Popping in...

I've been stressed about getting our taxes filed, but they are finished! Even though we aren't getting a return this year and (eek!) owe, I feel like a huge weight has been lifted. It isn't like me to wait until the last minute...I will not be doing that again next year.

In other news. I am so thrilled with Spring (even though it's dreary today).  I love that when I am pulling up to the house I see a beautiful border of cheery daffodils around the house. I keep cutting fresh bouquets and bringing them inside.  I see tulip buds about to open and the trees in the front yard are just ready to flower.  None of this has to do with any work I have put into these grounds. It's so exciting to me to see what perennials might pop up. I want to take a nice spring pic of the house, but I am waiting until Spring has put on the full regalia!

Today, since it is raining, I plan to go through the girls clothes and swap out the seasons.  A huge task.  I better get to it!

What better way to end a short, but meandering, post than with some pictures? Might as well throw some on!

From Here to There: The Short Version

I can't believe I haven't written since March 1st.  I wanted to do it numerous times, but every time I sat down I thought...I don't have the time right now. I don't have anything interesting to say. It's been too long.  I mean after weeks pass, it almost seems odd to come back to, if that makes sense.  I am, by no means, ready to give up on this blog. 

Maybe it's because I'm not heading in any clear direction. I really just post when the mood strikes. If I had a clearer direction then I would know what to write about.  The blog seems like it should be about motherhood and raising girls (hence the name), but I never really write about that.  I'm no expert I guess so I don't feel the wealth of information trying to find its way through my keyboard. I like to share the funny moments of our day. There are many. But lots of times I feel like a Status Update will suffice--so I don't blog about them often.  Then there is my new found love of snapping shots and I could share those...but...this isn't that type of blog either. 

There are the random thoughts and inspiring tidbits too.  I like to do those to but I haven't really had any major "aha" moments lately.

Then there are projects around the house and my beloved "before and afters".

As you can see it's really a hodgepodge.  That's okay. That's life and in the end that's what I want the blog to be...a blog about my life.

And so without further ado...

Yesterday after Olivia's dance class I was buttoning jackets and gathering my bags when a little scene went down. Nothing major but it made me think.  The girls came out (these are 3-year-olds mind you) Some of the girls had stamps on their hands and some of them did not.  (Livi did have a stamp, which she proudly showed off). The other moms asked to see the stamps but some of the girls didn't have stamps. When the moms asked why they didn't get stamps the little girls couldn't really say why they didn't have them...just kind of looked a little sad and confused.  "My hair wasn't in a pony tail...that's why I didn't get a stamp" one girl said.

What?

Livi's hair was pulled out of her face...but not in a pony tail either, but she got a stamp. Here hair is shorter though...

So the mom asked and almost immediately the teacher (who doesn't have children of her own yet), got kind of defensive and said, yes indeed it is because the child didn't have her hair in a ponytail.

The girls have to have their hair pulled up for safety reasons--so they don't get hurt when tumbling.  That makes perfect sense to me.

What doesn't make sense to me is "punishing" or "singling out" three year olds who can't articulate to their parents the need to have a pony tail for class. If you plan to give the girls stamps why not just make it a positive thing--give every girl a stamp for doing a good job, learning a new move, being a good listener etc. And then come out and announce to the parents that hair needs to be pulled up? 

It just seems to me an odd way to get that important information out there.  A three-year-old just doesn't get that. Can a three-year-old pull her own hair back in a pony tail? No. It's up to mommy or daddy or whoever grabs the comb for the day. So let's have a conversation with the parents instead of relying on the three-year-olds to relay the information.  I'm all for teaching kids responsibility. Did I mention these girls are three?
It's in the HANDBOOK. The teacher shot back.

Okay. It's been about 6 months since anyone has picked up the handbook--I don't even know where mine is! For most of these parents, this is the very first experience with dance class.  Is stamping the girl (good girl) or not stamping the girl (bad girl) really that much easier than coming out and simply saying to the parents--please have your child's hair pulled up from now on so they don't get hurt!?

Then the mom who got upset about it felt like a fool because she had made a little scene.  I didn't think she looked foolish and I told her so.

Maybe when these gals have kids of their own--a handbook sitting under a pile of school papers, children bugging them while they are on the phone, a poopy diaper to change, lunch to prepare, and at least three seperate bags to pack just to get out the door--they will understand. Or are we the crazy ones?

A ramble

I'm not feeling like myself today. I'm sitting in the middle of my kitchen. In front of me is a pile of (clean) unfolded laundry. The kitchen table has crumbs from breakfast, a matching game the girls were playing, scissors, crayons, pencils, and cups some filled, some empty. To my right, the buffet is cluttered with things that don't have a home or haven't made it to their home. To my left, orange peels on the counter, a dishwasher that needs emptied, a sink full of dishes that I need to load into the dishwasher. Behind me, an almost empty pot of soup that didn't get put away from last night's dinner.  My house looks the way I feel right now.  Looking around there is lots to do and everything seems disorganized. 

Today is the day I usually pay attention to our money, what's going out, what's coming in, bills and paperwork. I started to do our taxes in the beginning of the week. I feel disorganized in this area as well. I don't like when I don't have a clear picture of where our money is going.  

I haven't written a Pampers article all month and (I can't believe!) we are already over a third of the way through February!! 

The kids had two hour delays all week--except for today. And it threw a wrench into plans and schedules. I didn't get to grocery shop until Thursday and I was thrown off because my list no longer matched with the sales and I had no time to search through new coupons and stuff. I only saved $10 this week and that burned me up.

