Looking out over Robert Treman State Park, in Ithaca, NY

Happy Top Five Tuesday!!

It’s been a while since my last Top Five post. I couldn’t think of any interesting lists for you. It was a lot easier today, after spending yesterday trekking around another NYS Park. Once it warms up in the spring, Mark and I take the girls out hiking whenever we can. Yesterday was Robert Treman Park, just south of Ithaca. As we walked along the trails, I was reminded of all the reason I love the New York State Park system.

1. There are state parks everywhere. You can find one within 30 miles of anywhere in the state. From where we live, we have seven or eight within a 45 minute drive. If we go another fifteen minutes, there are several more that we can reach. It makes it easy to find something to do on nice days when there’s not much else going on. We love seeing how many we can get to each summer, and we’ll even be visiting a couple while we’re on vacation this year.
2. Hiking along the trails is great exercise. We live right on a main street in town, and we don’t have much of a yard. Hiking gives us all a chance to get out and burn up some energy. The stairs and hills are great for burning calories, and we’re always in much better shape by the end of the summer than we are in the beginning of the summer.
3. The NYS parks are beautiful. I’m yet to visit a state park that doesn’t make me itch for a better camera. I could spend hours taking pictures of everything photo-worthy, and still not come close to capturing all of it. There are breath-taking views everywhere you look. There are also plenty of opportunities to observe wildlife of all types. Lately, we’ve seen an impressive number of interesting bugs, including a few centipedes, but we’ve also seen birds (including a few bald eagles), lizards, and smaller mammals.
4. I love the mature hikers. Even if they do breeze past us on the trail, not breaking a sweat, while I feel like I’ve just run a mile. Seriously. We’re talking people in their upper-sixties and seventies, and there are a lot of them. Every time we go to a state park, we see two or three senior couples that look like they’re out for a Sunday stroll, despite the steep terrain. These people are my heroes, and I really hope that Mark and I are still out on the trails at that age.
5. Hiking is the best way to spend time together as a family. No computers, no cell phones (except to take pictures), and no distractions. It’s just the four of us, enjoying some sun and exploring new trails. We talk, we laugh, and we teach the girls to love nature as much as we do. What could be better than that?

It's almost time for school!

After procrastinating for a week or two, I finally called Becca’s new school yesterday to see about kindergarten registration. The woman I talked to filled out the form we needed right over the phone, gave us a date and time for her screening, and then scheduled us for a kindergarten preparation event later this week. The whole conversation took maybe five minutes.

Becca starting school is going to bring a lot of changes, for everyone. No more picking up and heading out to a state park (or wherever else) on school days. No more letting the girls sleep in until 9:00 or later. We’ll all have to get up early so we can get ready and get Becca to the school on time. One of the big changes is that Fiona won’t have Becca around the house to play with all day. She’s going to be a bit lost at first. And Becca will have to get used to spending her first real amount of time away from all of us.

Mark and I have spent time teaching Becca how to write her letters (and write her name), count, and do basic addition. We’re working on sight words and basic reading. I want her to go to school and feel confident that she knows what she’s doing. This summer, we’re going to tackle tying her shoes and anything the school suggests.

Becca can’t wait to get started. She’s looking forward to going to the school later this week and meeting her teachers and some of the other kids. She can’t wait for that first day of school. And I’m really excited for her. She’s going to do really well, and she’s going to love having all of the other boys and girls her own age around. I am looking forward to meeting the other moms.

But I’m also a bit worried. Becca doesn’t do well sitting anywhere for any length of time. She has so much energy that she’s just constantly on the move. I think kindergarten (and sitting at a desk for any length of time) is going to be a real challenge for her, at least at first. And I’m worried about her being gone all day, not because she’ll miss me (she will, a bit) but because I’ll miss her. It’s crazy having her and Fiona running around the house all day, but at least it is never boring. But I know this will be great for her, and great for Fiona, too. She doesn’t get as much one-on-one time with me as Becca did, so this will be my chance to make up for that a bit.

