Tuesday, June 28, 2011

A Day in the Life

Most of you probably read Kelly's Korner so you know what I'm talking about when I wrote, "A Day in the Life..." What a good way to remember stages in our mothering lives! I feel like y'all know about the down days if you've read here long. I vent here. I'm honest about the rough patches and I overshare...and so far it's worked out well for me because after I tell you about my nearness to "the edge" I can pull myself back together and press on. Call me crazy but I think there's something genius about community among mothers. It's certainly taking a village to raise my kids.

Anyway.

This is yesterday, by the way. I'd love to predict what will happen today but as you know, YOU NEVER KNOW.
_________________________________________
A DAY IN THE LIFE

Joy always wakes up first. It's like her signature move. She wakes up and about four seconds later Charlie wakes up since their beds are four feet apart. This morning it was at 6:45 but Charlie knows that the clock has to say 7 before we'll come get them. They've learned to just play and chit chat until 7 and some days Joy still lets out a wail to see if she can break us but this morning she just laughed with her sister. I love this.

At 7 the games begin. Ty comes running out of his room, (he wakes up around 6:30) ready to face the day, Charlie and Joy both want me to carry them down the stairs (we all sleep upstairs,) so I usually do to avoid meltdowns pre-breakfast. I'm starving when I first wake up and so are the kids. I guess this is normal? Anyway, we make our way downstairs and since Sean is home he tends to feeding the beast. The beast is Max, our anxiety-filled, codependent dog. I don't like him but my husband loves him so he's still here and I'm always open to applications from you people to take him off my hands. Moving on...Sean feeds Max and then entertains the kids while I make their breakfast. Ty eats the same thing every morning and has for two years: Nutrigrain wheat waffle and sugar free syrup, water to drink. The girls vary a little bit. Sometimes it's watermelon and string cheese, yogurt or pancakes. Whatever we have basically. Neither of them eats a ton for breakfast. Oh and they both drink milk. Ty gave up milk at age 2 out of the clear blue. Like one night he had it before bed and the next morning looked at me like I was crazy giving it to him. While the kids eat I make my breakfast. Sean doesn't usually eat breakfast but I've been making him since we are eating healthier and it's good for you to eat breakfast.

We eat breakfast very fast and then start the morning with a quick basketball game most mornings. With the exception of Sunday mornings we don't have to rush to get dressed, which is a luxury I know. I'm thankful! When Sean is home he can be home all day so there's usually no rush and when he's gone well...we get ready to head out even slower. When he's here we all get showered/dressed in the same room to cut down on craziness, (Ha!) and then the kids play around the house while Sean and I check e-mails, I look at blogs, etc. We do things like this in increments like most of you, because once there's a child anywhere near you there's not exactly uninterrupted time to do adult things and though you fight it for the first few months after having your first child you do get used to this. I give out snacks around 9:30 and then fix lunch at 11:00. Early, I know. Wait till you see what time we eat dinner.

After lunch Joy goes down for her nap and then around noon Charlie goes down. Since it's summer and Ty doesn't go to school he gets to hang out with us during nap time. Usually if Sean is home one of us will take Ty somewhere while the girls are napping but yesterday we all wanted to stay home so Ty watched The Dog Whisperer with Sean while I did laundry, got dinner together, and mended a dress of Charlie's. That's probably a run-on sentence. Sewing, cooking AND laundry at one time. Whew, I'm fancy. The day before during nap time I took a nap. Ha!

Once the girls wake up things get crazy again until dinner. Usually they play basketball, (the goal was Joy's birthday gift and it still resides in the living room,) and Ty will perform for us. Sometimes he sings, sometimes it's jokes, and it always involves his favorite stuffed Barneys. We line up on the stairs to watch "the show," then the girls usually sing or dance around when he's done. There's always an errand to run so yesterday I took Ty and Joy somewhere, (and I can't remember now where???) while Charlie and Sean went on their weekly date to 7-11 to get slurpees. I started cooking around 4 and we ate dinner at 5. Early, I know. The kids still don't eat what we eat even though we've tried to make them so I made the kids' dinner and we all sat down together to eat. I love it when we can all do this and right now it's totally possible since no one does anything after school hours. I know I will look back at this time and be grateful for it since it won't stay this way. Literally right after dinner the kids all run off to burn up their newly acquired energy. I used to try to wash the dishes right after dinner and we still can manage it if Sean is home. When he's gone I usually tackle dishes after the kids go to bed since Joy always wants me to hold her around mealtimes. I get the before part, (she's hungry, tired, etc.) but even after she eats she wants me to hold her and will hang on my leg for dear life until I pick her up. I've learned to stop fighting it and just hold her most of the time. This continues until bath time, which I make happen very fast if I'm on my own so I can put her down!

