The Disney Trip

Alright, guys.  I'll admit it.  I was kind of dreading our Disney trip.  I'm sure most of you think that's crazy.  What's not to love about the most magical place on Earth?

Well, for starters, our little family of five was joined by eight others.  Yes, there were thirteen of us.  My parents, J's parents, two sisters, a brother, a best friend, and a partridge in a pear tree.

The good news is that ours were the only kids, and we were all in agreement that they were the stars of the show.  We knew we wouldn't be able to stick together all the time, and that everyone should feel free to divide and conquer as they desired.  We'd meet up when we could, we'd separate as needed, and we'd all have a better time because of it.

Another worry was that my little family of five would all be sleeping in the same hotel room.  I don't have a great track record of actually sleeping when my kids are in the room.  Even as newborns, every tiny little noise they made woke me up.  Margot never even saw the inside of our bedroom- that tiny nugget went straight to her own crib in her own room, and we were all happier for it. 

But I came prepared to conquer sleep.  I brought a small table fan, a white noise machine, an eye mask, and a handful of foam ear plugs. 

Guys- it totally worked!  We were a big, happy group, everybody slept, and we had the BEST time.

Every day was a new park (including a mid-week sneak off to Universal Studios to see The Wizarding World of Harry Potter). We were up early to make breakfast reservations and catch Fast Passes, and we were up late for ice cream and after-dinner swims.  We rode all of the rides, saw all of the characters, ate ALL of the food, and had all of the fun.

Our kids are so lucky to have grandparents, aunts, uncles, and special friends that want to experience the magic with them.  I am feeling so thankful that not only were we able to give our kids this amazing trip, but that our big, giant, happily combined family was a part of it.

The Chaos Recedes

FYI, I'm done apologizing for my extended absences.  Mommin' is hard, yo, and finding the time to devote to this little corner of the interwebs is tough.  But here I am! 

Summer is over.  Let me say it a little louder for the people in the back.  SUMMER IS OVER!

Don't get me wrong- we had a really great summer.  I had a lot (and I mean A LOT) of quality time with the kiddos.  We started the season with a beach vacation, which was lovely as always.  And then we returned to FULL STEAM AHEAD.  We stayed crazy busy.

Gabe joined a summer swim team.  No one was more surprised than J and I were at his love for the sport.  G is not so much athletic, and he joined under protest.  I am not one to push my kids into athletics just for the sake of fulfilling some societal norm.  This was more a matter of needing something to fill up some time, meanwhile creating a stronger, safer swimmer.  Turns out, he took to swim team like a fish to water.  (Ha!)  Was he the fastest?  Not by a long shot.  But did he ask to compete in every stroke and relay?  Yep.  Did he become a stronger swimmer?  Unquestionably.  And now he wants to join a year round swim team.  If you need me, I'll be at the pool.

By the way, the pool is at my gym.  Seriously, put a bed in a corner there for me, as it is truly my second home.  I am in the process of adding further fitness certifications to my resume (yay BodyPump!) and even have my very own class on the schedule beginning next week.  I am really finding my groove here, and love that I have a little job outside of the house.

Margot and Charlotte, meanwhile, spent the summer living their best lives.  Swimming, movies, outings, sister sleepovers all the time.  The bond these two girls share is just amazing.  They continue to be best friends, no matter who they claim as a BFF.  Fingers crossed that the love doesn't run out before the teenage years, when the hormone flow in this house will be OUTTA CONTROL.

J and I ended the summer with a kid-free getaway to Jamaica.  We spent a glorious week doing not much more than eating, drinking, lounging by the beach or pool, and drinking some more.  It was the perfect way to top off a great summer, and the perfect way to avoid killing my children as my patience was officially running low.

And on that note- we all made it through the season ALIVE.  School is back in session, routine is re-established, and we're all happier for it.  Charlotte is thrilled to be in the "big kid class" (Pre-K), and Gabe and Margot are back on the bus to elementary school each morning.  They've both had a good first few days and were truly looking forward to school starting again.  We were all ready.

So here I am now, with a little bit more time on my hands (I finally finished watching the current seasons of The Handmaid's Tale and Big Little Lies this week), a long list of projects I want to accomplish around the house now that the kids are not constantly wrecking it, and at least a small part of each day enjoyed in silence.

