Busy? That's an understatement.

I don't know when life got so hectic but it did.  2 almost 4 year olds, a full time job and a husband is a lot to handle.

Where do I start?  I don't even know where we left off.

Work.
Work is going well.  I'm training some new ladies.  I've been told that I need to say good bye to Toddlers because this will be my last year in there.  I'm very sad about that.  Good news?  Those little ones I've fallen in love with over the year are going to be mine again.  I'll get to watch them grow even more.  Yes they drive me mad but OH I wish I could share pics of them on here.  You would fall in love too.  They are so smart and funny and lately they've been telling me they love me.  It's so great to hear.  I spend a great deal of time with these children.  I've potty trained them, I feed them three times a day, I rub their backs to sleep, hold them when they cry.  Yes I love the kids in my class .. even though they drive me frickin' crazy!!

Lately we've been having lots of hitting and tantrums and yelling and screaming and JUST NOT LISTENING.
It's enough to make you shake your head and wonder "What in the WORLD was I thinking choosing this as a profession??'  But then I come to work and get hugged and told "I wuv you Ms. Tina".  Awe.

Girls
Getting big, bossy and bratty.  Oh my I have no idea how I will survive these two in puberty.  OY VEY.  Katie is getting so bossy but she's so pretty and smart and confident.  Karly is very shy but funny and energetic.  She laughs a lot.  They are excited about their birthday and vacation.  We've told them all the fun stuff we were going to do.  They keep saying "July 14!" cause that's when both things happen.

Me.
I took tomorrow off.  Meds aren't working much anymore and I'm becoming more anxious and irritable.  I'm finding myself getting trapped into things.  I'm going to talk to my dr tomorrow.  I'm going to ask him to either put me back on xanax or up my dosage.  I take such a low dose now.  I'm not sure why I'm getting worse again but I think it's a mix of burn up and I just want to go the hell home.  


50 Shades.
I sat down and started reading "Fifty Shades of Grey" despite my better judgment.  I did enjoy the book once I was passed all those "parts" I didn't find entertaining.  Honestly, some girls want him!  He's a fictional character that got his rocks off my beating and dominating women.  I don't understand the attraction.  The two characters did find a great love and THAT I liked.  I hated the ending.  However, It was a love story and a very good one at that.  I'm glad I spent 4 days reading 3 books snuggled in my bed by my lamp.  I am so tired but I'm done :) .

I wanted to post some pics but ya'll seen them on FB I'm sure haha :)

A beautiful day in the neighborhood :)

As the girls are marinading in the tub (don't worry, they are being watched) I though I'd blog about our great day.

We got up this morning and had breakfast then packed for the zoo. I haven't been to the zoo with them by myself before. I wasn't really sure how to get to this zoo but we figured it out and had an awesome time. They were very well behaved and .... I had to get them out of the tub so I lost my train of thought .. hmmm Oh yeah. We went to lunch and went home.

They passed out in the car but as soon as we got home, they woke up. When Donald got home we decided to take a bus to Hoboken and let the girls play in the sandpit at Frank Sinatra Park. Yeah the sandpit grosses me out a bit if I think about it, so I don't. I let the girls play all they wanted . .. for 3 hours. We shared a Ritas Geletini (juicy pear, yumm!) and went to Tunes, a second hand music store. While waiting for the bus I ran in and bought a bottle of water to rinse the girls hands and faces. They were so dirty (thus the marinading in the tub).

This was the girls first and second time on a bus. They loved it. Of course they didn't understand why they had to sit down so that was an issue but it was less than 5 minutes so it wasn't too bad.

The weather was perfect as well. I love Spring. Such a beautiful season.

Work has so many things coming up as well. This coming week we are spending the week celebrating the Young Child with things like silly hat and sock day, ice cream sundae day, costume day, picnic day and pajama day. We are also learning the letter P so I thought a Pasta Party would tie up the lesson just fine. That should be great. All the parents signed up to bring something. We are planning a Mothers Day snack party and so far 100% of the moms are attending. I was worried some moms wouldn't be able to make it and I felt bad but it doesn't look to be the case.

I am having a hard time with the menu though. I thought about decorating cupcakes but I have egg allergies, so I thought mini english muffin fruit pizzas would be yummy. I also thought a chocolate/pretzel snack mix would be good but who knows. Anyway for the fruit pizzas I thought we'd start with a toasted english muffin, strawberry cream cheese and strawberries and blueberries on top.

I'm open to ideas :)

Happy Easter :)

We've had such a blessed Easter weekend. On Friday, we went shopping. We got the girls some new sneakers and I got a new wallet (yay) and they girls and hubby got some new clothing. Shopping is always fun :)

On Saturday, a few of my friends and I got together to go see Mirror, Mirror and lunch at Panera. No kids. Nobody needing anything for 4 hours. It was nice. The movie was so good. I'm a huge Julia Roberts fan and even though she was evil in this movie, I still loved her and her character :) Lunch was so yummy. Half a sandwich and some creamy broccoli cheddar soup.. yum-o. I even snuck home an orange scone and ate it after the girls went to bed.

When I got home, we took the girls to the park for a few hours. They played soccer, blew bubbles and ran around. They were exhausted. We came home, made a quick dinner, gave the girls a bath and within 3 minutes of laying down, they and were out.

Today I took the girls on a picnic. It was so windy but they had fun. It's a pretty big park, on a hill next to a river. So pretty but I lost Karly. We were with another family we are close with and I was watching the older kids play ball while Karly and Katie sat next to me having a few sips. A few minutes later, I look over and I realize Karly is gone. I leave Katie and go running towards the play area and I see her climbing a large rock wall. She turns around, looks at me and waves. Thank goodness she was safe and sound but it was kind of a wake up call. Sometimes one gets too comfortable and lets their guard down and nowadays it seems like there is someone evil waiting for that moment.

We went to a friends house afterwards for some food and an egg hunt. All in all it was a pretty good day.

Now some pics :)

I'm dreaming of vacation. ..

This year we've planned out a fun filled vacation for our little family of 4. We plan on visiting as usual but our girls are older and spending our family vacation sitting on ppls sofas doesn't sound like fun when you think about it.

We are always so busy working and trying to get through our day. This year we plan on slowing down, sleeping, letting the girls really explore and play.

I'm thinking of dipping our toes in the Roubideux. A river so clear you can see the bottom. We did it last year as an after thought and it was a little too cool because it was dark.

An overnight trip to St. Louis. We are heading out early to see a Cardinals game. Donald is really excited to do this. Katie is too. Karly and I are thinking "July. In Missouri. In a packed stadium. During the day." Yeeeeeaaaaah :)

Also during our trip to St. Louis we will be taking the girls to the St. Louis Zoo. It's a pretty big zoo. My mom and sister and maybe some other family are meeting us up there. Other than parking, it's free. Can't beat free.

Our Family reunion. Everyone agreed to change it so we could attend. That was very thoughtful of them. I haven't been to a reunion in years.