Bath time lasts anywhere between two and thirty minutes. I'm serious. If they're having a good time I just leave them in there playing. Joy always wants out first so then we start the PJ process. Since she's the only one in diapers--Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow--I put her diaper on and then let her run around pretending to find everyone's PJ's. She thinks this is the best game ever. She pulls all kinds of stuff out of drawers and says, "Dat one? Dis one?" and then runs laps if she gets it right. She's finally learned where each person's PJ's actually are and gets it right sometimes but mostly she just acts silly and pulls out socks or underwear and acts like she's not sure...This might be my favorite time of day with her. It's like her first joke and she knows I get it. I'll never forget the night she put a pair of Ty's underwear on her head and said her first sentence, "Okay I find it I find PJ's" all while laughing hysterically.

We get the big kids out of the bath and get the milk and cookies out. They eat Nilla wafers at night during their video and I don't remember how this tradition started but it's set in stone now. We watch Team Umizoomi or Barney or Little Einsteins, then we go to the girls' room and say our prayer. Y'all, this is the funniest part of the whole day to me. Charlie always wants to say the prayer but every once in a while Ty does so we take turns. Joy has started acting like she wants to say a prayer, (none of us can understand her,) so we all listen to her if she speaks up. What's so funny about the prayer is the routine before and after it. It's a mixture of what they have heard us say and what they've learned in school so it's like, "Repeat after me...In Jesus' name we pray...And thank You Jesus for playing outside...Thank you for this food...and thank you for Mommy and Daddy and for our cat" It's just hilarious. We don't have a cat. I need to record it. Can you record a prayer with good conscience? I guess so if it's one of your family members? Hmmm

Then they go to bed anywhere between 6:15 and 7:30, depending on the night. I know it's really early but as you can probably tell I'm a stickler for sleep, theirs and mine. We learned a long time ago that they just go downhill if we're out past 6 so we try to be home if possible so they can just go on to bed. Mom says I used to ask her if I could go to bed before my bedtime and she always let me, (what mother in her right mind would turn that beauty down?) so maybe I'm so sleep-dependent that I actually passed it on to the kids? I guess that makes up for the stubby toes, low blood sugar, and other not-so-lovely things I passed on to them. Ahem.

Once they're in bed we try to put things away before falling into heaps. If we're in an especially health-conscious phase we take turns going on walks once the kids are down. On a night like last night, I looked up new recipes while Sean tried to switch airline tickets over so we can go on a trip later in the summer. WE ARE WILD AND CRAZY I TELL YOU.

So that's it. I think that sums up most days of the week. During the day yesterday we had a few injuries, all minor, but that's normal around here. Someone always needs/wants a band-aid and the others want one just so the injured kid isn't out of place. There were a few spankings thrown in too, and a few time-outs and toys taken away. We are a house of sinners, as you can tell. We don't always obey or stay as quiet as we're supposed to be. We don't always say 'please' and 'thank you,' though I'm working on making them say both. We aren't perfect but we are pretty tickled to be right where we are. So that's it, a day in the life.

Gotta run since I just heard this from upstairs, "MOM, Charlie is filling my trash trucks with toothpaste!! Help me!!"

Welcome to my world.

Saturday, June 25, 2011

DIY project

Headbands I found in Florida: pricey, but very fun and adventurous.




I've worn them already and they are handy for right now to help keep crazy summer hair in control but I know I'll wear them year-round. When I bought them I knew Mom could probably make them pretty easily. She agreed and cut some fabric for me and then practiced making a rose like the ones they attached. But then she had to go to a sewing convection so I took matters into my own hands.

My first attempt at the rose wasn't good. But I don't like measuring or pinning so I just went for it. Seam rippers are my friend.



See? The rose on mine (the one on the right) is all wonky but the headband part is good. The leaves are really cute but I wasn't patient enough to cut those out of a different fabric just yet. My plan is to rip the blue rose apart and make a new and improved rose. But anyway here is the second attempt at a new headband.



Much better. These bright colors match one of my swimsuits and since I made this from scrap material you'd better believe I'm gonna wear it to the pool. Or not, you just never know. I live life on the edge.