Bliss.

   

It's 2019, Yo

It's a new year.  Let's catch up!

We spent a wonderful holiday season together.  The kids were home, Jason had some time off of work, we had a revolving door of family members here to visit.  It was a lovely end to a CUH-RAZY month.  Guys, I mommed so hard, trying to prepare the perfect Christmas for all of my loved ones.  I am not complaining- I love Christmas, and all of the magic that comes along with it.  But it's a lot of work.  Shopping, wrapping, baking, gifting, planning activities, class parties, watching ALL OF THE CHRISTMAS MOVIES.  (J is a real hard ass when it comes to the Christmas movies.  There can be NO Christmas programming on the TV before we have finished the Thanksgiving turkey, and really, I want to watch Elf once a week.  So in December, I do.  Also, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.)  It was a great time full of food, drink, family, and love.

Meanwhile, I've kept up running as much as my knee will allow (which honestly, isn't that much- BOO.)  But before my knee started to crap out, I did a couple of things.  I ran my first beer mile.  Chug a beer, run a quarter of a mile, repeat x 4.  It was super amazing fun.  I was a little nervous coming into it, because it had been somewhere in the neighborhood of 15 years since I've chugged a beer.  But as it turns out, it's just like riding a bike!  Y'all, this girl can CHUG.  I was the third place female finisher.  I could have maybe come in second, but I was too nervous to look down at my watch to check my pace.  Next year, I'm moving up the ranks.

I also won my first age group award!  I was initially feeling a little sad and left out that I wasn't able to run my beloved Holly Springs Half Marathon.  But when race day came and I was gearing up to run the 5k, I realized there was a benefit to being one of those running the short race- all of the fast, distance runners were running the half, leaving not that many people behind for the shorter race.  I considered for the first time that maybe I could place in the top three ladies in my age group.  And I did it!  I came in FIRST.  It felt great, and for the first time I considered some new running goals that don't involve long distances.

Technically, J beat me by 2 seconds.  But official race results list me before him, so basically I win.

There have been activities galore.  We went to the state fair and a pumpkin farm, I saw Hamilton (AMAZING!), it snowed for a hot minute and the kiddos got soaked, we had a girls day at The Nutcracker, we moved a bunch of stuff from one home to another...

That's right!  We have a new roommate.  My sister moved in a few weeks ago.  She'll be staying with us while she finishes grad school.  My kids are pretty much obsessed with her, which is fine, because she's obsessed with them right back.  We're excited to have a built-in babysitter.  Also, watch out world, because our Wonder Twin powers are activating.  We have serious twin telepathy going on since becoming roomies.  Yes, I know we are ten years apart, but twinsies nonetheless.

That's a tiny nutshell of all of our goings-on, but maybe now that life is getting back to normal (kids in school, yay!), I'll have spare time in an amount longer than 1.4 seconds.

Happy new year and love to all in 2019! 

The LONGEST Summer

I live in a weird place.

I realize that this is a classic "back in my day" scenario, but I'm old now, so I suppose this phrase applies.

Our county has one big ole' school district.  With around 160,000 students attending 183 schools, it's not small.  I graduated from a district that had a handful of neighborhood elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school.  You went to school with your neighbors in a building that was close to home, and then you all moved on together.

Not so much here.

Here we are building new schools at a rate that attempts (and fails) to keep up with the growth of the area.  Years ago, many elementary schools here transitioned to a year-round calendar to increase capacity in the buildings as groups of kids tracked in and out throughout the weeks.  As a teacher, I hard core feared that change.  But I rolled with the punches, and discovered that year round schools are AMAZEBALLS.  I was super excited to send my kids to our nearby elementary school that happened to operate on the year-round calendar.

We had a good thing going for kindergarten and first grade, but then the inevitable growth in our area caught us.  A new school was built, just as close to us as our current assignment, and I just knew that we'd be sent there.  And I was correct.  I'm all for a new school, with the shiny new halls and the latest technology, but I'm not all about a traditional calendar.

Too bad, so sad.  We were reassigned, and were forced to roll with the punches again.

This meant that when our last "track out" came at the end of first grade in the year-round school, it actually became the start of our family's first summer vacation. 