The girls Birthday party :) I can't believe they are turning 4. How in the world did that happen?

The incredible pizza place. Nuff said :) We love that place. We are meeting my dad there to celebrate the girls' birthday with him since he doesn't do anything family related.

Anyway that's 2 weeks of awesomeness.

In other news, I went to get a mani today and I asked my mother in law to watch the girls. Well I'm pretty sure my parenting skills won't be getting judged anytime soon :)

Karlys been having this issue of screaming when she gets embarrassed, is tired, can't get what she wants etc. Donald and I ignore her. We will walk over her and leave the room if needed. We will not feed in to it or try to stop her. It only gets worse when we do. We get judged each time.

Wellll today Karly did this to my mother in law for the first time and mother in law wasn't happy. So I politely said "Now you know it's not us and why we ignore her" she replied with "that's terrible" Am I wrong? Thought not.

Happy Easter :)

Thinking out loud..

or in writing..

Today I was at work and I couldn't help but think that I've been in this profession for awhile now and I'm beginning to realize that the kids behaviors are getting worse. Children are getting to "Rule the roost". They have no boundaries and are undisciplined. Of course they are all perfect in their own little way but I spend more time in my room breaking up fights, tending to battle wounds and discipling than anything else. What's the deal?

I'm so exhausted and worn down when I get home. Who wants to say they just spend the last 10 hours putting 2 year olds in time out? I try to use positive enforcement .. a lot. I try to ignore the minor and do redirection but it's on going.

They older they get the more disrespectful they get. I love my class. I love the kids, I do but this just has to stop. I walk in every single morning with a smile and a great attitude and 3 hours later I'm done.

Of course I blame myself. Maybe I'm doing something wrong. What can I do better tomorrow? I plan it out, I put it into action and sometimes it works but most of the time it doesn't. I don't know this is just my thoughts at the moment.

Tonight when we got home, the girls and I walked to the park. I just sat on the bench with my ear buds in and watched the girls run around. I needed some time alone but the girls didn't deserve to sit inside on such a beautiful day so I got what I needed and they go what they needed. It was a win win.

Katie doesn't need surgery thank goodness. She has a mild snore but it isn't affecting her in any way so we are good. Karly is doing very well.

Vacation is coming in 3.5 months. The girls are super excited. We told them all about vacation. We are going to a cardinals game, a family reunion, the st louis zoo, to see their grammy, GG and their cousins and it all starts on their birthday. Yep, their 4th Birthday. We are planning a huge birthday party for them back home. Should be fun fun fun. I can't wait :)

I guess that's everything on my mind. I still want to lose 35 pounds but that ain't happening. Of the 50 I wanted to lose this year, I've lost 15 :( ... boo.

An update on us :)

Okay so my computer had to go to the doctor to get fixed and that took forever. I can blog from my phone but that is a total PIA so I haven't been blogging.

Things have been going okay. Katie is pushing her limits and acting like a spoiled brat, Karly is still on cloud 7 chasing butterflies as usual. I had a follow up with my doc and he said to continue with the meds. No reason to stop the paxil. I've lost 15 pounds (been going up and down 5 pounds but I've lost it).

We spent a wonderful day at the park today. It was beautiful outside. Just needed a long sleeve shirt and a sweater and you were good. We even got in a game of soccer. We left to have lunch then went back to the park. I got home and made some tomato soup with pasta and meat (seasoned with onions, salt and pepper) with broccoli and then we had a bomb pop (remember those) and then the girls got a nice hot bath and got scrubbed brushed and slipped into jammies before being tossed in to bed and asleep two minutes later. That was worth the day in the sun.

Katie had her sleep study done. She did very well. Our appointment to get the results is thursday. The nurse said I didn't need to worry about anything so that is good. The sleep study was to decide if she needs to have her tonsils and adenoids taken out so we'll see.

Karly is good. There really isn't anything different with her. She's still goofy and laughs a lot. She got those thingys for her shoes and doesn't like them much. She's been feeling pretty good. She still has a morning cough thing going but all in all she's good.

Vacation is around the corner. Mid summer hurry up lol.

Work is work and that is for another day.

Rants and some pictures :)

I have so many thought bubbles I don't know which one to pop first. Lets start with the recent and work my way back.

Sundays
Sundays used to be this great day we spent as a family. Then Donalds boss asked him to start filling in on Sundays, running the department. As much as I like that he's been given this responsibility, I miss spending the day as a family.

Work
I was informed that I will most likely NOT be in toddlers next year. I always knew this was a possibility. If the new teacher this year didn't work out, I would have to let her have the toddlers back and I would move up. It's not horrible but I really, really like toddlers. Oh and I'll have the same kids I have this year hahahahaha oy vey :)

Katie
Katie caught a cold, then was diagnosed with Nasal Impetigo. We treated it and went to the specialist and she told us that Katies adenoids and tonsils were enlarged and that she may have trouble breathing at night. We have to do a sleep study then talk about surgery to have her adenoids and tonsils removed. Not really looking forward to Katie having another surgery (#3!) but I will do what I have to do to make sure she's healthy (and breathing right). Last weekend, Karlys podiatrist mentioned that we should make an appt for Katie to be seen when Karly comes back for her orthodics.

Karly
Karly was fitted for her orthodics last weekend. That was pretty painless. She'll go pick them up in a few weeks. They go inside her shoes for the foreseeable future. They will correct her flat feet and turn her left foot out (it points in). She has a hoarse cough and breathing today so I think she may of got what Katie had even though we kept them separated.

Me
I've been anxious the last week or so but if you've been reading you might understand. I used to have such a steady grasp on everything and now when one part of my nicely stacked life goes, everything seems to go and I lose it. I've taken the xanax when needed and I am still on the paxil although this is my last month. I'm going to call the dr and tell him I'm not ready to go off of it. Not sure if it's fear but I think if I still need the xanax from time to time for minor things, going off the paxil may not be the best idea.

Now for super cuteness!!

I have a girl crush ..

on Katy Perry haha .. Just thought I'd throw that out there. :)

The girls have been feeling pretty good and have been eating really good. I can't believe that they are actually eating veggies. They are eating what is served at dinner. I make simple dishes like chicken, peas and carrots and potatoes but they are eating it.

The other night I made steak with Gemelli and broccoli and they ate the whole thing. It was nice to see them eat. It's not like I want them to clean their plates. I just want them to eat what they want. They always get a treat and we base that treat on what they eat. If they eat a little, then they get a fruit. If they eat good, we'll give them a little something sweet.

I've been feeling really good. More energized and happy. I do my makeup, fix my hair daily. Those two alone are huge changes. Today I added jewelry. Everyone noticed. It was just a necklace but you get the picture. Things are going so well.

My class. I haven't said much about them lately. They are so good. Yep. My group that I was sure would make my year suck. It was teamwork. We had to pull together and make it work. It took a lot of give and take, a whole bunch of repetition, a little discipline but we've managed to work things out.

