My Girls

2013-05-07T23:10:00.001-04:00

"Riley, tell me what you're favorite part of the zoo was."

"The Komono Dragons. Wait no, actually, my favorite part was Gladys."

Writing

2013-05-02T09:22:00.000-04:00

To write and write well, you just have to start writing. I have been away from this blog for awhile and I'm not sure why, because I have missed it a lot. I need a place in my life to document all the ridiculousness that I experience; like at the grocery when my child asks me in the deli section around a handful of people if I pooped her out or if they had to cut my belly open, or the ridiculousness at my work that I would love to share if I wasn't terrified of being sued over HIPPA because some of the experiences I have one cannot even make them up.

A very wise man, Ernest Hemingway, once said that to overcome writers block, "All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence you know."

I want to be a fabulous mother that fills her children's memories full of fun, smiles, laughter, and a slew of life experiences.

That's the truest sentence I know, and that's what I miss from not blogging the past few months. I of course have been finding ways to make our lives fun and having fun experiences with my family, but don't have one place to look back and read about the memories to remind me and to look at the photos that brings me back to that moment in time.

Tomorrow we plan on going to the zoo. One of my favorite places in our city. I plan to take 500 million pictures and capture the smiles of my girls next to blooming spring flowers and little wee zoo babies and post them here so I never forget and my girls never forget wonder days like that.

Plus somehow these kids have grown up on me and I just need to be paying closer attention to it all.

Books

2013-03-07T09:45:00.000-05:00

My kids and their books:

I love bookstores. It doesn't matter if it's a national chair or a mom and pop (those I do love more, though). I hope that there is a whole category of my girls' childhood memory that holds the hours we spend in bookstores.

I had a short moment of envy when we were in this particular bookstore because I wanted to purchase every single children's book there for my kids library, but obviously do not have the means to do that. Short after, I soon realized that my girls already have a good portion of the books from our many "you can pick out one book to purchase" trips. I also thought about how beautiful these books on these shelves are with their nice clean covers and fresh spines that aren't yet worn, but there's something to be said about our books at home. They show that they have been held, read, played with, read again many of times and there is a beauty just as beautiful to the worn, tattered books in my girls library.

Random Thoughts

2012-10-25T15:47:00.002-04:00

My brain works in a way that a psychiatrist might describe as a flight of ideas, but that's me. In case you're not familiar:

flight of ideas,

(in psychiatry) a continuous stream of talk in which the patient switches rapidly from one topic to another and each subject is incoherent and unrelated to the preceding one or is stimulated by some environmental circumstance (source).

I like getting all my thoughts out because there are always a million things running thought my mind.

First, I'm tired.I am not a night-shifter as a mother. Pre-baby days definitely, but now not so much. I'm not really sure what my resolve to this is, but I am getting less sleep I think than the days I had a newborn. I have tried ear plugs, black out shades, etc. and just cannot sleep during daytime hours.

I keep half joking and half serious say that I am going to write a book about my friends and I and our lives, because sometimes they are crazier than a reality TV show. I think it would be great if they gave me permission to write about the craziness in a book or on this blog, because I think it's too much to contain amongst ourselves.Our careers, the men in our lives, the ridiculous drama that seems to find us sometimes; it's pretty interesting stuff.

I have had a horrible case of the baby crazies (a strong urge to have another baby-after seeing other people's babies) lately.

My phone and computer are both starting to give out. I think between the kids and I, we have dropped my laptop one too many times, and it takes 20 minutes to load a 30 second video and watch it and part of the screen is falling off. My phone's touch screen has a mind of it's own and will just randomly take over and start to open things when it wants to without even touching it. If anyone knows anything about me they would know that these are vital to my existence, sadly enough, they are right up there with oxygen.It's how I schedule things, pay bills, communicate, and maintain my sanity.

Halloween is almost here and I love this holiday. Our family is dressing up as superheros and I am so excited to wear our costumes, even though I have to go into work after our trick or treating. We haven't carved our pumpkins yet- but I think with the 80 degree weather around here tonight may just be a perfect night to do it. I will probably have to go out and buy some more candy because every year in an attempt to plan ahead we buy candy for trick or treaters and then we end up eating most of it before Halloween gets here...

Thanks readers for listening to my random thoughts of Thursday. Raigan thinks they are hilarious:

Fall Traditions

2012-10-01T15:45:00.000-04:00

I think everyone that lives in an area of the country that offers crisp fall October days cannot deny that this season is for them. It has so much to offer and is full of fall traditions for my little family.We love fall church festivals, winning inflatable sharks, and taking naps snuggling them. When I came in to check on her at nap and she was legitimately snuggling this thing and sleeping; it cracked me up.

I love that with each season there is a fresh start to things. A fresh new weather pattern to experience, new routines, new ways to spend our days and weekends, and the city never fails to deliver. There are always festivals, new restaurants to try, farms with pumpkin patches to visit, and even our favorite familiar places to revisit over and over.

I hope my children never outgrow loving to get their faces painted, and I don't think they will. That's our "go-to/ gotta make sure we hit up that booth" at every festival.

I think it's so important to ingrain certain things into my children's minds: the importance of our family, traditions, and enjoying the little things in life together.

A Fun Life

2012-09-16T22:54:00.000-04:00

Once upon a time this summer I was in an airport on my way to Savannah, Georgia for one of my best friend's bachlorette weekends. Sometimes I feel like I'm making stories up because my life is really fun sometimes and I never thought I would get to fly to the south to hang with my friends. But I'm not making it up. It really happened.

Our group of friends on a haunted pub tour in Savannah, Ga.

So I'm in this airport and I go to get through security and they ask me if I'm 16. I giggle- and then realize that they are being serious. (I am assuming that there is a rule that if you are under 16 you have to be escorted to your flight?) Which makes me laugh even more and I proceed to show them my ID that I am not underage and my bag falls over on the security conveyer belt and out falls novelty things for a bachelorette party- I blush- and then out flops a copy of 50 Shades of Gray that I had intended to read on the plane.