SO, I would have all three kids at home for three long months.  Cool, cool.

Around that same time, trouble starting brewing at J's office.  His company wasn't doing particularly well, and had made some announcements that caused the natives to become restless.  The writing was on the wall, and even before upcoming layoffs were announced, everyone knew they were looming.  Job hunt: commence.

J has always told me that he's good at what he does, and that he wouldn't have trouble finding another job if that ever became necessary.  He was right.  Great offers came from great companies- crisis averted.  In the meantime, the layoffs came to be.  Since he already had another job lined up, J volunteered to be let go.  His last day in the office was mid-June.  His new job wouldn't begin until mid-August.  

SO, I would also have a husband at home for the majority of the summer.  Cool, cool.

I will be the first to admit, I was excited nervous terrified of having this extended family time.  All day, every day.  FOR MONTHS.  But really, it would probably be fun tolerable a shit show. 

All jokes aside, J and I were both unsure of how things would go.  We were all used to our routines, and it was clear that routine had been tossed out the window.  But we decided that we could focus on not killing each other, or focus on making the best of a once in a lifetime situation.

So that's what we did.

Guys, we had an awesome summer.  We played putt putt.  We splashed in the pool.  We drove go karts, went to the beach, rode on a ferris wheel, visited every park we could, ate a lot of ice cream, played a lot of games.  Every week was something new and exciting.  We stayed super busy, and super happy.

I am so thankful that the stars aligned, and we were handed this crazy opportunity.

And lest you think that this family is all sunshine and rainbows...J started his new job and went back to work right about the time that my kids turned into miserable creatures who desperately needed to get their whiny ungrateful little behinds back to school.

Alas, back to routine.  We made it.  

We're Getting a Band Together

Way back in the day, long before kids, J and I loved to play Rock Band on the XBox.  Actually, going further back than that, J loved to play Rock Band (and all the video games) with his pals.  When we first started dating I had never played before, but I thought it looked kinda fun, so I tried it out.

I sucked.

Then one week J had to be out of town.  I asked him to bring the XBox and Rock Band guitars to my house before he left, so that I could practice.  I kid you not, I came home from work every single day and immediately got to practicing.  And by the time J got back into town, I totally rocked.

I'm serious, guys.  Pick a song, and I can play it without failing.  On level Expert.

Anywho, after that we played a lot.  Always with a beer.  We each had our favorite songs.  It was a lot of fun.  Then kids came along, and all time for video games flew out the window.

Goodbye, Rock Band...

ENTER 2018!

Our kids are older.  They are capable of just playing!  Alone, with each other, in the play room, outside, in their bedrooms.  The possibilities are endless!  And suddenly some free time opened up.  Add to this the fact that Gabe LOVES music and is a fan of the video games, and  VOILA!

ROCK BAND IS BACK!

And it couldn't be more perfect.  J and I like to alternate playing guitar and bass.  All these years we've been waiting for a drummer, and wouldn't you know it- that's Gabe's instrument of choice! 

As for the girls, they are happy to be the dancers for now.  I imagine it won't be long before one of them wants the mic.  We still need a lead singer after all.  (Me?  Singer in real life.  Lead guitar in Rock Band.) 

Gimme a few years, folks, and we'll have an edgier Partridge Family thing going on over here.

Let's Play Catch-Up

I know.  I suck.  I have great intentions to keep my tiny corner of the internet interesting and up to date.  Currently, that's just not going so well for me.  So instead of several thoughtful, well written posts, here are the quick and dirty versions of what could have been several great posts over the past few weeks.

1. Father's Day

Guys, I picked THE BEST guy to have babies with.  He gets a serious A+ on the parenting report card.  He has never shied away from any responsibility (except clipping nails- somehow we've been at this parenting thing for 6 1/2 years and he has yet to clip a fingernail), and he's just as great at the fun stuff.  You know what part of the day our kids LIVE for?  The fifteen minutes of playtime with Daddy just before bed.  They would give up just about anything in order to ensure they get that time.  And even though some days he's tired from a long and stressful day at the office, he always musters up the energy to play the monster that chases the little ones around and finds them in their hiding spots.  The giant belly laughs that come out of the kiddos during this time melts me.  

