I DO know this

Little future mommies spend the first part of their lives being right and the next bit being told they're wrong! And the cycle continues...

My 2 that keep me straight arguing over who's right!

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

I've struggled as an adult (or, at least since I've had children) to really feel that way at Christmas-time.

Part of the problem is my tendency to procrastinate. 'Cause procrastination leads to stress.

I'm not an early shopper. I wish I would run out in March and get all my Christmas shopping done. Instead I spend countless hours on the computer and driving to various stores desparately searching for the scooter that got all 5 stars in the ToysRUs reviews a week or two before the big day.

I love getting Christmas cards. I don't particularly enjoy writing out all the addresses on the envelopes of our cards. And, I really don't like spending any time at the post office buying stamps. Each year Bryan makes a request for a Christmas letter to be enclosed with our family card. However, y'all know who would be in charge of that. Maybe next year when we won't have just moved. Of course, I'll have 3 kids next year. I knew someone once who always sent out a New Years' letter. I might could get our Christmas letter out by New Years!

I have learned that life won't just slow down. There will always be something screaming for your attention, especially when you're a Mom. Sometimes you just have to hit the pause button.

I did that today. The girls and I got up (even though the last thing I wanted to do was get out of bed with my scratchy throat), acted lazy, finally got around to breakfast, dressed and ran to the grocery store to buy all the ingredients we'd need to bake.

Actually, we didn't run, at all. We took our time. We walked slowly through the aisles. The girls sang and danced to Albertsons' elevator-music versions of Christmas classics. There was hardly another soul in the store and all the employees were eager to help. The store manager even offered to help me out with my cart. It took me by surprise (I'm still getting re-acquainted with this Texas hospitality) and I immediately refused. He offered again. I again politely refused, but was really impressed with his offer.

Though what in the world would I have done while he loaded my car?! Buckled in Libby, making sure the straps were nice and tight and started the car so the heater could get going?! I don't know that I could have functioned at those things without also having to load the car, being extra careful not to smash the eggs and put the cart up and referee an argument at the same time! No, as nice as his offer was, I needed to take care of the groceries myself.

Believe it or not, there was not even an argument to referee. We, instead, had a peaceful drive to McDonalds where we picked up lunch and headed home to eat. As the girls began eating, I unloaded the groceries. Then I looked for a Christmas movie. I really wanted to watch Miracle on 34th Street, but forgot we don't have a vcr downstairs. I grabbed White Christmas because it was the only "Christmas" dvd, but it wasn't in its case.

So, we baked Christmas goodies all afternoon with the only background noise being our laughter. We didn't quite finish, but I'll have tomorrow afternoon and Saturday morning. Then we'll deliver the treats to our neighbors and pack a few boxes to send off to a couple families we won't be seeing this Christmas.

Bryan got home and took us to eat Mexican tonight. Yum! It was a great ending to an even better day.

My throat is still scratchy, but I feel recharged for card addressing and present hunting. I even remembered to buy stamps at Albertsons today!

(Although, I don't, at the moment, feel recharged for uploading pictures from my camera. I'll have to add pictures tomorrow.)

trying to fit it all in

I don't know if you missed me yesterday or not. Apparently I'm having a hard time fitting blogging into our easy-going summer schedule.

About a month ago, a typical day for me would have started about 7 am when Addi woke me from a peaceful slumber. I would have gotten up, fixed her breakfast, unloaded the dishwasher, taken a shower, started a load of laundry, woke Libby up to feed her, gotten ready, gotten the girls ready, fixed a bottle for the baby I was watching, loaded all 3 girls into their car seats and headed to preschool. Addi and Libby would have spent the morning in their respective classes while I taught science, baby in tow.

We would have made it home by 12:30 to eat lunch. Then I would have put all 3 girls down for their naps, one at a time. After singing and reading and praying, I would finally have about 2 hours alone. That is when I would usually blog, email, read my bible, pay bills, dry the clothes, pick up the house, or, occasionally, sit on the couch and enjoy the silence.

About the time the girls started waking up was time for me to begin supper. Usually Bryan would make it home before the baby was picked up. When she left, we would sit down and eat together. Next came baths, kitchen clean-up, bedtimes, housekeeping, and time with Bryan. And for a while, I was throwing running in there also.

My weekends were filled with grocery shopping, errand running, projects, preschool planning, and catch-up.

I was tired. I felt overscheduled and frustrated.

The last day I taught at preschool was also the last day I babysat. Since then we've been to Texas and had Nana and Poppa visit us here.

And for the last week or so, we've done nothing.

