I couldn't have chosen better. I love that you are teaching the girls to be well-rounded. I love the things you are able to introduce to them. I love that we are on the same page with our kids, yet you always bring a new perspective when I am burnt out. I love knowing yet not knowing what the future holds for us as a family.
All three of your girls adore you.
A while back a friend's then-fiance asked me what advice I would have for a couple about to get married. And the advice I gave him keeps coming back to haunt me as the best advice out there for newly married couples. Here it is...
The two of you probably want the same things out of life. That is an important foundation in a marriage. BUT. Your priorities in everyday life may be vastly different. If you can learn to compromise and/or understand and accept that, things may be easier for the two of you.
I still struggle with this one.
First of all, congratulations to Jason & Nikki on the arrival of baby Elena. We are so happy it went well and can't wait to hear more about this new miracle.
Next, Leah has been watching Word World lately. It is on PBS and it is AWESOME. It teaches letters and spelling through a unique format. You have probably seen the toys that go with it at Target. Now that we watch the show, I will be looking at the products more closely to see if we could use any of them at home. Anyway, I highly recommend this show.
The other show we love that is finally on TV is Signing Time! We have learned SO many new signs from borrowing the DVDs from the library. Now we will just DVR them and make our own DVDs. You can check out their website for listings in your area.
Mike and I were talking the other night about expectations. Some examples we brought up were:
Marriage - If you are a romantic, you may idealize marriage as this thing where people are so in love all the time. I guess you think it will always be like the beginning. Even if, or maybe especially if, you have lived together before marriage, you may think it will be more when you are married.
Having kids - Mike was the first one to say this exceeded his expectations BY FAR. He had always thought that having kids would be SO much work and you would lose the ability to do anything you want to do. While that is all true, he did not realize the reward you would get in exchange. He claims it was all worth it, ten times over. :)
Teaching (for me) - Right now, being a bit bored at home, I am currently romanticizing teaching. I am always thinking about how much I miss it and how much I liked my students. Of course I am never thinking about the days (many) where I came home saying I was so done with those flippin' kids and when was the next holiday?
So my question to you all is this: What has met or surpassed your expectations? Has anything been more difficult than expected?
I was listening to the Cooper Lawrence show on the radio tonight on the way home from the playground. (Mike met me there, then he took the girls home while I ran to Arby's to get him some dinner.) The discussion was that men love to see women naked. Any woman, any time. Strangers, people they know, whatever. But women do not usually want to see men naked. I mean they don't object to seeing their significant other, most even enjoy that. But to just see men naked, as in Playgirl or something like that, most women are just not interested. Cooper Lawrence was trying to get to the bottom of it by taking calls.
So I wanna know, do you agree? If you do, why do you think that is? One caller gave an explanation that made sense to me, but I wanna hear you ideas before I spill it.
This was my favorite dance of the night.
How 'bout you?
Leah attended her first swim lesson yesterday. I was a bit worried that she would still be scared of the water, but the water park has pretty much cured her of that (except in the tub, what's up with that?). So it went very well. The instructor had them float on their backs and bellies while she held them. Then she taught them "monkey arms" where they reach for their bananas. They have to keep their fingers closed so they don't lose their bananas. How cute is that? While they wait their turn on the side, they have to kick their feet and splash. At the end, the instructor has them do something to get their faces wet, either Ring-Around-the-Rosy or jump in. I have been very happy with it and may actually sign Leah up for the next level, which starts after this one ends. It's nice that the lessons are at the gym too because I can put Erin in the gym daycare and just concentrate on Leah.
Next week, ballet camp. :)
Here's the question I referenced yesterday. Describe your relationship with your parents during your teen years. Was it more harmonious or more harmful? What do you think your parents did that was successful during that time? What absolutely did not work? Try to look at it from your current perspective, not from your teenage perspective.
I have already described my parental relationship in a previous post. It was pretty far from harmonious. There were good times too though. It wasn't as bad as it could have been. I was loved, no doubt about that.
Successful - forcing family time on me. They may have overdone it a bit, but I have enough fond memories of family time that I think it will be something I expect from my teenagers also.
Did not work - being outrageously strict, being wishy-washy on rules, forcing babysitting on me without asking or compensation, making me do MANY chores but not my sisters, not allowing me to have my say
Got this from Erica… looks fun. :)
COUNTRY WESTERN SINGER NAME: (mother & father’s middle names)
Lucy John
NASCAR NAME: (first name of your mother’s dad, father’s dad)
Benny Whitney
STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first name)
Galan
DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal)
Blue Hippo
SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born)
Cathleen Metairie
FLY NAME: (first 2 letters of 1st name, last 2 letters of your last name)
Anrs
GANGSTA NAME: ( fav ice cream flavor, fav cookie)
Rocky Road Peanut Butter
ROCK STAR NAME: (current pets name, current street name)
Lily Lexington
STRIPPER NAME: (name of your fav perfume/cologne, fav candy)
Truth Snickers
PORN NAME: (1st pet, 1st Car)
Penny Tercel
AMERICAN GLADIATOR NAME (model name of your current car)
Odyssey
So I finished this book last night at 1am.
It began as most of these coming of age stories do. Two girls, at their most awkward and troubled, befriend each other. They share men and dreams. Somewhere in the course of their lives, the dreams change. One goes on to become an anchor on the early show. The other one becomes a stay-at-home mom to a pre-teen daughter and twin 5ish year old boys (I say 5ish because the story spans time).
Anyway, I won't spoil the ending but I cried for the last 50 pages. I was trying to keep quiet because I didn't want to wake Mike up, but man, I was full out sobbing at some points. Nose dripping, vision blurring crying. I have not done that in a long time over a book. It felt good. :)
In the book the mother and pre-teen daughter have knock-down, drag out fights. I started thinking about Leah and Erin and what our relationships will be like at that time. I got a little nervous, I won't lie. So I have a Q & A for tomorrow that will be about your teenage years. Get ready.
PS Check out my Goodreads sidebar if you want a link to the book.
on Q & A's for a while. Comments are starting to slow down and I am running out of thoughts. I will compile a few and start them up again in a bit. If you have any suggestions for interesting questions, feel free to let me know...