2. Back To School
Can we take a minute to process this?  The nugget is in first grade.  FIRST GRADE.  And he didn't even want me to walk him into class on the first day.  He was so ready to go back to school.  As a first grader, he is getting a bedtime extension, allowing him an extra 30 minutes to read to himself before lights out.  And he has told us that since he's now in first grade, he'll be able to read chapter books all by himself (he can totally already do this, he just lacks a little confidence).  He got off the bus that first day excited to show me his agenda and get to work on his homework.  (Seriously- he has an agenda.  Next thing you know he'll be carrying a briefcase.)  The first few days of first grade  have been a success.

3. The Pacifier
I decided to take it away.  I think that may be the last tiny remnant of baby life my littlest lady had left, and I took it away.  Her little front teeth are really starting to suffer the consequences of the "fire," as she called it.  The pediatrician told me six months ago that her time was up, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it.  Until now.  Even though the damage is probably already done, I don't want to prolong her years in orthodontia just because I'm desperate to hang onto the baby years.  Which I totally am.  If you need me, you can find me curled up in the fetal position over there in the corner, sobbing.   

The Best Week of the Year

Vacation Week!

I'm pretty sure that I say this just about every year, but this year's vacation was the best one yet.

We had SUCH a great time, y'all.  We returned to our beloved house at Surfside Beach, SC.  This was our 5th time renting the same house there.  It feels familiar by now, the kids remember it, and it holds lots of fun memories.  We've started calling it "The 'Cation House," taking on the adorable kid wording that Gabe created.  He catches and corrects himself most of the time now, but every once in awhile he talks about going on "the cation."

Grammy and Grampy were there, of course, along with Aunt Laura and Uncle Scott.  This year, Grandma and Grandpa joined us for a few days, too!  (Have I mentioned before how amazing it is that both sides of the family get along so well?)  Gabe said it was the most special vacation ever because Grandma and Grandpa got to come, too.

My three little fishies barely got out of the pool.  The girls conquered some of their fear, and left the pool stairs (in their Puddle Jumpers, of course).  They kicked and splashed and jumped all around the pool.  Gabe could finally stand in the shallow end with his head above water this year.  He had a BLAST swimming, jumping in, doing flips and handstands, and having tea parties under water.  If they could have slept in the pool, I think they would have.

We ate at our favorite restaurants.  Gabe declared that Bubba's has the second best corn dogs of any restaurant, anywhere.  Margot discovered hush puppies, and sneaked more and more every time she thought no one was looking.  There were many popsicles consumed.  Also lots of beer. 

We played euchre and Cards Against Humanity.  We dug holes in the sand and splashed in the ocean.  We took the kids to play putt putt.  We flew a kite on the beach.  We took the kids to the playground up the street.  We walked to the ice cream parlor.  We spent so much quality time together as one big family.

I am so lucky to have all these wonderful people in my life.  Family that I enjoy spending time with.  So many people that adore on my children.  So much love.

My soul is rested, relaxed, and rejuvenated.  I can't wait until we can do it again next year.

PS- We pretty much sucked at taking pictures this year.  Obviously we think our kids swimming in the pool are adorable.I promise, our other beloved family were there.  There's just no photographic evidence.

    

Excuse My Absence

I'm busy enjoying a few kid-free days.  My littles are at Grammy and Grampy's for the long weekend.  Meanwhile, I am footloose and fancy free with my main squeeze.

We enjoyed a long brunch, complete with mimosas. 

We went to the mall (GUYS, I went to the mall!), and it was glorious.  It was the good mall, with lots of lovely shops, and I had time to browse without anyone crying.  (Although by the end, J was probably crying a little on the inside.)

We stopped for afternoon beer and nachos.  We had ice cream for dinner.  We started a movie at 7:30 so that I could stay awake for the whole thing.

Today we're going to see a movie, at the theater!  A little more shopping.  Definitely more beer.

I love my children to the ends of the earth...but sometimes I love to send them away.

My Mom is Cooler Than Your Mom

This past weekend my mom came to town on a mission.

My babies love the sandbox, but our green plastic turtle just wasn't cutting it anymore.  Margot frequents the sand most often, and her little body takes up that whole turtle.  Charlotte tries to muscle her way in, then gets angry when she's denied entry, and Gabe just stays away because he knows he doesn't have a chance.