The other big change this fall is that I’m going back to school, too. I haven’t quite figured out how this plays into everything. I work best late at night, and sleeping in (even until 7:30 or so) won’t be much of an option. I’ll have to hope that Fiona is still taking good naps at that point, so I can try to get a bit of sleep in, too.

We’re going to need to buckle down and get organized once Becca and I start school. In the mean time, we are trying to squeeze as much fun out of this summer as possible. We started our summer A-Z quest this week, and I’ve started planning our vacation. We’re camping out at Letchworth state park, and visiting a bunch of places while we’re out there. We’re also going berry picking, up to the races once or twice to watch my brother, and (hopefully) down to the Bronx zoo with my sister. It’s going to be busy, but it’s going to be so much fun.

A few days ago, I blogged about my intent to learn violin.

I looked around for a local teacher, and they all live in Ithaca (about half an hour from us). One of the first teachers I found teaches fiddle, as opposed to straight violin. This is exactly what I was looking for. I’m probably never going to perform Mozart anywhere, but fiddle? That I can do something with. I emailed her, and crossed my fingers that she had an opening.

A couple hours later, she emailed me back. She does have openings, and she would love to teach me. We emailed back and forth a bit, and she recommended talking to a local luthier (stringed instrument maker/fixer) about his rent-to-own program.

So, that’s what we did today. I had to go to Ithaca anyhow, so we drove the extra little bit to go see what the guy (Dylan Race) had. We called first (mostly because we drove past his place twice), finally found the place, and stopped in after lunch. He explained his program over the phone. The price of the violin, case and bow is divided over 36 months. At the end of that time (or whenever I pay off the remaining balance), the violin, ect. is mine.

This wasn’t how I wanted to buy a violin originally. I wanted to purchase one outright, and I even had one picked out. But then I got to see one like I’d be getting (he only had the 1/2 sized in stock). One of his assistants played it for me, and then showed me how to coax some decent noise out of it. And I was won over. The sound is beautiful. The violin (fiddle) is beautiful.

And mine will be in my hands in about two weeks.

The money that I’m not spending right away on my violin is now freed up for the rest of the supplies I need, and some other things I’ve been looking at (like my canning kit and hiking sandals). It will also cover an extra lesson between now and July 1st, when my teacher goes to Ireland for six weeks. That should get me up to three lessons, enough to get me started so I can work on my own while she’s gone.

I’ll put up pictures of my new fiddle as soon as I get it home.

It’s going on 11:00 pm, and I am up late working. Okay, I’m up late blogging while trying to avoid work, but still.

Up until a few weeks ago, I used late nights as my fun time. The house was quiet, and I could finally concentrate on whatever movie I was trying to watch or book I was trying to read.

Except Friday nights, when I would scramble to finish work before going to bed. And I started to notice something. My ability to concentrate during the day might suck, but I my concentration was almost normal when I worked late into the night. Finally, a chance to actually accomplish things without it feeling like I was trying to force myself into doing something that my brain was rebelling against.

I mentioned in an early post this week that I have ADHD. It’s self-diagnosed still because I see no point in seeing a doctor until I can actually do something about it. There are no medications approved for use with pregnant or breastfeeding moms, so I am on my own for the foreseeable future. And I don’t need a doctor to confirm what I already know. If you look at the signs of ADHD, I have them. Nearly all of them, and I have had for as long as I can remember. I even had a teacher nearly diagnose me, but the condition (see note below) wasn’t as well known back then, so it was never mentioned (to the best of my knowledge, anyhow).

When I was eleven, my mother bought me a guitar for Christmas.

It took me two years to get motivated enough to start lessons, something that I kept up for five years. My next instrument was a banjo. I wasn’t nearly so successful, and eventually sold it to a young girl who I thought would enjoy it much more than I was ever going to.

I bought a keyboard, to pursue my dream of learning how to play piano. I’m not good at it, but I’m getting closer. I find time every couple of days to get a little further with my lessons.

Last winter, I purchased a mandolin. Again, I’m not great, but I play almost daily. I love it. I love the sound, and the feel of it in my hands. And I love being able to play songs with a slightly different sound than I can get on the guitar.