One of my besties and Bride to Be on Tybee Island.

I am eager as ever to show them that I'm actually 25 and make a point that they see my wedding rings in an attempt to convince them that I'm not some kind of weirdo. I soon come to realization that I am a weirdo and no longer care because I was pumped as every for a fun weekend with my friends.

I have been trying to read 50 Shades since that weekend.

The "Lets see how awkward all of us can stand for a group beach picture" picture.

I never read it on the plane, because I can't start a book while I am in the middle of the other, and I was trying to finish the one that I was in the middle of, which I did. While we were on the beach though one of my friends swiped my copy and has had it until this weekend.

My family joining me in Savannah before we enjoyed a lovely week on HHI.

Our family has had an end of the summer cold with fevers and ear aches and general malaise. I was not immune and spent most of the weekend sleeping, trying to recover, and reading. I finally got to read the book, and the feminist in my did not like it, but out of sheer boredom of being sick laying in bed I even read the second book, which got a little better.

Other than being sick this weekend-which killed our apple pickin' plans, we had our follow up with Raigan's pulmonologist. We spent far too much time in the office as a previous client had, as he put it, had a very interesting situation going on" I normally would pry for information on the medical drama, since I'm normally into that stuff, but I was too exhausted from being locked in a very small exam room with two little girls that did not want to sit still, were interested in touching and nearly breaking everything in the room, and when they weren't doing that they were fighting with one another.

I image this is a form of torture in some places of the world.

Dr. Pulmonologist and I collectively decided to take the very conservative route with my little's lungs, because they have been doing so well all summer and we'll keep a very close eye on things.

The girls have had cheerleading and our big competition is coming up very soon here in a few weeks.This will be Raigan's first, and even though she is only 2 we're really excited about her getting to experience the fun of it to whatever the ability she can.

Kindergarten is quite the learning curve, and not even for Riley, for me. I had corresponded with her teacher more than once this week because this stuff is complicated. I just want to do my best to help her succeed because she is a very bright little girl and I think we finally got things squared away. We are well on our way to a successful school year, it's just so crazy to me that we are already heading into our 4th week of the school year. I'm always surprised though how fast time moves once you have children.

To Plan or Not to Plan

2012-09-14T05:08:00.001-04:00

I really do enjoy writing, but sometimes there's just nothing in there to write about or there is so much in my brain that I need to get out, write down, or talk it out with a friend over coffee that I find it overwhelming and avoid it instead.

I think it's one of those times. We have a lot going on in our lives right now, mostly all good things, but a lot. Cheerleading and coaching is taking up the majority of our week, then there is Kindergarten and trying to find routines and consistency. On top of that is my work.

My writing here has nothing to do with these photographs, but I love them and I'm just trying to have things flow and inspire me. I think that's the easiest way to write is when you just start writing and don't worry if things connect or are in appropriate order. You just follow your thoughts and write them down and worry about the editing and rearranging later.

There are a few things on my mind lately that I think I should write about but sometimes just am not ready to. How appropriate that the one thing has been my confidence as of late. When I was a 17 year old, I was the most confident person. I thought the cliche was that in high school you're the least sure of yourself and the direction you want to take in life, but it wasn't true for me. I knew where I wanted to go to college, who my friends were, succeeded at my job as a student, and had a firm grasp on how my future was going to play out.

Today, in my mid 20s and a mother to these two little blessings, I'm at a take it take by day basis, because I'm not really sure what direction tomorrow is headed and even when I make plans, the plans don't always go as planned. Perhaps I was really naive at 17 and thought when you work hard enough to go in a direction that journey to your goal will be a straight line. I have definitely found this to be untrue. I have been so unsure about a lot of things lately and am even unsure about needing a plan for the future or goals. My plan currently is, like I said, to take it day by day and to just enjoy the way things happen on their own. Maybe the best plan is to not even have a plan at all.

I have always been a planner though. I need to know what I'm working towards. It gives me drive. Now that I'm done with school, own a home, and have chosen a school for my girls, and have settled into a very comfortable place there isn't anything immediate in need of future plans. But the weirdo planner that I am, find that a little unsettling. But I'm working on it. I'm working on enjoying the fact that things are comfortable and the way that they are supposed to be. Perhaps, I just need to find a hobby.

My work is another thing I feel like I must plan. Last night when I was at work people were talking about in the future going back to school for their masters, changing jobs, moving to a different department eventually and I was asked what my plans were.

My thoughts were, " hmm, they asked me what my plans are at the only point in my life thus far where I don't possess a plan for anything."

And my response was, "I don't know, I plan to stay here in the ICU until I figure out what I want to be when I grow up."

Then a coworker said, "Well, I think an ICU nurse is a really good place to start." and from the tone of her voice, I heard, shut up- you should be very proud of being an ICU nurse and you don't need a plan to move anywhere else, because being here is already quite an accomplishment.I wish my constantly churning mind would get that memo. Another plan, since I need them is to convince myself of this.

When I see these pictures it is so crazy to me that my little baby with lots of dark brown hair has grown into this beautiful confident little girl. She is so strong willed, an excelling reader, and I'm excited to watch her grow everyday. Her and her funny little sister.

It's milk in this coffee cup, but sister does enjoy sneaking sips of my coffees.

Future plans:

1. Stop making plans and enjoy things the way they are.
2. Survive and even enjoy Kindergarten.
3. Go apple pickin'

the end.

The Elite

2012-09-01T17:09:00.000-04:00

Oh motherhood. There is quite a bit to say about this job that some of us have. I really think that God only chooses the strong and the elite for this position, and sometimes I wonder how I didn't get kicked our of the boot camp of motherhood long ago. It takes so much to be a mother and I think about putting it on my resume. It is the hardest job I have ever had and it has taught me the more skills and knowledge than any other even college.