So fun, right? And so easy.

It's after ten which means that I am no longer making sense. Night y'all.

Friday, June 24, 2011

Flashback Friday: Friends and Movies Edition

Friends: Yesterday Carley and Jennie drove down with their kids to visit us. I know that it's a long drive, (I've made it approximately 6,000,000 times,) and it was a treat to have them make such an effort to come see my old stomping grounds. I've told them I'll make the drive once we move and after yesterday I bet they're like, "Yeah you bet you will!" Ha


Back in the old days at Double Dip in Frisco. We made them hug. That's Charlie and David.



Playing at Carley's house last Spring. Joy and Cody.

And now movies: Cars 2 opens today and I'd love to take the kids to see it. However the last two movie attempts didn't go well. Remember? We tried Toy Story 3 with Ty. He lasted 22 minutes.



Pre-movie happiness.

We tool Charlie to see Tangled.
She lasted 32 minutes.



She loved the popcorn though.

So I'm not gonna fight the crowds today. Might wait a while to try Cars 2. Do you blame me?

One more picture for fun: I call this one True Grit.


Giddy up cowgirl.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

What I Wore Wednesday

Working at my dad's office edition. Since we are staying at my parents house this week, mom and I trade off working at my dad's office and taking care of the kids. I used to work for Dad during summers in high school and then hit or miss during breaks from jobs or school semesters. It's not easy for me to hand the kids off to Mom for a few hours and have high speed Internet by myself but I sacrifice for her. I mean it's a tough choice-air conditioned office with drinks and snacks and Internet vs. playing outside in 100+ degree heat with my little darlings. Somebody has to man the phones at the office so I willingly oblige when I'm here. I mean, Mom needs qualify time with my kids.

So here I am today, working for a few hours before swim lessons.




I look happy, huh. Air conditioning is my friend. I have to take a second to tell y'all some important information regarding my hair. The water in Waxahachie is apparently completely different from where I am now. There are pros and cons to this. My hair does different things here and I'm mostly excited about that. But today, my hair is flat. Like for no reason. Usually as the temp goes up so does my hair. It's like opposite day today.

Moving on.


Gotta wear a sweater here for two reasons: sundresses with tie straps doesn't exactly scream PROFESSIONAL and it's an air conditioned office.

Sweater: Target five years ago that I gave mom two years ago. I found it in her closet on my way out the door this morning. Score.


Dress: Target clearance
Shoes: Old Navy

That's it, y'all. Be amazed.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Swim lessons


Ty loves to go to the pool. We just knew he would love to learn to swim. We weren't sure about Charlie. She isn't easy to read when it comes to things like this...but Ty, we were sure of. He'd sail right through lessons and be the best student.

Well.

By mid-lesson on day 1 he told me he was done swimming. He didn't even want to go have fun at the pool anymore.

So that went about like we thought. Parenting is good for the self esteem. The minute I figure it out and know my kids better than they know themselves, they throw me a curve ball.

But anyway.

I pulled out my secret weapon this morning to convince him that swim lessons are our friend. I bribed him. I told him if he did what his teacher, (a friend from our church growing up,) told him I'd get him a trash truck. No, "Just obey her because it's the right thing and you need to learn to swim." None of that.

If you need sound advice, I'm your girl.

But look. The kid who woke up saying, "Hey good morning mom how'd you sleep? No more swimming for me," did this today during his lesson.




That's Amy, his teacher on the left. I've known her for twenty (or more) years. And today I've never appreciated her more.

There's Charlie in the back. She's like a young Michael Phelps.

WHO KNEW.

What's not to love

About being at grandma's house for a week? Morning snack-strawberry cupcakes.


They may never leave

Monday, June 20, 2011

Hello world

Y'all I'm back. And I feel like myself again after lots and lots of sleep. I felt like a slug until this morning and I'm glad I have some energy since I'm packing the kids up again to drive to Waxahachie for swim lessons this week. Thankfully the kids have recovered from the trip as well.


Sorry couldn't resist.

Last night we drove to Cedar Hill to celebrate Emmy's birthday. Happy Birthday Emmy!


As you can see we are still wearing our jewels.


Missed this little toot!


Some pics from our trip and the summer so far.


A few days before we left I ordered these shoes and they were waiting for me when I got home. Comfy comfy comfy. And just a hair crazy...perfect.

Okay loading the car and trying to convince the kids that we are only driving an hour-and staying in Texas.