There is only one other instrument that I really want to learn: the violin. It’s also, I have read, one of the most difficult. Nothing like taking on a challenge, right? My goal was to save up and get one near Christmas, but there is a chance that I might be able to get one much sooner. There are a couple local used ones available, and I have just about enough saved up to get a decent violin and the few things I might need with it.

The problem with learning the violin is that I will actually need to find an instructor. Which is never cheap. Mark and I get a certain amount of discretionary money every month, and bi-weekly one hour lessons will just about take all of mine. But I think I’m okay with that. I don’t know what to spend mine on most months, anyhow. I usually end up with books and kitchen supplies, which our cupboards really can’t hold any more of.  And I have a backlog of books that will last me at least through the end of the year. So no worries there.

One of the best parts of getting back to taking music lessons is that, with violin I’ll actually be forced to learn how to read music. That will help with learning the piano. I’ll also need to learn where all of the notes are on the violin itself, and the mandolin is set up exactly the same, so I’ll be learning for that, too.

This will also force me to slow down enough to focus on something. I have ADHD, and I struggle with that sometimes (obviously). Violin could be really good for me.

Biweekly lessons also gives me two guaranteed hours a month of adult time. This doesn’t sound like a lot, but it kind of is. And it’s something that I find myself loving the idea of.

Nothing is set in stone at this point. I still need to see if I can find a violin that I like within my budget, and then I need to find an instructor that can fit me in to their current schedule. I’ll start contacting them once I know that I’m definitely going to be purchasing a violin. In the mean time, I am trying to put more of an emphasis on sight reading while practicing with the mandolin and keyboard, and watching a lot of Youtube videos. I want to be able to make the most of my lessons, and that means that I’m trying to get ahead of the game before I even bring my violin home.

****

Off topic, but Mark and I did end up coming to a decision on the baby carrier. We’ll be purchasing the Baby Beco (with a robot design) in the next week, and then getting the framed carrier later this summer.

Today, I turn 28.

This is the post where I’m supposed to talk about all of the good stuff that happened last year, all the good stuff I hope will happen this year, and all of the fun things I am doing today.

I’m tired. And I don’t feel like writing all of that. So, here’s what I’m going to do. These are all of the cupcake recipes that I want to try out this year. Because, you know. Birthdays. And cakes. And stuff.

And because I am waiting (impatiently) for Mark to get up so I can head down to the local bakery for some cupcakes for tonight. I am a bit obsessive, but they make the best cupcakes in town.

1. Pink lemonade cupcakes.
2. Ginger cupcakes with peach filling and blueberry frosting (I actually made these for Memorial Day last year, but they’re worth making again this year. Best cupcakes EVER!)
3. Mexican Hot Chocolate cupcakes (chocolate and chili flavor. Yum.)
4. Chubby Hubby cupcakes (Go look at these. I dare you not to want them.)
5. S’Mores Cupcakes (This one looks good, too!)
6. Root Beer Float cupcakes
7. Bananas Foster Cupcakes (Requires leftover bananas foster. Which might be hard to come by, unless I make a double batch when no one else is around.)
8. Hummingbird Cupcakes
9. Bomb Pop Cupcakes (Go look at how cute these are! I think they’ll be perfect for Memorial Day this year, or maybe even the 4th of July.)
10. Apple Crisp Cupcakes
11. Eggnog Latte Cupcakes
12. Turtle Brownie Cupcakes

That’s 12 recipes, and there are 12 months in a year? Coincidence? Nope. Although, when you count in baking for family get-togethers, ect., I’ll probably need to add on a few more flavors.

Now, off to find an extra cupcake pan and a cupcake carrier so I can be ready for all of the baking goodness.

(Diet? What diet?)

Baby Beco Carrier-- My Choice

Mark and I believe in baby wearing. It’s great for the kids, and it’s super convenient for the parents. This is especially true if you spend a lot of time out hiking, like we do. It’s finally warming up enough to get back out to the state parks, and we’re all looking forward to hitting the trails.

