TryItMom

Running

2013-05-23T09:19:00.000-04:00

I was never a runner, and I never really had any desire to be one, but after my ex left, I started running. It was therapeutic in many ways- I felt stronger physically and mentally. I was able to see progress- running further and faster. And I started signing up for races. (I wrote about my first one here.)

Last weekend, JD ran his first race: a half mile fun run before a charity 5k I was running. He was so proud of himself, and I know the feeling. I'm glad we could share our race day, and I hope there are many more!

I was so afraid that he would run to me when he saw me along the route, but he didn't even acknowledge me! He's such a little competitor.

He wanted to run in his hat and sweatshirt. It was raining, so I really couldn't argue.

This weekend I'll be at the Long Island Adventure Race, and next weekend it's a Spartan! Join me?

Wordless Wednesday: Dentist Visit

2013-05-22T09:46:00.003-04:00

I Can Smell Summer

2013-05-20T20:49:00.003-04:00

With just a little more than a month left in the school year, I have never been antsier for summer in my life. I've been taking the boys to the beach in the afternoons after work, and just can not contain my excitement for all the things I want to do this summer. Beach! Pool! Camping! Concerts! Road trips! Spray park! DISNEY WORLD! And clean out my closets. Take 10 months worth of pictures off memory cards. Exercise. Blog!

Working full time has pretty much kicked my butt. I'm still struggling with the mommy guilt- attempting desperately to make my time with the boys as memorable and awesome as it was when I was a SAHM. Add a stressful divorce into the mix, and I'm proud I haven't completely lost my mind. The part that has really made blogging so impossible lately though? Dating.

Blogging and dating just don't mix. At least easily. I knew it as soon as my boyfriend pointed out that I'm on my phone whenever he leaves the room. I certainly can't read ALL THE BLOGS and check twitter, facebook, instagram... And if I bust out a post after the boys are in bed on weeknights, that takes precious sentence forming brain power away from flirty phone conversations. My time with the boys is precious, and they deserve my full attention. And once they're asleep or spending time with their dad, my relationship deserves the same. Don't get me wrong- I have me "me time", but blogging doesn't top going for a run or getting a manicure right now.

So while I think about my bloggy friends and my little blog each day, summer will be our time.

Update

2013-02-13T12:43:00.002-05:00

I signed my divorce papers last month. I'm not going to gloss over how stressful and hellish things have been. Divorce sucks. The end.

But I'm working my way back. There will be a fresh start. And there is happy news that I will be sharing when the time is right. My boys continue to brighten my days, and I can't wait to share some of the past few months with you.

XOXO
Kimberly

Hurricane Halloween

2012-11-05T14:31:00.001-05:00

This post is late. Last week was a blur. My school is still closed due to the absolutely devastating effects of Hurricane Sandy, and I have been staying with my parents since they have important things like heat. I am so blessed to have no major damage to my home, and I've been enjoying a lot of extra time with my boys. However, the images I have seen of nearby neighborhoods is heartbreaking and surreal. Just today I learned that JD's teacher is among the many who lost everything. Please keep those affected in your prayers for the next few months as families struggle to find housing and begin rebuilding. Many of my favorite places are just... gone, and that will take a while to sink in.

But having two little guys means that the fun still continued. They enjoyed watching the small cleanup projects in my parents' backyard, and we did our best to celebrate Halloween.

"You do realize that this isn't working, right?"

Woody wanted a pic by himself.

An amazing friend hosted a Halloween party, even though she didn't have power, so that the kids didn't miss out. She's the best!

We tried trick-or-treating. O was way more interested in collecting rocks.

VERY few people were home or were prepared for trick-or-treaters, but this group brought smiles to faces.

Buzz + Woody = BFF

A Halloween we won't forget!

Wordless Wednesday: O Turns 2

2012-10-24T09:37:00.000-04:00

His 2nd birthday started off much better than his first!

O's Sesame Street 2nd Birthday Party

2012-10-23T13:27:00.000-04:00

I'm baaaaaaaaack! I know it's been a while, but I'm getting in the swing of this working mom thing, and I'm ready to dive back in to blogging. I have to start by sharing O's Sesame Street birthday party. (Also, how is MY BABY 2???!!)