Another of my favorite things is reading. Any of you who know me in real life know that I have an uncanny ability to speed-read. Not quite like you may see on those old TV commercials where the guy is trying to show you how to read faster. I just naturally read quickly. If I am uninterrupted, I can finish a regular length novel in an afternoon. So here are my questions:
What is your favorite genre to read? Do you have a favorite book? A least favorite? Is there a book that made you think more than usual?
My favorite genre used to be romance, but I don't read as many of those as I used to. Nowadays I really like either fantasy/science fiction OR books about women/families and their lives.
Favorite book... that is a hard one. At the risk of being a nerd, I REALLY liked the Harry Potter series. I think my favorite of those was the Half-Blood Prince. I liked reading Dumbledore's part in it all. I also LOVE the Anne of Green Gables series. I know, I know, kids' books are where it's at.
Least favorite... have to agree with Rhiannon that Grapes of Wrath is my least favorite of all time. It is rare that I can't get through a book and that was one of the majors.
I just finished the Golden Compass series. I have to say that the trilogy made me think a lot. Also the book, His Needs, Her Needs made me think pretty hard too. That one is a book about relationships. I recommend these books to all who like to think once in a while.
Well, at least one of them. I LOVE going to the Taste of... festivals. I used to love going to Taste of Bay Street in Tampa and now we have Taste of Charlotte this weekend. Actually the girls & I are driving up there this afternoon and meeting Mike. We can tour around and have some linner (you know, lunch and dinner together) before the crowds arrive after work and on the weekend. It is supposed to be HOT! Oh well, we can handle a FEW days of record heat, but hopefully not too many. I will post about all the yummy food I eat (I think I am obsessed with food, that is why it is so hard for me to lose weight) when we get back later tonight.
Speaking of weight, I am now only 8 lbs away from my pre-pregnancy weight! I was the same weight pre-pregnancy with both kids. So that would make me really happy to get back there again. So close!
Today's topic is routines and schedules. Do you have a daily routine? What does it consist of? What ONE thing could you NEVER skip in your routine?
My routine is very loose. We get up around 6:30-7. Breakfast at about 7:30. Leah gets to watch a show with breakfast. (We have been watching Word World, Britt.) We play a bit inside. Erin naps at about 8:30-9. I try to do my daily chores during Erin's first nap. Leah usually helps me. When Erin wakes up is when I do any errands I have to do for that day.
This is where the problem has been. I haven't had any errands so this time is fairly empty. We play inside some more, but we really need to be out doing something.
Lunch is at 12-12:30. Leah can watch a show during/after lunch while I put Erin down for her second nap between 1:30-2 (hopefully). If it is any earlier she has a hard time staying up until dinner. Then after Leah's show, she has rest time in her room for 45 minutes. During this time I try to scrapbook unless I have some other pressing thing I HAVE to do. Many times Leah will be summoned outside by a neighbor right after rest time. We tend to play outside from like 3-4:30pm, unless it is super hot.
Once we come inside, we all play together on the floor for a while, then Erin plays in her exersaucer or jumper and Leah watches her last show while I make dinner. We eat when Mike comes home, generally at 6:15. Then it is straight to bath and bed for Erin. I try to get Erin to bed between 7-7:30. Leah sometimes goes up with her and sometimes gets to swing on the swingset with Daddy for a little while before bed. Leah is usually in bed by 8pm.
Then Mike and I get 2 blessed hours to OURSELVES! We watch TV or do yard work or just swing on our porch swing.I would love to be in bed at 10ish, but it is usually more like 10:30-11.
There is my routine. I would not skip eating as a family. Even though Mike gets home a little later than I would like as far as the girls eating dinner, we just make do because I think it is important for us all to eat together everyday. On wakeboarding day though, we eat out just us girls. I like that time too.
Mike posed this question yesterday. How do you feel about the whole nature vs. nurture debate? Do you feel a child's environment influences him more or his genetics?
I agree with many of you, that nature plays a smaller part than nurture. Looking at Leah, she goes right up to kids on the playground that she has never seen before and HUGS them. No one taught her that. That is just her personality. On the other hand, she is throwing less temper tantrums and uses her words much more. That is learned from us. As time passes, we will see many more of her behaviors that she has learned.
I think inherent qualities like shyness are predetermined, but how you deal with your shyness depends on how you are taught to deal with it. Over time you can alter your personality by learning ways to cope. I bet most of you wouldn't believe that Mike was more of an introvert as a kid and preteen. He changed his behavior when he moved to FL and was able to alter his true personality. Now hanging out in groups and being active are part of who he is. Strange, but true!
This weekend we sat down and looked at Mike's vacation days to plan out our trips for the rest of the year. So it got me to thinking, what did you do on your favorite vacation you have ever been on?
I'm having a hard time deciding for mine. It was probably going to my uncle's lake house for a week when Leah was 3 months old. We got to spend a few of the days on a pontoon boat. There were lots of people to help with Leah. It was really fun.
I also really liked the trip last fall to Orlando. We went to theme parks and saw lots of friends and family. It was our first vacation as our little family of four and it was fun trying to figure out the logistics of having two to care for.
The second part of my question is this: what would you do for your ultimate vacation? No parameters, any length, any place, doing whatever.
I would like to go to an all-inclusive resort like Beaches or something that is family-friendly when my kids get a little older. I would invite other families too, so that the kids could play together. But then a few of the nights, I would send the kids to the babysitters they have and go out as adults. To be fed, watered, and have childcare, that would be the ultimate.
Motivated by all that talk in my exercise post, I went to the gym on Friday and took a class called, ironically, "Boot Camp." We cycled for 15 minutes, jogged on the track for 15 minutes, did step for 15 minutes, THEN did tricep dips, situps, and pushups. I am a bit sore. :)
Saturday morning, Mike and I put the girls in Laurie's jogging stroller and ran in our gym's 10th anniversary 3K race. He ran ahead with the stroller because he has significantly longer legs than me and I don't think he could jog my speed if he tried. I finished in 24 minutes. That actually put me on track for about a 40 minute 5K which would be my fastest time ever. So for a road race with a few inclines, that is quite an improvement on my treadmill time. I was so proud of myself.