They aren't perfect and some days I wanna pull my hair out (who wouldn't some days with 14 2 year olds lol) but I love them all to pieces.

It's funny how things work out ..

Last night I decided to clean. Really clean. You know, the "pull out everything from under the bed, out of the closet, check and clean under every piece of furniture" clean. Yeah I got this idea at 7. I got the bedrooms done and even pulled out the girls area rug to throw it away. The dr thinks we should get rid of all carpets/rugs because of the girls' asthma. Thank goodness we have hard wood floors throughout the house.

Anyway when I was done with this I put the girls in bed and I went to bed to watch "Life As We Know It". Haven't seen it? You HAVE to watch it. So good. Well half way into the movie, I hear a little voice. "Mommy, can I lay in bed with you and watch your movie?". Sure why not. Well one thing led to another and we were giggling and doing our nails. It was so much fun and so natural.

After I finally got Katie to sleep (at the end of New Moon), I started thinking how different my life would of been had God answered my prayers. If you remember, I prayed for a boy or two boys and I begged and pleaded to Him not to give me two girls. Funny that at 26 weeks I found out God totally ignored me.

I can't imagine having boys now. I believe I truly got what I was meant to have. Two little girls. They love having their hair done, pretty dresses and cute shoes. They also love playing in the dirt with their favorite cars and trucks.

He knew my fears about being a mom to girls and I guess he knew better. We have a great relationship and we get closer the older they get.

In other news

Last night I broke my frickin' tooth. Well I didn't, the carrot did. Now I've known all along that I have a cavity in this tooth but I don't have dental insurance and dentists are expensive and I just kept putting it off. I'll sadly be going to see a dentist tomorrow morning, bright and early :( boo!

Sickness ..

UGH

Girls are still sick. Katie has more of a cold than anything but Karly has a fever every other day. The doctor isn't sure if we should do antibiotics or not because it seems like a virus but then it seems like it might be bacterial. She wrote me a prescription for an antibiotic but told me to hold off. Her fever went away but she has a horrible cough. The dr mentioned that the left side of her chest sounded very coarse and that her cough wasn't good.

So she has no fever but a bad cough. I have to call tomorrow to see if we start the med. I'm not sending her to school tomorrow because I have no idea if she's well or not.

A month ago I caught a cold and I haven't been able to get rid of it. It sucks big time and I'm ready to start feeling better.

However, I'm almost off the xanax. I had to take one the other day but I had gone without one for over a week.

I'm going back on a diet tomorrow. Should be loads of fun. 35 pounds is my goal but I'll take 5 :)

Something I've wanted to blog for a while ..

I've written a post like this one a few times then deleted it because, well I don't know, I was afraid it would sound like a bunch of babbling but I think I'm gonna write it and actually post it ..

Childhood.

When I was growing up I thought I had a pretty awesome childhood. Grew up in the country, on a farm. Could go anywhere my feet could take me. Long bike rides down the dirt road. Leaving home in the morning and running home at lunch to scarf down a hotdog and some kool-aid before disappearing again and coming in covered in dirt when it got dark. Eating dinner and taking a swim in the tub before getting ready for bed. Those were the days. It didn't matter that my dad obviously had something wrong with him that made him cranky all the time and my mom seemed depressed all the time.

As I got older and my mom had more kids, I had more responsibilities. I had to take care of the younger two, go to school and do my chores but life was still pretty awesome.

It wasn't until I got older (12) and my parents split and I had to decide between the two that things seemed to change. Do I want to stay with my dad and continue my life in one place or move to another place and be with my mom and siblings? In the beginning I didn't get a choice. My brothers moved in with my dad and me and my sister moved with my mom. Then my mom moved us to IOWA (hate that state) and I started wondering if I was really happy.

I rebelled and started hating everything about my life. I would watch what other people had and would hate that I didn't have it. I went to live with my dad and then ran away to live with my mom and eventually didn't live anywhere. Just stayed with whoever or whatever friends mom said I could. I managed to graduate with my grandparents help.

I moved way too far away to go to this college knowing I didn't have what it took. No car, no money, no job but what the heck right? I'd lived through this "horrible" childhood I could do anything. I tried. I failed. I went home to welcome arms. Wait. What?

I'd just left all these "horrible" people that ruined my life and they were just waiting there for my to come home when I needed to. I'd ran away from my mom and my dad in the middle of the night with just a note on my pillow each time. Never bothering to call.

Each time I ran off to do something stupid (like moving 2 hours away to live with my true love that eventually dumped me, leaving me alone in a strange place) they would just welcome me back.

I started seeing a therapist and a psychiatrist. I was angry about everything and eventually attempted.. well we'll leave that poor lapse in judgement be. Eventually I felt better and moved back home. That's when I decided to give college another try. I did another semester and moved back home but this time I'd met this wonderful guy that went by the name Donald.

I helped my mom take care of the kids when she found out she had 25+ tumors in her uterus. I started working at a daycare (found out that I finally was really good at something) but I was still miserable.

I was only too happy when Donald asked me to come live with him. I broke my parents hearts and left my siblings to move 1100 miles away to "Live my dream" and you know what? They let me go. They wanted me to stay but they wanted me to be happy.

Now that I'm a mom I've learned a few things ..

1. My parents always did what they thought was best
2. I was a pain in the ass
3. I've always been loved
4. I did actually have an awesome childhood
5. I am all that I am because of my family
6. My parents really did know everything and I didn't know as much as I thought I did
   

When I look back now I don't see the hard times only the good. My parents tried to give us a good life even if it didn't seem like it. They did what they could with what they had and at times it wasn't very much.

Those little conversations ..

I'm sitting on the living room floor with Karly and I hear from the bathroom ..

"Mommy! I got some pee on my panties"
"Okay Katie, I'll be right there just take them off"
"But Mommy I peed on my underwear"
"I know Katie, I'll be right there"
"But Mommy they are wet and I pooped in my pajamas"

She then comes running in the room with her pants around her ankles.

"Mommy, I peed in my underwear and pooped in my pajamas."
"Katie, get back in the bathroom"
"But Mommy, I got poop on my finger."

Yeah .. lol

New Years Eve..

We went out to dinner tonight. It was very nice. We haven't been out for awhile. The girls sat in the chairs. No high chair or booster. That took a little getting used to haha. They sat like little ladies and even put a napkin on their lap like mommy did. It was cute. Karly stole my knife when I turned to help Katie and when I tried to get it back she moved her arm away from me. Donald tried to grab it and she nearly stabbed herself in the face. Scared the crap out of us. I got her to give me the knife by using a line from my parents "If you don't give it to me now, we are going into the bathroom and you're getting a smack on the butt." She gave me the knife then yelled at the top of lungs "You're not my best friend anymore mommy!". At least she no longer had the knife.