He had the biggest smile all day, but he took his hat very seriously.

It was easy to decide on a Sesame Street party theme because we are not only fans of the show, but we visit Sesame Place as often as possible. We have also collected more than enough Sesame toys over the years, which made decorating super easy!

We covered the paintings that usually hang on our walls with Sesame wrapping paper and placed pictures of O with his favorite characters on them. Outside, we used a Cookie Monster pumpkin kit to go with our regular Halloween decorations, and I hung streamers made from shreaded plastic tablecloths in the party colors. For favors, I used Sesame lunch bags to package cookies, goldfish, and a small Elmo book for the kids. Adults got to take an extra cookie home in personalized wrappers from Little Beane Boutique. After displaying our Sesame stuffed animals and toys on the mantle and shelves, our house was ready!

I knew better than to take on too much in the food department- that stressed me out when I wasnt working full time! I had a local Italian market deliver sandwiches and salads, and I only had to set out snacks and veggies. A former favorite student of mine has a baking business (& an awesome blog), and I was so excited to hire her to make the treats! I made the replica of Cookie Monster's cookie jar from a stainless steel trash can. Stainless steel is not as easy to paint as the guy at Michael's made it sound, but after 20 coats, I was happy with it.

Suzanne was such a huge help! Getting blog-worthy pics is always easier when there is another blogger at the party.

Last year, there was a snowstorm the weekend of O's birthday party, so we majorly lucked out with the GORGEOUS weather last weekend!

I didn't even get to decorate with these because O insisted on carrying them around and passing them out. He had to sleep with one that night, too.

Happy birthday, O!

First Day of School (and toddler interviews)

2012-09-04T22:13:00.000-04:00

Today I dropped my boys off in the middle of a crazy downpour and headed off to my first day of teaching. As much as the rain was annoying, it was a great distraction from all the other emotions of the day. And the day wasn't bad. JD ran right into class without a second thought. O was a little weepy, but he ended up having a great day.

Work was fun. The kids were (mostly) on their best behavior, and I got a lot of compliments on my shoes. The part that kinda stinks: I have to get up and do it again tomorrow. The waking up early, the getting the boys ready and out the door, the daycare drop off, the sitting in traffic... I know the year will go by fast, but right now it all seems exhausting.

The good news: I took some adorable video of the boys answering those interview questions that have been circling around the interwebs. Enjoy!

(My favorite part of this video? When O tries to physically get "Call Me Maybe" out of his head. Love that kid!)

Our Week in iPhone Photos

2012-09-02T22:37:00.000-04:00

It's been a while since I've linked up with Amy for a week in iPhone photos, but we crammed SO MUCH SUMMER into the past week that it seemed the best way to share. It was my last week before school, and my last week as an official stay-at-home mom, so I really wanted to savor it.

Last Sunday, we went to Splish Splash with Suzanne & her kids, my mom, and my brother!

JD & my future daughter-in-law.

There wasn't much for them to ride there, which means the adults didn't get to ride much either. boo. We'll go back when they're teens- or at least 44 inches tall!

I was more than a little relieved when it was rainy on Monday and Tuesday so I could recover from the previous week. But we started all our adventures up again on Wednesday!

An afternoon in the city was made better with cookies at FAO Schwartz!

We took spontaneous trips for treats.

We hung out on the hammock blowing bubbles.

On Friday, we went to three (3!) different playgrounds.

We went to a different beach to eat dinner and listen to a band. The boys just cared about the playground.

Yesterday I ran the worst race ever. It was basically torture. But at least my friends were there with me, and the boys had fun with my mom while I was running.

The Suffolk County PAL kept them entertained.

We survived!

Somebody loves Elmo.

And winning medals.

Then we hit another beach for more family fun.

And capped off the week with the perfect summer meal!

I hope you and your family are soaking up the rest of summer!

And if you haven't seen Amy's week, you must go there now! Tiny baby! I don't need to say more. And link up with your phone pics while you're at it.

Transition to a Toddler Bed: Take 2

2012-08-31T09:08:00.000-04:00

After a very unsuccessful bedtime last night, I realized that there was just no way to get O to see the benefits of staying in his crib. So I gave up, climbed to the attic, dragged down the conversion kit, and I no longer have any cribs in my house. (sob)

He was super excited to hear that he wold have a "big boy bed", but kept insisting, "new orange bed!" (Maybe I shouldn't have shown his the pics of Amy's kid's bed...) Since it was already past bedtime, I was hoping the conversion would be quick and possible with just one adult & two small ~~helpers~~ people.

