tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9164476806506278422024-02-19T05:03:01.631-07:00Groves Family HappeningsKellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15613938715065542477noreply@blogger.comBlogger324125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-916447680650627842.post-37386367643823255692014-02-04T10:06:00.001-07:002014-02-04T13:48:29.330-07:00Photos From My PhoneI have a million photos on my phone. My camera regularly refuses to take photos because the memory is too full. I back it up to the Cloud, and most have been backed up to my computer as well, yet I have a hard time clearing the memory. I have a nice Canon DSLR, but it is broken and I can't justify spending $300 to send it to Canon to find out what is wrong, especially when I always have my phone and it is easier to just take pictures on it. I upload a lot of photos to Facebook and Instagram, but I thought I would post some here as well. This selection is from the past week.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju9i3gYtB-tdiE33MUhKQ_N8g7m2xOa7he5icfblBPtAx8epx1XlmXz0E6jxzHE9QKK76L54RsAiwdUZopPbiykiGNRuPt3DtoBasSzpw-h2h4SejOXlwgH4sewWfnpUq_-1j9UT_KhCU/s1600/photo+(38).JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju9i3gYtB-tdiE33MUhKQ_N8g7m2xOa7he5icfblBPtAx8epx1XlmXz0E6jxzHE9QKK76L54RsAiwdUZopPbiykiGNRuPt3DtoBasSzpw-h2h4SejOXlwgH4sewWfnpUq_-1j9UT_KhCU/s320/photo+(38).JPG" /></a><br />
Elsa has been here. I was afraid this huge icicle was going to tear the gutter off, but I was also afraid that if I knocked it off I would tear the gutter off. Luckily it fell on its own with a deafening crash that scared the crap out of me. It's growing nicely again already...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaYeQ-WSIxNzVgVYuHh6dNSCYS16F4lZLlwb6tgL49gVL_WFtqE8X6Rrha7wpHb6b3zAExkJoQpAQnKhEI2JRYIT8UXJ9neF4UtabFrhaR5kyuP25DXLbjW4R4k8xBcpRCDomqQI971Jo/s1600/photo+(39).JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaYeQ-WSIxNzVgVYuHh6dNSCYS16F4lZLlwb6tgL49gVL_WFtqE8X6Rrha7wpHb6b3zAExkJoQpAQnKhEI2JRYIT8UXJ9neF4UtabFrhaR5kyuP25DXLbjW4R4k8xBcpRCDomqQI971Jo/s320/photo+(39).JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEbK4JFeA0t7WTva1GT_ujQ7XqaJtKYrgebRHyz7hTTxBeK3WPE9UHyLuMNUcm8pN7PbejEVb-ohLdxOcGN8jOqjYxPLdIYbRbfyCvQ6wk6-1Ic9z5DjMHozaPnsv-k_Rh6RdKnONZRy0/s1600/photo+(40).JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEbK4JFeA0t7WTva1GT_ujQ7XqaJtKYrgebRHyz7hTTxBeK3WPE9UHyLuMNUcm8pN7PbejEVb-ohLdxOcGN8jOqjYxPLdIYbRbfyCvQ6wk6-1Ic9z5DjMHozaPnsv-k_Rh6RdKnONZRy0/s320/photo+(40).JPG" /></a><br />
We took the girls bowling for the first time. They had a blast. Lily really enjoyed herself and Margie had a great time running around and causing mischief. Lily actually beat me. I'm not even joking. Also, bowling is crazy expensive!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyFhy4NhBBGHuLFjZV5VfmfQ0HVlhvvvL4WhbIg0tjS8ufkdKFtJFmig2Xte7f1uQo3f2NMP1GQuTy10tQhzBNkNAU0gQg6DJGBB7gtqSheUgTLwkvYsXpuH3fjESC5wXT1-IAzWPSuLM/s1600/photo+(41).JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyFhy4NhBBGHuLFjZV5VfmfQ0HVlhvvvL4WhbIg0tjS8ufkdKFtJFmig2Xte7f1uQo3f2NMP1GQuTy10tQhzBNkNAU0gQg6DJGBB7gtqSheUgTLwkvYsXpuH3fjESC5wXT1-IAzWPSuLM/s320/photo+(41).JPG" /></a><br />
I put Margie's hair in a little braid the other night when she got out of her bath.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6RfuxYZrefRxqUEKuO43GltIH4GcKwYonYP_k8jR8_AxV7JC6XT2U_Tb62NqKtBeqdwh2jCLovn36WlNOOXJwqYqm946R7DgabzqbqEVk1-9ToQk6UlssJdyDJK1Ku6yTix2GAM94jhE/s1600/photo.PNG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6RfuxYZrefRxqUEKuO43GltIH4GcKwYonYP_k8jR8_AxV7JC6XT2U_Tb62NqKtBeqdwh2jCLovn36WlNOOXJwqYqm946R7DgabzqbqEVk1-9ToQk6UlssJdyDJK1Ku6yTix2GAM94jhE/s320/photo.PNG" /></a><br />
I am in love with these boots and must have them. Except they are a little bit out of my price range. And I don't exactly live in a rainy climate...except last September...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPgO65UsufFcxVBn_dQ62rHVHL_wMqlC4uFWF75PKOXZxIneFSylYCq6uyrYOL9AhVq89pd675R7br3_Q0ZY38DObfRpLd52EhKPwWzsciKghoT5iwLYgR8krXFGN07AEKgEkpcPe4r0U/s1600/photo+(42).JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPgO65UsufFcxVBn_dQ62rHVHL_wMqlC4uFWF75PKOXZxIneFSylYCq6uyrYOL9AhVq89pd675R7br3_Q0ZY38DObfRpLd52EhKPwWzsciKghoT5iwLYgR8krXFGN07AEKgEkpcPe4r0U/s320/photo+(42).JPG" /></a><br />
Every night {that I'm not working} I read to Lily in our bed and then she falls asleep there and I move her when I go to bed. Some people have strict rules about their kids sleeping in their beds, but I am not one of those people. Lily starts her night in our bed and Margie wakes up in our bed nearly every morning.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVT7gdmcwII_UDytUMphtm_VmIPnu2U4eWtayhuJBDFTc3QlbCW1cqN6G8lu3XAhrmsikyhQZlm8DOhRwOOAyHVIqzligDzeZXRdWLVqEKP1xf9H8ardrHXkCBctM1nWKL1dUV7h6sc1Q/s1600/photo+(43).JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVT7gdmcwII_UDytUMphtm_VmIPnu2U4eWtayhuJBDFTc3QlbCW1cqN6G8lu3XAhrmsikyhQZlm8DOhRwOOAyHVIqzligDzeZXRdWLVqEKP1xf9H8ardrHXkCBctM1nWKL1dUV7h6sc1Q/s320/photo+(43).JPG" /></a><br />
I swear there is nothing better than a cup of coffee and a homemade cookie or ten. It is a perfect breakfast, dessert, or as an afternoon pick me up. And yes, I was a bit heavy handed on the cream in my coffee. I like a lot of cream but that was a bit much!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha36cVETnbNM-FauqZHh2LmK9Ky1n0fmKahP8ESwQNBb0OY4ImAiSap6e_HmgIGnGY7IjlLUpxvCOgcO7OkPBeEQ1E2iSt9qE-1EqobBMzASDqGJ4OdHjchmzvkvc2_-Ai_-3Svn0NAhI/s1600/photo+(44).JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha36cVETnbNM-FauqZHh2LmK9Ky1n0fmKahP8ESwQNBb0OY4ImAiSap6e_HmgIGnGY7IjlLUpxvCOgcO7OkPBeEQ1E2iSt9qE-1EqobBMzASDqGJ4OdHjchmzvkvc2_-Ai_-3Svn0NAhI/s320/photo+(44).JPG" /></a><br />
I adore this view out my family room window. We (ahem, my wonderful husband) painted recently and we took down the nasty blinds that were up. We haven't replaced them yet and I'm not sure if I want to! Our neighbors aspen tree is gorgeous, especially covered in snow!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-DQ3bfJhtGHdzx884RI1N1yYPPPi8tlLSmemeXawNxU7OCDyObdMWvUffDLLe54DN8uL1MvE070YCrDQpJY8osdVPuYzHiCCgQLE6JF_KyxlUA7g0VUS62-S7rR8k7mPWXPSaHrDMNaw/s1600/photo+(46).JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-DQ3bfJhtGHdzx884RI1N1yYPPPi8tlLSmemeXawNxU7OCDyObdMWvUffDLLe54DN8uL1MvE070YCrDQpJY8osdVPuYzHiCCgQLE6JF_KyxlUA7g0VUS62-S7rR8k7mPWXPSaHrDMNaw/s320/photo+(46).JPG" /></a><br />
Margie has been sick so we have been doing a lot of this.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAS4VSGHlA5z4PGr1YV7Pbb40A9KAYtuQQRLJhn9V873P4zCI6fI7ywoGXE-TTDlfz8L8sPLokh5n9rpdpqdqd_ceMb26NXuKAJJXIjGFOLipqni1R8ucGQAH1IUsJG1CXCzTJ01YF93s/s1600/photo+(45).JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAS4VSGHlA5z4PGr1YV7Pbb40A9KAYtuQQRLJhn9V873P4zCI6fI7ywoGXE-TTDlfz8L8sPLokh5n9rpdpqdqd_ceMb26NXuKAJJXIjGFOLipqni1R8ucGQAH1IUsJG1CXCzTJ01YF93s/s320/photo+(45).JPG" /></a><br />
As a result of Margie being sick, I have been doing a lot of laundry. The king size comforter didn't wash well in the washing machine so I hand washed it in the tub. It weighed a ton! I put it in the washer for an extra rinse and spin and then threw it in the dryer and it came out great! It really needed to be washed anyway. Also, when a child is sick, it is really nice having a second floor laundry room!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmKVor04OTcYgb3TJvGKv2jQp0cXTnc8Ohh8NUjfsaWhJVPhrfV__Nna4iQTp5ioINDKRLZs3it4pdJXOEjd5af_tjyM4NStNwFnUurcDQfMVLtjHLRz42vOIelhV1xw1Wd52pZ6qjDwY/s1600/photo+(47).JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmKVor04OTcYgb3TJvGKv2jQp0cXTnc8Ohh8NUjfsaWhJVPhrfV__Nna4iQTp5ioINDKRLZs3it4pdJXOEjd5af_tjyM4NStNwFnUurcDQfMVLtjHLRz42vOIelhV1xw1Wd52pZ6qjDwY/s320/photo+(47).JPG" /></a><br />
This is how you pick up your big sister from school when you won't let mommy put you down. Mommy puts you in the beco carrier and walks over to school. She was nice and cozy and cuddly and my back is only a little sore today!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4jgSYpRwPfZ1P5gSc9nUiramVfxDVz_H7rE6-OzfGot1kjkMHKDH2UF9vQuNj6wT3lPAHPXBoU62Iz054JIqMdTWtZehihboGyt1geqw90SYdqe-mfTQf20Saalns64NSnX8MAMppX8E/s1600/photo+(48).JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4jgSYpRwPfZ1P5gSc9nUiramVfxDVz_H7rE6-OzfGot1kjkMHKDH2UF9vQuNj6wT3lPAHPXBoU62Iz054JIqMdTWtZehihboGyt1geqw90SYdqe-mfTQf20Saalns64NSnX8MAMppX8E/s320/photo+(48).JPG" /></a><br />
And finally, my girls both received teepees from my parents for Christmas. Apparently the dog is also a fan! These things are seriously great! They fold up to nothing and the girls love bringing all their treasures into them and spending hours! You can check them out <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BeechysTeepees">here</a>.<br />
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Have a great day!<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/39/478D1F123630D42EB44F4D8BF49FB60E.png" style="border: 0 !important; background: transparent;"/></a>Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15613938715065542477noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-916447680650627842.post-6038957789120886852014-01-12T23:22:00.002-07:002014-01-12T23:22:53.526-07:00Catch Up?I can't really do a catch up post because I haven't posted in 2 months, and honestly in the past year or so I have posted very rarely. I write these witty, informative, totally awesome posts in my head at least a couple times a day, but I just never seem to get them down. And when I do sit down to write it never comes out how it sounds in my head. Such is life, I suppose.<br />
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As I write this my amazing husband is painting the family room. So far he has painted the powder room, kitchen - including ceiling, dining room, and primed the living and family rooms. Its a big job, nay a huge job, considering we have very high ceilings in the living and family rooms. After nearly eight months we decided to finally make this house our own. It looks awesome so far, and I can't wait for it to be done, as I am sure Matt would agree. <br />
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We travelled back home for Christmas. We drove. It wasn't too bad. We were fortunate to avoid any really nasty weather and were even able to do it in one shot on the way home. It took about 16 hours and we arrived home about 1 am, but it was so good to be home. On our way to Chicago we stopped for the night somewhere in Iowa. Those couple hours in the evening in the hotel were the roughest of the trip! Margie is insane anyway, and when you factor in the fact she is in a new place and has been strapped into a car seat all day...it wasn't pretty. I would much rather just drive straight through then spend the money on a hotel and then stress the whole time we are there about interrupting the other guests. It was a great visit and I miss my family something fierce, but it was also good to get back. After ten days of being surrounded by family, late bedtimes, lots of fun, new toys, lots of treats, and just general overindulgence, the kids needed a bit of reprogramming. We are settling back into our "normal" routine. <br />
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Since October I have been working a lot at my part time job. Its retail, so obviously it was quite busy for the holidays. Now that the holiday season is over and my hours are cut back, I am considering whether it is worth it for me to continue working. Its barely above minimum wage and I put 25 miles on the car everytime I work, plus the fact that Matt and I are literally doing a kid hand off a couple times a week is really making me consider quitting. Most days I like the job well enough, but I don't know that it is worth it; the upheval of our schedule, barely seeing my husband, the guilt I have when Lily refuses to get in the car and Margie tells me "Mommy no go work!!" We will see. I always feel bad quitting a job and most of the people I work with are pretty cool, and they are short staffed right now since most of the employees are college kids and the turn over is ridiculous. I mean really, I just want to find a job that pays well and I can work from home a couple hours a day when it fits my schedule. Is that too much to ask? (Yes, I know it really probably is!)<br />