The gym had food and rides for the kids in their parking lot to celebrate their anniversary. We played a bit, then went to the water park. Erin LOVED IT!
She splashed with Daddy and sat for a long time in the shallow end just having a grand ole time. I was so proud of Leah!!! She was actually going down the slide by herself by the end.
While we were there, Leah saw a little friend of hers from school. Mike and I started talking to the parents while the girls played. They have 4 girls, ages 7, 5, 3, and 11 months. Their kids were adorable! I could see them joining in on our barbeques and stuff. Now I totally understand why all my parents' friends were always the parents of my friends. When you are this age, many of the people you meet are through your kids. You bond over preschool, sports, dance, whatever your kids participate in.
Last night we went with Bryan, Tiffany, and Brandon to see the new Indiana Jones. It was our first time with a babysitter who was not one of our parents!! Our next door neighbor's daughter, Deja (not sure if I'm spelling that right), came over to sit while the kids were sleeping. She has been GREAT with the kids out in the cul-de-sac so I trusted her. Plus I did not anticipate anything happening, so I wasn't worried about it. Well, at 11:30 she calls me to say that Erin woke up crying and she changed her diaper. But she wouldn't settle down. UGH! When we got home, Deja was rocking Erin in her glider and my baby was WIDE awake at midnight. I hope Deja wasn't too scarred and will consider sitting for us again, because she handled the situation well, I think. Although if I were going to have someone put the kids to bed too, I would ask someone older and with more experience. Deja is only in middle school. So we survived another milestone, our first babysitter.
To lighten the mood, I decided to go with something more fun today. What do you like best about summertime? I like taking my kids in the water. Well, this year anyway. Leah was afraid of water in her face last year, so the water park was no fun.
Really my favorite thing to do in the summer is go boating. I LOVE being in a boat. I love the speed, I love the wind, I love stopping somewhere and swimming around. We have a boat in our not too distant future because it is something that Mike and I both love and want to do with our kids. So in the next few years, come visit us and we will take you out in our boat!
Here is one that really does require deep thought. I probably won't have as many responses because of it, but that's okay too.
What one event/decision (if you HAD to choose) do you think most influenced where you are in your life today? How has it affected you? Here is my story:
I was born in Louisiana. My parents divorced when I was 2. My mom remarried when I was 4. I saw my dad every other weekend for many years. Once I hit 4th grade, I moved around a lot with my mom, step-dad, and sisters. I did not get to see my dad as often.
Once I hit the pre-teen years, my home life deteriorated fast. It was more than just a teenager's angst. There was not a lot of harmony in my daily life. I spent a lot of time in fear (not physically) of going home.
When I was 15, we were living in Tennessee. I had a great group of friends and all I could ask for as far as drama in my social life. I was as happy as I could be under the circumstances. My step-dad decided it would be best for our family to move to FL.
To say I hated him and was miserable was an understatement. Not only did I lose my friends at 15, I also hated being at home. It was the worst summer of my life. So when my dad asked me to come visit for a month, I jumped at the chance.
It was such a different life with my dad. Of course, I was his little baby and he did not see me often, so I was a bit spoiled. BUT. There was so much harmony in his house. No one lived in fear to come home. I was so at peace there. If I was going to start over, I might as well do it with my dad where I was comfortable instead of in FL where there was non-stop tension. So I called my mom and told her I was moving to Louisiana with my dad.
And she lost it. My mom was devastated. She begged me to come home and talk about it, but I was firm. No need to come home, I was set. So my mom threw in that if I came home to talk, we could go up to TN to visit my friends. Well, that was the deal-breaker. I was so desperate to see my friends, I would have done almost anything to go back there. So I flew home with the understanding that I was going back to my dad's in something like 2 weeks. I didn't.
I remained in FL for the rest of high school and college. I met my husband in college and made some friends there that we were so close to, we moved to NC with them. I believe my life today is the way it is in a large part due to the fact that I decided not to move to Louisiana.
I know I have probably made a lot of decisions in my life that have led me to this point. But I truly believe in my heart that my entire being would be different had I moved to LA.
So there you have it. Anyone out there have anything to share?
here's one for ya. How many kids did you/do you want to have (if any)? And why? And if you've had one or more already, has the total number you want to have changed? Why?
I have always wanted 4 kids. There were 3 of us growing up and I think odd numbers are tough. Someone is always left out either because of gender or the other two are closer (usually in age). It took Mike a bit to warm up to that idea, but by the time we were talking about actually having them, I noticed he was saying 4 also. Just after we had Leah, Mike said he wasn't sure he wanted anymore. Newborns are tough, as most of you know. :) By the time Leah was 18 months and grown out for the baby stage, Mike was ready for another.
Neither of us are saying 4 for sure anymore. We have decided to reevaluate after each child and see how we feel. It probably does make a difference that we have 2 girls and no boys. We would be more likely to stop now if we had one of each (not definitely, but more likely). We feel like we need to try for at least one boy. Also, just like Leah, as Erin gets older it becomes easier to say that we might want another one. I just don't know if we are going all the way to 4 still. i like the IDEA of it, just not sure about the details.
Funny story, I took my girls and Ian and Chase to Chick-fil-a by myself for dinner last night (I was babysitting). I decided that it's not having 4 kids that is tough, it is more than one baby. I do not want multiples. As long as I stair-step the kids' ages, I should be okay. :)
I really love this Q & A series. I have gotten so many ideas on how to make my life more enjoyable along with some practical advice. I have not decided about the boot camp yet, but I will take Chelsi's advice on the one night a week yoga. I looked at my schedule and my night will be Mondays. Mike wakeboards every Thursday, weather permitting, and I do dinner and bed for the girls by myself. He can take a night to do it by himself too.
You guys are the best! I am enjoying this. Look for a new Q & A tomorrow!
How do those of you with kids find the time to work out? I am struggling with the idea of hauling 2 kids everywhere. It is such a huge amount of work to get two kids ready for the gym daycare (everyone need a snack and drink). I really like doing yoga and would do videos at home (which is not as fun as a class with other participants, but still), but I can't get enough quiet time in my day. I make Leah have rest time in her room everyday for 45 minutes. I can't squeeze another minute out of that. Trust me I have tried. But once I leave her, I usually have one or two things to do before I can do yoga. Quieting my mind at that point is hard and then I don't have the time to do a whole series.