Last year, we used our Baby Mei Tai for hiking (and everything else). It held Fiona right against my chest, and I could comfortably carry her all over the trails. It was perfect. She could sleep or watch the trees going by while I worried about not dropping from exhaustion. (Seriously. So many stairs to climb…)

This year, we need something different. The Mei Tai still works as a front carrier, but we want Fiona to be able to really experience the hike, and that means we need a back carrier. There are more than a dozen models to choose from, though, so trying to pick just the right one for us is taking a bit more planning than I thought it would.

Mark's Choice

Fortunately, there are a couple stores nearby that carry some of the different models. All we needed was the chance to go out and try them. With that idea in mind, we headed out to Ithaca yesterday afternoon. The first store had a used frame carrier. Mark tested it out, and fell in love. I like that it has a pouch to carry all of our supplies when we go hiking, but I don’t like how big it is. It’s really bulky, and with a smaller car, that matters, especially when we’re trying to pack it in with all the rest of our stuff for vacation this year. It’d also be awkward for me to carry, and it’s not quite as portable as the other options.

The second store carries the two brands I’m interested in. They’re both soft carriers–just fabric, no bars to get in the way. The shop owner came over to help us try them out, which was great. The Ergo was simpler to put on, but I really like the Baby Beco better. It’s softer, and the straps aren’t as uncomfortable. It works as a front or back carrier, and Fiona seemed really happy in it. They fold up small enough to fit in a smaller diaper bag, and it’s really easy to adjust them. They also have an infant insert (good for future kids), and will fit Fiona for another year or two, or until she is big enough to hike on her own.

The real benefit of the Beco is that I can use it on a regular basis. I hate pulling out the stroller when I don’t have to. If I can pop Fiona into the carrier we have now, I’m a happy camper. A back carrier will be even better. Housework is so much easier with a back carrier. I could actually mop on a regular basis, and focus on the mopping. At the moment, I have to rush through it all while keeping Fiona from eating the bubbles in the mop water.

I would rather get the Baby Beco now, and then worry about a framed carrier next year. Mark can pick out a new one at that point, so I can really research the best brands and make an informed decision, rather than basing our purchase off of the one that is immediately available. The downside of not doing the framed carrier is that Mark doesn’t want to use the soft carrier himself. I don’t quite understand this, but he seems insistent. This isn’t that much of a problem, though, because I actually really like wearing Fiona. Also, carrying an extra 2o lbs. on your back while hiking up and down the trails burns more calories. I’m okay with that, too.

We’ll be purchasing the carrier next week, so we really need to come to a decision soon. Mark and I will discuss it over the next few days and see what happens from there.

Happy Top Five Tuesday!

I’m sitting here, watching George of the Jungle with my girls and enjoying how nicely a busy day is winding down. I fell in love with this movie the first time I watched it, and I still love it. Becca fell under the same spell the first time she watched it (although I suspect her interest is more about the animals and not about Brendan Frasier.)

I started thinking. There are some movies that just never grow old. For Mark, it’s Ghostbusters, Goonies and The Princess Bride. I could do without the first two, but I’ll usually sit and watch the last one with him. My list is a bit different.

1. The Notebook. I first rented this movie, it was Valentine’s day and I didn’t have any plans. I bought some chocolate, popped the disc into the DVD player, and settled back to enjoy my evening. I ended up sobbing into my empty chocolate box, tissues piling up around me. There aren’t very many movies that make me cry every time I watch them, but I still can’t make it all of the way through this movie without tearing up.
2. The Easter Parade. I watch this every Easter. There aren’t many older movies that I really enjoy, but I find myself looking forward to this one months in advance. I love the music and the dancing, and I love watching the two lead characters fall in love. Becca watched it with me this year, and spent half of the next day trying to tap dance around the living room.
3. Somewhere in Time. Another older movie. The first time I watched this movie, it was because my then-favorite singer listed it as his favorite. My grandparents had a copy on VHS, so I borrowed it to see what the fuss was about. This is a timeless love story, and it never fails to catch my attention whenever I see that it’s on.
4. Lilo and Stitch. A scruffy blue alien and a mischievous girl who feeds peanut butter sandwiches to the local fish population. Of all of the (relatively) recent Disney movies, this one is my favorite. I love everything about this movie, and it’s one of my go-to choices when the girls and I are having a rough day. They are as enchanted with it as I am.
5. Without a Paddle. I don’t know how to explain this one. It’s not romantic. It’s not child-appropriate. And it’s one of my favorite movies. Mark introduced me to this movie, and it quickly became one of my comfort movies. I stick it in after a very bad day or when I’m not feeling well, and it always cheers me up.