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Anyway, life is just chugging along in the Groves' household. Lily is still rocking kindergarten. It is just so crazy to me to watch her learn and navigate new friendships and develop independence. She still says she wants to go to "city college" as opposed to "sleep away college" but she is definitely starting to develop some independence, which is of course a wonderful thing, yet hard for this mama to cope with as well! She wants to take karate, so we are looking into that. Man, it is an expensive hobby though! I need to keep looking but the places I have found so far seem pricey! We just started reading The Little House series together. Lily loves them and Margie even listens a little. Margie is very into reading stories before bed, which I love. I love to read and really want my kids to be the ones that I can't punish by sending them to their room because they would actually love the time to read alone. That was me and I hope they will be the same. <br />
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Margie is just a crazy little girl. She is so happy and giggly and snuggly. She is into everything and is so high energy. She has been sleeping in her big girl bed for a few months but still crawls into our bed at some point every night. We keep her door closed until we go to bed and then crack it open when we go to sleep. I'm not sure what would happen if I left it closed all night, but I am pretty sure at some point she would be banging on it to get out. I just tell myself she won't be sleeping in our bed forever, while simultaneously loving every snuggle. Margie talks up a storm and tries desperately to keep up with her older sister. It is so fun to watch them together. For the most part they get along really well, though I spend a good portion of my day breaking up squabbles.<br />
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Aside from working and trying in vain to keep up with housework and laundry and grocery shopping and meal preparing and all the million other tasks, I am still trying to run when I can. Santa brought me some cold weather running gear which I try to put to use as much as possible. The weather here is goofy. It is seriously 30 one day and 70 the next. I'm not complaining though. Well, I guess I would complain about how dry it is. Our humidifier runs constantly and I still literally see sparks when I pull back my fleece blanket. Its unnerving. The other night I pulled back the blanket so Margie could climb in bed and a second later she aske what's that smell? Matt said the same thing and I said it smelled like burnt chocolate. While Matt went to check out the house, I noticed the smell seemed to be coming from my shirt. I checked in the morning and didn't find any singe marks or anything, but I seriously wonder if a spark singed my shirt? All I know for sure is it is so freaking dry and my hands and feet are suffereing!<br />
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So this has been all over the place. I will end with the promise to post more. Maybe this time I'll follow through....<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/39/478D1F123630D42EB44F4D8BF49FB60E.png" style="border: 0 !important; background: transparent;"/></a>Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15613938715065542477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-916447680650627842.post-75865019381534771952013-11-15T12:57:00.001-07:002013-11-15T12:57:40.616-07:00I'm sitting here while Lily is at school and Margie is napping and thinking over the million things I should be doing, but in reality my brain is in overdrive. My house is gross. There is no other word for it. I really should be cleaning, but...My floors are sticky and full of crumbs, there is a layer of dust, there is a pile of dishes that need washing and the full load in the running dishwasher probably will need to be rewashed since I only had maybe half a container full of dishwashing detergent left. There is always laundry to do, my bed needs to be made (actually the sheets should be washed) and all the bathrooms could use a cleaning. And the toys...there are toys and various other evidence of children EVERYWHERE!! And just when I was getting frustrated at the toys everywhere, just when I was thinking I can't wait until the day when I clean and the toys stay picked up for more than 20 minutes, just when I look around and wish we had the money to decorate and paint like I want, it hit me. I don't actually want that. Because when that day comes, the day of a clean house that stays clean and a little extra money in the bank - which will almost certainly only come from me working full time - will be the day my children are grown up. And I don't want that day. Sure, I want my kids to grow up and flourish and learn and all those amazing things, but when I am sitting back in my clean, well decorated house, I will be alone. My kids will be independent. And that, that I am not ready for. I was born to be a mother. I was made to raise my children. I fail them and my duty daily, hourly even, but I have absolutely no doubt that it is why I was put on this earth. I am well aware a mother's job is never done. You always need your mom. I need my mom and hope my children always feel about me the way I do about my mom, but at a certain point the daily needs are less. <br />
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My children are amazing and entertaining and frustrating and amazing and infuriating and fantastic and crazy and my whole life. And some days are so long. Some days seem like they will never end. But I realized I don't want to wish these days away. I don't want a clean, well decorated house as much as I want my kids to stay little as long as possible. <br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/39/478D1F123630D42EB44F4D8BF49FB60E.png" style="border: 0 !important; background: transparent;"/></a>Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15613938715065542477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-916447680650627842.post-2339919080158329902013-10-24T17:44:00.000-06:002013-10-24T17:44:21.884-06:00Just Another Day in ParadiseThe girls are playing in the back yard and I am making dinner, watching them out the kitchen window. My house is moderately clean and Matt will be home from work soon. Earlier today I walked Lily to and from school, just like I do everyday. It strikes me that although my life isn't perfect, it is pretty darn good. I am more or less living my dream! I am a stay at home mom, despite the fact I just picked up a part time retail job, working a couple nights a week and on the weekends. We live in a beautiful place in a great community. Lily goes to a great school and we belong to a fantastic rec center where the girls take gymnastics and I work out and we all go to the pool for some family fun. There are breathtaking views of the mountains from the running trails just minutes from my house and Matt is content in his new job. <br />
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I might not be in as great of shape as I want. We may not have as much money as I'd like. We might be far from family and the girls make bicker too much for my liking, but I really do live a blessed life!<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/39/478D1F123630D42EB44F4D8BF49FB60E.png" style="border: 0 !important; background: transparent;"/></a>Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15613938715065542477noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-916447680650627842.post-10234881453035066372013-09-05T13:48:00.002-06:002013-09-05T13:48:41.005-06:00These Days...Hello!<br />
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Long time no post. I look back to when Lily was a baby and I see that I posted almost daily, sometimes twice a day. But then...well...life got busy. But out of no where, I find myself with three hours to my self most afternoons. Now that we have settled into our routine, I am committed to posting more often, even if only for myself! <br />
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We had a great summer, filled with hiking and exploring, getting to know our new state, going to the pool, and even our first camping trip. Like real camping...no facilities, though there was a nice "potty log". The girls did great and we had a lot of fun. We froze at night! Camping in Colorado is not the same as camping in Illinois in August. In Illinois you worry about whether it will be too stifling in the tent to sleep. In Colorado, as I learned, you need many, many layers of blankets and clothing! At 8500 feet it can easily get into the 30s. I thought I had us well bundled the first night, but I was so wrong! The second night was much better, thanks to extra blankets, an extra layer of clothing, and I think Mother Nature took mercy on us. With that in mind, we are hoping for one more camping trip in the next couple weeks before it is just too cold at night. I love the culture of outdoorsy-ness here! Hiking, biking, camping...next weekend we are hoping to even try our hands at paddle boarding. And I am "training" for the Hot Chocolate 5K that is a month away. I have been running 2-3 times a week for the past 8 weeks or so and am slowly improving. I have no illusions I will be able to run the whole thing, as my normal route is about 2.9 miles and I can't run all of it, but I am getting better. I have good days and bad days. My goal is to run Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, but honestly almost every week one day doesn't happen. I get up and run before Matt goes to work and I hate getting out of bed. I don't mind the run, just the getting up part! I also go to yoga on Tuesdays and sometimes Fridays and do some upper body strength training on Thursdays. The schedule works pretty well. The weekends are reserved for a bike ride or family hike or just whatever. If I could only kill my sweet tooth, I would be in great shape!<br />
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Lily started kindergarten two weeks ago. She is doing the half day program and has afternoons. I won't lie, I totally teared up the first day dropping her off. It is such a mix of emotions. She was very nervous and I was nervous for her. New school, doesn't know anyone. In the end these weren't issues. I picked her up and she didn't want to go home. The only negative thing she has had to say about school is that it is too short. The school does offer an extended day program, but full day costs $300 a month, and that is just not in the budget! She is making lots of friends and learning a ton. Her teacher is very sweet. I went to the curriculum night and then the PTO meeting the other night and I think that is when our new reality really sunk in! I have a child in school! For the next 13 years, Lily will go to school every day. Hopefully she will go to the same school for the next 6 years. The friends she makes, and the other parents I talk to, will be somewhat consistent in the years to come. Lily went to two different pre-schools, and therefore had different friends at school the past two years. She is hopefully making some life long friends. Or at least some good friends that will last through the coming years. I am so proud of my baby! It is hard to let her go, but I know this is how it is supposed to be. At drop off you can tell which parents are dropping off their oldest. We are the ones that hover a bit after the teacher has ushered our babies into the classroom. I'm sure as the year goes on, we will hover less, but for now we all seem to stand there, still slightly amazed at how fast the last five years have gone.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuthISr8WVUeh0lLeDRUOLFsrUBly6k_IVL1wgGhN6ya8bk1Yza7QzIxIG0l6t9ZPrH6A2r_HrxgpSMCr7z5CLzP4swpNFFi7URuZI3TmRctcaibZc5qNSgRaSUZk7yerUq9miEu7-TmU/s1600/photo+(15).