I am considering registering for the Charlotte Adventure Boot Camp for the 5:30am session 3 days a week. I have never been a morning person, but Mike will still be here and I won't have to even think about the kids. i just want to see results!
Lately when I have been doing something lately, whether it is with the kids or by myself, I find myself thinking about the other women I know and how they would be doing the same thing.
For example, I have been able to scrapbook off and on lately. So I wonder how you ladies, if and when you get free time, like to spend it.
Another example is that we are deciding about dental insurance for Leah. And I wonder what you guys with kids think about dental insurance for kids and when you will/have taken your kids to the dentist.
So this is my first post in a series I will call Q & A. You can answer the above questions in your own blog (link me to it) or in my comments.
Whenever I think of something like that, I will post it under Q & A. All bloggers welcome. I would love to pick your brains. Isn't diversity fascinating?
Okay, so I just read this article on riding bikes with your baby. I am kinda concerned. They don't even make helmets that size for a reason. Erin's head circumference is 16.5 inches and they really don't come smaller than 18 in. I don't know if we should continue to ride with her. Keri, does Corgan wear a helmet? Where did you get it? We do have a bike trailer that has NEVER tipped while riding with us. Maybe we should just keep her in there until she is big enough to wear a helmet.
Our weekend was exhausting but lots of fun. It began Saturday morning. Leah and I went to Kenna & Andy's dance recital. The theme was Under the Big Top and all the acts were circus-related. The girls did a GREAT job. I got so giddy thinking about Leah possibly being in a recital next year. The kids were SO adorable! In the lobby they had carnival-like games. Leah & Ian loved the popcorn and lollipops.
Saturday night I made black bean, corn, and avocado salsa and pepper jack and spinach quesadillas that were all freaking delicious! Arielle (who took Leah's bday pics) and her boyfriend John were staying the night so Bryan and Laurie brought the kids to sleep over so we could play games. Ian & Leah proceeded to play in Leah's room until at least 9pm. So much for the sleeping part. We drank chocolate martinis (thanks, L) and played a very rowdy game of Loaded Questions. Fun was had by all.
Leah woke up Sunday morning to Ian in her trundle bed. She was super excited to see him there. They got up and Mike made them waffles, which they ate in the playroom dressed as princesses. We played outside a LOT in the AM and went to the water park for the first time this season that afternoon. The water was pretty freezing, I did not get in more than sitting in the very shallow end to let Erin splash. 
She sat on my lap and put her feet in because I did not want her rash in the water. I don't know how chlorine would affect it but I didn't want to take any chances. Leah had a ball! 
She went down the slide with Daddy and jumped in MANY times. Once she went completely under for a few seconds and she cried. But within minutes she was right back to jumping. She has come SO far! I am so proud of her.
Today we headed to McAlpine Creek Park for a picnic and bike-riding. On the way there we stopped at Wal-Mart to buy child carriers for the back of our bikes. They took FOREVER to assemble but the girls were really good. We got them loaded up and took off on the trails. 
It was lots of fun and we will be bike-riding much more often now that we have these carriers. (Mike's pic was taken later at home. I could not sit with Erin and take pictures.)
We headed for home and the girls fell asleep. Just as we were passing the Dollar Ice Cream Cone place they both woke up. SO we stopped and ate some ice cream. Then Mike said, "Well, now that everyone is awake, let's go the the skate park." So we did.
Waxhaw has a tiny skate park next to a playground. Leah ran around for a while, then put on her skates to ride with Daddy. Check this out!
I could not believe that she was brave enough to drop in on the half-pipe. She had a blast skating with Daddy. Maybe we do have a future X Games participant on our hands. Mike is already talking about upgrading her to real roller blades when her feet are big enough and taking her to skate camp in Pennsylvania. Seriously!
So that is our weekend recap. Now back to our regularly scheduled programming.
PS I just uploaded the pics Arielle took at Leah's party and more pics from this weekend to our website. Many thanks to Arielle for a wonderful job!
I overheard Leah in the playroom just now saying something that sounded inappropriate. I poked my head in and asked, "What did you say?"
Leah said, "I said Zam it."
Well, Zam it!
For those who have RSS feeds, I updated Leah's birthday post with some pictures.
Inspired by Keri, I need to post about Erin.
Leah's birthday was an exhausting but fun-filled day. We woke up and came downstairs to the pile of presents on the fireplace. 
Leah got her big girl bike! And beginner skates! And a V Smile video game system! (just to name a few) We immediately got dressed and went outside to ride bikes. The ENTIRE family had to be on bikes. It was fun. Eventually the cul-de-sac turned out to ride bikes too.
Leah tried the skates and definitely needs to HOLD on to someone all the time.
Finally it was time to get ready for Leah's party. I don't have very many pictures because Arielle took them for me! Yes, I had a professional photographer at my kid's party. :) She will be back here next Saturday to give me the disc and I will post them then. We had tiki torches tied to the deck, a treasure hunt for green stones (Leah's birthstone) in the new sandbox and all kinds of blow-up toys in the pool (thanks to Ronni). 
The cake, which I did not make, was a volcano and tasted delicious. Everyone snacked on Chick-fil-a chicken nuggets and Polynesian sauce, meatballs and pineapple, fruit kebobs, exotic chips, and pineapple sherbert punch. 
I had to add that picture because it cracks me up. Tiff and Laurie are cheering for themselves. :)
The kids had a blast hunting for treasure. I didn't know it would be so popular. All the kids got a bucket/shovel combo with their name on it to put their stones in and they put their candy from the tiki pinata in it. They got a treat bag with stickers, a squirt seahorse, and candy to put in the bucket at the end. All in all fun day...
Leah is so smart, logical, helpful, and particular. It is a joy watching her learn new things and correct me when I don't adhere to her logic. As much as I complain about Leah, you all know I am so fascinated by her and adore her to no end. Most of the time, she is a lovebug and wants to cuddle. Happy Birthday to my big girl!
PS Leah's 3 yr checkup was great. She weighs 30 lbs 6 oz (50%) and is 36 1/4 in (50%) tall.