Giddy up.

Saturday, June 18, 2011

So happy together

We are home. Praise the Lord. We couldn't be happier. Or more tired. These two were especially happy to be reunited. They wanted to eat together so I let them have a picnic on my bed.


See y'all when I resume life in the real world!

Thursday, June 16, 2011

24/7



















I've been with these two 24/7 since last Friday and while it's been great fun I'm ready to be back with the other two at home. So tomorrow morning we will set out on the drive back to Texas. Prayers appreciated!

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

What we are wearing Wednesday




Swimsuits and sand. That's about it.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Around me

Well...and not around me. Missing Joy now. She fell yesterday and it was a doozy. The kind of fall that anyone involved knew required a trip to the ER. She's okay, banged up and probably a little more careful now. Busted lip and a big mark on her head. To say it was hard to be here when she was there is an understatement. I'd have driven home last night if I was by myself. Factoring in Ty and Charlie, though, changes things just a little bit. Driving twelve hours by yourself is one battle. Add two little people into the mix and it's another battle altogether.


Apparently she's really into dinosaurs now. Like, since I last saw her. This was a pre-fall picture.

Around me:


Cousins bonding over gaming systems


Her favorite shades, a gift from her idol/cousin Caroline.


Celebrating the Mavs during down-time in the room. While Charlie sleeps, (or in her case, lays in her bed and sings 'Home on the Range,') Ty plays in the room. It gives us some time to cool off and even I need some time away from the blazing sun when we're here. We've gone through four cans of sunscreen and I'm already in the early stages of peeling. Lord help me.


And this sums her up on so many levels. There's just not much more I could add to describe my daughter. Pink somewhere on her body-check. Braided "like a princess" hair-check. sunglasses-"shades"-check. Purse carrying her various finds of the day-check. Purse-carrying-arm cocked just so-check. Swagger-check. Today when I sent this picture to Sean he replied,

"She is you all over again."

Not sure if he meant that as a compliment or not.

Night night y'all.

Sunday, June 12, 2011

What a difference a day makes

Yesterday





Today





I think they've forgotten all about the drive. Maybe someday I will too. It wasn't too bad really. But I will throw in that the kids and I have gone to bed after 10 for the last time in our lives as long as I'm in charge.The two of them completely fell apart yesterday and I can't say I was a whole lot better. Last night we all three were asleep by 7:45. Now that's a vacation...We live it up don't we?


Ahhhhh




Here

Saturday, June 11, 2011

Almost there




Pray we make it :)

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Some of this and some of that

We've been doing some of this









And some of that





It's been a great week. Welcome to the Summer, kids. It's gonna be a hot one.

I'm leaving tomorrow for the trip to Florida. Driving not flying woohoo! Pray for safety and lots of contentment for little people. Obviously in that order.

See y'all on the other side of crazy.

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

What I wore Wednesday

Struggling edition

Actually, struggling to wear real clothes since I prefer swimsuits when it's this hot edition.



Dress: Old Navy from last summer

Shoes: Old Navy little girls $6.99


Shirt: JCrew like 4 years ago

Skirt: Forever 21

Flip flops: can't remember



Shirt: JCrew last summer

Same skirt as day before: Forever 21

Shoes: Old Navy

That's all folks!

Monday, June 6, 2011

Waiting for Summer

Y'all Ty has school until Thursday. He loves school and we love it too but like everybody else we are excited about the laziness of summer approaching.

Well maybe not lazy but slower, less rigid days. We leave for the annual girls, (and kids) trip on Friday and thanks to my pill y'all are just now hearing about it.

Normally there would be evident anxiety about the trek there, where kids will sleep, etc. But this year I'm just excited. Woohoo


This is Sarah with the kids on Sunday. After almost three years of babysitting the kids she finally gets hugs. In fact the girls plow over people to get to her every Sunday.


Little miss modeling the dress I got for her from my favorite resale store. (Cutie Patootie in Frisco)


Our family during Easter festivities. Mom just sent this today and I love it for this reason: this is how it really is in my family right now. Ty looking like, "Another picture? Really?" Joy trying to break free from civilization, and Charlie being passive aggressive. She was just told to put the egg down and rather than obey she just waited for me to turn around before cracking it on my head. Nice.


We go to In-n-Out a lot. Yum


Ty with his two best friends: Barney and the other Barney.

Riveting, I know. It's a busy glamorous life I lead.