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuthISr8WVUeh0lLeDRUOLFsrUBly6k_IVL1wgGhN6ya8bk1Yza7QzIxIG0l6t9ZPrH6A2r_HrxgpSMCr7z5CLzP4swpNFFi7URuZI3TmRctcaibZc5qNSgRaSUZk7yerUq9miEu7-TmU/s320/photo+(15).JPG" /></a></div>Margie is a month shy of her two year birthday, but already we are well into the "terrible twos"! These are fairly new to us, as Lily never really went through them. I try not to compare my children, but Matt and I probably look at each other ten times a day and utter "Lily never did this!" Between climbing everything, getting into the fridge or pantry, running around, jumping on the furniture, or stripping, I can't take my eyes off her for a second, unless of course Caillou is on. And the tantrums...oh the tantrums. So far they have mostly been confined to home, but I am not holding my breath that will remain the case. She is a ball of energy! She is constantly eating, going into the fridge or pantry and coming back with a snack she needs me to open. She is a pretty good eater, but is starting to be more picky, which is awesome because I can barely get Lily to eat anything. She sleeps pretty well. Her language is exploding! Her newest thing is asking "why?" whenever I tell her to do something. She can count to nine. She is very concerned for others. If I stub my toe or even if she hears me make some sort of noise for the other room, she will come running and ask "K mama? K?" If you ask her something, she is likely to respond with "mmhmm, sure". It cracks us up. About half the time she insists on walking (as opposed to riding in the stroller) on the way to school, wearing her back pack. She charms all the other parents at pick up and drop off. She wants to do whatever her big sister does and just idolizes Lily. She is also fiercely independent, insisting "self!" at the most inopportune times. But she is also my snuggle bug that must be touching me almost all the time! She crawls into my lap often and many times will just walk over and want to be picked up and hugged for a second. But she has no problem going into the childcare at the gym, running in, looking back and me and waving, saying "bye mama, soon!" as in "see ya soon". I adore this little girl so much! <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFc1RUlHidAeA_nIFbi5kPg54G_r5bnR-vbwwgu56Eio-YVLnHPDgvBBCmB8UqCUUvsS0t7a3az2RwvRVnMsDXJZiC9_Cdsk7UpdSOezAXr-Dcral4R7kSIzHzjT_AW74STB4AGCXL3hk/s1600/photo+(14).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFc1RUlHidAeA_nIFbi5kPg54G_r5bnR-vbwwgu56Eio-YVLnHPDgvBBCmB8UqCUUvsS0t7a3az2RwvRVnMsDXJZiC9_Cdsk7UpdSOezAXr-Dcral4R7kSIzHzjT_AW74STB4AGCXL3hk/s320/photo+(14).JPG" /></a></div>Both girls start gymnastics tomorrow. I was lucky to be able to get them into classes at the same time. The are both in the same area, but Lily's is on her own and Margie's is with a parent. I think it will be great because I can watch Lily's class while also doing something with Margie so she isn't climbing the walls. I don't know how I would entertain her otherwise! Plus she needs to get her energy out somewhere. Lily really wants to learn to do a flip. I have tried to prepare her that she likely won't be learning flips right away. We also start MOPS next week. I am alternately excited and somewhat ambivelant about MOPS. I gained so much from my previous group. And while I don't necessarily need the same kind of support I got from my old group anymore, being in a new area means there are so many things I can gain from joining. And it would be nice to make some mommy friends. I am friendly with quite a few moms of Lily's classmates, and I am also friendly with some neighbors, and I do have a good friend who lives about 30 minutes away and have hung out with or gone hiking with a number of times, but I don't have the same kind of friends I did at home. I haven't had a moms night out or met up for coffee. I don't have a book club. My old friends are still my friends and I do my best to stay in touch. On one hand, I want to make new friends, but on the other I am stubbornly telling myself I don't want someone to replace so and so, I want so and so. I need to remind myself I am not replacing my old friends and just get out there and make some new ones! <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ZDWnKNuYCt4K7xVFHXhokeAO7Mq2NyzLepBH7wPxN-0xsxa4A9-vSiO1bPlGMsL2P3cGtbuEOltcZJbc0bLD2Bb6RI-zjvxbeCjcTwd_N7jP4KnED4PjGU6S4rgQ-dIsbOqHj_NqyCA/s1600/photo+(13).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ZDWnKNuYCt4K7xVFHXhokeAO7Mq2NyzLepBH7wPxN-0xsxa4A9-vSiO1bPlGMsL2P3cGtbuEOltcZJbc0bLD2Bb6RI-zjvxbeCjcTwd_N7jP4KnED4PjGU6S4rgQ-dIsbOqHj_NqyCA/s320/photo+(13).JPG" /></a></div>And that, in a nut shell, is what is going on these days! Life is good! I am home with my girls, walking Lily to and from school each day, which is really my dream, muddling through running a household, trying not to tear my hair out some days, relishing in this quickly passing time with my babies other days. This is so where I am supposed to be right now!<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/39/478D1F123630D42EB44F4D8BF49FB60E.png" style="border: 0 !important; background: transparent;"/></a>Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15613938715065542477noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-916447680650627842.post-80242279138097800262013-07-26T15:30:00.002-06:002013-09-05T17:29:49.861-06:00Things I Would Tell My 17 Year Old SelfHind sight being 20/20 and all, there are many little pearls of wisdom I wish my older self could have imparted on my graduating from high school self. Experience is one of the better teachers out there, so I am not going to go as far as to say I regret anything. I have a pretty sweet life and there is that whole "butterfly effect" where one little difference could have completely changed the course of my life. That being said, there are some things that people probably tried to tell me but my stubborn, know-it-all personality obviously didn't heed all warnings. So, what would I tell myself?<br />
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1) Don't get fat. Keep working out and watch what you eat. Don't be super crazy about it, but all those extra pounds will be a lot more work to get off than just maintaining. While you are at it, take better care of your health in general. Sleep in important as is mental health. Take a break when you need to.<br />
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2) College is actually more about the classes and education than the parties. And you may be smart and not have had to work that hard for good grades in the past, but homework and studying are a whole new ballgame in college.<br />
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3) Don't get into debt. Especially don't go into debt doing stupid things like eating out and paying for it with the super cool credit card you signed up for on the quad. It will take lots of hard work and sacrifice to dig out and you might as well sacrifice now so you don't have to later.<br />
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4) Travel!!! There are so many amazing places in the world and if you think you will travel later you are probably wrong. Before you know it you will have kids and mortgages and responsibilities that make it a little harder. When senior year in college your advisor tells you she thinks you would enjoy the Peace Corp, actually consider it. <br />
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5) Be yourself. Don't worry about what other people think about you. <br />
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6) Maintain the friendships that are important. And understand that some people only come into your life for a season and that is okay. And recognize that some people have an agenda and you can't change that. <br />
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7) There are so many amazing things in store for you. Marriage and children and moving across the country. Leaps of faith and dreams. And they are so worth it!<br />
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What would you tell your younger self?<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/39/478D1F123630D42EB44F4D8BF49FB60E.png" style="border: 0 !important; background: transparent;"/></a>Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15613938715065542477noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-916447680650627842.post-37824203681828656202013-07-25T14:13:00.000-06:002013-07-25T14:13:19.129-06:00I Believe...* I believe a cup of coffee and a crispy salted oatmeal white chocolate cookie is the perfect breakfast<br />
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* I believe yoga pants and an oversized sweatshirt is the perfect comfy attire<br />
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* I believe reading is vital and a good book can change your world<br />
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* I believe 60 degrees and sunny with a slight breeze is the perfect temperature<br />
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* I believe there is nothing more important than family<br />
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* I believe my children will change the world<br />
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* I believe my husband was specifically designed for me<br />
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* I believe no matter how old you are you will always need your mom<br />
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* I believe staying home is better than going out<br />
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* I believe everyone has a story and every story is worth telling<br />
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* I believe you are never too old to try something new<br />
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* I believe being honest saves a lot of headaches<br />
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* I believe thunderstorms are wonderful<br />
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* I believe you can never take too many pictures of your children<br />
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* I believe you can never say "I love you" too often<br />
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What do <i>you</i> believe?<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/39/478D1F123630D42EB44F4D8BF49FB60E.png" style="border: 0 !important; background: transparent;"/></a>Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15613938715065542477noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-916447680650627842.post-72585958889274981842013-07-24T14:47:00.001-06:002013-07-24T14:47:03.263-06:00Gussy UpAbout four and a half years ago, after my grandma passed away, my sisters, cousins, and I were invited to her condo to take certain things of hers that held special memories for us, before my dad and his siblings sold the condo. I took a variety of things that were important to me, as did everyone else. One thing I took was a little Rubbermaid step stool. I don't know why I took it. It didn't have any particular memory for me and was just a generic little plastic stool. I am guessing it had something to do with the fact that I had a 9 month old little girl at home and I was sure a step stool would figure into our near future. As it turned out, our bathroom wasn't big enough for a step stool and the little potty once the time came, so the stool sat in the garage. When I was hugely pregnant with Margie it was hard for me to lift Lily into her car seat, and while she could climb into the van, she couldn't quite climb into her car seat. So the little stool sat in the van by Lily's seat for about the past 2 years. We changed around the seats in the van this weekend and took the stool out. Lily can easily climb into her seat now and Margie, little monkey that she is, has no problem climbing into hers. Once again the stool was tucked away into the garage. Last night while I was making dinner, the girls were playing outside, digging in the rocks. I called them in to dinner and told them to wash their hands. Lily immediately started complaining how she isn't tall enough to wash her hands in the powder room. It's true. She can get the water on and wash her hands, but then screams her little head off that she can't shut off the water. So we brought in the step stool. I had been thinking we needed one for a while and now we had one handy. It fits nicely in front of the sink and you can still close the bathroom door. It also can be tucked under the vanity. Now we had a functional, if not plain, stool for our bathroom. Since I delude myself that I am crafty, and since I know Lily loves a project, I decided we would gussy up the stool while Margie napped today.<br />