Job: Motherhood

Hours worked: 24 hours a day/7 days a week=168 hours a week.

(128 hours more than your average work week. Some may argue that most of this time is spent sleeping, but this is untrue. You only get to sleep if your children allow you to sleep. That's a whole lot of overtime that I'm not seeing on a paycheck anywhere.)

Salary: Love, hugs, laughter, and $0. Actually the cost is probably in the red monetarily wise.

Skills required: Multitasking, patience, intuition, balance, organization, budgeting, accommodating, cooking, cleaning, driving a car all over God's green earth, strength, being able to function without sleep, good communication skills, works well with others, motivated, flexible, and on and on.

Tasks performed at job: too many for even the best To Do list to keep up with.

They say (whomever they is) that by your second child you're an expert and have gained confidence as a mother to listen to your instincts and that you know what to do.

Today I did not know what to do, even though I have a second child and only had 1 of my 2 children with me, which should have given me an advantage.

We were at Target. (does anyone else feel like every one of their motherhood stories starts that way? "I was at Target when..." It's true for me) looking for uniform shorts for my little Kindergartener. She starts to ask for all kinds of things and I try to explain to her that we can only spend this much money here today. She does not get it and does not get the concept of money yet, even with multiple attempts to explain it on many occasions. Heck, money is a complicated thing that sometimes I don't even understand.

I should have prefaced this story with the fact that she was at a cheerleading party last night, spent the night with her cousins, stayed up late, had been up since 6am for school that morning, and had cheered a football game in the swamp like humid heat. Now that I'm typing this, I should have known better than to take my sleep deprived, overheated little 5 year old into Target on a Saturday afternoon in the first place. Tack that one up for a lesson learned.

So here we are, standing in Target, her loosing her patience quickly for me not letting her get all that she wants and making her choose, and I loosing my patience for her getting aggravated and not choosing. She finally choose to forgo the uniform shorts and just stick with the uniform she already has but can be hot at times. I was okay with that, because she could only wear the uniform shorts for a few more weeks anyway and wouldn't really have been the best investment. So we get to the checkout line with the things she choose and she starts screaming to go get the shorts too. Not just whining either, full out-everyone is looking because they think someone is being murdered scream.

This is the part where my mother of 2 expertise and confidence should have come in, but it didn't. I just stood there like a deer in headlights and thought to myself, "what in the world is going on?"

She is hysterical from fatigue.

I'm frozen.

She is normally a passionate and very strong willed little girl (must get that from her dad), but she's never acted this crazy-in public at least. Well what do I do here? Should I try to explain money and a budget to a hysterical 5 year old again? No, it didn't get through even when she was level headed. Do I put everything back and walk out of the store and not buy her anything for acting the way she is? Do I just get this stuff and tell her she needs to apologize before getting it? I'm sure everyone can weigh in on it a little differently about the approach I should have taken. But instead of doing any of those things? You know what I did?

I started to laugh.

I have this horrible character trait of laughing at inappropriate times, and it's uncontrollable.

I just check out with what we had, tried to hide that I continued to laugh, she continued to scream, and we made our way to the car. I told her she was in trouble for acting like that and that it was disrespectful. She screamed the whole car ride home. I made her take a nap, which is where she is now.

She even tucked herself and froggy in.

I'm not sure if I'll return the stuff, or make her do chore to earn the stuff back, but I'll eventually come to a decision with confidence because I'm a mother of two. I'm sure we'll both learn something from this little fiasco. I think the moral of this story are a few things. One, motherhood is tough, however many children you have -1 or 19. Two, we cannot be supermom, do it all, and have all the answers all the time in all situations. And most importantly, three, do not take your sleep deprived 5 year old to Target.

And I'll leave you with another Target motherhood story. I was at Target when I started talking to this mom whom had children the same age as mine. We really hit it off and were talking about baby carriers when I realized that I'm wearing a neon green t-shirt that says "Here for the Beer" that I have no idea where it came from.. I'm sure this lady had judge me, a mom of two little girls with this shirt on and I frankly didn't blame her. I remember ever time not to wear that t shirt to the baby section of Target.

Also, kudos to all the mothers that work hard every day trying to be the best they can be for their kids.And when you think you aren't doing enough and that there is always more to do, stop beating yourself up and trying to be supermom. Instead, congratulate yourself for all the kick ass work that you're already doing and all that you do accomplish.

1st Day of Preschool

2012-08-29T02:05:00.000-04:00

It's a lot for one mama to take all these big changes in her little's childhoods, but I guess it doesn't matter if it's a lot or not. Life goes on anyway. My littlest little started her preschool year today, she's still in the 2s classroom, but seems so much older to me and a baby all at the same time.

Raigan was really excited to head back to school and rejoin all of her friends that she left in the spring. She loves her school and her teachers, but apparently did not like what they served for lunch because I got a report that she was throwing them some dirty looks and rolling her eyes when they asked her to at least try a bite. It gave me a good laugh, because I knew exactly which one of her looks they were talking about.

The driving we do in a day has increased tenfold since we are going to two different schools that are no longer anywhere near our jobs, but it's what we think is best for our family. Hopefully the start of the school year will form a little more of a structure to our days and weeks.

1st Day of Kindergarten

2012-08-23T12:58:00.000-04:00

Wow. We are actually here. I've given this day a lot of thought, but it came faster than it should have. Our first born is running with the big kids. She's a grade school-er now. I wanted to make her first day really special, so daddy and I took off work and we went to have breakfast at our favorite little coffee shop. Riley's choice was a large white doughnut and orange fruit smoothie.

