The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. So without change - we would all be insane (because if you DID do the same thing over and over again and got the same results - it would bore you to insanity itself). Change is good. I like change. But sometimes 'change' means changing from a fluid lifestyle to a ridged strict daily regiment. Very much like what happened when we gave birth to the girls. No more coming and going as we pleased, having people over whenever they wanted to show up, leaving for the night on whim...so on. BUT what we did was change. We changed our ways to fit the needs of our new family. And by doing so - we now have 3 happy, very regimented toddlers. (toot horn here...while patting self on back).
I think we need some change again. And school might just give us what we're looking for. If I could PAY for anything I wanted...it would be time. God if I only knew how valuable time was before I had kids I wouldn't have wasted so much of it doing only Lord knows what.
Here's to change...............
On a side note - I'm missing my family. Especially my cousins up in MA. So change might mean skipping out for a day or two to get up there.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Monday, August 1, 2011
BEACH BUMS!
Yes my girls are going to be beach bums...and I am more than thrilled about this! We spent the day at the beach yesterday and they did amazing. Emily kept saying "Mom - we need a boat." We played in the sand, water and on the pier. We threw seashells into the ocean and even checked out some crabs that some other kids caught. Oh and we saw a ton of jelly fish (aka: gooey fish). It was definitely a fun trip and there will be more beach days to come!!!!!!!!
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Beach days and walks
The girls and I have been walking with a neighbor and her kids - 2 miles everyday (sometimes we'll go twice to make a total of 4 miles...for those of you who can't add). It's got dual/multi purpose. 1st and foremost is to get my butt in shape. I'm GOING to lose these 15lbs that I've put on since last year. I just wish they would come off as quickly as they went on! 2nd - I get some adult time! How does that happen?!?! Well the kids are kinda quiet while they're riding in their wagon. So that leaves time for some adult conversation (when we're not panting and huffing and trying to catch our breath of course). 3rd - it gets us out of the house for a nice walk and nothing beats a nice walk...except maybe an early morning walk on the beach but since we don't live on the beach......
Speaking of the beach - the girls and I are going today. Pete is taking a trip to Boston with his sister today so the girls and I are on our own. My mom is headed to her friends beach house today and asked us if we wanted to come along. SURE DO! So we'll be beach bums.
Yesterday we hit the mall to have lunch with Uncle Kim. That was a lot of fun - and as always the girls were very well behaved. It helped that they knew they would be going to the candy store for a special treat.
Oh and on the special treat note - the ice cream man came by yesterday. Greattttt. Woke the girls up out a dead sleep from their naps. No problem - we had their ice cream $ on standby on the fridge. So we run outside just in time to catch him. AND I SEE HE INCREASED THE COST OF THE ICE CREAM THAT THE GIRLS ALWAYS BUY! They like to get the funky spongebob or bugs bunny or some other funny face looking ice cream. They were $2.50 each. Which I was already complaining about. But yesterday they were $3.00 each! NO THANKS! We bought ice cream sandwiches for $1 each and the girls enjoyed them just as much. We'll save the extra $ for the candy at the candy store.
Now I'm off to wrangle my kids and make sure they leave their whiny attitudes at home so we can actually have fun at the beach.................
Speaking of the beach - the girls and I are going today. Pete is taking a trip to Boston with his sister today so the girls and I are on our own. My mom is headed to her friends beach house today and asked us if we wanted to come along. SURE DO! So we'll be beach bums.
Yesterday we hit the mall to have lunch with Uncle Kim. That was a lot of fun - and as always the girls were very well behaved. It helped that they knew they would be going to the candy store for a special treat.
Oh and on the special treat note - the ice cream man came by yesterday. Greattttt. Woke the girls up out a dead sleep from their naps. No problem - we had their ice cream $ on standby on the fridge. So we run outside just in time to catch him. AND I SEE HE INCREASED THE COST OF THE ICE CREAM THAT THE GIRLS ALWAYS BUY! They like to get the funky spongebob or bugs bunny or some other funny face looking ice cream. They were $2.50 each. Which I was already complaining about. But yesterday they were $3.00 each! NO THANKS! We bought ice cream sandwiches for $1 each and the girls enjoyed them just as much. We'll save the extra $ for the candy at the candy store.
Now I'm off to wrangle my kids and make sure they leave their whiny attitudes at home so we can actually have fun at the beach.................
Thursday, July 28, 2011
could be worse
I've been so down in the dumps lately. Nothing and I mean nothing has been working to get me out of it. I'm considering a trip to the doc. Days like today though remind me why I quit my job and stay home with my girls. Time goes by so quickly and I'll never have another chance and raising kids so this is my one and only shot at it.