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Before<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlGQDj4wNMCKT_3Uw0sOKJMnfIbX32VOIy6spas-fwyBlL8h3RycaGIAZElbjfFb0BO9sR0ctdSelgxLhVEF2Wax2D5enrr82mg-nSYjL1QTx46jpqngiPPu9zLre1Ysvv7DpWouN3JHw/s1600/photo+(11).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlGQDj4wNMCKT_3Uw0sOKJMnfIbX32VOIy6spas-fwyBlL8h3RycaGIAZElbjfFb0BO9sR0ctdSelgxLhVEF2Wax2D5enrr82mg-nSYjL1QTx46jpqngiPPu9zLre1Ysvv7DpWouN3JHw/s320/photo+(11).JPG" /></a></div><br />
After<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSgVCCR_0azVHlBBUaH2V4g4Y9c1tA1fL_78uRKYsKGWh7JMHVOs1PXQuPGmnGumAIdXOOj4SGOe_FoVyg6jF5ReRt4W0OuhScY8-iHl9nSSMS8H2P9w014vHlTn8w-07CgqpHDuUVtcE/s1600/photo+(12).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSgVCCR_0azVHlBBUaH2V4g4Y9c1tA1fL_78uRKYsKGWh7JMHVOs1PXQuPGmnGumAIdXOOj4SGOe_FoVyg6jF5ReRt4W0OuhScY8-iHl9nSSMS8H2P9w014vHlTn8w-07CgqpHDuUVtcE/s320/photo+(12).JPG" /></a></div><br />
This was not a fancy project. I just took a piece of scrapbooking paper I had in my stash and cut it to size, then glued it on and hit it with a couple coats of modge podge. I am not sure how well it will hold up, but it sure looks nicer than it did before. And, since I have an insane amount of scrapbook paper, we can change it up if we want. Maybe themed? Halloween, Christmas...well, that might be dorky. But I have been known to do some dorky things. <br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/39/478D1F123630D42EB44F4D8BF49FB60E.png" style="border: 0 !important; background: transparent;"/></a>Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15613938715065542477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-916447680650627842.post-9161807916808764652013-07-16T11:12:00.001-06:002013-07-16T11:12:10.214-06:00A Lazy Day and I'm HomesickIt is 10:45 am and I am on my second cup of coffee. The girls and I are still in our pjs. Well, I've added a sweatshirt. It has been a little cooler here and we turned off the AC the past few days. It stays rather cool in the house until the afternoon sun bakes the back of the house. I don't really need the sweatshirt, but I love any excuse to rock a sweatshirt and yoga pants. Mumford and Sons radio is playing on Pandora and Lily is playing a game on my phone. Margie is <strike>tormenting</strike> playing with Lucy. We are totally having a lazy day and I love it. The sun is shining and it is not a million degrees out so we should probably do something outside, but I need a lazy day every once in a while. Last week Lily and I read a Bernstein Bears book about too much TV and she decided that this should be a no TV week. So far, so good and I feel a lot less guilty about a lazy day if the kids aren't just vegging in front of the boob tube. It won't be a completely lazy day though. I do have a childcare appointment at the gym after nap time so I can take a yoga class. And I will most likely do a couple loads of laundry. And I have stepped on one too many blocks the past 24 hours not to clean them up. But other than that, totally lazy! <br />
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I've been feeling a little homesick lately while I'm lying in bed trying to fall asleep. I don't know if I can't sleep because I am homesick or if I have been homesick because I can't sleep and just lay there thinking. I miss my family and my friends. I have met a lot of really nice people here, but they don't know me. I miss just hanging out with people that know me. I miss silly things like our pediatrician. When Margie was born a new doctor had joined the practice. We saw Dr. Becky for Margie's one month check up and she told me that Margie was eating well and gaining weight and since I was an experienced mom and Margie wasn't due for any shots I could skip the 2 month checkup unless I wanted it. That vote of confidence was so reassuring. She ended up being the doctor we mostly saw. She was awesome and I miss her, even though we don't routinely hang out at the doctors office. I miss Woodmans. I miss knowing exactly where everything is in the store. I miss my house, even though my house here is amazing. I miss my book clubs and our church. Yesterday we went to Target and it was comforting. Strange, right? We have mostly been going to Walmart because it is so close, but I felt like a change so we headed the other direction. Targets are pretty much all laid out the same and it felt familiar and that was needed. On Saturday we drove up to Nederland, which is a cozy little town in the mountains about 45 minutes away. While wandering around I saw a guy with a Fox Valley Canoe Race shirt on. We struck up a conversation and it turns out they just moved to Denver from North Aurora a month ago. They have two little kids roughly the same age as mine. It is funny how many people from the Chicago suburbs we run into. A couple weeks ago I ran into someone in the gym that I actually had worked with in college. <br />
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Don't get me wrong, I love it here and an really so happy we moved. But it doesn't mean that I don't miss things from back home. Mostly I miss people, but I also miss things and places. I'm not super good at making friends. I can actually be pretty shy. I hate having to find a whole new group of mommy friends when I really loved the ones I have back home...<br />
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And with that I am off to color with two of the most familiar people in the world!<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/39/478D1F123630D42EB44F4D8BF49FB60E.png" style="border: 0 !important; background: transparent;"/></a>Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15613938715065542477noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-916447680650627842.post-29522997859148659162013-07-11T09:22:00.001-06:002013-07-11T09:22:16.784-06:00{Untitled}I got up and went for a jog this morning. I have been doing pretty well going to the gym at least a couple times a week and then getting some outside exercise at least one day on the weekend, but it occurred to me that to get the body I want, I need to run. Now you can argue that running isn't the only way to get in shape, and I totally believe that. It is just that it seems to be the most efficient. Matt has been running 3 miles, 3 times a week for almost three months and he needs new underwear. Not just new pants, new underwear! (And that little tidbit probably falls into the category of things he wishes I wouldn't share!) Also, if I want to run the Hot Chocolate 5K on October 6 then I need to start running. Sure, any physical activity will build up my stamina, but I need to run if I want to run. And stop eating cookies....I must stop eating cookies...<br />
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Anyway, today Margie was up so I took her in our sweet jogging stroller that one of Matt's co-workers generously gifted us. Margie is a little terror and probably would have scaled the bookshelves in our room while Matt was in the shower, so I decided it was safer to take her. I wish I was kidding about the bookshelf thing...<br />
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Going for a jog first thing in the morning has so many merits. It is still cool out. I have a clear view of the mountains from the Commons - the afternoon haze hasn't settled in yet. I have my workout for the day done. If I do nothing else with my day at last I have some physical activity under my belt. And I can still come home and have my lazy morning with a cup of coffee and time on the computer while the girls watch some cartoons. Or I can jump in the shower and we can be ready for whatever adventures (of course I would have to bring Margie into the shower, but she loves it!) <br />
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The thing is, I hate getting out of bed in the morning. I haven't been sleeping well for the last week, and especially not the past two days thanks to our neighbor and all the drama of putting in our fence. I have very quickly reverted back to snuggling in bed with the girls in the morning until we absolutely have to get out and start our day. I am just not a morning person. I can be if I have to, but if I don't have to be, I would rather lounge in bed. I am somewhat of a night owl and going to bed early just doesn't work for me. I think I just need to get myself in the mind frame that running is a "have to do" thing. <br />
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At any rate, my run for the day is done, I've had my coffee and computer time, I am taking the girls to the rec to swim in a little bit, and the rest of my day is wide open - though I should probably clean a little and go to the grocery store. Now I am off to unload the dishwasher while I contemplate whether or not I should shower before going to the pool....<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/39/478D1F123630D42EB44F4D8BF49FB60E.png" style="border: 0 !important; background: transparent;"/></a>Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15613938715065542477noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-916447680650627842.post-36574712536123487522013-06-26T16:37:00.001-06:002013-06-26T16:37:06.400-06:00Home Sweet HomeThe girls and I have been in Colorado a month now, and I can honestly say it feels like home. <br />
A lot of things are the same, yet so many our different. Obviously the house is new, but laundry in the same. Except when I hang clothes to dry they are dry in a couple hours. I still cook dinner, but a lot of things seem to cook differently here. Or I forgot how to cook. I go grocery shopping every week, it just takes me twice as long because I am learning my way around King Soopers (the local grocery store.) <br />
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I love, love, love the mountains. I could stare at them all day and I really like hiking. Of course, my house will never be "done" if I spend every weekend hiking and playing in the mountains.<br />
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It is always sunny. I love this and then also not so much. We have tons of windows and get lots of natural light...and heat. I don't mind an occasional overcast day and I really miss rain. I hear they are getting some back home...<br />
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My house is awesome. But the inevitable "issues" are starting to show up. Overall though, I can't complain. Matt did a stellar job picking out the house and I am thrilled with it. And once we really make it our own it will be perfect. <br />
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There is a huge culture of fitness and outdoorsy-ness here. It is rubbing off on me. But it kinda sucks being the most unfit person in the state. <br />
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I miss our family a lot. But we have also made some new friends here, and been able to hang out with old ones that we didn't see that often when we lived in Chicago because they are out here.<br />
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Overall, this move is proving to be a good fit for our family! We are pretty settled, but also still have some settling to do. I can't wait until a few more projects are crossed off the old list!<br />