I of course made her pose for a slew of first day of kindergarten pictures and she was very happy to oblige.
The theme of her classroom is owl, so we ran with it and got her an owl backpack, lunchbox, and pouch.

This is her, "Uh, Mom. I'm not really too sure about all this" face, which really surprised me. It took a little bit of effort for me to trade days at work so I could be there for her first day, and when telling people at work, I said she probably could care less that I'll be there, she'll just march right in there and own the place like she normally does and that being there was probably more for me than it was for her. Then this morning came, and she was very reserved and hit behind her dad while I embarrassed (and had fun doing so!) myself and did the ToodieTa with her class. She did this song/dance in preschool and was never embarrassed by it, but I guess Kindergarten made her too cool. I think things fell into place though after we left, because she talked all morning about how she loved it.

She is so funny, when I was writing this post she asked how I took those pictures and in a suspicious voice said, "MOM! Did you take pictures through the window!?" and I laughed and replied, "Not this time." She knows me too well and my crazy antics to be the sentimental mom that I am.

A Day in the Life

2012-08-18T13:29:00.000-04:00

I think day in the life posts are so fun. It's a good way to remember what life really was like from day to day. Today, Friday, was a typical day for me.

3:20 am I wake up because I cannot sleep any longer due to working night shift. I embrace it and use the time to myself and to get a few things done.

3:30 get up and finally watch a show I've had DVRed for awhile and watch it in peace without interruption.

4:00 I get excited for an open day, but soon realize we have lots to do still before school starts. I begin to organize my day by making a To Do List. I also take all of my girls school papers, cheerleading papers, and my work schedule and fill everything in on my planner and Google calendar in my phone. I check emails and fill in other dates of things like a meeting for work, a required training class to volunteer at Riley's school for the upcoming year, first PTO meeting, etc.

5:00 I also organize, gather, and make copies of papers to later drop off at school. A few years ago I made a family binder. It's just a regular 2 inch binder with pocket sections in it for each member of our family. It hold important documents like our marriage license, birth certificates, immunization forms, etc. It has saved me so much time because now I don't have to search everywhere because all important things are in one place.

5:30 I look at our bills and pay some online, make notes of the ones that need to be paid other ways, and make our budget for the rest of the month.

5:45 I sneak into the girls room to grab their laundry without waking them up and throw a load in the washer.

6:00 Take a shower without interruption (the little things in life). Get myself dressed and ready for the day.

6:45 Change the load of laundry and put a new load in. Start to pick up the kitchen and the string of toys and little pink things that litter the floors.

7:15 Hub is up for work. He gets ready and we talk about what all is going on for the day and where everyone needs to be. He leaves for work.

8:00 I'm already tired again and sit down, watch some morning tv and read some blogs, search on Pinterest, and drink a cup of ~~gasoline~~ coffee. I bought these new Keurig coffee cups and it definitely was dark roast with more kick than espresso. I decide that I really need to cut coffee out of my life slowly.

8:30 Breakfast is started. I put some slices of bacon on the griddle, slice some kiwi, heat up some waffles from the day before, rinse some grapes, and make some scrambled eggs. As things are cooking I empty the dishwasher and load it again.

9:00 I wake the girls up to eat breakfast. They are reluctant, but come into the kitchen with their blankets in tow. Riley tells me she is not hungry and doesn't want to eat anything at all that I made for breakfast.We have a long discussion about how this is what we are having and that we are not going to eat anything else until lunch time which is in a few hours. She takes a couple bites and we move on.

9:30 The girls get in the bathtub. We get dressed and I braid their hair after much deliberation of their hairstyle for the day. I am only expecting this to get worse as they age, but enjoy it, because I used to dream about having little girls and would fix my baby doll's hair, and now I have real babies of my own.

10:15 We finally make it out the door to go school shoe shopping.

10:30 We arrive at shoe store number one. I quickly become aggravated because every shoe I or the girls like they do not have in their size. Riley asks for those Sketcher ballerina shoes. I explain to her at least 10 times that she is not allowed to wear those to school and that she must pick something else. I chase Raigan up and down the isles and curse advertisement and swear that Riley is never allowed to watch tv again. Raigan continues to dart and giggle. It's definitely time to leave.

10:50 Before entering the mall the girls and I have a talk about the appropriate way to act in a store. We also talk about how it's disrespectful to continue to ask for something when a parent has already told them no multiple times. I contemplate taking the stroller in or just chasing the girls down myself and decide the later would be easier. We look at lots of shoe stores and not many have large selection of toddler sizes. The girls finally choose a pair and we stop by Claire's to find a 9x11 inch pouch, open at the top, and with a long strap that Riley needs as one of her supplies. Crazy specific, but we find this cute owl one.

12:00 We drop papers off to the school office.

12:15 Off to Target we head to find the rest of our school supplies we need and a different backpack, because the owl one we have does not fit folders or notebooks. Boo.

1:00 We are back home and have lunch. They requests eating cinnamon rolls for lunch and I oblige and offer them fruits and veggies on the side.

1:30 My dad arrives to sit with the girls during nap time so I can go to a hair appointment. Raigan is down for a nap and Riley is in her room and plays quietly. I head out to the salon. I talk to my husband about our shopping experience and whatever else while he is on his lunch break.

2:00 I get to the salon and it's my lucky day because they have free Greater's Ice Cream for all their clients. I indulged in a container of chocolate chocolate chip, get my hair done, cut, and feel like a new woman.

4:00 I get back home. Raigan is still napping and Riley gets dressed for cheerleading practice.

5:00 We head to the gym for cheerleading.

5:15 Hub gets to the gym to pick Raigan up so I can coach without supervising a toddler at the same time. The girls do a fabulous job at the gym and we make big progress in our routine for our first competition in October. I'm exhausted.

7:10 Practice is over and we head home.