JD was a helpful screw counter.

It was easy and quick to convert the bed, and O didn't seem to mind the lack of orange (Grandma is getting him some awesome orange bedding for his birthday.)

In the end, the night was pretty much a success. There were a few minutes of O knocking on his door to get out, but he made his way back to his bed and fell asleep faster than I expected. I did, however, check on him before I went to bed and saw him sleeping like this- very similar to the antics his brother pulled, but more uncomfortable than comical.

I did pick him up and tuck him in after I took pictures.

I was hoping I could put off this transition until after we adjusted into our work/day care routine, but this kid works on his own schedule. Hopefully today's nap will happen, because I'm looking forward to taking one myself!

Making Myself At Home At Work

2012-08-30T22:34:00.000-04:00

Although I am going back to teaching the same subject to the same grade level at the same school, I did have to set up in a new classroom. I knew that making it as welcoming as I could would not only ease my students into a new year, but me, too!

I've spent several days over the past few weeks rearranging, unpacking, and decorating, and I can't wait to start fresh here next week.

The before:

yuck

blah

And the after:

I always put my desk in the back of the room, so when I'm not teaching, I can hide back there. Plus, being behind the kids during a test is awesome because they don't know if I'm looking at them or not.

Now I just need to fill up those boards with student work!

My favorite part of my new room is the picture JD drew of me. This IS what I will look like on the first day.

My helpers weren't really into helping.

Did you have a favorite classroom to hang out in when you were in school?

Wordless Wednesday: More Sesame Place

2012-08-29T20:32:00.002-04:00

I've already given you my tips, and Suzanne did a great recap of our trip, so here are some wordless pics of our trip to Sesame Place!

she's adorable even when she's miserable

typical: big boys up to no good, O trying to get his straw up his nose & Caroline snuggling

Squeezing the Last Drops Out of Summer

2012-08-28T14:57:00.001-04:00

Tomorrow I report back to work for the first time since June 2009. One week from today, I will start teaching again. I've known these days were coming, but I'm still left scrambling to fit it all in. We've spent the past couple weeks doing all our favorite summer things, and I can't wait to share our adventures. (You can get a sneak peek at a future post over at Suzanne's blog today.)

My parents have a camper that they park at the beach just about every other week in the summer, so we get a lot of mini beach "vacations" throughout the summer. I've already shared tips for camping with babies, so now I'll just dump pics of all the fun we had.

collecting

A ton of (live) clams washed up on shore. It was sad and stinky. O helped some other kids who were determined to save them by throwing them back.

Ava wanted to be friends.

Grandpa Bob is the best at burying toddlers in the sand. They love it!

The water is pretty calm compared to other ocean beaches, and they have no fear!

We're hoping to spend at least one more solid beach day there this year- I need something to look forward to!

Wordless Wednesday: My Flirt

2012-08-21T22:18:00.000-04:00

And just as cute: JD having a blast in the background, totally oblivious to the beautiful lifeguard. My boys are so different.

I AM a Good Mom

2012-08-21T09:32:00.000-04:00

I think my boys are awesome. Of course I do. I'm their mom. And one of the things keeping me up lately has been worrying about how they will stack up against the other kids at day care. I think they're brilliant. I think they're lovable. I think they're sweet and sensitive to others. But what will their teachers think? It's not that I want them to be the head of the class or the teacher's pet, but I want that validation that I DID MY JOB. That during the three years that I've been a stay-at-home mom, I haven't let my boys down.

In my job as a teacher, I am observed and evaluated. There are test scores and growth that can be measured. I can read teacher evaluations from my supervisors and from my students. I can look in my file and see my accomplishments, accolades, and failures. As a mom, I have to do that on my own. There is no boss to make the tough decisions. There is no core curriculum to stick to. There are a million decisions each day and SO MUCH second guessing and guilt.