Well, almost nothing. I am still awoken by Addi at 7 am to feed her breakfast. However, I've discovered that if I turn Disney Channel on after I pour her cereal, she will gladly spend the next hour on the couch (after she eats, of course! kids eating out of the kitchen/breakfast room is a big no-no at my house. a battle Libby tries to wage daily.) watching whatever Playhouse Disney has to offer. Most of the time , I crawl back under the covers and read a chapter or two from one of these. By then Addi has watched enough tv, so she colors while I eat breakfast and unload the dishwasher, if I am feeling exceptionally energetic. Otherwise I wait until around 10 when Libby wakes. While she's eating breakfast, I almost always empty the dishwasher. Some days I even start a load of laundry. But some days I don't, which is why I need to run 3 loads of laundry today.

We've been spending mid-morning until early-afternoon at the pool. Some days we have friends join us and some days we make friends with whichever of our neighbors happens to also be swimming. After sandwiches and fruit, we head home for naps...I love the pool!

Naptime is when I would normally blog, but this week I've been teaching VBS in the evenings. So, naptime has been when I prepared for the VBS lesson...and read more. Then I fix a quick supper heading out with Addi as soon as Bryan gets home to stay with Libby.

We don't make it home until about 9 pm and I still have to put Addi to bed and, you know, spend time with Bryan. I do enjoy listening to him complain while we watch So You Think You Can Dance, which might possibly be my favorite show.

Don't feel too sorry for him though. I've watched enough Deadliest Catch to last a lifetime. Is there a night that show isn't on?!

So, you see, I'm enjoying my non-scheduled days of summer immensely. I do need to get back to some sort of housekeeping schedule. It's fun to be lazy, but not for too long. Perhaps next week, I'll find a happy medium. Perhaps not...next week is already busier than this week with swimming lessons and playdates! Not to worry though, I have through August to get a summer time schedule working. Of course, then I'll have to switch it up again because preschool will be starting.

I'll end with pictures from the playdate we attended this morning.

And the winner is....

Mr. Swimming Pool Man!

I do believe the swimming pool is the greatest invention ever! And a close second, is the person who first put a pool in a neighborhood for the community to use. All the perks of a pool without actually having to fool with one is fabulous!

I'm sure you've figured out we don't have a pool in our backyard, but we do have one just down the street. When we bought this house, we thought it might come in handy some. And then Addi and I made a visit to that pool almost everyday until I gave birth to Libby mid-August.

It's entertainment when company is here. It is great for inviting friends and having a pool play-date. It can even be nice for an evening swim when Daddy gets home. Basically, we won't be able to live without a neighborhood pool until our kids are at least old enough to entertain themselves. It has turned into a necessity.

We're back to our pool visit almost every morning routine. The girls are thrilled. They can't wait to eat breakfast and throw on a suit. Libby walks around the house in her suit and cover-up with a towel draped over her shoulders until I get the lunches made and we hit the door.

The best part about it? Addi, who has started giving up her naps, is now sleeping everyday after we visit the pool. Sometimes she fights it a bit. Like today, she told me she didn't want to sleep or rest. But she knows my rule is that she has to at least "rest" in her room for an hour. Swimming pool days the rest turns into sleep. And that is good.

I (really) apologize if you have been on pins and needles awaiting this!

Here is one of the videos from Addi's tea yesterday. Under normal circumstances, I am a shaky, at best, videographer. Yesterday, I had Libby trying to climb into my lap and onto the table and off the chair. The first video I took, which is not this one, was fine, but only featured the kids walking onto the stage. At that point, Lib was sitting nicely in a chair next to me. 15 seconds later I started shooting again, which is also not this video, with Libby in my lap. Addi decided she would hide behind Jackson, so I needed to Army crawl (to avoid ruining any other Mommy's videos) with Libby on my back to capture a different angle. That wasn't happening! Instead, I turned the camera off, missed a cute song, yet manuevered to a slightly better position. Libby lasted in a chair for about 23 seconds for this video and at the end the camera is all over the place because she was trying to climb down and I was trying to help her and thus avoid screams that would drown out the adorable children everyone was there to see when she inevitably suceeded in falling out of the chair.

Alright, enough excuses! Enjoy the torture video :)

Oh, and to find Addi, look for the taller boy with a red J on his shirt. She pokes her head out from around him every once in a while.

Redemption

This time last year Addi's preschool class hosted a "Mommy and Me Tea". Letters were sent home, reminders were placed in bags, and notes were written on the notice board. Addi and I were both excited. She couldn't help but slip some of the secrets that were to be revealed at the tea to me.

I remember walking her into preschool the morning of the tea. We walked past the notice board and I read that the tea was to begin at 11:30. I remember thinking that I must have gotten the time wrong because I thought it was supposed to begin at 11:00.

You can see where this is going.

Yep, I walked back into preschool at about 11:25 wondering why there were no other moms walking in at the same time.

My heart broke when I walked into the room and saw Addi at a table sitting next to Grandma Jan. Grandma Jan is an older woman who likes to visit and read to the classes at preschool. I quickly sat down and asked one her teachers what time the tea started, though I already knew the answer.

I don't know how I made it through the rest of the tea without bursting into tears. I felt I had failed my daughter. She could've asked for the world that day and I would've given it to her without flinching.