I had to take the girls to the dr for a horrible cough. She told me it was because of household cleaners and she gave them steroids. Tonight Karly has a 102. I called her on call line like she told me too and still haven't gotten a response.


We are letting the girls stay up as long as they will and tomorrow we are hoping they are sleeping in. Donald has to work and my mother in law is going to watch them so I can go shopping with a friend. Nothing like a little retail therapy to start the New Year :)

Happy New Year! Have a safe and fun one!

More changes..

I've started noticing the changes in myself.

I am still having trouble starting the day but I'm never ready to end the day. I used to be so exhausted by the end of the day that I didn't want to be bothered and I'd go straight to bed. I have more energy.


I am happier. Nothing seems to bother me nearly as much and the nerve everyone seemed to enjoy jumping on seems to of numbed or something.

I no longer want to leave my husband. This was something I had a lot of trouble coming out with. I wanted a divorce. I thought I no longer loved him. I didn't know if it was because I was going through so much on the inside and he never understood or seemed to try to help or what but I thought a divorce was the best option. Now that I feel better I can't believe I thought that. He knows what I was thinking. I'd said it to him many times. He's stayed strong and loyal and I love him for that.

Peace ..

Today I miss my family but I realized something ..

That heavy weight is gone. Today is beautiful. It's not just Christmas. I feel like someone else. My old self.

Yesterday we went to my best friends house. We've gone there for Christmas Eve since I've moved here. She has two kids, I have two kids. We cook, we open gifts, we have a little wine, we laugh, we just have fun. Last night was no different.

We baked cookies with the girls and made these great snowballs (rice krispie balls rolled in powdered sugar). We had tons of food. I played Twilight with my "Niece" and another friend. I won, of course, lol.

The kids played Dance Party or some kind of dance game on the Wii. The girls had no idea what they were doing but with all the giggling it didn't even matter.

This morning they opened their gifts. We got them those Figits that are way overpriced but that was the hit of the day. They like their LeapPads but not as much. They like the baby crib and their slippers.

It's been a very good day.

Merry Christmas and I hope everyone reading has a blessed New Year.

This might be long .. :)

You can't say I didn't warn you :) I thought maybe I should update my blog on how my girls are doing since this blog is technically about them.

Katie

Wow. Katie has some personality. She's very strong willed, stubborn, extremely bright and funny .. well most of the time SHE thinks she's funny. She has started with the "I don't love you anymore .. " That's always awesome to hear. Her two favorite songs are "Moves like Jagger" and "Red Solo Cup" I know I know, I'm an awesome mother haha. She heard the Jagger song on tv and started dancing to it. It was so funny we just kept playing the song and now she can sing the chorus. It's so funny. I love "Red Solo Cup" so that's how she caught one. She walks around singing "Red solo cup, I lift you up, lets have a party... mommy what do we do at the party?" haha

She's also picked up on a few accidentally used words. One night I was in a particularly bad mood and Karly spilled her milk on the rug. I said "Are you F** kidding me?" under my breath and Katie heard it and repeated it. A few days later I was coming her hair before school and she saw the new bottle of soap on the sink and said "Mommy, why is the F** soap blue?" I was stuck between mortified and laughing my butt off. I don't think it's cute for kids to curse and after we had a talk, she hasn't used it again, thank goodness, but it's reminded me that my little sponges don't miss a thing.

She's learning Spanish and sign language. She's picking it up very quickly. Something new for us is when we say a word she tries to tell us what letters she hears in the word. She gets the first letter right 100% of the time and tries for the others. She has had no behavioral issues lately at school. No hitting, so that's good. I was worried that what was going on with me was going to have an effect on her. She's always been my little shadow. I can tell it has but it's not something we can't work through. She gets nervous when I'm around. Like she doesn't know if I'm in a good mood or not. Tonight I was laying in bed and she walked in. I asked her to come snuggle with me. She laid with me but then started licking me. I asked her to stop, she kept going. I moved her away from me and she just looked at me then she stopped and then we snuggled again for a minute then she left. I felt bad but that's yucky. She's also doing things for extra attention. Like when you ask her to do something or a question she'll give you the word that rhymes or some made up word as an answer. I asked her what she learned at school today she said "Red is Azul!" Nowhere near correct and she never told me even though she knows. I don't know.

She is really excited for Christmas. She can't wait to open presents.

Karly

My second one .. born 5 minutes later :) Karly is that child you see out in the field picking flowers and chasing butterflies. Never bothers you for anything. She's so bright, sweet and a bit shy. She is also very sensitive. She doesn't really play with anyone but she has "friends". She's not really a joiner but wants to be included in a little way. She has a good heart and it breaks easily. I don't know how many times I've seen "that look" lately. The one that says "You just hurt my feelings" and it's for everything. She's also been having a lot of accidents. She seems fine, happy. She is sleeping good. She has a bad cold. I just wonder if that has something to do with it.

I can't believe how sweet she is. She is always polite. Please, Thank You .. all of them. Tonight I sneezed she said "Bless you" and I replied "Thank You" and she replied "You're Welcome." That's just how she is. She gives the best hugs. At least I think so. I'm the only one she'll actually hug. It makes it all the more special. She has never repeated a bad word. It makes me wonder. The other day they were learning the letter F. She said "Forks" and the teachers thought she said .. well you know. The called me and I said she's saying forks. The agreed. Had it of been Katie, well I'd of though she actually said something else.

Karly just seems so grown up and still babyish at the same time. She still has her chubby cheeks, the soft curly hair, her little nose but her mannerisms are not baby. The way she sits, the way she eats, her speech, the way she looks at you. She's got a great heart. I love watching her with her babies. She is so gentle with them. She takes very good care of them.

She is also excited for Christmas as well. I think this one will be the best yet.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Me

Tonight I did dinner and then went to lay down. My body is aching. I'm tired. Christmas is coming. I'm so conflicted about Christmas. I should be happy I get to spend it with my husband and my girls but I want my mom and my dad brothers, sisters nieces nephews grandparents ..

I have the song ".. Home is where i want to be on Christmas and home is so many miles away.." stuck in my head. It breaks my heart. I haven't seen my family on Christmas since Dec '99. I'm getting stuck in that instead of where I should be.

So tonight I went to bed and cried for a minute then got up. Gave them a shower, vitamins brushed teeth combed hair and then my girls and I sat next to the Christmas tree in the dark and looked at the lights. We talked about the star and the colors and what we would do Christmas morning and then we went up to bed. It was a very sweet moment. I'm where I need to be.

My Blessings .. (no particular order)

My kids
My husband
A roof
A car
A job (I love!)
My kids have food, clothes and good health
My huge family.. although they are spread out and not where I can see them, I know in my heart they think of me often and want me with them every bit as much as I want to be with them and that is enough for now.

New York Adventure

We took the path train to 33rd street. We walked to the Macy's. Their window display this year was a bit weird. I remember my first trip it was Miracle on 34th Street. This year it was these white puppet ladies. No idea what they were about and there were too many people waiting to read all the writing on the windows but it was still fun to watch.