7:30 We get home and eat dinner my dad had made for us in the crock-pot, so wonderful of him.

I do not get everything done on my To Do List, but it's not the end of the world. I will try again tomorrow because I can do a lot, but I cannot due it all. I end the day and call it a success.

Phases

2012-08-14T15:51:00.001-04:00

I love summertime. It's by far my favorite time of the year. I was built for sunshine, warm days, and water. I love that the sun is up when I get up and lingers well into bedtime.

With that being said though, I am kind of welcoming the start of the school year and the season of oranges and reds. I desperately need some routine and consistency in my life right now. I hope school schedules will regulate that a little more. Right now each week is different and each day has it's own routine that never mimics the one before.

Cheerleading and football season is in full swing and will most likely dominate our lives for the next 2 months, but it's so fun. It's so fun because both of my girls are cheering this year and it's really special to see the progress they have already made in the few weeks since we've started.

With the start of the school year, I've been giving a lot of thought to food. I want to be better at planning our meals, something I get on and and fall off the bandwagon often. I want to use Sundays as a day to get all of our food bought and plan for the week. I want to have breakfast ideas, after school snacks, and easy, quick dinner ideas. I'm on the Pinterest hunt for those things.

I tend to look at our life in phases and a few phase will begin next week. I don't have it all figured out yet and everything ready, because who knew how much work went into send a little one to school for a few hours a day, but I'm really excited for it and all the fun and new experiences it's going to bring. Riley has this about me poster that I'm pretty excited to help her fill out for the first day of school. It brings back so many memories of my childhood and I'm so blessed to be remembering mine with these little girls.

Otto's for Sunday Brunch

2012-07-31T02:33:00.000-04:00

This Sunday my homies and I went out for a Sunday Brunch at Otto's in Mainstrasse Village. My homies being my husband and two daughters. It's a cafe, or a bar, or something; but they have killer brunch on Sundays. Their website can be found here.

If I had to describe this place in one word.... hmm, I couldn't. Home-y, artsy, quaint, southern friendly- like you're in the south. I mean they do serve Shrimp n Grits for dinner after all. I love Shrimp n Grits. I was meant to live in a big Georgia mansion in another lifetime, except I don't believe in other lifetimes, but you know, I can still use the saying.

If only my wiggly worm would stay still for 5 seconds for my camera to auto focus, this would be my ultimate favorite picture. It's still pretty up there on the list though.

We had a good time and kids were civilized halfway into my Strawberry Cheesecake French Toast, so I'd call it a win for a restaurant outing.

The french toast was unreals. It should defiantly make it to the Food Network in my opinion.They also served fresh peach sangria that made the meal perfect. As my side I got a potato cake full of creamy potato and peppers.

Hub and the girls got Belgian Waffles topped with strawberries and blueberries and that crispy little tart is a piece of goetta. Although I love food, I can't consider myself a foodie because I couldn't tell you what makes a waffle Belgian as appose to a regular ole' waffle. One day I'll learn all the secrets.

We love to go to and contribute to small businesses around the city. That being said, we of course occasion Cracker Barrel and IHop from time to time, but there is just something you can get from these places that you can't get from the big chains. I would definitly suggest it as one of my little gems in our city to visit.

Washington Park

2012-07-25T17:36:00.000-04:00

When I was in high school, I used to know exactly who I was. I was a minority, but I knew exactly what my plan was in life. I knew my morals, and interests, and was totally comfortable with the person I was. It's weird how things change in different seasons for people. Now that I've achieved a good majority of those goals I set for myself in high school and my interests have changed I'm not really sure what's next. Do I think we will live in the suburbs? Or even in the same city? Who knows. The endless opportunities of the future excites me though. We can do anything and go anywhere really. We have been talking a little more about selling our home and getting an apartment downtown and living an urban lifestyle for a little while. When we were downtown at Washington Park it validated a little bit more of why we would want our family to have this life experience.

The city of Cincinnati has been throwing money into projects around left and right. There are so many new things and renovations happening and the city is definitely showing more and more promise.

I have loved being downtown ever since I was little. I have memories of my mom taking me to Newberrys and getting photos in a photo booth. We would visit these Christian bookstores and I always enjoyed being down there. I would beg my parents every Christmas to take me down to see the Christmas train display at Cinergy, now Duke Energy, a family tradition of my own families now. We would go to Riverfront Stadium to see the Reds play and play at Sawyer Poinit. I have even had two jobs downtown and loved the hustle bustle of it all.

I love that a lot of my girls childhood memories are the same as mine and involve the city.

Washington Park:

The backdrop of this park is Music Hall, it's beautifully amazing.

The park has fountains that are lit with colors and sometimes coordinates to classical music that you can choose on an app on your phone. I have not experienced it, but it sounds fantastically futuristic. You can read about it in an article found here.

You can somewhat see a stage in the center background of this photo. This is where they play music and have movies projected on the weekends in a huge field of beautiful green grass.

When we first arrived at the park Riley was really hesitant to get wet because she had on one of her favorite shirts, but I packed her a change of clothes and she agreed to have fun. Silly girl, it is crazy how much she is like me. It didn't take long before she was running through the fountains and laughing with new friends.

The girls are so funny because usually I'm packed with everything when we go out, but since we kind of impromtly went to this park the only I threw in my bag was my camera and a change of clothes for them in case they did get in the water. They promptly asked when we got there where their bathing suits were and what snacks and food I brought. I'm not always super prepared I guess, but I'm glad my kids think of me to be.

An even cooler part about the park trumps your average park is the amazing backdrop to this park. That's the Kroger building in the background and beautiful apartment buildings of Over the Rhine. The city is definitely shaping up nicely.

The play structures at this new park are pretty impressive too. They have boats, castles, and AstroTurf mounds my girls pretended to the queens of.