We needed an upgrade.  Enter Grammy.

To say that my parents don't fit into traditional gender rolls is no understatement.  My mom is super handy, and we don't even hand my dad a screwdriver.  And if I inherited the crying gene from anyone, it was not my mother.  (Sorry, Dad, I know you're reading, but I cannot tell a lie!)

Early Thursday morning, my mom packed her car full of tools (Including child-size hammers so my littles could assist.  And a circular saw, you know, because doesn't every grandma have a circular saw?) and headed down to North Cackalacky.  Once she arrived in town, she hurried over to Home Depot to purchase the necessary lumber (which she loaded into the car by herself, thankyouverymuch), and then set to work on a sandbox extraordinaire.

The kids really got into the process.  They were measuring perimeters, pulling up roots and stumps that were in our way, and hammering posts.  They were so excited to be a part of the project.  And by the end of the day on Friday, they had a brand new super-sized sandbox.

I love that they'll spend hours outside, digging holes and building castles.  I love that our backyard is an even cooler place for my kids to hang out.  But mostly I love the memories that they just made with my mom, and that hopefully they'll think of her when they're out there digging away.

I'm BAA-ACK!

So, it's been awhile.  Over three years, as a matter of fact.  Looks like the last post I wrote was a happy FIRST birthday to my firecracker Margot.  Hmm...things have changed around here.

I'm not sure what happened to my poor blog.  Life happened, I guess.  Two little ones keeping me on my toes, didn't have the time to devote, blah blah blah.  But the truth is, I liked writing here.  It gave me a little bit of a creative outlet, and something to exercise my brain.  It gave me something to look at other than Facebook.  (I think I have an addiction, but that's for another post.)  It made me part of a little blogging community.  It was fun to read other blogs, and know that other people out there were reading mine.

Sorry I forsook you, blogosphere. 

In any case, I've decided to make an effort to revive the ole' blog.  I certainly can't promise daily postings (life is still busy), but I can promise to not wait three years in between posts.  And in case I have even one follower out there who has been waiting for an updated post on their reading list- this one is for you.

Let me start with the big updates:

1. The house.  Remember back here when I was talking about selling our house and building a dreamy new one?  Well, it happened.  Just not on the timeline we expected.  The sale of the house went through just like we wanted, and American Homes 4 Rent DID lease back to us for another six months...and then for another year after that.  We thought we'd be breaking ground in November or December of 2013.  That ended up happening in July 2014.  And then delay after delay after hold-up after longer building schedule than we were originally told...

We finally closed on our new home in December 2014.

BUT, even though it took longer than we expected (guys, I mean SO MUCH LONGER than we expected!), the wait was worth it in the end.  I love our new(ish) home.  We have so much more space than the old place, an AMAZING backyard for the kids to play in, and a sense of community here that definitely was not present in our old 'hood.  I am now in the (continuous) midst of painting/decorating/organizing/perfecting the space, and desperately trying not to drive my sweet husband crazy in the process.

2. The job.  I am still at home with the wee ones.  Some days I sit back and realize how lucky I am to be able to spend these days with my littles.  Other days I am watching my phone like a hawk, waiting for the text from J that he is on his way home so that I can pass some parental duties off to him.  Some days I look at my kids and get emotional thinking about how much I love them and how fast it's all happening.  Some days, I want to day drink.  But that's the life of a stay at home mom!  And truthfully, I wouldn't have it any other way.

3. The kids.  They haven't stopped growing and changing and becoming these little people, right before my eyes.  Gabe (who is still my tiny nugget) is in KINDERGARTEN now, and totally rocking it.  Margot is still the fiercest little lady this side of the Mason-Dixon.  She loves preschool and dance class.  They are both completely wonderful in their own unique ways.  And, oh yeah...meet Charlotte.

Yep, since my last post, the family was completed with our third wee one.  She turned two last month.  She appears to have every ounce of sass that her sister has, but she also has a sweet and cuddly side like her brother.  She is just the icing on the amazing cake that is my little family.

This is seriously the best picture I have of my three little minions.  Getting a picture of all three at once is like herding cats.