This was another window. The other side of Macy's has "Yes, Virginia" as a theme but I didn't get any pics and it was getting dark.

The New Year Ball. The picture didn't come out very pretty but it was blue and sparkly in the sun.

The girls and Times Square.

The tree.

We actually made it right up to the tree. There were so many people. Katie loved the ice skaters. I didn't get a pic of that either.



Katie was so excited to go to the NHL store. By the time we got there she was passed out. We woke her up and she picked out a rangers key chain. Karly stayed asleep.

We saw this as we were headed down to the subway. I just happened to look up and it really touched me. I had to stop and take a picture. It's on the Macy's building. It's huge.

There were three things we didn't get to do. 1. Go into Macy's. I love going up to the 7th floor. They have the original escalator and it's made of wood and it's rickety. Love it. 2. Buy an ornament. We always go to their christmas department and buy an overpriced ornament. 3. Go into the Hard Rock Cafe and buy a shot glass for a special someone.

We had a great time and now that we know how easy it is to get them in and out of the city I'm sure we'll be going back once it warms up. Our next goal is Central Park and the Central Park Zoo.

New York City

This morning we got up and dressed and took the girls to see the tree for the first time.

We drove the 10 minutes to Hoboken, parked in a garage and walked the three blocks to the path train and took the 12 minute train ride to the city.

It's really a shame we haven't done it before now. It's got to be a sin to live so close so such a remarkable place and never go. There is nothing like new York city at Christmastime.

I will post more and pictures such tomorrow.

We knew this wasn't going to get better overnight, right?

Ugh. Ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ..

Okay So I was feeling pretty good on Monday. Almost passed out twice on Tuesday. Why? Because I was feeling so "normal" that I skipped the Xanax.

In my defense, I've felt lousy for so long that the second I didn't, I assumed I was better. That I was back to normal. I didn't realize that I was feeling better because of the meds.

I started taking them again on Wednesday, three times a day and the Paxil at night (Never stopped that) and I am still feeling pretty good. That is until I get home.

The car ride home is more than I can take. The girls fight, they yell, they are both talking at once .. After work I need a few minutes of quiet. So I talk to them about their day, or try to.

I can be honest, right? I don't care how their days are right now. I only care that we survived it. I hug them when I pick them up and look them over, I kiss them. I ask the teacher how their day was and then I'm done. I don't care about anything else. I don't want to hear about anything else. I half listen to their chatter/fighting/yelling/crying with clinched teeth and twice I've put in my earbuds and listened to music from my ipod. Now I feel horrible, but it's still true.

When we get home I try really hard to stay in the same room but I end up walking about to hide in the bedroom. Just for a few minutes. Donald makes dinner or his mother does. We eat together. I give them a shower, get them dressed and put them in bed. I go through the routines but I don't feel it.

I know I love my kids and see how this is affecting them. It is. It really is. Katie has a horrible attitude. Karly cries all the time for every little thing. Katie tells us she doesn't love us anymore. She tells her daddy "I don't like you". She clings to me and cries for no obvious reasons. Karly sucks her thumb and starts crying over the smallest things.

This is hurting my kids and I can't stop it. I can't make myself be who I want to be. The words "Think about finding a psychiatrist" came out of my drs mouth. He may be right. He probably is right.

I would give anything to be my old self. The self that stood strong and survived my childhood. The self that has everything that matters in life. The self that used to want to spend every single moment with her children because they were the most important part of her life.

...and I've lost almost 20 pounds in the last 2 weeks :(

When will I be me again??

I feel human ..

One day at a time. Some times are up some are down but progress is what's important. This morning I woke up anxious. Donald has been working every single weekend. One of my issues was that I can't get a break.

I get up with my 2 in the morning, drop them off in their classroom then walk to my classroom and await my 14 other children. I spend all day with those 14 then walk to the girls classroom and get my 2 then go home where I make dinner and get them cleaned up, in bed and then I get quiet time to get ready for the next day.

On the weekends, Donald goes to work and I have my 2 all day by myself. Never a break from answering to "Mommy" or "Ms. Tina". I have kids 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

However, I've realized I don't want a break from the life I wanted. I've just been feeling overwhelmed. I like my life. I love my kids (all 16 of them) and I love my job.

Tonight I actually had an idea to take the kids to the light festival at the zoo. There were some animals out and lots of lights. I did take a 3.5 hour nap this afternoon with the girls. The Xanax makes me really sleepy. When I woke up, I didn't go for the pills. I told Donald my idea and he said lets go. I didn't have any anxiety about leaving the house. I didn't have to talk myself into it. We just got ready and went.

And we had fun. The kids didn't irritate me. That's another thing. Everything the girls were doing was getting under my skin. Every time they said "Mommy" I would cringe. It wasn't them exactly, it was the fact that I just wanted to be left alone. I didn't feel any of that tonight. I haven't had any Xanax since this morning and I got them dressed for bed and still didn't feel anxious.

I am getting better. :)

Paxil, Xanax, music and sleep..

Those 4 things combined are making life smooth. Yesterday I was so sleepy but I felt peace. I was able to concentrate and focus. I smiled because I wanted to. I fell asleep at 8 and woke up at 6 still feeling pretty good. I only took half a Xanax this morning. Not the best idea but I'm still okay. Im supposed to use the Xanax as a helper not to become dependent on it.

I'm looking forward to the weekend. We have nothing planned so that will be nice.

Not a good day ..

I woke up this morning not feeling so well. I picked up myself up and bed, showered, got the girls ready.. you know, the usual.

I dropped them off in their room and went to work. I kept breaking out into a sweat. It was so difficult to do what I needed to d. It was obvious to me that I was having anxiety attacks. During the day, they kept getting worse. I asked the nurse if dropping a bunch of weight quickly could make one feel unsteady. I've lost 10 pounds since last week :(


She asked me to eat something so I did. At 330 I bent down to remove one of the kids art smocks. I stood up and something was wrong. I called for my assistant and todl her something wasn't right. About ten seconds later, I was passed out on the floor. 911 was called and I was taken by ambulance to the hospital.

After blood work and an EKG it was determined that I most likely had a severe anxiety attack causing my body to shut down. Scary as hell.

I'm in bed tonight. They gave me the highest dose of xanax to combine with my paxil and the girls are having their first sleep over at my friends house. I miss them but I think all the meds are keeping my anxieties about that a bay.

ugh

OH, There's the sun ..

Things seem brighter. Much brighter.

The medicine still needs time to build up to take affect but I've come to terms with myself and we decided to do one day at a time. I've rediscovered my love for music. I even put some songs on my iPod. Something I haven't taken time to do. Actually I haven't taken the time to do anything for myself in a long time.

I only have about 10 songs on it but that's enough. One song I'm in love with right now is "Flightless Bird, American Mouth" by Iron and Wine. I heard it in a movie and the lyrics are weird but the melody is beautiful and it's relaxing.