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<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/39/478D1F123630D42EB44F4D8BF49FB60E.png" style="border: 0 !important; background: transparent;"/></a>Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15613938715065542477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-916447680650627842.post-83896307967883737222013-06-11T19:10:00.001-06:002013-06-11T19:20:04.533-06:00RandomnessThis morning Margie decided she was ready to get up a 5 am. Being the awesome mom that I am, I let her cry, sure she would go back to sleep. She did. About 5:55. At 6 am the lovely sound of Bob Marley crooning Buffalo Soldier woke me up. I am not sure why Matt sets his alarm. We are usually always awake, and if we aren't, he probably isn't getting up then anyway. I guess it is payback from my years of abusing the snooze button. Add to the mix our eastern exposure master bedroom in a state that gets 300 days of sunshine and it is summer. We are usually up with the sun or shortly thereafter. <br />
<br />
We also discovered the need for a plunger in the girls' bathroom and ours was left behind. Matt made an early morning trip to Walmart. <br />
<br />
Lily woke up with a fever. No other complaints, but a fever of 103. A dose of Tylenol brought it down and it has been hovering around 100 the rest of the day. She did take two naps though, meaning I was forced to cancel plans for tomorrow. Bummer. <br />
<br />
Since we were homebound today, I spent a good deal of time perusing the interwebs for home decor. I decided I want one of everything from World Market. Specifically, I want <a href="http://www.worldmarket.com/product/suzani-print-curtain-panel.do?&from=fn">these</a> curtains for my laundry closet.<br />
<br />
Somewhere during my curtain hunt I decided I am going to run the Hot Chocolate 5K this year. It is October 6. I have less than 4 months to go from couch to 5K. Must get started...<br />
<br />
Lily has not moved from the couch all day. Margie has been an extra handful to make up for her sister's ease to deal with.<br />
<br />
But then Margie took an almost 4 hour nap. I am hoping it is due to her early initial wake up and not because she is getting sick as well.<br />
<br />
After dinner I literally took Margie's high chair and hosed it off. I would have powerwashed it if we had a powerwasher. It was that nasty. The dog probably could have used a good hosing as well. When Margie decides she is done with dinner she tosses her plate. I try to be on my toes at meal times, but sometimes I don't catch her in time. The dog knows she will inevitably get some delicious people food if she sticks near Margie. Today she was a little too close and ended up with rice and beans on her head.<br />
<br />
There are three wildfires burning in Colorado right now. None are really close, but they freak me out. I am not a fan of fire. Like at all. When I was younger I begged my parents for a ladder for my room. My cousins had a fire in their garage and I wouldn't go over to their house anymore. <br />
<br />
And now, if you will excuse me, Margie is dancing on the kitchen table. I wish I was joking....<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/39/478D1F123630D42EB44F4D8BF49FB60E.png" style="border: 0 !important; background: transparent;"/></a>Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15613938715065542477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-916447680650627842.post-6965772080001354542013-06-10T12:53:00.001-06:002013-06-10T12:53:16.723-06:00ConfessionIt is 12:30 and we are all still in our pajamas. This is partially because it is laundry day and partially because <strike>I am totally lazy</strike> it is the first real hot day since we moved to Colorado and I have no plans to leave the house. I know I need to get used to the hot, since it is only June and there are a good 3 months of hot in store. But it's a dry heat, they tell me. Whatever. Hot is hot and 60 degrees, sunny and breezy is my perfect weather. I have a million things on my to do list and considering the amount of coffee coursing through my veins I should have most of it done. I have like three things done. Laundry is going, the bills are paid, I actually hung up a couple decorations on my walls, though I don't know if what I have up is how I will keep it. I did take a poll on Facebook on what to do regarding curtains and my laundry closet. You see...I've been thinking <i>hard</i> about what needs to be done! And I did Magic Eraser Margie's masterpiece in orange crayon on the stairway wall. I also found the appropriate homes for most of the toys in what I suppose could be considered the play room, mostly in a mad search for even one of Margie's "byes", which is what she calls her pacis. Don't ask, I have no idea. Margie has a habit of hiding them. Lily had two pacis from about age 1 to 3 and we always knew exactly where both were. Margie, on the other hand, has had more pacis than I can even count. At the moment there are about 5 in the house. It was Lily to the rescue when she found all of them in my shoes in my closet. I suspect the Big Stinker (Lily, not to be confused with Margie, the Little Stinker!)may have known where they were all along because when I asked her to go look upstairs she went up with a recepticle "just in case she found all of them together". A minute later she came down with all of them in said recepticle. I get that she likes watching mommy's head nearly explode, but it isn't very nice to watch her sister in misery. Now the girls are making way too much noise playing with the keyboard <i>and<i></i></i> drum machine but at least they are not messing up the house. Though I do feel a headache coming on. Nothing a nice homemade iced mocha can't fix ;)!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/39/478D1F123630D42EB44F4D8BF49FB60E.png" style="border: 0 !important; background: transparent;"/></a>Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15613938715065542477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-916447680650627842.post-36298339166129265362013-05-10T21:54:00.000-06:002013-05-10T21:54:41.733-06:00Musings<br />
The girls and I are at my parents' house for the weekend. It's peaceful here. So peaceful right now. I have one baby asleep next to me; despite all the grief she may give me by day, she really does look like an angel. The other baby is sleeping g peacefully in the pack and play at the foot of the bed. Sleep is the only time she is still. There are two other bedrooms available, but we always sleep together when the three of us are here. I desperately want to be sleeping like them, but I can't shut off my brain. It's always going, planning, worrying.<br />
We have big changes on the horizon. Huge changes. And in the midst of it I am trying to find myself. It's funny really, being 33 years old and trying to find yourself. There were years when I was a wife and was sure I would know myself once I was a mother. Then I was a mother with a young baby and I couldn't imagine anything greater. Then I had two babies and I thought that I had finally found myself. And then, one day it hit me. I am more than a wife and more than a mother. But I am not sure what that more is. Don't get me wrong, if I do nothing else in this world I will consider my life a triumphant success. Together with my husband, the man who balances me and knows me so well, the man who chose me, I have created life and that is awe inspiring and humbling. But I feel I'm on a precipice. I'm on the verge of something that is just me. Given time I'm sure ill figure it out. In the meantime, I'm going to sit back and embrace what I already am...<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/39/478D1F123630D42EB44F4D8BF49FB60E.png" style="border: 0 !important; background: transparent;"/></a>Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15613938715065542477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-916447680650627842.post-7332142814204859552013-05-07T21:38:00.000-06:002013-05-07T21:38:05.150-06:00Because We Haven't Had Enough Changes in the Past YearThings are about to get super crazy! We are moving...across the country!!! We are Denver bound! Matt has already been out there and found us a sweet new house which he closes on in two weeks! Our stuff is packed. I have given notice at work. And in 18 days we are leaving the midwest behind and heading for the mountains! I am so excited. And scared. And happy. And so, so, so ready to get back to my life from a year ago...albeit 1000 miles from where I thought we would be. I will be home with the kiddos again and it will be just us. The past year has been an adventure, to say the least. And I am so grateful for all the support we have had from our families, particulary my inlaws, who have put their lives on hold to help us get where we are. But we need to be back on our own and Matt has a great new gig. Hopefully we will get settled and acclimated and used to being just us in no time. Until then, though, I have details to figure out and stuff to pack! <br />
<br />
Denver, here we come!!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/39/478D1F123630D42EB44F4D8BF49FB60E.png" style="border: 0 !important; background: transparent;"/></a>Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15613938715065542477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-916447680650627842.post-6857787044088785862013-04-24T22:15:00.000-06:002013-04-24T22:15:27.435-06:00A Day in the LifeI haven't posted in a bit so I thought I would do a little Day in the Life post. Except today is probably not the best day because it wasn't exactly our typical Wednesday. It was actually better - I'll get to that in a minute though. My day started about 2:45 (AM, mind you!) with Margie crying. She has been up during the night a lot the past week, and since she has I am majorly short on sleep. Wandering to her room I was completely confused as to what day it was and had momentarily convinced myself it was Saturday. Quite the disappointment when I realized a few minutes later it was actually the middle of the week, let me tell you! Anyway, since I am so exhausted I have resorted to bringing Margie back into bed with me. We worked so hard to get her in her own bed a few months ago, but I need some sleep! We get back in bed and of course I have to glance at my phone because I <strike>have issues</strike> am up anyway. What, you don't check your phone randomly in the middle of the night? I'm glad I checked it though, because there was a text from Matt that I must have just missed when I fell asleep informing me we got some good news we were really eager to hear! Yay! Good news in the middle of the night is always a nice surprise. 6 AM rolled around much sooner than I would have liked but I dragged my butt out of bed and got ready for work. I was happy to see my hair had cooperated with my plans. You see, I shower at night and last night was a hair washing night (I wash my hair about 3 times a week) and I didn't blow it dry. Sometimes I like to play this little game of slapping a little coconut oil or gel on my hair and going to bed with it wet and seeing how it turns out in the morning. Today I had <i>almost</i> achieved those sexy beach waves so I considered it a success. (My back up plan is a top knot/ballerina bun if the waves are too frizzy or wonky or whatever). I put Margie back in her bed, felt my heart tear a little as she cried for me, made my coffee and headed to work. Somehow I am a bit behind at work, which is both stressful and awesome because time flies as I try to get caught up. Today is Administrative Professionals Day, which means we had a luncheon at work. I am not an "administrative professional" but all hourly employees are categorized as such and therefore I was invited to the luncheon. It was actually pretty lame but after it was over I had the rest of the afternoon TO.MY.SELF!!! I hit up Old Navy to return a couple things and grab a few things for the girls. Then I wandered down to Ulta and studied some Urban Decay make up that everyone raves about. Then I realized I have about zero beauty sense so there probably wasn't much point in buying a $20 eyeliner (and the $10 sharpener I would also need). I decided to head to Target, which is more my speed in terms of beauty products. I picked up a few things, most importantly K-cups, and headed over to pick Lily up from school, which was honestly the highlight of the day, even over the time to myself. I don't get to pick her up very often so it is always a treat for both of us when I do. We came home and had a snack and Margie woke up from her nap. We just hung out until it was time to go to choir. The past few weeks Margie has been sitting with the kids at choir. She doesn't talk much and certainly isn't actually singing, but she loves to be with the big kids and loves to dance to the songs.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjztNsD0KTgsuGN9iUGfZKN46nGjty6463LAlISzpYpAxAbR-7YmWLlBRL5VW6h2buDUsOZeQf2-BmsV6sSEt1uJamE2oLrFX4p8sVwbwf_FsWv4ZzwwPJljkb6DcERURAA5CqwPVcuXsA/s1600/photo+(10).JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjztNsD0KTgsuGN9iUGfZKN46nGjty6463LAlISzpYpAxAbR-7YmWLlBRL5VW6h2buDUsOZeQf2-BmsV6sSEt1uJamE2oLrFX4p8sVwbwf_FsWv4ZzwwPJljkb6DcERURAA5CqwPVcuXsA/s320/photo+(10).JPG" /></a><br />