I give this park a 10/10 and would suggest anyone to visit. http://washingtonpark.org/ has information about events and things at the park.

Kingergarten Must Haves - the incomplete list

2012-07-19T19:13:00.001-04:00

I know it's July, but I like to plan things ahead and be prepared, most of the time anyway. I think it's easier to purchase things in moderation rather than on big lump too. So we have slowly been collecting things for kindergarten for my new little kindergartener. I thought I would offer a sneak peak to what we have so far, and hope to complete the list before the end of August when school starts.

Trendy Owl Backpack and Lunch Box

These are the perfect size for my little kindergartener and oh so cute.

School uniform.

I'd be lying if I said that this wasn't part of the reason I chose this school for my little. We still have a few more uniform things to purchase.

Mables Labels

I think these products are so wonderful. We use these for our pool toys that inevitably get lost at our community center and when they end up in lost and found we know they are our's. We label sippy cups and everything one can imagine that goes to preschool with the girls. Now I plan to use them to label kindergarten school supplies.

The Night Before Kindergarten

A cute little book to read the night before we take the plunge into grade school.

We have also got new socks, underwear, and undershirts. We still need new shoes and school supplies when we get our list among other things. Any suggestions from moms that have already had their little go through kindergarten?

Perspective

2012-07-13T02:35:00.002-04:00

I read somewhere highly intellectual (probably Pinterest) that the secret to a happy life is to live simply and have low expectations. So when I read one of those quotes, I thought, "Oh, man. I've had it wrong all along." I suppose things would be easier if you lowered your expectations and you would be satisfied because your goals would easily be met, but it's just not me or who I am. I've been trying to look at things from different perspectives lately.

This new point of view came to me this week when I started night shift, definitely a new perspective on life, and also when I was searching for a tv remote. Our cable is cruel and our TV has been stuck on Nickelodeon for over a week now because you cannot change the channel without the remote.So as I was searching high and low, I laid down on my bedroom floor to think about life and it's meaning. I'm already aware how weird I am if that's what you're thinking at this point. I thought, instead of being upset that I can't find this remote anywhere. I should just enjoy the moment. Enjoy that I have the luxury of TV (when I can find the remote) and that I have a beautiful home that I get to search around. I just changed my perspective and lowered my expectations.

The lowering my expectation part is a little rough for me though. I'm a do-er, a go getter, and like Rachael Berry's character on the Fox hit TV show Glee I want things to much. There has to be at least one other Gleek in the blogosphere that reads my blog. :) I am going to continue to try to see things from different perspectives though. Like my little Raigan at nap time, I would have never noticed a little character in her chin had I not looked at her a different way than usual.

This child bring so much joy to my life. I know I say that all the time, but really I just love her and how precious she is. My girls love their LaLa Loopsy Dolls fiercely.

I would have never found this library book had I not found new spots in my house to lay on the floor and look at my house a different way.

And I would have never found this rainbow. I have an affinity for rainbows. I have decided that I also need more rainbows in my life.

A pile to pick up? Or a plethora of one of my favorite thing; little girls shoes. If you're wondering, that's my Raigan girl's giant cow on the left.

With my new perspective I gathered my littles and a best friend and we took ourselves to the matinee showing of Brave.

They were so excited that they weren't even willing to wait for their ole' mama either. They were on a mission.

I do not frequent the movies often anymore, but I did take note for the next time to pack my purse with candy and juice boxes, because I almost couldn't justify spending $4 on a box of Starburst until Riley was jumping up and down telling me how excited she was to see the movie and be getting them. Slushies the size of Raigan were also purchased.

I think it's taboo to take pictures in a movie theatre and for fear of them thinking I was apart of a movie piracy conspiracy I just snapped this picture of the girls without worrying about my camera settings. It's so import to me to capture things like these.

I do sometimes ask people to take a picture of me too because I want the girls to know that I was there and not always just the lady behind the lens. All three of these pictures made me chuckle because we were all blinded by the sunlight after emerging from a dark theatre.

It's going to be a good weekend. My girls are going to their first Cincinnati Reds game this Saturday and I'm sure it will be filled with many more adventures. I love summertime.

Catching Up

2012-07-08T08:15:00.000-04:00

It's July.

The 4th was a few days ago, but as I'm writing this there are many fairs, festivals, and homes with firework shows. The neighborhood we live in goes big to celebrate the birthday of our country and tonight is no different.

Not only did this week bring a new summer month, it brought a change in my job. I worked my last day shift Friday and am now moving into the nocturnal world as a night shifter. I have a pretty good outlook on this change as it comes with a large pay increase and flexibility that we need. Say there is a doctors appointment, instead of having an off day to do it, I can just sacrifice a few hours of sleep that can be later made up. The only real concern about it is the sleeping part. I had a roommate my freshman year of college that never needed sleep and never really did. Her moto was, "You can sleep when you're dead." I'm 99% sure she was not on speed and just did not require as much sleep as the rest of us, but I could never carry out her logic, because my body requires at least 12 hours of sleep a day and a nap to feel refreshed and well rested. None the less, I'm pumped.

We have still been making way with our Summer Bucket List and creating many fun summer memories. We impromptu-ed and camped out in our back yard one weekend with our family, but I'm pretty sure my dad was the only one that actually spent the whole night in the tent. We enjoyed hotdogs, bean salads, s'mores, and time together around a fire.

For some reason when I have a list I have this extra push to finish things, check them off, and complete the list. I guess it doesn't really matter if we do all of the things on our list or not when summer comes to an end, but I have a competitive spirit and would like to do them all. With the months changing from June to July I got that extra nudge on top of the list nudge that we are running out of time.

Naturally the problem solver and multitask-er (thank you motherhood for giving me those qualities) in me accomplished 4 of our clothespins in one day... and not only one day- one trip. I'm gonna be humble here and go ahead and nominate myself for some kind of award.