We're feeling the financial hit of me being home with the girls now. I'm working (cleaning) but I'm not making even 1/4 of what I was making before. The $ is good when I work but work is slow. I never thought I wouldn't go somewhere because I wasn't sure I could afford gas $ would even be part of my internal thoughts...but it is now. I know we'll manage and we'll make it through this. And I know it's not forever - but it just doesn't ease the pain of the here and now of wanting/needing things and not having the $ to just go out and buy them.
Last night I washed the girls potty seats for the last time. They're going to have to use the big potty from now on. They won't have potty seats at school and they have regular bathrooms - so the girls need to learn to adjust to getting up on the seat and wiping themselves and so on. I was kinda bummed cuz I realized they have had these seats since they turned a year old. 2.5 years now :(
They also had their 1st hair cut yesterday. I'm not thrilled with it but then again...I'm only good for throwing their hair up in a pony on top of their heads so really...it's not a big deal. Just adds to the fact that my babies aren't really babies anymore. Oh - and someone could have told me that I'm suppose to keep their hair from their 1st haircut. I had no idea....but Pete's mom showed up so she could see the girls get their hair done and she kept it. Good thing...I would have let it get swept away!
Then today I woke up and realized I want to go see my grandmother but I really don't think I can afford the gas $ to get there and back this week (me feeling sorry for myself again). Plus she smokes (a lot!) so I would want to just stay for a little bit and then go out to lunch or something so we're not stuck in the house with the girls.
I spent a good hour on the computer finding out how I could con my way into a public pool in 2 nearby towns so the girls and I could go swimming. The rules in every town are just about the same though...you have to be a resident or with a resident to use the pool. It never occurred to me that my own damn town has it's own damn public pools. I have no idea what's wrong with my brain sometimes but rather than try to explain it - I just move on. I finally checked our own town and we have 4 public outdoor pools. 2 of them have wading pools! So I called one and they open at 10:00, they have a park and it's FREE. The girls and I packed a lunch and some snacks and headed out. We travel really light so we put our suits on before leaving, grabbed 3 towels, the sunblock and our lunch bags. Off we went. It was SO. MUCH. FUN. The pool is only 12"-18" deep and they have a lifeguard on duty! Not that I would let the girls just go and swim alone...but I felt better that someone else would be watching my girls with me.
One thing I don't do is carry my phone on me when the girls are in water. I've heard way too many horror stories. So when there's water...it's all eyes on them and not my phone. We took a break from swimming so we could eat lunch and during lunch I checked my phone. I had a message about a dear friend we've been talking to via FB. Her 8y/o daughter Hailey lost her battle with cancer this morning. God it hit me so hard - it took my breath away. And of course it made me realize that life is fragile and can't be taken for granted.
So these are the days that I am grateful to be able to spend as much time with my girls as I do. I guess God has His ways of reminding us to keep our minds and hearts on the good and not to focus on the bad. My girls are healthy, beautiful and full of love.
We're feeling the financial hit of me being home with the girls now. I'm working (cleaning) but I'm not making even 1/4 of what I was making before. The $ is good when I work but work is slow. I never thought I wouldn't go somewhere because I wasn't sure I could afford gas $ would even be part of my internal thoughts...but it is now. I know we'll manage and we'll make it through this. And I know it's not forever - but it just doesn't ease the pain of the here and now of wanting/needing things and not having the $ to just go out and buy them.
Last night I washed the girls potty seats for the last time. They're going to have to use the big potty from now on. They won't have potty seats at school and they have regular bathrooms - so the girls need to learn to adjust to getting up on the seat and wiping themselves and so on. I was kinda bummed cuz I realized they have had these seats since they turned a year old. 2.5 years now :(
They also had their 1st hair cut yesterday. I'm not thrilled with it but then again...I'm only good for throwing their hair up in a pony on top of their heads so really...it's not a big deal. Just adds to the fact that my babies aren't really babies anymore. Oh - and someone could have told me that I'm suppose to keep their hair from their 1st haircut. I had no idea....but Pete's mom showed up so she could see the girls get their hair done and she kept it. Good thing...I would have let it get swept away!
Then today I woke up and realized I want to go see my grandmother but I really don't think I can afford the gas $ to get there and back this week (me feeling sorry for myself again). Plus she smokes (a lot!) so I would want to just stay for a little bit and then go out to lunch or something so we're not stuck in the house with the girls.