I'm also back into reading. This isn't one I gave up but it's taken a back seat to life. It's something I enjoy doing and I'm going to do.

This morning wasn't a bad one. Yesterday was worse. Donald has been working during my break from work so I've had the girls. Yesterday I went to a friends house so I wouldn't be alone with the girls but I go so anxious we came home early and we all took a nap. Today I had to take Karly to the dr. She has a sinus infection and an ear infection but she's on meds now so she will feel better soon.

I was able to leave the house and I didn't feel anxious that much. When I did I just focused on music and I felt better. Music was always my go-to when I was younger and needed to find a calm.

I'm taking my friends 11 year old (my adopted niece) to see Breaking Dawn this afternoon. I promised her mother I'd cover her eyes when they needed to be.

Tomorrow the girls are getting their Christmas photos done :) I'm not crazy about their dresses but they look cute and I wanted to get functional dresses this year instead of paying crazy prices for something they'll wear once, like I do every year :)

Okay so for today the sun is shining, I'm smiling and life isn't so bad.

Charting progress

Today I took a mental day. My friend came and picked the girls up for school and Donald went to work. I had 9 hours of peace and quiet. I watched movies, talked to a few friends.. You know ME things.

It was a pretty calm day. I wasn't able to keep food in my stomach so today was day four of that but I did find comfort in a few cups of hot tea. I had a few anxiety attacks but nothing crazy. I know it will take time but all will be better.


**Lane Family I can't find your blog anymore :(.

I've been dx .. what do i do now?

Okay things have been going downhill. Fast. I still hadn't sought treatment for those feelings I was having .. until today.

Something happened at work between my boss and I. She wants me to switch lesson plans around. This weekend was a bad one for me. Spent most of it in bed. Didn't want to be a mom or a wife. Couldn't eat. Woke up feeling worse.

I turned and looked at her then shut the door in her face. Everyone that knows me knows I am NEVER disrespectful. It's not in blood. I can't disrespect anyone and I won't. Today I did and I did it with as much of myself as I could and I as soon as I got to my room, a sub came in because I was to report to the office asap.

My boss said I looked at her with no emotion and that I should go to the dr and seek treatment. I yelled at her. I've been trying to get off work for months now to go.

I have PPD. I was dx when the the girls were 6 months or so I believe and I took the meds for the month but felt better.

I know I've been off for awhile but I consider myself strong. I can take it. I put it in my huge "bucket" and carried it around. I know my old therapist would say "Your bucket tipped today, huh?" I started crying. I cried most of the day. I left the girls at school and went to see "Breaking Dawn" (which I LOVED btw and Eclipse is my FAVE!).

*and NO I won't be waiting in no crazy lines ;)

I know I'm a good mom and I know I'm a good teacher. I assume that what happened with V and his arm might of pushed me off the edge. I'm on a larger dose of meds than I've ever been on but I trust my dr.

I just want to feel myself again. I'm so over this depression thing.

OMG .. The Twilight Saga..

How was I not informed on how great these books are?? Well I'm almost through Twilight but I'm assuming they just get better?!

My infatuation, if you will, started last Wednesday night. On Wednesday nights, I stay up way past my bedtime to watch "American Horror Story" (so good!) and it comes on at 10. The week before, I fell asleep and Donald woke me up at 10 and I was groggy and sleepy and didn't really pay attention to the show so this week I was determined to stay up.

I was flipping through the channels and stopped on FX (the channel AHS is on) and Twilight was starting. I decided to stop on that because as soon as it was over my show would be on.

Okay first, yes the acting is a bit off. I can't even lie and say I loved the acting. However, I loved the story. I wish it went into it a bit more but it was a good movie. I enjoyed it. My friend suggested I read the books. I downloaded Twilight to my Nook and wow, I'm impressed. I love the book. It goes into so much detail. Tomorrow I'm going to watch New Moon and Eclipse and then next weekend I'm going (alone!) to watch Breaking Dawn :)

So excited :)

How in the world have these girls only been in my life for 3 years??

Three years isn't a long time but if feels like they've been in my life forever. I was looking through photos today, the girls each need photos for an upcoming art project at school, and I realized a few things.
1. I take a lot of pictures.
2. They've had a pretty awesome three years.
3. Time is going really fast.

I look at a certain photo, like my new header photo and I think "I remember everything about that day." I do. We were getting ready to go out to dinner with a really good friend so she could meet the girls for the first time. It was three years ago but I remember the day like it was yesterday.

I think we took a picture of everything. There are photos of almost every single day they've been alive. Silly pictures like a picture of Katie and the tower of blocks. I was so excited she built tower 6 blocks high, I took a picture. One day she was teething on a toy but she looked so darn cute I took the photo.

We also took pictures of everything we've done as a family. They've done a lot. I think we've done more with our kids than my parents ever did with us. In every photo they look like they had so much fun and that makes me feel proud. Like we are doing a good job at this parenting thing.

Time is going to so fast though. In just three years they've gone from infants to these little girls with huge personalities. They talk like little adults. They are silly and such great sense of humors and are just so much fun. They are loving and caring and funny and yes, sometimes a bit stubborn and bratty, but I am so proud of the little ladies they are turning into.

Fridays Show and Tell theme is "Thanksgiving". I couldn't think of any suggestions so I asked Katie "Kate, what you are thankful for?" Thinking this would be a good idea. She replied "I'm thankful for all my dolls, mommy." Okay. "Karly, what are you thankful for?" In her sweet, sweet voice she replied "I'm thankful for my Mommy and Daddy." Awwwww!!!!

So I asked her if she wanted to take a picture of her family for show and tell and she said yes :) Katie? Well we are still working on that.

There was no point in this post but to talk about my girls and how much happiness they've brought to my life. I am so very thankful that I get to be their mommy.

Katherine and Karly, I love you so very, very much.

I'm the worst.person.ever.

There's a two year old that had surgery this morning having a pin placed in his arm after breaking it under my care.

Yes children fall. Yes children get hurt. Yes sometimes they break bones, bust lips and bump heads.

This is my first broken bone in 12 years.

Friday afternoon we went on the playground. One of the other teachers brought a little boy named L over to me. He had bumped into another child and had a bruise on his face. As I was attending to him, another one of my children fell off of the dinosaur. I didn't see but another staff member did.

Rules state that if you see a child get hurt you are responsible for doing first aid, alerting the nurse and filing the accident/incident. Being that I was already dealing with one injury and didn't see the second, the staff member checked him out and sent him to me. I was sitting with an ice pack on L's face and V came over crying and sat in my lap.

He sat there for a few moments and got up and ran off. I assumed he was okay. A 100 children (including Karly) have fallen off the dinosaur. It's a small plastic sit on toy.

V is normally an emotional child and does cry a lot. He wants milk, he cries, he wakes up from nap crying, someone gets picked up he walks over them crying. The director walks in he starts crying .. you get the point.