I packed the heck out of our car with an array of thing; swim bag, picnic bag, cooler, purse, scavenger hunt, kids, best friend, and we head downtown Cincinnati to Sawyer Point. We just love that park and that was one of the things to do this summer although we go down there all the time anyway. We love it so much that there has been discussions on a few occasions of us moving Downtown for a short while to live that life experience, but it's still for sure in the premature discussion only stages. I figured while we're downtown visiting our park we should pack a lunch and Picnic in the Park, another of our clothespins. And heck, while wwe're downtown in the city, lets do the City Scavenger Hunt too, and pack our bathing suits and visit the Splash Park. So we did all 4 and it was such a fun day.

For our picnic lunch we did it the way that we do when we pack things for the pool. Make some sandwiches and throw other random snack like stuff in too. We had: PB&J sandwiches, strawberries, dried berries, peperoni, goldfish crackers, yogurt covered raisins, peaches, yogurt, and water.

For the scavenger hunt I Goggled "City Scavenger Hunt" and this was the one I used. It had large pictures and was very appropriate for my girls ages. It was actually really fun all of us. They have different versions on the site I found it on, so I'm sure we'll be doing this again.

This one has been extra cute lately when I try to take her picture. She puts her hands on her hips and pops one out. She had the other moms at the splash park cracking up with her posing. Maybe there's modeling in Raigan's future?

Raigan's facial expressions here are just too funny and that was our 4 for 1 trip to Sawyer Point.

$13.75

2012-06-26T17:07:00.000-04:00

$3.00

$0.50

$0.25

$0.50

$0.25

$1.00

$0.25

$0.50

$0.25

$2.00

$1.25

$1.00

Summertime

2012-06-25T12:45:00.001-04:00

The area that we live in has Catcholic churches and United Dairy Farmers on nearly ever corner. That's how people give directions around here.

Turn left at St. Johns, make a right at the UDF and when you pass St. Thomas go another block and you'll be there.

That also means that in the summer time there are church festivals almost every weekend and who doesn't love a church festival?

They even had Plinko!

And this really fun homemade game where you race your golf balls down the tubes and planks and whomever gets three of their colors in a row first wins.

Bubbles have been on our summer bucket list too. So is chalk, even though it's a staple to our afternoons/early evenings that we spend in the driveway.

Sometimes I feel guilty because I don't make every single day great and go somewhere and do something that really stands out and makes memories. But then here recently I realized that blowing bubbles in our driveway is just as important as the really special days with trips places and discovering new sites. I've realized too that I'm definitely way too hard on myself. I push myself more than anyone else does. After working 3 12 hour shifts in a row it's okay to let the girls watch a Madeline video a few times over while I just rest and recover. Not everyday has to be packed full and accomplished. Although resting is accomplishing something important too. Summer time is all about rest and relaxation anyway.

Lemonade Stand

2012-06-24T08:06:00.000-04:00

Last week my girls finally had their 1st lemonade stand. Our best friends bought this cute thing from CVS Pharmacy for them. We had plans of building one and looked up plans and all that, but when there was already a pre made one, it was perfect.

I may or may not have taken it too far when I came across the end-cap at Target that sells everything one may need to open and run a lemonade stand. They had cups, aprons, straws, a pad of paper to keep track of your sales, an ice bucket, and on and on.

We also made Lemon Bars to sell at our stand.

Although we only had a few customers, mostly ourselves buying our own lemonade, it was definitely a success in making summertime memories.

Stream of Consciouness

2012-06-19T21:47:00.002-04:00

I miss the good ole days of blogging instead of studying or writing a paper. I have a test at 8am and I'm doing this as a break from studying. I've been thinking a lot about Grad School lately and what it is that I would go back for. I even looked at the entrance requirements for law school. It'd be really cool if I could just be a stay at home mama.

We are moving right a long with our bucket list, but the girls have been pretty bad the past few evenings, so it's not really a good teaching lesson for them to scream and be mean and then let them do fun activities. Life is always a balance isn't it?

Cheerleading season is getting ready to start in a few weeks and 4th of July is right around the corner. Time is still going as fast as ever.

This weekend was one of the most fun weekends of my life. One of my best friends got married and I got to be apart of all the beauty and love. We stayed the night in this beautiful Manor and site of the wedding in Winchester, Ky and I got to spend the whole weekend celebrating the marriage of two of my best friends with all of my other best friends. A girl couldn't ask for more. The quality of the pictures aren't great because most of them were taken with iPhone and I stole them off Facebook, but they do the job.

I have chosen the themes for Riley and Raigan's next birthday parties and have been looking around town for seashells and mermaids and tea cups. Any ideas for a Tea Party or a Mermaid Party would be much appreciated.

I'm already excited for this weekend to come and it's only Tuesday. I had a rough case of the Mondays today, even though it was Tuesday.

I only work a few hours tomorrow and I plan on taking my kids somewhere fun, but who knows what.

Our best friends bought Riley and Raigan a lemonade stand and the idea is totally getting out of control. I can't wait till it comes to fruition and I can take photos so my family can tell me how overboard I go on things. That's the funnest part of life and being an adult, overboard is totally up to you.

Checking 'em off

2012-06-11T14:03:00.001-04:00

So even though summer officially starts June 20, it has unofficially started for us. Riley graduated from preschool, we spent a week on our favorite island, and have gone out for ice cream more times than one can count using their hands. We are making way with our summer bucket list and are checking em off left and right. We made root beer floats and played in the drive way one of these summer evenings, and I discovered after being with my husband for nearly 10 years that he does not like root beer. I wonder how that one slipped by. That, or I just don't pay enough attention to those kind of things. So I made him a orange float with orange soda.