After choir we met my inlaws for dinner at Jason's Deli. They have an amazing salad bar which perfectly fit the bill since I have been doing the paleo diet. I seriously had the best salad of my life and completely paleo! After dinner we headed home and the kids went to bed. Margie usually goes to bed first but I have Lily get her pjs on so she doesn't wake up Margie by getting them on when she goes to bed. Today she wasn't being very cooperative so I just put her to bed then as well. Not the best way to end the evening, but actually pretty typical lately. I take comfort in knowing that I don't have a lot of specific memories from age 5, so hopefully when she is older she won't remember me as a mean mom who always sent her to bed.<br />
A quick shower, some lunch prep for tomorrow and that brings me to now!<br />
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Good night!<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/39/478D1F123630D42EB44F4D8BF49FB60E.png" style="border: 0 !important; background: transparent;"/></a>Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15613938715065542477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-916447680650627842.post-42643520558903062522013-03-28T21:11:00.001-06:002013-03-28T21:11:13.870-06:00{Untitled}<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeoKBKS4C5NPi_n546hiMt4eybeGBVv7lxFBcQjpaIdCS1dNSER32TFnreIcDNFQQzcDKMNuHP9XdF7q1BGEoE9Hvn4SCiD0H_Ypldxo6ZMKgSNqiUAsNU-0fKiXrQOqThE-B7-gQjMM8/s1600/lilymargie.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeoKBKS4C5NPi_n546hiMt4eybeGBVv7lxFBcQjpaIdCS1dNSER32TFnreIcDNFQQzcDKMNuHP9XdF7q1BGEoE9Hvn4SCiD0H_Ypldxo6ZMKgSNqiUAsNU-0fKiXrQOqThE-B7-gQjMM8/s320/lilymargie.jpg" /></a><br />
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First of all, could these two be any more precious? I love these little ladies with all my heart and I go to bed every night thinking how did I get so lucky to be their mommy? I miss them when I am at work and want to snuggle them while they are sleeping. Unfortunately, the hours between work and sleep often find me tired and crabby and it is a hectic time of day and I know more days than not they don't get the mommy they deserve. And every night I promise myself I will do better tomorrow, but it is a viscious cycle. <br />
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We have some big changes ahead and I am so excited about them, but also a little sad and scared and nervous. More about that later. Life has been a roller coaster the past 9 months or so and I am ready to get off. <br />
<br />
We have been decluttering lately. I have been listing a bunch of stuff on Craigslist. I have been pretty successful in selling some things, but it is a full time job just to coordinate who is coming to look at what when. Or maybe most people don't list a ton of things at once? I don't know. It is also frustrating when you get several inquiries about an item but then when you set something up for one person to come see something they don't show up. Oh well, we've unloaded some stuff we no longer use and got some cash for it, so I guess it is a win in the end. <br />
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Today it finally started to feel like spring. It is March 28. The kids played outside a bit and I didn't wear a coat to work. Sure, it seemed like a mistake when I left at 6:45 and it was only 26 degrees out, but when came home at 3:00 and it was 50 degrees I realized I had clearly made the right choice. Ahem. I am looking forward to flip flops and no coats and going to the park every afternoon with the kids. I never used to mind winter before I had kids. Now, well now I am so over it by about MLK day. <br />
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Okay, time to watch the Daily Show. Night night!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/39/478D1F123630D42EB44F4D8BF49FB60E.png" style="border: 0 !important; background: transparent;"/></a>Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15613938715065542477noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-916447680650627842.post-71326155507166761322013-03-25T21:52:00.000-06:002013-04-24T21:29:14.084-06:00FIVE!!!<br />
Happy Birthday Lily Kathleen! You are five today! I can hardly believe it. It seems like just yesterday you made me a mommy, but I can't even remember what life was like before you were born. You have brought so much joy and laughter into my life. Everyday is challenging and wonderful and I am so blessed to be your mommy. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp3Cxf67tVNILFv2LoKJeSo6DLVDct2VQ9ACmMbjvNGSmfCJc5i-az4MQJp6Fg8Z8is-EJnNS9n5eBI2sX-kMi6YG0JqpI5MGQvJj_CPx6qf7iTR5Hr4_t_btkv0cDfWpVBHCV15Jr_OM/s1600/Lily+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp3Cxf67tVNILFv2LoKJeSo6DLVDct2VQ9ACmMbjvNGSmfCJc5i-az4MQJp6Fg8Z8is-EJnNS9n5eBI2sX-kMi6YG0JqpI5MGQvJj_CPx6qf7iTR5Hr4_t_btkv0cDfWpVBHCV15Jr_OM/s320/Lily+5.jpg" /></a><br />
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I won't lie - four has been a rough year. There have been a lot of changes and I know they have been hard on you. My going back to work has been the hardest on both of us. But I promise that five holds wonderful thing! We have so many adventures ahead of us and I can't wait! You will be starting kindergarten and we will be moving into a new house. You will be learning new things and making new friends. <br />
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You are such an amazing kid! You are creative and sensitive and intuitive and so stubborn. You are so smart and so funny and you never cease to amaze me with the things that come out of your mouth. You love to sing and make up your own songs. You love to play with your stuffed animals. You aren't so much into dolls and babies, but you love your stuffed animals and some of you little action figures. You current favorites are Ghost Busters and Star Wars, to you daddy's delight. We went to Build a Bear today and you created a Star Wars leopard (aptly named Jedi Leopard!), complete with light sabar and playing the Star Wars theme. At Toys R Us you picked out a light saber and Ghost Busters action figures. They fit perfectly with your Star Wars-Pirate-Ghost Busters-Princess themed birthday party. For dinner you asked for Swedish meatballs. Meatballs and noodles are your favorite foods ever! You are not big on breakfast and you tend to be a night owl. You love your daddy and sister with all your heart, and I think you are pretty fond of me as well. Sometimes you definitely just need some time alone with me, which makes me feel so good to be needed! I always used to think of you as outgoing and an extrovert, but I am learning that you are really an introvert. You are so observant and you pick up on everything. <br />
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Lily, you made me a mommy and I love you so much! Happy birthday Chickie!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF1dM1e7bOSHHWQ6YTb6ILAfUCIbaacXya7Q7gBznV2wIDsllX6yg5pBsZvYUSM0dBjeY7Lt02DnEIg3E6d7gH_w1P2WPbyr7sZLMDGj2Wn-eGoYhP7cvWVL40tq_r41uy6R22_gZQpE8/s1600/lily5.2.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF1dM1e7bOSHHWQ6YTb6ILAfUCIbaacXya7Q7gBznV2wIDsllX6yg5pBsZvYUSM0dBjeY7Lt02DnEIg3E6d7gH_w1P2WPbyr7sZLMDGj2Wn-eGoYhP7cvWVL40tq_r41uy6R22_gZQpE8/s320/lily5.2.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEircdeCJRBi0SbKX-aelnbSa2Z2rMm7bhyabILtZfAo2o94YFog7rrCsOLgy604IZn_meVQ9NzFAaXf64pF98PU2Pl2ZaJ4JsaonnEeiwRuFAgaPdBEfXKgP1imz9-MS6sQq1YHVnTRi78/s1600/lily+5.1.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEircdeCJRBi0SbKX-aelnbSa2Z2rMm7bhyabILtZfAo2o94YFog7rrCsOLgy604IZn_meVQ9NzFAaXf64pF98PU2Pl2ZaJ4JsaonnEeiwRuFAgaPdBEfXKgP1imz9-MS6sQq1YHVnTRi78/s320/lily+5.1.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioTQXrm0AlYH5XSlW6ox-NPi9zJT4iYWnpf15ZrKJWkMba8aX9DjhBd2TTS8PQw4C-Veh8aQAdH85Hg4gnEJqIPo795eEA3-WmYyohBl4T7IHJ_hQjLrkZXNOKWz-gVx7M-9c0oLTZSBk/s1600/lily5.4.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioTQXrm0AlYH5XSlW6ox-NPi9zJT4iYWnpf15ZrKJWkMba8aX9DjhBd2TTS8PQw4C-Veh8aQAdH85Hg4gnEJqIPo795eEA3-WmYyohBl4T7IHJ_hQjLrkZXNOKWz-gVx7M-9c0oLTZSBk/s320/lily5.4.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD74K9-q6TSVeBFailflH_e2dnrNJJf2jcVBgpbIFfB5LmdT38jhagWcrSpDjYFrGbpdzplc60jkDgN4H4GKSG1XK_VQaVaIStD9AzRj9hAhRnH6NaKDwv6QpT4BSY7sqn2Cc2UYuMSVE/s1600/lily5.5.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD74K9-q6TSVeBFailflH_e2dnrNJJf2jcVBgpbIFfB5LmdT38jhagWcrSpDjYFrGbpdzplc60jkDgN4H4GKSG1XK_VQaVaIStD9AzRj9hAhRnH6NaKDwv6QpT4BSY7sqn2Cc2UYuMSVE/s320/lily5.5.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/39/478D1F123630D42EB44F4D8BF49FB60E.png" style="border: 0 !important; background: transparent;"/></a>Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15613938715065542477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-916447680650627842.post-61286937415640607802013-02-05T21:06:00.000-07:002013-02-05T21:06:08.339-07:00Exhausted!It is 9:08 pm and I am literally sitting down for the first time today. The real kicker is that I didn't even go to work today. I came home about an hour later than normal yesterday because I had a doctor's appointment and found Lily completely conked out in the chair. The girl never naps and never stops moving, so I knew something was up. She was pale and burning up. I took her temp and it was 101.9. She didn't have any complaints so I held off on the Tylenol but when I took it a bit later and it was up to 103 her protests of "but I feel <i>fine</i>" fell on deaf ears. One dose of Tylenol and her fever hasn't come back and she has been a little subdued, a little glassy eyed and a little pale, but otherwise her normal self. Anyway, being the good, rule following parent that I am, I kept her home from school and stayed home with her myself. I should say I <i>mostly</i> stayed home with her. <br />
<br />
Here's a run down of my day:<br />
<br />
7 am - Lily comes in our room. My husband and MIL swear to me they can barely wake her up at 8:15 for school most mornings, but I call shenanigans. She was up at 7 am both days this weekend as well as today. I was looking forward to sleeping until at least 7:30 when Margie usually gets up, but I'll take 7 since that is usually when I am starting work.<br />
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7:30 - The kids and I wander downstairs for some breakfast. We play a little and watch some cartoons and I load up the dishwasher. <br />
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8:15 - Margie and I head upstairs to get dressed. My MIL usually takes Margie to story time at the library on Tuesdays but I am taking advantage of being home to take her myself. I get Margie ready and try to get myself presentable with M under foot. She brushes her teeth (ok, chews on her toothbrush!) for 20 minutes whie I brush my teeth, wash my face, put on a bit of make up and attempt to do something with my unruly hair that is about 7 months overdue for a trim. <br />
<br />