If you are at all interested in doing yoga at home, I highly recommend Adrienne Reed's Power Yoga. I have done it twice now at home from my DVR and I love her style. The ones my TV are 25 minutes and when you are done, it feels like you just ran for 25 minutes.
Ahhhh, exercise!
So Erin has a pretty bad diaper rash. Starting today, I am going to give her 3 baking soda baths a day and coat her with Desitin and Lotrimin (for possible yeast) often. Today in the bath, I handed Erin a cup of water. I thought she was going to maybe pour it out. She put it to her mouth and DRANK SOME. The first sip choked her a bit because I think the water was unexpected. The second sip was right on.
Leah would not drink from a cup until she was 2.
I have never given Erin a cup before. How did she know what to do?
I called Mike right away to tell him and he said, "Oh she's been doing that for a couple of weeks. I didn't think it was any big deal."
Well, then...
Not to leave my Er-bear out. :)
That child LOVES to stand now. She will grab my fingers and hold on while I pull her to standing. She likes it when I do that in her crib and she can hold on to the rail. But she WILL NOT BEND HER KNEES. I keep trying to get her to take steps while I am holding her hands, but she will fall over forwards before bending her legs. Even in the Johnny Jump-Up (the thing that hangs from the door frame and kids can bounce in it), she will stay almost stiff-legged and and just kinda spin around on one toe (future ballerina? no, those silly plies will get in the way).
What's up with that?
PS She is waving hi now and laughing a whole lot more, especially at Leah.
Time for a confession...
Leah is driving me absolutely insane. No, it's not because she is being bad or anything. She just WILL NOT LEAVE ME ALONE!!! When she is home, unless she is watching TV (and sometimes even then) she has to be ON me or talking to me ALL THE TIME!!! I am about to lose it with her. And I feel bad about it because most of the time she is so sweet and lovey and she tells me she loves me all the time. But I am dreading the last day of her school (May 22nd). It is only two days a week, but it gives me 6 Leah-free hours a week. And that is WONDERFUL! Erin naps for part of that time, and the rest of it she and I can play and cuddle uninterrupted. I really treasure that time she and I get alone. I am NOT looking forward to this summer having Leah around all the time. With her not napping anymore, it is so hard. I am trying to institute that "rest time in your room" but she is out every few minutes asking if her time is up yet. I need to put that door guard on again at rest times just to get some peace.
Thank goodness school next year is 3 days a week. I can't wait!!!
I was going to make hamburgers for dinner. I had a 2 lb tube of ground beef that I used a little bit of earlier in the week. I thought I had put in back in the fridge to use tonight. When I got out all of the ingredients, I realized that I had in fact put the meat in the freezer. I could have defrosted it in the microwave, but hamburgers do not form well with bits of cooked beef in them. So I was frustrated things were not going according to my plan.
Leah says: You know who has hamburgers that are not frozen? (pause) McDonald's.
And that's where Mike met us for dinner.
Mike & I fell asleep right after we put the kids to bed last night at 7:30 in our clothes.
Maybe we haven't been getting enough sleep...
Leah said:
My poop looks like a bridge. With an alligator on it. A poop alligator.
And you know what? It did.
Today was fabulous! After my 1st Mother's Day post, we went to New South Kitchen for brunch. They were serving Crab Cake Eggs Benedict, Buttermilk Fried Chicken Tenders, and Peach Cobbler! It could not get any better for me. After that, we walked around the Arboretum. Mike and I both bought new shoes and Mike let me stroll around Michael's and buy a few new scrapbook things. Then we headed home and I rearranged my craft area so that I have more space now that I have my Cricut. I scrapbooked until Erin woke up and then we played outside together. It was so windy that one of the swings hit poor Leah in the mouth! :( Then Mike put the kids to bed while I went to pick up sushi. Now we are watching Desperate Housewives while eating brownies (yes, I am multi-tasking).
Thank you, honey for such a relaxing and yummy day. I love you!
Today I would like to thank the three women who are responsible for the kind of mother I am today. Each of them has taught me something invaluable that I carry with me every day.
Mom - You have taught me about unconditional love. I feel it from you ALL the time and I see it when you look at Lauren and Carly. I am able to share that unconditional love with my daughters because you shared it with me always.
Myrn - You have taught me about patience. I hear it when you talk about the kids you work with and I have seen it when you have spoken about Zac and Brittany. I try to emulate that patience with my girls. I feel a serenity in you that I would like to have in my own life. I hope that I can learn more about how you achieve that as time goes on.
Ronni - You have taught me about thoughtfulness. I see it whenever you call to tell me you listened to something I said and found the perfect "thing" to go with it. You are always thinking of your loved ones and trying to help with whatever they need. I would like to always be thoughtful of others and be considerate of their desires.
My three moms, I salute you today. These are only a VERY few of the things I have learned from you. I look forward to many more years of sharing and learning.
I have had a WONDERFUL Mother's Day so far. I got to sleep in until 8am and when I got up Mike had fed the girls, did the dishes, and was vacuuming up all the styrofoam that came from Leah's bed boxes. I rolled around with Erin, played Bingo with Leah (Thank you, Grammy!) while Mike put Erin down, then watched Dog Whisperer while Mike made me a mushroom and tomato omelet. Now we are just chillin' for a little while, then we are heading out for a Mother's Day brunch. I will let you know how the rest of my day goes. :)
I had to steal Tiffany's blog title because it was so appropriate.
We went strawberry picking with the Maddexes and the Larsens yesterday morning and the kids had a blast.
Leah's big bed finally arrived after 2 1/2 months! I put it together this morning and I LOVE IT! Here are some pictures for you:
I am thinking of making Leah's birthday cake myself. The theme for the party is luau and I had a brainstorm today. I could bake the cake in one of those flat bundt pans and make it into a volcano! So now I need decorating ideas. What color would you frost it? How would you use edible items to decorate the top/sides/platform of the cake to make it look volcano-like?
All you creative types, let me hear from you!
If you haven't already read The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, you need to. It is such an interesting mix of science fiction and love story with a bit of philosophy thrown in. I have heard from many people prior to reading that this was a good book and they were right. Two thumbs up!