When we came in, I had a child P, that was having some behavioral issues. I was trying to deal with P not listening, V crying and I had to write L's report and do music, notify the nurse the report was written and parents were picking up. It was stressful. V was still crying off and on, nothing crazy. Nothing that made me think he was in pain. When I asked him what was wrong, he just said "I want Mommy".

His mom came in and I told her he fell but didn't see to have any injuries but just needed some extra TLC. She said that she'd give him some milk and he'd be okay.
She came back in a few minutes later and said that she forgot her keys. She got her keys and left.

Apparently while she was in the car, she noticed his had was swollen. Something I don't remember even looking at.

I got the call Friday night that he was in the hospital with a significant fracture. I waited all day Saturday and all day today but hadn't heard anything. I could barely function I was so worried about him. I found out tonight that he's okay and he'll be back in school on Wednesday and the mom is upset but understands children fall and just wants to know what happened. I totally understand.

Tomorrow will be a lot of report writing and meetings but it could of been a ton worse. I thank God that V is going to be okay.

I must say ..

That I'm very proud of my class today.

We had a Halloween Parade today at the school. My 2 year olds were expected to hold onto the walking rope and not let go, even when they see their parents. We don't actually expect this of them. How could you? However, it's what we tell them we want. We go over it every day leading up. I went out holding my breath. "Okay everyone, wave and say "Happy Halloween" .. and guess what they did? They held on and said Happy Halloween. Wait, What?? Yep. They did it. They followed directions. I was so happy. This was a huge accomplishment. My husband who came to watch the girls, said my class was so well behaved he doesn't know what I'm complaining about. Ha ha..

They were really good all day. I'm so happy about this.

Katie is doing so much better. Just a minor cold. Karly started running a temp yesterday but I didn't want her to miss the parade so we dosed her with Motrin and sent her to school and as expected she was sent home with 102. Bad mom I know but Halloween only comes once a year and SHE knew everything she was going to miss. When I got her home she asked if we were trick or treating and I took her temp it was 104. I gave her motrin and watched her run around yelling Trick or Treat. Once her fever broke, we bundled her up and walked around the neighborhood. It was much easier to get away stuff when they were younger.

They got a lot of candy and had so much fun. We made the mistake of going up to a house (light was on) and knocked. No one came out so I said "Lets go. No one is home" Katie started crying lol. She's so sensitive.

Hope everyone had a great Halloween :)



So this weekend I've had my first ever snow storm in October. We got about 4 inches and trick or treating around the snow was a first as well. The girls loved it and asked to make a snowman but I had to explain that it was wet heavy snow not good for making snowmen. We also had our first power outage. Entertaining the girls during our day of darkness was pretty easy. We went to a friends house, we carved pumpkins and when it got really dark we played flashlight dancing on the ceiling. About 8, we got ready for bed and we all went to sleep. It was getting cold anyway so what better way to get warm than in your comfy bed. We even colored by candlelight. It was fun day.

Something new...

So I've learned how to blog from my phone. Not sure how it will go but don't have a lot of time so this is a good a way as any. Work today was so horrible. I love my job but this year the children are difficult. You know that scene in toy story 3 where they toys are hiding and then the kids come in and it's chaos? Welcome to my room. They spend more time throwing toys and ripping books and tearing stuff off the walls than they spend doing anything else. You give them art to do they rip the paper and dump out the glue blow the pieces on the floor ugh :(. You open and book and their eyes roll back and they drown it out with screaming over me or getting up to run around. Its just awful. Everynight I go to bed thinking about new ways to go at it tomorrow and I walk in to work ready to take them on and I walk out defeated at the end of the day.

I don't know. I just start feeling like a failure by Friday. Tomorrow I'll buck up and go back to work an just try to survive the day. Did I mention I have a kid who vomits all the time? He just sits there burps and then pukes. I know it's not his fault but I have to stop and clean it up bit the kids don't sit and let me. Its not my first walk in the park you know?

I'm not sure what I can do but I know I'm looking forward to august.

One of those weeks ..

First off .. Happy Halloween!!

On Wednesday, I picked up the girls from school as I usually do. Katie came up to me and literally climbed in my arms. I thought she felt warm but didn't really about it until I got home. When I got home, I made dinner and when she laid on the couch and refused to eat, I thought I should take her temp. It was 101.2.

I didn't think much about it. Thought she had your average virus. I gave her some Tylenol, she drank a little milk and we tucked her in. At 1 am she woke up crying for me. I picked her up and right away you could feel she was burning up. We took her temp and it was 103.9. I gave her some Motrin and we sponged her down. When her temp was down to 101, we put her in our bed and went back to sleep.

A friend said she'd watch Katie for me so I dropped her off with Motrin and Tylenol and the usual stuff and went to work. When I picked her up, my friend said she hadn't eaten, drank any fluids or used the potty and all she did was sleep. When I got her in the car I realized she was unresponsive. She just laid there. When I did get her to talk to me, she was slurring her speech. I called the pediatrician immediately and told her what was going on. She directed us to the the ER.

We got her to pee in a cup and it was brownish so we knew something wasn't right. Her temp was 103 something but the hospital was able to bring it down with 2 tsp of Motrin. She drank some water and was dx with a UTI and we were sent home. We filled the medicine and went home. She ate a little and we went to bed. She woke up at 3:30 crying she was going to fall. I took her temp and it was 103.3. I called the ER to see what I should give her. They said 2 tsp of Motrin every 6 hours. I went back in the room and took it again and it was 104. She was shaking and crying. We gave her the meds and a sponge bath and cooled her down. When we got up in the morning, she was still running a fever. My friend was going to watch her for a few hours until I could take her to the dr. My friend called and said she was worse. I left worked and picked her up and took her to the dr. My friend said her temp was 98.8 but in 20 minutes it was 104.2. At the drs, they gave her some motrin and a few sips of water. She took it and then vomited everywhere. She wouldn't move.
We took her to the ER again. There they took her temp and set up and IV. They tested her urine again and her blood. They told me they were worried she had sepsis (sp). I've never seen my child this sick and it was so scary. They got the blood work done and started her on fluids and an antibiotic through the IV. She laid there and watched tv and you could slowly see the life coming back into her.

After about 3 hours of being on the IV, she was up eating some applesauce. She wouldn't drink anything but that was okay. Soon she was her chatty, active self. She was saying her colors in english and spanish, counting, showing off all her "skills" she was just back to normal.

They gave me the good news that her blood contained "nothing alarming" and we were in the clear as soon as she was done getting the antibiotics.

Today she spent the day with daddy. I wished I could of taken off to be with her. My job requires that I be there when the children are and I do my best to fulfill that but it was really hard.

She ran low grade fevers throughout the day but she ate 3 meals and drank a lot of Blueberry juice, blueberry juice fights off bacteria in the bladder :). I am so happy my little girl is on the mend.

However ..
Today Karly came down with viral croup .. .. .. ..