9:00 - Call on a bill that our old tenants didn't pay but then did pay us for. I am hoping we can wash our hands of these people for good but I already know I am going to be on the hook for the December and January water bill because "the bill follows the property and you are the property owners". In the six months that the people lived there they got two shut off notices that I had to harass them to pay. They did, but I am not holding my breath they will pay the remaining bill. I have already resigned myself to paying it rather than worrying about it. I sure hope that isn't the case for ComEd and Nicor. Need to look into that tomorrow.<br />
<br />
9:22 - Realize we need to leave for story time. I grab M, strap her in the car and make a quick phone call to my hubby on the short drive. We pull in just in time.<br />
<br />
9:30 - Story time! This is the highlight of my day. I have been so sad about not doing story time with Margie because Lily and I used to have a blast and I am thrilled that I got to take her today!<br />
<br />
10:15 - Story time is over. We head to the meat market to pick up some andouille sausage. I am making etouffee. For 30 people. We cook once a month for our church's Wednesday night supper. Matt volunteered for the gig, but I get to cook today. Good thing I took the day off because the darn roux alone requires about an hour of constant stirring.<br />
<br />
11:00 - We get home. I check in with Lil. She's watching cartoons and looking at her new "Highlights" magazine that came in the mail today and feeling fine, even if she does look a little pale still. No fever. I give the girls both a snack and formulate a strategy for cooking. <br />
<br />
11:30 - Margie seems tired so I try to put her down for an early nap. She isn't a fan of that idea so after about 20 minutes I give up.<br />
<br />
11:50 - Start some lunch for the girls. Start munching on some Tostitos myself.<br />
<br />
12:15 - Feed the girls. Noodles with butter and garlic salt. Sure, it lacks pretty much any nutrition what so ever, but the girls love it. It's the Barilla Plus - it has protein or something. Plus they had milk.<br />
<br />
1:00 - Margie is finally ready for a nap. I change her diaper and am happy to discover she pooped. Hopefully this means a longer nap. I kiss her little head and ask that she please sleep for at least 2 hours.<br />
<br />
1:05 - Start some laundry.<br />
<br />
1:10 - Clean up the kitchen from lunch.<br />
<br />
1:20 - Begin cooking. Chat with Lily. Have her do a worksheet. It is Q week this week. <br />
<br />
3:00 - I hear someone on the monitor. She slept for exactly 2 hours. <br />
<br />
3:15 - Come back down with Margie. Give her some of the smoothie that I had just made. She loves it. Lily does not. I change around some laundry and continue stirring my masterpiece. <br />
<br />
4:30 - Fold some laundry. The girls are helping, which means Margie is throwing clean clothes on the dog hair covered floor. But they are happy and I am happy.<br />
<br />
5:00 - Lily's teacher had emailed earlier to let me know the kids would be going outside to play in the snow at school tomorrow. I have to round up her snow gear since it is the first time we have really needed it in a year. Thankfully it is all easy to locate, with the exception of her snow mittens. I figure her stretchy gloves should do. How long can they really be out anyway? I throw an extra pair of fleece gloves in her backpack just in case.<br />
<br />
5:30 - Lily wants to play hide and seek. I have just finished cleaning up the kitchen yet again and even though I really want to sit down for a few minutes I oblige her. She has been really good all day and I need to stop saying no because I am tired. <br />
<br />
6:15 - Dinner. Thankfully my MIL was cooking today. Spaghetti. Margie is a disaster. She will definitely be needing a bath tonight. Last night was bath night. Make a mental note to coordinate our meals with bath nights. <br />
<br />
6:45 - Give M a bath. It is a very basic, get you clean bath. She is disappointed at the lack of playing. Despite very little play time, I am still soaked. <br />
<br />
7:00 - Bed time for Margie. She has mercy on me and goes down easily.<br />
<br />
7:15 - Finish helping clean the kitchen for the millionth time today. I switch around some more laundry, make Lily's lunch, and make some brownies for tomorrow. <br />
<br />
8:15 - The kitchen is finally clean, the brownies are done, the laundry is folded and it is time for Lily to go to bed. We go upstairs and read a story and I am able to talk her into going to bed without a fight. Victory is mine!<br />
<br />
8:20 - Jump in the shower. I am thankful that there is any hot water left after all the dishes I have done.<br />
<br />
8:45 - Throw a load of cloth diapers in the dryer. I'll deal with folding and stuffing them tomorrow.<br />
<br />
9:00 - Sit down. It's been a long day, but a good day. This kind of busy suits me. I've been a working mom for a little over six months now and days like today still feel more natural. I know tomorrow will be a busy day as well. Wednesdays always are. But that busy will include a full day of work, away from my babies.<br />
<br />
9:45 - I'm done blogging and going to read. I imagine I will get about 4 pages before I fall asleep.<br />
<br />
Goodnight!!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/39/478D1F123630D42EB44F4D8BF49FB60E.png" style="border: 0 !important; background: transparent;"/></a>Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15613938715065542477noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-916447680650627842.post-48530667641127830662013-01-31T22:19:00.000-07:002013-01-31T22:19:46.945-07:00To My ChildrenTo My Lovely Little Ladies,<br />
<br />
You girls are amazing. It is as simple as that, and yet so, so complicated. Being a mommy is hard. It is hard on so many levels, but I look at your beautiful little faces and I forget all the hard stuff. Like when I can't pick you up from school, Lily, because I have to work. Or Margie, when I can't bring you into bed anymore because at some point you need to sleep through the night. It is hard when I am trying to get two overly tired girls to bed by myself and hard when you both have very different but very important needs at the same time. It is hard to concentrate at work when I am not with you and equally as hard to admit that you are okay without me sometimes. <br />
<br />
But the hard stuff, that's life. There is hard stuff everywhere. And the hard stuff makes everything else just that much sweeter. Watching you sleep, listening to you giggle. The stories you tell, Lily, and the depth of you imagination awe me on a daily, no hourly, basis. Margie, watching your little {BIG} personality really emerge makes my heart swell. <br />
<br />
I know I am not the best mommy. I yell way too much and I am not a patient person. I have expectations. The way I think things should be. I am lazy sometimes and sometimes I say no out of laziness. I don't always have the imagination to participate in games and sometimes I just want quiet. But I promise to try harder. I promise to say yes more and to let you lead more. I promise to really, really, really try not to yell. I promise to listen to your stories. And I promise that no matter what, I couldn't love you both any more. You are my heart, my soul, my everything. You are the reason I was put on this earth.<br />
<br />
I love you both more than you can fathom, but I pray one day, when you have children of your own, you will understand what I mean.<br />
<br />
Love,<br />
Mommy<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/39/478D1F123630D42EB44F4D8BF49FB60E.png" style="border: 0 !important; background: transparent;"/></a>Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15613938715065542477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-916447680650627842.post-2098382902214590402013-01-17T13:39:00.001-07:002013-01-17T13:39:17.136-07:00{Untitled}I am home from work today...again. The girls' doctor visit on Monday and my client visit on Tuesday {my clients are hospitals} was apparently enough exposure to the nastiness going around to take me down. I thought it was the flu, but so far just major body aches, headache and tight chest have plagued me. And being extra sleepy. And moments of freezing and sweating. But no runny nose, stuffy head, scratchy throat, so who knows. I'll be back at work tomorrow. I don't have time for this not feeling well crap and since I am less convinced I do indeed have the flu, I no longer feel like I would be Typhoid Mary heading into the office. <br />
<br />
We have been renting our house out since July. Our current renters, half way through their year long lease, are bailing on us. They are losing their security deposit but that's it. I am really frustrated with the whole situation, but I have decided to look at it as an inconvenience, not a problem. My friend from work who has 5 kids and a 37 year old husband starting chemo for the second time because his cancer has come back, she has problems. And yes, I feel like a total ass that it takes seeing someone else's real problems to realize I don't actually have any. Perspective is a necessary slap in the face sometimes.<br />
<br />
Margie had her 15 month check up on Monday. She is 21 pounds 13 ounces and in the 50th percentile for weight and 30 inches and in the 40th percentile for height. As she ran around the room in her boots, diaper and necklace and tried to climb on everything, the doctor laughingly said we have no worries about her motor skills. Dr. Becky doesn't know the half of it! Margie had to get three shots. She only cried at the last one and perked up instantly when she saw the doggie band aide. I took Lily in for a flu shot and she was quite a trooper as well. She was excited for her dog band aide as well. She likes being twins with Margie and sweetly picked her out the perfect sticker when it was all done. I love having two girls. The fight (already!!) but are so sweet to each other most of the time.<br />
<br />
Matt and I had date night on Saturday night. It was a much needed evening out. We went to my parents' house and they, along with Nee Nee, watched the girls while we went out to dinner and to a movie. We saw Zero Dark Thirty and I would very highly recommend it. We spent the night at my parents', which always feels like a mini vacation. Matt and I have another date this weekend. My cousin is getting married. Lily wanted to set up a special date with just me as well, so Saturday morning I am taking her to the children's museum. She is looking forward to it and so am I. We might even stop at Starbucks for a cake pop for her and latte for me. She has been a bit more clingy lately, so I think this time will be good for us. She probably doesn't seem much different to other people, but I am noticing this subtle change. Not including myself, she has taken the changes of the past 6 months the hardest, particularly me being back at work. <br />
<br />
Okay, this was a rather random post, but here you have it. Have a great day!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/39/478D1F123630D42EB44F4D8BF49FB60E.png" style="border: 0 !important; background: transparent;"/></a>Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15613938715065542477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-916447680650627842.post-10798816335477087562013-01-11T20:17:00.002-07:002013-01-11T20:17:38.724-07:00RedeemedToday started out pretty well. I wore sandals in January. In Chicago.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtOVXQj9S5c932tEEveA6kUmgSr_7XCMi55OPwURfKB8Mwn89V5EyQBP4t8d74uIlorjjgGnWygqMvSpRrQhlaaj8dUQIXeFt0ijnst_LqDKfTLz0wLpc4JuqRjPIRsZ6U99b_mtDsN4U/s1600/e36a28a65bf311e2bf8022000a1fbe54_7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtOVXQj9S5c932tEEveA6kUmgSr_7XCMi55OPwURfKB8Mwn89V5EyQBP4t8d74uIlorjjgGnWygqMvSpRrQhlaaj8dUQIXeFt0ijnst_LqDKfTLz0wLpc4JuqRjPIRsZ6U99b_mtDsN4U/s400/e36a28a65bf311e2bf8022000a1fbe54_7.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Work wasn't too annoying. I was actually pretty close to caught up and was clearing some things off my desk that I had been putting off. And then I got an email from Matt. It was some very frustrating news. The day pretty much went down hill from there. I was in a bad mood and crabby. I got home from work and Margie was still sleeping so I had some time to chat with Lily. I asked her if she gave a little boy in her Kid's Day Out a picture she had made for him and she told me she did. And that he threw it out and didn't say thank you. And that he said he didn't need it. She said she thought he didn't understand it was a special card. And my mama heart broke into a million pieces and I had to try very hard not to break into tears. Luckily she doesn't seem too bothered by it. <br />