Today was the day of this year's "Mommy and Me" tea. As I waited at a red light across from the preschool, I started to panic thinking that maybe I'd gotten the time wrong again this year.

It is starting at 11:00, right? I don't see any cars turning into the parking lot. What if it started at 10:30?

As I pulled into a parking space I noticed a few other moms hopping out of their cars.

R-E-L-I-E-F!

The entertainment was adorable. (I'll be posting a video later) We all, especially Libby, enjoyed the food. And, the company was unbeatable.

Of course, the best part was leaving and not feeling like the mom who let my kid down :)

Backfires

In the wee hours of this morning, my alarm went off. I turned over and hit snooze with a groan. I remembered my intentions last night. I remembered the list I wrote that included getting up early to work-out. I remembered how yucky I've been feeling because I've been failing at making time to exercise.

So...I got up. Bryan was already gone. He leaves the house all too early to work-out at his company's new fitness center. That meant some sort of home work-out was in store for me. Have you ever watched fitTV? Mornings like this were made for a work-out with fitTV.

But, who is that crying in her room? No, this is my morning! I didn't get up early to take care of someone else. I got up early to take care of me! Addi makes sure to be up before Bryan leaves and he fixes her cereal...couldn't be Addi. It's Libby. What in the world is she doing awake? I cannot let getting up early backfire on me! Libby is my late-sleeper...if I leave her alone, she's been known to sleep until 9. I decided she would be fine eating while I exercised. I got her up, changed her diaper and took her downstairs with me.

I asked her if she wanted an orange or a banana to eat with her Cheerios. She wouldn't respond. Maybe she wanted raisins or no fruit at all. I poured some cereal into a bowl and set it on the table with her cup of milk. She pushed the bowl away and made a shrieking sound. By now, it was about 1 minute until a new show was starting and I was feeling Oh-So-Selfish. I just want to get some exercise and now I won't be able to because you won't eat what I feed you every morning and if I miss the beginning of the show I won't get the full 30 minutes in and then the exercising is practically pointless and I can't do the next show because I have to get into the shower before Logan gets here and then I'll have to get everyone ready for preschool...
She pointed to the pantry door. Now, the child always eats Cheerios and fruit for me. On Saturday, my wonderful husband gets up with the girls and feeds her oatmeal. I opened the pantry, pull out the oatmeal and got an affirmative nod from my youngest. She wants oatmeal! I cannot do oatmeal. She just had a bath and she'll get it all in her hair if I let her feed herself. Obviously, I can't feed her because I am going to work-out! So, as much as I appreciate him feeding the kids on the weekends, this morning I did not appreciate that his feeding Libby oatmeal for breakfast backfired on me.

But, I had a solution. Addi loves to help me. She would surely think it was neat to feed her sister breakfast. After all, she loves to feed Logan a bottle. Well...except that one time...I was trying to change Libby's diaper and Logan needed to eat at the same time. Addi sat on the couch with Logan and fed her a bottle, but she wouldn't pay attention to what she was doing and kept letting the bottle fall out of poor Logan's mouth. Needless to say, Logan was screaming by the time I was finished with Libby and Addi was a little flustered. She still sweetly offered to keep feeding Logan if I needed to do something else, however, I said something like I would finish because I was the Mommy and it was my job. If only the words watch what you say had run through my mind before making that comment!
This morning when I asked Addi to feed Libby, she very sweetly said, "No, that's not my job. I'm not the mommy."...another backfire!

So, I guess my choices are:
1) Get up at 4 am to work-out
2) Forget exercise...I mean doesn't chasing your kids around all day count for something?!

And, since I'll be up late tonight watching the Aggies, I'm leaning toward the latter. Isn't blogging some sort of exercise?...maybe?


Addi and Libby exercising right along with fitTV. They love the channel!

Another Day at the Beach

Bryan is in Indianapolis this week, so I have been keeping the girls busy in hopes of avoiding crying-for-Daddy-fits by my 3 year old :) Monday we met friends at their neighborhood pool, Tuesday Addison went to her friend's house while Libby and I ran errands, and today we went to the beach with Addi's friend Ally, Ally's brother Carter and their mom Suzanne. It was a great time, even though it was possibly the hottest day I have ever experienced while in NC....104 (actual temp. when we were leaving the beach). I don't have pictures. I just couldn't carry the camera with everything else all by myself. Suzanne took pictures so I will be able to share those soon. I was so impressed with my girls. They are both fearless. Addi loved it when a wave would knock her over! And Libby loved crawling around the sand and then sputtering when a wave would wash over her face! Addi was so patient and understanding about me having to hang out with Libby a lot. She really is great about entertaining herself. They made the day enjoyable for me. Those of you with children know the exact opposite could have been true. I feel blessed to have them as my daughters. We will all be ecstatic when Bryan comes home on Friday. Until then we will keep making memories together (at least, my memories as they are too young to remember this week for long).