PS I just read that the movie comes out this Christmas. Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams are the main characters. I am psyched to see it!
I am still trying to catch up with my scrapbooks. It gets better for a while, then I fall behind again. Right now I am finished through Halloween 2007. So I am 6 months behind again. Anyway I wanted to share a few of my very favorite pages I have done in the last few months.
HA HA HA HA! Erica just pointed out to me that I put the wrong year on the Pumpkin Patch page. It should be 2007, duh! I will have to go back and change it. That is SO funny.
I am excited to report that Leah was jumping in the pool today! We went to the gym to their indoor pool. For the first time since she was very little, Leah wore her floaty swimsuit. When we were walking into the pool she did her usual routine of clinging to my leg and claiming she was done swimming. She held on for dear life for the first 20 minutes or so. Then I convinced her that it would be okay to try to float on her back. She used to be okay with doing that when she took swim lessons almost 2 yrs ago, but not since then. She successfully floated on her back with me holding her head and back. I kept trying to slowly take the hand on her back away. She was mostly floating on her own! She really liked it and kept asking to turn over when we practiced kicking.
Mike got her to jump to him when he was right next to the side. I think the floaty swimsuit gave her a little confidence. After quite few jumps, I had her "swim" while I held her tummy. Then I held onto the back of her suit. I was able to almost let her go when we were close to the side. She was jumping to me at the end. I was probably about 4 feet from the side. When I told her it was the last jump I let her go under a bit and I thought she would freak out. i figured we were leaving anyway so if she freaked it would be okay. SHE LOVED IT! She actually jumped that way a few more times before we left. Right after the last jump, she stood at the side of the pool and said "I have to pee pee," right before she went. And on that note we left. :)
PS My contacts are blurry and I am super tired so I apologize for any typos and the incoherency of this post.
This is what Erin has eaten so far today:
one pancake with syrup
stage 2 jar of peaches
one quarter of a grilled cheese sandwich
one-third of a pear, from a can
plus her usual 2 bottles.
This kid is becoming a less and less like a baby every day. I would have given her real peaches instead of baby food this morning if I had had them.
For the first time Erin responded to the word "no." We were all playing puzzles together and she started trying to chew on a piece of it. The first time I just said "No" firmly and pushed her hand away from her face. When I did it the second time, her face crumpled and her lower lip stuck out. Waaaahhhhhh! It was so cute I started cracking up.
In other news, when Mike's mom came to visit, she brought some old issues of Mailbox magazine. I LOVED that magazine when I was teaching. It always had such great ideas. It comes in different age levels and they have a preschool one. So I was looking at the April/May issue and there were bulletin board ideas. I haven't made a bulletin board in YEARS! So I got all excited. I bought a cork board and put it up in the playroom. Today I had the kids over and we made sombreros in celebration of Cinco de Mayo. I cut out "Celebrate Cinco de Mayo" on my Cricut. Tonight I put everything up on the board and it looks so cute! 
PS I just remembered that today I found a hard-boiled egg from Easter in Erin's toy box in the living room. It was DISGUSTING!
No, not computer hacking, hacking up a lung. We got back from Durham on Sunday evening and ever since I have been coughing like crazy! My chest is all congested and it is SO gross. So, ugh, I am sick again. I am thinking about going to the doctor tomorrow to see if I should be concerned about the lung issues. I must have run my body down last week in FL. We did A LOT.
Also I am back at Weight Watchers. I went yesterday and I had gained 3 lbs since I was last there 6 weeks ago. I really want to have a decent swimsuit body this summer and I could not find a suit to camouflage the breastline to mid-thigh area. So I am working on being ready for the pool when it opens on Memorial Day weekend.
Otherwise not much else going on here. Same old life. Will let you know if something interesting happens. I will leave you with a Leahism:
We are driving to my mom's for the first time this week.
Leah: Grammy, do you have chalk in your garage?
Mom: No, sweetie, I don't have a garage.
Leah: Where do you park your car?
Mom: I have a covered area where I can park. (My mom has a condo)
Leah thinks about this a few minutes.
Leah: Do you have a bathroom or do I have to go in the woods?
I guess if you don't have a garage, the chances are slim that there is a bathroom.
I really mean it! We had an awesome trip and saw so many people, but I could not have been happier to arrive at my home this evening. My house was neat thanks to my wonderful husband who bathed the kids and put them to bed. I am so exhausted!
Let's see...
Monday the girls and I went to tea with my mom and sisters. The place was so cute and the kids were really good. Here is a picture of us in the hats:
The girls and I arrived safe and sound in Clearwater this afternoon. I won't recap the weekend again for you. If you are interested in what went down, check out Nikki's and Erica's entries.
Today we went to John Chestnut Park with Rhiannon and Ty. He is so ALL boy. He runs and jumps and climbs now. It is so weird because he looks EXACTLY the same, just more active. :) He followed Leah around a bit which was cute. Rhi and I got to visit (I forgot how much I enjoyed our talks when we would switch kids). It was a fun afternoon. Then we (my mom and I) took the girls to Chuck E Cheese. Leah had a blast. Erin only ate diced carrots and apples, goldfish, and bits of pizza instead of her baby food. I am thinking she is about done with it. Pops showed up for the last few minutes and followed us over to Grammy's house to hang out some more. He is SO good with kids Leah's age. Thanks, Pops, for entertaining my big girl so well.
As with Erica, all is quiet here. We have another few busy days ahead of us, so I better go get some rest while I can.
We are here! On the flight here, Mike rode with the girls and I sat alone. Can you believe it? I convinced Mike that I would be riding by myself with the girls on the way home so he should get the experience on the way there. He did great with them, even getting Ern to nap a bit. Then, thanks to Keri, our ride to Melbourne was pleasant. Once we got to the Konicki house, the girls had a blast. Halle and Annabelle and Leah played and played. They climbed outside in the backyard, played in the ball pit, had a tea party, counted bears, drove Halle's mini-Mustang around the cul-de-sac, used sidewalk chalk, watched Alvin and the Chipmunks, etc.
After the kids were fairly settled, Nikki, Keri, and I went shopping. I only bought the necessities for our trip, but it was fun just hanging out with the girls. We got to stroll aroud Target with out Starbucks and catch up. I love those times...