And It's so darn cold around here! At least there was a BEAUTIFUL sunset last night and a GORGEOUS sunrise this morning. I'm glad I took a moment to admire both.

Jim's Grandmother passed away this past weekend and midweek we spent some time laying her to rest.  It is sad that she is gone, but by most accounts, she was ready to go.  The minister who spoke at her funeral shared some clippings that Jim's Grandma had stashed in her bible, some had notes written on them with specific instructions to share with all of us.  It was quite interesting to hear things that she had read and found poignant: One spoke on motherhood, another on faithful, humble service, another to comfort her family when she was gone.  I found it quite touching. 

The family shared a meal after the funeral and it was nice to talk to relatives that we never get to see. Many of them live out of state or on other ends of this one, so to have everyone together is a rarity.

In other news, we are prepping for Ava's next (and hopefully last) surgery next Tuesday. She is having another cleft repair. She had her tonsils and adenoids out over a month ago to make way and I hope that everything goes well.  As of this moment she doesn't know what she's in for, neither do I actually. Her pre-op appointment--the one where we learn what to expect--isn't until the day before her surgery. I'm thinking no school for a week, a soft diet for quite some time. Please send up a prayer and positive vibes for her!

Today would be a day to link up over at I'm an Organizing Junkie.  BUT I haven't organized a darn thing this week.  I've only bailed enough water to keep this ship afloat, but as you know I'm sitting here in water up to my knees right now--not literally people.  I clicked on the link above just a second ago and found it quite applicable to my situation this week!  I need to stop my negative, self pitying dialogue and get to it!

Another post that I read yesterday hit at the heart too. If you've an extra minute you can check it out as well over at Family Secrets. Thanks for letting me ramble it all out here though!

Eight Hour Magic

It is 7:21 a.m.  and all is quiet. This very rarely happens here. I just put Jordan on the bus.  I enjoyed the last few sips of my morning tea, and now I am sitting down to blog.  There are few things I love more than the peace of early morning. It's only been these recent years that I have learned to love the morning.  As much as I love sleeping in, when I wake up late I always think about those lost hours.  I am one of those lucky human beings that gets a full eight almost every single night, so to sleep any longer than that feels like a waste.

I owe my eight hours of sleep every night to my husband.  He is also an early riser, but by force. He wakes at 4:30 every morning. To get any semblance of sleep he needs to be in bed by 10pm and I go at that time too.  Even though my days starts much later than his, I still go so he doesn't feel alone.  He wakes up before the crack of dawn and salts (or shovels) our icy walks, sometimes has time for a hot shower, and is off to work a long and sometimes stressful day.  I will never use the word "lazy" to describe my husband.  In the eleven years that we have been together, there has not been a single day that he has rolled over and said that he didn't want to go to work. The only time he has missed have been the births of our daughters, surgeries for our daughters, if he is sicker than a dog, and the rare, but occasional car malfunction.  He goes to work no matter what. 

(Two little girls have joined me in the time it took me to write this. They have also begun a dance party in the living room.) Morning peace is short lived around here. But I got my eight, so it's all good!

Good morning and good day everyone!

The Waiting Game

Well...I'm coming in to the home stretch! I will probably only be pregnant for another 2 weeks at most.  I'm feeling fine, except that this little one has her foot jammed in my ribs 22 out of 24 hours of the day it seems!  I had a doctor appointment this morning and everything looks good. We will most likely schedule an induction for May 27th.  Jordan will be finished with Kindergarten (I can't believe it!!) and Ava will be done with preschool...we will be making our way into the nice long Memorial Day weekend and we can ease into a normal summertime routine.  Yeah right!  The best laid plans...

I don't feel super huge this time around...I think the cooler weather is actually helping with that.  I'm less motivated by the end of the day and unfortunately when I wake in the morning, instead of feeling refreshed, I feel like I was hit by a car sometime in the night!  But I'll take it all to hold a new little bundle in my arms in just 14 days or less!

I haven't taken one of these in awhile...It's me at 37 weeks 4 days!

To give you an idea of what I've been putting off though...we still need to get a new carrier/car seat for the baby...she still doesn't have a stitch of clothing (I got rid of all my newborn stuff...So she has nothing as of this minute until she fits into 6-9 month clothes).  I don't have my bag packed--or the girls for that matter (they will stay with my parents). We still haven't signed the contract to put our house on the market (that happens today though). I don't feel like doing much but lay around...we have overdue library books in the house, again! 

Jumping to something new:  I am finally getting down to potty training Olivia...She will be 3 in July so I thought I should really put in some effort.  We started this weekend and she is really doing wonderfully!  She has done #1 AND #2 on the potty we've gradually worked up to being able to hold it for at least 30 minutes between potty trips and she is very proud of herself.  I was leery of driving with her to the doctor appointment today while she had her big girl underwear on...so I brought the potty chair with us--thank goodness for the mini-van--we had room for it!  She did great.  She still has had an accident or two during the day, but they have been my fault.  I ignored the timer a couple of times.  It was funny because on the first day she sat on that potty 14 different times and each time, she peed a little.  My goodness little girl!  But it has actually been fun because she has been so successful with it. We clap and sing songs, give high fives and hugs and I can really tell she was ready for it!  I'm nervous for when the baby comes...hoping that Grammy and Pappy can keep up with her while I'm in the hospital and hoping that she doesn't regress when the baby comes home. I keep encouraging her by telling her that she will have to show "Chloe" how she goes on the potty now and what a great big sis she is going to be. I hope it's enough. She isn't as stubborn as Ava, so I think it should be okay!

Alright. I'm boring myself a little here....just had a minute and thought I would post and since this is my world right now, well...this is what you got!