JD and O have started day care part-time this month- just 2 short days a week- to ease us all in. By the second week, my heart was at ease when I saw that their teachers enjoyed them. Both sets of teachers have commented that they can't wait until my boys are there full time. They tell me that JD & O listen and say "please" and "thank you". That I have good boys. O's teachers genuinely look sad when I come to pick my smiley baby up. They like my boys. It's such a huge relief. (Although there is a tiny voice saying, "give them time...")

They may be teaching them new things, but I laid the foundation. As much as I've made mistakes and doubted my decisions, I didn't royally screw up. And knowing that is totally worth the cost of daycare. Maybe.

Crazy Legs

2012-08-16T20:39:00.001-04:00

JD has been coming home from school raving about the "crazy legs dance". Today I asked his teacher about it, and she told me the music they dance to. It blew his mind when I played it at home!

Of all the things he will learn at daycare this year, silly dances may be my favorite.

The Best

2012-08-13T01:00:00.005-04:00

I have less than one month left of being a SAHM, and I am determined to make the best of it. And this past weekend, the BEST was visiting Suzanne and her family at her home in CT. I thought it may be a little awkward to actually be inside a home I have been peering into through my computer for the past three years, but it wasn't at all. Suzanne, her bebehs, and E are even more awesome than you see in her posts, and we had such a great time that we planned another trip together for a little later this month!

Our visit was the perfect blend of relaxing/getting-to-know-you-better play time and a fun-filled trip to the Roger Williams Park Zoo.

And to ensure that we don't miss a single moment of fun this month and are ready for a healthy & happy back-to-school season, I'm prepping my kids' defense systems with Culturelle probiotic packets. Not only does it support their natural defenses, but it also alleviates occasional digestive distress that can go along with traveling.

Just thinking about animal crackers dipped in ketchup gives me digestive distress. Caroline didn't buy it either.

Disclaimer: I was compensated for this post and provided with Culturelle samples. All opinions provided are my own. I really DO love gingers.

Have I Told You Lately That I Love... Our Children's Museum?

2012-07-30T00:02:00.000-04:00

Over a year ago, I wrote about how awesome our local children's museum is. (Go check it out. JD is a cute, little chubby thing!) We've totally loved our membership to the Long Island Children's Museum, and we enjoyed an especially awesome day there last Friday with a couple good friends. There is so much going on there that we hadn't taken advantage of yet!

Long Island Parent Source sent me to the LICM to review the museum's early childhood music program, and we very happily accepted the passes to see one of our favorite local musicians, Darlene Graham.

wooohooo!

O was shouting "UP" and "DOWN".

We left the museum after exploring the first floor exhibits to grab some lunch at the Student Center of my alma mater, Hofstra. Our friend Sonia's daddy is an alumnus also, so the kids thought this was so cool.

Thank goodness I have 15 years before I actually have to worry about him going to college.

Then it was back to the museum for a puppet show performance of Goldilocks & the Three Bears. One of the puppeteers is a former student of mine and my friend, Heather, and it was so fun to see him perform!

O demanded to sit behind us all by himself.

JD giggled throughout the entire show. Best sound in the world!

After the show, we explored the new art exhibit.

The kids stepped into some famous works.

O's favorite animal lately is PIGS!

Upstairs, we spent a lot of time in the Feasts for Beasts gallery where we saw turtles, snakes, rats, and a beehive up close & personal.

This hive had an opening through the window, so we could watch them come and go from the museum.

Maybe they'll build me a patio someday.

We finished up the day with a walk over to Nunley's Carousel- a beautiful restored wooden carousel originally built in 1912.

I definitely need to get better at checking the events calendar for the museum so we don't miss more awesome days like this!

Here's My Face #BlogHer12

2012-07-27T17:37:00.000-04:00

I remember reading Suzanne's face post last year and wishing I was going to be seeing her in person, and now that I've met her, I CAN'T WAIT to see her again next week at BlogHer! And speaking of BlogHer, I'm jumping on the band wagon and posting pictures of my face, so hopefully you will recognize me and say hello. Because I'm really bad with remembering names- and especially connecting faces with names- especially when I assume nobody knows me or cares about talking to me. Please say hi!

This is the face I hope you see.

This is my walking-the-streets-of-NYC face

This is my listening face. (Wow- I look tired here. I will probably look tired at BlogHer, too.)