<br />
I was dragging and in much need of a cup of coffee.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPyGHIZ5SBdvvaXZN0ag4ZOWRXAC1SpuTRDhgjwj2fKMffhyphenhyphenSk7uWhSeCHCcj_RNfubSKtTPLp06GShAw8vgEypjj4VtDO-ZnrKgPRVY2f5rAgMIoD9RDCWx_Kfo-EanYF5etCFtqgiVE/s1600/63feaa5a5c3a11e2930d22000a9f12ad_7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPyGHIZ5SBdvvaXZN0ag4ZOWRXAC1SpuTRDhgjwj2fKMffhyphenhyphenSk7uWhSeCHCcj_RNfubSKtTPLp06GShAw8vgEypjj4VtDO-ZnrKgPRVY2f5rAgMIoD9RDCWx_Kfo-EanYF5etCFtqgiVE/s400/63feaa5a5c3a11e2930d22000a9f12ad_7.jpg" /></a></div><br />
The afternoon continued with both kids being irritable, which was further complicated by the fact that I was so irritable. Lily didn't want to eat her dinner. Out of nowhere she decided she doesn't like salmon anymore. It used to be her absolute favorite meal. I told her she needed to eat a certain amount in order to have dessert. She wouldn't eat it. She was throwing a fit and it was close to bed time. I sent her upstairs to put on her pjs and she threw a bigger fit. I was not in the mood to deal with her so I decided it was time for bed. I took her upstairs to help her with her pjs and she stood in the doorway, slinging daggers to my heart by asking, through her tears, "mommy why do you hate me?" {for the records, I love this child with every fiber of my being, and I know she knows that...she also already has a keen sense of what to say to inflict maximum guilt}. While I sat there, trying to figure out what happened to my flip-flop-in-January day, I realized we both needed hugs. I coaxed her over to me and scooped her up in my lap. And hugged her. A big hug. And she relaxed and hugged back, and peace was restored. We put jammies on and I put her in bed with two books. I went and got Margie, got her all jammied up, and we sat and read a book. It was wonderful and I felt redeemed as a mama.<br />
<br />
Of course, after stories were over Margie decided she wasn't gonna go to sleep so I had to rock her and snuggle her longer than usual, which was exactly what my soul needed. Lily is drifting off to sleep next to me and all is right with the world once again.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/39/478D1F123630D42EB44F4D8BF49FB60E.png" style="border: 0 !important; background: transparent;"/></a>Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15613938715065542477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-916447680650627842.post-19001450356326462352013-01-10T20:41:00.000-07:002013-01-10T20:41:08.778-07:00Random ThoughtsI'm sitting here listening to the rain, and it is heavenly. It is one of those good, steady, heavy rains. We need it. It is a bit strange, usually percipitation in January in Chicago is snow, but we have had an extremely mild winter. It is supposed to be 60 tomorrow. I'm wearing flip flops to work. I'm serious. <br />
<br />
I thought I was getting sick last night. I am not a super huge germaphobe worrier, but this flu outbreak has me a bit on edge. I got a flu shot, and I know Margie did, but I can't remember if Lily did. I'm going to have to check on that tomorrow, and if I didn't, I will see if I can take her to get one when I take Margie to her 15 month check up on Monday. Anyway, I was tired and had a headache and just didn't feel well. The woman who sits across from me at work had been out with the flu. Turns out, I was likely just tired from staying up too late too many nights in a row watching Downton Abbey. I went to bed early (for me) last night and Margie even did me the favor of sleeping until 4 am. That is huge!! I slept so well until she woke up. Of course, once she was up, she was fussy and crying and wouldn't settle in our bed for over an hour. She finally fell asleep and I was able to get back to sleep just in time for my alarm to go off. I must have hit snooze 5 times because when I woke up it was 6:20 and I had to be out the door in 20 minutes. I am so glad I shower at night!<br />
<br />
I would really like to live abroad. I am not sure where, but it just seems so exotic. Europe would be cool, but I would also love Asia or Central America. Or Africa. Or even the Middle East. Of course, I have only ever been out of the country on my honeymoon, so I probably have no real idea what it would be like. I would love for my little ladies to be immersed in another culture for a bit. My dream wouldn't be to permanently live elsewhere, but maybe live in Africa for a year and Peru for a year and Ireland for a year and Costa Rica for a year and Vietnam for a year and Turkey for a year. I doubt I will even travel to any of those places, but a girl can dream.<br />
<br />
My camera is broken. Actually, I think it is just the lens, and do have another one, but it makes me sad. I haven't touched my camera much lately, but I have an itch to use it, so it figures it isn't working properly. The store I bought it at is out of business and one other place sends them out to the tune of at least $300. Matt came across a little local shop, so I will have to give them a call. <br />
<br />
I think I am going blonde again. My hair has been my natural color for the past 4 years, but I am ready for a change. Plus, blonde hides gray so much better. <br />
<br />
Okay, boring random thoughts, but I am off to bed. I have a bit of a headache and I really need to get some sleep.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/39/478D1F123630D42EB44F4D8BF49FB60E.png" style="border: 0 !important; background: transparent;"/></a>Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15613938715065542477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-916447680650627842.post-84443840503914113302013-01-08T20:47:00.001-07:002013-01-08T20:47:30.222-07:00LoveI was sitting at work today, listening to Pandora on my iPhone when Mumford and Sons came on (not surprising since it was the Mumford and Sons station) and thinking how much I love Mumford and Sons. And then I thought about all the things I love, so why not make a list. These are my totally shallow, materialistic loves. Obviously my <b>real<i></i></b> loves are my little ladies, my husband, my family, my friends. <br />
<br />
1. Painting my nails. I am way too cheap and don't really have time to get a proper manicure, but that's okay because I don't really want one. I have a great collection of nail polish (mostly Essie, LOVE Essie) and I paint them at least once a week. I don't do designs or anything, but I do paint them all different colors. I spent most of my life as a nail biter, and now that I have {mostly} kicked that habit I love for my nails to look pretty.<br />
<br />
2. Mumford and Sons. My new all time favorite band. I haven't head even one song that I thought was only eh.<br />
<br />
3. Pandora. I love listening to music, especially at work. And, you guessed it, I almost always listen to the Mumford and Sons station. The variety is great and I love when it throws old school DMB or Rusted Root in the mix.<br />
<br />
4. Downton Abbey. After Facebook exploded on Sunday with people giddy beyond belief about the season 3 premiere, I figured I might as well check it out. I was so happy to find season 1 streaming on Netflix and hear I can find season 2 on Hulu. And then catch up with season 3 On Demand (I hope!) Anyway, I love this show! It is amazing! If you haven't checked it out, I would highly recommend it.<br />
<br />
5. Les Miserables. The musical, but also the new movie. Amazing. It was so good.<br />
<br />
6. Burts Bees chapstick. I love the original, but I got a mango butter one for Christmas and I might even like it better.<br />
<br />
7. Real, full fat half and half in my coffee. None of that low fat or fat free crap. I want the real deal. I have evolved in my coffee drinking (I like to think I have matured - ha!) I still occassionally like the flavored creamer, but I no longer add any sweetener. Mostly I just like half and half, and a decent amount of it. Real cream is even better, but I can't justify that, so I go with the next best thing.<br />
<br />
8. Bare feet. My feet are claustrophobic. I usually walk around the house in bare feet, even in the middle of winter. If I get really chilly I will put slippers on. I absolutely cannot stand sleeping with socks on. And I usually stretch flip flip season way longer than appropriate, especially in Chicago.<br />
<br />
9. NPR. It speaks to my inner nerd.<br />
<br />
10. Pinterest. If you are on Pinterest, then you know why.<br />
<br />
11. Legumes. I love pretty much any bean. Lentils, chickpeas, black beans. Yum!<br />
<br />
12. <a href="http://www.damnyouautocorrect.com/">Damn You Auto Correct</a>. I cry I laugh so hard!<br />
<br />
13. Cookies. I love cookies. Sadly, we are on a break because I don't love looking like Jabba the Hut.<br />
<br />
14. My iPhone. I love my iPhone. It has my calendar on it. I take pictures of my kids with it. I can text, make a phone call, send an email, check Facebook. I can entertain my kid in a restaurant. I can entertain myself. I gave up my iPhone for a couple months and it sucked. I just can't go back!<br />
<br />
15. Being cozy. I love snuggling up in blankets, especially the awesome new one my sister got me for Christmas. I love to sleep when it is cool in the house, all snuggled down in a bunch of blankets.<br />
<br />
16. Sleeping with the window open. Especially in the spring or fall when there is a nice cool breeze. Heavenly!<br />
<br />
There you have it. A couple things I love. What do you love?<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/39/478D1F123630D42EB44F4D8BF49FB60E.png" style="border: 0 !important; background: transparent;"/></a>Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15613938715065542477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-916447680650627842.post-26976125087400640202013-01-07T20:20:00.001-07:002013-01-07T20:20:39.459-07:00BoringOh the irony. I finally get back into blogging and have nothing exciting to blog about. Every week day is the same - I get up, sneak off to work while everyone else is still sleeping, do work stuff, eat lunch (today I went for a 30 minute walk around the parking lot on my lunch hour. IT.WAS.AWESOME! Totally going to try to do that most days!), more work stuff, come home, play with my little ladies, maybe run and errand, maybe do a chore, eat dinner, clean up from dinner, pack lunches, put Margie to bed, read or play a game with Lily, shower, blog, and watch some TV before going to bed and starting all over. Some days, like today, the kids are charming and I have a great time and have lots of patience and am in a good mood and smile at my husband. Some days I am cranky and can't figure out what in the world would bring me out of my mood. Some days I am too tired to think, other days I have a lot of energy. But really, it doesn't seem that many exciting things happen. I have 4 or 5 hours with the kids between when I get home from work and when Margie goes down - longer with Lily - and I should have plenty of interesting and funny stories, but today I can't think of one. So there you have it...my boring life. <br />
<br />
And now I am off to watch a couple more episodes of Downton Abbey. It's my newest obsession!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/39/478D1F123630D42EB44F4D8BF49FB60E.png" style="border: 0 !important; background: transparent;"/></a>Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15613938715065542477noreply@blogger.com0