Bonus: Beauty and the Beast (the Disney version). I love this movie. When I bought my first DVD player in 2002, it was just to watch the special feature version of Beauty and the Beast. I could (and have) watch it over and over again. Now, it’s one of Becca’s favorite princess movies, too, and I love getting to share it with her.

What’s on your timeless movies list?

It’s 6:00 am. I have been up since 4:00, courtesy of an over-active mind. After laying in bed for an hour or so, I came out to play on the internet, catching up on some mom-blog reading.

And I found this.

Warning. That is not the blog post you want to read at 6:00 in the morning, and especially not when you are functioning on too little sleep. The author of the post talks about an article she read, stating that you really only have 940 Saturdays with your child before they turn 18 and head off to college. And then she talks about her resulting panic attack over the idea that she’s already used up so many of them, and her regret that they were spent worrying about her lack of sleep and long to-do lists.

And it sounded way too familiar. Ouch.

But it got me thinking. Becca is quickly approaching five. Fiona just turned one. And it’s hard to see this when you’re in the middle of diapers and temper tantrums, or in the middle of talking back and refusing to take naps, but this isn’t forever. The clutter of toys and the piles upon piles of children’s books, or the scatter of crayons, markers and paper, won’t always be taking up 75% of our living space. The haphazard state of our home, that Mark spends so much time worrying about and that I spend so much time trying to ignore, isn’t permanent. It’s a state of being, part of life with small children, but it’s only a temporary one.

I won’t always have to know the best method for removing permanent marker from a flat screen television, or Vaseline from walls. (don’t ask…)

But I also won’t always have children that can fit on my lap (both at the same time, most days). I won’t always have a baby who would rather sleep on me than anywhere else in the world, or a preschooler who sneaks back into my bed to cuddle as soon as I start to fall asleep. We won’t always have trips to the park, or walks down to feed the ducks.

It’s all happening so fast with Becca. There are pictures of her on our wall from when she was just minutes old. In a few months, she is starting school. She’ll make friends, get to know her teachers, and I won’t be the center of  her world anymore. Her Saturdays will be spent at sleepovers, birthday parties, and school events. They’ll be spent doing homework and studying for tests. Someday, they’ll be spent with boyfriends, and then they’ll be spent in a college dorm. And then in her first apartment. And then, with her own family.

Fiona will follow the same path. Each Saturday bringing her one step closer to adulthood. The same goes for any children Mark and I will have down the road.

I can’t drop everything to spend every moment with my children. Becca and Fiona have their own little world, and I’m not quite a part of that. That’s their time. I have responsibilities and I need time for myself, and for Mark, too. I don’t believe it’s about the quantity of time. It’s about the quality. When I am with them, my phone is stuck in my purse, the computer is put away, and the television is turned off. We play. We read stories. We go for walks. We talk, and sing, and dance.

We smile. We laugh.

We aren’t always our best selves with each other. That’s okay. We don’t always see eye-to-eye, and that’s okay, too. Their bids for independence are sometimes squashed by my bids to make sure they both actually reach their 18th birthdays without inflicting too much harm on themselves or each other. There are days when my temper is a bit shorter than others, or days when the endless piles of  toys and papers, the crumbs all over the floor, and the bananas squished into the furniture seem like more of a hassle than it’s worth.