This is my confused/lost/I think you're crazy face

This is me enjoying your picture/tweet/post instead of actually getting the nerve to talk to you in person.

Hopefully I'll make it to a workout or at least squeeze a run in at some point.

I'm trying to drink more water, so you should see me doing this quite a bit.

I will not have tiny children demanding a catch. (woohoo!)

Please join us in posting your face. Even if you aren't even going to BlogHer- it's fun to see what we really look like.

Wordless Wednesday: Birdhouse for Grandma

2012-07-25T13:40:00.000-04:00

*Plain birdhouses were 70% off at Michael's yesterday.

Best Play Date Ever

2012-07-24T15:51:00.000-04:00

I knew this play date was going to be a success from the moment JD stepped out of the car onto the gravel driveway and exclaimed, "They have rocks here?! I LOVE THIS PLACE!"

A little drizzle didn't stop us from swimming, sliding, and making personal pizzas with our friends. A great time was had by all!

swimmin' in the rain, just swimmin' in the rain...

Straight-out-the-hose, cold water didn't deter O. JD wasn't as brave.

Perfect outdoor play date lunch activity- especially when wearing swimsuits: English muffin pizza! O did a great job all by himself!

Somebody loves cheese.

It is no surprise that my friend is an elementary school teacher- she was such a fun & patient host to my little guys. And her kids are equally charming and imaginative. I have to start thinking of fun things to do when I host them... any ideas out there? I guess I should go look at all those things I've been pinning.

Wordless Wednesday: New Babysitter?

2012-07-17T21:22:00.001-04:00

A Gift for the Divorcee

2012-07-13T15:04:00.001-04:00

Telling people you are getting a divorce isn't easy. Hearing that a friend is getting a divorce isn't easy either. As I have told friends about my situation, I've seen their shock, sadness, pity, and speechlessness, and I certainly don't have any answers as to what the "right" thing to say is. But I have witnessed what the right thing to do is.

I have been blessed with the most awesome friends and family. They have listened and offered their support no matter what direction this takes me. I also have a couple friends who seem to instinctively know what I need, and they have one thing in common. They've gone through a divorce.

It makes me feel guilty that I wasn't there for them in the same way during their rough time, but I hope they know how very much I love and appreciate them being here for me through mine.

Recently a friend delivered a gift that simultaneously brings me to laughter and tears. It is probably the most thoughtful gift I have ever received, and the perfect gift for anyone woman going through a divorce.

It included a bottle of wine (notice it's already empty), 2 goblets that she painted to say "Worth It" & "Available", scissors (for some photo editing), a mirror that says "Still got it!", a back scratcher, and a couple snickers bars (because they're really satisfying, of course) (and they didn't last long enough to make it into the picture). Best of all was the card, which read, "Life is filled with new adventures and some journeys we may not want to take, but where we end up is far better than where we were. I'm here for you anytime and anywhere." Who needs a husband when you have a friend like that ;)

JD's Ball Pit 3rd Birthday Party

2012-07-11T22:22:00.001-04:00

If you have read my blog before, you know we love our local My Gym, so what better place to celebrate JD's big day? I decided on a ball pit theme and ran with it!

The kids enjoyed pizza and juice boxes, and I enjoyed making the Ball Pit Cupcakes and Cereal Bars.

Made just like rice krispie treats but with Trix.

I bagged them and sealed with stickers (which didn't print exactly lined up right, but whatever).

After frosting the cupcakes, I dipped them in candy-covered chocolate balls in the colors of the ball pit.

For favors, I wrapped large playground balls in clear plastic tablecloth that I bought in a huge roll at PartyCity. (Would anybody actually put a clear plastic tablecloth on a table?) I made circular tags and finished them off with ribbon.

Cutting the circles wasn't as huge of a nightmare as I thought it was going to be because I found an adjustable circle cutter at the craft store. I used it to make the small circles for the party hats, too.

And then I made 20 of them. (20 toddlers = the party was NOT at my home)

And of course, we PLAYED!

swinging on the big hot dog

riding the zip line

*Balls ordered in bulk from S & S Worldwide. Invitations were from The Stationary Studio.

Wordless Wednesday: We Found a Snail

2012-07-04T20:15:00.000-04:00

So we gave him a puppet show.