my baby B. She is a strong-willed soul with a true mind of her own. She is too smart and too stubborn for anyone's good, and that is what most of my stories revolve around. But i rarely tell the stories about how sweet and down-right funny that girl is. Tonight, as she hugged my neck with her not-as-chubby-as-they-used-to-be arms, i felt my heart swell up with joy and pride (amazingly, this was just minutes after i wanted to scream at the top of my lung because of her...)
Earlier today, my girlfriend was talking about her son, who is almost seven months younger than B, but is as big and smart as a whip. She was telling us how her son knows his colors and can count to 5. I don't keep milestones, or much track about many things, but i know that B does not know her colors- at all. She can say the names of all the colors, but when you ask her what color something is, it doesn't matter whether it's black, white or green, she'll answer, "pink." Every time. Like tonight as i painted her fingernails pink, she screamed that she wanted "PINK!" when i told her that they were pink, she stormed over to the box of nail polishes, picked out a silvery-blue, stormed back to hand me the bottle, and screamed, "No- THIS Pink!" okay, i give in. i figure that by the time she goes to kindergarten (or hopefully by high school... or college?!?!), she'll know the difference!
Another funny/smarty-pants moment of note from our budding commedianne has been the last couple days, when her favorite word has been (and i don't love that i have to type this our for posterity- or that he grandfather will have to read this about her...), "poop!" she says it and laughs a very knowingly "mommy hates when i do this, so i'll keep doing it to drive her crazy" laugh. Last night, she was singing quietly, so i asked her to tell me what she was singing. she smiled an angelic smile and sang with her angelic voice, "A-B-C-D-E-F... POOP!" then laughed hysterically and ran away. my take-away thought in my head was, "wow, she knows the alphabet!"
i love my daughters more than there are grains of sand on the beach or salt in the sea. more than the vastness of air or or the heat of fire... and nothing will EVER take away from that. but that little one sure can get me when she wants to :)
Earlier today, my girlfriend was talking about her son, who is almost seven months younger than B, but is as big and smart as a whip. She was telling us how her son knows his colors and can count to 5. I don't keep milestones, or much track about many things, but i know that B does not know her colors- at all. She can say the names of all the colors, but when you ask her what color something is, it doesn't matter whether it's black, white or green, she'll answer, "pink." Every time. Like tonight as i painted her fingernails pink, she screamed that she wanted "PINK!" when i told her that they were pink, she stormed over to the box of nail polishes, picked out a silvery-blue, stormed back to hand me the bottle, and screamed, "No- THIS Pink!" okay, i give in. i figure that by the time she goes to kindergarten (or hopefully by high school... or college?!?!), she'll know the difference!
Another funny/smarty-pants moment of note from our budding commedianne has been the last couple days, when her favorite word has been (and i don't love that i have to type this our for posterity- or that he grandfather will have to read this about her...), "poop!" she says it and laughs a very knowingly "mommy hates when i do this, so i'll keep doing it to drive her crazy" laugh. Last night, she was singing quietly, so i asked her to tell me what she was singing. she smiled an angelic smile and sang with her angelic voice, "A-B-C-D-E-F... POOP!" then laughed hysterically and ran away. my take-away thought in my head was, "wow, she knows the alphabet!"
i love my daughters more than there are grains of sand on the beach or salt in the sea. more than the vastness of air or or the heat of fire... and nothing will EVER take away from that. but that little one sure can get me when she wants to :)
Friday, January 4, 2013
Friday!!!!
I love when Fridays come almost unexpectedly! With vacations and new years and working three consecutive days, i was happily almost surprised by friday! Yay! Of course, now that it's friday and i don't have to set my alarm for the morning, i'm bone tired and ready for bed. We rented 21 Jumpstreet, though, so i'm staying up and hoping it's as good as my sister said!
Well, i'm snuggled up with my pillow, my blanket, my husband, and of couse the dog... Lights, video, action!!!!
Well, i'm snuggled up with my pillow, my blanket, my husband, and of couse the dog... Lights, video, action!!!!
Thursday, January 3, 2013
And then there's that...
When you don't write your daily blog for over six months, it's definitely hard to remember to be "daily" about it again. But i'm trying.
The other problem with a daily blog is that some days, there is just nothing to write about.
Like i still have 't startes Dark Places (that gillian flynn book i raced to the library to pick up), because i still haven't finished The Perks of Being a Wall Flower, because i had to catch up on American Horror Story, and i'm just too tired.
And i ate (what seems like) 75 million mini cupcakes today. And i still haven't run. Or unpacked from christmas. Or... Well, you get the idea...
The other problem with a daily blog is that some days, there is just nothing to write about.
Like i still have 't startes Dark Places (that gillian flynn book i raced to the library to pick up), because i still haven't finished The Perks of Being a Wall Flower, because i had to catch up on American Horror Story, and i'm just too tired.
And i ate (what seems like) 75 million mini cupcakes today. And i still haven't run. Or unpacked from christmas. Or... Well, you get the idea...
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Day 2
For only being the second day of 2013, it is turning out to be a good year. Even though I got NO sleep last night due to a child with insomnia (thank you genetics) and a big and obnoxious dog (thanks to no one but his stupid owners). I tossed, turned, nearly got pushed out of bed, had all my covers stolen (more than once), had the 54 lb dog asleep on my legs, while my 5-year-old was elbowing me. If i hadn't been so exhausted and physically incapable of moving, i would have moved into M's room, or even the couch. Shoot, the floor would have been more restful.