4. The ME.  I wrote several times over the years about trying to live a healthier life and lose some weight in the process (Here, here, here, and here...what can I say, I've been a work in progress for a long time.)  I had a few promising starts here and there, but always in between pregnancies.  I hung onto the excuse that I was just going to have another baby, so I didn't want to put in the hard work when I was just going to get big and fat again, growing another baby.  But after the birth of my sweet Charlotte (and I was officially cut off from having anymore babies), I got serious.  I mean REALLY serious.  And I did it.  I look back at pictures of myself at the time of my last blog post, and I barely recognize that person.  I started paying attention to every bite of food that I put into my mouth.  I became a runner, and raced my first half-marathon last year.  And I lost somewhere in the neighborhood of 85 pounds.  I did it!   

So there's the long and short of it.  I really have missed this little spot over the past three years.  (Cringing and embarrassed over here.)  Really hoping to not let you down, long lost readers! 

Holiday Traditions in the Making

It is no secret that I LOVE the holiday season.  Every year I am so excited to decorate the tree, hang the lights, watch Christmas movies, shop for the perfect gifst, bake a million cookies.  This year, my excitement has doubled (if not tripled or perchance even quadrupled).

There is something so special about starting holiday traditions with my own little family.

Now that the nugget is a year older, I cannot wait to share all of my holiday excitement with him.  I know that he's still a little too young to really know what's going on, but I feel like he's old enough to realize that it's something out of the ordinary and special.

So far, we have gone to pick out Gabe's 2012 ornament for the tree (Epic fail.  He picked a truck, of course, but would have no part of said truck hanging on the tree out of his reach for playing.  Said truck is now "all gone," hiding in the back of the tree where it cannot be seen.  Try again next year!), I have purchased his Christmas jammies and story book for Christmas Eve (a tradition that I am carrying on from the Nana), and we have watched a few Christmas specials here and there.

And this past weekend, we took Gabe to his very first parade.  Neither J nor myself could even remember the last time we had been to a parade.  This was made painfully obvious when we found a parking spot and started to unload the car, only to realize that we had been so stupid as to not bring chairs or even a blanket to sit on.  (I blame the pregnancy brain.)  But we soldiered on to our chosen spot, which was luckily right outside of a Rite Aid.  J promptly purchased us a little blanket to save our backsides from the wet grass.

Gabe loved it.  He watched and watched, occasionally waving to the paraders, clapping his hands, pointing, and oohing and aahing at all of the cars.  Some classic cars, some race cars, some mini-Shriner-cars, some big trucks hauling floats, and also some motorcycles thrown in for good measure. He also caught on quickly to the fact that candy was being thrown.  Man, did he love that lollipop...

The many faces of Gabe.  

I am so looking forward to the rest of this magical month with my boys.

Goings On

We've been busy little bees these days!

Last week, the nugget and I traveled to O.H.I.O. to visit with my family.  It was a wonderful trip!  I love to see Gabe spending time with his grandparents, who literally ran out to the car to greet us the moment we pulled that minivan into the driveway.  They just love him so much.  My sister and brothers were around, too.  The whole family was there (minus my hardworking hubby, whom we missed terribly).  Times like those are hard to come by lately, so it truly was a real treat.

Of course, we were out and about a ton.  We visited the aquarium, did some shopping, and played with fun new toys.  And was I good with the camera?  Of course not.  I didn't even remember to bring it to the aquarium, which was a highlight for sure.  But I did get some sweet shots of the boy playing with Grammy one morning.

What other way is there to watch TV when it's not wall-mounted?

Then on Friday, J took the day off and we went to the fair!  I have just come to love the state fair here in NC.  Mostly for the food- that's right.  I like to eat my way through that place from one end to the other.  But I was also very excited to be able to add the mommy stuff into the experience this year.  Last year, Gabe was too little to enjoy much, and mostly just rode around in his stroller and took in the sights.  This year, he could be more involved.  We had an awesome time.  Family outings like this are one of my favorite things in life.

Thinking about trying a piece of funnel cake...

He'll give it a whirl...

He likes it!

Watching the cows in the livestock show.

Riding the carousel with Daddy.  He loved it so much, he cried when it was over!

Petting zoo!