Oy Vey!

*News* :)

WE went costume shopping. OY VEY! Is all I have to say. Karly decided she wanted to be Buzz Lightyear. I'll be honest, I was a bit disappointed. I wanted her to be something girly, a pretty princess..you know. Well we were out shopping when I saw a Buzz costume for $14. I thought "What a great deal" and bought it. Karly was so excited.

This weekend we decided to go get Katie's costume. She wanted to be Tinkerbell. Tinkerbell is sold out in WalMart so we visited Party City. Man they are pricey (For something that's going to get worn ONCE!). She decided she wanted to be a red butterfly instead. I asked for the Lady Bug costume, waited for it, walked back to pick up to get it and then the fitting room. It's been about 20 minutes. She doesn't like the red butterfly. She wants to be Tinkerbell. They find me and tell me they DO have Tinkerbell and it's in pick up. I go back to pick up, get the costume, go to fitting and Guess What?! She doesn't want to be Tinkerbell. She "Don't want to be anything".

Now this whole time Karly is in the background talking about how she wants to be Strawberry Shortcake. There is a cute cute cute Strawberry Shortcake costume for a reasonable price. I go and order it, pick it up and ask Katie if she wants to be Buzz. She said she did.



Katie threw a massive tantrum because she "Don't want to be anything!" but we tried it on anyway. Now she's excited about being Buzz.

Guess What!! I'm an auntie again. Introducing my beautiful adorable and handsome nephew, Lucan :) I love him. Isn't he precious!
Girls and I went shopping. We got winter jackets, new shoes, went to breakfast etc. It was so nice and they were very well behaved. It makes me sad because you can really tell that they are growing up. They have their own likes and dislikes. They have their own way of doing things. We went to get winter coats and I had the great idea of them getting little pea-coats. How cute would they look, right? So we went to Old Navy and I was showing them the pea-coats. Cute cute pink ones. Well they didn't want the cute cute pink pea-coat. They wanted this cute thick warm purple blue and white parka. Yes it's cute, the hood is lined with soft fur, it was on sale $15 off, inside lined with fleece .. BUT it wasn't the pea-coat. However, because I want them to know I respect them as they are, we bought the parkas. Maybe next year.
I love them so very, very much.

Just a quicky :)

So Ive done three post today but I love this ...

If you were raised on Hee Haw, had a crush on any of the Dukes, only watched cartoons on Saturday morning, played in the dirt, got your butt busted or had to pick your own switch, had a phone with a rotary dial, had 3 TV channels, school started with the "Pledge", had a bedtime, rode in back of pickup trucks, recorded the top 40 from radio on cassette tapes, played in the creek, rode your bike all day without a helmet...and you still turned out okay, re-post this and remember the good times!!

This brings back those good all days. On the worst days I remember how hard life was with my parents being, well my parents, but most days all I remember is the fun we had. This is a silly FB status thingy but it made me sit there for a few and just think about all the good, fun times we had and I'd love to take my kids to a time where you got to enjoy this freely and with no worries.

Fall Fall I LOVE Fall!!

Fall is my FAVORITE season. I love everything about fall. I love the weather, the colors, the smells, the tastes .. everything!

Today is a beautiful fall day. It's about 65 degrees, the sun is shining, there is a cool breeze, Just perfect.

Next weekend we are going apple picking and then we'll plan our pumpkin picking day after that.

The girls have their costumes picked out. Katie wants to be Tinkerbell and Karly wants to be Buzz Lightyear.

So many things to do :) Yay for Fall!

"You're Mommy, you can't get sick"

Says the husband.

On Tuesday, I took the girls to school. I fixed up their breakfast and got them seated. Karly stood up, walked to sink to wash her hands and then vomited. I thought it was a fluke. How silly. Around 11, she was sent home. I took her home, daddy came home to watch her. I went back to work. At 3, I got the call that Katie had to go home as well. Left work.

Wednesday wasn't too bad but hubby woke up Thursday morning vomiting. Thursday night I started feeling sick. Donald said "You're Mommy, you can't get sick". He didn't mean it in a mean way just stating a fact. (his facts lol)

I took the girls to school yesterday and then went home to suffer.

Everything is back to normal this morning but the house is a MESS!!

I hope it's a bit before we have anything else but a cold in this house (we all have a cold).

For Fun :)

WHEN YOUR CHILD COMES HOME MESSY Red paint in the hair? Blue paint on the jeans?
Sand in the shoes? Peanut butter on a favorite shirt?
White socks that look brown? Sleeves a bit damp?
YOUR CHILD PROBABLY....
worked with a friend
solved a problem
created a masterpiece
negotiated a difference
learned a new skill
had a great time
developed new language skills
YOUR CHILD PROBABLY DIDN'T....
feel lonely
become bored
do a repetitive task that is babyish
do worksheets that are too easy. 
do sit down work that is discouraging

YOU PROBABLY....
paid good money for those clothes
will have trouble getting the red paint out
are concerned the caregiver isn't paying enough attention to your child

YOUR CAREGIVER PROBABLY....
was aware of your child's special needs and interests
spent time planning a challenging activity for the children
encouraged the children to try new things
was worried you might be concerned

Young children really learn when they are actively involved in play...not when someone is talking to them. There is a difference between "messy" and "lack of care." Your caregiver made sure your child was fed, warm, offered new skills and planned messy fun things to do because that's how your children learn!
Send your child in clothes that can get dirty! Keep extra clothes at the site for the times when the child gets really messy. But remember, your children need time to be kids.

~~~Author Unknown~~~ 


 This happens all the time.  I really have to resist the urge to shrug when parents ask me what happened to their clothing.  I do use smocks and bibs provided but if you've ever tried to art with a 2 year old, I could cover them with a garbage bag and they'd STILL get dirty lol.  I love this poem. 

Beams from the WTC that were placed in our town overlooking the river.

Girls looking into reflecting pool

On the light rail for the first time

First light rail ride

Having hotdogs in Frank Sinatra Park in Hoboken

My dinner at the Hoboken Italian Festival

Waiting for fireworks

The Island we watched the fireworks from

Last night we attending the Hoboken Italian Festival.  The girls had a great time.  It was their first trip to Hoboken.  We took the light rail and walked to the park.  We had a blast.  The girls had hotdogs, watermelon cream soda, some root beer, some ice cream and we watched a great fireworks show. 

The beam of light was up from where the towers once stood and I have a pic on my phone but I'll share that another day.

Going home was a little crazy.  It was almost midnight and we had to go to Newport to catch the light rail home.  Because it was the light rail (and the day before the 9-11 10 year anniversary)  there were tons of cops carrying big guns.  It's been quiet here though.  I'm, of course, worried about the threatened attacks today.  The big football game is tonight and they are searching everyones car before letting them in. 


It's been a nice day.  My friend had her baby.  He's sooo tiny and I'm in love.  Made me want another little one but not enough to do IVF again :)