New York City!

Me and my dark red hair will be hopping on a plane tomorrow to meet up with my Mom in NEW YORK CITY!
I pulled out anything in my closet that could be considered somewhat cool (2 shirts in all, I think) so that I don't scream "Hi, I am a 35 year old mom from the midwest who wears a hat, jeans and a t-shirt everyday"
Not to worry, I plan to take lots of pictures and you can judge for yourself.
Boy oh boy I can't wait!

Do It With Love

Lately I've been feeling like the little engine that could. Being the HBIC is not easy. At all. I have so much to think about, organize and plan it's rediculous.
I won't do a laundry list (that reminds me, I need to do laundry) because we all know what it takes to raise a family, but let's just say it's a lot. A lot, a lot.
My husband is a good supporter, but is pretty much clueless as to how much effort it takes to keep things running smoothly around here. And even though he helps out quite a bit, it's all me who's pulling this train. Sometimes it feels like I don't even have wheels and I'm slowly pulling this thing with my feet - Flintstone style.
Wouldn't it be nice if someone else were to take care of something for once? I can't imagine coming home to the hubs saying "I think the girls should take piano lessons so I went ahead and found a piano" or "I noticed the front closet is a total disaster so I went ahead and cleared it out and organized it"....you know, something along those lines.
I mean, I guess I like being the boss for the most part but it would be nice to get a break once and a while. Like, a break break.
Bill said I will get a break when I go to New York with my Mom in a couple of weeks, but I told him that's not entirely true. It's not like I just pack a suitcase and leave. I don't even know how I'm going to get to the airport! I have to make sure clothes are clean, food is bought and meals are planned. I have to make sure they get to all the social obligations while I'm gone and make sure gifts are bought and wrapped.
I will be free once I'm gone, but them coming home is a whole other task. Gotta make up for the days I was gone.

Yikes.

It is really super duper easy to get crabby with all the stuff, but I have a new thing I've been working on which is this: Do it with love.
Seriously.
I was making the beds the other morning and was getting all sweaty and frustrated and I starting thinking about Moms who probably do the same thing but actually enjoy it. I was picturing them tucking in the sheets ever so gently and smoothing out the bedspread with a smile on their face knowing that they were doing it for their child, who they love so much. I thought, I love my children, so why not hop on board.
So far, I have forgottem my mantra on a couple different occassions, but once I remind myself that I am picking up toys, wiping a butt, brushing teeth, preparing a meal, organizing a school folder, un-inside-outing clothes for wash, buckling a carseat, defusing a meltdown, putting Barbie's shirt on, making a doctor appointment, sharpening a crayon, wiping crayon off my wall, mopping up milk.....it's all for someone I love.
Doing it with love does make a difference.

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can.....

What A Summer

I seriously cannot believe summer vacation is already over!

Here are some of the things we did this year. Click here.

The ER

So, this past weekend Bill and I dropped the girls off at his parents to we could go on our annual camping trip in Taylor's Falls.
Unfortunately, while we were gone Delaney had a fever and wasn't feeling well.
One thing led to another and on Sunday morning the poor thing started to throw up chunks of blood. After a couple episodes we told Bill's Mom to bring her to the ER. After 4 hours at one hospital we were told to bring her to Children's for more testing.
Needless to say, we were both freaking out.
The good news is that it wasn't anything serious. Thank God.
The bad news was that she was completely dehydrated and somewhat starved from not eating for a couple of days in row.
Boy did I feel guilty for going out of town. Like, really guilty.
After the doc gave Laney a couple rounds of fluid (IVs) she was feeling much better.
They said the blood was more than likely from drainage from a bloody nose and was all she had in her stomache when she got sick.
Poor thing.

The moral of the story is this: Yes, your child can starve if you let them. And, Children's Hospital is the best hospital ever. Ever ever.

We're glad our little lady is doing better and hope that we never have to deal with this issue again.

Henry's Sisters

I just finished reading the book Henry's Sisters and for some reason I dog-eared quite a few pages - which I normally never do.
So, here are some of the quotes that I liked:

"The problem I see with fights between sisters is that the fights can degenerate to scorching meanness so quick, the words cutting right to the marrow, because sisters know how to hurt each other with pinpoint accuracy. They have history and hurts and slights andjlealousies and resentment and they don't know how to rein it in, filter, or how not to be brutally honest with one another.
Sometimes it's a lovely relationship.
Sometimes it's a disastrous relationship.
Sometimes it's both."

"When I hear about an adult having a problem, whether it's mental or physical or emotional, well that's a sad thing. But it's life. We all get hit in the face.  We all get brought to our knees. Buck up and take it.
But kids. That's a whole 'nother bucket."

"I went home and went to bed. I slept seventeen hours straight. Ladies, do this. Life is too rough and tough and sucky to go through it without taking yourself to a spa. Trust me. You deserve it."

"Watching Cecilia's anger is like watching a fire take hold. It simmers, it grows into tiny orange flames, then it leaps, and it burns down the whole darn forest, taking Bambi and all those fury friends with it."

"...Henry loves....He loves butterflies and dandelions. He loves watching geese fly overhead and spiders making their webs. He loves eating cookies and spaghetti and he loves Saturday morning cartoons. He loves the sun and he loves rainy days when he gets to wear his yellow galoshes."

July 20, 2011

I have yet to upload pictures from the last month or so but there is one day I don't want to slip under the radar - my bubba's 3rd birthday.

Miss Laila will be starting preschool this year, is wearing underwear, gets herself dressed (multiple times a day), can swim with floaties all by herself and is officially a....."big girl."
My baby.

Oh, it's so hard to watch her grow but she is turning into such a beautiful young lady.

She works so hard to take care of herself and do things without any help. She will not tolerate being called little. She is big. "I not little, I big."
She has lots of questions about what things are made of such as: the kitchen table, water, carpet, belly buttons and so forth.
She loves, loves, loves to play dollies. She will even make do with crayons or even her own fingers as people if she has to. All the dolls refer to eachother as sister or sweetie.
Laila's going through this squinting phase right now where she goes up to people, squints and then asks "What your name is?" I will have to refer to it as her Clint Eastwood phase when she gets older.
She also likes to become someone else from time to time. That person is Sophie Stars. Don't ask me where she came up with the name.

She's just cute as cute can be and we're so lucky to have her to make us laugh everyday.

Happy (Belated) 3rd Birthday Baby Girl!!! (don't tell her I said baby.)

New Computer

Hi!! I haven't had a computer in over a month so I have lots to catch up on. As soon as Bill shows me how to get my pictures on here I will fill you all in!

In the meantime know this: we are still having the best summer ever.