But I’m going to do my very best to treasure every moment, even the not-perfect ones. I’m going to hug them when I feel like screaming. I am going to laugh when I feel like throwing my hands up in the air. I’m going to make a little extra time every day to enjoy being a part of their lives.

The author sums up her blog post by stating that the exasperating moments are as much of a gift of time as the joyful ones. I have a choice; I can either choose to let the more challenging bits get to me or I can learn to cherish them nearly as much as I cherish the more enjoyable moments in our lives. Because one day,  I’m going to wish for a way to reclaim the wasted seconds and minutes and hours, and there’s going to be no way to get any of them back. I have a single chance at each minute I spend with my children, and I want to make those minutes count.

Being a work-at-home mom is a study in creativity. Every day is something new. Today, for example:

7:00 am- I am awake. Fiona was restless last night, so neither of us got much sleep. She seems to think that she can get off the bed (she can’t) to go play. After getting stuck halfway off the bed, she finally settled down around 11:30, and then proceeded to wake up again every hour or two. All. Night. Long. This is not typical, by the way. She usually sleeps like a dream.

7:30– Breakfast, diaper changes, talk to Mark (who is now home from work). He promises me a nap after he gets up, as long as I have dinner in the oven before I lay down. Roast chicken intimidates him, I guess. I agree, and he goes to bed.

9:30– The girls are watching cartoons. I am starting research for tomorrow’s assignments and wasting time on the computer. After a while, I get distracted with some new guitar music and play guitar for fifteen minutes or so.

10:00– Exercise time. I settle for a 10-minute upper body workout. Finish the workout, get everyone snack. I have crackers and cheese, the girls have fruit snacks.

10:30– Bathtime for the girls. I get everyone clean and then let them play while I go through some of tomorrow’s research with a highlighter and start planning out my articles.

11:00– Play time. The girls climb all over me. Fiona slobbers all over my shoulder, laughing like crazy. What fun!

11:50– Lunch. Becca and Fiona want peanut butter sandwiches and Goldfish crackers. The meal is interrupted when Fiona enters meltdown mode. Quick clean up, and then…

12:05 pm– Quiet time. Fiona falls asleep on me, Becca falls asleep in the other recliner. I start the week’s grocery list and do some creative writing.

2:15– The girls wake up. I stick the still partially frozen chicken into the oven, and start hoping for a miracle. The girls tear the house apart while I get a little further on my goal to learn Italian (love all of the free online resources!).

3:00– Mark wakes up. I hop in the shower (finally!) and then lay down for a quick nap.

3:50– Mark wakes me up, two seconds after I finally fall asleep. The chicken won’t be ready before dinner time. Can he make cheeseburgers instead? (Yes, he felt the need to wake me up for this.) Fiona starts fussing, so he leaves the girls with me while he starts his laundry. Twenty minutes later, I finally get my nice quiet bedroom back. I do not fall back asleep, and instead spend the time daydreaming.

5:00– Becca comes in to get me for dinner. Chicken and roasted potatoes has turned into cheeseburgers and tomato soup. We eat. Mark goes to get ready for work.

6:00– Mark leaves. The girls and I have a 25 minute clean-up spree (with kitchen timer). We conquer the living room, part of the dinning room, and half of the dishes. Good enough.

7:00– Movie time. Tonight’s choice was Alice in Wonderland. We finish up the turtle pie from Easter for dessert.

8:00– (Now.) The girls are working off the sugar from the pie by spinning around the living room. I’m working on this week’s grocery list. Bedtime starts in half an hour. I hope to get them into bed at a decent time (read: before 10:00), and then get an article or two written for tomorrow while watching some adult (meaning- not animated) television.  Then I’ll climb into bed, pull out my Kindle and book light, and read until I finally fall asleep.

Tomorrow, I will get up at the same time. I’ll work, get everyone ready to get groceries, and figure out what to do with the now cooked chicken. Somewhere in there, I will find time to exercise, read, and work on my Italian. I’ll also finish the dishes and clean through the living room again. It’s not exciting or inspiring, but it’s what our lives are like.