I spent a good hour on the computer finding out how I could con my way into a public pool in 2 nearby towns so the girls and I could go swimming. The rules in every town are just about the same though...you have to be a resident or with a resident to use the pool. It never occurred to me that my own damn town has it's own damn public pools. I have no idea what's wrong with my brain sometimes but rather than try to explain it - I just move on. I finally checked our own town and we have 4 public outdoor pools. 2 of them have wading pools! So I called one and they open at 10:00, they have a park and it's FREE. The girls and I packed a lunch and some snacks and headed out. We travel really light so we put our suits on before leaving, grabbed 3 towels, the sunblock and our lunch bags. Off we went. It was SO. MUCH. FUN. The pool is only 12"-18" deep and they have a lifeguard on duty! Not that I would let the girls just go and swim alone...but I felt better that someone else would be watching my girls with me.
One thing I don't do is carry my phone on me when the girls are in water. I've heard way too many horror stories. So when there's water...it's all eyes on them and not my phone. We took a break from swimming so we could eat lunch and during lunch I checked my phone. I had a message about a dear friend we've been talking to via FB. Her 8y/o daughter Hailey lost her battle with cancer this morning. God it hit me so hard - it took my breath away. And of course it made me realize that life is fragile and can't be taken for granted.
So these are the days that I am grateful to be able to spend as much time with my girls as I do. I guess God has His ways of reminding us to keep our minds and hearts on the good and not to focus on the bad. My girls are healthy, beautiful and full of love.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
A day "off"
Lb and Kristin are off to NC for a week and they needed a ride to JFK this morning. I volunteered to bring them to the airport (before I knew they were flying out of JFK at 8:00am!) and made plans to have Pete drop the girls off at his parents house before he went to work. We left for the airport at 4:30 and didn't hit any traffic on the way there. I simply dropped them off and turned around to come back thinking there would be a ton of traffic. To my surprise there wasn't any traffic (my direction) and I made it home in no time. The drive was awesome. 2 hours of just ME.
I just finished a 2 mile run (a new outdoor route I found recently) and now I'm headed for 3 hours of house cleaning for some mula. No one will be home at this house so I'll be able to just listen to my music and enjoy my day 'off' lol.
Emily's funny quote of yesterday:
Pete told her "Don't jump off the couch!" and she replied "Don't watch me!"
I just finished a 2 mile run (a new outdoor route I found recently) and now I'm headed for 3 hours of house cleaning for some mula. No one will be home at this house so I'll be able to just listen to my music and enjoy my day 'off' lol.
Emily's funny quote of yesterday:
Pete told her "Don't jump off the couch!" and she replied "Don't watch me!"
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Divide and conquer
Many times Pete and I split up to get things done. New plan! We're going to start splitting the girls up as well. He can take one while I take 2 or vice versa. This ensures the girls get some quality alone time and it leaves some 'special' time for the other 2 as well. Emily actually went with Uncle Joey today for some special time. Pete had to work on his car so I took Hannah & Hailey to church and then to a new park. Pete's parents have also agreed to take just 1 of the girls whenever we'd like. I think it's a great idea. IT'S TIME FOR A BREAK FOR MOM! Even if only 1 goes someplace - 2 is much more managable than 3!!!! (I'm going to delete this post before the girls can read....) lol Plus this leaves the girls to enjoy some alone time. I'm so ready to let the girls have some fun away from home. I don't worry about when people take them anymore.
Emily and Hannah are battling a cold right now (it was Emily 1st now it moved on to Hannah and still lingering with Emily). That leaves Hailey next (maybe?). But I have to say - their little bodies seem to be doing so much better with going longer between illnesses and fighting them off better. Let's hope this summer cold just stays a summer cold and leaves our house fairly quickly :)
Emily and Hannah are battling a cold right now (it was Emily 1st now it moved on to Hannah and still lingering with Emily). That leaves Hailey next (maybe?). But I have to say - their little bodies seem to be doing so much better with going longer between illnesses and fighting them off better. Let's hope this summer cold just stays a summer cold and leaves our house fairly quickly :)
Friday, July 22, 2011
Princesses
My girls aren't into them. I'm not sure it's because we don't watch much TV and they've never really seen a movie with them (or even watched a full movie all together yet for that matter). Maybe they're not going to be into them? Maybe it's too early? All of the gear and toys geared towards their age range seems to be going from Mickey and Dora to all Disney Princess stuff. When we were at the Disney store today I noticed they didn't have any back packs or lunch bags with Dora and they only had 1 that had Mickey and 1 that had Minnie on it. I know it's not a big deal - but it does almost seem like Princess stuff just might take over the world. Not sure we'll be on the boat though. I let the girls choose their own lunch bags and back packs. Here's how it went...
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