Because Erin only napped 20 minutes all day, she had a rough night. Leah went to bed at 9ish, so she also had a rough night. It's almost annoying that my kids are so regulated, because when we do something out of the ordinary they have a hard time adjusting. Don't get me wrong, on a daily basis I LOVE it. I love knowing that I have at least 2 hours to myself each day after they go to bed. But they do NOT handle change well.
The plan for today is to go to Erica's house (she has a photo studio inside her house) to take pictures of the girls. I also know that we are having dinner over there too. Christina and her family and Liz & Ella are arriving today too. Leah will have so many kids to play wth, she won't know what to so with herself! And Erin can play NEXT to Corgan and Kaitlyn.
I am so happy to be here!
Keri posted about this and this and it made me realize that I have been meaning to post about these things too!
1) Erin is so much bigger than Leah was at this age. At 8 months, she is solidly in 6-12 month clothing (Old Navy) and 12 month shirts and pants (Target). Her footie PJs are 12 month too (Children's Place) but they are still a bit long. She can still fit in the 9 month Circo ones from Target, but I have lots of 12 month ones from Leah so she alternates. Anyway, Leah was wearing 12 month clothes when we moved here and all through that summer into the fall. I didn't buy her 18 month stuff until it got cool, close to her 18 month birthday. It is so odd to picture Leah walking around in the clothes that Erin is currently wearing to sit on her big ole tush. :)
2) I suspect that Erin has been signing "more" and "milk" to us, though not always in the correct context. She tends to sign "milk" when we are about to eat solids. I am trying to get her to sign "eat" then, but she is not getting that one yet. When she is eating her snacks (puffs, freeze dried fruits, baby goldfish, cheerios), she usually has one in each hand signing "more" by touching the snacks together. I think she is signing, so I cheer and encourage it.
3) Erin is a backwards crawler! She lays on her belly and pushes back with her hands. Her tush scrunches up in the air, then she readjusts her hands and pushes herself flat. She can go pretty far that way. She looks just like an inchworm going backwards.
Updated: 4) I forgot to mention that she turns the pages of her board books when we read together during our "go to sleep" routine. Erin gets two books before nap and two before bedtime. Some current favorites are: Just Like Daddy, Peek-A-Who, and the always classic Brown Bear. If I let go of the next page with my right hand so that it pops up, she will push it over to the other side. From my teaching days, I remember the first level of literacy is knowing how to hold a book and which way the pages go. My baby is on the path to literacy! :)
To all of our Florida friends and family, can't wait to see you all! Two more days!
This weekend we decided to finish up our landscaping around our trees. While we were at Lowe's, Leah and I saw some flowers we liked. So we planted them around each tree. 
How's that for ghetto? :)
I took the girls to a place called SweeTea's Cakes for tea time today. Mike was going wakeboarding today so I wanted to do something just us girls. This place is new to downtown Monroe and it is SO cute. It is family-owned and the lady is really nice. She helped me set Erin up in her high chair and got Leah a cupcake and some juice. I got to have hibiscus mint tea and a cranberry scone with raspberry preserves and clotted cream. YUM! It was a fun little outing for us girls.
I am also planning Leah's birthday party. She has been wanting to have a tea party for her birthday. But I was not having much luck finding tea party things that I liked. So we went to Party City to check out the selection. We left with a new party theme: luau. They had an entire aisle devoted to luaus and with a little convincing that it could be just like the Legendary Luau Brothers, Leah was in.
So last night at 3am. Mike woke up to find Leah at his side of the bed. Here are all the things she did prior to winding up at his bedside:
* woke up and got out of bed
* went into her bathroom, turned on the light, and put the potty seat on the potty
* went potty and wiped
* realized that her panties were a bit damp (I guess she only mostly made it)
* got a new pair of panties out of her drawer and put them on inside out
* tried to put her jammies back on
The only flaw in her plan was those darn jammies. She wore footie pajamas to bed last night, you know the kind that zip from one ankle to chin. Well, she put the zip footie on first, then couldn't get the other leg in (honestly, who could?). She went merrily back to bed after we helped her dress.
I had always said that I would stop using the baby monitor on her room (yes, we still use it) when she could get up in the night and go potty without help. I think this pretty much qualifies. I know that if she needs anything she will come and get us. So my firstborn is taking one more step towards big girldom, unsupervised sleep!
1. What's your middle name? Cathleen
2. What food will you eat every time? Mac-n-cheese, cheeseburger from McD's
3. Describe a usual lunch for you? turkey sandwich, grapes
4. What's your favorite drink? 2% milk
5. What are your very favorite songs? Twinkle, Twinkle; You are my sunshine, the Name Game
6. Who are your favorite fictional characters? Dora, Cinderella, Ariel
7. What is your favorite TV show? still Dora, but you also love Signing Time
8. What is your favorite movie? Cinderella, hands down
9. What/who are your favorite stuffed animals? not really a stuffed animal fan, but LOVES her dolls: Baby Carol and Darby (from My Friends Tigger & Pooh)
10. What are your favorite electronic toys? our laptop, your "CD" player from Nana
11. What are your favorite non-electronic toys? baby doll stroller, dress-up clothes
12. What are your favorite books? Berenstain Bears books and books we take out from the library
13. When's your naptime? no more naps for me unless I had a rough night and am cranky
14. When's your bedtime? 7:30-8pm
15. What's your bedtime routine? Take medicine (Singulair), brush teeth either in your bathroom or Mommy's, go potty, get jammies on, read 2 stories in your reading chair, turn on music and off lamp, Mommy and/or Daddy stays for one song and we talk about the day and tomorrow, hug, kiss, sookie (Eskimo kiss)(sometimes we just blow kisses, hugs and sookies, sometimes we actually give them), night night!