Anyway, besides that, today was a good day. I worked, although there was no school, so I actually got work done and didn't have to change diapers or clean anyone's face, hands, etc. I took both of my darlings to target, which i swear is a mistake each and every time we walk in to the store. But i am a push-over and sometimes just not that smart. it took us nearly an hour and a half to get everything (that alone would have taken me maybe 20 minutes.) i then dropped M off at a friend's house, took B to the library to pick up my next Gillian Flynn book (author of Gone Girl- my latest favorite book!) and a few fun things for the girls (B picked out a Vampire Ballerina book... again, these damn genetics!)
Tonight was fun with reading our library books, a long bubble bath for my kids, and a baking marathon (which i am coming in to the home stretch of) for me. Every time I cook, bake, create anything, I am known to say the same phrase (ask my sister...), "I know I shouldn't say this because I made it, but these are the best xxx EVER!" And i do say that... almost every time. So, tonight should be no exception- i have to say, i used fresh strawberries to make strawberry cupcakes and strawberry buttercream icing, and they are divine! and it was all a happy accident because i never bake with fruit, but i am so glad i did! these will be my valentine's treats, for SURE!
okay, with all of that said and done, although it is only 10:30, this little baker is done for the day. my last batch just beeped their completion and i am off to read a chapter or two and then )God-willing) sleep!!!! good night, all!
Anyway, besides that, today was a good day. I worked, although there was no school, so I actually got work done and didn't have to change diapers or clean anyone's face, hands, etc. I took both of my darlings to target, which i swear is a mistake each and every time we walk in to the store. But i am a push-over and sometimes just not that smart. it took us nearly an hour and a half to get everything (that alone would have taken me maybe 20 minutes.) i then dropped M off at a friend's house, took B to the library to pick up my next Gillian Flynn book (author of Gone Girl- my latest favorite book!) and a few fun things for the girls (B picked out a Vampire Ballerina book... again, these damn genetics!)
Tonight was fun with reading our library books, a long bubble bath for my kids, and a baking marathon (which i am coming in to the home stretch of) for me. Every time I cook, bake, create anything, I am known to say the same phrase (ask my sister...), "I know I shouldn't say this because I made it, but these are the best xxx EVER!" And i do say that... almost every time. So, tonight should be no exception- i have to say, i used fresh strawberries to make strawberry cupcakes and strawberry buttercream icing, and they are divine! and it was all a happy accident because i never bake with fruit, but i am so glad i did! these will be my valentine's treats, for SURE!
okay, with all of that said and done, although it is only 10:30, this little baker is done for the day. my last batch just beeped their completion and i am off to read a chapter or two and then )God-willing) sleep!!!! good night, all!
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
New Year; new goals
Today begins a whole new year filled with infinite possibilities! I love New Year's Day (almost as much as i love new year's eve!). It is a day of reflection, as well as projection! It's a refreshing blast of optimism and hope! And this year, i intend to make some of my goals become reality.
My goals this year are similar to years passed. I want to write more often- even revisit the great american novel i began writing seven years ago... I want to explore sewing, and after accomplishing making pillows for christmas gifts, i am no longer intimidated by that machine!
I had done really we with my running last year, but since my last 5K in november, i think i've only laced up maybe twice. I need (for my mental and physical health) to run much more often!
I'd like to utilize the Y that i pay for every month, too. Even if it's just to sign the girls up for gymnastics or dance classes!
On the home-front, we've got big big big projects! In the coming months, we're putting the girls together in one bedroom and turning the other into a playroom!!! Then we're using all of the freed up space from the toys moving into their own space to set up a crafting area in the other side of P's office!!! I'm not sure which part of the moving i'm most excited about, but it's pretty much at the forefront of most of my thoughts!!!!
We also need to do some general house maintenance like enhancing our backyard with the new swingset we just moved piece-by-piece over), and painting some furniture, walls, and doors! I hope that we can pull this all together so i'm not obsessing over big old farm houses in PA!
I wish you all a happy 2013- may all your goals be achieved and all your dreams come true!
My goals this year are similar to years passed. I want to write more often- even revisit the great american novel i began writing seven years ago... I want to explore sewing, and after accomplishing making pillows for christmas gifts, i am no longer intimidated by that machine!
I had done really we with my running last year, but since my last 5K in november, i think i've only laced up maybe twice. I need (for my mental and physical health) to run much more often!
I'd like to utilize the Y that i pay for every month, too. Even if it's just to sign the girls up for gymnastics or dance classes!
On the home-front, we've got big big big projects! In the coming months, we're putting the girls together in one bedroom and turning the other into a playroom!!! Then we're using all of the freed up space from the toys moving into their own space to set up a crafting area in the other side of P's office!!! I'm not sure which part of the moving i'm most excited about, but it's pretty much at the forefront of most of my thoughts!!!!
We also need to do some general house maintenance like enhancing our backyard with the new swingset we just moved piece-by-piece over), and painting some furniture, walls, and doors! I hope that we can pull this all together so i'm not obsessing over big old farm houses in PA!
I wish you all a happy 2013- may all your goals be achieved and all your dreams come true!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)