Here are my supplies:

1. Extra wide straws
2. Tall summer tumblers (you can use any 'ole cup or glass, I just used this as an excuse to buy plastic ware- one of my many obsessions)
3. Vanilla ice cream
4. Rootbeer
5. An ice cream scooper (not pictured)

Viola! and boy did we enjoy them.

***

We also accomplished Spa Day and my girls call it going to the Mommy Salon and Spa. They're cute.

We hit up our local Walgreens and Big Lots for cheap supplies. We very well may have had just as much fun shopping for supplies as we did doing the spa part. My kids have found a new found love for Big Lots and all that it has to offer.

Here are my supplies:

1. A mani/pedi set with emery board, a stone, and separators for each of the girls

2. Sea Salt bath salts

3. A face mask

4. The girls each got to pick out a color of nail polish

5. Head bands to keep our hair back

6. An aloe and cucumber bar of soap

7. Turban towels for hair

8. Tea candles (not pictured)

9. Cucumber slices (not pictured)

In the middle of the day I filled a bath with warm water and sea salt, lit some candles, had a fire safety talk, turned the lights out, and told the girls at the Spa we just relax and are quiet. My girls soaked in the tub for a good while. So fun.

We got our hair all twirled up and got ready for facials. It's was really cute how much these girls got into it and love being girly girls.

My new weapon for a half an hour of quiet time: facials. I told them that at the Spa your relax and are quiet and still. They loved it and laid so still and quiet for at least 15 minutes.

Then we cleaned their toes and got pedicures.

***

We also hit up the Northside Farmers Market, but it was kind of a bust. We live a little while's away and of course the night we decided to go there was a huge wreck. No one was hurt, just huge spools of metal fell off of a semi and into all lanes and it took hours to clean up. By the time we made it there taking alternative routes it was half an hour before close and most booths were packing up and not many vegetables were left. We ended up in Clifton for dinner and ate at the Skyline Chili I used to work at back in the day. It was a fun evening and maybe we will try again for the Farmer's Market again.

I love summer time. I hope you all are enjoying it as much as we are!

Hilton Head Island 2012

2012-06-06T08:47:00.000-04:00

$16.50

2012-06-04T11:15:00.001-04:00

Pretty excited to share my yard sale finds from this weekend. We spent Saturday driving back from Hilton Head Island and got back late that night, but I woke up earlyish Sunday morning and went yard sale-ing with my mom. One of my girlfriends asked me how I could do that after just driving back all that ways and my answer, "Gotta live life baby, and yard saleing makes me happy."

$1.00

I probably would have paid $1.00 for the Dr. Seuss because I've been wanting to buy the girls a few at the bookstores, but it just adds up. Good find and I got all these Magic School Bus books that we love too.

$4.00

I was obsessed with this. I dug up change from my car and bargained the lady down a dollar because I didn't have another one. The girls are going to be staying with one of their grandmas in two weeks because one of my best friends is getting married kind of out town. I'm so looking forward to it! And they can take their things for the weekend in this adorable suitcase.

My Riley girl was pretty excited about it too.

$2.00

Shadow box shelves for Riley's room.

$5.00

A little rough, but it has the CDs to listen to how to speak French for my girls. They were asking $15 and I paid $5.

$0.50

Conch shell for Riley's mermaid themed birthday next year. (I'm a plan-a-header)

$2.00

I paid $1 each for these really cute Express clutches. One can never have too many of these.

$1.00

Love this big bag for when we go on adventures.

$16.50

Summer Vacation

2012-06-04T01:07:00.002-04:00

We have gone back and forth and back and forth about having cable. If I had to commit, I'd be a divorced and remarried lady to our cable company many times over.

There was the time we had a firm, one sided breakup.

And then there was the time we got back together because it ended up being cheaper with it than the internet and phone alone.

And then there was a while there where my husband was working for the cable company and we got it for free anyway, but currently we are on the outs.

My little family and I just home from our vacation to Hilton Head Island and while we were there my littles watched enough cable TV in our villa to make up for all the weeks we've gone without. I heard more Phineas and Ferb episodes than I'd ever like to admit to letting my children watch. According to them, there are 104 days of summer vacation, but they lie. I just sat at my kitchen table and figured it out, we only have 80 something until doomsday.

Can't even believe it's written on our calendar already because I'm obviously still in denial of it all...

I am a list-maker-magee and when I realized we don't have a lot of this summer time thing my brain started to work again after taking a week off also. It came back on and I had an epiphany: Lets make a summer bucket list! I got on where I find all great things: pinterest. And found the idea for this cute little craft to display your bucketlist with an actual bucket. The girls have come up with most of these ideas on their own, and I helped out a tad by offering suggestions.

We came up with a pretty throughout list of how we want to spend these next 80 days and wrote them on a clothes pin with sharpie. My little Moo helped make the sign for our bucket and viola.

A summer bucket list.

It was super easy and I already had the supplies. I just grabbed a bucket that I've had for a long while I found in the dollar bins at Target and clothes pins from crafts for the girls' birthday parties. Each time we do something on one of our clothespins and from our list we will put the pin in the bucket and hopefully by summers end we will have a full bucket and a full mind of summer memories.

Front View

Back View

My complete list is as follows:

Lemonade stand. Zoo. Chalk. Bubbles. Indianapolis Children’s museum. Splash park. Kings Island.

Drive in movie. Root beer Stand. Backyard campout. Picnic in the park. Water balloon fight.

Make homemade Popsicle. Finger paint. Playdogh. Camping. VBS. Send mail to friends. East Fork Lake. Fishing. Feed ducks. County Fair. Farmers Market.Spa Day. Host a BBQ. Tye Dye t shirts.

Rootbeer Floats. Scavenger Hunt. See a play. Ride the Bus. Planetarium. Candy Factory Tour.

Coney Island. Red’s game. Jungle Jims. Church festival.

Can't wait to get started on it because summer is officially here. Woo!