16. Besides the obvious, what's in your bed at night? blankie, Baby Carol
17. When is your happiest time of the day? depends, but usually early afternoon
18. What can make you laugh 100% of the time? rough-housing with Daddy
19. What makes you mad 100% of the time? making you do something you don't want to do
20. What do you do to make others laugh? Talk gibberish
21. What do you do that drives your Mommy crazy? make me put on your shoes more than once because they are "bozzering" you
22. If you talk, what word(s) do you say incorrectly every time (but it's so cute that you can just go on saying it that way for a while)? not too much anymore, we just mastered the "th" where you were using "f" before (thirsty instead of firsty)
23. If you talk, what are your favorite words or phrases? I can do it!, I'm so, so starving.
24. What physical feat have you just accomplished? learning to pedal a bike or tricycle
25. Who are some friends you play with often? Ian, Kenna, Andy, Porter, Megan (neighborhood) Ava, Emma (school)
1. What's your middle name? Audrey
2. What food will you eat every time? puffs, anything NOT baby food
3. Describe a usual lunch for you? a grain cereal and a veggie
4. What's your favorite drink? formula, but you love juice too
5. What are your very favorite songs? you love Leah to sing Twinkle, Twinkle to you
6. Who are your favorite fictional characters? none in particular yet
7. What is your favorite TV show? whatever sis is watching
8. What is your favorite movie? not in your attention span
9. What/who are your favorite stuffed animals? Pluto
10. What are your favorite electronic toys? a Baby Einstien push button thing
11. What are your favorite non-electronic toys? anything you can shake to make noise
12. What are your favorite books? Brown Bear, Just like Daddy, Pajama Time
13. When's your naptime? between 8-9am for about 2 hrs and again between 1-2 for (hopefully) 2 hrs, if one of my naps is missing or short, I may take a 3rd at 4:30
14. When's your bedtime? 7pm, no later or we hit a wall of crank
15. What's your bedtime routine? Take off clothes, put on clean diaper and diaper rash cream, smooch your little neck and armpits while you shriek with laughter, put on jammies, drink a bottle, read 2 stories, nuk (pacifier) goes in mouth, music on, lamp off, short snuggle, then in bed with your blankie next to your face, cover up and say good night!
16. Besides the obvious, what's in your bed at night? just blankie and covers
17. When is your happiest time of the day? right when you wake up, as long as it was a decent sleep
18. What can make you laugh 100% of the time? smooches on your neck, Leah talking gibberish to you
19. What makes you mad 100% of the time? wiping your face, having a bottle in sight but not in your mouth
20. What do you do to make others laugh? pat, pat, pat someone's face
21. What do you do that drives your Mommy crazy? take off your socks at every opportunity (this just started recently)
22. If you talk, what word(s) do you say incorrectly every time (but it's so cute that you can just go on saying it that way for a while)? no talking
23. If you talk, what are your favorite words or phrases? da da da da
24. What physical feat have you just accomplished? pincer grasp to put bits of food into your mouth
25. Who are some friends you play with often? well, you sit next to Chase occasionally and steal his toys, does that count?
We went to a birthday party yesterday (Happy Birthday Grayson & Ella!) at Frank Liske Park in Concord. If you are ever up there and want to go to the park, this one was AWESOME! We had lots of fun. Anyway, I wanted to write about things I heard Leah say.
I asked her if she had to go to the bathroom. She said Why? Is there a bathroom 'round here?
When we left, I stopped for gas. I was complaining about the pump being slow. As we were pulling away, Leah says That was the slowest pump EVER!
Today out of the blue: Mommy Bommy, I really like this home I'm living in.
from our courtship days.
My husband is seriously the most creative gift giver. Obviously he can't be THIS creative for every holiday we encounter or he would get burned out. :) But this anniversary gift was awesome.
You all know that we met because of color guard. Stacy and I were in the same guard, Paradigm and Mike came to watch our dress rehearsal (Jan. 9, 2000) before the competitive season began. He noticed me on the floor performing and posted on our guard's website how hot he thought I was. :) I kept trying to figure out who had posted about me because he didn't leave his real name. I finally discovered it was Stacy's brother, the one with the blue hair. I was totally surprised that someone would notice me out of everyone. We started emailing each other back and forth and that progressed to talking on the phone.
One day I asked him through email what he was doing the next night. I suggested we rent Muppets from Space because we had been talking about it and no one else wanted to see it but us. So we got together the next night (Feb. 2, 2000) and watched the movie. I did not want to go home. :) From that day on we spent all the time we could spare together.
A little over a year later, in May, Mike proposed and a year after that, on April 5, 2003, we got married. You know the rest.
So for my gift Mike got me a FLAG! Not only that he got me THIS flag.
You can't really see the embroidery, but on the left is the date we met, the top is the date of our first date, the right is our wedding date, the bottom is today's date. Down the vertical strip is our initials, MG & AT.
How great is that present?!?!?! I have been saying every once in a while that it would be fun to have a flag to spin. I was just speaking hypothetically, I never thought I would actually have one. Now, not only do I have one, but I have one that commemorates our relationship. What an awesome idea! Thanks, baby!
I used to think that being in love
Meant passion, excitement, and romance.
Now I understand that real love is all those things,
But it's so much more...
Love is...
Watching television together,
Sharing Sunday-morning newspapers,
Talking through our problems,
Reading next to each other in bed,
Cuddling when the nights get cold,
And knowing we will always be together.
Being with you has shown me
All that love can be.
I'm so glad I get to share my life
And my love with you.
(from the card I gave to Mike this morning, I didn't write this)
(title is a Wiggle reference)
This morning Erin ate small bits of banana and buttered toast for breakfast. How's that for growing up? I think she is going to be one of those kids who rejects baby food as soon as she is capable of sustaining herself on table food. She ADORES everything I have given her so far. The second little tooth finally peeked through right next to the first one so we are getting there.
On another note, thanks to my wonderful husband for the anniversary flowers! Our 5th anniversary is on Saturday (we are spending it at a 2 yr old's birthday party), but the flowers arrived today. We had a minor issue with last year's flowers. See when they send the flowers, they are not yet blooming so that they will last longer. When they arrived, Mike was sorely disappointed because they did not look at all like the picture he saw online. So he called the company and complained (big shocker there, right?). They sent another bouquet. By the time that one arrived, the first one had bloomed nicely and I had two enormous bouquets on my kitchen island. Don't get me wrong, they were lovely. But Mike learned a thing or two about flowers. So he had this one delivered early on purpose in order for it to bloom by our anniversary. Does he think ahead or what? :)
